The giant's grip on its sword faltered, its hulking form swaying, as if it were caught in the aftermath of an unseen blow. Julian, still reeling from the shockwave of his strike, barely managed to keep his footing. His body ached, his limbs were heavy, and his breath came in desperate gasps, but in that single moment, the tide of battle had shifted—if only slightly.
Kaelin wasted no time. With a speed and precision that could only come from years of experience, she darted toward the giant's exposed side. Her daggers were in her hands before the sword's glow had even fully diminished, their silver blades gleaming in the dim light as she aimed for the weak point where the creature's armor had cracked during its earlier fight. She plunged both daggers deep into the gap, twisting them with all her strength.
The giant roared, its massive hand shooting down to swat her aside. Kaelin barely managed to dodge, the edge of its palm grazing her side and sending her tumbling across the ground. The impact was brutal, but she was already on her feet again, a flash of defiance in her eyes.
"Kaelin!" Julian shouted, but his focus remained on the sword. If they could disable it, if they could sever the source of the giant's power, they might just have a chance.
Eirik limped forward, his injuries slowing him, but his resolve burning brighter than ever. His sword was still on the ground where it had fallen, but it didn't matter. With one arm clutching his side, he drew a dagger from his belt, its edge wickedly sharp and forged for moments like these. Without hesitation, he hurled it toward the giant's leg, aiming for the joint where the massive muscle met the armor.
The dagger pierced the flesh with a sickening squelch, but it was nothing compared to the giant's fury. It howled in pain, the sound echoing across the battlefield like thunder.
Julian didn't wait. His body screamed at him to stop, but he pressed forward, the darkness around him fading into the background as his focus narrowed to a single point: the sword. The sword was the source of the giant's power.
His sword still hummed in his hand, the familiar weight reassuring him, but it wasn't enough. Not against something so... unnatural. Julian knew what he had to do. He didn't understand how or why it worked before, but he wasn't about to waste another second questioning it.
With a battle cry, Julian charged forward, his sword raised high. The giant's massive form loomed above him, its gaze still filled with malignant fire, but for a brief moment, Julian was only aware of the glowing blade that swung toward him, its arc too wide to miss.
He was too slow.
**CRASH!**
The impact sent Julian flying backward, the force of the blow sending a wave of pain up his spine. His body collided with the earth, a brutal reminder that he was not a titan—he was only human. Through his blurry vision, he saw Kaelin's form moving once more, darting in to distract the giant with more precision strikes, but it wasn't enough. She couldn't do this alone.
Julian gritted his teeth, struggling to rise despite the pain. The giant's sword hummed with magic, its dark glow pulsing, but something was different this time. The light around it flickered, growing erratic, and Julian realized—*the magic was waning*.
Without a second thought, he pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the sting in his ribs, the way his sword seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. His heart pounded in his chest as his focus narrowed. This was the moment.
"Distract it!" Julian shouted to Kaelin as he broke into a sprint, his sword raised.
Kaelin didn't hesitate. She whirled, her eyes flashing with cold calculation, and lunged forward once again. This time, instead of aiming directly for the creature's exposed joints, she danced around its blows, forcing the giant to swing wildly in an attempt to swat her from the battlefield. She was moving with a fluid grace, ducking, twisting, and striking wherever she could.
Meanwhile, Julian closed the distance. Every step felt like an eternity, but he had no choice. He knew that Kaelin's distraction would be brief, and once it was over, they would lose their opening. His thoughts flickered back to Eirik, still on the ground, his face twisted in pain but filled with determination.
He was going to make this work.
The giant's massive sword swung downward again, its glow brighter than ever, its edge humming with dark energy that seemed to warp the air around it. Julian barely managed to dive to the side, the wind from the blow grazing his skin as he rolled and came to his feet, his sword raised. His heart was racing, his blood pounding in his ears. He could feel the ground beneath him tremble with each of the giant's steps.
Kaelin had managed to land another blow, this time striking at the joint of its left leg. The giant staggered, its posture shifting, its movements slowing—just enough to give Julian the opening he needed.
With a roar, Julian lunged forward, his sword raised. The giant's attention snapped back to him, its gaze locking on his movement with terrifying speed. But this time, it was too late.
Julian brought his sword down onto the hilt of the giant's blade.
There was a moment of blinding light, a clash of magic and steel, and for a split second, the world felt suspended in time.
The magic in the sword flared violently, the shockwave of the impact knocking Julian backward, his sword flying from his hand as the energy surged through him. He landed hard, pain lancing through his entire body, but there was no time to recover.
Kaelin screamed in fury, her voice full of desperation, as the giant's arm jerked back, the dark glow of its sword flickering wildly. It howled in pain, its eyes flashing with primal rage, but it was no longer unstoppable.
"Now!" Julian shouted, his voice raw and hoarse, as he struggled to his feet.
Kaelin didn't need another command. She surged forward, her eyes narrowed with fury. With a single fluid movement, she leaped toward the giant's outstretched arm, aiming for the wrist joint. Her daggers, now slick with the blood of their earlier strikes, slid easily into the vulnerable spot, her movement precise and deadly.
The giant's howl of rage turned into a deafening roar of agony. Its grip on the sword faltered once more, but this time, it didn't recover.
"Eirik!" Kaelin shouted, her voice filled with urgency.
Eirik, still gritting through the pain, managed to stagger to his feet. His eyes were wild, his every movement driven by sheer force of will. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and, with a war cry, he charged toward the giant's exposed side. His sword crashed into the creature's arm, the strike echoing like thunder as the blade sank deep into the giant's flesh.
The giant staggered back, its entire form shaking as if the wound was more than just a physical injury. It looked down at them with a mix of disbelief and primal fury. Its sword, once a beacon of dark power, now seemed to waver in the air, the magic that once filled it flickering and dying.
"Do it!" Julian cried, his voice filled with determination.
Kaelin's eyes locked with his, and for a moment, there was nothing but trust between them. Without another word, she darted forward one final time, leaping toward the giant's throat, her daggers raised high.
The giant had no time to react. The blow was swift and brutal, and with a final, deafening roar, the creature's head snapped backward, its body crashing to the ground with a thundering shake that sent dust and debris flying in all directions.
Julian, Kaelin, and Eirik staggered back, panting for breath, their bodies drenched in sweat and blood. The world around them seemed to hold its breath as the massive form of the giant crumpled to the earth, its power now gone.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then, the earth trembled one final time, as if it were mourning the death of something ancient, something far older than any of them had known.
Eirik dropped to one knee, coughing up blood, his face pale but determined. "That was... close."
Kaelin's hands were shaking, the adrenaline wearing off, but she was smiling through her exhaustion. "We did it."
Julian nodded, his body feeling like it might collapse at any moment, but his heart soaring with relief. "We did."
But even as the giant's massive body lay still, the magic that had once powered it lingered in the air, a thick, malevolent presence that they knew wasn't truly gone. The creature's death had only severed one piece of a much larger puzzle.
Julian's voice was low, almost a whisper. "This... this isn't over. Not yet."
And deep in the distance, the ground rumbled once again.