The wind howled through the twisted remnants of the Gods' Ruin—or as the ancient texts once called it, Eryndor's Abyss. What was once a divine battleground had become a graveyard of broken colossi and scarred mountains. Cracks of violet lightning shimmered across the black sky, reflecting faintly in Ashura's eyes as he led the Amethyst Guild further north.
They had been traveling for hours through terrain that looked half-dead and half-divine—trees made of obsidian glass, rivers that shimmered with faint mana, and craters large enough to fit entire cities. The ground still pulsed with divine residue, humming softly beneath their boots.
Kai whistled lowly, brushing his hair back as he looked ahead.
"Captain… this place is unreal. It's like walking through the memory of a god's rage."
Ashura grinned, his coat swaying with each step. "That's because it is, Kai. Every inch here remembers something we humans were never supposed to see."
Mira adjusted her bow, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the horizon. "Then why are we heading deeper, Captain? Even the beasts here have divinity in their bones."
Ashura's grin only widened, that faint streak of arrogance showing through. "Because I'm bored."
The others groaned in unison.
"Of course you are," said Riku, dragging his massive sword behind him. "The last time you said that, we ended up fighting a wyvern that spat molten lightning."
Ashura shrugged casually. "Hey, we survived. That's character development."
Before anyone could throw another complaint, the ground began to tremble. The rumbling was so deep it seemed to rise from the world's core, shaking stones loose from jagged cliffs. A massive roar followed, echoing across the desolate plain. Birds—if you could call them that—black, winged mana creatures, took off into the crimson sky.
From the fog ahead, something colossal emerged.
It was easily fifty meters tall—its skin a grotesque blend of stone and flesh, with molten veins glowing red beneath. Four arms, each the size of towers, dragged behind it, and its face looked vaguely humanoid—except for the halo of broken horns spiraling above its head.
Mira's eyes widened. "A… Titan Remnant?"
Kai took a step back, gripping his daggers. "No way. That's supposed to be a myth. Even the top S-rank guilds wouldn't—"
But Ashura was already walking forward.
Lightning began to crackle faintly around him, the air bending from the pressure of his presence. His black coat fluttered, and his hand slowly reached for the hilt of his blade.
"Stay back," he said, voice calm yet crackling with excitement. "I've got this one."
"Captain!" Mira yelled. "You can't be serious—"
Ashura turned, flashing that confident, reckless grin that made everyone's hearts clench between awe and exasperation.
"Oh, I'm dead serious. Watch closely, all of you—" he raised his sword, purple lightning surging down the length of the blade, illuminating the scarred land. "—because this is how your Captain plays."
The Titan Remnant roared, shaking the clouds. Ashura smirked and lunged.
The world blurred.
Lightning erupted from his feet as he vanished in a streak of violet light, appearing mid-air, his sword arcing down. The impact split the air with a thunderous boom. The Titan staggered back, one arm torn open from shoulder to elbow.
"YEEEEEESSS!" Kai yelled, pumping a fist. "That's our Captain!"
But Ashura didn't stop. He twisted mid-air, throwing his sword like a spinning thunderbolt. It pierced through the Titan's chest, purple lightning bursting out in a storm of crackling energy.
"Still standing?" Ashura grinned, teleporting beside the sword with a snap of lightning. "Then let's dance."
He drove a fist into the creature's abdomen, sending ripples of shockwaves through its massive frame. It stumbled again, trying to crush him under its hands—but Ashura caught the incoming strike with one arm, lightning flaring as his boots cracked the earth beneath him.
He looked up at the massive face and smirked. "Too slow."
A surge of purple lightning exploded from his body, forming a massive spear of raw energy that tore through the Titan's torso and split the clouds above. When the light faded, the monster collapsed, half of its body turning to ash before it even hit the ground.
The guild stood frozen for a heartbeat—then erupted into cheers.
Riku threw his sword over his shoulder. "Captain's showin' off again."
Ashura turned to them, brushing dust off his coat. "Showin' off? Nah." He pointed at the massive crater now steaming in front of him. "That was just a warm-up."
Kai burst out laughing. "Yeah, yeah, sure it was."
Ashura smirked, watching the faint trails of lightning fade from the sky.
"North holds the answers," he muttered under his breath. "If the gods really fell here, then maybe it's time I meet whatever's left of them."
He turned back to his team, eyes glinting. "Alright, you lazy bunch—time for round two. Whoever finds the next monster first doesn't have to pay for dinner."
"Wait—what?!" Kai shouted.
"Captain, that's not fair!" Mira protested.
Ashura just laughed, running forward with that untamable energy of his, lightning flashing beneath his steps as the others groaned and followed.
And above them, faintly hidden by the storm clouds, a single glowing eye watched their progress—its whisper faint, but full of interest.
"So… the heir of the nameless god dares to walk where divinity died."
The storm crackled again, and Ashura grinned up at it.
"Yeah, keep watching," he muttered. "I'm just getting started."