Team 2 and 3 pressed forward, following the trail of dark, viscous goo they had found in the lair. The claw marks etched deep into the cave walls confirmed their fears: this was Motherglare’s domain. "Get prepared," Neil commanded, his tone firm. "By now, Nova should have cracked the jamming signal and contacted the Titan Extermination Team. Avoid direct confrontation if possible," he added, glancing at his team with urgency.

The atmosphere grew tense as they ventured deeper into the cave. Suddenly, an unexpected sight stopped them in their tracks—light flickered faintly at the end of the tunnel. Captain Steven narrowed his eyes in confusion. “What does this mean?” he muttered, his voice laced with unease. Without hesitation, they rushed forward, emerging from the tunnel onto an open path nestled between the jagged cliffs of Aetheris. The stark shift from the oppressive cave to the open landscape momentarily disoriented them.

Then, a dark, viscous substance dripped from above, splattering onto Flo’s arm. She screamed as cold goo touched her skin. The team instinctively looked upward, and there it was—Motherglare, looming at the edge of the cliff, its jaws wide open, eyes gleaming with malice.

“Ambush!” Neil’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

Captain Steven reacted instantly, activating his ring. A shimmering shield materialized, enveloping himself and several others just as the titan lunged. Flo's rose vines erupted in a tangle of movement, forming a protective cocoon that pulled Martin and Ika inside. Meanwhile, Hans and Rem leapt into action, narrowly dodging the snapping jaws of the titan.

A sickening crunch echoed as Seraphine was swallowed whole in a single, horrifying instant. Alexander and Neil barely escaped a similar fate, their breathing ragged as the ground shook beneath them. "Mother Gaea," Neil swore under his breath, his eyes fixed on the colossal titan. Motherglare roared, her deafening cry reverberating through the cliffs. The earth trembled, and from her massive back emerged a swarm of black draconid titans, their wings beating like a storm.

Captain Steven cast aside his veil, his face set with grim determination. “Prepare to engage!” he commanded. Hans wasted no time, his ring igniting with a brilliant glow. The air thickened around him as he manipulated the moisture, crafting razor-sharp water blades that sliced through the swarm. His movements were swift and precise, each strike aimed to thin the horde before it overwhelmed them.

Motherglare’s tail whipped through the vine barrier protecting Flo, Martin, and Ika. With a single devastating strike, the barrier shattered, sending the trio hurtling through the air. Neil's eyes darted toward them, quickly activating his Mirage Pearl. The artifact shimmered as it cast illusions of several clones of the trio scattered across the battlefield.

Motherglare snarled in confusion, lunging forward with her jaws wide open, only to snap down on an illusory group. The illusion dispersed in a flash of light, leaving the titan shaking her head and roaring in frustration. Her offspring swarmed out from her back, flying faster and angrier than before.

Captain Steven wasted no time. Leaping toward Motherglare, his ring ignited, summoning spears of glistening mercury. With a swift motion, he hurled them toward the titan. But Motherglare's swarm shielded her, the offspring sacrificing themselves to block the lethal projectiles. Neil joined the fray, using his Mirage Pearl to create multiple illusions of Captain Steven, weaving confusion among the attacking draconids. The two worked in tandem, their movements a calculated dance of deception and precision.

Meanwhile, Ika and Martin stood back-to-back, their coordination seamless. Ika’s bell chimed softly, its melody guiding waves of soothing flames that incinerated the swarming offspring. Martin's tuning blade resonated with a sharp hum, each strike vibrating through the air and cutting down the advancing horde.

On the other side, Flo's arm, now encased in petrified rose thorns, slammed into the flying draconids with fierce resolve. Her vines lashed out, ensnaring clusters of the creatures, which Hans sliced apart with precision water blades.

“Cover me!” Hans shouted, as he turned to Martin, his focus unwavering.

“What are you planning?” Martin called back, fending off another wave of offspring.

Hans clenched his fists, his ring glowing intensely as he pushed his power to its limits. The air around them thickened, moisture condensing into an oppressive atmosphere. Nearby, Ika’s flames flickered under the elemental clash. She glanced toward Hans, sensing his growing energy.

“I’m going to flood the area,” Hans yelled. “Flo, get ready to pull us up when I signal!”

Flo nodded, her vines coiling in preparation. Hans’ blue eyes blazed as he invoked Aero Aqua. From the distant cliffs, torrents of water surged forth, cascading with overwhelming speed and force. The rushing current swept through the battlefield, dragging away countless draconid offspring.

The tide of battle turned sharply as the stakes reached a harrowing new height. On the far side of the battlefield, Alexander’s agonized scream tore through the cacophony. Rem froze mid-motion, her eyes widening in horror as she watched the swarm of draconid offspring engulf him.

Above them, Captain Steven hovered momentarily, defiant against the chaos. His mercury lances gleamed like liquid starlight as he hurled them downward, aiming to strike Motherglare with precise, lethal force. The spears streaked through the air, but before they could land, the world itself seemed to recoil.

A sudden, violent tremor rippled through the ground, nearly throwing the students off their feet. Malevolent energy poured forth from an unseen source, its gravity bending the air and pulling everything downward as if reality itself was buckling under the weight of its presence. Even the merciless roars of Motherglare fell silent.

The sky above fractured, splitting open to reveal a vortex of swirling starlight and darkness. From this rift, an enormous shape descended, its peacock-like form shimmering with an iridescent, alien beauty. Feathers of impossible hues glowed faintly, their edges pulsating with cosmic energy.

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Then it spoke, not in words but in a deep, resonating tone that reverberated within their very minds—a sound both beautiful and terrible. Coeus, the Primordial Peacock Titan of Intellect, had arrived.

"Impossible..." Neil whispered, his voice trembling.

Captain Steven faltered mid-air as Coeus's cosmic energy surged. The titan's aura seemed to reach for him, and with an effortless flick of its shimmering wings, a burst of starlight erupted. The shockwave struck Steven mid-strike, disintegrating his mercury lances into harmless vapor and sending him crashing to the earth below.

On the ground, Ika and Flo exchanged horrified glances, their resolve momentarily shaken. Hans gritted his teeth, his water blades faltering as the oppressive gravity drained his strength. Even the draconid offspring paused, seemingly awaiting the titan's command.

Coeus extended its magnificent tail feathers, their shimmering eyes glowing brighter as if the titan itself was contemplating the next phase of its plan.

With a languid wave of its wings, Coeus summoned an arc of starlight energy that swept across the battlefield. The students barely had time to react as the wave struck the jagged cliffs surrounding them, disintegrating rock and sending debris tumbling down.

Rem’s cosmic energy flared in response, the light of her ring intensifying as she stepped forward, tears streaming down her face.

The students rallied, their combined resolve a flicker of hope against the titan's overwhelming presence. But the shadow of Coeus loomed large, its cosmic intellect calculating every possible outcome. This was no mere battle—it was a test of survival against an ancient force that had defied the very gods themselves.

——

“Margarete, snap out of it!” Rena’s voice carried a desperate edge as she twisted out of the path of Margarete’s relentless glaive strikes. The angelic wings of light surrounding her shimmered, shielding her from another deadly swing. Margarete’s expression was blank, her glowing yellow eyes devoid of recognition. Each strike carried precision and strength, forcing Rena to retreat further.

In the distance, Rena spotted Shierra kneeling beside the unconscious forms of Lenny and Drake, her healing magic weaving faint golden light over their wounds. But then, Shierra froze mid-incantation. Her hand trembled, and her soft, amber glow faded to a haunting yellow. She blinked slowly as if hearing a distant voice calling her. Her bees swarmed erratically, then stilled. A moment later, Shierra rose to her feet, her head tilting unnaturally as her empty gaze locked onto Lorenzo.

Across the battlefield, Lorenzo clashed with Nova, whose every movement was fluid yet unnerving, her joints bending at inhuman angles as her razor-sharp claws tore through his shadowy tendrils. Despite his best efforts, Lorenzo was being pushed to his limit, his blades sparking against her relentless strikes. His dark ring glowed ominously, shadow tendrils surging from the ground to ensnare her, but Nova slashed through them with feral precision.

Shierra raised her hand, and her swarm of bees surged toward Lorenzo and Nova with a deafening hum. Behind her, Lenny stirred and groaned. Her partially healed wounds were forgotten as she stood abruptly, her movements unnaturally smooth. Her glowing yellow eyes revealed the chilling truth—she, too, had fallen under the titan’s control. The same thought consumed her: kill Lorenzo.

Lorenzo glanced back at the advancing Shierra and Lenny, sweat dripping down his face. “Lady Rena, this is getting worse!" he shouted as he deflected another vicious swipe from Nova. The weight of his revelation about a mind-controlling titan pressed heavily on her. If it was true, the cult of Cerberus was nothing more than a smokescreen. This malevolent force was the real puppet master.

Rena, still dodging Marge’s relentless attacks, felt her heart sink as she processed Lorenzo’s words. Could all of this—the chaos, the betrayal—be the work of the mind-controlling titan? If so, how many more would fall before they could stop it? She couldn’t bring herself to strike Marge, who still fought with the same precision and grace as always. She’s just a puppet, not the enemy, Rena reminded herself, scanning the battlefield for any sign of the titan.

"Think, Rena!" she whispered, barely blocking another glaive swing with her glowing angelic shield. "Where is she hiding?”

——

Lorenzo’s chest heaved as he spun, his shadow tendrils lashing out against Nova. Her movements were unnervingly fluid, each strike delivered with precision and an eerie, predatory grace. She closed the distance between them in seconds, claws flashing in a deadly arc. Lorenzo barely deflected her attack, his blade catching the glint of her glowing yellow eyes.

With a grunt, he pushed her back, shadows curling from his ring to wrap around her legs. For a moment, she staggered, but then her body twisted unnaturally, snapping the tendrils like brittle twigs. She surged forward again, her claws raking across Lorenzo’s shoulder. The searing pain almost made him drop his blade.

“Damn it!” Lorenzo hissed, staggering back. He pivoted to regroup, only to feel the ground quake beneath him. From behind, Lenny charged, her rhino-like strength amplified by the titan’s control. Lorenzo turned too late. Lenny’s fist slammed into his side with bone-crushing force, sending him sprawling across the battlefield.

“Lenny, snap out of it!” Lorenzo gasped, struggling to his feet. His ribs screamed in protest, but he couldn’t afford to stop. The moment he stood, Shierra’s bees swarmed him, their sharp stingers finding every gap in his armor. He waved his blade desperately, his shadows flaring outward to incinerate the insects with dark energy, but they kept coming. Shierra herself moved forward, her hands raised like a puppeteer commanding her swarm. Her glowing yellow eyes pierced through Lorenzo, devoid of the gentle healer he once knew.

Nova took the opening, darting in low and swiping her claws. The attack caught Lorenzo’s thigh, drawing a deep gash. He cried out and dropped to one knee, his vision blurring. The trio closed in around him, a synchronized nightmare of strength, precision, and control.

Desperation surged within him. This isn’t them—it’s that thing controlling them. I won’t let it win! His ring pulsed, its darkness flickering as the tattoo on his back began to glow. A deep, fiery resonance filled his chest as blue flames erupted, consuming his shadows in a blazing inferno.

With a roar, Lorenzo unleashed the flames. They surged outward, searing through Nova’s clawed strike, igniting Lenny’s charging form, and burning through Shierra’s bees. The trio screamed in unison as the flames crawled over their bodies. From the shadows, a shriek echoed—a sound of rage and pain.

Mnemona’s form began to retreat, her control slipping. The puppet strings of yellow light yanked Margarete forward, dragging her into the fray. Margarete’s glaive spun toward Lorenzo with terrifying speed, forcing him to redirect his flames and shadows to defend against her assault.

From across the battlefield, Rena froze as the strings of light became visible. Her sharp eyes traced them back to their origin—a shadowed alcove on the far edge of the room. There you are.

“Lorenzo! There!” Rena shouted, pointing toward the hidden corner. “Take her out!”

Through the haze of pain and exhaustion, Lorenzo saw her signal. Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, he pushed forward. His ring flared with blinding brilliance, its blue flames resonating with the golden light of Rena’s Golden Nirvana. Shadows coiled and surged beneath him as he leapt toward Mnemona’s hiding place.

With a feral roar, Lorenzo slashed his blade, the blue flames roaring to life as his shadow tendrils surged forward, seeking to snare Mnemona’s spectral form. The tendrils wrapped around her, their searing grip igniting with azure fire that spread like a living force. Mnemona’s shriek echoed across the battlefield, a piercing cry of fury and pain that sent tremors through the ground.

As the flames climbed higher, her spectral form flickered and twisted, but just as it seemed she would succumb, she wrenched herself free. With one final defiant scream, Mnemona dissolved into the shadows, her presence vanishing into the dark recesses of the battlefield. Though driven back, her escape carried the chilling promise that the battle was far from over.

The strings controlling Marge, Nova, Lenny, and Shierra snapped in an instant, their bodies collapsing to the ground like puppets with severed strings.

Lorenzo collapsed, his strength utterly spent. The flames around him flickered and dimmed, leaving the battlefield in heavy silence. As Rena approached, her eyes were drawn to Lorenzo’s ring. It still pulsed faintly, the darkness intertwined with the lingering blue fire.

Her own ring, Golden Nirvana, glowed in response, its golden light resonating with Lorenzo’s. For a moment, she stared at him, realization dawning. “ Could this be… one of the Emperor Rings.”.