The clash of metal against stone rang out sharply amid the intense sounds of battle. Without a moment's hesitation, Diavel burst forward like a silver arrow slicing through the dust and smoke.
The small shield in his left hand lit up brilliantly, enveloped in a blinding glow, a special defensive skill, meant not only for blocking but also for counterattacks.
Clang!
The shield slammed into the raised elbow of the stone knight just as it was about to unleash a crushing punch toward Nautilus.
The impact didn't just block the attack, it halted the Golem's arm for a brief instant, throwing off the rhythm of its massive, lumbering movement.
That fleeting moment cracked open a small gap in the seemingly impenetrable defense of the Golem Sentinel.
From behind, Lind and Shivata shot forward like twin shadows, the glow of their activated skills tracing faint lines through the darkness of the mine.
A cold, razor-sharp aura emanated from their blades, striking the Golem with two perfect slashes, one at its right shoulder, the other slicing through its left thigh, where the stone had worn thin from previous attacks.
The Golem Sentinel staggered backward a few steps, the ground trembling slightly beneath each heavy footfall as if on the verge of collapse.
Tiny cracks began to form at the joints in its rocky body. It hadn't fallen yet, but it was clearly weakening.
From his position at the rear, Ren tightened his grip on his sword. His breathing was ragged, his heart pounding. What he had set in motion had not been wasted.
With one bold move, he had paved the way for a flawless series of coordinated attacks from the others, pushing the Golem to the brink of defeat.
He knew this battle was about to end. But there was still one final strike left to deliver.
The sounds of battle seemed to fade as Ren placed his hand on the sword's hilt and lowered his stance.
The world around him blurred. There were no more shouts, no clashing metal, no terrifying movements from the Golem Sentinel, only the rhythm of his own heartbeat and the blade in his hand.
"Flowing Light Slash."
The name echoed like a whispered promise to himself. A pale light began to seep from the hilt, traveling along the dark blade, gradually overpowering the somber black like dawn dispelling the night.
Ren clenched his fist. His entire body tensed for an instant. It wasn't a skill he had mastered, but it was no longer foreign either.
The moment the Golem struggled to rise, still unable to turn after the coordinated assault by Diavel, Lind, and Shivata, Ren vanished from sight, a streak of light flashing like a stream of lightning.
Then...
The sound of steel striking echoed, cold and sharp like a blade slicing across a throat in the rain. A dry, jarring sound, yet it was also a signal, a breach in the nightmare, a door just pierced open.
In the next instant, Ren was behind the stone knight.
No one had seen him move. Only a lingering streak of light remained in the air, blurred like the afterimage of a meteor shower streaking across the night.
It slashed through the darkness, drawing a lone, radiant line, as if the final light was still fighting in the depths of despair.
Then...clang!
A perfect diagonal slash appeared on the back of the Golem Sentinel, in a spot everyone thought was untouchable.
The armor there, once smooth and seamless, now split apart as if it had long awaited that strike.
Immediately, the second slash burst forth like a bubble, cutting straight across the monster's chest, right at the segment that had cracked from an earlier blow.
This time, instead of merely fracturing the surface, Ren's blade pierced through, carving a deep groove that exposed the crumbling stone beneath.
Then came the third slash, cruel in its precision, rising from the hip, slicing past the neck, and halting at the thick helmet.
A radiant line cut through like the final stroke of a pen sealing fate, separating the helmet from the neck guard as if opening a path to the enemy's heart.
Ren froze.
His breath caught in his chest, short and burning like fire. His lungs felt crushed under the weight of the sword.
Three strikes. In less than a second. A fluid chain of movement with no room for correction or hesitation.
In training, he could do this slowly, regaining balance after each slash, checking the angles, preparing for the next.
But here, in battle, where every fragile life dangled from the same thread, Ren had no right to stop.
No second chances. No time to be afraid.
The faint glow still shimmered along his blade, but it was fading, like the last of his strength.
Still, it was enough. Those three strikes didn't just deal damage, they stirred up dark red energy that began to seep from the cracks: tiny ruby-like particles, glimmering in the air like the ashes of a dying volcano.
They drifted upward, then disappeared, like the blood of a wounded soul…
The Golem Sentinel staggered.
Its heavy footsteps struck the ground with tremors, but they no longer carried the same unyielding weight.
In those lifeless eyes were flickering streaks of light, fading little by little.
Ren lowered his head.
His hand still clutched the sword hilt as a final survival instinct, not to keep fighting, but simply to keep from collapsing entirely.
His fingers trembled, so tense they were almost numb. The pulse in his palm throbbed wildly, chaotically, like a funeral drum pounding inside his head.
His whole body shuddered in small spasms from continuous cramps, each muscle fiber screaming, twisting, betraying his will to fight.
His legs nearly gave out, but Ren gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay standing, at least until the battle truly ended.
His vision blurred.
At first, it was from the mist of tears, tears he couldn't tell were from pain, exhaustion, or anger at himself.
But they couldn't fall. His eyes were too dry, too cracked, like soil scorched by a long, relentless drought.
His sight fragmented, leaving only blurred patches of light, like scattered, broken memories.
Ren could barely see what was in front of him anymore, only the searing heat of his own breath echoing in his chest.
"I've gone too far…"
That thought rose up, not as self-blame, but as a confession. Quiet. Fragile. Heartbreaking.
This special skill... "Flowing Light Slash," was a weapon he hadn't yet mastered. And using it in a real battle... had been a recklessly foolish choice.
But he had no other choice.
If he hadn't acted in that moment, the fleeting opportunity would've slipped away. And someone else would've paid the price for his hesitation.
Now, standing amidst the heavy air filled with the scent of shattered stone and phantom blood, Ren had nothing left but a will as thin as thread. A thread stretched to its final limit, ready to snap from even the gentlest breeze.
"Did I… succeed?" Ren wondered as he forced his mouth open to breathe, each breath scraping painfully against his parched throat.
"I… I did it… didn't I?"
The question echoed weakly, like a final prayer from someone on the verge of collapse. He didn't expect an answer. No one could answer. All Ren could rely on… was sound.
And the sound he heard…
Was not the chime of victory.
Not a system notification. Not a familiar voice calling his name.
But… Footsteps. Heavy. Steady. Still moving… as if the nightmare hadn't ended.
Each step crashed against the ground like a hammer slamming into Ren's fragile hope.
That faint glimmer of hope, that tiny spark of belief rising from the rubble of his mind… was extinguished.
Like an oil lamp run dry, doused in cold water, leaving only a thin wisp of smoke curling in the dark.
No system alert. No flash of victory.
Nothing… but the grinding of heavy stone against earth, and the pounding of Ren's heart like a death knell in his chest.
"It's… still not down…"
A chill crept down his spine, even though his body was already numb from pain.
But just then… before the darkness in Ren's mind could swallow what little hope remained, other footsteps rang out.
Faster. Stronger. Not from the monster.
From them.
A gust of wind swept past him, carrying the sharp hiss of metal slicing through air.
"Your strike opened a path, Ren!" Nautilus shouted, as much to keep him conscious as to confirm: he hadn't fought in vain.
Then came a brilliant flash from Shivata's skill, crashing into the cracked chest of the Golem Sentinel.
Diavel's shield flared once more, clashing against the massive arm of the Golem Sentinel as it came crashing down.
Ren lifted his head. Though his vision was still blurry with sweat and tears, he could still see those familiar figures…
Fighting for the chance he had created. He couldn't stand just yet.
But maybe…
He didn't need to… At least not right now.