The moment he crossed the threshold…
Silence swallowed him whole.
Not normal silence.
Not the absence of sound.
No.
A silence that weighed on him.
A silence that crushed him.
As if the world itself was holding its breath.
---
Ryuji paused for a fraction of a second.
His foot suspended mid-air.
Then he slowly set it down.
No echo.
No resonance.
It was… wrong.
Not a sound.
Not a breath.
Even his own breathing felt muffled, as if something invisible was swallowing it.
But there was something else.
A pressure.
Invisible.
Everywhere.
It wrapped around him like a giant hand.
Heavy.
Crushing.
Every step took effort.
Every movement felt slowed.
Ryuji moved forward.
Slowly.
His muscles tense.
His gaze fixed straight ahead.
He already knew.
He could feel it.
At the center.
---
The golem.
Motionless.
Silent.
Yet overwhelmingly present.
Too present.
---
It was like staring at a mountain…
That could kill you.
---
Its massive form stood in the dim light.
Cracks spread across its stone body.
Some of them glowed faintly.
As if something flowed inside.
Something alive.
---
And in its chest—
---
The blue sphere.
---
Floating.
Perfectly still.
As if it didn't care about the chaos around it.
---
It shone.
With a soft light.
Almost calming.
Almost… alluring.
---
Ryuji couldn't look away.
It was stronger than him.
Like a call.
A silent whisper telling him:
Come closer.
---
His lips moved.
Without him realizing.
— "…it's you."
---
A beat.
His heart.
Heavy.
Uneven.
---
Then—
---
A rumble.
---
The ground trembled slightly.
As if the room itself was reacting.
As if it rejected what was about to happen.
---
The golem moved.
---
Slowly.
Terribly slowly.
---
Its shoulders lifted.
Its stone joints groaned.
A deep, rough sound.
Like rocks grinding against each other.
---
Every movement seemed to take immense effort.
But it moved.
And that was enough.
---
Ryuji didn't even blink.
Still staring at the sphere.
Still drawn to it.
---
The golem raised its arm.
---
A simple motion.
Yet filled with absurd power.
---
Then—
---
It slammed the ground.
---
BOOM.
---
The impact tore through the air.
A shockwave spread across the room.
The ground shook beneath Ryuji's feet.
Cracks split open like black lightning.
The air vibrated.
Compressed.
Broken.
And yet—
Ryuji didn't move.
His eyes remained locked.
On the sphere.
— "…I just need to reach that."
Simple.
Ridiculously simple.
On paper.
But—
---
The golem charged.
---
Without warning.
Without buildup.
Without logic.
A massive body launched at impossible speed.
---
Ryuji's eyes widened.
— "Already—?!"
---
No time.
No thought.
---
Instinct.
---
His body moved before his mind.
He threw himself to the side.
---
BOOM.
---
The golem's fist crashed exactly where he had been.
The ground exploded.
Chunks of stone flew everywhere.
---
A deep crack tore open.
Wide.
Brutal.
---
Ryuji rolled.
His shoulder slammed into the ground.
A sharp pain shot through his arm.
---
But he didn't stop.
He pushed himself up—
And moved again immediately.
---
The golem charged once more.
---
— "…it's not holding back…"
---
A breath cut short.
A clear thought.
---
He dodged again.
Barely.
Too close.
---
The wind from the strike slammed into him.
A violent pressure.
Like an invisible blow.
---
He staggered.
Almost fell.
---
— "Strong… this pile of rocks."
---
But he already knew that.
From the start.
---
Head-on…
---
He had no chance.
---
So—
---
He changed.
---
His gaze hardened.
His breathing steadied.
---
Ryuji accelerated.
---
He began circling the golem.
---
Fast.
Erratic.
Unpredictable.
---
His steps traced chaotic paths.
He changed direction without warning.
Sped up.
Slowed down.
---
The golem turned.
---
Slowly.
---
Then faster.
---
But not fast enough.
---
Its movements were powerful.
Massive.
Relentless.
---
But predictable.
---
— "…yeah."
---
A smile appeared on Ryuji's lips.
Tired.
But real.
---
— "You're slow."
---
The golem struck.
---
Too wide.
---
The air tore apart.
But Ryuji was already gone.
---
He slipped under the arm.
Slid.
Rose in one motion.
---
Kept going.
Without ever stopping.
---
He kept circling.
Again.
And again.
---
His heart pounded wildly.
But his mind was clear.
Cold.
Focused.
---
The golem struggled to follow him.
Its movements became slightly out of sync.
---
An opening.
---
— "Now."
---
Ryuji quickly opened his bag.
His hand plunged inside.
Grabbing the explosives.
---
One.
Then two.
---
Without hesitation—
He threw them.
---
Straight at the golem's head.
---
A suspended instant.
---
Then—
---
BOOOOM.
---
The explosion lit up the entire room.
A blinding white flash.
---
The shock echoed like trapped thunder.
---
The golem's head was swallowed by smoke.
---
It stepped back.
One step.
---
Heavy.
Unstable.
---
But enough.
---
Ryuji didn't wait.
---
He rushed forward.
---
Straight ahead.
---
— "This is it!"
---
His feet pounded against the ground at full speed.
Every step echoed through his body.
Through his bones.
---
His gaze—
Locked.
On the sphere.
---
Nothing else existed.
Not the pain.
Not the fear.
Not the danger.
---
Just that.
---
He was going to reach it.
---
End this.
---
But—
---
A sound.
---
A crack.
---
Through the smoke—
---
An eye.
---
Open.
---
Glowing.
---
— "…what?!"
---
Impossible.
---
No time to understand.
---
A shadow surged forward.
---
Then—
---
Impact.
---
The golem's hand burst through the smoke.
Fast.
Far too fast.
---
It closed around him.
---
Pure violence.
---
Ryuji felt his body compress.
His ribs groaned.
The air was forced out of his lungs.
---
— "GH—!"
---
His vision blurred.
---
And without slowing—
---
The golem hurled him.
---
CRASH.
---
His back slammed into the wall.
A brutal impact.
Violent enough to erase all thought.
---
The stone cracked under the force.
---
The world tilted.
---
The ground disappeared.
Then came back.
---
His body slid down.
Fell.
---
Still.
---
For a moment.
---
Silence returned.
---
Heavy.
Oppressive.
---
Then—
---
A step.
---
The golem was moving again.
---
Still.
Always.
Unstoppable.
---
Ryuji tried to move.
---
His fingers trembled.
Barely.
---
His body refused.
Every muscle screamed.
---
— "…damn…"
---
Blood ran down his lip.
Warm.
Metallic.
---
His gaze lifted.
With effort.
---
Locked onto the monster.
---
Still standing.
Still intact.
---
— "…it's not… enough…"
---
The golem slowly raised its arm.
---
A heavy motion.
Inevitable.
---
Preparing another strike.
---
Slower.
---
But fatal.
---
Ryuji gritted his teeth.
---
His body trembled.
---
But his eyes—
---
Still burned.
---
— "…I can't lose here…"
---
His hand clenched against the ground.
His fingers dug into the dust.
---
Then—
---
He forced himself.
---
Again.
---
Again.
---
To stand.
---
Even if his body refused.
Even if the pain was unbearable.
Even if everything inside him screamed to stop.
---
He stood up.
---
Unsteady.
Shaking.
---
But standing.
---
Facing the monster.
---
Again.
---
— "…come."
---
His voice was weak.
Broken.
---
But his gaze—
---
Still ready to bite.
---
Even against a wall.
---
Even against the impossible.
---
Even against something he could not break—
---
He moved forward anyway.