Three stone giants loomed over the battlefield, each one radiating an aura of raw, unyielding power. These weren't just oversized rock monsters; they were master-ranked entities, each a (D) rank of devastation. The runes etched across their colossal forms pulsed faintly with mana, their eyes glowing with an eerie, almost malicious red.
The earth dragon, its scaled body gleaming with renewed strength, roared with a ferocity that seemed to shake the very air. Its roar wasn't just a challenge—it was a declaration. Newly ranked at (D), it exuded an aura of unyielding dominance, and it wasted no time in charging the nearest stone giant.
The ground heaved as the dragon's massive bulk collided with the giant, the impact sending a cloud of debris into the air. The dragon's claws, sharp as obsidian blades, raked across the giant's rocky exterior, leaving deep gouges that glowed faintly with residual mana. Its fangs, jagged and gleaming, sank into the giant's arm, shattering smaller runes etched into the surface.
Yet, the stone giant did not falter. It stood firm, its immense weight anchoring it to the battlefield like a mountain given life. With slow, deliberate movements, it raised a massive fist and brought it down toward the dragon's head. The dragon twisted at the last moment, the fist slamming into the ground instead, creating a crater that rippled outward in a shockwave, knocking loose rocks and dirt into the air.
The earth dragon snarled, its tail whipping around with devastating force. The tail struck the giant in the torso, sending it stumbling back a step—just one step, but enough to show that the dragon's power was no mere bluff.
The dragon didn't stop there. It lunged forward, its body a blur of primal energy, aiming for the giant's legs. If it could topple the massive creature, the fight would be over. The giant, however, anticipated the move. With surprising speed for its size, it swung its other arm downward, narrowly missing the dragon's back as it darted beneath the blow.
As the two titans clashed, each strike seemed to carry the weight of an avalanche. Rocks and debris flew in all directions, the battlefield morphing into a chaotic landscape of jagged terrain and craters. The dragon's growls mixed with the low, grinding noises of the giant's movements, creating an orchestra of destruction.
***
Zainab was a blur of serpentine elegance amidst the chaos. Her four heads, each glistening with iridescent scales, moved in perfect synchronization, their sharp fangs bared as they hissed in unison. The largest of the four—a head adorned with dark green patterns—reared back and spat a stream of corrosive poison at the legs of the second stone giant. The acid hissed on contact, eating away at the runes carved into its rocky surface, leaving molten trails that seeped into the cracks.
The other heads were no less formidable. One unleashed a torrent of water, high-pressure streams carving into the giant's arm as though wielding a blade, while another channeled Zainab's earth manipulation. The ground around the giant's feet erupted, jagged spikes of stone thrusting upward to pierce its legs.
The final head snapped forward, its fangs sinking into the giant's exposed side. The poison coursing through Zainab's bite wasn't enough to kill the behemoth, but it worked as a debilitating toxin, slowing the mana flow within the creature and dulling its movements.
Zainab was already in the thick of it, fighting alongside the fire ants. She didn't command them—they weren't hers to lead—but they followed her regardless. The master-ranked fire ant, towering over its kin, had rallied its swarm, and they now moved like a single, molten tide. Lava-like mandibles clamped down on the second giant's legs, arms, and chest, leaving trails of glowing orange scars across its surface.
Zainab darted between the giant's strikes, her movements precise and calculated. The master-ranked ant leapt onto the giant's back, its mandibles sinking into the glowing runes on the giant's shoulders, disrupting the flow of mana coursing through it. The giant staggered but retaliated with a sweeping punch, smashing into the swarm and sending molten ants flying. The scene was chaos incarnate.
And then there was me.
The third giant had its eyes locked on me from the start. Of course, it did. Why not? I wasn't exactly thrilled about the attention, but it wasn't like I had a choice.
The thing moved with slow, deliberate steps, each one shaking the ground beneath my feet. For something so massive, it was terrifyingly efficient at closing the distance. Every step seemed to shrink the space between us, and the terrain wasn't doing me any favors.
The battlefield was a mix of broken earth and scorched vegetation, littered with the remnants of the earlier fight. Jagged rocks jutted out of the ground like teeth, and shallow craters marked where spells and strikes had landed. A thin mist hung in the air, the result of the dragon's earlier clash with the fire ants, adding an eerie quality to the scene.
"Alright, big guy," I muttered under my breath, my voice steady despite the knot in my stomach. "Let's see if you like getting wet."
I turned and sprinted toward the river. It wasn't far, maybe a few hundred meters, but with the giant on my heels, it felt like miles.
The river cut through the battlefield like a silver vein, its surface glistening under the faint light of the sun. The terrain sloped downward as I approached, the ground becoming softer and more uneven. Large boulders dotted the riverbank, and the water itself was wide and deceptively calm, its depths hiding strong currents.
Behind me, the giant kept coming. Its movements were slow but unrelenting, each step crunching through the earth like a landslide. It didn't need to run—it was massive enough that every stride covered half the distance of my frantic sprint.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw it raise one of its arms. A boulder-sized fist crashed into the ground where I'd been seconds before, sending shards of rock flying in all directions.
"Not a fan of personal space, huh?" I muttered, ducking behind a jagged outcrop for cover before darting toward the water.
As I reached the riverbank, I didn't hesitate. I leapt into the water, the cool rush enveloping me as I sank beneath the surface.
For a moment, I thought the giant might stop. It paused at the edge of the river, its glowing red eyes staring down at me. But then it stepped forward, the water lapping against its knees, then its chest, as it waded in.
The current tugged at its massive frame, but it didn't slow down. Its glowing eyes remained fixed on me, unwavering and unnerving.
I swam backward, keeping a safe distance as the giant descended deeper into the water. Its massive body created ripples that radiated outwards, distorting the surface. The runes across its body dimmed slightly as it submerged, but the glow in its eyes only seemed to intensify.
Underwater, the giant's movements were slower but no less deliberate. Each step displaced a massive amount of water, the currents pulling at me with every motion.
I kept my distance, my golden eyes locked onto its glowing red ones. There was something wrong about those eyes. Something dark and sinister, like they weren't just eyes—they were windows into something far worse.
The water, my element, was supposed to give me an advantage. Here, I could maneuver better, strike faster, maybe even slow the thing down. But staring into those eyes, I felt a flicker of doubt.
Could I even stall this thing long enough to escape?
The giant stopped, its massive form looming over me even underwater. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
And then it moved.
Its arm swung toward me, a massive wall of stone cutting through the water with surprising speed. I twisted to the side, the current from its strike nearly pulling me into its path.
I needed to think. To plan. I couldn't fight this thing head-on—not here, not anywhere. But maybe, just maybe, I could use the river to my advantage.
I darted downward, deeper into the water, the currents swirling around me. The giant followed, its glowing eyes never leaving mine.
In the depths of the river, surrounded by the cold embrace of the water, I felt the weight of the fight ahead. It wasn't just a battle—it was survival.
And survival? That's something I've always been good at.