The battle between Alex and Clara against Gor'Mak did not slow down for even a second. The battlefield was chaos, sand, broken stone fragments, and waves of corrupted aura clashing violently in every direction. Gor'Mak's body, now overflowing with that same corrupted aura, looked terrifying. The black energy filled every gap between his armor plates and leaked out like toxic smoke. His heavy body seemed lighter, faster, more focused, and all of that focus was aimed directly at Alex.
Alex stared at the golem's new form and wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead. Even though danger increased, he still smiled slightly.
"I guess I have to get serious as well."
His voice was calm, but Clara felt the pressure around them increasing. Gor'Mak moved first. He slammed his fists into the ground so hard that the entire battlefield rippled. Cracks shot across the ruins and explosive fissures erupted outward like angry waves. Clara immediately raised her wand and brought forth a shield of bright energy. The barrier formed just in time, blocking the line of destruction rushing toward them.
Dust and smoke rose in a thick cloud, but Alex rushed out of it instantly. His pickaxe glowed faintly, the wind spinning tightly around its edges.
"Gale-Edge Impact!"
He struck Gor'Mak again and again. One hit, then another, then more, sonic booms echoed with each impact as wind-assisted strikes doubled his speed. Alex pushed himself harder, swinging so quickly that it was almost impossible to follow his movements.
But Gor'Mak did not budge.
The corrupted armor didn't crack, didn't shake. It was like Alex was hitting a mountain that refused to move. Gor'Mak reacted, swinging his enormous arms left and right with surprising speed. Alex dodged by jumping back, rolling, or leaping into the air. Clara quickly created floating barriers in midair, giving him extra places to step on and change direction.
The two fought like they were made for each other, Alex unpredictable and flexible, Gor'Mak massive and relentless. Neither backed away. Both waited for that one single moment that would decide everything.
Then Gor'Mak spoke in his distorted voice.
"Gargantuan Reforge."
Darkness surged again. His body twisted, reshaped, and reformed. The huge stone armor broke apart, shrinking into a compact but far more dangerous frame. His main body was smaller, but on each shoulder, enormous cannon-like structures emerged. His arms transformed as well, sharp spikes growing out of them like jagged weapons made from living metal.
Then he fired.
Massive cannon blasts shot out, tearing through the battlefield. Each shot was powerful enough to break anything that stood in its path. Alex tried to dodge, but the shots came too fast and too precisely.
Clara lifted her wand again.
"Blessing of Aegis!"
A glowing aura covered Alex, forming a powerful shield around him. The next cannonball hit the shield and bounced off with a loud clang. The force pushed Alex back several steps, but he wasn't harmed.
Still, Alex knew the shield wouldn't last forever.
He narrowed his eyes. "Can't keep this going too long."
He took a deep breath and kicked up sand and wind around him.
"Mirage Divide!"
His body split into multiple copies, sand illusions mixed with wind distortions. Gor'Mak's vision blurred instantly. The golem turned left, then right, then swung wildly at the clones. He fired cannon blasts everywhere. Every swing that missed shook the battlefield. Every shot that hit the ground sent dust flying into the sky.
Alex moved along with his clones, speeding across the battlefield, each step lighter than before. He mixed himself into the illusion perfectly, delivering several more Gale-Edge Impact strikes. Even though the hits didn't hurt Gor'Mak, they made him frustrated. A few of Gor'Mak's own wild swings struck his own body. Cracks began forming, small at first, then wider, spreading slowly across his armor.
Alex noticed immediately.
He erased the clones all at once.
The battlefield went silent for a split second. Gor'Mak froze, confused by the sudden disappearance of all the copies.
That moment was enough.
Alex took a deep breath and spun his pickaxe overhead. Sand lifted off the ground, circling him in tight spirals. Wind joined in, spinning faster and faster, until the swirling mass began to form the shape of a massive sand dragon.
"Desert Dragon Drive!"
Alex launched himself forward like a falling comet. He aimed directly at the widest crack on Gor'Mak's chest. The sand dragon roared as it collided with Gor'Mak, shaking the ground with the force of the impact.
A huge shattering sound echoed through the entire battlefield.
Cracks tore across Gor'Mak's body. The corrupted golem screamed under the pressure. Alex fell back to the ground, panting heavily. His knees shook from exhaustion, he had put everything into that attack.
Clara let out a long breath. "Finally… it's over."
Alex allowed himself one small smile, tired but relieved.
But before either of them could relax, a deep voice rumbled through the ground.
"Titan… forge… Re… generation…"
The sand around them trembled. The ground shook violently. Pieces of minerals, stone, and debris scattered around the ruins suddenly rose into the air and flew toward Gor'Mak's broken body. They began repairing him, fusing with the cracks, rebuilding his armor again, and strengthening it even more.
Alex's face hardened.
"Not yet, huh?"
Gor'Mak stood again, glowing with brand-new armor, stronger and darker than before. He wasted no time and rushed forward, swinging both arms at Alex. The speed was terrifying. Alex dodged, but compared to earlier, his movements were noticeably slower.
He was exhausted. Clara saw it immediately.
"Alex! Keep him busy, just for a few minutes!"
Alex didn't ask anything. He just nodded and kept moving. Dodging. Rolling. Jumping. Even if he got grazed by Gor'Mak's arms, he forced himself to stay on his feet.
Clara planted her wand on the ground and started chanting. Her voice grew louder, the spell longer and more complicated. Light began gathering around her, forming a tiny, shining orb that grew brighter with every second.
Alex kept fighting alone, barely. Every time Gor'Mak smashed the ground, Alex jumped over it. Every time Gor'Mak tried to crush him, Alex slipped past. His lungs burned. His legs were getting heavier. But he refused to fall.
Finally...
"Arcanum Reunifica!"
Clara aimed the shining orb at Alex.
"WAIT...CLARA..." he shouted.
Too late.
The orb hit him.
Alex screamed, his whole body felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside. Clara shouted back, "SORRY!"
But then… everything changed.
Alex felt lighter. A lot lighter. His body felt strong, unbelievably strong. His muscles felt like they were overflowing with power. The pain came from the sudden burst of mana, the most mana he had ever held in his entire life.
Clara dropped to her knees, exhausted. "Now it's all up to you."
Alex looked at Gor'Mak. The golem charged again, but this time Alex parried the giant arm with one swing of his pickaxe. The impact echoed, shocking even Gor'Mak.
Alex narrowed his eyes.
"Alright… now it's my turn."
He smashed the pickaxe into the ground.
"Dune Shatter!"
Tall sand pillars erupted upward and trapped Gor'Mak, locking his arms, legs, and entire body in place. The golem roared, struggling uselessly.
Then Alex lifted his pickaxe.
The air grew hotter. Sand trembled under his feet. A strange divine presence, something ancient and heavy, settled around him.
"Apocalyptic Arid Archon."
All the desert's heat, every grain of sand, every dry gust of wind, seemed to gather at the tip of his pickaxe. Alex swung with everything he had.
A massive explosion shook the entire battlefield.
Sand blasted into the sky. The roar echoed like thunder.
And when the dust settled…
Alex stood tall, breathing hard but steady. Clara looked at him weakly.
Alex turned to her and raised his thumb. "We're done here."
Gor'Mak's body was shattered completely. His glowing eyes flickered weakly.
"Task… failed…"
And then he fell apart entirely.
Alex picked Clara up gently, holding her steady.
"Let's go. The war still continues."
And together, they ran toward the center of the battlefield once more, because nothing was over yet.