The impact was brutal.
The air was ripped from Ryuji's lungs as if someone had struck his ribs with a sledgehammer. His body flew backward, smashing into the stone with a dull crack that echoed throughout the chamber. Pain shot through every bone, a dull fire radiating from his back to the top of his skull.
— "Ghh—!"
His vision flickered. The floor rippled beneath his eyes like a stormy sea. Every fiber of his body refused to respond. Getting up felt impossible.
---
One moment.
Just one.
---
Then—
A deep rumble.
---
The golem.
It was still moving.
No.
It was advancing.
Its sheer mass seemed to crush the air itself. Each step sent vibrations through the stone, up to Ryuji's fingers, clutching the dust for stability.
---
Ryuji's eyes snapped open.
Instinct. Nothing else.
He rolled to the side just in time to avoid the fist that had struck the spot he'd been standing moments before. Stone shattered on impact, shards flying, cutting into his skin and face.
— "Damn… still standing…" he muttered, struggling to rise, one knee on the ground, gasping for air.
Not fear. Just a sharp, icy pain that dragged him back into reality.
---
The golem slowly turned its massive head toward him. Its eyes—two dark stones—locked onto him with relentless intensity. Then it advanced, each step hammering the ground, echoing in his skull.
---
Ryuji tried to stand fully. His legs wavered. His body was screaming that it had had enough, but he had to hold on.
— "Too slow… not enough… gotta anticipate…" he muttered between breaths.
The golem raised its arm. Too slow to be dangerous? No. Too massive. Even a sword might not stop this blow.
---
Ryuji stepped back. Again. Again. Each impact shook the floor beneath him, sending shockwaves up to his ankles. He almost fell once, clawing at the stone to stabilize himself. His fingers scraped raw, but he kept moving.
— "Not like this… not like this…" he repeated through gritted teeth.
---
He raised his eyes to the golem's chest. The blue sphere glowed steadily, cold and unmoving. A weak point, but a deadly trap.
— "…that's it… have to strike… but when…"
His gaze hardened. Brute force wouldn't be enough. Every mistake would be fatal.
---
He clenched his teeth and advanced.
— "Do it… or die," he muttered, voice hoarse.
The golem reacted instantly. Faster than he expected. Its arm swept through the air. Ryuji raised his sword—but the impact threw him back again. The rusted blade flew from his hands. His back slammed against the stone. His breath ripped away. Pain seared through his body. This time, he didn't get up immediately.
---
— "…I'm going to die… if I stay here…"
A heavy step. Too close. The golem came, unhesitating, relentless. Each step felt like it heralded the end.
Ryuji clenched his teeth, fingers digging into the dust. No. He had to survive. He remembered the Basilisk—its gaze, its cold contempt.
"Pathetic."
---
Ryuji's eyes snapped open.
— "Shut up… not now!"
He forced his body to move. Roll. Again. Every motion tore a stifled groan from him. Stone shards rained down, cutting his arms and face. He rose, unsteady, but standing.
---
— "It's slow… but precise… need an opening… gotta hold on…" he muttered, eyes fixed on the golem's massive fist.
Every impact brought him closer to death, yet he kept analyzing. The attacks were wide, covering too much ground. Each blow could be fatal.
— "I can't win… not like this…"
Clear. Cold. Lucid. His fingers trembled slightly—not from fear, but from calculated awareness.
---
The golem raised its arm again. Again. Always. Relentless.
Ryuji stepped back—but this time, not randomly. He watched the timing, the trajectory, the dead zones. Then he made a risky move: a swift strike toward the sphere, barely dodging the fist that grazed his shoulder.
— "Take this…!" he shouted, letting his cry cover the pain.
The impact sent him flying again, but he rose almost immediately, snatching his fallen sword. His legs shook, but he refused to give up.
---
— "Gotta get out… find a path… no detours…"
He ran. Not to attack. To survive. The golem struck behind him. Ryuji dove to the side, rolling across the stone despite the pain ripping through his body. He half-rose, grabbing his sword without even looking, and sprinted toward the exit.
---
Another strike. The ground shook. The chamber trembled. But he didn't look back.
— "Not now… not here…"
His legs screamed to stop. His lungs burned.
---
The door. Closer. Still closer. One last push.
Ryuji crossed the threshold. Stumbled. Dropped to his knees. Then rose again. Still standing.
Behind him—a violent crash.
The golem had struck the door.
The stone trembled, cracking slightly. Even that wouldn't hold for long.
---
So he continued. Running down the corridor, into darkness, into oppressive silence. Then a sound. Ahead. Several.
He stopped dead. Eyes widening slightly.
Shadows. Dozens.
Glowing eyes.
Monsters.
They were coming, drawn by the chaos, the noise, the presence of life. Fear tried to paralyze him—but he pushed it down.
— "…of course…" he muttered, jaw clenched.
---
His body trembled. His breath was broken. His strength nearly gone.
And yet… he straightened slowly.
Gripping his sword. Voice weak but determined:
— "Then… come… if you dare…"