Michael perked up as soon as he heard that. "Ancient Roar? You mean... the thing that the professor was saying?!"
Chief Lupan nodded with excitement. "That is exactly it. I haven’t seen it myself, but my Werewolves aren’t the type to lie. The symptoms of the Earth aren’t the ones to lie either. All evidence points to the fact that this young man over here awakened his Ancient Roar during the tournament in a fight against Mauricio!"
Although Chief Lupan sounded a bit crazy right now, he was talking with some reasonable sense.
"What makes you so sure?" Michael asked.
"That earthquake... that strange disruption in Aubility Power... it can’t be anything else but the ’Ancient Roar’! I bet the fact that he is the only demi-human who was able to awaken a Diva had something to do with it."
Is it really the Ancient Roar? Michael pondered as he looked at Jaku. The demi-human in question was the only one who didn’t seem to care about the claims thrown at him.
Michael couldn’t help but believe the Werewolf Chief’s words as well. After all, he had been searching for an explanation for that strange power, and was unable to reconcile it with any other type of magic or Aubility he knew.
Of course, he couldn’t be 100% sure. Perhaps, only the professor could truly verify if it was the ’Ancient Roar’ or not.
"The Ancient Roar will allow us to prevail in the Lunar Celebrations! It is an advantage that will not only grant us victory, but it will also grant us respect and adoration from the rest of the Werewolves.
After all, we are not the only ones who were searching for the Antique for the chance to inherit the Ancient Roar. All of us are!
We believe that the Ancient Roar will allow us to grow closer to our heritage, and therefore be closer to our Moon God."
Michael finally understood Chief Lupan’s desperation. He wasn’t just looking for a good swordsman from Jaku. He was also looking for a ticket that would allow his tribe to skyrocket to the top of the Werewolves’ social hierarchy.
As the one to bring the inheritor of the ’Ancient Roar’, Chief Lupan would certainly gain great honor. They wouldn’t be the butt of the joke anymore.
"This will be a great boon for both of us," Chief Lupan pleaded. "Honorable Jaku, please show everyone of your magnificent inheritance! You are the hope of the Brownbloods—"
"I don’t know though...," Jaku muttered.
"Huh?"
The demi-human Dragonborn shrugged. "It was just a fluke. I don’t know how I did that."
Chief Lupan was speechless. The slight glimmer of hope in his eyes was slowly fleeting as he realized that Jaku was telling the truth.
"We tried to summon that strange voice again, but to no avail," Michael explained.
"But... but that’s not possible," Chief Lupan muttered in defiance. "You showed the Ancient Roar! Your very voice should send a shockwave of fear throughout every Aubility Power that you come across! It should strike them with inability!"
The Ancient Roar was a technique by the Mythical Beasts from the Ancient Era in order to nullify an Ancient Human’s Aubilities. It was their only form of defense against the apex predators—the humans—from that time.
"I don’t know what to tell you," Jaku said, putting his hands on his head and his feet on the seat in front of him. "Looks like I’m not the one you’re looking for."
Finally, the carriage stopped and the doors opened. Male and female Werewolves welcomed them from the outside, lined up with their most grandest of garbs to start the celebrations.
"Welcome! Inheritor of the Ancient Roar!" they greeted, wriggling the fur on their shoulders.
But instead of a joyous Chief, an anxious one left the carriage instead.
"Please follow me," Chief Lupan said to Michael and Jaku. "Let us see if I was truly mistaken."
The Brownblood Werewolves were left standing there awkwardly, unable to know what made the atmosphere so strange.
Michael and the reluctant Jaku followed Chief Lupan to an open space, devoid of any pine trees, just beyond the residential wooden cabins that comprised the tribe.
There, they saw multiple Werewolves sparring with each other by literally butting heads against each other. The ones who were forced to step backwards were the loser of the fight. Michael didn’t know what that would accomplish, but it seemed that the Werewolves valued that type of resilience quite well.
As soon as their chief arrived, all Werewolves stopped their duels and faced him with respect.
They opened their mouths, about to howl, when Chief Lupan stopped them with a hand.
"No need for that," he said, before pointing towards two muscular Werewolves. "You, you. Come forward."
Jaku, realizing that he was about to fight two Werewolves head on, couldn’t help but look to Michael for an excuse.
Michael pursed his lips. "Sorry man, we need to see if you really have the Ancient Roar," he said, before gesturing for the two Werewolves to start their practice.
Immediately, the two Werewolves charged towards Jaku from opposite sides. Their speed turned into a blur, before reappearing right next to him, ready to take him down with their hands.
Chief Lupan purposefully chose Werewolves who were around the 5th Dao, or equivalent to the 5th stage of Body Formation for Maugnetics.
This way, Jaku would be forced to use every bit of his strength to try and survive.
"URGH!" Jaku groaned, before lightning arced around his skin.
Above him, the image of a newly born dark-blue dragon with white lightning streaked scales shimmered into focus.
As soon as this appeared, Chief Lupan’s eyes widened with excitement. But his gaze was still focused on Jaku, waiting for him to showcase his other power.
Jaku drew his katana and swung it towards the first Werewolf and intended to separate his torso from his body.
His Aubility Power activated, the lightning imbuing his body with lightning speed.
But against a 5th stage, that speed wasn’t of much use.
The Werewolf grabbed onto the katana and grasped it with one hand. Even with the blade pressing against his palms, the Werewolf was unhurt.
Jaku’s eyes widened, hands trying to retreat the katana back to his defensive position.
What happened next was a thorough dismantling of Jaku’s defensive stances. The speed that he relied on so much was of no use against the thick skin of these Werewolves. Not only that, but their pure power and strength could overcome his lightning Aubility all the same.
The Werewolves harassed Jaku with light punches, not enough to hurt, but enough to make him wince.
"I surrender! Boss? Boss?!"
Chief Lupan bit his lips in worry as he saw nothing change within Jaku. He thought that a high-pressure situation would force Jaku to use his ’Ancient Roar’, just like what happened with the tournament.
But despite all the beatings he took from the Werewolves, he never once showcased that tyrannical voice.
"Let me try this," Michael muttered.
He turned to Jaku and shouted, "You can leave! But if the Werewolves catch you, you’ll stay!"
As soon as he said that, Jaku’s entire body glowed with a blue gleam, lightning coursing through his skin.
And just as the two Werewolves behind him charged, he turned back and shouted,
" Stay back, you dogs !"