The spots that the lions had chosen to hide were very good strategically. They were all close enough to each other that they could react very fast if something happened.
The hill was surrounded by a gentle slope from three sides, and some parts were even connected with it. The lions were hidden in perfect spots to spot any dangers from all sides.
They were also close enough that once their enemies stepped into the valley where the Flameclaw Lion was resting, they would be able to act quickly and surround their enemies from all sides.
Once that happened, there was no chance of escape for them.
They had thought of everything and planned well, but they never thought that an anomaly like Kael would join hands with their enemies.
That's why they never prepared for an assassination either. They never expected the prideful lioness to use such tactics.
Every Fanged Lion fell just like that. Kael and Kiona were getting used to it, so their assassinations were smoother than ever. It was especially true since they found the method the lions were using to alert others.
The moment Kael reached their target and Kiona got in position, he would throw the dart and a small rock simultaneously.
The dart would make the lion paralyzed, and the rock would make the disk disabled. He had asked Alpha first if this would work and received a positive response.
The disk itself was very weak, so destroying it was also very easy. That left the lions only one way to alert—by roaring. But that was taken care of by the thirsty lioness.
She seemed to love destroying their jaws with uppercuts, as even if they weren't going to roar, she would still start with that and then proceed to behead them.
The assassination was going smoothly, so smoothly that Kael was getting a little paranoid. So he increased his vigilance while running from one spot to another for the assassinations.
Fortunately, he had Kiona and Alpha, so they never encountered any problems while running away.
Just as they were about to assassinate their fourteenth target, they both stopped all of a sudden.
Kiona frowned and said, "This is weird. I'm getting the smell of death from that lion. Did someone kill him before us?"
"Let's move on to our next target," Kael also didn't like where things were going, but he couldn't change his plans now.
He would just need to make sure they were in the best condition before they fought head-on.
They changed their direction and dashed towards the upper hill where the fifteenth Fanged Lion was hiding.
However, when they arrived there, they had to stop again as the smell of death once again assaulted them.
"Damnation!" Kael cursed. "That guy is even more cautious than I thought."
He could already guess what happened during the time he was preparing the counterattack.
Kael had killed one of the beasts controlled by that human while making sure that the death looked like the work of a Duskwither Wolf.
The human believed it, but he was also cautious of the sudden death, so he killed two of the Fanged Lions and most likely took them under his control.
If they went to kill them now, the human would know of their plan and quickly organize a counterattack on them, which they couldn't afford right now.
'Maybe we can. But then Seth and Jon will have to face ten Fanged Lions all alone. I'm sure at least four more are hiding somewhere else.'
His mind churned for a new plan, but even then, he found their current one the best. Clicking his tongue, he said, "We are going to check on others. I refuse to believe that bastard can control so many beasts at once."
There was another possibility. The human had discarded his previous beasts to control the new ones. But the chances of that happening were low.
As a beast tamer, he knew one needed quality soul to control many beasts, and it also depended on the beasts' strength and intelligence.
He had only managed to contract Draven because he gave his consent, and Kael had also become a Legendary Dragon.
'Six should be impossible, but it will still cause problems.'
"They can handle this, Master."
Kiona saw her master's expression and smiled, "It may not look like it, but they are just as angry as I am. Even if you throw six lions at them, I'm sure they will emerge victorious."
"But with heavy injuries probably," Kael shook his head. "Anyways, let's first check on the other lions."
They moved on to their next target and reached there in a few minutes. They made sure they were slow and attentive enough to catch even the minor things.
Fortunately for them, they didn't get the smell of death from this lion. The Fanged Lion was alive and ready to get assassinated.
"Knew it! He can't control way too many beasts at once," Kael grinned and said. "Let's go!"
Kiona nodded with a subtle smile on her face. Then, she asked as they moved closer to the lion, "Master, do you think he really came for me?"
"I can't find any other explanation," Kael shrugged. "He is hell-bent on killing you or at least capturing you. You must have something he wants badly."
Kiona tried to think of everything she had but couldn't find anything valuable. She didn't even receive the Clan's Heritage Stone, and that was the most valuable thing of their Pride.
It was with her father...
"We're broke as hell," Kael smiled. "But that doesn't mean we don't have any value. I'll ask that bastard what he wanted before I kill him."
Kiona nodded and focused ahead. With nimble steps, she arrived on top of a tree's branch without making any sound at all.
Kael also got in position and fired the dart along with the rock. The rock reached first, hitting the disk under the lion's skin and destroying it.
The lion jerked up and got ready for a fight, but that was a mistake as well. Against a beast who had evolved four times already, he stood no chance and was beheaded in one full swipe... after getting a deadly uppercut to his jaws.
Just like that, another Fanged Lion died.