Asterios continued to watch as the girls paired up and lured the enchanted stone Golems away from his position. A brief worry surfaced in his mind when he considered the size difference between them and their opponents, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by honest trust in his capable mates. They had fought some impressive constructs and entities together in the past. An amalgamation of toughened cubes shouldn’t be that much of a challenge for them.
Plus, Umbra had promised to keep an eye on them.
Turning his attention away from the ladies and focusing on his own challenge again, Asterios sized up the mountainous challenger. Sure, he had some experience fighting larger entities, but this was the first time he was against something that could be described as a recombined fortress. A whole castle and its walls coming to life. One through which you could still walk on the inside.
And the worst thing was, he couldn’t just blindly throw all his power at the Golem and be done with it.
No, he had to incapacitate the construct as effectively as possible to let Abyss interact with the magical circuits and attempt to save her world. They were on the clock, so he appreciated the assistance of his beloved, making it easier to deal with the current situation. He had fewer variables to keep track of, able to put his mind entirely into this one challenge.
The spiritually-reinforced cubes could certainly count as one. Since they definitely wouldn’t lose their power quicker than a decade or a few, only a single option remained. He couldn’t be holding back now. Not when Umbra was counting on him and the others. Without even mentioning the entire dimension full of creatures.
So, the best answer to his troubles was to go all out from the start. The Golem was humongous, but that didn’t make it extremely slow, as he had learned just a moment ago. Wasting no time for it to decide on its next move, he turned into his True Dragon self at the peak of his condition. Naturally, the dark side still dominated the transformation, relishing the freedom inside Abyss’ domain.
Quite ironic, one would say.
It was true that Asterios felt more in line with his Onyx lineage, therefore willing to bring out its strength as far as his current potential allowed. Flying in circles around the white giant, he watched for any blows that would knock him out of the air with one swat. Unfortunately, increasing the distance between them wouldn’t work. That could force the construct to try something much more destructive, possibly hurting the ladies, who might miss an attack incoming from an unexpected direction.
Knowing well that his flames didn’t have much effect on the enchanted stone, he still bathed the Golem in them repeatedly, forcing it to focus solely on him. Just in case, he avoided the construct’s head. The window or the force barrier that had been sealing the control chamber was still gone, most likely. It shouldn’t be such a glaring weakness, but better safe than sorry.
While Asterios was considerably stronger and more experienced in his draconic ways, he still lacked a great deal of knowledge and practice. Althea was a godsend in that regard, but even she couldn’t help him with every matter related to his lineages and their succession. His mentor was a Lesser Dragon in the end.
He might really need to consider reaching out to a real True Dragon sometime soon. Perhaps the nest he had learned about from the guy trying to track Jella could be the solution to his lack of development, but deep in his heart, Asterios doubted that. A lot. Finding a kind and compassionate member of his kind was like finding a needle in a haystack.
However, that was something to think about in the safety of his home, after they were out of the potentially world-ending crisis.
Words Asterios had never thought he would conjure in his mind. Not even with evil cults plaguing his own realm, whose influence spanned over multiple continents.
Flying in circles around his opponent, he scanned every inch of the construct’s form with his enhanced sight, trying to track down any discrepancies in its spiritual energy. The creator of this doll was definitely skilled or talented in the craft as there seemed to be no gaps in the thing’s entire structure. Remembering well from his studies that Golems weren’t perfect entities, or at least didn’t remain perfect over eons, it only proved how good the other god was at his craft.
Or how much effort the entity put into the scheme to harm Abyss.
Drawing on more of his energy, Asterios extended it over his claws and attempted to drive them into the gaps between the joined blocks. Nimbly spinning around the incoming swipes, he managed to find purchase in a few crevices. Taking advantage of his increased strength in the current form, he tried to break the connection, intending to tear the Golem apart.
It wasn’t a completely ineffective tactic, but due to the obvious size and weight difference, the strategy required more time spent in one spot than it was comfortable. Ast’s shadowy claws weakened the link between the cubes, but the light still fought back. And that could result in him getting smacked like an annoying mosquito. He had to stay on the move.
Flying a bit further from the construct, he considered his options. There was that form he had used against the giant snake, which boosted his performance by a ton and offered multiple elemental enhancements. However, the girls were in the middle of their own fights, and taking part of their strength could be distracting at the very least.
So, that wasn’t really an option until a bit later.
Fighting an opponent you needed not to hurt too bad was such a pain, causing Asterios to sigh heavily.
Dodging a flying piece of rock thrown at him by the Golem, he descended to the ground and shifted back to his humanoid form, still bearing the usual draconic features. He felt so tiny in front of the mountain of a monster. But, he didn’t feel hopeless or even at much of a disadvantage. Reaching behind his back, he unsheathed the artifact greatsword and glanced at the mesmerizing blade with multiple glinting crystals embedded in its surface.
“I guess I’ll rely on you this time, my friend.” Asterios chuckled, reminiscing about his first Spellslinger and their adventures. “Like good old times.”
Pointing it towards the ground, he glared up at the Golem, grazing the currently slotted tokens with the touch of his consciousness.
Then, he flinched.
Something started entering his circuits and heading straight for his black Dragon’s Heart. Sensing the source of the powerful energy behind him, and noticing the unexpected pressure resembling someone’s hand on his back, he whipped his head around, meeting the unperturbed expression of their mysterious mocha-skinned ally and commissioner.
Opening his mouth to question her, he paused, his eyes widening slightly as they caught onto something else further away from them.
“You could do that?” Asterios asked in mild awe.
He could see that the fights his mates took part in were more or less in their final stages, though he wasn’t sure what exactly was going on out there in a case or two. What was even more confusing was the fact that each instance had its own Abyss accompanying the girls. One stood atop Miria’s grown shoulder, another hovered next to a bicolor blur that had to be Tina and Silvia, and the final copy challenged the smaller construct alongside Althea.
Save for the assumed original pushing her palm into Ast’s back.
“They are simply my shadows,” the real Abyss replied calmly. “Splitting your consciousness between multiple presences isn’t as difficult of a feat as you are imagining. It does require a lot of practice and gathered wisdom, but when you are in an environment perfectly aligned with your affinity, it becomes much easier. Those are not real living bodies, however.”
Asterios had more questions, but he could tell that she wanted to focus on the matters at hand.
“Now, brace yourself, Dragon.” She closed her eyes to focus. “I’ve already intervened with their fights, so it shouldn’t make as big of a difference if I intervene with yours too.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Before he could even ponder over what she could mean, the slight strand of energy flowing into him turned into a raging torrent in the blink of an eye.
Gasping loudly, Asterios threw his head to the back and growled. The sudden surge threatened to blast his circuits open, leaking into his flesh more than it was acceptable. Thankfully, Tia’s regeneration kept him from the worst of it, reinforcing his body as it began to change under the influence of the dark mana.
He felt himself grow a bit, his limbs extending and thickening as they gained more pronounced muscles. His skin prickled all over like someone was stabbing it from the inside, trying to tear through the tough layer and escape outside. The changes were more, that was for sure, but most of them were hard to register amidst the painful spiritual and physical expansion.
Finally, after what felt like an hour but had to be just a few seconds, the transfer stopped and Ast’s head slumped forward. He took a deep breath, opening his eyes, and immediately noticed the difference. First of all, he could tell he was taller, and glancing back at Abyss confirmed that as she was now more than a head shorter than him even though she was still hovering atop her cloud.
Another thing was the weird something at the bottom of his vision, right in the middle. It took Asterios an embarrassingly long moment to realize that it was his snout, properly tuned out by his brain so it didn’t bother his eyes too much. A long black snout with vicious features, and black smoke escaping his lips.
Looking himself all over, he noted that all of him had been transformed. Previously, gaining scales over most of his skin wasn’t that hard, but now he was in a complete draconic humanoid form with no speck of fleshy skin anywhere on his body. The shimmering scales connected seamlessly to his fierce tail, useful wings, and all the usual limbs. Faint dark fumes floated up from between the tiny plates.
“What is this?” Asterios asked in wonder.
There was movement in the edge of his vision and he instinctively swung his greatsword, which was now more like a longsword in his considerably bigger hands. An arc of black flames shot forward and sliced through an incoming piece of terrain, splitting it into two. The projectile slammed into the Golem, creating a deep cut in its shoulder and making it stumble.
“I believe your kin calls it battle form,” Abyss answered as she moved to his side. “They are more prone to resolving conflicts in their true forms, but using a smaller body has its benefits sometimes. Not everyone is happy to look like a human or elf so they retain their draconic features, and therefore, their draconic advantages. Your abilities are strengthened like this when compared to your previous humanoid form. This is basically a bipedal version, sharing the same qualities as your quad variant.”
That was news to him, but there had to be plenty of things he didn’t know yet.
Leaving that for later, Asterios reaffirmed his grip on the artifact weapon and turned his attention to his opponent.
A deep shiver ran down his spine as an ominous feeling descended upon him. Instinctively, his gaze rose into the sky and he flinched again before freezing completely still. And so did the Golem.
An almond-shaped breach covered a considerable part of the sky above them, present before the golden net making up the seal. Its furthest edges almost reached the respective horizons. A dark shade filled it, with blood-red patterns surrounding a vertical slit in the middle, creating an almost full circle as they extended from both ends of the sharp line.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that it was a massive eye.
Which was staring right at Asterios, from what he could tell.
Yet, as terrifying as it appeared to be, he felt some kind of a connection with it. He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think that it belonged to the light god or his father. Or any other True Dragon for that fact. Something or someone else had breached the sealed dimension to look upon him.
Fortunately, that was all the uninvited entity did.
No, that wasn’t right.
Bringing his eyes back to the Golem, Asterios saw a change. For some reason, he could see where the construct’s power cluster was located. That couldn’t be part of the change Abyss had provoked in him. He could now gather his energy and accurately strike the revealed weak point, besting his opponent in record time.
Or effectively go all out without worrying about damaging the crucial organ too much.
Pushing the thoughts about the giant eye to the back of his mind for now, Asterios took into the air. He spared a glance at his weapon once more. The blade was now swallowed by onyx flame, the hilt still steady in his hand. As for the crystals, they glowed with their respective symbols, pushing through the fiery darkness. He would have no problems replacing and exchanging them.
To test that out, he began with something simple and already slotted.
Raising the sword above his head, he activated the sigil. A purplish mark glowed brighter and a mighty black lightning struck the Golem’s shoulder. The dark discharge traveled over its blocky form, paralyzing the construct from head to toe. A burned webbing ran over its white surface.
The token didn’t eject as there was nothing left of it after such power had been unleashed. Slipping another into its place, he rushed forward.
Two dark purple half spheres grew from the ground, reaching the height of the Golem’s knees. Those weren’t his doing, but he could easily tell they belonged to Abyss, who was no longer staying out of their fights. Their surface began swirling with a starry galaxy and sucked in everything in their range. Even Asterios had to stop his advance or he would have gotten caught in the technique.
Both of the construct’s fists were pulled into the buried globes, forcing it to lean forward. Charging towards the terrain as quickly as he could, Asterios stabbed his blade into the shadowy rock and unleashed another stored spell. Numerous earth spikes emerged beneath the Golem, trying to stab into its limbs and chest. Dozens of sharp pillars swallowed the construct, immobilizing it even further.
But, it was made of sterner stuff than that, and with one strong jerk, it yanked its fists free and stood up. That movement separated it from the last cubes in line of his arms, but other than them becoming a tad shorter, that fact didn’t seem to inconvenience their opponent too much. Its front was scratched heavily, but not seriously damaged.
Pulling his sword out of the ground, Asterios lifted himself off right before the Golem made an angry stomp with vengeance, creating a local earthquake. Asterios could feel everyone’s gazes on him, so he wasn’t afraid about the ladies being in trouble because of that. Their battles were finished. It was time for him to join the winners too.
Recalling a fairly flashy technique once used by Silvia, he hastily replaced one of the tokens in his blade and paused mid-air. The construct was charging at him desperately, which was perfect. Pointing his sword forward, he spent the crystal and numerous black portals popped into existence behind him, creating an enormous wall of circular, swirling shapes the size of a small house. From within each of them, a different onyx weapon slid halfway out, ready to be unleashed on the selected target.
With a thunderous roar, Asterios let them free.
A hailstorm of metal struck the Golem again and again. Many missed or ricocheted off its blocky form, but most hit the construct square in the chest and limbs. Reverberating thudding filled the air as those that didn’t stop at their target ended up buried in the land behind it. But by the time Asterios stopped the barrage, his opponent resembled a porcupine, plenty of blades finding purchase in its white stone. The only spot that was spared could be found right over the spiritual source.
Something floated by Ast’s side and he watched a pulsing ball of darkness lazily make its way towards the temporarily immobile Golem. The poor doll couldn’t do anything as it approached, the stiff weapons embedded in its casing preventing it from making any meaningful movements. And when the orb arrived at its destination, it once more sucked the construct in.
This time, though, it swallowed over half of the puppet and immediately winked out of existence with a menacing pop. Needless to say, it took the consumed section with itself to wherever it had disappeared. The Golem was now missing an entire arm, about one-third of its torso, and a bit of its thigh.
Which had become a glaring weakness ready to be abused.
Asterios wasted no time, releasing all the tokens he had slotted into the artifact blade and replacing them with multiple copies of the same sigil. Those were meant to multiply the intensity of condensed mana, and the moment he infused the weapon with his energies, an almost uncontrollable blast of power gushed out of it, ruffling his clothes and turning keeping his eyes open into a challenge.
Holding a concentrated blade of Shadowflame thrice his size by his side, Asterios charged ahead with a powerful flap of his wings. Enough of the weapons had been dislodged from its body for the construct to attempt one last attack, but he cleaved right through the weakened stone by flying along the width of the Golem’s thick arm, which was still much more massive than his sword.
Nevertheless, that wasn’t Ast’s aim and he dove towards the ground right after. Taking a wide swing, he sliced through the damaged thigh and threw the Golem off balance. Without one leg and one arm, it fell forward with an immense thud.
Abyss appeared right above it with a cloud of smaller, about head-sized dark purple balls between her palms. She sent them forward and he watched as the cheeky spheres snuck inside the construct through all the gaps they had created. After a few seconds, she snapped her fingers and a great number of explosions made the Golem twitch, violet smoke wafting out of those same openings.
As for the result of her technique, the head and the leftover bits of the torso were separated from all the other unnecessary elements, like limbs. There was still power running through the Golem’s spiritual veins, which was great. Nothing was stopping them from taking over the control room anymore. This thing definitely wasn’t equipped with regeneration spells and formations.
Letting out a sigh, Asterios glanced up. The enigmatic eye was gone. Its identity and purpose still confused and eluded him. From what he could tell, Abyss was intrigued too so it wasn’t her doing. One thing was certain, it must have aided him in being able to see inside the Golem for some reason.
Shaking his head, he flew down to join his amazing mates, who were already waiting for him by the construct’s fallen body.
Just one more step.