Merwyn’s car dropped them off in front of the main entrance of the Solynmar mansion just as the sun was beginning to set. Takeshi was the first to step out and looked at the building from the outside.

It was large, three stories tall, with a dark stone façade and a front garden lined with neatly arranged trees along the driveway.

Aoi was the second to get out of the car and positioned herself to his left, while Nyx stepped out a moment later, one pace behind, her backpack secured and her gaze fixed on the main entrance.

Takeshi noticed something.

"Isn’t Merwyn coming?"

He asked.

"She said she’d wait outside..."

Aoi replied.

"And that if we didn’t come out within an hour, she’d call someone."

’I see. I guess she doesn’t want to get too involved in this matter.’

The gate wasn’t locked. Nyx pushed it open and it gave way without resistance, which was strange.

They entered the garden and walked toward the front door. Takeshi paid attention to their surroundings and noticed there were no visible security personnel, no lights on in any first-floor windows, and no sound coming from inside.

Aoi briefly touched Takeshi’s shoulder and pointed at the door with her eyes. It was slightly open.

Nyx pushed it slowly. The interior was dark. The main entrance opened into a spacious hall with a high ceiling and a central staircase leading to the second floor. On both sides were closed doors that led to other sections of the ground level.

There was no one there.

Takeshi listened to the silence for a moment. It was the kind of silence that happens when something is waiting.

[total bad vibes]

[don’t go in]

[they already went in]

[someone’s going to die today and I hope it’s not Takeshi]

"Stay close."

Takeshi said quietly.

’Something isn’t right here...’

They moved toward the center of the hall. The floor was polished stone, and their footsteps echoed. Takeshi looked at the side doors.

’No sign of movement.’

Suddenly, the floor moved.

In less than two seconds, three forms of earth and rock emerged from different points of the hall. Each stood three meters tall and weighed enough to make the floor tremble slightly with every step.

Aoi summoned Eclipse before the golems finished forming. Nyx took two steps back toward the wall and assessed their positions.

Takeshi didn’t move from where he stood. He looked at the golems and calculated. There were three of them, positioned in a way that covered the main access points to the hall.

’Who’s controlling them?’

No one was visible in the hall, and the side doors remained closed.

One of the golems slammed the ground near Aoi, shaking the floor. She dodged without difficulty and counterattacked with Eclipse, leaving a deep mark on the golem’s arm before repositioning.

"Someone’s controlling them."

Nyx warned, her gaze scanning the space.

"This type of golem doesn’t act on its own."

"I know..."

Takeshi replied.

"We need to find whoever’s controlling them."

Before he could say anything else, one of the side doors opened.

Sylion Solynmar entered the hall with a calm stride, as if the situation were completely under his control. He wore formal clothing, no visible weapons, his hands slightly raised at his sides.

"I didn’t expect you to come tonight..."

He said in a bored tone.

"But it doesn’t matter. This will solve many problems for me."

Takeshi looked at the statistics that appeared above Sylion’s head.

[SYLION SOLYNMAR]

[Strength: 20]

[Speed: 20]

[Magic: 78]

[Endurance: 10]

[Accuracy: 95]

’He has less magic than Nyx, but that accuracy is absurd.’

Takeshi realized he was being used as the visible arm of someone operating from behind the scenes.

But that didn’t make him any less dangerous right now.

Aoi positioned herself in front of the nearest golem. Sylion glanced toward her, and one of the golems shifted to intercept her.

Takeshi made his decision at that moment.

"Aoi, Nyx, look for the woman who’s manipulating him. I’m sure she has to be somewhere in this mansion."

Aoi immediately looked at him.

"I’m not leaving you here alone."

She protested at once.

"The golems are hard to destroy..."

Takeshi replied.

"If the three of us stay here, Sylion will keep us busy while time passes and that woman uses the chance to escape. So we have no choice but to split up."

"You don’t have a weapon."

"Relax. I don’t need a weapon."

It wasn’t a completely true statement, but it was true enough to stand by.

"And from what they told us in class, maintaining three golems at the same time must be draining a lot of energy for Sylion, so that should balance things in my favor, right?"

Aoi didn’t answer immediately. She first looked at Sylion and then at the golems.

"Trust me."

Takeshi said with complete sincerity.

That was the right phrase.

Aoi held his gaze for another second and then nodded.

"If something goes wrong..."

she warned.

"You’ll have to explain it to me in person."

"Deal."

Aoi turned toward Nyx.

"Let’s go."

Nyx looked at Takeshi once before following Aoi. She didn’t say anything, but her expression showed she wasn’t completely convinced either. Still, she obeyed and went after Aoi. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The two of them headed toward the staircase, but one of the golems tried to block their path. Aoi cut it in half with Eclipse in a clean motion and continued upstairs without stopping.

The hall fell into relative silence.

’I know I told Aoi all that, but I have absolutely no idea how I’m getting out of this unharmed...’

The two remaining golems repositioned themselves toward Takeshi. Sylion watched him from the opposite end of the space.

"Do you really think you can handle this alone?"

Sylion asked incredulously, with the tone of someone who considered the situation a minor inconvenience.

Takeshi looked at the two golems and then addressed Sylion.

"I don’t know yet."

He continued.

"But that won’t stop me from my decision."

[place your bets on who wins]

[LET’S GO]

[all in for the kid]

[if he dies here I’m getting mad]

Sylion made a slight movement with his right hand, and the golems advanced.