On the other side of the forest, Martin’s team was in the thick of the hunt as well, but their pace was desperate; half the day had slipped by with not a single lemur in sight. Frustration tinged Martin’s voice as he muttered, “We’ve got to be close…right?”
Lorenzo stopped abruptly, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, an irritated scowl creasing his face. “This isn’t working. Wandering around aimlessly like this? It’s just wasting time,” he muttered, casting an unimpressed look at Martin.
Martin, caught off guard by Lorenzo’s tone, met his gaze, his carefree expression faltering. “We’re covering ground,” he started, “sometimes that’s how you find—”
“Easy for you to say,” Lorenzo interrupted, his tone laced with frustration. He jabbed a finger at the family crest emblazoned on Martin’s armor. “You come from a family with prestige. You don’t have to fight tooth and nail just to be here. I didn’t work this hard to get into this academy just to flunk my first mission. I have goals, Martin. I want to be the guy who takes down the most titans. I’m not about to let some lemurs get the better of me.”
Without another word, he turned and stepped back, activating his ring, Shadow Spectre. In an instant, his form blurred and vanished into the darkness, melting seamlessly into the forest shadows.
Martin’s shoulders sagged as he watched Lorenzo disappear, a wave of doubt and frustration welling up inside him. He clenched his fist, struggling to suppress the sting of Lorenzo’s words. But before he could dwell on it, a gentle hand rested on his shoulder.
Ika noticed Martin’s shoulders slump as Lorenzo vanished into the shadows, leaving a lingering tension in his wake. She stepped closer, her voice soft but steady. “Hey, don’t let it get to you, Martin. You’re doing fine. We’ve just got to keep moving forward.”
Martin offered her a small, grateful nod, though uncertainty still flickered in his eyes. “Thanks, Ika. Let’s keep looking,” he said, attempting to shake off his doubts as they pressed onward.
The two ventured deeper into the forest, the light filtering through the canopy overhead as the sun climbed higher, casting sharp contrasts between light and shadow. They moved carefully, scanning the branches and bushes, hoping for a glimpse of their elusive targets. But as they advanced, strange sounds drifted through the trees—a low rustling, accompanied by a series of sharp, high-pitched clicks. Martin and Ika paused, exchanging a tense glance.
Ika’s brow furrowed, her eyes darting around the dense forest. “I hope Lorenzo’s alright,” she murmured, concern slipping into her voice. “Who knows what could be lurking in here?”
Martin glanced at her, his own face shadowed with worry, but he forced himself to stay focused. “He’ll find his way back,” he replied, trying to sound confident.
The sun was now directly overhead, marking the passing of half a day without any sign of the lemurs. Frustration began to creep into Martin’s thoughts, and he could sense Ika’s concern growing as well. Just as they started to consider changing their approach, a rustle came from beyond a nearby thicket.
They turned, ready for anything—and from the shadows, Lorenzo emerged, his expression alight with excitement. “I found them!” he announced, a slight grin breaking through his usual stoic demeanor. “A pair of lemurs, just a bit ahead.”
Relief washed over Martin’s face, rekindling the hope that had begun to dwindle. For a moment, he’d worried that Lorenzo might abandon them, but instead, he’d returned with the breakthrough they needed to salvage their mission.
The two of them followed Lorenzo to the lemurs’ location, stopping short as they reached a hidden clearing. Silently, they crouched behind the thick brush, concealed from view. Martin adjusted his grip on his unique weapon, the Tuning Blade—a blunt, pronged weapon resembling a massive tuning fork. With a slight tap of the blade against the forest floor, he activated the power of his ring, Humming Sun. Sound waves rippled through the ground, bouncing back to him in subtle vibrations, creating an echo-like map in his mind.
In the surveillance room, Professor Rebecca observed the display on the magical viewing board, her eyebrows lifting with admiration. “Echolocation,” she murmured. “A clever use of sound manipulation.”
With a silent signal, Martin motioned to Lorenzo. Understanding the plan, Lorenzo activated his ring again, this time conjuring shadowy tendrils that curled and coiled through the undergrowth. Meanwhile, Ika raised her hand, calling forth the power of her ring. With a flick of her wrist, flames sparked to life, forming a wall of fire at the edge of the clearing. The trap was set.
Under Lorenzo’s guidance, the shadow tendrils maneuvered the lemurs out from the trees and towards the open clearing. As soon as the creatures flew into the trap zone, Ika’s eyes narrowed, and the flames surged up, forming a fiery barrier around the clearing’s perimeter.
“Now!” Martin whispered.
The three of them leapt forward. Martin struck his Tuning Blade against the ground again, channeling the power of Humming Sun into it. A deep, resonant tone pulsed through the air, distorting the lemurs’ sense of balance as they flitted within the flame ring. Disoriented, the lemurs wavered in midair before dropping to the ground, dazed and helpless.
“Got them!” Ika said, grinning as she and her teammates approached the fallen lemurs.
“Nice work, everyone,” Martin said with relief, pulling out a special set of restraints designed for their capture. With practiced ease, they tied up the lemurs, securing their first catch of the day.
The three exchanged triumphant glances, their spirits lifted as they prepared to bring their prize back to the academy. But before they could leave the clearing, a loud roar echoed through the forest, sending a chill down their spines. Martin’s smile faded, and he exchanged a wary glance with Ika and Lorenzo. “That didn’t sound like a lemur,” Ika muttered, her hand tightening around her bells. Martin’s eyes narrowed. “No, it didn’t.” The roar that tore through the forest was unmistakable—a primal, ferocious sound that echoed through the trees, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Martin, Ika, and Lorenzo froze for a moment, exchanging quick glances, their instincts kicking into high gear.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
——
The academy room was in chaos as the surveillance screens suddenly flickered and went dark, sending a wave of panic across the board. Professor Rebecca frantically tried to restore the feeds, her hands darting over the controls, but something was interfering, blocking their attempts to reach the students.
"There's an anomaly in the forest," she said, her voice tense. Master Khan immediately sensed the urgency in her tone.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned to Lord Vincent Apollo and Neil, both already braced for action. “Let’s go,” Master Khan said firmly, and the three dashed from the room. As they moved, Neil called back to Cleric Freyja, “Set up barriers around the academy, and recall all students!” His face was resolute, knowing the untrained recruits were in serious danger.
Meanwhile, in the dense forest around the academy ground, Rem sprinted through the trees, her breaths coming hard and fast. A hulking shadow loomed close behind her—the Boar Titan, its tusks like jagged branches that crashed through the underbrush as it pursued her. She winced, clutching her side where a thin trail of blood seeped through her sleeve. The titan had already gotten a hit in, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep dodging it.
Then, just ahead, she spotted Martin, Ika, and Lorenzo. With a final burst of speed, she sprinted toward them, hoping they would help without question.
Ika’s hand went to her Sacred Bell as she noticed Rem rushing toward them, with the titan hot on her trail. “That thing’s on her!” she shouted, already casting a flame barrier as Rem closed the gap.
Martin gripped his Tuning Blade, his mind racing as he quickly assessed the threat. “This just got serious. Ika, Lorenzo—cover her!” he barked, focusing as he prepared to strike.
The Boar Titan roared, shaking the trees with its massive form as it charged forward, its beady red eyes locked on them all. Martin swung his Tuning Blade with a fierce determination, unleashing a piercing shockwave of sound that hit the titan in the head, momentarily disorienting it.
Ika didn’t hesitate. She called forth a wall of fire that blazed to life between them and the titan, the flames licking high in an attempt to halt its advance. But the creature charged right through, the fire barely singeing its thick hide.
Lorenzo, undeterred, moved into position, his twin blades gleaming as he activated his Shadow Spectre ring. Shadows coiled around him, and he sent out tendrils of darkness that wrapped around the titan’s legs, slowing it down. But the beast thrashed wildly, breaking free of the tendrils with sheer brute strength.
Rem, her expression shifting to one of fierce resolve, called on the cosmic energy of her ring, Cosmic Refractor. With her free hand raised, she gathered starlight that sparkled and pulsed at her fingertips. Then, with a focused gesture, she hurled a series of explosive cosmic blasts at the titan, each one detonating on impact, causing the creature to stagger back in pain.
The four fought with everything they had, their coordination seamless as they exchanged blows with the titan. Martin directed powerful sonic blasts, keeping the beast’s head rattled and disoriented. Ika moved in a graceful, fiery dance, unleashing fireballs and fortifying her allies with flame barriers. Lorenzo darted in and out of the shadows, his double blades slashing at the titan’s legs, leaving gashes that bled thickly. And Rem, with eyes narrowed and focused, channeled cosmic energy in relentless explosions, each one hammering the beast harder.
The battle against the titan had pushed Martin’s team to the edge. Despite their coordinated efforts, the beast charged through their attacks with relentless force, each step shaking the ground beneath them. Ika barely had time to raise a defense before the titan’s tusk swung out, slamming into her and sending her sprawling. She gasped as she hit the ground, struggling to gather herself as flames flickered weakly around her.
Lorenzo tried to capitalize on the opening, his twin blades flashing as he aimed for the titan’s legs. But the creature’s massive hoof struck him hard in the side, throwing him back against a tree. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his side, his breaths labored.
Martin, feeling his own strength fading, wiped a trickle of blood from his brow. He glanced at the girl with purple ombre hair, who was panting, her cosmic energy waning but still flickering in her eyes. Desperation tightened her expression as she watched her new allies falter.
“Ombre Girl!” Martin shouted, catching her attention. “If you’ve got a plan, now’s the time!”
She met his gaze, her eyes narrowing with sudden resolve. “Cover me!” she called out. He gave a curt nod, immediately lifting his Tuning Blade and releasing a powerful shockwave to disorient the titan.
Taking her chance, she sprinted forward, dodging past the titan’s flailing limbs. Her ring blazed with an intense cosmic glow, the energy building as she prepared one final strike. The air around her shimmered with a faint galaxy of stars, swirling and coalescing into a blinding pulse at her fingertips.
With a fierce cry, she leapt toward the titan, her hand outstretched, and unleashed every ounce of her remaining power. The concentrated blast struck the beast squarely in the chest, erupting in a brilliant explosion of cosmic energy. The light rippled outward, enveloping the titan in a radiant flash as the force tore through its colossal form.
For a moment, silence filled the air, and then the titan collapsed with a final, earth-shaking thud, its massive frame lying still at last.
The girl stood there, breathing heavily, her hands still faintly glowing. Martin, Ika, and Lorenzo staggered to their feet, each of them catching their breath, their gazes fixed in awe on the girl who had delivered the final blow.
Martin, still gripping his Tuning Blade just in case, looked her over with a newfound respect. “That… was incredible. Are you alright?”
She nodded, exhaustion lining her face, but her voice was steady. “Yeah… I’m fine.”
Ika brushed the dirt from her face, a wry smile crossing her lips. “Not bad. You’re one hell of a fighter.”
The girl blinked, hesitating before finally giving her name. “It’s Rem,” she said quietly, glancing down at the defeated titan. “And… thanks for having my back.”
Martin raised an eyebrow, impressed. “Glad to have you with us, Rem.”
They exchanged a weary but relieved look as the forest settled back into silence, but the moment was fleeting. Ika, still catching her breath, glanced at Rem, concern in her eyes. “Where are the rest of your team?” she asked, her voice gentle but firm.
Rem’s expression darkened, her gaze drifting back to the direction from which she’d come. “We got separated when the titan attacked us,” she began, her voice steady, though tinged with worry. “It took us by surprise. We tried to hold it off, but… things went south fast. The beast was stronger than we expected.”
She paused, looking at the ground as if replaying the events in her mind. “I led it away from them, hoping to draw its attention,” she continued. Martin, Ika, and Lorenzo exchanged uneasy glances. The forest had been challenging enough with the strange creatures they’d encountered earlier, but knowing that Rem’s teammates were still somewhere out there, possibly injured or hiding from the titan, cast a heavy weight over them.
Lorenzo nodded, his amber eyes steely with resolve. “They couldn’t have gone far. If we start looking now, we might be able to find them before nightfall.”
Rem’s face softened with gratitude, though a flicker of guilt passed over her eyes. “Thank you. I know we’re all pushed to our limits, but…” She took a deep breath, her gaze resolute. “They’re my responsibility.”
Ika placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “And right now, you’re one of us. We’ll find them, together.”
Martin’s expression, however, remained troubled as he looked at the titan’s fallen body, the sheer size and power of the creature a stark reminder of their vulnerability. “Wait,” he interjected, his voice firm but calm. “I think we should head back and report this to the academy board. This… this is beyond us. If something like this appears again, we’re in no condition to defend ourselves, let alone take it down.”
Lorenzo frowned, glancing from Martin to the silent forest. “But they’re still out there, Martin. We can’t just leave them.”
“I know,” Martin said, his tone steady but resolute. “But we have no idea what else is in these woods, or if another titan is even closer than we think. We barely made it through this fight. If we push ourselves any further and another one of these things shows up…” He trailed off, looking pointedly at the scratches and bruises marking all of them. “We need to be smart about this. Our best chance of helping Rem’s teammates is bringing reinforcements.”
Rem hesitated, torn between her sense of duty to her teammates and the logic of Martin’s words. The exhaustion in her limbs and the steady ache of her wounds reminded her of how close they’d come to being overwhelmed.
Ika glanced around at the dimming forest, a shiver running down her spine. “Martin’s right. It’ll be night soon, and we’re all worn out. Going back might be the best call.”
Finally, Rem nodded, a reluctant acceptance in her eyes. “Alright. Let’s go back and report it.” She looked once more toward the path from which she’d come, murmuring, “Just hold on, you two.”
Together, the four began their trek back toward the academy gates, their pace steady but cautious, each casting wary glances over their shoulders. The shadow of the fallen titan loomed behind them, a chilling reminder of the dangers still lurking in the forest and the mission yet unfinished.