The Titan stood.
The world changed.
Entire sections of forest slid from its shoulders like avalanches.
Ancient trees toppled.
Stone cracked.
The valley itself seemed too small to contain something so enormous.
The surviving adventurers forgot how to breathe.
One of them dropped to his knees.
Another whispered a prayer.
Nobody blamed them.
The Titan was hundreds of feet tall.
Not a monster.
Not a beast.
Not a dragon.
Something older.
Something that should have remained buried.
The Titan slowly lowered its gaze toward them.
Blue eyes glowed like twin moons.
Jax felt it immediately.
Not hatred.
Not rage.
Hunger.
The same hunger he'd sensed inside the dungeon.
Only stronger now.
Much stronger.
The Titan took one step.
The earth exploded beneath its foot.
Half the valley shook.
Several survivors screamed.
Warden stared upward.
His shield lowered slightly.
For the first time, uncertainty entered the knight's posture.
"My liege."
"We talked about that."
"My apologies, my liege."
Jax sighed.
"We're still working on it."
The Titan took another step.
A forest disappeared beneath its foot.
The survivors finally understood.
If this thing reached a city—
There wouldn't be a city anymore.
There would be a memory.
Jax stepped forward.
Peacemaker appeared in his hand.
The Titan noticed.
Its eyes focused.
For a moment—
The hunger weakened.
Confusion appeared.
Then sorrow.
Then the hunger returned.
Stronger than before.
The Titan opened its mouth.
Its voice rolled across the valley.
Not loud.
Heavy.
Like mountains learning how to speak.
"HUNGRY."
The single word hit everyone like a physical force.
Bunny swallowed.
"That's bad."
"Very bad," Zee agreed.
The Titan took another step.
"HUNGRY."
Then another.
"HUNGRY."
Jax hated it.
The creature sounded miserable.
Like every word hurt.
Like every movement hurt.
Like existing hurt.
And somehow that made everything worse.
"Can it be reasoned with?" Zee asked quietly.
Jax looked at Warden.
The knight lowered his head.
"He once could."
The answer landed like a stone.
Once.
Past tense.
The Titan moved again.
And the battle began.
Llandra fired first.
Starpiercer sang.
Dozens of arrows streaked across the sky.
They struck the Titan's chest.
Exploded.
And did almost nothing.
The Titan barely noticed.
Bunny charged next.
Earth Breaker crashed into the Titan's ankle with enough force to shatter fortifications.
The impact echoed for miles.
The Titan shifted its weight.
That was all.
Bunny bounced backward.
Eyes wide.
"Okay."
She landed heavily.
"That's a problem."
Nyxian attacked.
Lilith's Kiss wrapped around the Titan's arm.
Crystal mana surged.
The whip cut deep enough to draw glowing blue energy.
The Titan finally reacted.
Its free hand swept outward.
The resulting shockwave flattened several acres of forest.
Zee's barriers barely held.
Everyone was thrown backward.
The survivors would have died instantly if not for Formation Sierra.
Jax was already moving.
Aether Step.
Wind Walking.
Acceleration.
Peacemaker carved across the Titan's leg.
A wound appeared.
Blue light spilled out.
The Titan actually stumbled.
The Vixens smiled.
Then the wound healed.
Not quickly.
Instantly.
Their smiles vanished.
"Oh come on," Nyxian complained.
The Titan continued forward.
Unstoppable.
Uncaring.
Hungry.
It wasn't trying to kill them.
That somehow made it worse.
The Titan wasn't attacking.
It was walking.
And they simply happened to be in the way.
Jax looked at the approaching giant.
Then upward.
Then at the open sky.
And suddenly—
He smiled.
The Vixens recognized that smile.
It was the dangerous one.
"Jax?" Zee asked.
"We're outside."
Bunny blinked.
"What does that mean?"
Jax's grin widened.
"No restrictions."
The air exploded.
"ARISE."
Shadow and flame tore open the sky.
The roar that followed shook the mountains.
Every head snapped upward.
The Titan stopped.
For the first time since awakening.
It stopped.
Dante emerged from the darkness.
Massive wings unfolded.
Fire rolled across the clouds.
The Adult Flame Dragon roared.
And the world remembered what an apex predator looked like.
The survivors stared.
One fainted.
Again.
"Did he just—"
"Yes."
"I hate this party."
Dante descended like a falling star.
Dragonfire erupted.
The Titan raised an arm.
Flames engulfed half its body.
The battle transformed instantly.
The Titan finally had to fight.
Dante clawed at its face.
Burned its eyes.
Bit into its shoulders.
Forced it backward.
The giant roared.
Not angry.
Desperate.
Pain filled the sound.
Warden lowered his head.
"He is suffering."
Jax knew.
The worst part was—
The Titan knew too.
Dante circled overhead.
Fire rained from the sky.
The Vixens attacked again.
This time their attacks mattered.
Llandra shattered weakened crystal formations.
Bunny crushed exposed joints.
Nyxian carved open wounds Dante created.
Zee kept everyone alive.
Together they slowed it.
Not stopped.
Slowed.
And that was enough.
Jax looked at Dante.
The dragon immediately understood.
No words needed.
Dante dove.
Jax jumped.
Wind gathered beneath his feet.
The dragon caught him effortlessly.
Together they soared upward.
Higher.
Higher.
Higher.
Toward the Titan's head.
The giant saw them coming.
Blue eyes locked onto Jax.
And something changed.
The hunger weakened again.
The Titan looked tired.
Ancient.
Broken.
It finally spoke.
Not with its voice.
With its mind.
The way hunger had spoken before.
Help me.
Jax's grip tightened.
He wanted to.
Gods, he wanted to.
But he couldn't.
The Titan already knew.
Its eyes softened.
Understanding passed between them.
Warriors.
Builders.
Victims of circumstances neither had chosen.
The Titan gave a small nod.
Then lowered its head.
Offering no resistance.
Jax landed.
Peacemaker appeared in both hands.
The wind screamed around him.
The world held its breath.
The Titan looked directly into his eyes.
And smiled.
A sad thing.
A grateful thing.
Its final words were barely a whisper.
"Thank you."
Jax swung.
Peacemaker flashed.
The sky split.
The Titan's head separated cleanly from its body.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then the giant collapsed.
The impact echoed across the horizon.
Dust rose.
Forests trembled.
Mountains answered.
Silence followed.
Absolute silence.
The Titan's enormous body slowly changed.
Stone spread across it.
Crystal faded.
Flesh became earth.
Until all that remained was a mountain.
A real one.
At peace.
Jax stood atop the fallen Titan.
Wind brushing against his face.
No victory.
No triumph.
Only sadness.
Below him, the Vixens watched quietly.
Even Nyxian wasn't smiling.
Warden approached.
The knight placed a fist over his heart.
"The Hollow King rests."
Jax looked toward the new mountain.
Toward the grave of a creature that had wanted saving.
And couldn't be saved.
Then he exhaled slowly.
"Let's go home."