Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

BOOM!

Yilaya was blasted backward, catching herself in the air. She hovered, her six arms held ready as she studied the cloaked, trident-wielding giant before her.

"My, my," the Witch purred with a giggle. "We're both children of the Abyss. Are all you handsome giants so rough?"

That single, probing strike had told her everything she needed to know: this one was trouble.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Orion demanded, leveling his trident at her.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go all-out for a one-hit kill. But first, he needed to know if this was her—the traitor to the Champions Alliance, the one they called the Witch. The fact that his opponent was female had raised his suspicions, and he was determined to fish for information.

"The name's Yilaya," she cooed, "of the Nali race." The six-armed serpent-demons preferred to be called the Nali; their common name was an insult given to them by outsiders.

"Yilaya? Nali? Never heard of you," Orion said, his tone turning dismissive. Good. As long as it's not the Witch, this is simple. I just have to kill her. He was eager to face the clown and the Witch, but he was also wary. He had no doubt they were on the same level as Arthas and Leonidas—beating them would be no easy feat.

"This Forest of Nature is my territory," Orion declared, his gaze sweeping over her with an air of absolute authority. His voice was cold steel. "Either get lost, or die."

Hee hee hee, Yilaya giggled, swaying her hips in a sinuous, provocative dance. "So strong and commanding. You're just my type, handsome giant. But you still haven't told little Yilaya who you are, or which layer of the Abyss you call home."

The twisting, arcane tattoos on her face writhed as she spoke. To Orion's eyes, it looked less like an alluring mystery and more like some gauche, outdated tribal marking. It held zero appeal.

"I hail from the Third Layer," Orion lied smoothly, "and this place is my territory now."

Leonidas held territory on the Third Layer and had often shared tales of his domain. Orion knew enough to bluff his way through a conversation. It should be enough to fool her.

"The Third Layer? Oh, I know the Third Layer quite well. I have many, many friends there," Yilaya purred. "Tell you what, handsome giant. Why don't you join our Cult of Four? I'll have one of the Pontiffs grant this entire realm to you as your personal territory. Don't underestimate little Yilaya's influence. I can make it happen."

She shot him a suggestive wink.

"The Cult of Four," Orion said, playing dumb. "Are you supposed to be strong?" As he spoke, he lunged, his trident a blur of motion as he executed a flawless Instant Impact.

Simultaneously, a shadowy fiend serpent erupted from the void where he had just been standing, its fangs snapping on empty air.

BAM!

Yilaya's form vanished in a flicker of movement. Orion's trident hit nothing.

Arch lord-peak, he concluded. And one of the trickier ones. After two exchanges, he had a clear measure of her strength.

Hee hee hee, her voice echoed from a new position. "There's no need for violence, handsome stranger. If you want territory, we can talk. We can go back to my Black Tower and discuss it over a glass of wine. With your power, you could have so much more. You could even have... me."

From her perspective, it was a simple calculation. He was a giant, an Abyssal creature. Offer him enough power, and he could surely be won over. Ideally, he would become her plaything, and a potent new weapon in her arsenal. She sent another sultry look his way.

It was met with a gaze of pure ice. Orion had tried to pry information about the Cult, the clown, and the Witch from her, but she was just as evasive, constantly probing him in return. Their little chat had yielded nothing of value.

The time for games was over. His mission was to topple the Black Tower. He didn't know if any other arch lords were hiding inside, but the correct move was to eliminate the enemy in front of him as quickly as possible.

Orion raised his trident. A host of spectral spider spears, each glowing with a holy light, materialized in the air around him, locking onto Yilaya. It was a combination of his Aegis of Light and Eightfold Spear Barrage, imbuing each spear with the power of light—anathema to Abyssal dark creatures like her.

"The Law of Light!" Yilaya gasped, her playful demeanor vanishing. "No, wait... the aura is off."

But before she could analyze it further, Orion attacked. The spears tore through the air with a series of sharp whistles, converging on her from all sides. They struck home, but there was no sound of tearing flesh.

"Let's be allies, handsome giant," her voice whispered, now directly behind him. Her tone was soft and pleading, her eyes wide with a look of desperate longing. "Join the Cult of Four, and I promise you, the Forest of Nature is yours."

Her hand, however, told a different story. A vicious, slender sword was already plunging fast and true toward Orion's heart.

His face remained a mask of cold fury. He didn't turn, instead parrying with a backhanded thrust of his own trident, aiming to trade blows.

Yilaya saw the move but pressed her attack. Her target was his heart—a fatal blow. His counter-attack, she calculated, would strike a non-vital area. Trading a wound for a kill—it was a bargain she'd take any day. She did not retreat.

SHLICK! SHLICK!

The sounds of a sword and a trident sinking into flesh rang out at the same time. Orion stumbled forward; Yilaya was thrown backward.

Hee hee, she tittered, clutching her abdomen where a searing light was corroding her flesh. The pain was excruciating, but her voice was triumphant. "I'm stronger than you, handsome giant. I win."

"Are you stronger?" Orion's voice rumbled as he steadied himself and turned to face her. "Are you really the one who won?"

Her laughter died in her throat. The wound she had inflicted—a clean puncture through his heart, laced with her deadliest serpent venom—was already gone. A faint, shallow scar was all that remained.

It was his Siren's Regeneration. As long as his head and heart were not completely destroyed, any wound would heal in moments.

Seeing the impossible, feeling the holy fire burning in her gut, Yilaya didn't hesitate. She turned and fled toward the Black Tower.

"Too late," Orion said, raising his trident. A single drop of her blood dripped from its tip.

"Dragon-ghost, slumbering in the endless dark," he began the ancient incantation, his eyes fixed on her retreating form. "Hear my call. With this blood as the medium, I offer you a tribute you so desire..."