CHAPTER 8 | WITHDRAWAL
Far from the Hoelscher Empire and down into the deep gorge of Reisen, numerous quakes occurred consecutively. The surface trembled from the seismic forces at play thousands of meters below ground, where a battle of epic proportions unfolded.
"Yue, strike her where her heart would be. That's her weak spot," Hajime Nagumo's calm voice was but a mere whisper, but Yue snatched it skillfully from a space of destruction. Explosive flames erupted around them, giant floating platforms crashed against one another, and the massive mace of a monumental golem burned through the air at abnormal velocity.
Yue glided through the air with a sustained wind magic spell, her golden hair whipping wildly around her face. The Reisen Gorge's mana-dispelling effect made it particularly challenging for her to use her full strength, but determination glinted in her crimson eyes. She weaved between debris, her small form making her a difficult target for the colossal golem.
Meanwhile, Hajime used his superior physical capabilities to exploit the minuscule gaps in time. He jumped from platform to platform, debris to debris, his movements a blur to the naked eye. All the while, he fired his dual revolvers with pinpoint accuracy, each shot aimed at the weak points in the giant golem's hard-coated armor. Occasionally, he switched to Orkan, his rocket launchers, sending explosive projectiles that shook the very air around them.
The golem—Miledi Reisen—swung its massive mace in wide arcs, each swing threatening to obliterate anything in its path. "Is that all you've got, kids?" its voice boomed, a mixture of mockery and challenge. "I expected more from the ones who made it this far!"
Hajime gritted his teeth, using his heightened reflexes to dodge another swing of the mace. The wind from the attack alone was enough to send loose debris flying. "Yue, now!" he shouted, seeing an opening.
Yue responded instantly. She raised her hands, and despite the mana-dispelling effect, managed to conjure a spear of ice. With a fluid motion, she hurled it towards the golem's chest, aiming for the spot Hajime had indicated.
The ice spear whistled through the air, but Miledi was faster than they anticipated. The golem twisted, the spear grazing its side instead of hitting the intended target. "Nice try, little girl," Miledi taunted. "But you'll have to do better than that!"
Hajime used the distraction to close in. He leaped high, activating his Pilebunker—a devastating close-range weapon. As he descended towards the golem's chest, aiming for its weak spot, his instincts suddenly screamed danger.
A ball of destructive amber energy dove straight from above, plummeting down into the pits of the abyss below. It destroyed every floating platform and piece of debris in its path, filling the boss room with an intense golden light.
Hajime barely managed to alter his trajectory, using his grappling hook to swing to safety. Yue conjured a wind barrier around herself, protecting her from the shockwave of the blast.
As the dust settled, the otherwise dark space was filled with golden motes. Rays of sunlight from high above the surface shot through the massive gap created by the mysterious attack.
"Did that thing just create a hole in my labyrinth!?" Miledi's normally infuriating and sarcastic voice was laced with a tone of worry and concern, possibly anxiety. The golem's massive head swiveled, trying to assess the damage to its domain.
Hajime and Yue shared a quick glance before gazing up into the sky through the massive hole. Hajime activated his demon eye, enhancing his vision. What he saw made him sigh in exasperation.
"That's teacher," Hajime said, more exasperated than annoyed. Yue stayed silent and just followed his gaze, her expression a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
The figure of a man eventually became visible, suspended in mid-air as if gravity was merely a suggestion. He hadn't changed a bit during their two-day separation. Majestic bluish hair tinged with a hint of silvery white framed a face of timeless beauty. Bright amber eyes with golden diamond-shaped pupils gazed down at the scene below with an expression of utter indifference.
Those eyes, inhuman and powerful, swept over the battlefield—taking in the damaged golem, the floating debris, and finally landing on Hajime and Yue. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as teacher and students locked gazes across the chasm.
"Heya!" Lymur's voice boomed amidst the otherwise tense room. "Been a while, eh? What've you been up to? Like, how can you even think of going to another labyrinth without me?" Lymur's arms crossed as he looked down on both Hajime and Yue, absolutely ignoring whatever their circumstances were and sparing no time to hear them at all.
"What'd you just do?" Hajime asked as he took a glance at the edge of the platform from which he stood, and there were still scorching hot golden motes that created a floor to what previously seemed a bottomless pit.
"Just a little something I learned," Lymur replied without so much as glancing at Hajime or even the massive golem behind him. It was the one thing of his personality that remained all the same throughout all his hurdles—his over secretiveness of his abilities. He took in the surroundings, his golden amber eyes glowing amidst the light-filled space and surveying everything.
It looked like he was instantly aware of everything there is to know about the place. But whether that was true or not, was a story for another time. In fact, what Lymur did was just gather up a bunch of his aura and imbue them with his Belzebuth's evolved Decomposition, Dissolution.
"Don't ya ignore me!" The colossal golem with a weirdly girly and cutesy voice shouted as he swung his mace from halfway across the expansive boss room, building up an unimaginable amount of force and energy. But Lymur only swung his head and his eyes turned crimson.
Two rays of scorching red light shot off of his eyes turned crimson, instantly melting the massive mace into a cluster of molten hot substance.
"H-Huh?" The golem's voice trembled.
Lymur shut his heat vision again, this time using it to sever the golem's arms from its torso.
"You can die now, biatch," he sarcastically whispered as his heat vision tore through the golem's heart, shattering its core. "Ya know I've really taken a liking to this laser thing," Lymur added while whistling, admiring his own developed technique based off of the passed art of Blood Ray among the vampires.
As the massive golem began to crumble, its voice, once booming and confident, now faded to a whisper. Miledi Reisen's consciousness, trapped within the construct, spoke one last time.
"I... I just wanted someone to understand," the voice quavered, a hint of loneliness seeping through. "All these years, waiting... hoping... Was it all for nothing?"
Yue's crimson eyes, formerly doubtful, softened, a hint of empathy crossing her face. She took a step forward, her hand outstretched as if to offer comfort, but the golem was already falling apart.
Hajime stood stoic, his face a mask of indifference. He'd seen too much, been through too much, to be moved by the words of a construct. Lymur, for his part, merely shrugged, his bright golden eyes scanning the room for any other potential threats.
As the last of Miledi's consciousness faded, the golem crumbled to dust, leaving behind only echoes of its final words. Yue bowed her head slightly, a silent mourning for a being that, despite everything, had known the pain of solitude all too well.
"Well, that's that," Lymur said, breaking the momentary silence. "Shall we move on?"
As if in response to his words, a door materialized at the far end of the chamber, previously hidden by the golem's massive form.
"Looks like our exit," Hajime noted, already moving towards it.
Lymur grinned, his eyes glowing faintly. With a wave of his hand, transparent platforms materialized in the air, forming a bridge across the chasm to the door.
"After you," he said with a mock bow.
The trio made their way across Lymur's construct, the platforms solid despite their ethereal appearance. As they reached the door, Hajime pushed it open, revealing a new chamber beyond.
To their surprise, a tiny golem—no taller than half the height of an average human—emerged from the room. Its voice, unmistakably Miledi's, rang out with renewed vigor.
"Congratulations, kiddos! You've passed the test!" the miniature Miledi exclaimed, her tone once again dripping with sarcasm. "As a reward for your valor, or dumb luck, whichever applies, you're all bestowed with the power of Gravity Magic. Use it wisely, or don't. I'm not your mom."
Lymur smirked, unsurprised. He had known all along that the real Miledi was safe, controlling the golems from afar. His eyes met the tiny golem's, a silent acknowledgment passing between them.
Yue, however, was less amused. All the pity she had felt moments ago evaporated like morning dew under a scorching sun. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You... you made me feel sorry for you," Yue said, her voice low and threatening.
"Aw, did the little g getirl her feelings hurt?" Miledi taunted. "Here, let me make it up to you with a nice, refreshing—"
Before she could finish, Yue lunged forward, her small fist connecting with the tiny golem's head. The impact sent Miledi spinning, her mechanical limbs flailing comically.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Miledi yelped. "Is that any way to treat your benevolent dungeon master?"
"Benevolent my ass," Hajime muttered, though a hint of amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Suddenly, the floor beneath them began to shift. Before they could react, a powerful current of water swept them off their feet.
"Enjoy the express exit!" Miledi's voice called out as they were flushed away like water down a drain.
The group tumbled through a series of twisting tunnels, water roaring in their ears. Well, most of the group tumbled. Lymur, of course, managed to remain perfectly dry and composed, floating serenely alongside his waterlogged companions.
With a final swoosh, they were ejected from the labyrinth, landing unceremoniously on the outskirts of Fuhren. Hajime and Yue lay sprawled on the ground, soaked to the bone, while Lymur touched down gracefully beside them.
"Well," Lymur said, brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his shoulder, "that was certainly a creative exit. Shall we find somewhere to dry off? Well, for you two at least."
Hajime glared at him from beneath dripping bangs, while Yue wrung water from her golden hair. Despite the indignity of their exit, a sense of accomplishment hung in the air. They had conquered the labyrinth, gained new powers, and were one step closer to their goals.
They made their way to the town and pondered the nature of gravity magic at the same time. "Still no affinity, huh," Hajime whispered, more expecting it than not. Frighteningly enough, Yue's affinity for it was nigh-absolute. It was like tripling her strength over.
Lymur, for his part, just yawned. "Cool trick," he said, though his tone suggested he was far from impressed. "So, what's next on the agenda? Any more labyrinths to conquer? Or are we finally going to do something interesting?"
Hajime shot him a look. "You knew all along that the golem was just being controlled, didn't you?"
Lymur's grin widened. "Maybe. But where's the fun in spoiling the surprise? Besides, you kids needed the exercise."
Hajime sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well, I guess that's one more labyrinth conquered. Thanks for the assist, Lymur, though next time, maybe give us a heads up before blasting holes in things?"