I didn't know what kind of spell they were casting, but I knew for certain it boded ill for us. This wasn't the time to stand by and watch in silence; I had to launch a preemptive strike before they finished their incantation.
Our enemies were Cult Executives possessed by Silver Abominations. That meant my only real option for an attack was Clean. It was highly effective against their kind and would minimize collateral damage to the surroundings.
Normally, only I could use the specialized Clean designed to purify Silver Abominations. However, by turning it into an Enchanted Magic Tool, that limitation vanished. I had already distributed these tools to everyone in the party—including the Petit Golems—allowing us to launch a coordinated volley.
"Purify them, everyone!"
Eudas had seemed relatively unaffected earlier, yet even he had lost part of his silver arm to the spell. If we hit these two with everything we had at once, it was bound to be effective.
"I'll run interference," Lowell called out.
『I'll do the same!』
Lowell and Shiroru sprinted toward the executives as they spoke. The men must have witnessed the power of my Purification Clean moments ago, so there was no way they would take the hit without resisting. Lowell and the others intended to pressure them, forcing them into a position where they couldn't evade. Since I was using Clean, I didn't have to worry about friendly fire even if my aim was off.
However, we were a step too late.
"Wall, rise!" the executives shouted in unison.
A barrier of stone surged from the earth, encircling them. Our Clean spells struck a second later but were blocked by the physical barrier. The dust-caked stone walls grew sparkling clean in an instant, but they remained standing.
"What was that? A Stone Wall?" Halfa asked, sounding confused.
"I’m not sure. The effect is similar, but..." I replied, tilting my head.
Stone Wall was a common enough spell for generating barriers, but this felt different. The stone looked far denser and more durable than a standard Stone Wall, and the way it rose to surround them entirely was unusual. More than anything, the incantation sounded wrong. I hadn't caught it clearly, but I wondered if it was even a language from this world.
I was curious, but there was no time to ponder the mystery.
"Hah!"
Lowell reached the wall and unleashed a flurry of strikes. With blinding speed, his blade shredded the thick stone into fragments. As expected of his prowess, the barrier didn't stand a chance.
"Charge!"
"Understood!"
Seeing the opening, the Petit Golems rushed the breach, led by Allen. They likely intended to fire Clean from inside the perimeter. Lowell continued to hack away at the remaining stone, but then—
"Guh!?"
Suddenly, Lowell was blown back with immense force. Allen and the other golems were caught in the wake of the impact and swept aside.
I didn't understand what had happened at first.
No, that wasn't true. It was a sight I was intimately familiar with; I just never imagined I would see the enemy using it against us.
『Arms grew out of the wall?! Is that a Golem?』
Just as Shiroru shouted, massive Earth Arms had sprouted from the barrier and struck Lowell. It looked exactly like the constructs I made.
The stone walls rippled and surged, molding themselves around the men at the center. The masses of rock encased them entirely, forming two three-meter-tall statues. No, "statue" wasn't the right word—they were moving, their limbs perfectly synchronized with the men inside. It was a suit of Stone Armor. Despite the bulk, they moved with the fluid grace of a Golem.
『Nuhahaha! Our power erodes the very foundations of this world. Such a feat is trivial for us!』
『Our strength rules even the principles of nature. Your Power of Purification holds no sway over this!』
The men's voices rang out triumphantly. I ignored their boasting and fired another Clean, but their laughter didn't waver. The Stone Armor acted as a physical shield, preventing the purification from reaching its mark.
They seemed capable of manipulating earth just as I did with Create Golem. It was a surprise, but I wasn't out of moves yet. If they wanted to play that game, fine.
"Ground Golem! Crush them!"
Fortunately, I already had a Golem prepared. On my command, the construct spat out the Bandelt Group Lackeys it had been holding and lumbered to its feet, shifting into its Haniwa-type form. Standing over five meters tall, it towered over their Stone Armor. This would work.
The Golem raised a silent, massive fist.
『Nuh! Nuhahaha! Pathetic!』
『It seems you still fail to comprehend our power.』
The enemies didn't even flinch as the attack descended. They didn't dodge or block; they just stood there, watching the Golem.
"Eh?"
A gasp escaped me. Just before the blow landed, the Golem froze. It strained to bring its right arm down, its body letting out a heavy, groaning creak as it fought against some invisible resistance.
『Tort! Stop it! It's going to break!』
Shiroru’s warning snapped me out of my shock. I hurriedly tried to make the Golem retreat, but I was too late.
In that moment, I felt a phantom sensation—like the silent death cry of a dying creation.
The Golem's form buckled and collapsed. It turned back into lifeless dirt, crumbling into a heap on the ground.
『Nuhahaha! Brittle! So very brittle!』
『Even a Golem cannot escape our dominion.』
I didn't know exactly what they had done, but they possessed a power that could completely neutralize my Golems.