"Destroy that portal right now!" Duke Theodore was dripping with rage. "Don't you dare let them escape!"

With their concentration now fixed on the portal, the two Rock Gator Titan Avatars turned and lumbered towards the platform, opening their jaws and extending their claws.

"We will crush them all!" Hamal roared, eager to vent his anger and prove his worth to the Duke.

"Leave nothing but dust and ashes!" Yamul added ruthlessly.

“Here they come!”

Brokk, Plutak, Bishane, Lukio, and the other Aerithrans braced themselves for the impending onslaught. They knew they were no match for the Titan Avatars' overwhelming power, but they would not give up without a fight.

"Protect the portal!" Brokk yelled and summoned a shield of rock and earth before him.

"We will not let them destroy our only chance of escape!" Plutak added as he prepared to strike with his Vayrukumer axe.

Calling on their ZenFlow Kanas, Bishane and Lukio conjured a swirling vortex of wind and leaves that buffeted the Titan Avatars, attempting to slow their advance.

Thud! Thud!

"Hold them back!" Bishane shouted.

"For the Aerithra Kingdom!" Lukio added defiantly.

The Aerithrans and Terravoltians fought desperately to protect the portal. They used their wits and strategy, and their combined elemental powers to hold back the two powerful Titan Avatars.

"Tsk, just what the hell is taking you bleeding idiots so long?" Duke Theodore shouted impatiently, pacing back and forth in frustration. "Blast through their defences and destroy the portal!"

His words spurred Yamul and Hamal to act with greater ferocity. They raised their arms, and the air above them crackled with dusty energy as twelve large metal swords materialized.

"Prepare to meet your end!" Yamul’s voice stormed through the chamber like a death knell.

“ROOOAAAR!”

With a synchronized gesture, the Titan Avatars commanded the swords to descend upon the portal, aiming to shatter the Cloud Stones and extinguish the swirling vortex of light.

"Aha!" The blades were coming towards them, and the Rice Guru whose focus was temporarily disturbed, looked up in fear. The portal would not be fully functional for another minute, but he was almost done fixing it.

"No!" he cried out desperately.

Crack!

The first layer of the earthen barrier, erected by Brokk and Plutak, shattered under the impact of the swords, sending shards of rock and dirt flying in all directions. The Aerithrans and Terravoltians screamed and ducked for cover as the remaining swords continued their descent.

'This is it.'

'We're done for.'

‘Not quite!’ The Rice Guru steadied his will, gathered his remaining strength and focused his intent. He extended his glowing hand towards the swords and said:

"Boqumu #25 - Glassism!"

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A barrier of transparent energy materialized before the portal, blocking the path of the swords.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The swords struck the barrier with a resounding clang, which caused their momentum to be momentarily halted. But the Rice Guru knew that his Glassism spell wouldn't last long. The swords were too powerful, their edges too sharp, and their force too great.

Duke Theodore, observing the unfolding events from a safe distance, smiled triumphantly as he watched the swords rain down upon the portal. He had won. The Aerithrans and their Terravoltian allies were trapped, and their escape route was about to be obliterated.

'Fools,' he thought with a hint of contempt. 'They never stood a chance against the might of the Dune Empire.'

Crack! Crack!

Tiny fissures appeared on the surface of the Glassism barrier, spreading outwards like a spiderweb. The Rice Guru gritted his teeth, straining to maintain the spell, but it was only a matter of time before the barrier shattered.

'I've failed… I’ve failed Master Sorah. I've failed them all.'

Clang!

Just then, something unexpected happened. One of the swords, its trajectory slightly off, veered away from the portal and hurtled towards Duke Theodore.

“Huh!”

With a yelp of surprise, the Duke stumbled backwards, narrowly avoiding the blade as it embedded itself in the wall behind him with a resounding thud.

"What the..." he muttered, glancing around in confusion. He had been so focused on the portal, on the imminent destruction of his enemies, that he had failed to notice the stray sword.

He turned to berate his Imperial Guards, but the words died in his throat as he saw their shocked expressions.

"Your Grace... behind you!" Yamul stammered, pointing towards a spot just behind the Duke.

"What?" Duke Theodore frowned and turned slowly, his gaze following Yamul's finger.

"Gah!"

He let out a startled cry as he felt something wrap around his legs, constricting his movement. He looked down and saw a pair of large, chitinous mandibles clamping down on his ankles.

"What is this?" he yelled, struggling to free himself.

"Kyuuu!"

A familiar chirp answered his question. Emerging from the ground beneath him, with its segmented body glowing faintly and its antennae twitching excitedly, was Woodworm!

"That... that worm!" Duke Theodore exclaimed in disbelief. "How did it get here?"

Before he could ponder the question further, Woodworm began spewing strands of thick, sticky silk from its mandibles, wrapping the Duke's legs and torso in a cocoon-like prison.

"Get off me, you overgrown maggot!" Duke Theodore screamed, struggling against the silken bonds. But Woodworm's silk was surprisingly strong, and the Duke's struggles were futile.

Thud!

Suddenly, another figure climbed up out the dirt beside the Duke. It was Daichi. He had followed Woodworm through the tunnels, his small frame had allowed him to navigate the narrow passages with ease.

"Gotcha, you pompous ass!" Daichi yelled after snatching the Aether Pistol that had fallen from the Duke's grasp during his struggle with Woodworm.

He aimed the weapon at the Duke's head and commanded, "Call off your dogs! Tell them to stop attacking the portal!"

Paled with fear, Duke Theodore stared at the pistol pointed at his head. He had never felt so vulnerable, so helpless.

"Yamul! Hamal!" he screamed, cracking with terror. "Cease your attack! Do you hear me? CEASE YOUR ATTACK!"

"Your Grace!" Yamul exclaimed, halting his sword just as it was about to shatter the Rice Guru's Glassism barrier.

"What's going on?" Hamal added turning around with his sword also frozen in mid-air.

The Aerithrans and Terravoltians, momentarily forgetting their own peril, stared in astonishment as Daichi, the young Aerithran who had been dismissed as a mere child, stood triumphantly by the Duke, holding the Aether Pistol with a steady hand.

"How... how did he manage to capture the Duke?" Brokk whispered in disbelief.

Lukio's eyes sparkled with admiration. "He's amazing!"

Yamul growled at Daichi, "You wouldn't dare harm His Grace, you brat!"

"Step aside," Daichi commanded. He was trembling slightly but his resolve was unwavering. "Or I'll blow his brains out."

Hamal scoffed. "You're bluffing, kid. You wouldn't dare."

Thud!

He took a step forward, obscuring Daichi with his huge figure.

"I'm warning you," Daichi said, his finger tightening on the trigger. "Stay back, or I'll blow his head off."

Yamul and Hamal exchanged a glance. They couldn't believe this brat was serious. Thus, they took another step forward.

Thud!

Daichi closed his eyes and squeezed the trigger tremblingly.

Boom!

The Aether Pistol's emerald energy bullet shot forth with incredible speed, it grazed Duke Theodore's arm and severed two of his fingers.

"Aaaaaargh!" Duke Theodore screamed in agony while looking at his mangled hand.

The entire temple echoed with the Duke's screams and the gasps of the onlookers.

Yamul and Hamal froze in disbelief. The brat wasn't bluffing. He had actually shot the Duke.

"You... you little shit!" Yamul exploded with fury.

"You'll pay for that!" Hamal added, extending his claws.

They prepare to lunge towards Daichi, determined to avenge their master's injury and rip this stinking brat apart.