Chapter 360: Chapter 360: The Iron Juggernaut
The ground shook with each step as the creature emerged from the corridor. Taller than any automaton they had faced, its body was encased in jagged plates of blackened steel, etched with runes that pulsed faintly with metallic mana. A massive sword rested in its right hand, its edge serrated and scarred from countless battles. In its left, a heavy shield gleamed with the same runes, the surface wide enough to cover its entire torso.
The air vibrated around it, a metallic hum filling the chamber as if every piece of steel in the hall bent to its will.
Selene lifted her wand, her eyes narrowing. "Two Ascendants against one. If we coordinate, we can bring it down."
Noel scoffed, though his grip on Revenant Fang tightened. "That’s not just an Ascendant. It’s Elite. Closer to Archmage than us. If we screw up once, we’re dead."
Her expression didn’t waver, though he caught the faintest twitch of her jaw. "Then don’t screw up."
Before he could respond, the Juggernaut moved.
The massive shield slammed against the floor with bone-shaking force. A metallic shockwave rippled outward, the sound ringing like a war bell through the sanctuary. Dust rained from the ceiling, and the runes carved into the pillars flickered as if acknowledging its presence.
Noel slid his stance lower, Revenant Fang humming violently in his grip. ’That thing’s not just defending this place... it’s built to kill anything stupid enough to come inside.’
Selene’s cold voice cut through the oppressive silence. "Ready?"
Noel smirked, though sweat chilled his neck. "Not even close."
The Juggernaut raised its blade high, and the battle began.
The Juggernaut charged with terrifying speed, armor grinding like thunder. Its massive blade cut downward, the weight alone enough to split stone.
Noel dashed in, Revenant Fang flaring with fire. "Ignition Surge!" The cursed steel roared alive, flames trailing as he swung hard for its exposed flank.
The strike never landed.
The Juggernaut’s shield snapped up in a blur, intercepting the blade with a shower of sparks. The parry was so clean, so precise, it jolted through Noel’s arms. He barely ducked as the counterstroke hissed past his head, the air tearing from the force.
’Fast. Too damn fast for its size.’
Selene reacted instantly, her wand flashing. "Glacial Thrust!"
A condensed spear of ice screamed across the hall, aimed for the gap beneath its arm. The Juggernaut shifted, shield angling with perfect timing. The ice shattered into harmless shards, scattering across the floor.
He dove into his shadow, body vanishing in a swirl of black. "Shadow Step."
He reappeared behind the Juggernaut, Revenant Fang already slicing upward toward the gap in its backplate. For an instant, he thought he had it—
—but the shield twisted around unnaturally, moving as if the creature had eyes in its back. The edge slammed against his strike, redirecting the blade wide. Noel’s own momentum nearly carried him off balance, and he had to twist hard to avoid the countering sword that slashed where his chest had been a second earlier.
The ground cracked under the Juggernaut’s swing. Sparks flared in Noel’s vision as he leapt back, barely keeping his footing.
Selene’s voice cut sharp from behind. "You can’t brute force it."
Noel spat the taste of iron from his mouth, jaw tight. ’No kidding.’
The Juggernaut advanced again, shield raised, sword poised for the next strike.
Noel’s instincts screamed a second before it happened.
The ground erupted.
Jagged spikes of steel burst upward in a deadly wave, tearing through stone like paper. The hallway transformed into a forest of spears, each strike angled to impale.
"Selene!" Noel’s voice ripped through the chaos. Without hesitation, he vanished into shadow. "Shadow Step!"
Darkness swallowed him—and when he reappeared, he had already grabbed Selene by the waist, pulling her off the ground as spikes tore through the spot she’d just been standing on.
Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but her wand snapped up. "Gravitational Hold!"
Mana surged, bending the air. The crushing pull of gravity twisted—and then reversed just enough to suspend them above the deadly field. For a moment, they hovered midair, Noel holding her against his chest, his arm under her knees and back.
A perfect princess carry.
Noel grimaced, muscles tense as he looked down at the writhing field of metal spikes. ’They look sharp...’
Selene’s composure cracked for a heartbeat, a faint flush brushing her cheeks. She turned her face slightly away. "Don’t... drop me."
Noel snorted despite himself. "Not planning to."
The Juggernaut looked up, shield raised, its helm glowing with crimson light. With a guttural roar, it swung its sword—metallic shards detached from the blade and shot upward like bullets, aiming straight for them.
Selene tightened her grip on her wand, voice sharp. "Hold steady."
Noel adjusted his stance in midair, Revenant Fang blazing with flame. ’If she’s buying us time... I’ll cut us a way down.’
The Juggernaut’s sword whirled, scattering a storm of metallic shards into the air. Each fragment shrieked upward like an arrow, forcing Noel to twist in midair. Sparks danced as Revenant Fang intercepted one, then another, but too many slipped past.
Selene reacted instantly. "Frigid Bloom!"
Ice burst below them in a violent bloom of frost, petals of jagged crystal erupting across the floor. The shards tore through the incoming projectiles, freezing them mid-flight before they shattered into harmless glitter.
The sudden bloom gave Noel his opening. He exhaled, arcs of lightning already snapping across his arms. "Stormpiercer!"
His body blurred into a streak of pure electricity, Selene clutched tight in his arms as he shot downward like a bolt of thunder. Revenant Fang’s tip glowed white-hot with lightning, aiming straight for the Juggernaut’s chest.
The strike should have skewered it. Instead—
CLANG.
The shield slammed upward, perfectly timed. The impact rang like a bell, the force jarring through Noel’s bones. His momentum twisted violently, sending him crashing into the floor, skidding across shattered stone with Selene still in his arms.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself back up, ribs screaming. Even Stormpiercer... blocked.
The Juggernaut advanced, unfazed, dragging its sword along the ground. Sparks flew where steel kissed stone, the sound grating like a funeral dirge.
Selene pushed away from Noel’s arms, steadying herself with her wand. Her face was pale, but her voice cut steady as ever. "We can’t trade blows with it. If we do, we’ll be crushed."
Noel spat blood, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Then we’ll have to get creative."
The Juggernaut slammed its blade into the floor. The runes on its armor ignited, and the ground split open as a tidal wave of jagged steel spikes erupted outward, sweeping across the entire hall.
Both Noel and Selene froze. There was nowhere to run.