The ground was still trembling.
Not just a fading vibration—no. It was deep. Constant. As if the entire chamber was struggling to breathe, as if every stone still carried the echo of the previous impact.
Ryuji was on his knees.
His fingers dug slightly into the dust and scattered debris. His breathing was uneven, broken. Every inhale sent a dull pain tearing through his chest. His body… was barely holding together, sustained only by a will that refused to give in.
In front of him—
The golem.
Standing.
Unharmed.
Motionless.
But present.
Too present.
An overwhelming existence, like a mountain that refused to fall.
Ryuji slowly lifted his head. Even that small movement cost him more than he wanted to admit. His muscles protested, his nerves screamed, but his eyes remained locked onto the creature.
"…it's still standing…"
His voice was barely a whisper.
A thought forced its way into his mind.
Slow.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"…it's getting stronger…"
His gaze shifted to the sphere embedded in the golem's chest.
The blue light pulsed softly. Calm on the surface… yet filled with something unnatural.
"…it's because of that."
There was no doubt.
That core wasn't just an energy source.
It was something more.
Something evolving.
But thinking…
Was a luxury.
And Ryuji could no longer afford luxuries.
Because—
The golem raised its foot.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
A movement that felt almost lazy.
Yet terrifyingly precise.
Like a sentence already passed.
Ryuji tried to move.
His body refused.
His muscles trembled, his nerves fired signals… but nothing followed.
"…damn it…"
The foot came down.
BOOM.
A dull, crushing impact.
The ground shook violently. Even the air seemed to shudder. Dust rose in thick clouds, swallowing everything.
Then—
Silence.
One second.
Two.
Three.
The golem stood still.
Like a statue.
Then—
A movement.
Tiny.
Almost imperceptible.
Beneath its foot.
A pressure.
A resistance.
As if—
Something… refused.
The golem's foot slowly lifted.
Very slowly.
And beneath it—
Ryuji.
His right arm was raised.
Trembling.
Covered in blood.
His muscles were torn, his skin split from the strain—but he held on.
He was stopping it.
Pushing it back.
With what little magic he had left.
"…tch…"
A laugh escaped his lips.
Weak.
Broken.
But real.
"In my old life…"
His voice trembled, but it didn't break.
"…whenever I did something wrong…"
He pushed harder. His fingers dug into the stone, his arm shaking violently.
"…I got slapped real hard…"
The golem's foot continued to rise, inch by inch.
"…by my guardians…"
His arm screamed.
His entire body howled in pain.
But he didn't let go.
"And trust me…"
His gaze sharpened.
Hardened.
"…that hurt way more…"
A breath.
Short.
Burning.
"…than anything a brainless pile of rocks can do."
Silence.
Then—
"…so…"
His teeth clenched.
"don't think you can beat me."
Suddenly—
He pushed.
VIOLENCE.
The golem's foot was thrown back. The massive creature staggered a step, thrown off balance by the sudden force.
Ryuji collapsed onto the ground.
His breathing turned chaotic. Blood ran from his nose, slipping past his lips. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, leaving a dark smear across his skin.
But his eyes—
Stayed locked.
Clear.
Unyielding.
Then—
He slowly removed the small pouch from his belt.
And let it fall to the ground.
A silent decision.
Discarding the unnecessary.
His gaze fixed onto the golem.
"…it's just you and me."
He bent his knees slightly.
For a fraction of a second.
Then—
He lunged.
Straight ahead.
Without hesitation.
The golem reacted instantly.
Its massive arm swung forward, fast and brutal, ready to crush or grab.
But—
Ryuji shifted.
His blade struck the stone arm, just enough to alter its trajectory.
A single instant.
But enough.
He slipped past.
Glided.
His body brushed against the golem's mass.
And he reached—
The sphere.
The heart.
The blue light pulsed once.
As if aware.
"I've got you…"
Without waiting—
He drove his sword forward.
Straight into the hollow.
Right into the core.
The blade vibrated.
Cracked.
The metal screamed under the pressure.
But it held.
For now.
Ryuji gritted his teeth.
Then pulled.
"COME ON…!"
Nothing.
The blade wouldn't move.
The core resisted.
"COME ON!!"
He forced it harder.
His arms trembled. His muscles screamed in agony.
The golem moved.
Violently.
Its body became unstable.
Its movements lost precision.
It stepped back.
Once.
Then—
Lost balance.
CRASH.
Its massive body slammed into the ground with a deafening impact. The entire chamber shook. Cracks spread across the walls.
Dust filled the air.
Ryuji was thrown off—
But he didn't let go.
Not even for a second.
His blade—
Shattered.
A sharp, final crack.
But he—
Kept going.
His hands replaced the sword.
Directly.
Into the stone.
Onto the core.
He grabbed it.
His fingers dug into the cracks, searching for grip.
He pulled.
With everything he had left.
His body slid across the golem's chest. The surface was uneven, unstable—but he clung to it like his life depended on it.
Because it did.
Even on the ground—
The golem was still dangerous.
Its arms flailed wildly, striking blindly, trying to crush him.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
A scream.
Raw.
Absolute.
From the very depths of his being.
Ryuji pulled.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Until—
A click.
Small.
Almost insignificant.
But real.
Then—
He fell backward.
His body slammed down.
On the golem's chest.
Silence followed.
Brutal.
Total.
The golem stopped.
Completely.
Its eyes dimmed.
Its body became… inert.
Just stone.
Nothing more.
Ryuji lay there.
Gasping.
Broken.
Every breath was a struggle.
Every heartbeat a fragile victory.
Then—
Slowly—
He raised his hand.
In his palm—
The core.
But—
It wasn't the same.
The blue light…
Had vanished.
Replaced by—
Red.
Vivid.
Burning.
Like a live ember ready to consume everything.
Ryuji stared at it.
His eyes trembled slightly.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
Something closer to understanding.
Instinctive.
Silent.
Then—
A breath.
"…I won…"
No smile.
No shout.
No triumph.
Just—
A statement.
Heavy.
Because deep down—
He already knew.
This wasn't the end.
It wasn't even a real victory.
It was a door.
And he had just opened it.
And beyond it—
Something was waiting.
Something worse.
The core pulsed once in his hand.
Red.
Alive.
And despite the exhaustion, despite the pain—
Ryuji tightened his grip around it.
As if he already refused to step back.
As if he understood—
That from now on…
He wouldn't be allowed to.