Game Over, Man?

In a single-file line, Lone Star's members began maneuvering their way through the tight corridor. They were all in darkness except for a faint light far ahead, only comforted by each other's steady breaths. Nervousness, tension, impatience, and bouts of delirium were all likely festering within everyone but not one person showed it outwardly. Reputations needed to be upheld but even the sturdiest of men could shatter. 

All remained silent, but after a few precious moments, footsteps echoed as everyone carefully emerged into an enormous, dome-like cavern. The more hardened members lumbered ahead.

First, it was the sound of slow trudges from Lone Star's knight—heavy, metallic scraping, combined with the clanging of armor plates with every step. He wielded a gleaming shield at the ready that looked capable of withstanding anything.

Then Hiro in his black outfit was right behind, bearing a tremendous executioner blade poised for offense or defense. Both men were alert like hawks, watching for any danger—or prey.

Makoto just behind them led his group of elemental Mages. One of their wands radiated heat, while another's magical staff was coated with wind. Makoto's revolvewands in each hand glowed bright green and were primed to fire at anything that moved. Three sets of Mage shoes, including leather cowboy boots, all stood out against the multitudes of gray gravel they grinded against. 

Finally, Daichi in the back observed all his surroundings with finesse, determined to call out any danger. The cavern's flat terrain lacked any obstacles, giving off the appearance of an enclosed arena. And dozens of meters above, rings of glowing crystals illuminated the entire cave with fluorescent blue hues. 

Wait, what's that over there? Daichi squinted towards an exit far across the cavern. What looked like the only way to proceed was sealed off by a thin, red veil of energy. Most likely, it acted as a barrier until whatever lurked around was defeated. 

"Stay frosty," Sanae whispered beside him. She had her own Cleric staff in her hands readied for combat. "We're not safe here."

He nodded, and watched Hiro with the shielder in front cautiously move further forward. Makoto and his two Mages were right behind them as backup. 

Kinda weird we haven't seen any enemies yet. Daichi's head swiveled around again to survey things. We're already in the cavern's center, and there's no holes or anything to hide in, so what gives? Invisible enemies? Why haven't they attacked yet? Microscopic enemies? The unpredictability ate away at his and everyone else’s composure.

Out of the corner of Daichi's eye, he noticed some pebbles fall from above. A glance up revealed slow cracks forming in the high ceiling that attracted everyone’s attention.

And then like Earth itself shattered, the stone ceiling exploded and a gargantuan figure crashed down on everyone, severing their formation. The turbulent gust its landing created whipped Daichi hard enough to halve his health.

Ack! He was forced back and could only watch as a slaughter commenced.

The stone creature’s axe-like arms collided into the shielder, hurling him clear across the cavern and cratering against a wall. Plates of paladin armor burst off as blood erupted from his mouth.

“Get back, everyone!” Hiro screamed as he readied his blade. “ENRAGE!”

A red energy infused itself into him, radiating from his body like a living torch. Half the cavern was dyed a demonic hue and drawing the stone creature's single, green eye towards him.

Can't afford to get in their way! Daichi used the chance to run to the cavern's posterior with Sanae. She healed him then cast a long-range heal with her staff on the distant, battered shielder.

“Stay low! Behind me!" she commanded Daichi. A fierce battle raged in front of them as Sanae’s acute eyes scanned the battlefield for whoever needed help.

Daichi finally had time analyze his faraway enemy:

[Name: Golem

Level: 85

Lore: A relic that once served royalty but was cast aside when its urge to destroy couldn’t be contained. Its stone body is nearly indestructible and few know its only weakness.]

The Golem’s upper body was long and thick like a huge totem pole. At its base a house-sized boulder acted like hips to its six, rocky legs. Strange carvings were etched up its body, culminating around its large eye at the tip. Though the Golem was stone, it flexed flexibility as its lengthy arms continued to lash at Hiro. The Mages countered with magic volleys but were all doing little to nothing. 

Is this all I can do? Daichi thought. Hiding behind a girl who's constantly saving me? Getting almost killed by some wind? Needing actual men to fight for me? What kind of man am I anyway?

Lone Star's fighters ahead split up, dividing the Golem’s vicious attention. Multiple blasts of wind and fire ducked around stone arms to reach their target. But the Mages only bought time for Hiro to activate Enrage again, attracting the creature's ire once more.

What happens if we all die here? Dominion said there’s no end goal, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have one! I gotta do something!

As Daichi prepared to cast a summon, he saw Makoto fly high up as the Golem pummeled Hiro. Underneath Makoto’s cowboy boots, two purple discs of energy formed, lifting him upwards. He hovered higher and higher, soaring around the Golem until he found a blind spot. His glowing revolvewands aimed at the Golem's side then he flipped himself upside down like a bat.

"DIE!" With devilish ferocity, Makoto unleashed a green barrage of hellfire. Blast after blast consumed the Golem as its joints moaned in deafening protest. It used an arm to catch its fall but a towering twister soon engulfed its entire body. Hurricane-force winds battered everyone nearby as Makoto continued his green siege.

"Incinerate!" Fire Mage below pointed their red-hot wand towards the twister—spewing a torrent of flames. The ferocious twister erupted into a twisting inferno that surged to the ceiling.

Incessant heat and spires of fire forced Makoto away from the blaze. He hovered to a safe distance then crossed his arms outward towards his engulfed target. A ghoulish, green energy orb began forming between his revolvewands. Daichi could faintly make out a sinister grin as Makoto continued charging energy—the cowboy discharged his green missile, crashing against Golem with devastating force. Shockwaves rattled the entire cavern into a full-blown earthquake. 

"AAAHHH!" Sanae screamed from the sudden explosion as its force blew her back. Daichi reacted fast and caught her, curling up to shield her from debris.

It's my turn to protect you! He was blasted back several meters but defended every inch of Sanae he could. His body scraped against a rocky floor until at last reaching a full halt.

Soon, the air was silent and unbreathable. Noxious clouds of dust, fumes, and smoke billowed everywhere like an overworked gas chamber. Only hues of blue from crystals above granted faint light through the cavern's smog.

Daichi coughed into his shoulder, still clasping Sanae between his arms. He rolled to his side and lifted himself slightly off her.

“A-Are you ok?” he stammered. Daichi's stamina felt drained. His vision began contorting but he held a grasp to consciousness.

“I’m alright,” she responded. Sanae was looking up at him with a flustered face, inches away from his own. Their frantic pants masked the sounds of their pounding hearts—beating not from the explosion but from their sheer closeness to one another.

She actually is kinda cute. Maybe I should . . . Daichi's lips tried curling into a smile, but a stabbing pain made him wince.

Then his body slumped to the ground.

“Daichi!” Sanae grabbed hold then turned him over. A slab of stone was protruding out from his back, and she hurriedly yanked it out, spraying forth blood.

Red alert bells manifested in Daichi's POV as his health neared zero. Bell chimes managed to just barely keep him conscious while a healing spell was cast over him. He could hear Sanae's gentle serenade and feel her divine glow overtaking him. But an immobilized body granted him spare time to muse.

Why did I spring into action like that? he thought. Was I really willing to sacrifice my sister and maybe even answers about mom for chivalry? Or maybe I really have fallen in . . .

The dust clouds around them began clearing. Soon, Daichi's wound closed up and he watched his health return to full. Sanae beside him was on her knees, searching his body for any more injuries. A few quick checks under his chin then she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t do that again!" she yelled. Both glee and anger permeated her voice "I’m supposed to protect you, not the other way around! You should have just stayed behind me!”

“But I was behind you the whole time,” Daichi smiled from the ground. “Sorry for being so useless I can’t even be a good meat shield.”

Sanae's finger reached to rub her eyes, then let out the cutest of giggles. “You’re a lot like Hiro, you know that?”

"Wish I was more like him to be honest, haha."

Then, a metallic-like creaking attracted their attention. The duo turned to face their familiar foe materializing from a distant dirt cloud. Half its legs were blown off and it needed an arm for a crutch to stop itself from falling over.

As dust settled, the Golem's scorched body came into full view—desperation in its eye gave birth to a burning rage. The fighters below formed a new perimeter around their crumbling enemy.

“Stay here! I gotta go help!” Sanae rushed off to the scene with her staff readied in hand. Daichi couldn’t do anything but obey and watch.

Makoto was hovering behind the Golem, still upside down. He aimed his revolvewands once more, but a deluge of panic blanketed him when the Golem’s upper body rotated 360 degrees. An oppressing, huge green eye stared straight into him, bearing palpable amounts of pure animosity. 

Then the eye discharged a potent green blast, swallowing Makoto whole. Explosive recoil sent the Golem crashing down backwards, quaking the cavern itself. Both Mages below yelled out for their cowboy leader who was seemingly obliterated. 

But up above, a spec of twinkling white peaked through the smoke clouds. Makoto materialized surrounded by a spherical forcefield. He looked jarred and surprised by its sudden appearance.

Sanae marched forward on the battlefield as her staff glistened, focusing on projecting Makoto’s barrier that'd saved him. Her confident stride soon slowed to a trembling trudge as her knees began buckling. Likely from being drained of MP, she soon collapsed to the ground and her staff rolled out of her hands.

“Sanae!” Hiro shouted. He motioned to help her but a loud cracking noise behind stopped him in his tracks. In the middle of Golem’s totem body, a stone covering chipped away, revealing one bright, green core. It was obvious what needed to happen.

“Forget her!” Makoto yelled from above. “Finish off that Golem!”

Daichi saw the floating cowboy still trapped within Sanae's barrier while the other Mages were too weakened to move. Only Hiro remained poised for action, his spare fist clenching hard as he likely found himself caught between glory and aiding his unconscious friend.

Well, I was always bad at listening when it mattered, Daichi thought, and he raced off towards the battlefield.

Everyone seemed surprised seeing him on the frontline. But he didn’t care what they thought, only what he himself thought was right. His legs crouched down to check on Sanae and he examined her condition with as little physical contact as possible. She was breathing—and that was all that mattered.

“She’s all right,” Daichi exclaimed, looking over towards Hiro. “I can do this much at least.”

"Right, thank you!" Hiro’s confidence returned and he leapt back towards the Golem. With a final screaming swoop his blade came down like a guillotine on the green core, slicing it and Golem in half. Rubble flew everywhere while the creature’s stone body dissipated into particles, leaving behind only several tiny item boxes.

Huh? Daichi’s EXP meter appeared. It rocketed up faster than he could see, jumping several levels until it finally settled on level 9. A list popped up detailing new skills he’d unlocked alongside how many skill points he earned. His stats also earned huge boosts. Woah! I’ll hit level 10 soon as heck like this!

Sanae below started rustling. Her fatigued but still pleasant face glanced up at him. “Mmm . . . What happened?”

Ummm . . . Daichi looked over at Hiro, who was kneeling over from exhaustion on the ground. Well, he does deserve credit. “We were all saved by Hiro, like he usually does I bet.”

Her eyes lit up with the mention of that name. She sat up and scanned the guild members for damage, apparently none injured enough for immediate care. She calmed herself by placing a hand to her chest as Makoto came gliding in.

“Yo, darlin’!" His face had been peppered with dirt and parts of his clothes were burnt, but he seemed otherwise unscathed. "Ya' really saved my ass back there! Ultimate badass! Even kiddie here did swell! Ya-hoo!"

"Really? Don't think I did much though," Daichi modestly said.

"Probably, yeah! But good job anyway, both of y'all! No game over today!” Makoto did a quick dance then ran to check on the others.

I'll take praise whenever I can get it, haha. Daichi helped Sanae up who looked a bit stunned. But her dazed expression soon morphed into delight. 

“Oh! Wow! You leveled up a lot!” she said with excited eyes. “Congrats, you’re almost level 10!”

“Yeah, I feel completely different! Like I can take on the world now!” He tried to flex his robed arms, but it dawned on him how pointless it looked when Hiro was now standing right beside him—a titan of pure, wild muscle. 

“Sanae?” Hiro said. Honest concern rung in his voice.

She beamed a warm smile to reassure him. “Mm! I'm okay! Thanks for getting MVP! You did it while saving everyone too!”

"No." Hiro shook his head. "I'm MVP in name only. Daichi deserves the title; he did the right thing when I spent too much time hesitating.”

“Daichi?” Sanae looked over to him while he sheepishly scratched his head and looked at the ground. A pair of white boots came into his view and feminine arms gently wrapped around him.

Sanae pressed herself into Daichi. Even through his dust-laden robe, he could still feel the warmth of her body and smell her mild sweetness. His mind—or his heart—rushed with bashful emotions, but he accepted her gesture, letting himself lean into her.

“Guess we’ve both saved each other lots today, huh?” she whispered in a flirtatious tone.

"I'm probably the bigger damsel in distress though, haha," he replied, allowing himself to hug her with one arm.

In the background, a proud Hiro smiled and walked away, as if satisfied with the duo's newfound closeness.