The lion circled him, golden eyes gleaming with primal hunger. It struck, but Hercules dodged at the last moment and delivered a devastating blow to its ribs, seizing the beast in a crushing grip. With a roar of his own, he lifted the lion off the ground and slammed it against the cave wall with such force that chunks of rock rained from above.

The beast let out a choked snarl, but with unnatural agility, it twisted midair and kicked Hercules away, sending him tumbling across the stone floor.

The demigod barely had time to recover before the lion was upon him again, a blur of golden muscle and fury. At the last possible second, Hercules planted his feet and threw a vicious uppercut with all his strength.

The impact was like thunder.

A sharp crack echoed through the cavern.

A fang flew through the air.

The lion roared—not with rage, but with pain. Blood dripped from its maw for the first time.

Hercules wiped the blood from his own mouth and grinned. "Even divine creatures can bleed…"

But his victory was short-lived.

The lion lunged again, its massive jaws clamping down on his forearm.

Agony exploded through him as the beast's fangs sank deep into his flesh. Hercules gritted his teeth, refusing to scream. He couldn't afford to show weakness. Not now.

He struck back, fists hammering against the lion's side. Each punch sent a jolt of pain through his hands, as if he were striking solid bronze. But he didn't stop. With a furious roar, he rained down blow after blow, the echoes of his strikes reverberating through the cave.

At last, the beast released him with a pained snarl.

Hercules staggered back, blood dripping from his arm onto the stone floor. Across from him, the lion panted heavily, golden eyes locked onto his. Both were wounded. Neither would surrender.

If its hide was truly invulnerable, then he needed a different strategy.

Exhaling sharply, he muttered to himself, "Fine. Let's get creative."

He charged, throwing a feinting punch. As expected, the lion dodged and lunged for his arm—just as it had before.

A feral grin spread across Hercules' face.

"Still just an animal, after all."

As the beast's jaws snapped shut, he twisted his arm, seizing its powerful maw with both hands. He ignored the searing pain of its teeth pressing against his skin and began pulling, straining to pry the monster's jaws open.

Every muscle in his body tightened. Veins bulged. He dug his feet into the ground, forcing the lion back with sheer brute strength.

The beast thrashed, claws slashing wildly, trying to tear into his legs. But Hercules shifted, weaving just out of reach.

The lion snarled, its teeth gleaming under the dim cave light. Its body trembled against his grip. But even with all his might, he couldn't break its skull—the indestructible hide protected even that.

For the first time, doubt flickered in his mind.

"You've got to be—"

His back slammed into cold stone. He had unknowingly been forced against the cavern wall. The lion knew it too. Seizing the moment, it raked its claws across his side, cutting deep. Hercules let out a guttural grunt of pain.

Then, using his own body as leverage, the beast kicked off the wall and sprang backward, putting distance between them.

A dull thud echoed as Hercules dropped to one knee, his hand pressed against the fresh wound on his side. His breaths came ragged, his body screaming in protest.

When he looked up, he saw it.

The lion's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

The gaze of a predator moments away from devouring its prey.

His vision blurred. His muscles refused to move. Warm blood trickled down his skin. He braced himself against the cavern wall, for the first time in years, feeling the weight of defeat.

Then, a voice shattered the silence.

"HERCULES!"

A desperate, trembling cry echoed through the cave.

His eyes snapped wide open.

No.

He couldn't die here. He couldn't let his nephew walk into the jaws of death.

The lion's ears perked at the sound. It turned, golden eyes narrowing. It crouched low, preparing to leap.

"You won't," Hercules growled.

The beast launched itself forward—

But Hercules grabbed its tail.

With a defiant roar, he ripped the lion off the ground and spun, using the monster's own momentum against it. Every fiber of his godlike strength surged through his body as he heaved the beast overhead—

And slammed it into a pile of jagged stones.

The impact was catastrophic. The cave trembled as shards of rock exploded in all directions. The lion tumbled into the rubble, momentarily stunned.

Hercules didn't wait to see if it would rise again.

A shocked Iolaus barely had time to react before his uncle grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the cave.

They stumbled into the cold night air, gasping. Hercules swayed, but he didn't fall.

He turned to look at the dark maw of the cave.

The lion didn't follow.

Even so…

This battle was far from over.

His fists clenched, his rage burning hotter than his wounds.

He had fled. He had escaped.

And never in his life had Hercules felt such fury.

Daniel J. Noble: Come on, Iolaus… it was just getting interesting...