Ryuuto stood tensely, facing off against the soldiers. In his right hand, he clutched a single Golem Seed.
"Attack!" Wapol commanded. Chess nocked an arrow, Kuromarimo charged forward with his fists raised, and the other soldiers either opened fire with their rifles or advanced with swords drawn.
*Crunch...*
The moment the order was given, Ryuuto crushed the Golem Seed in his hand and silently willed it to activate.
A brilliant yellow light flashed. Ryuuto felt a mysterious power surge through him as his perspective began to rise, the world around him shrinking. When the light faded, he had transformed into a small giant clad head-to-toe in bronze armor. This was the Bronze-Armored Titan!
The volley of arrows and bullets reached him.
*Clang!*
With a sharp, metallic ring, the bronze armor acted like an impenetrable fortress wall, deflecting every projectile. Not a single scratch remained on his body.
"This... is incredible!" Ryuuto thought, shocked by the power he now wielded.
Meanwhile, Dalton had already transformed into his bison form the instant the attack began. Leaping and weaving, he deftly dodged the gunfire before charging straight into the soldiers' ranks.
"Fiddle Banff!"
Wielding his massive spade, he cut a swath through the enemy lines. The soldiers, overwhelmed by his speed and strength, were instantly mowed down.
"What... what the hell is that thing?" the remaining soldiers cried out in terror, staring at the figure of the Bronze-Armored Titan.
The commotion drew the attention of both Dalton and Wapol.
"This guy..." Dalton murmured, his spade held at the ready.
Wapol, terrified, immediately began devouring nearby houses and weapons. Battle Fortress Form!
From their homes, the townsfolk watched the battle with worried eyes, silently cheering for Ryuuto and Dalton.
"I underestimated you," Wapol boomed from within his new form. A massive cannon emerged from his mouth, and countless gun barrels sprouted from his arms, all taking aim at Ryuuto and Dalton. "Now, I'll show you true despair!"
Ryuuto was still getting a feel for the titan's body. Every movement held the power to demolish a building. Finding himself unarmed, he simply uprooted a massive tree and wielded it like a club.
"Die!" Wapol roared, unleashing a barrage from his arsenal.
Dalton dug his hooves in and charged, aiming to strike Wapol down. Ryuuto, however, didn't bother dodging. He simply strode forward, swinging the tree like a bat as bullets and cannonballs hammered against his armor, producing nothing more than a series of metallic clangs.
Unharmed, both of them reached Wapol. The tyrant froze, his combat instincts far too slow. He could only watch as Dalton's massive spade and Ryuuto's tree trunk slammed into his body.
*BOOM!*
With a tremendous impact, Wapol was sent flying.
But Ryuuto quickly realized that aside from coughing up some blood, Wapol was largely unharmed.
Damn it, he thought. My own body is still just that of a normal, weak person. Even with the Bronze-Armored Titan's power, all I get is invulnerability and enhanced strength. Against Wapol, who has devoured entire buildings, it's enough to hurt him, but not enough to be fatal.
Dalton had come to the same conclusion. His spade was no longer effective against Wapol's Battle Fortress Form.
"Hahahahaha! Is that all you've got?" Wapol laughed, feeling his body and scrambling back to his feet.
"You're all going to die!" he shouted arrogantly, unleashing another endless hail of bullets from his arms. At the same time, Chess, Kuromarimo, and the rest of the soldiers cracked their knuckles and charged forward. The situation had suddenly become perilous.
Ryuuto knew he couldn't waste any time. If the Golem Seed's time limit ran out, he and Dalton would be in grave danger. With that thought, he manifested another Golem Seed in his hand and tossed it toward Dalton.
"Catch!" Ryuuto yelled.
Dalton caught the glittering yellow seed just as a brilliant light enveloped him. A moment later, he too was clad in bronze armor, his body swollen to immense proportions. Even the spade in his hands seemed to glow with a golden light, growing larger and taking on an almost divine appearance. He now resembled a colossal, sacred beast, a titanic bovine god of war.
"What is happening?! That bastard Dalton got bigger too?" Wapol stared at the scene, an overwhelming fear gripping his heart.
The sky was filled with speeding bullets.
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
They struck the armor of both Ryuuto and Dalton, sending sparks flying but inflicting no damage whatsoever.
Ryuuto and Dalton exchanged a look. Then, they both stomped their feet and moved as one. Ryuuto swung his massive tree trunk in a wide arc, sweeping it toward the soldiers, while Dalton charged at Wapol, his golden spade raised to strike.
*CRASH!*
The tree slammed into the stunned soldiers with brutal force before crashing into the snow-covered ground. The impact was devastating. Swept off their feet, the soldiers were then crushed by the aftershock. They lay motionless, blood pouring from their mouths.
Dalton, for his part, was like a divine beast incarnate—ferocious and unstoppable.
"Grand Fiddle Banff!" he roared, his four hooves kicking up a storm of snow as he charged Wapol with absolute resolve.
Slash!
A flash of golden light descended. The enormous spade sliced through Wapol's defenses as if they were nothing, cutting deep into his body with irresistible force.
*BOOM!!*
Wapol's colossal form crashed to the ground. His head lolled to the side, a gaping, bone-deep wound torn through his chest. He was no longer breathing.
Dalton stood tall, his weapon lowered. Only he and Ryuuto remained on the battlefield. King Wapol, who had ruled for so long, had finally vanished like a winter blizzard, destined to be forgotten by history.
"Wapol's been defeated!"
"He's finally dead!"
"..."
Seeing that Wapol and his entire army had been wiped out, the residents of the town poured out of their homes. Some cheered with joy. Others wept in silent relief. Drum Island had suffered under Wapol for far too long.