The undead Viking's ax flew down toward Roger’s face, but the Cerberus’s blade sliced through the Viking's neck. The headless zombie fell to the ground next to Roger, shattering into dust.

“Stop lying around like a bum!” Katina shouted.

Roger jumped to his feet and blocked another zombie's attack. "I wasn't lying around!"

"Then get your ass up and fight back!"

Katina was truly annoying Roger, but he knew he has to keep fighting for his life. It wasn't his fault he fell to the ground. However, he has to get moving in order to avoid another surprise attack.

As Cerberus and him faced the creatures back to back, more zombies appeared from the shadows. There were too many now, surrounding Roger and the Cerberus. Logically, if they keep fighting, they won't last for long.

"What should we do?" Roger asked, feeling his heart race.

Cilla gulped. "I don't know!"

"The more we kill, the more they come," Labda stated with fear in her voice.

Katina growled. "I hate fouls who can't die. But I whether die in a battle!”

"Will you go to the Tartarus if you get killed here?" Roger asked.

"It is possible, but we never died here," Labda explained. "We might return to the gate, or become a lost soul."

"But you will be screwed if they kill you here," Katina warned.

Roger definitely wouldn’t let that happen to him and the girls. They needed to stick together if they were going to free the Underworld from the tyrant. If they couldn’t save the Underworld, then the Earth will be doomed. But how could they fight all the undead without dying?

Suddenly, a giant roar shook the entire forest, freezing everyone in their shaking feet. The undead stared toward the east, widening their blue eyes. Then all of them ran off, leaving Roger and the Cerberus alone.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Why are they retreating?” Roger asked.

Labda sniffed the musty air and glared. “He is coming.”

“Who is coming?”

From a tree, a golden lion landed on the ground, growling at the Cerberus. Roger’s mouth dropped, observing how big the monster was. It may look like a lion, but the lion was big as a school bus; around twenty-five or forty-five feet. Long tusked fangs below his muzzle, and a blade mane with dark spike fur. He growled like a monster truck, ready to run over two victims.

Roger pointed his shaking sword at the creature. “Wha-wha-what is that!?’

“The Nemean Lion,” Labda explained. “A ruthless man-eater that once lived in Nemea. He was the first monster Hercule slew.”

Roger felt like his entire body was turning into ice. That thing could literally swallow him whole or bite his body in half.

“Stand back,” Katina ordered as the girls slid their swords into their sheaths. “We can fight that pussy alone.”

“What about your weapons?” Roger asked.

“We don’t need them,” said Labda. “Swords can't penetrate through his fur.”

Katina cracked her knuckles. “But we can break his neck with our bare hands. Heeheehee!”

The lion stepped forward and kneeled down, wiggling his lower back up. He was preparing to attack the girls like a cat ready to pounce on a mouse.

The Cerberus spread out their bare feet, holding out their arms like a sumo wrestler.

"Come and get us, kitty!" Katina shouted.

The lion roared and lurged forward. While flying with his paws aiming for the girls, the Cerberus grabbed his paws and tossed him.

Pow! The Nemean's back slammed, but he jumped back onto his paws.

The Cerberus charged, raising their left fist up. As their intended punch reached for the lion's face, he slapped their fist aside and tackled them.

Both beasts fell to the ground. The lion stood on top of them, pushing his paws on their chest. They were big, but the lion was bigger and stronger.

Roger looked around, wondering how he could help the girls. He couldn't just stand behind a tree and watch them get mauled by the lion. Without them, nobody else could help him fight against the monsters in the Underworld.

He spotted a rock below a tree. It won't kill the lion, but it should help Roger distract the giant lion.

He picked up the rock. "Hey!"

The lion ignored him. Too busy snapping his jaws toward the girls' heads. They snarled back to avoid getting bitten

Animals!

Roger threw the rock like a baseball. It hit the lion's skull with a hard knock.

After a groan, the lion leaped off the Cerberus and crawled toward him, snarling his fangs.

It worked, but now the lion was going to turn Roger into dinner.