(Ezra POV)
The ground began to tremble, shuddering beneath our feet as the massive guardian stirred—its presence growing stronger the closer we came to the location of Malakar the Withered's seal. It wasn't long before we saw the source of the disturbance.
Standing before us was a colossal creature—its body composed of trees bound together by the very environment. Branches twisted into towering appendages, vines coiled and tightened around massive joints, and glowing crimson eyes flickered to life as roots burrowed deep into the earth to anchor its massive frame.
"So this is Yggvalk, the Rooted Titan," I muttered under my breath to Arya.
"Yes," she replied softly. "I've only seen it a few times in my life. It's the legendary protector of the Celestial Grove. But Ezra... do you actually have a plan? You haven't exactly told me what you're going to do."
Yggvalk began to stir further, its attention drawn to us the moment we entered its domain.
"You said you only needed five minutes, right? Don't worry—I can hold out that long," I replied calmly. "But you're sure the titan will return to its natural state once the seal is mended?"
"That's the assumption," Arya answered. "If Malakar's essence stops leaking out, his influence over the area—and the guardian—should disappear."
"Alright then, you better get going. Things are about to heat up."
She nodded and commanded a tangle of vines to lift her from the ground and propel her forward. From what she'd told me, the seal was only a few hundred meters away. But as she glided through the air, Yggvalk reacted—raising an arm and launching wooden spikes from one of its limbs. The attack ripped through the air with a deafening boom, the spikes shattering the sound barrier.
Arya didn't have time to react. My instincts took over.
Before I knew it, I conjured radiant rods of light and hurled them to intercept the oncoming projectiles. I immediately followed up, forming a solar blade and charging at the titan's midsection.
The blade punctured the guardian's bark-covered abdomen, searing through the astral-infused wood. A guttural moan rumbled from its chest as I poured more cosmic energy into the blade, increasing its size and driving it upward toward its skull.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arya land safely and continue her path toward the seal without anything else pursuing her.
Turning my attention back to Yggvalk, I watched as bark and vines from the surrounding environment surged forward, healing the wound I had inflicted.
The pressure in the air intensified.
The guardian was angry. I could feel it. It couldn't fulfill its duty to protect the seal while I remained, so I had become its primary threat.
As it released more cosmic energy, its form began to shift. One arm morphed into a towering wooden lance, the other into a shield. Razor-sharp vines sprouted from its shoulders and back, dragging across the forest floor and carving into trees as they slithered independently through the terrain.
"So, you're getting serious now," I said, opening my Astral Forge and summoning Dawnbringer.
Gripping the radiant katana tightly, I exhaled. Arya was now out of my range. There was nothing left to hold back.
Surprisingly, the titan attacked first. It took one earth-shaking step forward and thrust its lance straight toward my head.
I poured cosmic energy into Dawnbringer, igniting the blade in flames. I parried the lance, the wood burning away as I slipped beneath the titan's massive arm and launched myself toward its head.
Activating my soul weapon's second ability, I performed a rapid barrage of slashes, each one creating blinding afterimages meant to conceal the true path of the blade.
Yggvalk, in a rare display of desperation, raised its shield just in time to block the flurry. My strikes didn't immediately destroy the barrier, but the afterimage flames began to scorch the shield's surface.
Seeing that the heat was weakening its defenses, I increased the frequency of my slashes, hoping to overpower it and push it back.
At this point, I felt confident I could hold out the five minutes Arya needed.
But something felt... off.
This was too easy. I had expected more of a challenge from the immortal guardian.
"I might not even need to use my Celestial Domain after all—"
The thought was cut short.
Suddenly, the guardian released another wave of cosmic energy—more concentrated and potent than before. Its crimson eyes blazed with renewed intensity.
"You were gauging my strength this whole time…" I muttered. "Didn't think I'd be mocked by a tree."
Dozens of vines shot toward me in an attempt to restrain my limbs. I stopped my assault midair and transitioned into a spinning downward slash, incinerating the vines before they could latch onto me.
Before I could recover, Yggvalk materialized above me—faster than something of its size should ever move—and brought down a massive wooden hammer.
The impact sent me hurtling toward the ground.
I barely managed to recover in time to block the second and third swings, pouring even more energy into Dawnbringer, enlarging the flame blade to match the titan's hammer. The clash of force created a crater beneath my feet.
"Damn… this thing is strong," I growled.
Then the titan did something I didn't expect.
A large opening formed where its mouth should've been.
"Strong… for such a small creature," Yggvalk said in a distorted, gargling voice. "But not strong enough."
Nearby trees uprooted themselves and hovered in the air, fusing together before my eyes into a several hundred-meter-long wooden greatsword.
"You've got to be kidding me…" I muttered. "Arya didn't mention you could talk—let alone forge weapons the size of buildings. Just great."
With a deep breath, I focused again—channeling more cosmic energy into Dawnbringer. The flames roared to life as the blade expanded.
"Alright then… let's see how immortal you really are."