It wasn't long before the Seraphidae forces were ready to move out. Bjorn, Lira, Serrandyl, and Th'maine joined the band of soldiers, following in their footsteps.

They walked in silence, each engrossed in their own thoughts. Serrandyl stayed quiet for the most part, preferring to remain alert as she scanned their surroundings, searching for any sign of danger. Lira maintained a close proximity to Bjorn, walking alongside him and casting curious glances at the Seraphidae every so often. Th'maine kept his gaze fixed upon the path ahead, occasionally glancing back to see if anyone was lagging behind.

Eventually, they reached the outskirts of the swamp. As they left the dense foliage behind and entered a large clearing, Bjorn and his party found themselves face-to-face with the largest Kungwan they had encountered yet. Its carapace shone crimson red, contrasting against the black stripes running across its entire length. Three sets of twisted horns protruded from its bulbous head, curled upwards like a ram's, while rows of razor-sharp spikes lined its spine. Its legs, thick and muscular, supported its massive frame as the creature loomed over them.

Ophis called a halt. The Seraphidae held their formation, spears and shields at the ready.

The beast bellowed, its roar reverberating throughout the marshland, sending tremors through the ground beneath their feet. Bjorn's skin prickled at the sound, goosebumps forming across his flesh.

Bjorn and Serrandyl took up positions at the frontline, with the rest of the group forming a line behind them.

"Oh boy... that's big," Serrandyl muttered under her breath, staring in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

Th'maine nervously adjusted his robe and gripped his staff tightly. "Indeed, I didn't expect a Titan variant. Well, I suppose even if I did, this encounter is likely inevitable. Regardless, I hope we're ready to face it. Because if we're not, we're doomed."

Bjorn readied his rune-etched claymore as Lira conjured druidic magic around them, covering them in a protective barrier. The Kungwan Titan let out a low rumble and eyed the Seraphidae, before releasing a powerful roar in challenge.

It stomped towards the group, each step causing tremors to reverberate beneath their feet.

Bjorn let out a loud battlecry, raising his weapon high into the air and rushing forth to meet the Kungwan's charge. The Seraphidae responded with a unified battlecry of their own, charging alongside him. They collided in a violent clash of metal and bone, the impact sending shockwaves throughout the area.

The Kungwan was undeterred. It lunged forward, its claws and teeth ripping through their ranks. The Seraphidae fought valiantly, but despite their resilience, the creature's sheer size and strength overwhelmed them. Several warriors were sent flying as the beast rammed them, leaving their broken bodies scattered across the ground. Others struggled to hold their ground as the monster battered against their shields with its massive limbs.

Bjorn's claymore crashed against the Kungwan's body, the vibrations traveling through the blade and rattling his bones. The monster roared, striking out blindly. Bjorn narrowly evaded the beast's razor-sharp teeth as they snapped shut inches from his face.

A series of bright flashes caught his attention. Th'maine had begun pelting the Kungwan with energy bolts, which burst in loud explosions against its hide.

Serrandyl also attacked, leaping at the creature from above and slamming both fists down on its head. The force of the blow sent cracks radiating outward from the point of impact, and a resounding boom rang out as the creature's head impacted the earth, shaking the ground around them.

The Titan recovered quickly. It twisted around, swinging one clawed hand at Serradyl. She ducked under the blow, narrowly avoiding being impaled by a single, large talon, but was hit square in the chest by its second claw as the Kungwan lashed out with its other hand. The impact sent her tumbling across the ground, sliding to a halt on her stomach several meters away.

Several arrows landed on the beast's hide, drawing its attention, and it turned to face them. Another volley flew towards it, this time peppering its left side with dozens of shafts. Several bounced harmlessly off its carapace, but a few penetrated, lodging themselves in its softer underbelly.

It roared in anger, ignoring the small wounds. Instead, it lowered its head and charged towards the archers with great speed, trampling several Seraphidae who couldn't move out of its path in time.

Bjorn dashed in and intercepted the monster, clashing blades with its hardened claws. He deflected an incoming attack and struck again, his enchanted silver blade scoring a shallow cut across its leg.

The Titan snarled, ignoring the wound and unleashing a vicious swipe. It struck Bjorn in the torso with such force that his feet lifted off the ground. The breath fled his lungs, and his vision went white as pain seared through every fiber of his being. He struck the dirt, skidding to a halt several meters away from where he had been standing.

Groaning in agony, Bjorn sat up slowly, coughing up blood. His ribs burned from where the monster's claws had slammed into him, and a quick glance downward revealed a gash across the Ebonwood breastplate. Fortunately, the enchanted armor had prevented any serious damage.

Bjorn struggled to his feet, forcing himself to breathe through the pain. He spotted Serrandyl nearby, crawling to her feet and giving him a thumbs up.

Lira rushed over to Bjorn, kneeling beside him. She placed a hand over his chest, chanting an incantation. A warm sensation flooded him, easing his wounds and filling him with renewed vigor. He stood taller, his injuries rapidly mending as she channeled her healing powers into his body.

"Thanks," Bjorn rasped, exhaling sharply as his cracked ribcage finished mending. The dull ache vanished as well, leaving him feeling refreshed. He rose to his feet, hefting his sword, which he hadn't let go of even when he had been knocked flat.

Lira gave him a curt nod before rushing over to Serrandyl to offer her the same treatment.

Another flash of magic illuminated the sky as Th'maine let loose another volley of spells, which impacted against the Titan's shell. Despite his efforts, the creature seemed unfazed.

Bjorn scanned the battlefield, spotting the Seraphidae commander, Ophis, barking commands to his subordinates. He gathered them into a tight formation, their shields raised and spears braced. Together, they rushed forth to face the lumbering monstrosity.

The Titan charged the oncoming phalanx, lowering its head as it prepared to gore them with its massive horns. At the last moment, the phalanx parted, allowing the monster to pass through them unharmed. The maneuver caught the Kungwan by surprise, causing it to stumble to a halt as its momentum carried it beyond the defensive formation.

The Seraphidae swarmed the Kungwan, jabbing with their spears and slashing at its flanks with their swords. Several warriors leapt onto its back, hacking wildly with their weapons.

Bjorn watched the battle unfolding, impressed by the Seraphidae's discipline and coordination. The group continued to press their assault, but their attacks only enraged the beast further. With a mighty swing of its claw, the Kungwan sent two Seraphidae careening into the air, where they landed with sickening thuds.

The creature raised itself to full height, and with a thunderous bellow, released a wave of sonic energy. The concussive force blew away several of the Seraphidae, tossing them aside like ragdolls.

Bjorn braced himself, using his blade as support to counter the blast, and dug his heels into the soft earth. Several Seraphidae around him flew backward, but most managed to withstand the blast.

Serrandyl charged in, vaulting over a fallen Seraphid and landing in front of the creature.

The Titan clenched its fist and brought its arm down, but Serrandyl intercepted with a punch of her own. The two fists connected, generating a shockwave that rippled outward. Both combatants were pushed back by the recoil.

Serrandyl staggered backwards, her eyes wide. She flexed her fingers, which trembled with residual force, and shot the Titan an incredulous glare. "How's that, ugly?!"

Bjorn momentarily stood in awe of Serrandyl's display of strength. Those gauntlets sure were something special, alright.

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Before Bjorn could recover from his astonishment, the Kungwan snarled. It lumbered forward and swung its forelimbs in a wide arc, trying to sweep Serrandyl off her feet.

But instead of dodging, Serrandyl deflected the attack, redirecting its force upwards and sending the Kungwan's upper body bending back from the impact. She followed through with a swift uppercut to its jaw. Her gauntlets' power reacted, discharging electricity that ran through its body, stunning and paralyzing it for a brief moment.

With the opportunity opened, the Seraphidae rallied, surrounding the stunned Kungwan in an instant and raining blows upon its body with their spears.

The Kungwan retaliated with a furious howl. It swatted Serrandyl away, sending her crashing into the mud. As she staggered unsteadily to her feet, the creature reared back and kicked her in the chest. Her body went flying again, this time rolling along the wet earth for several meters before coming to a stop. She coughed, spitting blood onto the ground, and clutched at her ribs, grimacing in pain.

Lira summoned vines, wrapping them around the Kungwan's legs, trying to hinder its movement.

The creature thrashed against its bonds, snapping them apart with ease. As the last vine broke, the beast slammed a foot down on the nearest warrior, crushing the unfortunate soldier beneath its massive bulk. He died instantly, his body crumpling under the weight of the giant monstrosity.

Opening its maw wide, the creature inhaled deeply and unleashed a jet stream of green gas at the attackers. The blast slammed into a cluster of Seraphidae warriors, enveloping them in noxious fumes. Their bodies withered rapidly, and the unfortunate few who managed to flee the blast died as they suffocated on the poison.

"Back! Everyone back!" Ophis roared, trying to regain order in the chaos.

The creature smashed a fist into the ground, knocking over a pair of unlucky Seraphidae who had been scrambling to retreat. It grabbed one of them in its jaws, lifted him off the ground, and hurled him into a tree with a sickening crunch.

Bjorn growled in anger. His blade glowed with arcane energy as he rushed forward, thrusting it into the Kungwan's flank with as much force as he could muster. The Kungwan howled in pain as the weapon pierced its hardened carapace and embedded itself deep in its flesh.

It attempted to claw at Bjorn, but he swiftly pulled his weapon free, avoiding the attack. He stabbed again, plunging his blade into the monster's thigh, this time aiming for a weak point between two plates of its carapace. The rune-etched blade sank in, and he twisted, tearing open the wound further.

The Titan roared and stumbled back, its hind limb unable to bear its weight. A thin trickle of green ichor leaked from the injury as the monster attempted to regain its balance.

Meanwhile, Serrandyl managed to rise to her feet and limped toward the monster. She spat out a mouthful of blood, wiping it off her lips with the back of her gauntlet.

"Hey!" She hollered, attracting the Kungwan's attention. "I got another trick for ya!"

She held both hands out towards the Kungwan Titan and released a powerful blast of lightning that arced through the air, slamming into its body. The creature screamed, writhing in agony as the electricity coursed through its body. Its eyes flashed, and its movements became jerky and erratic.

She repeated the process twice more, channeling the energy stored in her gauntlets into devastating blasts. The monster reeled back, stumbling as the power weakened its limbs.

Seizing the opportunity, Bjorn charged forward, imbuing his sword with the power of frost. He aimed his blade at the Kungwan's midsection and swung, slicing through its hide and creating a gaping wound in its abdomen. The monster wheezed, clutching its torso, as the wound oozed with a thick, green ichor.

Ophis shouted to his warriors, calling for them to encircle the beast. The group complied, tightening their formation and pressing their attack. The Kungwan reared back, trying to strike at them, but its movements were slowed, hampered by the multitude of injuries they had inflicted.

Bjorn and Serrandyl struck at the same time, delivering two powerful blows simultaneously to the Titan's knees.

The Kungwan shrieked as its legs buckled. It toppled over, collapsing to the ground in an immense heap.

The Seraphidae warriors circled around the incapacitated behemoth, striking and stabbing at every exposed part of its body. With each passing moment, the beast grew weaker and more feeble. Finally, with one final screech, the creature breathed its last and went limp.

Silence descended upon the clearing. Bjorn and the others stared at the corpse in awe. They'd slain the beast, though the price for victory had been steep. Dozens of dead and dying Seraphidae surrounded them, lying scattered across the field, their bodies broken and mutilated.

Bjorn exhaled deeply, letting the tension flow out of his muscles as he lowered his guard. The rush of battle drained from his body, replaced by the aching exhaustion from the toll of the fight.

"That...was something else," Th'maine remarked, breaking the silence as he stepped up to Bjorn. His brow dripped with sweat, and he wore an expression of exhaustion. "What a troublesome adversary."

Serrandyl sauntered over, joining the two.

"Well, we killed a big one. What now?" She gazed at Bjorn expectantly. "Should we keep pushing to finish the rest off? Or should we wait for Ebonheim and Calyxia to arrive?"

Lira arrived, sporting a few bruises and scrapes from the encounter, and busied herself with tending to the wounded.

Bjorn scratched at his beard, pondering his answer.

"I don't think we have time to wait," he finally responded. "Ophis said that there are three other groups of Seraphidae engaging with Kungwans at other points around their nesting ground. If we delay our advance, the others could fall before we get there."

He gestured at the Seraphidae, who had started to collect their dead. "We should leave a small detachment here to care for our injured, while the rest of us push on ahead. That way, the others can catch up and rejoin us once they've tended to their wounded."

Serrandyl frowned, rubbing at her ribs. "I dunno about that, chief. I'm not exactly in peak fighting shape at the moment, and Lira's pretty much exhausted her magical reserves with all the healing. We wouldn't be at our best for the next round."

"She's right," Lira added. "I would be little use in an extended battle as I am now, and Serrandyl isn't in a condition to fight either. She needs time to recover. We should wait for reinforcements. Ebonheim and Calyxia can reinforce the Seraphidae."

Bjorn contemplated their words and glanced over at Ophis, who conversed with his remaining Seraphidae, and then turned back to Lira and Serrandyl. "Alright, I'll go ask Ophis for his opinion on this matter, but I have a feeling we might have to do some convincing to get him to agree to your proposal."

"Do what you gotta do, boss," Serrandyl said, nodding. "I'll start patching myself up."

As Serrandyl began attending to her own minor injuries, Bjorn approached the Seraphid commander and cleared his throat.

Ophis turned to Bjorn and gave him a curt nod. "Thank you, human. You have proven yourselves worthy allies today. Without your aid, we would surely have perished here."

"No need to thank us," Bjorn replied, nodding in return. "Our fight is the same as yours. But we aren't quite out of the woods yet. We still have one more battle ahead of us if we intend to eradicate the Kungwan threat, but Lira and Serrandyl are spent after the ordeal, so I wanted to check with you to see if we could afford to hold position here until Ebonheim and Calyxia arrive to reinforce us. That way, we all can be at full strength for the final battle."

Ophis hissed, considering the option for a moment. He turned to regard his soldiers and then surveyed the carnage left in the wake of the battle. "Your proposal is indeed sensible, but I wish to press onwards. The other forces will require our aid and may face destruction without immediate reinforcement. I will send a group to escort the wounded back to safety, but the rest of us shall continue to the den."

Bjorn arched an eyebrow, frowning. "You are certain? We'll be heading into battle against an unknown number of Kungwans."

Ophis scoffed. "My people are resilient and willing to lay their lives for our cause. Besides, your magic and skills will bolster our numbers greatly. If the need arises, we will make a stand until lord Calyxia and your goddess arrive."

Bjorn exhaled through his nostrils, considering his options. Finally, he relented, albeit reluctantly. "Very well. We'll follow your lead, commander. But do be mindful of the conditions I mentioned before, and don't hesitate to fall back if things look dire."

Ophis nodded in agreement and resumed directing the cleanup effort. Bjorn watched as the Seraphidae gathered the dead, taking them to the edge of the clearing. Some of them retrieved bows and spears, while others collected the wounded, helping them to the makeshift camp.

As Bjorn made his way over to his party, the hair behind his neck bristled as he sensed a powerful force emanating from the Eastward.

Serrandyl also shivered while Lira and Th'maine stared intently in the direction of the phenomenon, their faces a mixture of fear and awe.

"W—What's that?" Serrandyl murmured.

Th'maine gulped, his complexion paling. "Divine magic...and a powerful one at that."

Ophis stiffened and scanned the horizon. The rest of the Seraphidae stopped what they were doing, gazing Eastward as well.

A verdant glow flickered in the distance, pulsing in rhythmic waves. The wind picked up, stirring the trees and leaves, whistling through the branches. The flora around them swayed in unison, responding to the fluctuating energies in the air.

Although he was no magic-user like Lira or Th'maine, Bjorn's instincts told him something monumental was happening in the valley, and judging from the Seraphidae's reaction, they seemed to concur.

"Lira," Bjorn started, his voice faltering slightly as his throat tightened, "is that..."

"Ebonheim," Lira confirmed, her voice trailing off. Her eyes widened in awe as the realization sunk in. "We are sensing the wake of her power..."

Bjorn stared in the distance, unsure how to respond.

Ebonheim had never displayed this level of power before, and to witness it now was...unnerving, to say the least.

Ophis cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "Well...your goddess seems to have dealt with the Kungwan threat there."

Serrandyl gave a nervous chuckle. "Heh...yeah, you could say that."

Lira nodded.

Th'maine let out a whistle and placed his hat over his chest. "That was no mere smiting. If we weren't so pressed for time, I would have liked to head over there for a closer look. But alas..."

"The end of this war nears," Ophis declared, his voice rising with renewed confidence. "Let us make haste, Ebonheim warriors. Our task is not yet complete. The nest awaits us."

Bjorn agreed with a curt nod, and the group resumed marching forward.