296 Chameleon's Maze 5

[Aron Adiel Velcrow.]

Damn, that hit hurt. I couldn't just shake off the blow that damn thing gave to my side.

"Hey! What are we going to do?" I barked at that loose screw standing on the other side.

The Golem had its back turned towards me, totally focused on Hilton. It was a lot to take in, but this guy seemed a bit different from the normal Golems.

I glanced to the left and spotted the brown, curly-haired boy. Erik, was it? He was staring at the Golem's back, muttering something under his breath.

"Oi! Come here," I called out, already having pushed him a few times when the Golem was onto him.

He heard and immediately dashed towards me, though he tripped once along the way but still managed to come. "You're fine, right?" he asked.

"Shut up," I grunted in pain. "You got any potions or something?" I asked.

"T-they aren't allowed," he immediately shook his head.

"Haaa, that's just great," I remembered there being a rule like that too. Anyway, I don't think I'm gonna die just from this.

"What is that thing?" I asked, pointing at the Golem.

"Guard Golem, one that's used by the top military majors in ground wars of--"

"Yeah yeah, enough," I waved him off.

My attention returned to the Golem, which was now stepping forward - its movements surprisingly human-like.

"Erik!" Hilton's shout pierced through the chaos.

"Yeah?" Erik flinched. Why does this guy get scared of everything?

"You should be on the sidelines for a while. It's going to be messy," Hilton commanded.

"N-no, I want to--"

"Get out," I formed a wind to push him off my side, and he went flying a bit far. "Stay there now."

"Hey, Molester-- I mean prince!"

"WHAT'D YOU SAY!" I felt my face turn red with rage. What did he call me?

"Whatever, just listen now," he began running towards the Golem at full speed. He's fast.

Vexa followed suit, conjuring an ice blade in her hand right behind Hilton at a fast pace.

The Golem saw them both advancing towards it, so it took a stance. It felt more like a martial arts stance, with its legs wide to get a stable position.

"Create--" Hilton's voice was cut off.

"What?"

"I SAID CREATE A FUCKING WIND BARRIER IN FRONT OF YOU!"

"WHY--"

"JUST DO IT!"

I couldn't understand what they were trying to do, but I somehow instinctively moved my hand and formed a wind barrier in front of me.

Then it clicked. Hilton closed in on the Golem, grabbing the hand that was about to smash him. He said something to Vexa.

Vexa jumped high enough to reach the Golem's chest, and the next thing I knew, she threw the blade at it and then--

"Oh, fuck--" I cursed and increased the amount of mana I had put into the spell.

Because the back of the Golem was advancing towards me at great speed, as it had lost its footing for good.

And then there was a deafening crashing sound.

"Ugh," I bit my lower lip, feeling my muscles tense under the weight of this huge rock.

"Aghhhh!" I pushed a whole lot of mana into keeping the barrier up.

"And that's what we needed."

My eyes traced the source of the voice, and I saw Hilton standing on the Golem--how did he get there so fast? But I stared at him for a good second; he was looking at me too. The next thing he squatted, his hand clad in white tendrils and shaped a bit claw-like.

A tendril of chained rocks wiggled right behind his head, but before it could reach him, it was frozen immediately.

Small cracks began appearing in the barrier as the Golem pushed its weight in my direction, purposely, I guess.

"Do something, you fucking bastard!" I cursed at the top of my lungs.

Ren squatted on the Golem's chest, and his hand thrust into its chest, I guessed--couldn't see it, so I assumed.

Next thing, there was a very peculiar dampening sound that came from the Golem--one would make when being choked on air.

"Ugh, I'll be needing this," said Ren as I felt the Golem's whole weight just drop in its place on my barrier.

"Done?" asked Vexa.

"Yeah, Prince, you can throw that piece of rock off now, it's dead," he said, immediately dropping the tons of heavy weight off.

"Haa haa," I tried to catch my breath while I could literally feel my hands shaking.

Erik walked towards me. "You fine...?"

I just put my finger on my lips to stop him from speaking.

"He'll be fine, not like it's his first time dealing with things like this. Too bad he couldn't bring his fancy armor from selections," Ren mocked.

"Why don't you talk about that dumb-looking mace then...or that weird cat you take around with you like an old lady," I threw in.

There was a silent moment before I heard his boots shuffle, and he turned towards Vexa, saying, "Thanks for dealing with that spell there," his voice changing immediately.

"I did my job," but was cut short by Vexa.

"Haha," an involuntary chuckle left my mouth.

"Find it funny, huh?" he muttered to himself.

"Anyways, everyone get up, need to keep moving forward--

don't have fucking time for this," he began walking towards the black wall that Vexa had discovered a bit before the Golem came into sight.

What the hell's happening?

I think I regret following this guy. Ren's footfall came near me as he stood in front of me, looking down.

"What?" I asked.

"Fix your mask and get up, three more minutes and you'll get crushed by the thousand rolling boulders infested with magma leeches coming from the right turn," he pointed.

"....Magma what?" I had never heard of that.

"Die," Ren muttered and turned around, pulling Erik by the back of his collar.

"Motherfu-" I stopped when I felt a rumble under me--the ground was shaking.

I immediately stood up and ran towards where the other three gathered--maybe I don't regret it.