Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

The power of Wyrmsbane Gyre came from the volatile fusion of different energies, a chaotic reaction that amplified Orion's attack to a horrifying degree. But that power had a specific focus; it was only truly effective against dragon-kin.

Against the demigod phantom that now faced him, it was all but useless.

"You dared to destroy my avatar! For that, you will die!" Konak's phantom roared, the mass of raw flame pulsing with rage. "Die!"

The fire swelled, birthing a churning ocean of flame in the space behind it. The inferno then crested and broke, crashing down upon the dais as a tidal wave of pure fire, an unstoppable deluge of destruction.

"You're the one who's going to die!"

Orion didn't retreat. While Konak was busy monologuing, he had already sacrificed half of his life energy, activating Blood Sacrifice. A storm of violent energy surged into him, and his Titan Form grew taller still.

The moment his power reached its absolute peak, he vanished, activating Instant Impact.

He paid the sea of fire no mind, plunging directly through the inferno. It was a clash of raw blood and life force against all-consuming flame. He broke through the wave, emerging from the fire to appear directly before the demigod phantom.

His trident became a crimson spear of light, stabbing relentlessly at the slowly pulsing core of the fire.

"Such frightening power!" Konak's disdainful voice echoed from within the flames, even as Orion's attack was held at bay. "But you have no idea how vast the chasm is between supernatural might and true divine power."

Orion didn't speak. He just kept pouring his bloodline energy into the trident, forcing his indomitable will into the very fabric of the weapon.

Push. Push through without fear!

Schhhk!

The fiery phantom suddenly shrank, its form contracting. The tip of Orion's trident had pierced its outer layer and was now, inch by agonizing inch, pushing its way inside.

"How is this possible?" Konak's voice was laced with disbelief. "Impossible! This is my demigod phantom, a manifestation of my very essence! It is built from my divine power!"

CRACK!

The flame contracted again, and the trident plunged deeper, drawing closer to the phantom's core.

"No! Don't!"

The phantom pulsed violently, a powerful wave of force erupting outward in an attempt to throw Orion and his weapon back. The blast only managed to stall the trident's advance for a fraction of a second.

"I told you," Orion snarled through clenched teeth, "you're the one who's going to die!"

"GO TO HELL!"

With a final, guttural roar, Orion became one with his weapon. His will, his murderous intent, his very body—he poured everything into this one final, decisive strike.

Whoosh…

It was like the sound of a final exhalation of wind, the last whisper of heat as a great fire is extinguished.

Orion had annihilated the demigod's will projection. He turned, his eyes cold and brimming with murderous intent, and fixed his gaze on the female knight, the shadow, and the others.

Shit!

By the time they reacted, Orion had already vanished from sight.

***

Titanion Realm—Aenari Island.

"I'll give you this one chance, out of respect for our shared blood as members of the Sea Race," Marina announced, her voice echoing across the islet. She hovered in the air, facing Dadur, Eshyra, and Cyclon alone, not a hint of fear in her expression. "Pack your things. Take your vassals and your people, and leave Aenari Island."

"You have half a day."

"Are you out of your mind?!" the naga Eshyra was the first to snap back.

Eshyra was a mid-tier lord. Marina's aura marked her as a low-tier lord at best. To be given orders by someone so far beneath her was an insult she could not tolerate. As she spoke, her six arms blurred, unsheathing six gleaming blades that formed a whirlwind of steel around her.

"And you?" Marina asked, completely ignoring the naga. There was no point in wasting her breath on such a hothead. She looked past her, directly at the Reverse Whale Dadur and the Dreadfin Cyclon.

"You're from the Silvercurrent Sea?" Dadur asked, genuinely caught off guard. He had never expected the leader of the Stoneheart Horde's expedition to be a mermaid. He sidestepped her ultimatum, voicing his own question instead.

Marina gave him a wry, humorless smile. "Are there merfolk in any other sea in this world?"

The Reverse Whale was left speechless, falling into a tense silence. The Dreadfin Cyclon remained as quiet and still as ever.

"Dadur, Cyclon, stop talking to her!" Eshyra shrieked. "As if the three of us can't take her one-on-one!"

With that, she shot forward, her six blades raised to strike.

"Fool," Marina sighed, her brow furrowing in annoyance.

She took a single step forward.

In the next second, an illusory ocean flooded the area. The water was dream-like, shimmering like smoke and mist. Suddenly, a colossal, iridescent tail materialized from the phantom depths. Before Eshyra could even raise her blades to block, the tail swung with impossible speed and smashed her into a bloody pulp.

The attack was over in an instant. The tail vanished, leaving only the shimmering, ethereal seawater, which soon faded away.

Marina raised a hand, and a gleaming Lord's Stone flew from the gory remains into her palm. She tucked it away and turned her placid gaze back to the two remaining lords.

"And you?"

The sheer, terrifying strangeness of the attack had left both Dadur and Cyclon frozen in stunned terror.

"I'll leave at once," Cyclon said without a moment's hesitation. He turned and began to retreat, preparing to abandon Aenari Island for good.

"I'll leave as well," Dadur echoed, though a look of extreme, bitter reluctance was buried deep in his eyes.

Only after watching them both depart did Marina descend to the ground.

"My lady… are they really just leaving?" Rendall asked, stepping forward. His tone was one of deep, genuine respect. If his previous deference was based on her power and her connection to Orion, her actions just now had earned their true reverence. A three-on-one victory against lords of a similar level was a feat few in the entire stoneheart horde could claim. Besides Orion himself, almost no one else could have pulled it off.

"Give them half a day," Marina said calmly, not a trace of killing intent on her face. "If they're not gone by then, we attack."

But everyone there understood. This was the same quiet Warden who had just obliterated a naga lord with a single, casual gesture.

"As you command!"

"As you command!"

***

Silverwood Realm—Hydraea Plains.

"The two of you weren't enough." A wicked chuckle rumbled in the beast's chest. "Heh heh heh…"

The Hell-Drake Hound, Dirtclaw, bit down, crushing the head of a Ghouls lord. Blood and viscera dripped from its jaws in a gruesome display. In a two-on-one fight, he had killed one and crippled the other.

I underestimated myself, Dirtclaw thought with savage glee. Two was just a test. I should have taken on three.

BOOM!

Just as Dirtclaw swallowed the fallen lord's Lord's Stone, a tremendous crack echoed from the heavens. The sky itself seemed to fracture as an invisible barrier shattered like glass.

A flicker of alarm crossed Dirtclaw's eyes, quickly followed by a flash of vicious opportunism. He ignored the cataclysm unfolding in the sky. Instead, he lunged for the heavily wounded demonic monsters lord and, as it stared up in terror, bit its head clean off.