Chapter 103 – Fall of the Red Titan

  The Breaking Point

  The Titan’s roar shattered the mountainside, a primal sound that echoed through the trees like an avalanche of pure dread. Snow exploded from the branches in a blinding shockwave as Gorm staggered forward, his eyes burning crimson, cutting through the mist with a fury that sent chills down the spine of any living soul nearby. His claws gouged deep trenches in the frost, each breath escaping him like a furnace of steam mixed with the iron scent of blood.

  “Keep moving!” Seven shouted, his voice rising above the chaos. “Don’t let him pin you!”

  Fluffy dashed across the battlefield, her twin blades a dazzling blur of silver under the moonlight. Each strike barely sank into Gorm’s thick hide, but every slash drew his murderous gaze away from her struggling companions. Erika braced herself, the cracks in her shield a testament to the battle’s intensity. Hopper unleashed arrows that flared blue, slicing through the fog, while Brinley’s mana traps sputtered as they bared the strain.

  “Too strong!” Erika yelled, her voice strained as Gorm’s massive hand came crashing down like a landslide, aimed directly at her.

  “Then we buy time!” Seven growled, his voice raw, nearly drowned out by the thunderous impact that sent tremors through the snow.

  With adrenaline surging, he sprinted forward—his boots crunching against the frosty ground, the weight of his rifle heavy in one arm. “Erika, boost!”

  She knelt, grounding herself and using her shield as a makeshift platform. Seven leapt, propelled skyward toward Gorm’s monstrous head, heart racing.

  Just as the Titan turned, jaws parting wide enough for darkness to swallow him whole, Seven’s gaze locked onto that terrifying abyss.

  Then, in a flicker, the eyes changed. The hellish red glow dimmed, giving way to a muted white.

  Gorm’s pupils rolled forward again, and the rage morphed—not faded, but twisted into something more terrifying. His massive hand shot up faster than sight, closing around Seven mid-air. The sound of bones creaking echoed hauntingly in the cold.

  “Seven!” Fluffy screamed, throwing herself forward, her exhaustion catching up with her in an instant. Her steps faltered, her mana sputtering out.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  In a single, brutal move, Gorm’s other hand swept low, ensnaring her too. The world spun, a dizzying blend of snow and shadow, as the Titan lifted them effortlessly.

  The air thickened, saturated with the overwhelming stench of heat and iron. Gorm’s breath enveloped them, a foul miasma of blood, beasts, and decay from all that he had ever consumed. His jaws opened wider, teeth glinting like blades mere inches from their faces.

  Fluffy fought against the grip, thrashing helplessly. “Let—go—!”

  Seven strained, pushing against the crushing force of Gorm’s palm, his bionic arm whining in protest. “He’s—fading—! Look at his eyes!”

  It was true; the white light in Gorm’s pupils began to flicker and fade, growing dimmer with each passing second. With a shuddering breath, the Titan's colossal frame lurched, then collapsed forward, creating a seismic wave that buried both initiates in his shadow.

  For a long moment, dread settled over the battlefield, thick and suffocating. Then the silence was shattered with Hopper's voice.

  “Move! Get them out!”

  Brinley and Erika dashed in, wedges of strength as they pried Gorm’s massive fingers apart, steam hissing from the giant’s palm. They worked desperately, opening a gap just wide enough for Fluffy to slip free, gasping like a fish out of water. Seven tumbled out after her, coughing through dust and blood.

  Gorm lay motionless now, his breaths a distant thunder beneath the layers of snow. The ominous red glow of the mist surrounding him faded into the night air.

  “He… stopped,” Hopper stammered, trembling slightly.

  “Collapsed,” Seven corrected, forcing himself upright despite the agony coursing through him. “Not dead. Just… burned out.”

  Fluffy spat out snow, her ears drooping. “If that red mist hadn’t worn off, we’d be halfway down his throat right now.”

  Erika groaned, wincing as she inspected her shield. “Next time, we run first and argue later.”

  The War Rabbits Arrive

  Minutes later, the edge of the forest erupted with brilliant light—guild runes flaring like constellations as reinforcements poured in.

  Miss Hopps led the charge, her red braid snapping behind her like a flag in the wind, Ripper and Raven flanking her. The Howlcrest veterans fanned out, weapons ready, as they approached the fallen Titan with cautious precision.

  “Hold perimeter!” Hopps commanded, her eyes swift and sharp as steel, locking onto Gorm’s massive form, then glancing at the battered initiates barely holding their ground. “Seven,” she barked, her tone leaving no room for hesitation. “Report.”

  He straightened instinctively, every muscle tensed. “Target down—not dead. Exhausted. Red-Mist influence confirmed.”

  “Status of your team?”

  “Alive. Barely.”

  Hopps’s expression hardened as she stepped cautiously toward Gorm’s still body. “That thing isn’t just a wild. Look at the markings—Aku origin.”

  Raven dropped to a crouch near Gorm’s arm, tracing a broken crest burned into the Titan’s armor. “Envoy seal. He was carrying a message.”

  Ripper’s jaw tightened as reality dawned. “So—diplomat turned berserker.”

  “Corrupted by that mist,” Hopps said quietly, understanding the grim implications. “If he’d made it to the city, Novastra would already be in flames.”

  Fluffy staggered forward, wincing at the thought. “So… we didn’t win.”

  “No,” Hopps replied, her gaze somber but resolute. “You survived. That’s different.”

  Her eyes lingered on Seven, a fierce pride shining through the weight of their circumstances. “And for tonight, that is enough.”

  A wild wind howled across the clearing again. The silence cracked under its force.

  Gorm's fingers twitched, remnants of snow cascading from his arm.

  “Positions!” Hopps snapped, drawing her blade with a speed born of instinct.

  The Titan’s colossal chest expanded, taking a deep, shuddering breath. His eyes fluttered open—not crimson now, but a dim amber, clouded with confusion.

  He blinked once, as if gathering threads of memory that hung just out of reach. His gaze landed on Seven.

  The low rumble that followed didn’t echo with fury. Instead, it resonated with something far more unsettling—recognition.

  And that realization weighed heavily in the air; it was somehow worse than rage, a reflection of something deeply human in an otherwise monstrous being.