Zarah's severed arm lay motionless on the cold stone floor, blood pooling in sickly rivulets. Zainah clutched her sister, hands pressing desperately against the wound, her breaths coming in sharp, panicked gasps.
"No, no, no!" she choked.
Sett's teeth ground together. His breath came fast, sharp, seething. His women—his people—were not supposed to be in pain. They were supposed to be safe.
He had sworn it.
His head snapped toward the High Guardian.
It loomed, armor glinting, two Tomb Hearts pulsating in its clawed grip. Its hollow eyes burned with cruel amusement, its jaw slack in a silent, mocking laugh.
Sett's gaze grew cold.
He surged forward—
I can't let it absorb the Tomb Heart!
Too late.
The High Guardian raised the Tomb Hearts to its chest, and Sett could only watch as the two glowing orbs were absorbed right into its Heart Zone. The creature's form began to shift, its armor cracking and reforming, its body growing larger and more menacing.
Sett's gut twisted.
Shit. It's evolving.
"Zainah!" he barked, eyes locked on the monster. "Take Zarah and run!"
She hesitated, trembling. "But—!"
"NOW!" His voice cracked like a whip. "Don't make the same mistake twice, when I say something, you listen!"
Zainah flinched. For a heartbeat, she wavered. Then, jaw clenched, she lifted Zarah into her arms and ran. Blood dripped, warm and slick, soaking through her robes, but she didn't stop.
Sett didn't watch them go.
His world had narrowed.
The Guardian's transformation was nearly complete.
I won't let you make it so easy!
He exploded forward.
The Guardian roared, the sound like grinding stone. It swung—massive, unstoppable. Sett twisted, barely dodging as its arm smashed into the ground, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the floor.
Sett pivoted. His sword came up, slashing toward its chest—
A blur.
Steel met clawed fingers.
The Guardian caught his blade mid-swing.
Sett barely had time to curse before the creature crushed the metal in its grip. Shards rained down. A heartbeat later, a brutal fist rocketed toward him.
No time—
The impact sent him flying. He twisted midair, landing hard in a crouch. The force still rattled his bones, but he forced himself up, muscles screaming.
Think.
Both of them had incredibly tough bodies. He had a body as tough as iron while it had a body as tough as steel. It was more durable, faster, and it also had more stamina than him. Sett didn't know all of its Axiom abilities either.
Could it do anything other than suffocating using water?
Think, Sett, think! he urged himself. You can't beat it head-on. You need a plan.
He threw the broken sword's hilt at its face, briefly distracting it. Then before it focused, he swung his leg in an arc against its knees, making it buckle under its own weight. Sheer strength was useless against controlled tactics.
His eyes flicked across the chamber.
The green flames lining the walls flickered wildly.
Fire.
The Guardian's weakness.
"Argh! Kill—you!" it roared.
Sett punched its helmet with all his force, crushing the metal into oblivion. But its face remained unharmed, even harder than its armor.
He lunged away from the creature and it jumped forward to attack him.
This time, Sett didn't dodge. He let the blow connect, the force sending him flying across the room. He crashed into the wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him. But he didn't stop.
Using the momentum, he pushed himself off the wall and grabbed one of the flaming torches—and with it in hand, he ran straight at the enemy.
The flames felt hot against his skin.
His own iron body weakened at the sensation.
The creature grinned.
Suddenly, water appeared out of nowhere and the flame in Sett's hand was doused. Just like that.
Axiom of Water!
The flame on most of the torches sputtered out.
"Fuck you!" Sett threw the smoking torch at the mummy and dodged its swing.
But just as he wanted to move again, the creature swung its leg just like Sett had done earlier, and he was made to buckle under his own weight.
Fuck, this thing has Fushu's battle instincts!
Sett hit the ground hard.
The Guardian's shadow loomed, fist raised high, aiming straight for his skull.
A sound sliced through the tension.
Music.
Song of Playfulness!
The Guardian hesitated. A flicker of confusion—only for a second.
Sett moved.
He launched upward, shoulder slamming into the creature's chest. It staggered, foot skidding across the slick water.
A crack of instinct screamed at it about danger.
You are exactly where I want you.
The fire and torch had been a bait.
Sett shoved.
The Guardian stumbled—back, back—
Into the coffin.
Sett pounced, slamming the stone lid closed. The monster thrashed. Resistance came instantly, the coffin trembling under its raw power. But it held still—too heavy to be opened by raw strength.
A matchbox flew threw the air and he caught it by instinct.
"Burn it!" she shouted.
Zainah.
Sett grit his teeth. "This is useless with its Axiom."
BOOM.
A shockwave blasted him backward, spine cracking against the far wall. His ribs screamed. His breath hitched.
It used the mechanism inside to open it.
The Guardian crawled from the coffin, eyes burning with hatred.
Sett wiped blood from his mouth.
He smirked.
"Round two, then?"