For a moment, the entire group froze.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The Jungle Titan simply stared at them.
Its massive body of ancient wood towered above the jungle canopy, vines twisting around its limbs like living muscles. One of its arms was nothing but a gigantic thorn-covered vine, each thorn nearly the size of a child.
Its deep breathing echoed through the forest like distant thunder.
Everyone could hear it.
Everyone could feel it.
Then suddenly
The Titan slowly rose to its full height.
Thirty meters of living wood.
Its vine-arm lifted high into the air.
Karoschi's eyes widened.
"Karoschi: MOVE! EVERYONE GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
The Titan brought its arm crashing down.
The ground exploded with dirt and shattered roots as the impact shook the entire jungle.
But the group managed to dive aside just in time.
"Johann: Holy hell! I… I don't think I'm ready for this!"
Before the Titan could strike again, Barry charged forward.
The young Titan Golem's stone feet crushed the earth beneath him as he rushed toward the monster.
Barry swung his fist.
CRACK.
The sound of splintering wood echoed across the jungle as Barry's punch smashed into the Titan's face.
"Johann: YES! Nice one, Barry!"
But the Jungle Titan barely staggered.
Its breathing grew louder… deeper… angrier.
Suddenly the Titan lashed out.
With a brutal strike, it slammed Barry down into the ground.
The impact sent a shockwave through the forest.
Before anyone could react, the Titan turned toward the humans and swung its vine-arm like a massive whip.
"DUCK!"
The group dropped to the ground.
The vine sliced through the air above them.
Behind them
Trees exploded.
Massive trunks snapped and collapsed as the whip tore through the forest.
"Johann: Shit… how are we supposed to beat something like that?!"
Noah felt his chest tighten.
Fear crept into his mind.
But he forced himself not to show it.
Barry pushed himself back to his feet.
With a deep rumble, he grabbed the Jungle Titan and slammed it down onto the ground.
"Karoschi: Good! Barry, hold him!"
Karoschi raised his sword.
"Karoschi: Everyone attack!"
The group rushed forward.
Blades stabbed into the Titan's wooden body while Barry pinned it to the ground.
But suddenly
The Titan's vine-arm wrapped around Barry's leg.
Then it pulled with enormous force.
Barry lost his balance and crashed backward onto the ground.
A loud cracking sound echoed from his leg.
Stone fractures spread across the surface.
The Titan rose again.
Slowly.
Menacingly.
It lifted its foot and brought it down toward the group.
They barely managed to escape.
But Anna was not fast enough.
The Titan's massive foot brushed her arm.
She cried out as she was thrown aside, a deep wound tearing open across her arm.
Blood ran down her sleeve.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky.
Thunder rumbled.
Rain began to fall.
The storm arrived suddenly, turning the battlefield into a chaotic blur of water and mud.
The Titan lifted its arm again
But Barry grabbed it.
With a powerful twist, he wrapped the Titan's vine-arm around its own body.
The monster was forced to pull its arm back to free itself.
Barry used the moment.
He struck the Titan again.
And again.
But the Titan used its other arm and slammed Barry repeatedly.
More cracks spread across Barry's stone body.
"Heinrich: Okay… someone tell me the plan! Because I don't see how we survive this!"
"Karoschi: I don't know… there has to be something… some weakness we can use!"
Noah's mind drifted back to his nightmare.
Karag's voice echoed in his memory.
"You will lose everything."
Fear began to consume him.
Karoschi suddenly spoke.
"Karoschi: I'll help Barry! We'll buy you time! Figure something out!"
His body transformed into his Karagnist form.
Dark energy spread across his body as he sprinted toward the Titan.
He climbed up its enormous body and stabbed his sword repeatedly into its stomach.
The Titan roared and grabbed Karoschi, trying to crush him.
But Barry slammed the Titan in the torso.
The monster released him.
The Titan lashed its vine-arm again, striking Barry violently.
Cracks spread across the young golem's body.
Then Barry grabbed the vine.
With a powerful pull
He tore the arm off.
The Titan shrieked in agony and began thrashing wildly.
Meanwhile
"Noah: Anna! Are you okay?!"
"Anna: I'm fine… it's just a small scratch."
Johann stared at her arm in disbelief.
"Johann: A scratch?! Your entire arm is open and bleeding!"
Then suddenly
A blinding flash of lightning struck the Jungle Titan.
The monster burst into flames for a moment.
It roared in pain.
But the rain quickly extinguished the fire.
Noah's eyes widened.
Realization struck him.
"Fire…"
"Noah: FIRE! Fire is its weakness! We need to burn it!"
"Heinrich: That's great, Noah! But it's pouring rain! How are we supposed to start a fire?!"
Noah thought.
Then suddenly
An idea formed.
"Noah: Karoschi! Climb to its mouth and hold your sword up!"
Karoschi looked down.
"Karoschi: Why?!"
"Noah: Because lightning might strike it! If the lightning hits the inside of the Titan, we can ignite it from within!"
Karoschi nodded and climbed toward the Titan's head.
He raised his sword.
But the Titan noticed.
Its jaws slammed shut.
"Karoschi: Its mouth is closed!"
"Noah: Then make it open!"
Karoschi shouted.
"Karoschi: Barry! I need help! Open its mouth!"
Barry grabbed the Titan's jaw.
With incredible force
He ripped the mouth open.
The Titan's jaw cracked and broke.
The monster tried to close its mouth again.
But it couldn't.
Karoschi threw his sword deep into the Titan's throat.
Then
BOOM!
A massive lightning bolt struck the blade.
Electric fire erupted inside the monster.
Flames exploded through its wooden body.
"Karoschi: NOW!"
Karoschi jumped onto Barry's hand.
Barry carried him back to the group.
Together they watched.
The fire spread through the Titan's body.
The wood blackened.
Cracked.
Collapsed.
The Jungle Titan fell to the ground, rolling in agony as it tried desperately to extinguish the flames.
But it was too late.
Its body burned until nothing remained.
The giant monster collapsed into ashes.
Only a single glowing object remained.
Its core.
Johann stared at it.
"Johann: That… that's what we came here for?"
Karoschi nodded slowly.
"Karoschi: Yes… we did it. The Jungle Titan is dead."
Noah stepped forward and picked up the core.
He placed it carefully into his bag.
The group treated their wounds.
Anna.
Karoschi.
Barry.
Then they continued their journey deeper into the unknown.
Far away…
In front of a gigantic stone prison, Mimic stood silently.
Inside the stone, a voice echoed.
"Karag: So… they succeeded."
Mimic lowered his head.
"Mimic: Father… they have defeated the Jungle Titan."
Silence followed.
Then Karag spoke again.
Cold.
Commanding.
"Karag: Then make sure they die."
The stone trembled slightly.
"Karag: No matter what it takes… we cannot allow them to kill the others."
Mimic nodded.
"Mimic: Yes, Father."
And he disappeared into the darkness.