Thank You,

Koharu zipped through the air, her teeth bared as she spotted the Hallowed Titan turning away from another giant creature that lay on the ground. White smoke pillared from its chest, its head and hands plated in dark crystal.

No…

She rocketed past the Hallowed Titan, hovering over the new Titan’s body. It looked almost identical to the other Titan, except it had a single black crystal for a head, and two giant black teeth jutting from its gaping lower jaw.

“Ignacio!” she shouted.

A rumbling scream came from overhead, like a fighter jet passing. She glanced up, her eyes widening as a white missile streaked towards them. She zipped backwards, her hair swaying forward as tears filled her eyes.

“Ignacio!”

She slashed her hands apart, a portal opening over his stomach. But the crystal was too large, and shattered the portal before punching through Ignacio’s stomach and impaling his Titan to the ground. The monster groaned in pain, hands reaching for the stone impaling it. But another two crystals fell on either side, cutting off the Titan’s arms at the shoulders. The shock waves rippled through Koharu, clearing the hair from her face.

“No!” she shrieked, jetting forward as tears stung her eyes.

The Titan leaned its head back, lower jaw closing and opening as it gasped. She landed on the Titan’s crystal face, dropping to her hands and knees. She ignited her hand, trying to use the light to see inside.

“Ace,” she shouted, her tears dripping to the crystal and rolling down it. “Please, wake up.”

She gasped as the monster’s body began to shudder, and shrink. She zipped into the air, the reflection of her blue glow visible in the Titan’s crystal head.

The creature shrank more, the crystals in its head receding, until just Ignacio was left lying there. She zipped down to him glancing at the Hallowed Titan as it turned, spotting her.

She landed beside him, tears blurring her eyes as she placed her ear to his chest. A slow, steady rhythm beat against her face, and she sighed.

“Koharu,” he groaned, his hand pressing her back. “What happened?”

She stood up, eyes widening as the Hallowed Titan began charging towards them, its footsteps rumbling against the ground.

She grabbed his arm, hoisting him up. “Come on, Ace. You gotta get up, we need to go, now, let’s go.”

He groaned again as she sat him up, blood spraying as he coughed. She stood behind him, hooking her arms under his, and pulled him to his feet.

The Hallowed Titan roared just a few steps away when a boulder came flying from behind it, knocking it in the back of the head. The Titan turned around as Ezequiel came running towards them, his Golem form curling with red smoke.

He slowed to a halt, the top of the Golems head bursting with a spray of stone. Ezequiel climbed atop it, and the Golem took him in its hands and flung him overhead. He rocketed over the Hallowed Titan as the monster lumbered towards the husk of a Golem.

He held out his hands either side of himself as he fell, rocks and stones gravitating towards him, tearing from the ground around where Koharu stood.

He landed in a crouch, fist planting into the ground. He stood, the new Golem’s eyes glowing red.

“Is he alive?” Ezequiel asked.

Koharu nodded. “I’m going to have to carry him.”

Ezequiel pointed. “Get out of here, but don’t go to Thalyssan. Kiyomi knew that’s where we planned to retreat.”

Koharu’s eyes widened. “Beltran?”

Ezequiel sighed, turning as the Hallowed Titan roared, its teeth baring at them.

“He killed the Thunder Warlock,” Ezequiel said. “Don’t let his sacrifice be for nothing. Get outta here.”

“I’m not leaving you, Zeeq,” Koharu said.

He turned to her, placing a hand to his Golem’s mouth. The stone crumbled from his face, and he stared at her with a gentle smile. An old smile. The smile framed by his grey beard, topped by his high grey hair.

“It’s gonna be okay, Koharu,” he said, pointing a giant finger towards her. He used the edge to catch a tear as it slid down her cheek, the stone warm against her skin. “Thank you for being the daughter these monsters took from me.”

She placed her hand to the giant stone finger. “Ezequiel.”

He turned around, raising his arms in a cross. “Go!”

Her body enveloped in blue light, and she dragged Ignacio’s body into the air, her heart thumping her chest as she flew away. Tears flooded down her cheeks, her throat burning as she screamed.

“Koharu,” Kiyomi shrieked from behind.

Koharu glanced back, her eyes widening as Kiyomi streamed behind her in a trail of red smoke, blade out to the side.

“Give me- argh!”

A stone hand grabbed Kiyomi from the air, falling with her trapped between its fingers.

Ezequiel straightened from his throwing position, his Golem’s right hand missing. He jumped up and down as he waved at her, and took a bow.

Her throat seized up with tears as she spluttered a laugh. “Thank you," she whispered, "for being my dad.”

Her blue-light flared and she shot forward, Ignacio’s body swaying beneath her.