"Is this the extent of your strength?"
"In that case, it is our turn."
The moment they spoke, the Stone Armors lunged forward. They kicked off with enough force to gouge the earth, accelerating at a speed that defied their massive frames. One charged toward me, while the other headed for Lowell’s group, who were still struggling to regain their footing.
"Tort!"
Hearing Halfa’s scream, I invoked Stone Wall to conjure a massive barrier of earth. It was meant to buy time and act as a screen, but—
"Hah!"
With a sharp shout from the Stone Armor, the wall instantly crumbled into dust. It had met the same end as my Golem.
"Do you still not understand? All things are governed by the Principles of the World. Your power is useless against us, for we have mastered those Principles."
The Principles of the World? Is that like the source code of reality?
If they really had total control over the world, I wouldn’t stand a chance... but I doubted it was that absolute. If they could do whatever they wanted, they could probably snuff out human lives with a thought. Yet, they only seemed to be manipulating the earth. It felt a bit half-baked.
I didn't have the full picture yet, but I suspected their power wasn't quite as invincible as they claimed.
"Hyaaah! Shatter into pieces!!!"
Halfa unleashed a Shock Voice aimed directly at the Stone Armor's head. While her sonic attacks were risky in a city, there were few tall buildings here; by directing the blast upward, she avoided any collateral damage. Good thinking.
"Gunu!"
The Stone Armor’s head was blown apart, and a frustrated grunt escaped its chest.
"I’ve got you!"
Before the Stone Armor could retaliate, Ice Ivy snaked around it, binding its limbs. Spira was the one controlling it, of course. The Stone Armor swatted at the vines as if they were pesky insects, but the ivy grew so rapidly that it couldn't keep up.
Further off, the giantized Shiroru and Lowell were working in tandem to pin down the other Stone Armor. We clearly had the upper hand.
I’d been startled when my Golem was neutralized, but maybe these guys weren't that tough after all?
That proved to be wishful thinking.
"Heh... You’re more capable than I thought. However!"
As the Stone Armor spoke, its body began to swell. It was absorbing earth from beneath its feet to grow even larger. Its shattered head was restored in an instant. Then, with a surge of strength, it effortlessly tore through the restrictive vines.
"Ugh... I can’t... hold it!"
Spira, who had been pushing her restraint to the limit, was panting heavily. Her mana was practically bottomless, but outputting that much in such a short burst clearly took a mental toll. Despite her best efforts, she hadn't been able to keep the Stone Armor pinned.
The creature’s strength was immense. However, the Ice Ivy hadn’t crumbled into dust like my stone walls or Golems had. It had been broken through raw, physical force. It confirmed my suspicion: they couldn't just delete everything at will.
"No! No! Nooo!"
"Heh... Useless. Quite useless."
Halfa fired off several Shock Voices in rapid succession. Each blast took a chunk out of the Stone Armor, but it regenerated so quickly that her efforts were like a drop in the bucket. Still, she was buying us time.
"Spira, can you make some ice? Something huge—bigger than those guys."
"Just plain ice? Yeah, I can do that, but..."
I felt bad for pushing her when she was already tired, but I needed this.
"Nu? What are you planning?"
The Stone Armor noticed Spira’s movements, but Halfa and I kept it distracted. Even if it could regenerate instantly, taking damage still forced it to pause for a second.
"It’s ready!"
"Thanks!"
I looked up at the ice pillar Spira had manifested. It was colossal—roughly the size of a four- or five-story building from my old world. This would work!
"What now?"
"Now, I turn it into a Golem."
So far, their "Mastery" only seemed to apply to earth. If that was the case, I just needed to make a Golem out of something else.
"Go! Ice Golem!"
I poured my mana into the structure. I’d been worried about the cost due to its size, but the transformation happened surprisingly smoothly. Maybe because some of Spira’s mana was still lingering in the ice?
With a series of sharp creaks, the massive Golem lurched forward. Each step made the ground tremble. It was an intimidating sight.
"What?!"
The Stone Armor let out a panicked cry. Just as I thought, it couldn't instantly dismantle the ice like it did the earth. Instead, it began drawing more soil to itself, trying to match the Golem’s size.
The Ice Golem didn't give it the chance, bringing a massive fist down on the creature.
The Stone Armor managed to catch the blow with both hands, but it lacked the leverage to push back. Its stony body groaned under the weight.
"Hyaaah!"
Halfa added her support with a Shock Voice. The Stone Armor’s shell began to crack further.
While the enemy was trying to grow larger, the mounting damage forced it to prioritize regeneration. We were on the verge of overwhelming it.
"Gugh... This is...! Forgive me, Domdan. I need your help!"
"What? Oh, that’s a big one. Nuhaha! Not bad at all!"
Cornered, the Stone Armor called out to its partner. Domdan was apparently the name of the one Shiroru was fighting.
Domdan rushed over and delivered a heavy kick to the Ice Golem’s side. It wasn't enough to break the Golem, but it knocked it off balance. That opening allowed the first Stone Armor to slip away.
"Are you unharmed, Damros?"
"Umu. You have my thanks."
"Then all is well. Together, our Mastery shall be absolute."
The two Stone Armors braced themselves to take on the Ice Golem together. Even so, the Golem had a massive size advantage. Even as a duo, they struggled to find an opening to attack.
And they weren't just fighting the Golem. We peppered them with ranged attacks whenever an opening appeared, chipping away at their outer shells. Without the breathing room to regenerate, the Stone Armors were slowly being whittled down.
I was sure we were about to win. Then, I heard a sharp crack.
A massive fissure appeared on the Ice Golem's arm. Crack. The sound echoed again.
"Nuhahaha! Mastery is complete!"
"No matter in this world can escape our power!"
Immediately after their triumphant shouts, the Ice Golem shattered into a million pieces, its body dissolving into a cloud of glittering ice crystals.
So, they could neutralize the Ice Golem too. However, it had taken them significantly longer than it had with the earth version. There was a hint in that delay—a way to win.