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Chapter 23 - Shadows In The Guild? Golem

The air was heavy with silence right before the worst kind of noise.

The thing that crawled out of the tower ruins was big... as shit.

Kaito froze. "Okay. I think that's a golem. A big, ugly, murder spider golem."

Lyria didn't hesitate. She grabbed his collar and pulled him back. "Move!"

[WARNING: Danger Detected. Good Luck, Meatbag.]

He barely had time to scream before the golem's eyes lit up. With a slow rumble like thunder under a blanket, it started to move.

"Uh....Guys?" he called out. "It's coming over here!"

Lyria was already moving, sword In hand. "Told you not to touch anything glowing."

"I didn't touch anything. We have to stop blaming me for everything."

Seren casually strolled behind a half broken pillar. "Technically you always attract them, so we're just stating a fact, No?"

It always did happen.

The golem stood fully now, towering, built like a fortress with legs. It let out a noise that sounded like a mountain yawning.

"That's...big," Kaito said, stepping back.

"It's going to be bigger when it flattens you," Lyria snapped, drawing both swords.

"Why is it always me first?!"

The golem lunged.

Kaito rolled.

A fist of stone smashed into the ground where he'd been standing, kicking up dirt. He scrambled to his feet as the system flickered.

[ERROR: Weapon Allocation: Randomized.] [Summoning Weapon...] [You have received: Tactical Frying Pan +2]

Kaito blinked. "...You've gotta be kidding me."

"You better find a way to use it or die!" Lyria shouted, launching herself at the golem's leg.

The fight burst into motion. Seren hurled fire bolts that splashed across the golem's arms, melting its outer shell just enough for Lyria to slash deeper. Kaito darted around trying to smack weak points with the frying pan, yelping as chunks of stone flew past his head.

"You fight like a kitchen maid!" Seren yelled.

"Excuse me for improvising!" Kaito yelled back, bouncing the pan off a glowing rune.

[CRITICAL HIT. Weak point exposed. Good guess.]

Lyria caught on, blades slashing across that rune. The golem flinched, jerking its arm and sending a shockwave through the bushes.

Kaito flew backward, crashing into Seren.

"Ow—!"

"You're heavy," she hissed, beneath him.

I don't don't think she hated it...

"Sorry, we should stop meeting like this."

"Get. Off."

He scrambled up as the golem swung its other arm toward Lyria. She ducked, rolled, came up slicing. The rune cracked.

The orb in the golem's chest flared. Kaito's system flickered again.

[New Objective: Synchronize with Core. Touch it. Yes. That Glowing Thing. You Know You Want To.]

"Seriously?!"

"We have to hit the core!" Seren shouted. "That's what's keeping it alive!"

"And you waited until now to say that?!"

"Wanted to see if you'd die first."

"Charming!"

Kaito ran, dodging debris, heat, a blast of arcane light from Seren and leapt.

His hand hit the orb.

It was like sticking his arm into a furnace and a freezer at the same time.

[SYNC IN PROGRESS. GOOD LUCK NOT MELTING.]

The orb flared, brighter, white-hot. The golem froze, shuddering. Runes went haywire. Lyria slashed its leg clean off in one last roar of effort, and it crumbled forward.

Kaito, still clutching the core, tumbled down with it.

Dust. Heat. Buzzing in his bones.

Then silence.

A small pop-up hovered in his vision.

[Fragment Acquired: Echo of Judgment] [New Ability Unlocked: Pulse Sever.]

Kaito lay there, panting.

Seren leaned over him. "I know I said destroy it. Not to go touch it."

"You okay?"

He blinked up at her, dazed. "I think so... Maybe."

Lyria helped him sit up, expression tight. "You always have to nearly die before doing something impressive?"

"I like to think of it as style."

She glared. Seren smirked.

[System Stable. For Now. Also: You Look Good Covered in Dust.]

Now that was a compliment..

"Thanks," Kaito muttered. "Appreciate the support."

....

Kaito sat on the ground, chest still pounding. His hand was still tingling from touching that glowing core, and his head felt like it had been spun around five times and dropped.

Seren knelt beside him now, brushing some rubble off his shirt.

"You actually did it," she muttered, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

"Didn't die either. Bonus points, huh?" Kaito grinned weakly.

"You were glowing," she added, voice low. "For a second, you didn't look like you. You looked like... something old. Different."

He swallowed. "Yeah. Felt like I was pulling lightning out of a dream."

Seren leaned in, her hand brushing over his chest, right above his heart. "Still warm. Want me to check you?"

"I.....what kind of check are we talking about?"

Before she could answer, Lyria looked over. Her expression was pure don't - you - dare.

"I turn my back for ten seconds and you're already touching him like he's a puzzle?" she growled.

Seren raised an eyebrow, not backing off. "I'm checking for magical backlash. You know, because he touched a volatile artifact?"

"With your lips nearly on his neck?"

"Would you rather I use my teeth?"

He wouldn't mind..

Kaito held up his hands. "Ladies. I just fought a magical skyscraper. Let's not turn me into the prize in a tug - of - war."

"You're not a prize," Lyria said, grabbing him by the arm and hauling him up. "You're mine."

Seren laughed softly. "Cute. Real healthy, that possessiveness."

"Better than hiding behind sarcasm," Lyria snapped.

"Okay, okay," Kaito said, dusting himself off. "Can we please get out of murder - golem central before you both go full catfight?"

They walked toward the tower, but Seren stayed close. Every so often, her fingers brushed Kaito's. Not enough to be obvious, but just enough to make him notice.

Lyria noticed too. Her eye twitched.

The deeper they went through the winding, the more Kaito felt the system humming in his head. Stronger now. More awake.

[Fragment Stability: 87%. Power Threshold Rising. Memory Echo Detected.]

He stumbled.

"Whoa, hey," Lyria caught him. Her arms wrapped around his middle.

"I'm fine. Just... one of those flashes again."

No, he still wasn't fine...

"What did you see?"

"I think it was me again. Standing in front of... a crowd. They were bowing. Chanting."

"God memory?" Seren asked, tone quiet now.

Kaito nodded. "I think so. I think It was one of those. Or maybe something else?"

Lyria helped him walk again, her hand never leaving his back. "Doesn't matter what you were. We're here now. You're not facing it alone."

They reached a broken pathway leading into the tower. Moonlight flooded the ruins, and wind whipped their hair.

Kaito turned to both of them. "I know I'm changing. And whatever this system is doing, it's dragging up something deep. But I'm not running. I think I'm ready to know who I was. Who I am now. I want to be strong enough to protect both of you."

Seren's eyes softened.

Lyria leaned closer, brushing her lips against his ear.

"Then hurry up and get stronger," she whispered. "Because I'm not done with you yet."

He liked that...

He swallowed hard. "Did you both plan on making me combust tonight?"

Seren smiled. "Consider it motivation."

[System Alert: Sync Rate Increased. Next Challenge Approaching...]

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