It didn’t break.
But the resistance wasn’t stable.
The domain around me pressed against it, the surface of its frame cracking slightly where the energy settled, and I followed through immediately, the second strike landing before it could recover, the axe biting deeper this time as the accumulated force broke through its structure, the impact driving into its core and splitting it apart from within.
The next one was already moving.
Two blades came in from opposite sides, their timing precise, meant to pin me between them, but I stepped forward instead of back, the movement carrying me through the narrowing gap as the domain pressure forced their trajectories slightly off, just enough to avoid a clean hit.
I drove the axe forward into one, the impact staggering it before I pivoted into the other, the motion continuous as I kept moving instead of holding position.
Behind me, I could feel the shift of Lyrate’s energy as roots broke through the ground, wrapping around the legs of another puppet and locking it in place while Knight slipped past its reach, his blades cutting into the joints where the armor thinned.
The formation tried to close again.
I didn’t let it.
"Impact Burst."
The skill drove me forward into the next line, the ground cracking beneath me as I entered their space, the axe coming down with force that didn’t just strike, but carried through, the energy detonating on contact as the structure of the puppet gave way under it.
"Annihilator Cleave."
Energy surged through me and coated my axe in another yellow glow and lightning flashed across it. Without waiting I was all over the formation as I began cutting through the frames of the puppet with tremendous efficiency.
The last of the golden constructs fell apart under the combined pressure of movement and force, its frame splitting at the joints before collapsing into a heap of metal that no longer held shape, and for a brief moment the space in front of the red dome cleared, the ground marked with scattered remains and deep cracks that traced the path of every strike.
I straightened slightly, letting the axe settle in my grip as the energy around me stabilized into that constant weight, the domain pressing outward without needing direction, and just as I began to step forward toward the barrier, something shifted inside the city.
It wasn’t subtle.
The surface of the red dome rippled once, like something had struck it from the inside, and before the distortion could settle, a shape burst through, forcing its way out with a violent displacement that tore through the barrier’s surface before sealing behind it. It landed hard in front of us, the impact driving into the ground with enough force to push debris outward in a sharp ring.
It was another metal giant.
Its frame was built from black metal, darker than anything else in the area, absorbing light instead of reflecting it, and the sword in its hand carried a dull grey tone that looked heavier, denser, like it had been forged for a single purpose.
I heard its frame groaning slightly and then it vanished.
The distance between us disappeared faster than the others had managed, its speed cutting through the space as the blade came down in a direct strike aimed at my position, and I brought the axe up to meet it, the collision sending a sharp shock through my arms as the force behind the strike drove me back a step before I could stabilize.
"Yeah," I muttered under my breath as I adjusted my stance, "that’s more like it."
It didn’t respond.
The next strike came immediately, the blade cutting across in a horizontal arc that forced me to shift backward, the edge passing close enough to carry the weight of the impact even without contact, and before I could counter, it stepped in again, the follow-up coming from above as the sword dropped in a vertical strike that drove me further back.
The pressure was different.
The domain pushed against it, but instead of cracking like the others, its surface held, the black metal absorbing the strain without breaking, and each movement it made carried weight that didn’t fade after impact.
I moved forward again, bringing the axe across in a heavy strike, but it met me head-on this time, the grey blade intercepting mine mid-motion, the clash holding for a fraction before it pushed through, forcing my weapon aside and driving a strike into my side that sent me sliding across the ground.
Knight shifted in from the side, trying to create an opening, but the construct turned with him, the sword cutting across its path and forcing him back before he could land anything clean, and when Lyrate’s roots surged upward to bind its legs, the blade came down once, severing them before they could fully tighten.
"This one is much stronger," Knight said, keeping his distance now.
"Yeah," I replied, rolling my shoulder once as I stepped forward again, the impact settling into my body without slowing me down.
The next exchange came faster.
I closed the distance, Radiant Drive carrying me in as the axe came down in a heavy arc, but it met me again, the blade intercepting with precise timing, the force of the collision pushing back through my stance as it followed through immediately, the return strike catching me across the chest and driving me back once more.
The impact hurt.
Which meant something else started building. A faint shift ran through my body as the energy responded.
"Alright," I said quietly.
"Berserk."
The shift was immediate.
Strength surged through me, faster, sharper, the stored energy rising alongside it as the domain around me tightened slightly, the pressure increasing as I stepped forward again without hesitation.
The construct moved to meet me.
This time I didn’t give it space.
The first strike came low, the axe cutting across with enough force to force it to block rather than counter, the impact ringing out as metal met metal, and before it could push back, I chained the second strike immediately, reversing the motion and bringing the blade up from below, the force carrying through its guard and cracking the surface of its frame for the first time.
It adjusted.
But I was already gone from its sight.
The third strike followed without pause, the axe coming down again with everything I had gathered, the impact landing cleanly as the accumulated energy detonated through the point of contact, the black metal finally giving way as the force broke through its structure and drove into its core.
The frame staggered.
I stepped in.
The final motion was clean.
The axe came across its neck in a swift arc, the edge cutting through the weakened frame without resistance this time, the head separating from the body as the rest of it collapsed a moment later, the pieces hitting the ground with a heavy finality that marked the end of the fight.
I stood there for a second, the energy settling as the domain expanded slightly around me again.
"Now we’re done."