"I will tame you… Mahoraga, no matter the cost."
El was impressed, Mohoraga had countered instant transmission with a faster attack, while Boogie Woogie would've only delayed him, aiming to destroy him before he could adapt, El retrieved the lifeline he had been holding onto for the past 4 years.
He crushed an S-rank black card of Escanor: Lion Sin of Pride, power flooded in every cell of his body as it expanded, matching Mahoraga's size and build.
El's body began to swell, rising to nearly ten feet in a matter of seconds, his muscles expanding until they seemed forged from living steel.
For the first time since its summoning, Mahoraga did not attack blindly.
It stopped and observed the human before him.
El's appearance had drastically changed.
His clothes tore apart under the strain, the Black Bulls cloak ripping from his shoulders and burning away as it flew into the distance.
His body was overwhelmingly masculine, every muscle radiating intense heat that distorted the air around him.
Beneath his skin, his veins stood out thick and clear, glowing with molten light.
Across his back, a crimson tattoo of a lion stretched wide, the lines tightening and loosening with his breathing as if it were alive.
His hand moved instinctively, fingers closing as if to grasp the sacred treasure, Rhitta but sadly it wasn't there.
'What is this power? How can someone wield such strength?' El frowned.
His body had not stopped changing. Along with his size, his senses sharpened, his strength surged far beyond anything he had ever imagined.
Despite that overwhelming growth, there was no discomfort. His body accepted the power as though it had always belonged to him.
In the next instant, he disappeared.
He reappeared directly in front of Mahoraga, already mid-motion, his fist burning hotter than the surrounding volcano as it drove forward with unstoppable force.
To Mahoraga, it was as if a miniature sun had suddenly appeared, rushing toward it with blinding speed.
The impact was devastating.
El's fist collided with its face, melting half of Mahoraga's jaw on contact while the sheer force of the blow sent its massive body flying into the volcanic wall.
'Not bad…' El exhaled slowly.
He had been wary that Escanor's personality might overwhelm him, but that fear proved unfounded. His mind remained clear. He was still in control.
As the dust settled, Mahoraga rose from the rubble.
The lava around it no longer posed a threat. Its body had already adapted, treating the molten heat as though it were nothing more than water.
The wheel above its head spun.
"Kirschhh…!!!"
In the next moment, its wounds healed completely.
It charged forward.
Their fists collided, the impact sending a shockwave through the air. For a brief moment, their strength felt equal, but El's power surged again, pushing Mahoraga back.
It had not yet adapted to the Skill El used 'Sunshine'.
(A/N: Sunshine: His innate power that increases strength, heat and size with the sun's rise.)
Where their fists met a shockwave resounded and Mahoraga's hand began to melt, the heat continuously burned through his flesh and once again he was pushed back skidding on the hot ground.
Without hesitation, it severed its own arm and regenerated a new one in the next instant.
"Kirschhh…!!!"
Its body expanded again, Muscles swelled grotesquely, matching El's physical might.
They clashed again, trading heavy blows in rapid succession until the ground beneath them gave way. A massive crack split the volcano, tearing the earth apart beneath their feet.
In those exchanges, both landed multiple hits.
This time, however, El was forced back, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth, while Mahoraga was hurled into the distance by the force of the final strike.
El spat the blood out and steadied himself, his gaze locked firmly onto his opponent.
Mahoraga stood once more, its face dented and broken. Once again its body healed completely. Its muscles grew denser, stronger and more resilient as it adapted further to El's speed and power.
Now El's blazing punches no longer burned through its body. They only left shallow dents.
'It is adapting faster than expected…' El narrowed his eyes.
'Let's see how it handles this.' Ignoring the strain building in his body, he raised a single finger.
Mahoraga advanced at astonishing speed. It had already adapted enough to anticipate his Instant Transmission.
The moment El teleported behind him, Mahoraga turned instantly, its cursed tool 'Sword of extermination' aimed precisely at El's head.
But El was faster.
A concentrated force burst from his fingertip, piercing straight through Mahoraga's abdomen and carved a massive hole visible from the other side. The impact forced him back as its attack missed entirely.
"…Divine Spear Escanor."
(A/N: Divine Spear Escanor : Escanor focuses his power into a single finger, firing a concentrated, spear-like beam of sunlight that pierces through even the toughest opponents.)
The words left his mouth a moment too late.
The wheel above Mahoraga's head spun again, slower than before.
"Kirschhh…!!!"
El's eyes narrowed, as Mohoraga's wound closed instantly.
Mahoraga rose once more.
This time, its presence had changed, its strength and resistance had increased to another level which El could feel through his KI.
'It has adapted to my technique.'
For the first time since the battle began, El grew serious.
"The atmosphere here has become quite suffocating and gloomy," El said, raising a single finger toward the sky. "I suppose I should change it."
A dense sphere of energy began to form at his fingertip.
At first, it was no larger than a spark. Then it grew, condensing into a miniature sun the size of a fist, its surface churning with violent heat like an actual sun.
The temperature around him rose sharply, enough to make the stone beneath his feet soften and begin to melt.
El felt a noticeable portion of his energy drain, but he did not stop.
"Cruel Sun."
(A/N: Cruel Sun : Creates a miniature sun that burns and destroys its target)
Mahoraga did not wait, he moved instantly.
Its blade shot forward, aimed straight at El's heart. The strike landed cleanly, the sword piercing several inches into his hardened flesh before stopping, unable to go any deeper.
Before it could press further, El's hand snapped shut around its arm stopping it.
Without hesitation, he drove the miniature sun forward and forced it into Mahoraga's chest.
The sphere expanded violently upon contact, its surface tearing inward as it began to engulf Mahoraga's upper body, burning through flesh and bones alike.
El released his arm and stepped in, his fist slammed into Mahoraga's abdomen with crushing force.
The impact launched the massive creature upward, sending it soaring into the sky as its body continued to burn within the expanding sphere of sun fire.
High above, the miniature sun swelled him further.
Then it exploded.
"BOOM!"
The blast tore through the ashen clouds, scattering them in all directions and clearing the sky across nearly half a kilometer. For the first time in decades, true sunlight broke through and fell onto the volcanic ground below.
El lowered his hand, watching the sky.
"Is he dead?"
Something moved within the fading explosion light.
A small mass of flesh, barely intact, fell from above. The eight-handled wheel hovered above it.
Before it touched the ground, the flesh expanded, reshaping itself.
In the span of a few seconds, it reformed into a complete, unscathed figure of Mahoraga as the wheel above his head moved again.
"Kirschhh…!!!"