Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1370 Cheap parlor tricks

"Those scoundrels know how to tally up the odds. They've come to crush us flat, no doubt about it."

The foes had crunched the numbers: their five versus the defenders' four. Their scheme relied on sheer force of numbers to drive out Arthas, Leonidas, and the rest from the site by brute strength.

Orion was the factor they failed to factor in.

By showing up recently in the Ashenheart Domain, he had evened things out, transforming what could have been a slaughter into an even five-against-five showdown.

That didn't even factor in the secret weapon up their sleeve. Concealed far inside the cave lurked two top-tier sentinels—the "Royal Guard" for this mission. They served as the ultimate safeguard for the Ever-Burning Volcano, the massive unseen portion of the iceberg lurking below. Their role involved keeping an eye out for sneaky looters attempting to slip through the rear entrance, allowing Edward and Arthas to tackle the direct attack without glancing back in worry.

"It's him," the Deputy Commander snarled, his tone heavy with familiarity and lingering hurt. "The Second Step Demigod who escaped the last encounter. He's returned to even the score."

The enemy's presence hit him aura-wise well before they topped the hill.

"Minothelion," Arthas explained, helping Orion understand. "A fiend born from hell—bull's head on a lion's frame. Once, he dominated as an overlord in the Volcano's main crater."

"Form up!" the Deputy Commander shouted. "If they're eager for death, we'll grant their wish!"

Venom laced his words. In their prior clash, Minothelion had torn into his own Demigod Phantom, dimming his aura and making it shaky.

From his order, a glowing five-pointed star of magic unfurled at his feet. Known as the [Hexa-Divine Pentagon], it still packed a punch despite lacking one key spot, with the five fighters' combined strength humming powerfully.

With smooth, rehearsed motions, Arthas, Alexander, Leonidas, and Orion each claimed a star point, syncing into the array's power stream.

"Commander," Orion declared, advancing as the setup locked in. "I'll handle the front this time."

The team paused uncertainly. Their Phantom forms were still mending from earlier fights. Exhaustion gripped them all. Only Orion brimmed with untapped endurance.

"Hulk," Leonidas remarked, glancing at the colossus, "didn't smashing the Clown quench your thirst?"

"That Clown ranked as just a First Step Demigod," Orion replied with a shrug. "He lacked any real challenge. I barely exerted myself."

This wasn't boasting; it was a straightforward recap. In smashing the Clown, Orion had deployed a form boosted by his Phantom, infused with remnants of [Fourth Step] and [Sixth Step] Divine Might. It felt like pounding a fragile shell with a massive hammer.

Silence gripped the team as they looked to Leonidas for verification.

Leonidas burst into laughter, warm and easing tension. "I overlooked filling you all in during my nap," he said with a grin. "In Atlantis, within the Silverwood Realm, the Clown and Witch pushed for our yield. As the Witch and 'Squiddy' locked eyes, the Clown lunged. Orion erased him with a single strike."

He smacked his leg. "It was the finest spectacle in months."

Leonidas grew serious, speaking to everyone. "Alexander nailed it. The Clown had reached Demigod rank; his Phantom posed a real threat. But Orion... yeah, he's eager to unleash. He's keen to push his fresh strength to its edge."

Eyes turned once more to Orion. Doubt hung thick in the atmosphere.

"Are you certain?" Arthas inquired quietly.

Orion stood out as unusual, they all knew. Yet power's strict ladder made a [First Step] facing a [Second Step] a fatal mistake. It pitted raw Divine Power against a settled Divine Fire. Such a divide was meant to be impossible to bridge.

Not his bravery they questioned, but the odds.

"No concerns," Orion assured, positioning himself at the formation's sharpest advance edge. "A [Second Step] fancying himself [Lord of Hell]? Pure delusion."

Arthas, the Deputy Commander, Alexander, and Leonidas shared one quick look. Silence said enough. They adjusted positions, channeling all their force into shielding and backing, forming a solid barrier at Orion's rear.

Right then, the foes pierced the shadows.

Minothelion advanced on the main crater, shadowed by four horrific shapes.

"Get out!" the monster bellowed. "Abandon the Ashenheart Domain!"

"This realm belongs to the Undead! A tomb for the alive! Strangers don't belong!"

From the churning black fog stepped a colossal horror. The view chilled the blood—a huge lion's form crowned by a hideous bull's skull. Four uneven horns spiked from his head, rough and lethal. Sickly green flames, like those of decay, blazed in his eyes.

Here stood the beast Arthas had described. His spectral stare cut through Hell's faint glow, fixing on Orion.

Minothelion glared, drilling into Orion's essence, aiming to flood the titan's thoughts with visions of horror and hopelessness.

"Cheap parlor tricks," Orion mocked.

ROAR!

Orion unleashed a booming roar, instantly breaking the mind attack. The visions dissolved like mist in a storm.

Mental haze lifted, revealing the four escorts beside the beast chief. Wraiths they were, yet their faces stretched long and warped like tapirs.

From one nose hole billowed smoke, the other spat embers and fiery vapor. Each of the four held First Step Demigod level, probably tied by blood or group to the same warped origin.

"Who are you?"

Minothelion halted. A profound, gut-level fear surged through him. Born as true undead in this small Hell, he tuned into demise and peril. The figure before him rang alarms—off, hazardous.

"You talk too much," Orion stated icily.

Introductions meant nothing to him. Peace seemed impossible. This monster had almost slain the Deputy Commander and targeted his comrades for total elimination.

Just one reply fit.

"Die."

Orion's shape flickered.

Without delay, he disappeared, materializing right in Minothelion's close range. The atmosphere burst as he revealed his real guise—the Stoneheart Titan Battle Avatar.

Four heads thundered together. Eight limbs, bulging with brawn and might, lashed out to assault.