The ground was still trembling.
Not just a fading vibration. It was deep and 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 into the dust and scattered debris while his breathing came in uneven bursts. Every inhale sent a dull pain through his chest. His body was barely holding together, sustained only by a stubborn will that refused to surrender.
In front of him stood the golem.
Unharmed.
Motionless.
Yet overwhelmingly present.
An existence so immense it felt like a mountain refusing to fall.
Ryuji slowly lifted his head. Even that simple movement cost him more than he wanted to admit. His muscles protested and his nerves screamed, but his eyes remained fixed on the creature.
"...it's still standing..."
The realization settled heavily in his mind.
"...it's getting stronger..."
His gaze shifted toward 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 merely an energy source.
It was evolving.
Thinking, however, had become a luxury he could no longer afford.
Because the golem raised its foot.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Like a sentence already passed.
Ryuji tried to move.
His body refused.
His muscles trembled, his nerves fired desperate signals, yet nothing followed.
"...damn it..."
The foot came down.
BOOM.
The impact shook the entire chamber. Dust erupted upward, swallowing everything in thick clouds.
Then silence followed.
One second.
Two.
Three.
The golem remained motionless.
Then something shifted.
A tiny resistance beneath its foot.
Almost imperceptible.
As though something refused to yield.
The stone giant slowly lifted its leg.
And beneath it stood Ryuji.
His right arm was raised, trembling violently and drenched in blood. His muscles had torn under the strain, his skin split in several places, yet he held firm.
He was stopping it.
With the little magic he had left.
"...tch..."
A weak laugh escaped him.
"In my old life..."
His voice shook, but it did not break.
"...whenever I did something wrong, I got slapped real hard by my guardians."
He pushed harder.
The golem's foot rose another inch.
"And trust me..."
His eyes sharpened.
"...that hurt way more than anything a brainless pile of rocks can do."
Then he clenched his teeth.
"...so don't think you can beat me."
Suddenly, he pushed back with everything he had.
The golem staggered.
Only one step.
But it was enough.
Ryuji collapsed onto the ground, breathing chaotically as blood spilled from his nose and ran across his lips. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, leaving a dark smear across his face.
Yet his eyes never left the creature.
Then he reached toward the small pouch hanging from his belt and let it fall to the ground.
A silent decision.
Discarding everything unnecessary.
"...it's just you and me."
He lowered his center of gravity.
For a fraction of a second.
Then he launched himself forward.
The golem reacted instantly.
Its massive arm swung toward him with enough force to crush him outright.
But Ryuji shifted at the last possible moment. His blade struck the stone arm just enough to alter its trajectory before he slipped past the attack and rushed along the creature's side.
A single opening.
That was all he needed.
The blue sphere pulsed inside the golem's chest.
The heart.
Its heart.
As if sensing danger, the light flickered once.
"I've got you..."
Without hesitation, he drove his sword directly into the hollow surrounding the core.
The blade screamed.
Metal cracked under the pressure.
Yet it held.
For now.
Ryuji gritted his teeth and pulled.
Nothing.
The core refused to move.
"COME ON!"
He pulled harder.
Every muscle in his body burned. Agony shot through his arms and shoulders as the golem began to thrash violently. Its movements became unstable, losing the precision it once possessed.
It stepped backward.
Once.
Then lost its balance.
CRASH.
The giant slammed into the ground with a deafening impact that shook the entire chamber. Cracks spread across the walls as dust flooded the air.
Ryuji was thrown aside.
But he never released his grip.
Not even for a moment.
Then his sword finally gave out.
A sharp crack echoed through the chamber as the blade shattered.
For a brief moment, everything seemed lost.
Then Ryuji abandoned the weapon entirely.
His hands replaced it.
Directly.
Into the stone.
Onto the core.
His fingers dug into every crack they could find as he searched desperately for leverage. He pulled with everything he had left while his body slid across the golem's uneven chest.
The creature was still dangerous.
Even lying on the ground.
Its massive arms flailed wildly, smashing stone and sending debris flying as it blindly attempted to crush him.
But Ryuji refused to let go.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
The scream tore from the depths of his soul.
He pulled.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Until finally—
A click.
Tiny.
Almost insignificant.
But real.
Then everything gave way.
Ryuji fell backward and crashed heavily against the golem's chest.
Silence followed.
Brutal.
Absolute.
The golem stopped moving.
Its glowing eyes dimmed.
Its limbs became still.
No longer a monster.
Just stone.
Nothing more.
Ryuji lay there gasping for air.
Broken.
Exhausted.
Every breath felt like a battle won by the smallest margin.
Then, slowly, he raised one trembling hand.
The core rested in his palm.
But it had changed.
The familiar blue light was gone.
In its place burned a vivid crimson glow.
Alive.
Hungry.
Dangerous.
Like a living ember waiting to consume everything around it.
Ryuji stared at it in silence.
His eyes trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
Something closer to understanding.
Something instinctive.
Then he exhaled.
"...I won."
No smile followed.
No celebration.
No triumph.
Only a simple statement weighed down by exhaustion.
Because deep down, he already understood the truth.
This wasn't the end.
It wasn't even a victory.
It was a door.
And he had just opened it.
Beyond that door, something was waiting.
Something worse.
The crimson core pulsed once in his hand.
Alive.
And despite the pain, despite the exhaustion threatening to drag him into unconsciousness, Ryuji tightened his grip around it.
As if he already knew there was no turning back.
As if he understood that from this moment onward—
He would no longer be allowed to.