"Impossible..." The disbelieving gasp tore through the air as the remaining Titans all turned their attention to their leader, who had been punched so hard, there was nothing but a destroyed wall that revealed the last trace of evidence that he was with them just seconds ago.
He was the strongest of them all, having reached the Mid Cataclysm stage, yet he had been blown far away by a single punch.
And slowly, they watched as Ryuk slowly turned towards them, his left eye having changed to bear a coalescing blackhole of lingering crimson and black energy as he turned to the rest of them.
"So, which one of you will lead me to your Best Forge?" he asked, as they all unconsciously took a step back from Ryuk’s stare.
But then, one of them, having his eyes flashing, pointed to Ryuk, his hand shaking.
"Those horns, you’re the one who helped win the 6th Knull Invasion. You’re the Horned Hero!" the figure said in shock — but in the next instant...
KAABOOOOOOM
A radius of 30 meters around all 9 of them shattered into pieces as they were sent smashing straight into the ground, their spines bent to the ground as their hands pressed tightly, eyes squeezed shut from the intense pressure.
The sound of bones twisting in tense gravity echoed out constantly as Ryuk took a step, appearing before the one who had recognized him.
The Titan raised his head up in horror, watching Ryuk’s eyes turn into those of a serpent, as the calm yet spine-chilling words rang straight in his ears.
"Never describe me with that mundane word of yours. I am no hero."
"I AM RYUK!" His last words loudly thundered, the eardrums of the weakest amongst them bursting into pieces as they collapsed onto the ground, knocked out cold.
The pressure soon faded after, as Ryuk’s serpentine eyes returned to normal.
"Now. For the last time, which one of you will lead me to your Best Forge..." he asked once more, and it had barely taken seconds when one of them raised her hand.
"I will..." she said, her Titan form returning back to human, and Ryuk turned to her before saying:
"Lead the way."
Cilian immediately rose to her feet as she gave a nod to her fellow Titans before walking through the large gates, and the other Titans remained kneeling, mouths agape as they watched Ryuk and Antares walk into the gates, leaving them kneeling outside in confusion.
That was when it occurred to them that he never was an attacker — they were the ones who did. And once he got what he wanted, he left.
But still, he was an unwelcome intruder, and they quickly brought out their devices as they called up their Boss.
______
"There are a total of..." Cilian tried to say, but was immediately cut off by Ryuk, whose low voice that sounded more like a growl than words rang out.
"I don’t want your introduction. I just want you to take us to your Best Forge..." Ryuk said, shutting her up, as Cilian inhaled, sweat swirling down the back of her neck before she asked:
"Which type of forge do you want exactly? An artifact forge? An armor forge? A weapon forge? I’m just trying to say there are lots of forges..." she said, as Antares spoke up.
"The Weapon Forge is the one."
"Good then. The best Weapon Forge we have is deep underground, close to a lava core. We need to take the elevator..." she said as she walked to one of the elevators, and they entered it, as she quickly tapped on a couple of numbers on the keypad before the AI Voice rang out.
[Render Location Has Been Observed.]
[Direction: The Lava Core Forge!]
[Scanning for Eligibility!]
[Error! Two amongst the three in the elevator do not have the necessary pass.]
[The elevator will cease to move until all three have the pass.]
The AI voice went out as Ryuk’s gaze darted ahead, and he placed his hands on the elevator wall. Immediately, the lights in the elevator started turning off and on, as glitching AI voice rang out — but it was soon cut off, the last thing being said:
[Ele..vator...has...been...hacked...by an unknown...power source!]
[All Passes Have Been Obtained!]
[Lift to the Lava Core Forge will now begin!]
The AI voice rang out, and immediately, the elevator began moving as Cilian looked at Ryuk in absolute shock.
’He... he hacked into the most secure AI of the entire database with but a touch.’
"Seems like you’ve got some tricks up your sleeves to override those tiny voices..." Antares said as Ryuk replied curtly.
"I do."
The lift continued for about three minutes, going downwards with furious speed, even though everything was surprisingly stable and calm enough.
DIIIIING
Echoed out as the elevator doors opened, and they arrived in a new area.
Ryuk stepped out, eyeing the environment, noting the burning lava-infused ground and incredibly hot temperature.
And just when Cilian was about to step out too, she was stopped as Ryuk raised a hand before her.
"You won’t survive the temperature. Go back to your others," he said. Cilian took back her step and was about to leave when Ryuk’s voice echoed:
"Tell anyone who wants to come down and disturb us that if they do, they’ll never come back out," he said before stepping forward with Antares as the elevator lifted up into the sky.
A second after it did, and Cilian collapsed onto her butt, sweat dripping down her face as she took deep breaths.
All through the entire time, all she had felt was suffocating pressure that squeezed the air out of her lungs. Like a blade was balanced on her throat, and one mishap, she would be gone.
"Just what is happening... It is said that the Horned Hero will be in the Commemoration. How is he here in the TitanForge?"
"Why has his attitude changed so much from the footage?"
____
"How is it?"
"Think it will be good enough to craft those weapons of yours..." Ryuk asked Antares, as the two watched the various tools around the burning hall, whose center rested a thong and hammer, and Ryuk could feel the end of it linked to a bubbling lava source below.
"This... this is just perfect!"