A red and black shoulder cape billowed in the wind. An eight-pointed star with a circle above it emblazoned the back of Atlas’ cape and the front of her chest armour. Her broad shoulder guards created a powerful silhouette as she rose. Flexing with her fingers, Atlas pointed her gauntlet-clad fists at Polyphem. 

Her narrow hips and long, black legs crouched, the red metal boots dug into the dirt—her right leg remained encased in its metal brace. Atlas’ edged, red helmet tilted forward—its sleek black visor absorbed the flickering lights of the flames. 

Static rose as a downpour pounded over the battlefield, dripping over her helmet in a heavy rhythm. 

“Atlas,” her voice projected across the battlefield, “reporting for duty.” 

The ground split beneath her split, and Atlas covered the distance with a single, explosive push from her left foot.

“Red Burst.” 

*BOOM* 

With a thunderous crack, Atlas launched Polyphem into a stone building and caved in its facade, causing the air to thrum. The Cyclops pulled himself free from the rumble, but Atlas manifested mid-air in a misty blink. 

“Red Handle: Double Axe.” Cupping her hands together, Atlas reeled back before slamming her fist into Polyphem.

“PHA—” Polyphem sputtered blood as his insides caved in from the blow. 

Atlas used the momentum to flip forward and came down on him with the heel of her left leg. “Axe Heel!” 

“Too slow!” Polyphem spun swiftly, kicking Atlas against her braced leg, sending a swarm of pain through her entire body. 

Polyphem’s club followed the movement, striking Atlas with a bone-rattling force that sent her crashing into a nearby burning sheep.

Atlas scrambled to her feet, her movements impeded by the pain in her leg. “I feel heavy,” complained Atlas, not used to feeling so encumbered.

The sheep she landed on bleated, reminding her there was no time to remain lying on the fluffy beast. Polyphem was already on to her. He swung his club overhead and splattered his own sheep into a bloody mess. 

Atlas narrowly dodged it, stunned by the newfound ruthlessness of the Cyclops.

“Way too slow.” Polyphem grabbed his club with both hands and brandished it upwards, grazing Atlas’ helmet as sparks flew from the weapon. “Let us dance, Titan.” 

Pushing herself backwards, Atlas wanted to gain some distance, but her respite was brief—Polyphemus' minions rushed her. Dressed in black, white or brown lined suits, their horned helmets give them a sheep-like appearance. Despite their meagre stature, their sheer number posed a threat.

Atlas wouldn’t underestimate the threat of minions like she did in her rookie days.

“Sol.” A red orb flashed in her right hand. “Luna.” A white-blue one formed in the other. Atlas clapped them together and fused the forces before throwing her hands to the side, unleashing it. “Gravitas.” 

The lilac shockwave obliterated the minions in a blink, but the exertion taxed her strength. When Polyphemus' club came at her again, Atlas barely managed to gather what remained of her energy to block it with her arms.

“He was right. You are a fine opponent.” Polyphem glowered down on Atlas, his blue eye glowing brightly. “After I tear you apart, I’ll devour your flesh.” 

The flashing of his eye intensified and turned into a blast, blowing Atlas up point blank. When the dust cleared, Atlas was gone and reappeared a distance away from him, but not unscathed. Black smoke emanated from her cape, and her injured right arm was charred and shaking.

“Don’t run.” Polyphem unleashed another cone of energy from his eye. The air vibrated, but Atlas cut through it with a red swipe of her hand. 

“I’ll never run.” Her attack broke off a horn from Polyphem’s face. Steadfast and strong, Atlas put up her fists again. “I’m right here, and I will defeat you. A Guardian never wavers, especially a titan.” 

Polyphem’s enormous eye shuddered and bulged, turning blood red with rage. He brandished his club at Atlas, taking on a stance of his own. “Come at me, Titan. Show me what a Guardian’s worth.”

‧. .ᯓ★. .‧

Meanwhile, Captain Schnauzer struggled to contain the rampaging Monster Muttons.

“Don’t let these sheep back into the city!” he shouted, bashing a blazing sheep aside as it scorched the air above with a fiery blast. “Keep them inside. Keep them—”

“EWE!!!” a guard called out.

The vicious, burning sheep were the least of their problems. 

There was also Mega Ewe, the boss monster of the area. A rampaging beast that became docile and pampered after Polyphem claimed the forest for himself. Now, the formerly white sheep bristled with electric energy and charged up her dark wool. 

Her maw opened wide to unleash another attack that would obliterate them if Ajax didn't slam her with his club. The lightning beam reverberated and turned the nearby bell tower into rubble. 

“Is everyone alright?” Shouted Ajax, landing softly on the ground near Schnauzer as the tower’s bell fell with a deafening GONG. 

“Boy, watch out!”

“Baaaaaaahhhh!” Mega Ewe baaed, charging up another blast.

“Fireball!” Cried the wizards, bombarding Mega Ewe, halting her attack momentarily.

“The city’s in chaos.” Captain Schnauzer held up his shield and brought it down on a sheep charging at him. “What's the plan now?”

“I…” Ajax stuttered. His mind had trouble focusing. He had no idea what to do next.

Mega Ewe blasted the wizards to ash, feeling the weight of his overzealousness to prove himself.

“Help… I don't know what to do…”

“We will deal with it!” Lydia stepped forward with her hands on her hips and powerposing. “Leave the sheep to us.”

“R-right!” added Marius, punching the sky semi–confidently. “Evacuate the citizens while we defeat the Muttons!”

Captain Schnauzer looked at the kids and nodded. “We'll leave this to you.” He decided, turning to his team. “Plug the hole off, everyone! Leave the Muttons to the Guardians.” he turned back to the kids. “Don’t let any of these wool monsters through.”

“Yes, sir!” they replied alongside the guards.

Ajax clenched his fist. He couldn’t face Amalthea after his mistake, but confronting his friends was much worse. He was about to turn away until they offered him a hand.

“Any idea what to do?” Lydia asked. “Because we’re clueless.” 

“And terrified,” added Marius. “We could use an idea.” 

Ajax looked to the ground. “Guys, I—”

“Baaaaaahhhhhh!”

Mega Ewe baaed, releasing another electrifying beam into the sky. Static rain dropped on them like lead. The trio felt thunderstruck knowing they had to fight this thing alone—powered up and more dangerous than before. 

“Same tactic as before?” Ajax suggested with a shrug, and they reluctantly agreed to the haphazard plan. “Let’s go then

‧. .ᯓ★. .‧

The static in the air lifted rocks, debris and the occasional hairstyle. 

Mega Ewe baaed loudly, charring the field and muttons in the crossfire. Hopping into the air with wind magic, Ajax glanced at Amalthea's battle with Polyphem. 

Red clashed against the teal.

Cyclops against Titan. 

Good vs Evil. 

Although handicapped and injured, Amalthea kept her ground fighting a battle of unseen proportions. She popped in and out of existence, delivering punches and kicks that brought the earth to tremble. Polyphem retaliated with brutal, wide swings of his onyx club that brought down entire buildings. 

It was a battle no one could intervene in.

“I feel so jealous…” muttered Ajax. “If only I could be of greater help. I feel so useless.”

Electricity travelled through the air. Mega Ewe charged up her fleece. The plan now was simple. While Ajax distracted Mega Ewe, his friends would attack from the sides. 

“This is all I can amount to.” Ajax’s hand dug into the splintering wood of his club and shouted at her through the downpour, “Come at me, you stupid mutton!”

“Baaaaaaahhhh!” 

“Now!” Ajax yelled, leaping out of the blast range.

“Sheering Whirl!”

“Booming Fist!”

Their attacks hit Mega Ewe right on the mark. First, Lydia slashed at her thick, black wool, followed by Marius punching it, but nothing worked. Ewe only grew more agitated, looming over the two with thunder crackling in her eyes.

“Get out of there!” Shouted Ajax too late. 

Mega Ewe released all the electricity stored in her wool in one short-range shockwave, electrocuting Lydia and Marius. They dropped through the knees with electricity still surging through the droplets.

“NO!” Soaking wet, Ajax shot himself at Ewe, landing a blow on her snout and sending her reeling.

“Bahhhh,” cried Ewe, stumbling backwards.

Ajax slipped up on the muddy ground when he landed. His club was nothing but splinters now, but he discarded it as he ran to his friends. Their bodies spasmed. The suits have absorbed a portion of the shock as they took the brunt of the attack.

“Guys,” Ajax struggled for words, “talk to me?”

“T-the w-wool.” Lydia gasped, twitching in Ajax's arms. “It's t-too—”

“Baaah,” Mega Ewe bleated. Her wool glowed as she charged up again. “Baaaaaaahhhh!”

“I'll take care of it,” reassured Ajax, laying Lydia down and passing Marius to feel his hand in his grip. “Join me when you can.”

That's what Ajax said, but even he didn't know how he would do it. 

It was just him and an oversized sheep with impenetrable wool and lightning-charged attacks. Rain poured relentlessly, soaking Ajax's clothes until they clung to his body like a second skin. His wet, black hair draped over his eyes, concealing his bitter expression. 

“Baaaaaahhhhhh!” Ewe pawed the ground, building up more power.

Ajax sprinted towards the buildings and jumped on them with his wind magic, but before he could steady himself, Ewe struck the roof Ajax stood on.

The roof collapsed, and Ajax dropped to the terrace below. He landed hard, only to find a sheep that somehow made it upstairs—with two more clambering up towards him.

Their charred wool burned with eerie blue flames against the downpour. Ajax reached for his club, forgetting it was broken already. The first sheep pawed the ground, readying its horns to gorge Ajax.

“You wanna fight?! Come at me!” he yelled, punching the sheep on the nose and picking up a nearby vase. He hurled it at the clambering sheep, sending them falling from the roof and kicking the other on the nose again. “Don’t mess with me!” he cried, spotting Mega Ewe bristling with her wool. 

“How do I help them?” he hit the railing. “What should I do!?”

“Need some advice?” Valerian's cheery voice piped up from Ajax's back pocket. 

“What the—” Ajax retrieved the black box with a miniature Valerian sitting on top of the projection with his suit on.

“Don't worry, I got you,” reassured Valerian. “Just remember the oldest trick in the pocket. Balance.”

“Wh-what’s this about?” asked Ajax, glancing back and forth between his friends and Valerian.

“All living creatures demand a semblance of balance—mentally and physically,” Valerian continued his lecture, turning into a miniature professor with glasses and a cardigan. Ajax lost his composure for a second. “If you find yourself at impossible odds against a larger foe, do one of the following: Fight them with overwhelming force, bring them out of balance, or change the terrain. We will cover terrain in the next lecture.”

“Get to the point!” Shouted Ajax before realising what he meant. The mutton was struggling with its footing after Ajax hit it on the nose—just like Mega Ewe did.

Valerian smiled devilishly. “Strike their joints, hit their nose, dislocate their jaws or burst their eardrums. Everybody has an equilibrium to be used against them.”

Ajax shouted for his friends, who were slowly standing up again. “Guys! Aim for the legs! We will defeat her that way by—”

“I won't let you hurt my sheepie.” Polyphem suddenly stood behind Lydia, holding his massive, jet-black club over his head.

Lydia turned her head to Polyphem. Her suit flickered before it deactivated when the crushing blow came.