As the club dropped on him, Elliott lifted Vanitas, the sword of his mother, into the air.


    Its tip met the large side of the club, and stopped it effortlessly.


    The ground under Elliott cracked from the impact, while he remained unaffected by the attack.


    "Was that you warming up?"


    Elliott glared at the club, his voice coming clear into Kagalkan''s ears.


    His sword remained steady, while Kagalkan kept pushing on the club to crush him. After failing once, he placed his other hand over the massive weapon and pushed down with his whole strength.


    "Pitiful."


    With a simple movement, Elliott pushed the club to the side, which dropped on the ground with the giant.


    "H-How?!"


    On all four, the giant stared at him, completely losing his composure.


    "Have you forgotten your roots so much you can''t remember who I am?"


    A complete set of magic energy formed around Elliott''s body. Armor, shield, boots, every ability at his disposable.


    "This world is unfair, isn''t it?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Kagalkan picked himself up and clenched his weapon.


    "Even though I killed every single giant under this wide sky, ultimately, it had to be you and me."


    "To be fair to you, it would be fine to die by your hands."


    "Then why are you striking back?"


    Elliott smirked.


    "You fool. You''re corrupted. I have a duty to get rid of my father''s creation. I would''ve given you a chance to fight back if you returned for vengeance, but as you are currently, I cannot indulge you."


    "Do you have any idea why father killed the giants? Don''t you find it strange that now, he''s trying to dominate the whole continent, and kill every last living beings on it?"


    The giant remained silent. Even though it had been corrupted, he was still a Remnant. His mind hadn''t been destroyed in the process.


    It just couldn''t disobey Miasma''s orders.


    "I wonder who the Remnant of Vengeance is..."


    Said Elliott while looking at an empty spot in the sky.


    "This world is full of people like you and me. People who lost their loved ones, their family, their friends."


    "Because someone else forced their misguided ideals on others, situations like these repeat themselves."


    "My mother. Your children. Orion''s parents."


    "A sick joke that never ends."


    Clenching his sword with rage, Elliott approached Kagalkan.


    "Give me your power as a Remnant, and let me slay you. Let me put your misery to rest, and stop the carnage you were about to produce."


    A gleam of hope appeared in his eyes, asking the giant to surrender.


    "There is nothing we can do about the corruption encroaching on you anymore. Only death will free you. Do not make it painful for yourself."


    "This is your only chance. Else, I won''t make it painless for you. If you refuse my proposal, I will slay without a shred of humanity."


    "You can either die being peacefully, or die a warrior. You cannot have both."


    "Now, choose."


    The tip of Vanitas'' blade scratched the packed ground as he walked, leaving a trench behind him.


    "I..."


    Kagalkan looked at Elliott with confusion.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Why... are you asking me to surrender? Why don''t you simply kill me?"


    Elliott stopped, and stared inside the deep purple eyes of Kagalkan.


    "Because I am human. I am a knight, with a pride to withhold. Even corrupted, you are permitted to choose the way you go, and I will respect that."


    "I will not belittle your choice, but make it quick."


    The giant sighed, and nodded.


    "I will choose the warrior''s death. I will follow my children into death."


    "What about your aspects as a Remnant?"


    "Don''t fret, I will give them to you. But I request you give them to Tiohr-nam."


    With a single nod, Elliott agreed to the giant''s condition.


    "I have no need for the Remnants'' power, but we simply can''t have your aspects disappear either. I''m glad you understand."


    The two silently stared at each other for a moment, before Kagalkan swiped his club across the ground in the direction of Elliott.


    "Forget talking! Focus on the fight now!"


    "Fine."


    Without looking at the club coming to strike him, he lifted the arm enveloped by Ira, and grasped a handle that appeared out of thin air.


    With a swift movement, his body left the ground, and rapidly moved upward. Using the whip Calamitas, Elliott arrived near Kagalkan''s face.


    He flew over the giant''s head, and fell behind him, where he slashed at the giant''s nape without showing hesitation.


    "Ack!"


    Kagalkan touched his nape and looked at the dark blood on his fingers.


    Wasting not a single second, Elliott wrapped Calamitas'' invisible whip around the arm of the giant, and swung around his body.


    Near his stomach, he stabbed Vanitas into it and kept swinging while eviscerating him. Moving erratically as if Elliott were a fly, Kagalkan tried to crush him with his hand.


    "Enough!"


    A shock wave traveled outside his body, pushing Elliott away. The damage caused slowly regenerated thanks to the corruption''s power inside him, while Elliott slid away on the ground.


    "You''re still a Remnant."


    "Of course. Don''t expect this to be easy."


    "I never did."


    Elliott spun Vanitas next to him, before holding it like a spear above his head. He postured himself for a throw, and launched the sword with all his strength behind it.


    A shockwave exploded behind the sword as it traveled up. Kagalkan barely had time to register, before the sword perforated his forehead, leaving a gaping hole inside it.


    Moments later, Vanitas broke through the back of his skull, before vanishing into magical particles, returning next to Elliott.


    As Kagalkan began to fall toward the ground, Elliott realized that it wasn''t done yet. The giant placed on hand on his knee, and held his body from falling further.


    "That... hurt."


    "What a monster... The hole''s already closed."


    Elliott smiled with disbelief.


    ''This is nothing like fighting a giant corrupted. At least they had a core.''


    The magic around his feet glowed, as he prepared to use Acedia. Instantly, Elliott closed the distance between them in a straight line, and jumped.


    Grasping his trusty sword, he slashed at the right ankle of the giant. A clean slit of dark blood appeared around the area he slashed, before Kagalkan''s foot ended up detached from the rest of his body.


    "Aaaah!"


    A scream of agony escaped his mouth, as his body fell forward from losing his balance.


    Not waiting for another opportunity to present itself, he returned to his original spot, before bringing Vanitas behind him.


    "Let''s end this."


    The sword glowed wildly as magic infused its blade.


    "Kh!"


    Kagalkan slammed his fist on the ground, and threw his body sideways.


    "Blood Moon!"


    A large blade like a waning crescent moon formed as Elliott slashed at the air upward. It ripped through the air, cutting the giant''s left arm in the process, instead of his chest.


    The giant arm fell to the ground, while Kagalkan groaned in pain while holding his lost arm.


    During that time, his foot had already regrown, but he knew his arm would take longer to come back.


    "I missed..."


    With a smile on his face, he found the tenacity of the Remnant to be impressive.


    ''Not taking pleasure in a fight is a shame for a warrior. Isn''t it, Kagalkan?''


    His thought seemed to reach the giant, as a big grin formed on the opponent''s face.


    "Only with an immortal body can I appreciate a fight against you. Monster."


    "Thank you for the compliment. I became like after tempering my body and soul."


    Kagalkan looked at his club laying on the ground, until he suddenly shrugged.


    "That weapon was usually enough to deal with pests, but it won''t work on you. In that case..."


    He tightly clenched his remaining hand in a fist, and aimed it at Elliott.


    "Don''t blink, Elliott."


    *BAM*


    Like a bullet, his hand landed on the ground, sending shards of dirt everywhere. Rapidly, he continued to pummel Elliott with his fist.


    Until Elliott sighed.


    With a swift movement of his hand, he sliced Kagalkan''s hand around his wrist, and looked at him with pity.


    "That''s my line."


    His magic armor, Invidia, protected him from hits like these with ease. Even the shockwaves were devoured and nullified by the armor.


    Stupefied, the giant took a few steps back.


    "You might be as high as Lahro''s palace, it actually is a weakness for you."


    "Tell me something I don''t know..."


    The arm sliced off earlier only began to regrow, while his hand previously removed was already healed.


    "!"


    Suddenly, Elliott bent his body at a weird angle. Three spears made of flames erupted from the ground below him, attempting to pierce his body.


    By twisting his body, each spear missed their target, while Kagalkan frowned and clocked his tongue.


    "Tsk! I was sure it would work."


    "No more games."


    An absurd aura of magic erupted from Elliott, as he absorbed the flaming spears with Gula, transforming the magic into his own.


    He placed Vanitas at his side, and held it like a rapier. The blade glowed a different wavelength of white, before Elliott took a step forward.


    "Crow''s Lunge!"


    A piercing missile of pure energy pierced Kagalkan''s chest, before it arched downward into his stomach.


    Like a crow''s beak, it ripped his body to shreds.


    But Elliott wasn''t done. Even if the flaming spears were to hit him, he wouldn''t have sustained any damage. Yet, he couldn''t take this sneak attack with a smile.


    "World''s Pity!"


    With Vanitas taking another different wavelength of magic, a slashed in a cross-like pattern, which dug into the giant''s flesh, ripping his body into four parts.


    "E...lliott... What in the..."


    The glow in his eyes vanished as the pieces of his body fell to the ground.


    "I''m not stupid. Get up already."


    Thanks to Orion, Elliott knew that this was only the beginning.


    As he was expecting. A large shadow suddenly shot out of the flesh of Kagalkan, looking down upon Elliott.


    "Round two."


    Said Kagalkan with a smile.