Ravin stood on the dimly lit platform, his eyes narrowed into slits. To any observer, it looked like he was preparing himself ntally—or maybe he was even asleep in that calm, unmoving stance. Who knew? With the tension that hung heavy in the air, perhaps retreating into one’s own mind was the only way to remain sane.
But reality ca crashing in with a low, rising tremor. Subtle at first, like distant thunder rumbling beneath the earth, but it soon grew louder. Stronger. The vibrations reached his feet, making his legs twitch involuntarily. Within monts, it had spread—first to his knees, then his arms, until finally, his entire body began to hum in resonance with the approaching tremors.
Then he heard it.
A thunderous roar echoed across the platform like a war cry compressed into a sonic weapon. It was as if soone had recorded an explosion, amplified it to an ear-shattering pitch, and unleashed it with the intent to rupture minds and eardrums alike.
Ravin’s eyes snapped open. His breath caught in his throat.
Before him towered a colossal monstrosity—a terrifying creature that could only be described as a beast carved from nightmares and born to inspire fear. It stood upright like a hulking humanoid giant, its form covered in glistening red armor-like scales. The scales shimred under the fading light, resembling a grotesque mimicry of human-made shields, as if the creature had forged its own armor from the bones of past victims.
Its face—if it could even be called that—lacked any semblance of humanity. No eyes. No nose. Nothing. Just a massive, gaping maw lined with jagged teeth, each one large enough to bite through steel. It roared again, a sound of primal fury that shook the very air.
Perched atop the beast’s head, standing tall and eerily motionless, was its summoner—Darnell. He looked hollow. Vacant. His eyes were lifeless, glassy, as if he were no longer present within his own body.
Ravin’s jaw clenched in unease.
’So he gave the Titan full control... damn it.’
There was no mistaking it now—Darnell had relinquished his will to the summon. And that was terrifying.
In the next instant, Ravin’s worst fears were confird. The Titan raised its right arm high into the air. Its massive fist, thick and cruel, cast a shadow over Ravin as it ca crashing down with impossible speed. He tried to move, to run, but his body refused to cooperate. He wasn’t built for combat. He wasn’t a soldier or even a field scout. He was a scientist. A thinker. Not a fighter.
And so, the inevitable happened.
The Titan’s enormous fist slamd into the ground, obliterating everything in its path. Blood sprayed across the debris as the platform shook from the impact. The ground splintered like cracked glass, and the section Ravin had been standing on shattered into a crater of destruction. It was over.
Or so it seed.
For a fleeting mont, silence claid the scene.
Then—soft, low, and defiant—a grunt echoed from the other side of the platform.
Ravin stood there. Breathless but alive. Miraculously unhard. And beside him was soone else.
Kairos.
And not long after, another figure erged—Kaela. She moved swiftly, eyes scanning the area as she joined the regrouping team.
Ravin’s lips curled into a subtle grin. ’Perfect... just as planned.’
The truth was, his mythic summon wasn’t built for brute strength or dominance—it specialized in deception. Illusions that could fool not just the eye, but the very world around them. Illusions that affected reality. His original plan had been to use that ability to trick the Titan when it attacked.
But when he sensed Kairos and Kaela drawing near, Ravin had made a split-second decision—he would act as bait. Risk everything. All to trigger sothing deeper... sothing waiting to be unleashed.
Kairos, still catching his breath, clenched his fists. His voice trembled with intensity, but his words rang with clarity.
"Darnell, what the hell are you doing?"
Kairos had never seen Ravin Elteth without a mask—at least, not until now. The man before him wasn’t just a stranger. He was soone he had once stood against. Soone unknown. And yet, when faced with the sight of Darnell unleashing death, he had intervened.
With no ti to think, he had leapt from the rooftop of a nearby building, shadows swirling beneath him as he activated his abilities. His shadow connected with Ravin’s, performing a rapid-switch just before the Titan’s devastating blow landed.
"I don’t know what this man has done, but killing him in the military academy will do you no good," Kairos said firmly, trying to sound composed despite the adrenaline racing through him.
Murder within the military academy wasn’t taken lightly. It wasn’t just punished—it was extinguished, by death, with no chance of rcy.
Ravin tilted his head slightly. ’So that’s why he saved ... not because he cared. Just because he didn’t want Darnell to get in trouble. Tch. I expected a kind-hearted hero. Instead, I got a practical opportunist.’
He rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched with amusent.
Above them, Darnell remained statue-still. His gaze—or lack of it—locked on them. It was almost as if he saw them and yet saw nothing at all. His presence was hollow. Emotionless. A puppet with his strings cut, standing only because the Titan held him aloft.
The Titan, however, had no such vacancy.
It roared—a deep, guttural sound that radiated fury. The sheer force of it caused Kairos’s spine to stiffen in response.
’What is this feeling?’ he wondered, unsettled by a sudden pulse of emotion that ran through his summon space.
Even his shadow dragon—a creature of silence and distance—began to stir. The beast that usually ignored everything had suddenly beco excited, almost... afraid.
’Whatever this is... it’s bad. Really bad.’
Only now did Kairos begin to understand why Fex had sent him here. Why he was placed in this exact position.
Either Fex had sensed the Titan’s ergence, or sothing even more dangerous had unfolded behind the scenes during Darnell’s absence.
Kairos’s jaw tightened.
’What is that thing? Darnell’s summon? You’ve been holding out on us, buddy.’
[Legendary Summon Detected: Titan of the Earth]
The words appeared in his mind like a divine warning.
’So this... this is the legendary summon?’
He swallowed hard and took a step forward, planting his feet firmly on the ground.
Darnell had once walked beside him—had laughed, fought, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him. But the figure atop the Titan was no longer that sa boy. He had changed. Warped. As if sothing dark had hollowed him out from the inside.
"No matter what happens," Kairos said firmly, his voice unwavering, "I can’t let you kill him."
His words, however noble, seed only to infla the Titan further. The beast let out another ear-splitting roar, shaking the remnants of the nearby buildings with its fury.
It needed no further prompting.
It lunged forward.
Its movents tore through concrete and steel as if they were paper. With every thunderous step, it carved a path of destruction straight toward Kairos.
’Damnit... it’s not slowing down!’
Kairos’s thoughts scrambled to keep up as he prepared himself for the inevitable clash.
’What happened to the friendship you used to brag about...?’
He gritted his teeth and pulled every ounce of courage he could muster.
’Fuck it.’
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