The echo of the Maw’s slumbering roar had barely faded when the earth answered back.

  A long, splitting crack rang through the Shadow Realm like the snapping of the world’s spine. The ground trembled, dust rising from the shattered plains, and then—

  Boom.

  A fissure the size of a canyon tore open beneath the darkened sky.

  Heat exploded outward.

  Red light bled through the cracks.

  And then lava—boiling, hissing, furious—spilled in molten rivers across the blackened terrain.

  Kevlar, Lilith, Draculius and Camilia watched from atop the Crimson Citadel as the land buckled under its own agony.

  Crumbling spires collapsed.

  Mountains trembled as if struck by thunder.

  The smell of sulfur, iron, and ancient death filled the air.

  And from the widening rift, the world changed.

  First came a claw.

  Titanic. Gnarled. Black-scaled, yet glowing with threads of molten red that pulsed between its plates—like veins filled with lava.

  It slammed onto the surface with enough force to flatten a fortress.

  Another claw followed, dragging itself upward as shadow-mist billowed from its body like smoke from a waking volcano.

  Then, slowly—painfully slow—the creature pulled itself free.

  A colossal head emerged, dripping molten stone, shedding hardened lava like old skin. Its face was a twisted blend of dragon and primordial beast, wingless yet built with a presence so oppressive the air itself bent around it.

  Camilia exhaled sharply.

  Lilith stepped closer to Kevlar, eyes widening.

  And Kevlar muttered under his breath, half-relieved:

  “Good thing it’s wingless.”

  Lilith blinked. “Why? Isn’t it still… I mean… huge?”

  Kevlar kept staring at the behemoth.

  “No wings means no flight. Which means it moves slower. A creature that massive could darken the land if it flew. At least this way… it’s an easier target.”

  Draculius, arms crossed, did not share the optimism.

  “But its durability is another question entirely.” His voice tightened. “We don’t even know if conventional weapons or magic can injure that thing.”

  Camilia forced a laugh—thin and nervous.

  “Yeah… earth dragons aren’t even that big. But those scales? I agree. I’d rather not poke it to check.”

  Draculius nodded. “Its origin might predate earth dragons. Perhaps an ancestor… or the progenitor. These beings slumbered long before kingdoms formed. Before races even had names.”

  The ground convulsed again as the Maw rose to full height.

  For the first time in eons, the Titan Maw, the ancient calamity of the Shadow Realm, stood and stretched—its joints cracking like shifting mountains.

  It adjusted its posture, shaking off rivers of lava that cascaded across the plains. The mist around its body thrashed like a storm, as if the beast’s very breath disturbed the world.

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  Then it looked around—slow, deliberate, like a god studying ants.

  And when its gaze reached the broken veil far in the distance—

  It paused.

  Though it was impossibly far, Kevlar could feel it.

  The Maw saw them.

  A deep rumble vibrated through the air.

  Then—

  RRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRR—

  The roar blasted through the Shadow Realm like a volcanic eruption.

  The Crimson Citadel shook violently.

  The Royal Ones within collapsed to their knees.

  Those with heightened senses screamed, covering their ears as the blast ruptured windows and cracked ancient walls.

  Even the mountain foundations groaned.

  But the roar didn’t stop in the Shadow Realm.

  It crossed realms.

  The sonic boom hit like a meteor.

  Buildings rattled.

  Streets convulsed.

  People fell to the ground screaming as windows shattered and weaker structures collapsed under the pressure wave.

  Mererth checked on Eslene and Varain.

  Varain asked “Mother! What is happening?”

  Mereth replied with concern “Am not sure, but it definitely something out of norm”

  Panicked masses flooded the streets as the sky itself seemed to vibrate.

  The ground trembled as if reality protested the roar of an ancient god.

  Their Barrier of Light—a golden dome spanning the holy land—lit up violently as the sonic blast struck it.

  Crack.

  A spiderweb fracture ran across the barrier.

  Shockwaves shook the city.

  Stone flags fell from rooftops.

  Temples shuddered.

  Books, relics, and decorations crashed from their shelves.

  On the balcony overlooking the city, Saint Fariel gripped the marble railing tightly. Serena stood beside him, motionless, her hair blown by the force despite the barrier.

  Fariel murmured in awe rather than fear:

  “…Truly an ancient beast. A single roar, and this much destruction. A force of nature, indeed.”

  Behind him, the Guardian Trinity arrived—

  Slavik the Tyrant, Castiel the Slayer, Emilia the Vatican Witch.

  Castiel rushed forward.

  “Your Holiness! Are you unharmed?”

  Fariel exhaled calmly. “I am fine, my child. But it seems…”

  His eyes slid toward the Shadow Realm’s direction.

  “…we must reevaluate our awakened guest.”

  Slavik’s voice trembled despite his imposing frame.

  “Your Holiness—how can mortals defeat such a creature?”

  Emilia added softly, “Is this truly something we can fight? It feels… like defeating a calamity.”

  Fariel smiled.

  “With the right tool? Yes.”

  “Of course, no mortal is capable to confronting an ancient being as old as this. But it a different story if an immortal is added in the fray”

  Castiel went pale. “Your Holiness… you don’t mean… him?”

  Fariel’s smile sharpened.

  “As I said.

  The right tool.”

  Slavik, Emilia, Castiel, and Serena all turned their gaze toward the Shadow Realm.

  In that single moment, the Vatican made its strategy clear.

  They intended to use the Shadowborn—their so-called “immortal tool”—

  to slay the Maw.

  Knowing that "He" will not remain idle with a titan like this approaching the human realm.

  And afterward?

  The glory, the narrative, the victory…

  would be claimed by the Vatican. On behalf of humanity.

  A “benevolent gift” from an immortal to mankind.

  As the final gust of wind from the roar faded, the trembling across realms weakened into a distant rumble.

  But the damage was done.

  Camilia descended from the Crimson Citadel, barking firm orders:

  “Evacuate survivors! Move the injured to the inner sanctum! Anyone still able to stand—assist the healers! Prioritize stability in the west district!”

  Her voice cracked with urgency as the city reeled.

  She turned to Kevlar, face grim.

  “With the damage we’ve taken, I must leave the majority of my forces behind to defend the people. I can bring… perhaps less than thirty with me.”

  Kevlar nodded without hesitation.

  “That’s fine. Let them protect the domain. This fight doesn’t rely on numbers.”

  Draculius narrowed his eyes at the distant titan.

  “Nor would numbers matter.”

  Kevlar took a long breath.

  “Let’s move.”

  Lilith, Draculius, Camilia and a selected few Royal Ones gathered, then streaked forward in a blur of black and red toward the titan.

  Far ahead, the Maw took a single step.

  One.

  Just one.

  And the earth fractured for kilometers.

  Lilith calculated quickly.

  “At its size… it’ll take a few days to reach the border.”

  Kevlar’s eyes sharpened.

  “Which means we have time to assess its durability. Its weaknesses—if it even has any.”

  Camilia raised an eyebrow.

  “You don’t plan on defeating it?”

  Kevlar hesitated.

  “…I don’t know if I can.”

  The honesty surprised them all.

  But he continued, gaze hardening:

  “Let’s see how it goes.

  Because right now… we’re going in as a living force of nature.”

  The ground trembled again as the Maw let out another distant growl.

  And the small strike force raced toward an enemy older than kingdoms—

  a creature so ancient the world itself still remembered its footsteps.