Finally, after what felt like endless steps, the golems slowed, giving Zeon the precious few seconds he needed. He gritted his teeth, the muscles in his hands tensing as he clenched them tightly. His gaze fell on his hands, eyes narrowing with determination. This... this will do.

A faint shimmer ran along his palms as the daggers materialized once again, spinning into his grip with deadly precision. He exhaled slowly, suppressing the tremor in his body, his eyes scanning the advancing golems.

"I'm going to go carefully this time," he muttered under his breath, voice low but resolute. Every nerve in his body screamed with the urgency of the moment, yet a cold focus settled over him. The golems were still relentless, but Zeon was ready—every step, every strike would be calculated.

The air around him hummed with tension as he prepared to strike, the oppressive weight of the barrier and the looming threat of the golems pressing against him like a living force.

He muttered to himself.... "Go."

In the blink of an eye, his body vanished with a crack of lightning left in his wake. Haaaaaa! His voice thundered as he warped toward the golems. His daggers blazed with power, and each slash tore through their heads like streaks of stormlight.

Every strike left a sharp explosion, chains of fire and smoke bursting behind him. The air cracked with thunder as he cut through one after another, his movements too fast for the eye to follow.

The golems staggered, their bodies trembling under the shockwaves. But they didn't fall. Even slowed by their weakness, they endured, forcing their heavy steps forward as if nothing could bring them down.

Zeon landed on the far side, crouched low before lifting himself into a sharp pose. Behind him, the chain of explosions rolled through the battlefield, shaking the ground. Dust scattered, light flashing, yet the stone giants remained standing.

Zeon grit his teeth, sweat dripping down his jaw. "Tch.... these knuckleheads are too damn tough. Even with the support mage weakened, they're still not falling.... what the F is this?"

Zeon glanced down at his daggers, the edges chipped and bent as if they had been chewed apart.

"Hmmm.... cheap toys," he muttered, shaking his head.

Ahead, the headless golems still moved, staggering in stiff motions. Their steps were slower now, clumsy and mechanical. Without their heads they could not see.... yet they still pressed forward, their hulking bodies swaying as if guided by some unseen sense.

Their arms stretched out, fists twitching, homing in on the living presence before them.

"Tch.... even blind they crawl toward me," Zeon said coldly, bracing his stance.

The ground rumbled again as the headless giants kept dragging themselves forward, undeterred, like broken puppets that refused to fall.

Zeon's body crackled with red lightning, the current spiraling wildly around him. His voice cut through the storm.

"This ends now!"

With a roar, he launched forward. The ground split apart under his feet as though a meteor had struck, stone and dust bursting upward in his wake. His daggers burned bright, edges wrapped in blazing red arcs.

He leapt high and came down like a thunderbolt.

"One!" His first slash tore a golem clean in half.

"Two!" The second strike split another into jagged chunks of stone.

He didn't stop. His movements blurred, daggers flashing faster and faster, shredding the mechanical horde one after another. Sparks rained, their stone bodies collapsing into rubble beneath him.

When the flurry slowed, Zeon stood panting. His gaze dropped to his weapon... one of his blades had snapped in half, the edge burned out from the strain. His legs trembled, numb from the unnatural speed he had forced through them.

"Ahh... these mortal feet..." he muttered through clenched teeth.

Still, he surged forward again. Three golems remained. He carved through two in a single sweeping leap, stone bodies crumbling into dust behind him.

The last one turned. Zeon pushed off again, but his speed faltered. His body dragged, heavy, lightning fading. Yet his eyes locked on the final target, refusing to yield.

As he charged, his speed slowed, but his voice rose in a wild cry again.

"Haaaaa! This is the end!"

He leapt, daggers raised, aiming to split the last golem clean in half. But just as the strike descended, the creature twisted aside.... like a door sliding open. Zeon's blades carved into the earth instead, cracking it wide, almost splitting the ground itself.

"Damn.... this golem is harder than—"

Before he could finish, the golem's fist slammed into his face. The impact thundered like a sound barrier shattering. Zeon was flung back, eyes rolling white for a moment, body twisting through the air. His swollen face looked grotesque as he spun, until at last he managed to think through the haze.

Damn you, Princess.... your golem hits too hard. You'd better pay me extra for this later....

With a desperate backflip midair, he righted himself, landing hard on the ground. His daggers had already flown from his grip. He skidded, boots dragging through the dirt, until he finally came to a heaving halt.

Zeon dropped with his right foot planted and his knee digging into the ground. His face was a wreck, bleeding and swollen to the point it was almost unrecognizable. Some of his teeth were already gone, flung from that brutal strike. His eyes barely opened, the swelling sealing them shut.

He clenched his fists and slammed them into the ground. His voice tore out rough and angry.

"Damn it.... I can't see!"

He sucked in a ragged breath, shaking as pain racked him. "What did you do.... did you use poison or something? There's no way my face would swell this much from just a punch!"

His face had puffed up grotesquely now, bloated like a puffer fish, every vein screaming with pressure.

And then suddenly the heedless golem charged forward with a heavy thud, even without its head. Its arms twisted and shifted, turning into long jagged obsidian sword blades. It barreled straight toward Zeon.

A strange chill ran through him.... no.... it was not fear, but a violent lust to kill that filled the air. Without hesitation, Zeon forced himself up. His hand snapped outward, summoning his dagger once more. This time the blade roared with energy, strong enough to materialize fully, crackling bolts of lightning racing across his fist.

He tightened his grip, clutching it downward, and raised both hands before his face in a sharp stance. His right and left arms crossed above him, lightning dancing wildly across the dagger as if it sought blood.

As The headless golem charged with a deafening thud.... thud.... thud. Its massive frame lunged forward, arms snapping backward before springing out like blades. With a heavy leap it soared above, stabbing downward with both hands.

Zeon felt the killing intent rush against his skin. Without even seeing, his body reacted.... he jumped back just as the golem crashed into the ground. But the monster didn't stay still. It launched again, leaping after him.

For a heartbeat they were both suspended in the air. The golem's jagged arms slashed relentlessly, a storm of blades cutting through the sky.

"Haaaaaaa!" Zeon roared back, his dagger blazing with sparks. He slashed in return, every strike clashing in midair, sparks bursting around them.

The two figures twisted and moved like shadows locked in a dance, blades screaming against each other. And then.... still clashing, still fighting.... they began to fall, both bodies descending toward the ground, locked in the fury of their battle stance.

As they hit the ground, Zeon leapt backward while the golem lunged straight at him.

"This is bad...." Zeon muttered, his eyes narrowing while closed. The veil barrier that once cloaked the mountain retracted, curling into his right fist. The energy compressed, shaping into a shield of dark power.

He raised it just in time. The golem's arms with blade crashed down, relentless, each strike rattling through Zeon's bones. His arm grew numb, his feet staggered against the dirt, yet the monster did not stop. Sparks and shockwaves erupted with every clash, and above them the sun blazed fiercely, its scorching heat pressing down as if the world itself joined the assault.

Zeon's breath trembled as his body shook. His swollen face blurred his sight, and tears welled in the corners of his eyes. His voice cracked, heavy with despair.

"I... I can't take this anymore..." he whispered, shaking.

Then his voice broke into a scream, raw and torn.

"You're right... Princess... You are the most powerful goddess of all!"

But the words were swallowed by the storm. The golem did not falter. Its jagged arms slashed and stabbed in relentless rhythm, each strike hammering against Zeon's dark shield. The blows came again and again, mechanical and merciless, like a pattern carved into stone, forcing him to stagger back under the burning sun.

The golem's assault didn't stop.... its every strike grew heavier, faster, more ruthless. Zeon's eyes widened as his dark energy shield chipped away like brittle glass being crunched. Sparks scattered, each blow breaking him down.

The golem moved as if it poured its final life force into the attack.... a last relentless fury.

With a thunderous roundhouse kick, the shield shattered. Zeon was flung through the air in slow motion, his voice tearing out.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Before he could recover, the golem blinked out.... teleporting mid-air above him. Its shard blade came down mercilessly, stabbing straight into his stomach.

"Arghhhhhh!"

The impact drove him to the ground, pinning him there on its blade. Blood gushed from his mouth as his hands clutched the obsidian sword weapon of the golem, his palms splintering, torn, yet he still gripped it hard.... refusing to let go.

His body thrashed under the crushing force, every muscle straining, every vein burning. Blood spilled from his lips as the blade still pinned him mercilessly into the ground. His hands now clutched even harder at the obsidian shard, splintering skin and bone, but still he held on, refusing to let go.

His vision blurred. His chest heaved. Time itself seemed to slow....

His eyes widened. No.... it can't be.... Am I going to die here?

The thought tore through his mind like a curse, louder than the roar of his own heartbeat.