Splinters snapped as Leo stepped out of the wooden crater his body had carved into the ancient trunk. Dust drifted from his shoulders as he stood tall. He rolled his neck, feeling the stiffness release with a sharp crack.
He looked down at his hands, feeling the hum of the King's title beneath his skin.
I want to explore this new power…
The ground beneath him trembled, vibrating up through his boots.
But there's too much at stake right now.
Through the falling debris, he caught a glimpse of her. Amanda. She offered a brief, confident smile. Then she turned, her hand raising against the titan.
Leo rolled his head, his gaze hardening. "We have to deal with the real monsters after this."
He whispered the name.
"Ai…"
Light gathered in front of him.
The glow folded inward, shaping itself from nothing.
Then she appeared.
Ai's familiar hair of soft yellow curls and twitching, perked cat ears were a stark contrast against the chaos. She looked too clean, too bright for the blood and ice of the battlefield.
Suddenly, the world shuddered.
Leo's head snapped back toward Amanda. Trees thick as castle towers erupted from the earth, latching onto the frozen monster with the force of a closing trap.
Leo's breath hitched, then stabilized. He turned back to his companion.
"Let's do it."
Ai nodded. She started circling in place, her movements precise and mechanical. Her eyes darted from corner to corner. She scanned the elves, the magic, the unfolding destruction.
Almost in sync, Seraphina's command tore through the air.
The arena roared.
Then came the deluge.
[System Notification] Successfully unlocked VIP Level 2!
[System Notification] 2,000 VIP coins received!
[System Notification] Successfully unlocked VIP Level 3!
[System Notification] 4,000 VIP coins received!
The blue boxes flashed in Leo's vision, overlapping with the blinding clashes of magic and steel against the frozen giant. The sounds blurred into a single, deafening noise.
[System Notification] Successfully unlocked VIP Level 6!
[System Notification] 32,000 VIP coins received!
The rush of rewards felt hollow, fleeting information in the face of the war. Until one message burned itself into his retina.
[System Notification] Warning: VIP Level 4 Mortal Ascension is active and summoned unit, Ai, can now die.
The world seemed to freeze.
Before another tremor hit. A convulsion of the earth that nearly knocked him off his feet.
Leo ignored the floating warning and snapped back into the battle.
The Titan was losing its war against the elves.
The giant thrashed. Its movements were jerky and desperate.
A barrage of magic lit up its chest. Fire scorched the ice. Blades chipped away at the frozen joints.
Then, a sickening sound tore through the air.
The Titan's right arm was bent back. The thick roots coiled tighter, pulling against the joint. The ice screamed. White shards exploded outward as the limb reached its breaking point, held together only by the last stubborn threads of magic.
Leo watched as specks of gold drifted toward Amanda. They swirled around her, a storm of pure, concentrated mana.
Across the battlefield, the immense roots went taut. They groaned under the strain, vibrating.
Crack!
The sound reverberated across Elderglade.
The Titan's left arm shattered. Massive chunks of ice detached and rained down, shaking the ground as they landed.
But the forest was not done.
More branches erupted from the walls, the floor, the very earth. They lashed out, spiraling around the giant's torso. They moved like constrictor snakes, layer upon layer, tightening with every second.
Pressure built.
Crunch!
Ice exploded from the inside out. White dust shot into the air like geysers as the Titan's core fractured under the crushing weight.
Leo saw the attack of the elves falter. Then stop.
Warriors lowered their swords. Mages let their spells fade. They stepped back, their eyes wide, reflecting the terrifying majesty of their new Queen. They were witnessing a force of nature that made their magic look like parlor tricks.
The grinding of ice against ice became a constant, agonizing shriek.
The roots pushed.
The Titan was dragged backward. Its feet carved deep trenches in the floor as it was forced against the high walls of the arena. The living wood continued to pile on, burying the monster under a mountain of bark and leaf.
It was being entombed alive.
Through the gaps in the twisting wood, the Titan's furious, glowing eyes flared one last time. They flickered. Stuttered.
Then, succumbed to the crushing dark.
The silence that followed was heavy, filled with the settling dust of the battle.
The golden magic circle beneath Amanda spun backward, shrinking until it dissolved below her feet. Her arms dropped. Her chest heaved, each ragged breath visible in the cooling air.
"We won!"
The shout pierced the quiet.
The tension in the arena snapped. A roar once again erupted, but this time it held a wave of pure relief.
"All hail the new Queen!"
The chant started as a ripple and became a tidal wave. The elves surged forward, grateful faces washing toward Amanda.
Through the chaotic joy, her crimson eyes found Leo's. He didn't smile, but he offered a slow, steady nod.
You did it.
In the distance, Seraphina stood apart from the flock. She watched the celebration with quiet pride as a figure in crimson robes walked up to her, leaning in to speak.
Leo exhaled, the adrenaline finally fading. He took a step toward Amanda.
But a sharp tug on his shirt stopped him cold.
He looked down. Ai wasn't looking at him. Her small hands gripped his tunic tight. Her gaze was pinned to the sky. Her ears were flattened against her skull, trembling.
A jolt shot down Leo's spine.
He snapped his head up, following her gaze.
Far above, at the very peak of the Elderglade, the castle changed.
The air around the spires twisted. Magic, thick and suffocating, flooded the structure. It bled from the windows and swirled around the towers, so dense and heavy that the naked eye could see the atmosphere warping under its weight.