Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1428: Submit, or die

"You don’t need to be overly concerned," Lysinthia assured her. "Even if the matter between Pallas and Princess Ariselle doesn’t work out, your status and power are enough to shelter the Blood Elf Race."

"Things really aren’t as complicated as they think."

Hearing this from Lysinthia comforted Lycanor. She had thought the same, but she knew the Elf King and the Archelders wanted more.

"I hope everything goes smoothly."

Silverwood Realm, Current’s Bend

The war between the Sea Folk and the Cult of Four had essentially concluded, and the mop-up operations were nearly finished.

Now, the Sea Folk were turning their attention inward for a reckoning.

The target of this purge was, naturally, Atlantis, which had entrenched itself in Current’s Bend.

Three Demigods—Morveth, Ishraena, and Amon—personally led the Cetus Giants and a legion of Sea Folk to completely surround Atlantis. Not even a shrimp could slip through their blockade.

"Everyone, we are all children of the sea. There is no need for this," Kraken said, bowing with clasped hands.

"Violence is never the answer."

He didn’t believe a word of it himself. Without violence, where would they get territory? Where would they get resources?

"Hmph... if we are all Sea Folk, why did you conspire with those outsiders from the Cult of Four to attack Azurehold?"

"Why didn’t you say ’violence is never the answer’ then?"

The one sneering was Amon. He was a staunch warhawk and one of the primary drivers behind the push to purge Atlantis.

"Gentlemen, you had the luxury of turtling up inside Azurehold. Other Sea Folk did not!"

Seeing the hostility and the utter lack of room for negotiation, Kraken’s friendly demeanor evaporated. His tone grew cold, his words sharp and dripping with mockery.

"While you hid in your shells, all four Demigods of the Cult descended upon Atlantis. They blockaded us completely. If we hadn’t submitted, Atlantis would have ceased to exist long ago."

"Where were you then?"

"Can you blame us?"

Kraken’s retort silenced Morveth, Ishraena, and Amon. Kraken might be an outsider, but he was still of the sea. Since they had left him to die, they had no moral high ground to accuse him now.

"Furthermore, as you saw, when the great battle began, Atlantis’s Demigods—the First and Second Marshals—did not participate."

"Is that not enough to demonstrate our stance?"

This was a fact, and Kraken spoke with conviction. Their decision to play the long game, waiting for the mantis to catch the cicada while the oriole watched from behind, was based on the assumption that the Sea Folk had hidden trump cards.

As for Kraken personally joining the fray, he had mostly been there to spectate and gather intelligence. He hadn’t killed a single Archlord of the Sea Folk.

"Moreover, our Second Marshal personally slew a Demigod of the Cult of Four. Surely Atlantis cannot be considered traitors after that?"

Kraken had prepared this defense long ago. Facing the Sea Folk tribunal, he left Morveth, Ishraena, and Amon speechless.

"Submit, or die."

Just when Kraken thought the situation might be salvageable, Amon unleashed a terrifying Demigod aura, letting it crash directly into him.

Reasoning with the strong? Laughable.

Kraken realized his mistake profoundly. In the face of absolute power, all schemes were paper tigers. To deter an enemy, one had to unleash a real tiger.

ROAR!

A roar that sounded like a mix between a dragon and a tiger erupted. From Kraken’s forehead, a Demigod’s pressure surged forth, shattering Amon’s aura and sweeping across the battlefield.

Aside from the three Demigods—Morveth, Ishraena, and Amon—every Sea Folk warrior clutched their heads and wailed. The weaker ones fainted outright, sinking like stones to the ocean floor.

"Three of you, let this end here!"

"Atlantis will remain in Current’s Bend. We will not encroach on other waters."

Orion’s indifferent voice echoed out. This was the line he, Leonidas, and Kraken had agreed upon.

The Sea Folk had three Demigods and the protection of the Divine Kingdom of the Dead Sea; taking the Moon Sea was impossible. But holding onto Current’s Bend was the brothers’ bottom line.

"If you refuse, then come and fight!"

Come and fight...

Orion’s voice carried far, penetrating the surrounding seas. Even the Demigod of the Moonwell, far away on land, sensed the disturbance.

Moonlight Continent, Staghelm City

The Moon Elf Isilra looked at her mother returning from the sky above, confusion in her eyes.

"Mother, has something happened?"

The Demigod of the Moonwell shook her head. She sensed the new life in Isilra’s womb, then looked toward the ocean with a puzzled expression.

"A few days ago, the seas changed. The ocean was in the sky and the earth; the world seemed inverted."

"Back then, several Demigod auras flared and then extinguished."

"I thought the war at sea was over, but just now, another powerful divine presence rippled out."

The Demigod of the Moonwell looked at Isilra. She didn’t mention that the divine pressure felt familiar—that it was Orion’s aura. She didn’t want to worry Isilra, nor did she want her daughter recklessly charging into the ocean for the sake of her lover.

"I suspect a civil war has broken out among the Sea Folk."

It was a guess, but also a convenient explanation to placate Isilra.

"The Sea Folk aren’t like us. Until they are unified, there will be no peace."

"Mother, forget about them."

Isilra closed her eyes, focusing entirely on absorbing the essence of the moonlight to nourish the child within her.

The Demigod of the Moonwell nodded, transforming into a beam of light and merging into the Moonwell.

The Ocean, Atlantis

If you refuse, then come and fight...

Once Orion’s voice rang out, war became inevitable.

"I will expel all outsiders!"

Demigod Amon revealed his massive Cetus Giant true form, taking a thunderous step forward to pressure Kraken.

"Orion, is this really going to work?"

Kraken had already surrendered control of his body. He didn’t doubt Orion’s strength, but he was worried.

Orion ignored him. Controlling Kraken’s body, he flew straight out of the barrier to face Amon.

The moment "Kraken" exited the defensive shield, the phantom image of a colossal abyssal vortex formed beneath the feet of every Sea Folk warrior present.

"The Abyss gazes upon you!"

suppressed by the laws of the Dead Sea, Orion dared not reveal his full Demigod avatar. instead, he summoned the projection of his Divine Kingdom to intimidate the Sea Folk.

"Do you wish to fall?"

As the words fell, the abyssal vortex unleashed a terrifying gravitational pull, dragging at the Sea Folk. Even the Demigods Morveth and Ishraena weren’t spared; this was the power of Divine Calling, a force accessible only to those at the Demigod fourth stage. They couldn’t resist it.

Just as Orion contemplated crushing Morveth, Ishraena, and Amon right then and there, the Dead Sea reacted.

The abyssal vortex wasn’t a true Divine Kingdom, but its aura was enough to provoke the ancient sea.