"Rumble!"
A deafening roar rang out. The ground shook violently, then surged toward the sky, vast stretches of earth and sand shifting rapidly.
All around River, the earth shuddered and rolled upward, forming enormous lions at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In the blink of an eye, five or six gigantic Earth Lions appeared, each nearly a hundred meters tall. Massive as mountains and brimming with power, they twisted their bodies and shook the manes around their necks.
"Roar!"
Their low, thunderous roars were deafening. Churning earth took the shape of mighty lions, which pounced on River below with an unparalleled, terrifying presence.
"What an impressive display!"
"The years passed, but the lion still stood, huh?"
River looked up and grinned.
The five or six enormous lions blotted out the sunlight overhead. Their dark bodies filled his entire field of vision.
He slowly bent his knees and sank lower. The ground creaked beneath him as his feet pressed deep footprints into it. Then, in the next instant-
"Boom!"
River shot upward like a cannonball.
In a blink, he was already in front of the first charging lion.
Purplish-red energy flashed along his blade before he swung it fiercely.
"Whoosh!"
A Slash Wave screamed forward, slicing through the enormous lion at tremendous speed and carving a huge gash down the middle of its body.
"Roar!"
But the other five swiftly shifted their bodies, pounced from behind, and slammed into him.
River turned and crossed his arms in front of him.
"Bang!"
It felt as though a mountain had struck him. His body shook, his bones humming under the impact, only to recover completely the next second.
The savage force still sent him flying.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Fierce winds howled, whipping River's clothes as he turned in midair.
Six mountain-sized