The Last Giant Falls
Maingan stood before the last Nephilim, his breath heavy, his eyes glowing like molten gold. The battle had dragged on longer than expected—these creatures were beyond anything he had faced before.
The six-fingered giant snarled, its single eye narrowing in fury. Blood, dark and thick, dripped from its wounds, but it refused to fall.
"You are strong," the Nephilim rumbled, its voice shaking the ground. "But strength alone will not save you."
Maingan clenched his fists. Energy surged through his body, his entire being vibrating with newfound power. He had already cut down nine of these beasts. This was the last one.
With a sudden burst of speed, he vanished—then reappeared above the giant's head.
The Nephilim's eye widened, but it was too late.
Maingan's blade, charged with pure energy, sliced downward in a flash of light.
A deafening crack echoed as the blade tore through the Nephilim's skull. For a moment, the giant stood frozen. Then, its massive body collapsed like a falling mountain, shaking the earth as it hit the ground.
The battle was over.
Or so they thought.
The Earthquake
A low rumble vibrated beneath their feet.
Maingan turned sharply, his instincts screaming a warning. Jeruca, still recovering from his own brutal fight, looked up in confusion. Jason, covered in blood, wiped his blade clean.
Then the mountain roared.
The quake came without mercy.
The ground split open in jagged lines, sending tremors across the battlefield. Dust and debris exploded into the air. From above, massive boulders broke free from the cliffs, tumbling downward with devastating force.
"Move!" Maingan shouted.
The first rock struck the ground near the soldiers, crushing several instantly. Their screams were swallowed by the chaos.
Another boulder came down, this one shattering the remains of the Lord's palace. Jagged stone rained upon the battlefield, crushing creatures and men alike.
Jeruca barely dodged one, rolling away just as a massive chunk of debris obliterated the spot he had been standing. He coughed, blood dripping from his lips. "What the hell is happening?!"
Jason cursed, pulling a wounded soldier to safety before looking at Maingan. "Did the Nephilim do this?!"
Maingan's fists clenched. No, this wasn't their doing.
Something else had awakened.
The Fight for Survival
The earthquake didn't stop. It grew worse.
The battlefield had turned into a death trap. Soldiers scrambled, some making it out, others crushed beneath falling debris. Even the monstrous creatures weren't spared—several were flattened beneath the landslide.
One of the larger Nephilim corpses slid down the mountain, taking several creatures with it into the abyss below.
Jeruca gritted his teeth, grabbing an injured soldier and hauling him to safety. "This is insane!"
Jason had already pulled two soldiers free but nearly got caught in the collapse himself. A sharp boulder grazed his shoulder, drawing blood. He hissed in pain but didn't stop moving.
Maingan, standing in the center of the battlefield, looked up.
Something was watching.
Far above, past the crumbling cliffs, a figure stood at the mountain's peak. A silhouette against the chaos.
Someone caused this.
The moment their eyes met, the figure vanished.
Maingan's heart pounded. This wasn't just an accident. It was an attack.
A Desperate Escape
"We need to get off this mountain!" Maingan shouted, moving toward Jeruca and Jason.
Jeruca nodded, grabbing another soldier. "We're already on it!"
But then, another tremor—this one even worse. The ground cracked open beneath them, splitting the battlefield in half.
Jeruca fell.
"Jeruca!" Maingan lunged, grabbing his friend's wrist just in time. Jeruca dangled over the abyss, rocks falling into the darkness below.
Jeruca coughed, grinning despite the situation. "This is a bad day."
Maingan pulled him up with raw strength, setting him down roughly. "Stay on your feet."
Jason, helping another soldier, shouted. "We have to move!"
The remaining survivors scrambled for stable ground. Behind them, what was left of the palace collapsed entirely, swallowed by the mountain's wrath.
Maingan looked back one last time.
The figure was gone.
But he knew.
This battle wasn't over.
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