Earth and Steel  

Duke Theodore was perched comfortably with his legs crossed upon a levitating chunk of polished ironwood. He surveyed the chaotic scene unfolding within the Rendil Temple with an air of detached amusement as if observing a particularly entertaining theatrical performance.

"Hah! Go, Brokk! Smash those oversized lizards!" Daichi's enthusiastic cheers echoed through the chamber, momentarily distracting the Duke from his contemplation. He glanced at the young Aerithran, noting his ragged clothes and the air affinity brand that marred his forehead.

"Such enthusiasm," Duke Theodore mused with a smirk. "A pity it's wasted on such a lost cause."

His gaze returned to the battle, where Brokk, enveloped in a iridescent aura of TerraFlow Kana, was trading blows with one of the Rock Gator Titan Avatars. The Terravoltian's body was encased in a thick layer of rock armour that had intricate patterns that resembled the veins of a leaf. With each swing of his arm, he unleashed a torrent of earthen energy, striking the Titan Avatar with the force of a battering ram.

Boom! Boom!

"Grrr... you dare challenge the might of the Dune Empire?" the Titan Avatar released a deep, rumbling growl that shook the chamber. "You are but a pebble beneath our feet, destined to be crushed!"

The Titan Avatar swung its massive tail, aiming to sweep Brokk off his feet. But the Terravoltian was too quick. He leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the attack as he landed on the Titan Avatar's back.

"Climb on, you overgrown lizard!" Brokk yelled as he began scaling the Titan Avatar's rocky hide, his fingers digging into the crevices and his feet finding purchase on the rough surface.

Behind Brokk, Plutak roared, "Condense!"

Whoosh!

Emerald-white Aether Steam surged from his palms, swirling and condensing into a massive axe with a blade that sparkled with a dull, earthy light. With each swing of the axe, Plutak invoked the power of the earth element, unleashing shockwaves that cracked the stone floor and sent tremors through the chamber.

"This is payback for imprisoning us!" Plutak bellowed as he charged towards the other Rock Gator Titan Avatar with his axe unleashing cutting earthen force.

Caught off guard by Plutak's sudden attack, the Titan Avatar raised its arm to block the blow. But the axe's blade, empowered by Plutak's TerraFlow Kana, sliced through the Titan Avatar's metallic hide with ease, leaving a deep gash that oozed with steaming vapour.

"Gah!" the Titan Avatar roared in pain as it stumbled backwards.

"Yeah! Get him, Uncle Plutak!" Daichi cheered, hopping up and down excitedly.

"GRAAH! You bastards! DIE!"

Whoosh!

Bishane, the elder Windweaver, gracefully dodged a sweeping tail attack from one of the Rock Gator Titan Avatars. With a swift movement, he raised his hands, palms facing outwards and shouted, "Air Palm!" unleashing a concentrated blast of wind energy that struck the Titan Avatar in the chest, causing it to stagger a moment.

Beside him, Lukio channelled her ZenFlow Kana into a series of air bullets that she hurled towards the Titan Avatars with deadly precision.

"Take this, you overgrown lizards!" she cried while hovering her target.

"Pathetic," Yamul scoffed, easily deflecting the air bullets by conjuring wall of steel. "Your attacks are like mosquito bites, little girl. They can't possibly penetrate me."

"Just wait, you oversized gecko!" Lukio retorted. "I'll show you what a Windweaver can do!"

Whoosh!

While Lukio was busy garnering the Titan's attention, Bishane who was below, yelled, "Condense!"

A swirling vortex of wind materialized in each of his hands, and from the swirling energy emerged two golden discs, each about the size of a dinner plate. They were Bishane's Vayrukumers - the Wind Cymbals.

"Lukio stay clear." With a fluid motion, Bishane clapped the cymbals together, creating a thunderous CLANG that reverberated through the chamber. A gust of wind erupted from between the discs, taking shape and forming into a majestic wind dragon with glowing eyes.

"Go, Wind Dragon!" Bishane commanded.

Whoosh!

The Wind Dragon twisted and turned as it charged towards the Titan Avatars. Its claws and teeth, formed from condensed wind energy, ripped and tore at the Titan Avatars' hides, leaving behind a trail of sparks and steam.

"GRRRR!"

"Damn that old fart and his wind dragon!" Hamal roared as he struggled to defend himself from the dragon's relentless assault.

Whoosh!

Boom!

The battle prolonged with a chaotic dance of earth and wind, metal and flesh, as the Aerithrans and the Terravoltians fought desperately against the overwhelming power of the Titan Avatars.

Duke Theodore released a yawn to indicate his boredom before he directed his sight through the gaps present at the side of the temple.

…

Outside, amidst the ruined opulence of the Rendil Temple courtyard, Sorah found himself locked in a brutal struggle against Vice-Marshal Commander Kahless.

Kahless's body was shrouded in a shimmering aura of TerraFlow Kana. He moved with the speed and agility of a panther; his strikes were powerful enough to shatter stone. Sorah, though hampered by exhaustion and the Sage Curse's relentless burning, countered with the grace of a seasoned martial artist.

He flipped and twisted, weaving through Kahless's attacks while deflecting blows and striking with lightning-fast effort.

His staff was executing attacks after attacks, but no matter how hard he struck, no matter how skillfully he manoeuvred, Sorah's attacks seemed to have no effect. Kahless simply stood there with his body enveloped in a barrier of emerald-white energy that absorbed every blow.

"Is that all you've got in you, old man?" Kahless taunted and laughed. "Your blows are like feathers tickling my skin! Kuhaha!"

Sorah gritted his teeth in frustration. 'What is this barrier? How can I break through it?' He had never encountered anything like it before, a defensive technique that seemed to defy the laws of magic.

Boom!

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him, and he felt a rush of hot air against his skin.

"You're MINE!" Poahf shrieked from inside her Cerberus Titan form. The beast's jaws were gaping wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth that glistened with saliva.

Sorah twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the Cerberus's attack as its teeth snapped shut just inches from his face.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "Can't you give a man a moment's rest?"

He ducked low as the Cerberus's tail whipped past him, its spiked tip leaving a trail of sparks as it scraped against the stone floor.

Kahless laughed as he watched the Cerberus Titan relentlessly pursue Sorah. "Give up, old man," he said mockingly. "You're fighting a losing battle. Your strength is fading. Soon, you'll be nothing but bubbles in her digestive tracks. Kuhahaha!"

"Tsk!"

Sorah ignored his taunt and focused his ZenFlow Kana, searching for a way to escape the Cerberus's clutches. He spotted an opening beneath the beast's belly and, with a surge of adrenaline, he leaped forward, sliding through the narrow gap with inches to spare.

"Hah!" he exclaimed, feeling a burst of triumph as he emerged on the other side. He immediately extended his staff upwards, creating a powerful updraft that lifted the Cerberus Titan off its feet and sent it soaring into the air.

"What the..." Poahf gasped in surprise as she felt the ground disappear beneath her. "Get me down from here, you old bastard!"

Sorah's staff continued to extend upwards, pushing the Cerberus Titan higher and higher into the sky. He then leaped into the air, propelled by the wind currents that swirled around him, and aimed a devastating blow at the creature's underbelly.

"Take this!" he roared as he brought his staff crashing upwards. But before he could connect, Kahless materialized beside him. With a smirk, the Vice-Marshal Commander grabbed Sorah's ankle and yanked him downwards.

"Not so fast, old man," Kahless chuckled.

Sorah's body slammed against the ground with a bone-jarring impact. He groaned, feeling the pain radiating through his limbs.

"Grrr..." Sorah struggled to rise.

The Cerberus Titan, freed from the updraft, plummeted towards the ground with a deafening roar.

Boom!

"You'll pay for that, old man!" Poahf shrieked as she emerged from the wreckage.

Now standing on two feet, Sorah glanced between the Cerberus Titan and Kahless. He would not let these tyrants win.

Thud!

He planted his staff firmly in the ground and rolled up his sleeves, revealing the intricate golden-black glyphs of the Sage Curse that adorned his forearms.

"Very well," he rasped with exhaustion. "If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

Kahless laughed and cracked his knuckles, "Finally, the old man shows some spine. I accept your challenge."

The Cerberus Titan, still smouldering from the impact of its fall, watched from a distance, its three heads panting and its tails lashing the air with anticipation. "This is going to be... entertaining," she purred, relishing the prospect of violence and bloodshed.