BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The Titan legion crashed into Ben like a raging tide.
Spears thrust.
Shields slammed.
Swords descended from every direction.
Yet...
Ben never moved.
CLANG!
A spear struck his shoulder.
CLANG!
A sword slammed into his breastplate.
BOOM!!
A Titan shield crashed into his side, forcing him back a single step.
Only one.
Ben planted his foot.
Stone shattered beneath his boot.
"Not..."
He swung his greatsword.
CRAAAAASH!!
Five Titan warriors exploded into fragments.
"...another..."
He blocked another spear with his forearm.
Blood streamed down his arm.
"...step."
---
Inside his mind...
His System spoke urgently.
General...
Armor integrity: 81%.
Physical injuries increasing.
Mana reserves: 52%.
Enemy forces remain overwhelming.
Ben laughed.
"You're starting to sound worried."
The System paused.
Then...
Affirmative.
Ben smiled.
"Don't be."
"I've still got plenty left."
---
High above...
Aegis watched without speaking.
His ancient eyes followed every movement.
Every decision.
Every sacrifice.
The First Vanguard wasn't judging Ben's strength anymore.
He was judging his resolve.
---
Another wave charged.
This one was different.
Instead of attacking together...
The Titan warriors split into dozens of smaller groups.
Each group rushed toward the civilians from a different direction.
Inside Ben's mind...
His System reacted immediately.
General...
Multiple breach attempts detected.
Recommended response impossible.
Unable to intercept every formation.
Ben's eyes narrowed.
"You're right."
"I can't."
For the first time since the battle began...
Ben lowered his sword.
The Titan warriors continued charging.
Aegis watched carefully.
Would he panic?
Would he hesitate?
Would he choose which civilians to save...
And which to abandon?
Instead...
Ben closed his eyes.
He took one slow breath.
Then smiled.
"I finally understand."
---
Golden mana slowly flowed around his body.
Not violently.
Not explosively.
Calmly.
Steadily.
Like a mountain that had stood against storms for thousands of years.
Ben opened his eyes.
"I've been fighting this trial the wrong way."
He looked at Aegis.
"A Vanguard doesn't chase every enemy."
"He becomes the place they cannot pass."
The ancient Titan's eyes widened slightly.
---
Ben turned around.
Instead of charging the legion...
He walked back toward the civilians.
He stopped several yards in front of them.
Then...
He planted his greatsword into the stone.
THOOOOOOM!!
The blade stood upright before him.
Ben rested one hand upon its hilt.
His shoulders relaxed.
His breathing slowed.
He wasn't preparing to attack.
He was preparing to endure.
Inside his mind...
His System spoke.
General...
New combat stance detected.
Analyzing...
Analysis complete.
Maximum defensive efficiency achieved.
Ben grinned.
"Now you're catching on."
---
The Titan legion reached him.
The first warrior attacked.
Ben didn't dodge.
CLANG!!
His sword intercepted the strike.
The second attacked.
Blocked.
The third.
Blocked.
The fourth.
Blocked.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
One hundred.
The battlefield echoed with endless collisions.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Ben barely swung his weapon.
He simply refused to let anyone pass.
Every Titan that slipped to the left...
He stopped.
Every Titan that tried the right...
He met them.
Every spear...
Every sword...
Every shield...
Stopped.
By one man.
---
Minutes passed.
Then hours.
Time itself seemed meaningless.
Ben's armor was cracked.
Blood covered his arms.
His breathing was ragged.
His hands trembled from exhaustion.
Yet...
The civilians behind him remained untouched.
Not one Titan had taken a single step past him.
---
Silence.
The Titan legion stopped.
Every warrior lowered its weapon.
The battlefield became still.
Aegis slowly approached.
His massive footsteps echoed across the plain.
He stopped before Ben.
The First Vanguard looked past him.
Every civilian was alive.
Every one.
Then he looked back at Ben.
The Vanguard General remained standing despite his injuries.
His greatsword was still planted firmly in the ground.
His body swayed slightly...
But he refused to fall.
Aegis smiled.
A proud smile.
One that had not appeared in thousands of years.
«"You sought no glory."»
«"You asked for no recognition."»
«"You desired no victory."»
The Titan placed one massive hand over his own chest.
«"You stood..."»
«"...because others needed someone to stand."»
Golden light began to radiate from every Titan warrior.
One by one...
They knelt.
Thousands of legendary warriors bowed their heads before the lone Vanguard of the Silver Kingdom.
Ben's eyes widened.
"What..."
Aegis' voice echoed across the battlefield.
«"Your trial..."»
«"...is complete."»
The countless streams of golden light began flowing toward Ben's greatsword.
The ancient runes along the blade slowly awakened.
Inside Ben's mind...
His System spoke for the first time since the battle had ended.
General...
Titan inheritance detected.
Legendary Weapon Evolution Initiating...
The greatsword trembled.
Its brilliant golden light illuminated the entire battlefield.
Aegis smiled.
«"Welcome..."»
«"...Successor of the First Vanguard."»
The evolution had begun.