Reincarnated as a Duck

No matter how someone looked at magic, be it from a newcomer's or a magus's perspective, there were no perfect methods for wielding spells, handling swords, or further techniques. What mattered was skill and understanding, and men and beasts comprehended it differently.

The point was about this unnerving and never-ending pursuit of perfection that had cultivated cultures and worlds alike for countless generations.

The truth and advancement never changed that, and Murai believed and followed that non-existent perfection all the freaking time. How to wield his two Sharpblades was something like that. It wasn't wrong, but it wasn't right either.

Wasn't it frustrating to live through what felt like hundreds of thousands of years and still find it wrong? Coupled with lives and even more problems and gifts, it did give at least something. Murai couldn't deny that or make it less of a truth than it was.

Doubting himself made it worse, yet if it made sense, being a human would settle this one in a completely different route, or even change his entire aspects. It wouldn't be so darn hard, and unkempt, yet... Was he even hurt? He was, but not anymore. Perhaps it wasn't about that in the slightest, though a human body moved so much smoother along his mind. It wouldn't even make sense after what he went through.

Murai wouldn't even think twice about some choices, body, or becoming wild. He would make it different and make a difference. Where? How? He didn't know that, but he imagined results like dreams, even if they were false and like unfit holes in his current life. He couldn't even hide in them.

A human peerless status controlled a myriad of great truths, evolving magic, and coming with quicker solutions and turns. Spells, swords, blades. It was not all connected to one flesh, but he would work with them so much better and quicker than this.

His hands could feel the strands and bits of mana, contacting the strands and emphasizing shapes like blood and imagination. One could change stances, shapes, and power in a heartbeat. Like instincts, snap of a finger, or breathing, magic was in blood, and blood was in magic.

Humans reigned over beasts, and their peerless set of examples reached the heavens. Epochs and time offered that truth to many, and no one disputing that either knew the vastness of space or lived for long enough to see the truth. Murai did see that and recognized the degree of talent and abyss.

Still, some worlds were better, and lives mattered one way or another, as fairness was subjective. What was the first thing that came to mind and flesh?

Perhaps opening the eye was nothing but the missing piece that everyone was looking for, but many beings opened them faster than others, which wasn't about fairness.

Mana lived everywhere, yet not everyone was equal to it. It made sense, contrasting worlds and conspiring Epochs into directions like energy that rushed into all sides without a single apparent aim.

Lives were sometimes like that. Purposeless. Constant. Random.

Murai touched and controlled his Sharpblades, which weren't a high and mighty spell. They were yet another route to mindful and almost telepathic magic, and he imagined their mastery and precision as someone who deepened their mastery in several conditions. Here, his magic didn't lie to him and didn't make it abhorrent.

Hands weren't required, yet that factor mattered if the Heavenly Shaping would no longer be a manageable form. He wielded that technique and refined his ways for that purpose. It wouldn't construct some freaky power, but his visits to Pillage, who suggested many things in a multitude of ways, were helpful.

That dog was old, spoke facts, history, and lessons, and offered a substantial amount of knowledge, even for someone like Murai.

They helped him, even if his choices and reality didn't weigh heavily on such lessons. His circumstances and choices trapped him in a corner, where there were few options and paths.

The world was why, while peace of mind was the worst thing he could propose. He didn't look for that sort of peace. Pillage was native and part of this world for lifetimes, and lived in a time where everything was right yet wild. He became a so-called Emperor, so he must have been someone special.

Murai wouldn't dispute that title or denounce Pillage for a fool. However, he did disagree with some matters, as he had a strong mind and deep stubbornness.

He knew many methods to make his Blades workable and finer. In quickness or sneaky ways, he was looking at the world and magic from an abnormal perspective that Pillage couldn't get. His body felt like a lock.

It put limits to a bottomless well, while the Heavenly Shaping was a key or a route to another one. He couldn't decide what was further from his truth, or what he ought to do quicker.

Techniques derived from forceful mana and arts required a strong mind and accumulated Will and soul. In beasts, that could be questionable, and there was a reason why Pillage hadn't found success in disciplines when he was alive.

It wasn't as if they were weak; Pillage was just strong and set his hopes too high!

Heavenly Shaping was his creation, and he was his own master, so what sort of beast would follow that up, or make enough force to satisfy his desire to master what he could not? That sort of treasure lived on and almost entirely disappeared from the face of this world. But deep down, it lived on.

Made of many layers and visions, his technique created boundaries and stages, while Pillage wasn't some God. He had limits, yet dreamed high.

Murai liked that about him, and it was one of the reasons why he adapted to his manual and listened to him. Perhaps Lisa would be jealous and surprised by that fact, but Murai preferred respect where it was due rather than in force.

All of that shouldn't go that well together, but even among beasts, there were rare insanities that were no less capable than talented humans.

That moved across Paths and worlds like the plague, and in ways, Murai found similarities and surprises in Pillage and his life.

Murai couldn't argue with the respect and work that Pillage envisioned and hoped for while dying, figuring out a method to live even then, and assembling this special legacy that Lisa gave him like a cookie. Heavenly Shaping held secrets, and like a mountain, there was a base, hills, and insides, while he was merely watching and climbing it with a beastly body.

That was the difference and weakness, and many looked and climbed this thing in different ways and methods.

He thought of it from the absolutely ridiculous perspective that Pillage couldn't imagine. He doubted it from time to time, while Murai couldn't change his mind about a lot of things.

But Pillage was also the same, and he couldn't denounce Murai after he pretty much crashed all his tests and matters inside the timely and strange space of the Heavenly Shaping Manual.

As a freaking Anatidae, Murai had to adapt and use forceful methods and control over his experience. That was a lot of force.

Then, like a telepath and little Magus, he could turn his Sharpblade and force them in all directions, making them seem as if they were alive and extreme.

All of that required immense control and a powerful form of efficiency. Normally, the body would struggle, and mana space would not keep up. Not many beasts could ever have it all.

Pillage explained to him the flow and upkeep of wilderness, so after Murai played with his trials and shocked that puppy several times, some talks demanded sharp realizations.

And respect, which both of them found in space, witnessed by none other than themselves.

Control. That was what Murai was always good at, thanks to the lives and experiences bound by no Laws. The problem was what had gone before, and how his wilderness, mana space, and unkemptness had worked with him.

Heavenly Shaping worked with that and himself. Murai agreed with that, and after that, Resonance and the time when he started to see some sense in himself, he was slowly striving to be that old Magus once more. Slowly, it should help.

Mana Blades were an aftermath of that awareness. Pillage offered more than one idea on how to handle his mana, but Murai made one choice in that cave of his beginning, where he shaped them roughly after he became a Panacea.

Unfortunately, that wasn't as important as magic was convenient even for beasts. Much of it was instinctual, yet his mind was holding its own instincts. It was how one handled mana, and Murai recognized he could work on spells in these weird self-found ways and laugh at the rules of this world or these numbers.

Pillage preferred that, and Lisa undoubtedly wished the same thing.

Murai did not, as there was a lot to attend to. How to overcome his body? How to not trash with his cores and not create further or later problems? That sort of thing made his sleep worse and his training longer.

Pillage mentioned focus on control, which followed space for improvement, consent to magic, and techniques revolving around this world and self-contained rules. It stood like a door and was one of the few choices Murai could make.

He had the Will and power to change many things, and his memory and control aligned with that Heavenly Shaping at a great angle. Pillage saw it as a spark that could become higher than his own. His Blades had his firm mind, and their bidding to him was almost severe or close to a curse.

Nothing mattered. No wilderness. No crazy secrets or his flesh.

Murai pushed against that large Sunlord's hand that was coming to him like a living pillar, and his Blades sadly lost a lot of power and speed because of its immensity. He didn't back off; he used his beak and one wing, pushing so he wouldn't get smashed to pulp.

This wasn't about deadly angles. A bad match could show facts and lessons, and Murai was becoming angry. His Blades should do something better!

That was how he saw his lessons and words from Shaping and Pillage. A choice was no small difference, however, as he noticed again and again that he was pursuing something other than his memories and lives.

With enough time, it could turn into something that could surprise even his old selves, which he figured not that long ago. Which one? Which not?

Force and stubbornness aside, the course of this battle couldn't stop until one of them stopped moving. Unfortunately, Sunlord Golem did not think; it judged angles, and its mouth opened up as it successfully pushed Murai aside with its arm.

Heat and light and steam arose from that big mouth, evolving into no ray. Instead, a blinding light burst forth, enveloping half of the room and blinding the vision for several seconds. That should make dodging hard, but it was a futile attempt.

Murai kept his Sonar active all over this arena and felt the difference between this light, himself, and Sunlord. There were frequencies and shades in here. It was echoing and calling out to him.

He tried to move his Sharpblades aside, forcing that arm away, but couldn't move it an inch. It continued, so the pressure was becoming a bit too much for his legs and weight, yet his Shaping could allow numerous activities, deflections, or even rapid changes. It was still impressive that he was able to withstand this arm for so long.

Murai wasn't satisfied with it in the slightest.

Wait, what about the other hand? he briefly thought, yet Sunlord wasn't attacking with its second hand because its weight and dominant momentum disallowed it from happening. How and why? Murai did not think a humanoid golem would show this sort of adverse effect and limit.

Either it couldn't dislodge multiple different attacks, or its means of attacking hindered the current styles like a master playing with a disciple. Its focus could overlap, and its actions and forces would change depending on the target or fitting motions. In short, it was weakened and weird because whilst it looked strong, its internal flow and power were pushed well below their suitable level.

It focused on smacking Murai like an ant in a very physical manner. Murai could tell that, so could it do a lot more with all hands, or was it unable to do anything?

The ground wasn't so smooth, so as he was pulled back, Murai chose to disregard this arm by jumping aside, while he pushed his Sharpblades against it so it wouldn't crash into him.

After he was safe, he let his Blades go above and dodged the arm again. Sunlord Golem stumbled and smacked at one of the pillars. It shook, with a large amount of steam coming from its body and wavering its light. The blinding attack had passed.

Murai clashed against its body, where it was unable to move for a couple of seconds. He barely made a dent in its metallic plates, be it with his beak or magic.

"What the fuck!?"Murai said. "And here I thought my Blades evolving made night and day difference. Oh, how wrong does it feel to be weak and rising, or... well, my mana is still in its baby steps. My spells need better fuel, but the taste is extensive. Brightlife... what are you to me, magic, and this core? Why do you keep my Artificial one intact? Is it not tasty, or... are you slumbering? Is it because of my effort?"

Sunlord Golem vibrated and, quicker than ever, smacked its fist at Murai in quick turn and succession.

Murai moved back and used his Sharpblades, clashing against both hands that moved simultaneously. He lost most exchanges, which hurt his mind over every bend and crack on his Blades, but he took his time even if defeat was closer.

He planned to get it all back thousands of times over.

And nothing bashed at his flash, so it showed his mana, Shaping, and Sharpblades were able to clash against these weaker attack patterns just enough not to lose outright.

It cost a lot of mana, and he couldn't approach it. When the golem began another ray mid-swing, wrong feelings and uncomfortable choices reached his steps.

Sunlord Golem barely took a second to channel this ray, so it should be weaker. Right? Murai dodged it by jumping aside, lightly slapping his butt with one of his Sharpblades. This ray ended up worse, yet it still caused a small explosion in the middle of the arena.

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It cracked the ground, while the golem looked for Murai once again. He tumbled aside because he assumed the ray and explosion would be larger.

He ended up not that far behind a pillar, so a quick idea entered his mind.

Hiding. Use the pillars. Play by the rules of associations and use his damned head. He was good at it, allegedly.

"On hell," Murai cursed. "I am too sensitive for my own sake and can't think right."

Unfortunately, it found him before he covered his steps and attacked in large strides.

Loud steps echoed, so Murai had no choice but to flee against numerous incoming slaps. He moved his Sharpblades just in case, but Sunlord didn't move that quickly, while its strong steps kept coming. He looked where it attacked as he turned his tail.

He fled behind the distant pillar and adopted a new strategy. He glanced around it, looking at the Sunlord who was pursuing one Sharpblade he had left behind as its potential enemy. Then, a surprising event occurred.

It felt his Blade first rather than him for the first time.

"Is it because of this pillar's interference? What of my other Blade?"

Sunlord wanted to crush his mana completely, and it was trying very hard. Murai played with his Blades much better than his body would move, and Sunlord wasn't fast enough to catch on.

Murai focused on them with all his mind. Still, this was weak stalling, and Murai felt it wouldn't last long.

"Could this last an hour? Bagus... What about you?" Murai snickered and adjusted his Sharpblades to let the golem get closer to where he was. A bait was coming.

Its perception was unusual, and it struggled with alternatives. Murai thought it through, but this could mean numerous things in its structure or processing cases. It should've stored him as the number one enemy.

Murai didn't question the good news. He played with this golem for a while, observing and using his speedy Blades as an opportunity. He began channeling his Peak, layering it as far as he could.

That meant middle power and five layers in total. It wasn't as if he couldn't go higher; he just wanted to try this Peak and not be in pain afterward, since he doubted it would work the best.

But it certainly made an impression, didn't it? A single hit...

Wouldn't it be best to find an opening and crash it completely?

The moment it was ready, he stepped away, charging and striking at its feet. Cracks spread, and Sunlord Golem stumbled where it crashed one of Murai's Sharblade because of his lack of focus, or it was an intentional spot.

Unfortunately, Murai failed to destroy its plate, let alone cause significant damage to its workings. He didn't even manage to go deep with his Sonar. The legs were thinner than its arms, yet they were equal, hot and blazing, and not weak. That pointed somewhere.

Still, the force of this Peak staggered Sunlord, almost stumbling it to its knees and back. If it hadn't been for the pillar that it held onto, it would've ended up on the ground where Murai planned to play with it further. It was a damn shame.

Murai endured this better than he thought, so when his Peak was over, he quickly went ahead and remade his previous Sharpblades and attacked it again.

In a moment, Murai surged his mana up and swirled it around like a storm, using the momentum and clashing layers and waves to create speed to his advantage. It was a bit wild, and no human mage would recommend doing it.

They had to either sit and do it properly or risk their hands getting burned. That sort of thing struck the nerves of countless mages and schools.

Teachers knew how to do it, and any student would be better off remaining calm and aware that their mana or surroundings weren't often safe and sound. It was about adaptability and mastery.

However, Murai was neither a student nor a teacher.

He struck the leg, or so he tried, but Sunlord moved its large palm forward as a shield. Murai sidestepped and, with his Blades, unrelenting attacks didn't leave a moment of calm. He also kept moving around its legs and didn't give Sunlord a chance to trash with him again.

Chips of Sharpness escaped his Sharpblades, clashing against the outer flanks of Sunlord. Murai always replenished them in time until the first cracks spread in a couple of parts, where he felt weakness with his Sonar.

Many bits pointed to a significant vision of mana, which helped with the patterns of its internals.

Soon, the battle of attrition and momentum began to rise. Sunlord returned to its proper attacking moves, yet still found no victory. No matter how sudden danger and mana moved, or hit, it returned and struck back.

Damage to that leg wasn't small, however. It was a great beginning, as light and more steam were leaking.

Further clashes arrived, and in a couple of minutes, nothing much changed. Sharpblades didn't possess a victory. They weren't even a big key. Murai looked for a better way to handle this. His control and Shaping were enough and the right weapons, so his training wasn't in vain.

That was to be expected. It was up to him here. It was time to rely on this flesh once more.

Sunlord clashed against the swirling storm of another mana, making swipes at the air or with blazing little rays all around the upper space. All of them neglected the true deal, striking the pillars, walls, or even the ceiling.

Murai figured it had trouble adjusting to angles and dangers. After crossing his Blades and hiding behind a pillar, he focused on the chest where the most power emerged.

The heat and steam were most obvious, and every ray created new shakes. Well, its overall torso was a big hot mash of metals and mana, so its potential wasn't suspicious. It was there, and it was a matter of time before it would slip.

Soon, Murai left a couple of deeper cuts in the outer metal plates, though nothing deep enough to crack the path to its internals. Before creating further strikes, Murai detected that Sunlord had started to change.

It solidified its steps, stopped pursuing him, and let much more heat and mist from its mouth and body. Then, it began to strike the ground with absolute unhinged anger, as if it was pissed at the cheeky ant that was causing so much trouble around it. Be it legs or arms, it struck all over the place, acting like a wild dog.

Murai long ago hid behind a pillar, but even then, some attacks headed towards him. These pillars were barely a meter wide, yet that was plenty enough to hide his body and stop most of this incoming force.

Well, its reach is annoying, so hail these pillars? Nah. I thought they would be for something, but for me? Well, consider me surprised, Murai thought as he backed away from the arena.

He judged his assassination plans with his eyes, glaring at Sunlord, while Shaping his Sharpblades as bait. Against the flesh, it would lose. Against mana, he felt loose.

Sunlord stopped caring about the damage and those blades. Good. Murai barely generated damage in this way, so perhaps this was a good decision.

But his attempts were enough. There was no time to waste his mana, and acting according to his new findings, it was better to work since he also had limits.

He stopped backing the moment he realized the golem wasn't leaving the arena.

"Eh. It really like this arena. Shame I can't reach it. Just bait it around like a whale or let it loose. Fine. No choice then." Murai came back, feeling no remorse.

He walked past the pillar, focusing on his Sharpblades as his primary defense. A fist almost struck him like a hammer, but it wasn't strong enough and didn't make him struggle.

His crossed Sharpblades showed surprising sturdiness, and he began to think of them like his wings. It wasn't a big link, but blades, wings, and feathers carried an interesting appeal.

Sunlord Golem stomped, yet each powerful attack came with a lot of costs and motions, and legs and arms made different motions. They came one at a time. Not at the same time, so Murai seized this opportunity to move ahead and get closer than ever.

He readied his Peak before entering its proximity and hit the feet that were twice as tall as himself. Bits of blazing sparks flew around the ground and air, and a moment later, more cracks spread.

Some were deep, leaving flowing matter that looked like a mix of mana, magma, and light itself.

Sunlord's feet were definitely one of its shortcomings, but the insides weren't. They were stronger, and this much damage was far from stopping it.

As with most heavy and large opponents that Murai faced, he was familiar with strategies and how to break stuff. This golem was nothing new, even if its blazing anger increased its speed and changed its attacking patterns.

It reminded him of Acaman Golem and that Frenzy. Sunlord was almost as clumsy as Acaman Golem but much more stable, even if it was several times older.

The size was an interesting tool, and that did not always mean some sturdiness. The weight created problems that required a lot of play, and that made crashing Sunlord much more difficult.

It was common practice to make golems harder to destroy. For wars, it was both sufficient and important, as size had a significant impact on the battlefield. An army of such giants would make many enemies tremble and lose hope.

Every golem should either mix sizes and find a neat, perfect ratio or go all out in one direction. That always determined which way a golem could fight and strike. Imagination was the limit, second only to issues of such styles and creation. The value, materials, and viability were also concerning.

Striking golems were the best, so fewer ideas could come into defense. But nobody wanted to see a glass cannon golem. It wouldn't be good, so defense shouldn't be cheap.

Such a priority was surprisingly simple when golem makers disregarded offensive and focused on defensive colossuses.

Slapper had its preferences, which Murai realized as Lisa watched. Its balance wasn't all that heavy, though its body was.

"Efficiency... Ways. Limits. Mindarch said he limited this golem and allowed this fight, so that means it could have limits that would otherwise not be limited. Strikes could be that, but its flesh remains. And I cracked its feet, so... how? Why do I feel I shouldn't be able to do that?"

Lacking defense in comparison to the upper offense seemed like a good idea in some scenarios. Especially when the enemy was in this temple and part of a collective, weird challenge.

Sunlord Golem was a mix of both views, however. It was strong in offense. That was no doubt about it, but its striking pattern was subjectively weak because of its restrictions. It made up for it with harsh rays and surprising movements that were inhuman and tall.

"It is an excellent Golem," Murai mumbled, praising its maker. Afterward, he had had enough.

He reached the limits of his patience, while Sunlord Golem reached its conclusive spark. Its acts changed once again.

Its heat and light turned hotter and brighter, turning its plates from white-yellow to deep orange. Murai could feel heat twisting the air to another level, and the steam rose all over the arena, acting as a bother and fog.

Not for Murai.

He relied on his Sonar, and this time, information and deep patterns flooded his mind with notes of luminescence and power. Its feet were scorching red, and its mouth was overflowing like an eye of a storm.

From there, Murai figured out what fueled this golem. It still had some sort of core, so it featured numerous cooling mechanisms that utilized water and wind within its structure. Ice, too, perhaps? Mist was the aftermath.

Focusing on these cooling mechanisms could crash this golem in no time, but Murai had no way to see where they were. He could only guess, and getting to them might not be possible.

The fuel was still mana in its core concepts, but its light came with forms of radiating heat that pushed its physical body into weapons. It wasn't a complicated magic or process.

Murai was overthinking it a lot and knew how to kill something like this. Destabilizing these lifeless tools was about finding ways to oppose their creation. It sounded easy enough, but there was a catch.

Sunlord Golem was going berserk. That and the might of its light started to swell. Underneath its plates, something dangerous was happening, so how long could it go on for? Murai could either stall or not.

This might have been the best time to strike, yet instead of that, Murai backed away, thinking of the best move. He didn't want to gamble in yet another changed move set.

As he was doing that, he let his Sharpblades do their job. They clashed against all possible ways to uncover those mechanisms, striking the head, chest, and arms.

That went on for four seconds. Then, the Sunlord Golem sparked its head, and its body glowed like a large sun. Its arms twisted and tightened into fine, sharp talons. At this time, Sharpblades kept striking, but noted minor damage, so the golen ignored them.

It attacked like never before, resembling a pouncing Giant horny to crash a mountain.

"Now!"

Murai turned the two Sharpblades together, striking Sunlord in the back after it charged at him like a mindless fool. It hunched down, leaning for a kill and striking him with both palms and even a beaming ray. It went straightforward, but in truth, it stumbled and lost balance.

That allowed Murai to see a new spark of hope, even if he had less than a second to change his direction. He jumped ahead, his Beak glowing in as many powerful fluctuations and layers as his Peak possessed.

The doubled Sharpblade stuck on Sunlord's back pushed it forward, turning the palm attacks useless, and struck its lower balance, close to the legs. It trembled, then stumbled and failed its attack. Its arms were struck, and it nearly fell right onto Murai's Peak.

It still stood on its toes, almost falling.

Then it changed again. It was too close.

Murai couldn't react in time. He watched how its upper body angled down, looking at him, and exposing that mouth with a chunk of dangerous light. Its ray was layered, looking like a dragon's breath. It pushed its fatal action according to its remaining motion.

Its jaw ripped open and wide, cracking numerous plates and creating a new kind of storm. The upcoming ray was practically out, aiming right down at Murai, who was surrounded by those fallen palms that dug into the ground.

They were closing, but couldn't move fast. He had no way to dodge. Murai attacked Sunlord's back again. Even if he didn't see his Sharpblades anymore, he could guess where they were, so he did his best.

Then that ray crashed onwards, right where he made it stumble again, causing its steps to waver. Sunlord fell straight down, with its chest coming directly at his glistering Peak, resembling an intense spearhead and an arrow of Giant Slayers.

Both went for a kill, yet one was more certain than the other. Murai figured it was futile to contemplate more plans. It was either do it or fail trying.

He chose to turn his Peak higher, which barraged his mana space and let his Peak eat it all up. From muscles to spine and the rest of his bones, he felt warmth spreading again, easing the wilderness of this unhinged channeling.

He ignored everything.

Sunlight Ray Breath slammed at the ground behind him, but the beak was closer, going against that chest and disregarding that breath slamming at Murai's back.

A final push enveloped his beak with light, and massive explosions warmed the arena. Murai didn't even know what happened. His eyes were lost cause, and his Sonar was even worse.

Sunlord Golem fell into the ground with all its weight as it lost all momentum.

On its back, a single heavy Sharpblade remained before it turned into white mist, as the blazing hill stumbled into Murai's head.

The ray hit the ground and messed the Sunlord up, causing a huffed explosion that shook its large frame. It soon remained on the ground, not moving as a massive storm of steam tried to secure its worth.

There was no sight of Murai, and this golem could bury him more than a hundred times over. Heat, flames, and its luster kept going, coming from a small crater left by that explosion beneath it.

Everything happened too fast, albeit painted with bright colors and mist. Of course, the pair of bystanders watched this sight without a single crisis. Lisa saw everything, and so did Lorry, who was still in her clutch.

The room turned silent, apart from bits of clattering sizzles and mechanical noises that came from the unmoving golem, which was incapable of moving.

There was no visible hole, though it sure looked dead.

Lisa clutched Lorry in apprehension, nerves, and sheer spectacle. This fight exceeded her expectations. Even Lorry remained silent, impressed by how Murai made such a messy fight into a relatively quick job. He was an artist—a true Chaotiq.

"Is it over?" Lisa asked herself, pushing her arms at Lorry to ease her frustration. She didn't even mean to do that; she felt like her tensed arms better hold onto something rather than touch her face.

"Lorry..."Lorry tried to talk, yet Lisa grabbed his chin and his filthy mouth. She didn't even look at him when she shook him like a toy. His teeth clattered, and Soul Flames turned into a blurry storm.

Lisa watched the collapsed Slapper, knowing that her connection to Murai was as good as ever.

He was there. Buried.

"Thank the Elden heavens. He is alive," she smiled, yet all Lorry saw was the smile of a fiend.

Floating forward, she began her inspections. The small jerks, flickers, and trembles of the golem were rather peculiar. Its body still undulated power, light, and heat, almost looking as if it would stand and fight.

She looked at its back. The arms were buried underneath its mass, while its feet weren't worth mentioning. Its head was visible—or what remained of it—looking small and destroyed and cracked in the aftermath of that explosion.

"What do you think, foolish skull?" Lisa asked Lorry and eased her clutch.

"Are you gonna listen or call me a toy?"

"Perhaps. Who are you to complain?"

"True. This was a battle fit of a Slapper."

Lisa nodded and waited.

In a minute or so, the cluttering noise increased, and chunks of golem began to move. It winced under every noise, and deep cracks were slowly spreading from the insides of its back.

They grew larger and larger until a small explosion revealed the internals on its back, full of flowing and bright veins of Materium. Most of that was part of large machinery, including cables and plates filled with runes, as well as numerous components.

Steam and flaming heat shot from that opening, demonstrating the high temperature that was inside at all times. Cooling was compromised.

It spread alongside Murai, whose peak glowed less under such massive heat and brilliance. He was panting as if he had undergone a massive ordeal or a deep swim. He looked exhausted yet in one piece.

That was wonderful, Lorry ought to think.

"Damn. Fuck.... It's hot even for me." Murai quacked, hoping to get water, but his mana was in shambles, like most of his body. He hadn't endured such a heavy blow in a long time.

"Well, that sure was something," Lisa added, watching the internal portions of this golem with discerning and curious looks. She was never an expert on them, though she saw enough to understand what Murai did.

Each of these tools was intended to be unique, even if they were manufactured in large quantities. The heat posed no problems for her, so she approached Murai closer than Lorry would have liked.

Alas, the Guides couldn't sweat or feel the temperature or cold, and even if they did, Lorry was in no position to complain.

"What do we have here?" Lisa asked, looking behind and around the exhausted Murai, who looked like a lost duck. "Ancient technologies of the Old World are wonderful. I see many new things I am unfamiliar with, yet it seems you handled it from the inside out. Weird. Did you kill it?"

"Pche!" Murai sneered, banging around with his beak to set his wings and the rest of his body free, and failed. Only his head poked from the golem's back. "This thing is just a pile of old technology. Nothing else. I am surprised it even worked that well, to be fair. It stood up, which is shocking." He downplayed his work of art and praise.

Lorry took it with surprise. Lisa did not.

"What is its core? Have you found it? I feel mana, and this heat isn't normal. I can also see that those runes pose some reasons, like a set or a poem. Well, there is more machinery in this idea than anyone sane could see. Then, we have that heat and cooling, so you must be quite a cozy little Anatidae."

"You speak too many words for someone without a body. It is uncomfortable since I almost died. Right. Fuck off and help me out, will ya?!" Murai grunted, glaring at her in open annoyance, "For a Life Companion, it sure is weird. But hey, I am weird, so welcome to my club. I killed it. You are welcome." Murai gave her a long look.

"Wait. Are you telling me you aren't cozy? I am."

Murai laughed at her joking tone and remembered something he had left out. He dived back into the innards of this golem, leaving Lisa alone with Lorry.