ShadowBound: The Need For Power

Edith darted between the Titanborne's massive feet, her enhanced speed letting her avoid the crushing weight of its stomps. With every step, the earth trembled, the sound of cracking stone and snapping trees filling the air.

She gritted her teeth, leaping onto a nearby boulder for leverage before slamming her shield into the side of the Titanborne's ankle. The impact rang out, but the creature remained unphased, its hide too durable to break.

"Lucian!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "I need more support down here!"

Lucian stood his ground a few dozen meters away, his hands glowing with myst as another set of boulders rose from the earth. With a wave of his arm, the rocks shot forward like missiles, crashing into the Titanborne's lower body. Each hit created small shockwaves, but they were little more than a nuisance to the towering demon.

"Robin!" Lucian called out, craning his neck to spot the archer in the air. "Aim for the joints or weak spots—eyes, neck, whatever you can find!"

Robin, still airborne, tightened his grip on his bow. His arrows had been useless so far, but Lucian's shout spurred him on. "I'm trying!" he yelled back, loosing another arrow, this time aimed at the back of the Titanborne's knee.

The projectile struck true, but like the others, it shattered on impact. Robin clenched his teeth in frustration, muttering under his breath. "There has to be a way to get through that thing's hide…"

Below, Edith darted to avoid a sweeping swing of the Titanborne's club, the force of the attack carving a massive trench in the earth. She stumbled slightly but recovered, her eyes flickering to Lucian. "We need to slow it down somehow! I can't keep dodging forever!"

Lucian nodded, his gauntlets glowing brighter. "I've got an idea—just keep it distracted!"

The Titanborne roared, the sound reverberating through the forest as it raised its club again, this time aiming for Lucian. Edith's heart leapt as she saw the giant's attack incoming.

"Lucian, MOVE!" she screamed, charging forward in a desperate attempt to intervene.

But Lucian stood firm, his hands trembling as a massive chunk of earth began to rise from the ground, forming a shield-like barrier. The Titanborne's club smashed into it, sending shockwaves through the area, but the barrier held—just barely.

Lucian staggered backward, his breath heavy. "That… was close," he muttered, shaking off the strain.

Robin circled above, watching the scene unfold. His heart pounded as he loosed another arrow, hoping this time it would make a difference. However the outcome was the same. "Come on... something has to work!"

Back on the ground, just as Edith and Lucian were about to attack the Titanborne again, Karla emerged from the treeline, skidding to a stop near a boulder.

She froze, her breath caught in her throat as she took in the sheer size of the demon. Seeing it from a distance with Liam was one thing, but standing this close to its colossal form was utterly terrifying.

Her daze was broken by Edith's urgent voice.

"Karla, you're alright!" Edith rushed over, a wave of relief washing over her face. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" she asked, scanning Karla quickly.

"Nah… I'm good," Karla replied, catching her breath. "We would've been here sooner, but we had to dodge all those flying shards of rock."

"Don't worry about that," Edith said, her tone reassuring. "Anyway, where's Liam?" Her eyes scanned the forest for any sign of him, but found none.

"Uh… he said he had something to do," Karla said hesitantly, still shaken by the demon's overwhelming presence. "He didn't tell me what, just changed directions and took off."

"What?!" Edith's voice rose in frustration. "He just ran off?" Her teeth clenched as she fought to contain her anger. Is he serious? Of all times to go off on his own, he chooses now?

"But he did say we should aim for the demon's legs, like we did with the Wolves," Karla added quickly, hoping to defuse Edith's irritation.

Edith paused, her frustration giving way to contemplation. Her gaze shifted to the Titanborne's legs, particularly the tendons. I've been hitting this thing's legs since the start, but it hasn't done a thing. Not even a scratch.

"You two can catch up later! Right now, we've got bigger problems!" Lucian shouted, his voice strained as he braced himself against the Titanborne's relentless strikes, holding his earthen barrier in place. "Don't worry about Liam. If he ran off like that, there's probably a reason. And if there isn't, then forget it—we've got a target right in front of us!"

Lucian's mind churned even as he shouted. As much as I hate to admit it, Liam probably has the best battle IQ of anyone here. Ever since that run-in with him, Chris, Logan, and I have been trying to dismiss it as a fluke, but it wasn't. That guy's dangerous in ways we don't even understand yet. So, as much as I don't like it… right now, I'm betting on him.

"He's right. There's no time to worry about that when we have a demon to put down," Edith said firmly, her voice cutting through the chaos.

"ROBIN, I NEED YOU TO DISTRACT THIS THING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!" Edith screamed, her commanding tone echoing across the battlefield.

Robin, hovering above the Titanborne, muttered nervously to himself, "My arrows aren't doing any damage to this thing. How am I supposed to distract it?" His hands tightened around his bow as he wrestled with his thoughts. "Wait… what if I use my magic to create gusts of wind to hit its face?" He hesitated, doubt creeping into his voice. "What if I get hit by this thing? No… I have to do this. Only I can distract it. I'll take the responsibility."

Steeling himself, Robin slung his bow over his shoulder and raised his hands, murmuring an incantation under his breath. Moments later, two invisible air vortexes blasted toward the giant's face, striking it from both sides.

"It worked!" Robin whispered, a flicker of relief in his voice. His magic, though limited at his 4-Star low-tier level, didn't do much damage, but it achieved its purpose—the Titanborne turned its attention to him.

The demon's glowing eyes locked onto Robin as it swung its massive hand toward him. This time, however, Robin was ready. Channeling his air magic, he maneuvered through the air with agility, narrowly dodging the attack.

"Great job, Robin!" Lucian called out, sending a barrage of boulders crashing toward the demon's lower body. "What's the plan?"

Edith's eyes narrowed as she analyzed the situation. "Right now, we know how tough its defenses are. None of your attacks—or mine—have done any damage. Karla, do you have any moves that can cut through that thing's hide?" Continue reading at empire

"M-me? Well… not exactly," Karla stammered, her voice faltering as her gaze darted nervously toward the towering demon.

"Hey, this isn't the time to be scared," Edith said sharply, her voice firm but not unkind. "You chose to be a knight for this very reason. You were accepted into this academy because you have what it takes.

"Even though this might just be an exam, it defines who you truly are on a real battlefield—where lives are at stake. Would you want your hesitation or fear to be the reason someone else loses their life? I doubt it. Karla, we need your strength. It doesn't matter what rank you have; that doesn't define how strong you are. Now get your act together!"

Karla felt the weight of Edith's words pressing down on her. Her hands trembled as she stared up at the demon, but something in Edith's voice resonated with her, lighting a small spark of courage.

After a few shaky breaths, Karla nodded, her tone still nervous but tinged with determination. "There's… there's a technique I learned recently, but it'll take time to execute it properly. I can only use it once, so I'll need you all to cover me and create an opening to strike its tendons in one go."

"That's the spirit," Edith said, her lips curving into a small, approving smile. "Prepare yourself and let us know when you're ready."

She shifted her stance, gripping her sword tightly as she eyed the Titanborne. "Lucian, keep hammering its tendons. We're taking this thing down!"

Lucian gritted his teeth as the ground trembled under the Titanborne's weight. "Got it! I'll keep it occupied. Just don't screw this up!" With a wave of his hand, another barrage of boulders shot forward, slamming against the demon's legs.