CHAPTER 268: TITANS

The cloud-shaped Spark shot forward with incredible speed, carrying two figures in perfect balance as they raced through the sky. Behind them, Collossith’s vast form grew larger with each passing second, its immense body shaking the ground like a violent earthquake. The earth cracked and groaned under its weight, the very air trembling as the beast relentlessly pursued them.

"That’s the place." Liora’s voice was steady, her gaze unwavering as it locked onto the area Mirela had described. Her eyes, solid as stone, saw the land ahead with cold precision.

The clearing before them was unlike any ordinary terrain. The ground lay barren, stripped of trees, its surface thick and dark, like the very earth carried the weight of centuries. The land was woven with a network of vines, not natural, but crafted—woven with deliberate purpose, forming an intricate web that felt like a trap, carefully designed to ensnare.

Mirela had engineered these vines to absorb the vibrations from the Spark’s movements, but she had done more than that. She’d arranged them strategically to entangle Collossith’s six legs, creating a snare both physical and mental, ready to hold the monster back.

Though the vines, shaped by a Rank 3 Spark, were unlikely to hold Collossith for long, they would slow it. And that was enough. The smallest disruption in the creature’s movement could tip the balance of the fight. The strategy was brilliant—every detail finely tuned, the perfect preparation for what was to come.

Liora pushed the cloud forward, the wind whipping against them as they widened the distance between themselves and Collossith. The clearing loomed ahead, the ground humming with tension.

"Adyr," Liora’s voice was low, her words heavy with responsibility as she turned to him, her eyes unwavering. "I’m counting on you."

Her words hung in the air, unspoken promises of victory or defeat, as she leaped from the cloud, her body twisting in a comet-like arc as she dove into the thick tangle of vines below.

Adyr remained silent, watching as her transformation began. With a fluid motion, his wings unfurled, cutting through the air with powerful strokes. He climbed higher, gaining altitude, keeping his eyes locked on Liora as her form began to change.

Liora’s transformation was violent, beautiful in its raw intensity. Her body shuddered as the primal force of the change gripped her. Her head, torso, and limbs expanded with terrifying speed, reshaping and reconfiguring in a flood of power.

Her skin, naturally bronze, deepened into a burnished metal, darkening as thick black hairs erupted from her pores, creating a wild forest of fur across her body.

Her arms stretched, thickening with muscle as bones cracked and joints shifted, snapping into new places with a terrifying precision. Four more limbs tore from her sides, claws thick and sharp, slashing through her flesh as they emerged, twitching with raw energy.

Her body grew massive, towering over the vines, a creature of pure, unrelenting power. When her enormous feet—now the size of boulders—slammed into the ground, the earth itself trembled, cracking under her weight. The air itself seemed to shudder, bowing to the force she had become.

Rooooaaaaarrr!

A deep, guttural roar erupted from her throat, primal and ferocious. The sound split the air, tearing through the clearing with a fury that shook the earth.

Her sharp teeth glinted in the sunlight as her massive, ape-like head twisted in the force of the roar. The very atmosphere vibrated as the sound pulsed through the air, shaking the world around her.

The roar wasn’t just a sound—it was a declaration. A promise of destruction, of dominance, as Liora stood there, an unstoppable force, awaiting the Spark’s approach.

"She looks like a real man," Mirela muttered, hovering a distance away, her rainbow-colored butterfly wings fluttering gently as she watched. The words were soft, but loud enough to reach Lucen, who stood beside her, his expression hardening at the comment.

"Brace for impact." Adyr’s voice cut through the tension, his wings slicing through the air as he shot forward to join them. All eyes turned toward Liora, her massive, Titan Ape form standing tall ahead.

She opened her arms, ready to face the oncoming beast with the same calm determination that had carried her this far.

Collossith’s massive form had already reached 200 meters, fully grown, its shape a monstrous sight. Its black beak led the charge, piercing the air like a cavalry spear, tearing through the vine-covered ground with incredible speed.

The vines beneath it were no match for its weight, shredding under its massive feet. Still, the creature’s momentum faltered, just slightly, as it reached Liora with immense force, sending a shockwave through the air that rattled the very earth beneath them.

Adyr raised his arms instinctively, blocking the shockwave as it rushed toward him, debris swirling in the air. Lucen and Mirela steadied themselves, maintaining their balance as the shockwave reverberated around them.

"It finally started," Adyr muttered, his gaze fixed on the two gargantuan forms now locked in the clearing. The tension in the air was palpable, the anticipation building to a breaking point.

—

"We meet again, you overgrown rat," Liora’s voice rumbled low, almost like a growl, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the beast.

Her six arms held Collossith’s massive black beak firmly, pinning it in place. Her feet slid slightly against the ground as she fought to keep her footing, but her strength held steady, her grip tightening. Despite the struggle, she had successfully locked the creature in place.

The real fight, however, was just beginning.

"Now, let’s see how thick your skin is." Liora’s tone was cold, filled with grim determination, as this would be her first real strike against the creature after years of hesitation. With five arms still pinning the beast in place, she raised one of her massive fists and brought it down in a brutal arc.

BOOM!

The impact echoed, shaking the very air around them. The ground beneath them trembled, and the vines, though strong, creaked and strained under the shockwave. Collossith’s body trembled violently, its massive legs buckling slightly from the force of the blow.

The creature’s innate ability activated almost instantly, the recoil slamming into Liora with a force that made her stagger. Her body jolted, the pain of the returned strike reverberating through her frame.

For a moment, her legs buckled under the pressure, the strain of her own attack threatening to overwhelm her. Her ape-like face twisted in pain, but she fought through it, grounding herself and steadying her form.

Her Titan Ape form already amplified her natural regeneration several times over, and she could already feel the internal damage caused by the recoil starting to heal.

Yet, this was just the beginning of the long fight awaiting her, and the speed of her recovery wasn’t sufficient. She knew that if she landed even one more blow, she would have to retreat afterward to recover.

Fortunately, her plan had never been to fight alone. In that moment, her fierce eyes caught a glimmer in the air—like a divine column descending from the sky, its light falling over her and enveloping her body.

Instantly, the pain from the internal damage she had suffered began to fade, and the muscles in her arms, which had been straining to hold Collossith, began to recover with astounding speed. She felt her stamina surge back, replenishing what she had lost in a matter of moments.

"I can really do it," her animalistic voice echoed, the power of Grace flooding her body, an overwhelming surge of healing that revitalized every inch of her being.

"Siis, are you okay?" Mirela’s voice cut through the air, reaching her ears.

Liora turned her ape-like eyes slightly, her gaze shifting to the three figures in the distance. A terrifying grin curled across her face. "I’ve never felt better," she replied, her tone low and predatory. She then shifted her focus back to Collossith, trapped in her arms. "I’ll hit harder now—get ready."

The first strike had been nothing more than a test, a probing blow. But now, feeling her body’s regeneration fully take hold, she was ready. She could absorb much more damage and still fight. With that realization, the true assault was about to begin.

This time, she raised both hands high, maintaining her grip on Collossith with the other four arms.

As her colossal fists clenched, a deafening crack tore through the air. The sound of her tightening muscles seemed to rupture the very atmosphere around her, a violent symphony of raw force.

But even that wasn’t enough. With a surge of energy, she called upon her other Spark skills, and her fists began to expand even more.

They grew larger, their dark forms now glinting with a metallic sheen, as though forged from the very essence of battle. The fur covering her arms spiked upward, turning into jagged, thorn-like protrusions, each one a promise of the devastation to come.

"Let’s see if you can still stand after this," she growled, her voice shaking the very ground beneath her.

With a battle cry that reached the very clouds above, she brought both fists crashing down toward Collossith’s head, unleashing a blow that would shatter everything in its path.