“Light them up, Ron!” Lorenzo shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

  With a roar, Ron’s Keeper Ring, Fire Burner, unleashed a barrage of fireballs, each one bursting into flames as they struck the advancing titans. The fiery explosions lit up the dark sky, sending showers of sparks and embers raining down. The lesser titans recoiled from the flames, their tough hides scorched by the intense heat, but they pressed on, undeterred by the carnage.

  Drake summoned his lizards through the power of his Keeper Ring, Lizard’s Whisperer, the creatures skittering across the battlefield with unnatural speed. They swarmed over the titans, their razor-sharp claws and fangs finding weak points in the titans’ armor. The lizards hissed and snapped, their eyes glowing with a primal fury as they tore into the massive beasts.

  Wien waded into the fray, his Iron Gauntlets crashing down on the titans with bone-shattering force. Each blow sent shockwaves through the air, the ground beneath his feet cracking from the impact. He moved with surprising agility for a man of his size, his movements a blur of iron and muscle as he crushed his foes one by one.

  Paul danced through the battlefield with deadly precision, his Keeper Ring, Frozen Needling, flashing in the dim light. Each strike was swift and lethal, the blade slicing through titan flesh with ease. The icy chill of his weapon left trails of frost in the air, freezing the wounds of the titans and slowing their movements. He fought with a cold, calculated efficiency, his every move measured and deliberate.

  The lesser Titans fell before them like wheat before the scythe, their monstrous bodies crumbling under the relentless assault. But their triumph was short-lived. A chilling silence fell over the battlefield—an unnatural lull, thick with unspoken dread.

  Then, from the shadows, she emerged.

  Rem descended with an eerie grace, her presence a dark stain upon the storm-lit sky. Celestial energy swirled around her like a malevolent aurora, casting an eerie luminescence across the battlefield. Flanking her, two greater Titans, followed closely by a few colossal Titans, charged toward the knights of Titan’s Keep.

  The knights fought valiantly, their swords and Keeper Rings flashing amidst the chaos, but their efforts were in vain. One by one, they were struck down, their bodies tossed through the air like leaves caught in a raging tempest. A knight screamed as a massive hand swatted him aside, his armor crumpling under the force before he crashed into the shattered remnants of a watchtower. "No! No, I won’t die like this!" he gasped, struggling to move as his limbs refused to obey. Blood trickled from his lips, his cries fading into the howling wind.

  Another knight, his sword shivering in his grip, tried to stand his ground. "Hold the line! We—" His voice was cut short as a titan’s foot came crashing down, the earth trembling beneath the sheer impact. His final words were lost in a choked gurgle, his body crushed beneath the weight of the behemoth.

  Lorenzo watched the carnage unfold, his heart pounding against his ribs. The difference in power was staggering—no, it was absolute. His breath hitched as another knight was hurled into the sky, his agonized scream lingering before he vanished into the storm. Clenching his teeth, Lorenzo forced down the rising dread and shouted with all the strength he could muster. “Fall back!”

  But as the knights retreated, Lorenzo surged forward instead. His twin blades gleamed as he leaped with veracious speed, his movements a blur. The power of his ring flared, binding the Titans in his path before he swiftly cut them down. As he landed, his blades still dripping with titan blood, Lorenzo turned to Ron and the core members of the Titan Slayers, his voice unwavering despite the chaos. "Protect those who are weaker. Keep pushing forward!" The command carried the weight of desperation and resolve. There was no time to hesitate—not when the battlefield was drenched in the blood of their comrades.

  Then, without another word, Lorenzo turned toward the center of the battlefield. His eyes locked onto the two greater titans now charging forward, their monstrous forms eclipsing the storm-lit sky. Beyond them, at the very edge of the battlefield, stood Rem, watching, waiting.

  He knew what he had to do.

  The titans followed her command. If she fell, they would crumble alongside her. His grip tightened around the hilts of his twin blades. He could feel the weight of fate pressing upon him, but he did not waver. He had made his choice.

  With a final glance at his team, Lorenzo left them behind and rushed toward the heart of the battle, where only the strongest could stand. His charge was unrelenting, his determination burning brighter than the hellfire that raged across the battlefield. If this was to be his last stand, then he would carve his name into history with the blood of titans.

  ——

  Noticing stronger foes emerging within the horde, Rena's voice rang out with unwavering authority. "Hans, Martin, join Lorenzo on the front lines. I'll hold the defense here!”

  Hans stretched his body, feeling the rush of power surge through his veins as his Emperor Ring, Tempest Tear, shimmered with a bright blue glow. With a controlled motion, he lifted his hands, pulling water from the air, shaping it into a spiraling current beneath his feet. "Time to wash them away," he murmured, launching himself forward atop the crest of a powerful wave. He rode the liquid force like a tempest incarnate, crashing down into the battlefield and slamming a torrent of water into the nearest Titan, sending it sprawling back into the horde.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Martin, watching with an amused grin, adjusted the grip on his tuning blade, Humming Sun. "Showoff," he quipped before tapping the side of his boots. A sharp hum resonated through the air as his latest invention, the Arc-Strider Boots, powered up. With a flicker of radiant energy, he propelled himself into the battlefield, his form streaking through the chaos like a shooting star. As his feet met the ground, he twisted his blade, sending out a sonic blast that shattered the eardrums of nearby Titans, forcing them to stagger. "Let’s turn up the volume!" he shouted, his voice brimming with excitement. Hans smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Just try to keep up.”

  As Hans and Martin surged into battle, Rena kneeled down, leading the clerics in their sacred chants.

  "O Gaea, mother of earth, shield us with your unyielding embrace, O Uranus, father of the skies, cast your eternal watch upon us, Let our blades strike true, our spirits remain unbroken, May your divine will guard this fortress from the abyss.”

  As the last word left her lips, her Emperor Ring flared with a golden light, twelve golden angels emerged, ascending into the storm-ridden sky. Their radiant wings unfurled as they cast a golden-hued barrier over Titan's Keep, shielding the fortress with divine protection.

  ——

  Hans and Martin surged forward alongside the Titan Slayers at the frontline. Hans conjured razor-sharp water blades that slashed through the enemy ranks, while Martin unleashed a devastating sound bomb, sending shockwaves that disoriented the approaching titans. The battlefield roared with chaos as steel met flesh, water met fire, and sound met shadow.

  Wien, Ron, Drake, and Paul, now joined by Hans and Martin, battled fiercely against the pair of greater titans.The first was Vryzix, a mosquito-like horror whose grotesque, elongated limbs twitched with unnatural speed. Its segmented exoskeleton gleamed under the storm-ridden sky, and its many crimson eyes pulsed with malice. The air around it hummed with a sickening drone, a sign of the vast swarm of parasitic mosquitoes that encircled it like a living tempest, waiting to strike.

  The second, Broragg, was a titan of brute force—a mammoth-like behemoth draped in matted crimson fur, its tusks stained with the blood of fallen knights. Its massive fists could shatter fortifications with a single blow, and each stomp of its colossal feet sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.

  Lorenzo's team attacks relentless but gradually proving insufficient against their monstrous foes. Wien's iron gauntlets struck with seismic force, but the titan barely staggered. Ron’s fireballs exploded across the battlefield, searing flesh but failing to slow the advancing behemoths. Drake’s summoned lizards latched onto the titans, their claws ripping through sinew and bone, but their sheer size made them difficult to bring down. Paul’s frost-laced strikes left trails of ice along their monstrous forms, yet even that did little to hinder their movement. The greater titans pressed forward, forcing the knights onto the defensive.

  Noticing the growing tide of enemies and the Titan Slayers struggling against the greater Titans, Hans made a quick decision. "You four, hold the horde back! Leave those two to me and Martin!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. His Emperor Ring, Tempest Tear, shimmered as he manipulated the moisture in the air, forming jagged ice lances above him.

  With a sharp motion, Hans sent his ice lances flying, impaling several advancing Titans. The frozen spears shattered upon impact, sending shards of ice through the battlefield. "No time for hesitation! Move!" he barked, his focus now locked on the greater threats before him.

  Acknowledging Hans as a threat, Vryzix lunged toward him with murderous intent, only to be intercepted by Martin from behind. Martin unleashed a blast of sound waves, the force of his attack rippling through the battlefield. The attack struck Vryzix from the side. Martin turned his gaze toward Hans and grinned. "Guess you owe me one now.”

  Hans turned to Martin, his expression shifting from amusement to urgency in an instant. His eyes widened as he shouted, "Martin, watch out!”

  A sudden shift in the air sent a warning through Martin’s senses. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a massive mace hurtling toward him with terrifying speed. Instinct took over—his Emperor Ring flared to life, casting a defensive sound barrier just in time. The barrier absorbed the brunt of the impact, but the sheer force of the blow still sent Martin skidding backward. His boots scraped against the ground as he struggled for grip, his breath catching from the intensity of the strike.

  Brushing the dust off his white cloak, he let out a short chuckle. "Alright, that was a little close," he muttered, shaking off the impact before locking eyes with Hans once more. His grin remained, undeterred. "Let’s finish this! Let’s show them what we’ve got!"

  ——

  Understanding that their power was insufficient against such titanic foes, Wien, Ron, Drake, and Paul hesitated before reluctantly pulling back, frustration evident in their expressions. Despite their pride, they knew their strength was better spent cutting down the lesser Titans, preventing them from overwhelming their forces.

  Following Hans' instruction, the four sprinted toward the keep, their breaths ragged but their resolve unshaken. As they advanced toward the looming threat ahead, Ron turned to the others, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Paul, Wien, that iron-clad rhino is yours. Keep it away from the walls!”

  Paul let out a sharp breath, gripping his blades tightly. "Easier said than done. That thing looks like it could plow through a mountain.”

  Wien cracked his knuckles, his Iron Gauntlets gleaming under the stormy sky. "Then we’ll just have to hit it harder.”

  Ron nodded before turning to Drake. "We’ll take the serpent. Get me close.”

  Drake smirked as he leaped onto his lizard’s back. "Hold on tight, Ron. My girl here doesn't take kindly to slow riders.”

  Ron didn’t hesitate, vaulting onto the creature's back as the lizard let out a piercing screech. As they dashed toward the serpentine titan, he stole one last glance at Hans and Martin, who were now fighting the two greater titans. Then, he turned his head to the frontline of the battlefield, where Lorenzo was seen last. The front line was now covered with a clash of blue hell flames and cosmic energy, the conflicting forces painting the sky in a furious spectacle of destruction.

  Ron clenched his fists. "Captain, please stay safe," he murmured, a silent prayer carried away by the winds of war.