Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1349 A Prayer for the Damned

Three Days Prior. The World of Eldoria.

Astravale Square was packed with a suffocating, dense mass of people.

In the dim light, copper and silver coins glittered as they were tossed into the air, landing with splashes in the wishing fountain. A low, buzzing murmur rose from the crowd as people whispered their prayers, the vibration felt even in one's teeth.

The sky hung overhead, bruised and dark. Sensing the impending brutality, the white doves that normally frequented the plaza had fled. Clad in a heavy black cloak that obscured her form, Aina pushed through the throng. Progress was a constant struggle against the human tide.

These prayers weren't offered for mercy. They were merely the prelude to the executions.

The Grand Duke of Astravale had reached his final day. Following accusations by the Kingdom of conspiring with dark witches, the entire ducal lineage was condemned to the gallows.

"Milady, the Duke would never associate with paganism," a panicked voice hissed from behind Aina. "He and the Duchess are the Holy Order’s most faithful servants. This cannot be true."

Vianne, Aina’s maidservant, followed closely behind, her own identity hidden by a dark hood. While Aina remained stone-faced and silent, Vianne was a frayed nerve, her words spilling out in a desperate, terrified flow.

Aina offered no response, allowing the momentum of the crowd to pull her forward.

Her life had collapsed with terrifying speed. Less than a year ago, she had run away from home with Vianne to dodge a forced marriage. Now, the Duke's legacy was in shambles. Her father's title had been stripped, and her kin were bound in irons.

They were positioned on the execution platform, looking down upon the wishing fountain.

Beneath her hood, Aina’s expression darkened. She was aware of the truth. Her parents were extremists for the Holy Order who despised dark magic; the idea of collusion was preposterous. Having lived within those estate walls, she would have detected any hint of heresy from her father.

The accusations were nothing but lies—a fabrication created by the Kingdom’s High Council to satisfy the public.

But for what purpose?

That question consumed her. To have any hope of rescuing them, she had to uncover the true motive—the underlying conflict of interest.

Was it a dispute over territory? Was it retribution for her disappearance? Or perhaps it was the newly found crystal vein on their property?

As she drew nearer to the scaffold, theories spun through her mind. Through gaps in the standing bodies, she caught sight of them: her father and three brothers, looking battered and shamed. She looked past her father’s second wife with indifference; the woman meant nothing to her.

"Vianne," Aina murmured, keeping her gaze downward. "Do you recall the location of my father’s lieutenant? We have to—"

There was no answer.

"Vianne?"

The frantic whispering had ceased. Aina turned around only to find the space behind her vacant.

A sharp, cold panic gripped her heart. She began to scan the hooded faces, but before she could search, a riotous noise broke out near the gallows.

"Seize her! She is an accomplice! She’s trying to liberate the heretics!"

Aina felt her heart sink into her stomach.

Struggling to remain inconspicuous, she joined the rush of onlookers heading toward the disturbance. When she finally fought her way to the front, she pressed a hand against her veil to keep from screaming.

It was Vianne.

Her devoted maid was pinned face-down to the stones, two guard spears thrust through her back. Crimson blood spread quickly from the wounds, seeping into the pavement's crevices.

Even in death, Vianne’s hand remained locked around a leather waterskin.

Aina knew that flask. It was Ragnall’s, her eldest brother. Years prior, he had saved Vianne from dehydration on the road, giving her that flask before welcoming her into the household to serve Aina.

Growing up alongside her, Aina was well aware of Vianne’s secret. The maid harbored a quiet, hopeless love for Ragnall, a devotion that ignored the gap in their status.

Vianne must have looked up at the platform, seen Ragnall’s parched lips, and lost her composure. She simply wanted to provide a final drink of water to the man who had saved her.

To the guards, however, it appeared to be a rescue attempt.

Tears fell down Aina’s cheeks as she gazed at the broken body of her friend. But the horror was just beginning.

The disruption caused by Vianne provided the Kingdom officials with the pretext they desired. The execution was moved forward.

Through the haze of her tears, Aina was forced to watch. She watched her father and brothers thrash against the nooses. She saw their complexions turn a sickening purple, their eyes bulge, and their tongues swell until they were dark and protruding.

In their final, violent moments, they seemed to be screaming a silent command to her: Run. Run. Run.

A surge of grief and hopelessness washed over Aina, a wave of emotion so powerful it traveled across space, filling the heart of the Aina currently in the Tower Defense World.

Vengeance… I want vengeance.

The desire was raw and absolute. Yet, she was merely an Alpha-level being. She was powerless against the strength of a Kingdom. The square was guarded by the Templars of the Holy Order. A single mistake would have seen her hanging alongside her family.

Tower Defense World: Kindling Platform 3318

Inside the command tent, Orion sat quietly, absorbing the conclusion of Aina’s story. He did not offer any shallow comforts.

Aina finished her tale and looked at him, her eyes glowing with a fervor that seemed like insanity. Several minutes passed before Orion spoke.

"To annihilate a world is a heavy task," Orion remarked, his voice deep and echoing. "It is seldom a necessity."

He leaned in, the light of the fire reflecting in his pupils. "But to cleanse the surface of a world? To wipe out the specific individuals and the race you hate? That is a simple matter."

He maintained eye contact. "That is your home world. It is the ground from which you shall ascend. Consider your request carefully before you ask this of me."

As a Creator, Orion felt a strong distaste for the destruction of entire worlds. Each one was a miracle, a part of the World Tree. He understood the effort required for creation. Only the truly malicious or greedy sought to break a planet completely. Most Gods and Demigods chose to conquer or dominate instead.

Wiping out a world was a crude waste of resources.

Aina did not waver. The memory of Vianne on the stones and her brothers’ swaying bodies burned in her mind.

"Sir," she stated, her voice shaking with freezing fury. "Eradicate them. Every human in that Kingdom. And the entire Holy Order."

The malice in her heart was as deep and vast as an ocean.

Orion gave a single nod. "Then prepare yourself."