The battlefield was thrown into utter chaos as Captain Steven's charred body lay motionless, a grim testament to Coeus' devastating power. His fall struck the students with a paralyzing fear, their bodies trembling and immobile as Coeus hovered menacingly above them. The primordial titan's wings unfurled, casting an oppressive shadow over the battleground, its iridescent plumage shimmering with malicious energy.

Neil’s voice cut through the suffocating silence. “FALL BACK! FALL BACK!” he shouted, panic edging his tone. But his words fell on deaf ears; the students remained frozen, unable to comprehend the enormity of their enemy.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Neil activated his Emperor Ring, summoning a series of shimmering mirages—duplicates of the students. “Run!” he commanded as the illusions sprinted in all directions. Coeus let out a piercing cry that reverberated through the air. In an instant, Motherglare’s dormant form stirred, her massive eyes gleaming with predatory intent. She roared, leaping toward the illusions and smashing them with her tail, scattering the ethereal figures like dust. From her back, her offspring swarmed forth once more, screeching as they joined the fray.

Neil sprinted through the chaos, grabbing Hans by the arm and then Martin, shaking them violently. “GET MOVING!” he roared, his voice cutting through the pandemonium like a whip. Both students blinked, their frozen expressions breaking as terror gave way to frantic motion. They stumbled as Neil pushed them forward, his eyes darting across the battlefield, assessing the situation.

“Run! Don’t stop, and don’t look back!” Neil barked, shoving Martin forward as the ground trembled beneath their feet.

At the edge of his vision, Neil caught sight of Ika and Flo. The two were fleeing when Ika tripped, hitting the ground hard. Flo skidded to a halt, dropping to her knees to help her. “Get up! Get up, we have to move!” Flo shouted, her voice cracking as the monstrous forms of Motherglare’s offspring bore down on them. The creatures moved with predatory precision, their claws scraping against the rocky ground, leaving deep grooves.

Neil cursed under his breath but pushed Hans and Martin onward. “Just keep running! Don’t stop for anything!” He turned to see them obey reluctantly, their steps faltering but moving away from the epicenter of chaos.

But then his breath caught. Amidst the swirling winds and debris, he spotted Rem. She stood still, her figure illuminated by the iridescent glow of Coeus hovering above. The titan's massive form pulsed with malevolent energy, and Rem’s cosmic aura began to shine in response, her ombre hair billowing wildly. The air around her seemed to ripple as if charged by her presence.

“REM!” Neil yelled, panic surging through his chest. “Get out of there!”

But Rem didn’t respond. She was walking slowly, her eyes locked onto Coeus, her expression unreadable. Each step she took seemed deliberate, her cosmic energy swirling like a protective veil. Her trance-like state sent a shiver down Neil’s spine.

Neil turned back to Hans and Martin, who had hesitated and were watching in horror. “Run! Don’t look back!” Neil commanded, his voice sharp and final. The two nodded reluctantly, their faces pale, and bolted toward safety.

Without hesitation, Neil turned and sprinted toward Rem. “Rem! Snap out of it!” he shouted, closing the distance between them. The wind tore at his voice, making it barely audible.

——

High above, Coeus spread his wings wide. The air shimmered with dark energy as the titan unleashed his next attack. A black hole materialized in the sky, its gravitational pull immense and all-consuming. The battlefield descended into further chaos as both students and Motherglare’s offspring were dragged toward the void. Trees splintered, rocks tore free from the ground, and screams echoed through the cavernous space as everyone fought to resist the pull.

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Inside the mountain, Rena felt the tremors shake the cavern walls. Her heart pounded as she knelt before six severely injured students. Golden Nirvana gleamed faintly on her finger, its power weaving a radiant light around the wounded bodies. She worked with singular focus, her divine energy stabilizing their conditions, but the echoes of destruction from outside pressed on her mind.

Meanwhile, at the cave entrance, Master Khan stood bloodied but unyielding and his battered students huddled behind him, their eyes flickering with the last embers of resolve. Every breath they took was a testament to their sheer will to live.

Master Khan’s sharp instincts picked up on the rising tension from beyond the mountain. Something darker and more formidable was stirring. His gaze shifted skyward as Doloros, the insectoid titan, spread its jagged wings. The creature paused for a moment, sensing the ominous call from the distance. With a screech, it ascended into the air, vanishing into the clouds as if summoned by an even greater power.

After Doloros vanished into the ominous skies, the tension hung thick in the air. The students, battered and trembling, dropped to their knees one by one, their breaths ragged and shallow. Master Khan, though bloodied and unyielding, stood at the collapse cave entrance, his posture rigid as he stared in the direction where the titan had disappeared. Behind him, the huddled students shared wide-eyed glances, the weight of survival crashing down upon them like an avalanche.

Paupau, took hesitant steps toward the master. “Master, what just happened?” she asked, her voice a mixture of fear and curiosity. “Why did the titan spare us?”

Khan’s jaw tightened, his expression darkening as he refused to tear his gaze from the horizon. “It didn’t spare us,” he said grimly, his voice low and heavy with certainty. “Something… just called it away. Something far more powerful.”

Paupau froze, her breath catching as she noticed the master’s hand trembling violently, “Master, your hand… Are you—?”

“It’s nothing,” Khan snapped, though his voice betrayed the unshakable unease in his chest. His mind raced through possibilities, none of them comforting. The presence that had called Doloros wasn’t just commanding—it was ancient and overwhelming. It reverberated in the very air they breathed, suffocating and undeniable.

Behind them, the other students stirred. "What could be stronger than a titan like Doloros?" Andrez whispered, the question hanging in the air like a death knell. Khan heard it but didn’t answer. He didn’t need to; the growing tension from beyond the mountain was answer enough. Whatever was coming would make Doloros seem like a mere harbinger.

Master Khan turned sharply, his blood-soaked robes shifting with the movement. “Paupau, help those who can still stand. Tend to the injured. We can’t stay here.” His commanding tone pulled her from her thoughts, and she immediately moved to obey.

——

Hans, Martin, Flo, and Ika staggered to what they thought was a safe distance, their chests heaving as they leaned against the jagged rocks near the cave’s mouth. Ika collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her soot-streaked face as her gaze lingered on the motionless bodies of their comrades scattered across the battlefield. Captain Steven’s charred remains lay still, a stark reminder of the overwhelming power they faced.

Hans and Martin stood beside her, their expressions hardened yet bewildered. Both turned their eyes toward the chaos in the distance. Neil, their trusted mentor, was rushing toward Rem, whose ombre hair flowed with an eerie brilliance as she walked toward Coeus. Her cosmic energy swirled around her, bending the air like a mirage.

“Neil will bring her back,” Martin said, his voice trembling as if to reassure himself more than anyone else.

But then, from the distance, they saw something inexplicable. Neil reached out to grab Rem’s shoulder, but her movements turned sharp and deliberate. She pulled out her dagger—a glint of steel against the carnage—and without hesitation, plunged it into Neil’s chest.

“No!” Hans’ shout tore through the stunned silence, echoed by Martin’s gasp of disbelief. They froze in place for a heartbeat, unable to process the scene before them.

“Did she just—” Martin’s voice faltered, replaced by the sound of Ika sobbing louder.

“She stabbed him!” Hans shouted, his voice laced with desperation. “Why would she do that?!”

The group’s hesitation lasted only a moment before Flo pulled them from their stupor. “We can’t stay here!” she yelled, her tone both commanding and pleading. “We have to go back and find out what’s happening!”

“But Coeus is—” Ika stammered, fear clawing at her throat.

“They both needs us!” Hans interrupted, his mind racing. “Something’s wrong, and we’re not leaving them!”

The four bolted from their position, their exhaustion forgotten as adrenaline surged through their veins. They ran back toward the battlefield, weaving through fallen comrades and scorched earth. The massive forms of Motherglare and Coeus loomed in the distance, their terrifying presence punctuated by flashes of light and deafening roars.

As they drew closer, the scene became clearer. Neil staggered, clutching the hilt of the dagger lodged in his chest, blood seeping through his fingers. Rem stood before him, her cosmic energy radiating.

“Rem!” Martin called out as they closed the distance, but she didn’t turn, her focus locked on Neil. Flo and Ika ran behind them, fear etched on their faces as they braced themselves for whatever twisted force was at work. As the group neared, they could feel the oppressive weight of Coeus’ energy growing stronger, pulling them toward the epicenter of this nightmare.