Neo’s expression darkened as the stone giants closed in. Tara’s face mirrored his. The Golems moved in a slow, grinding circle, their rocky limbs scraping the ground with every step.
Neo did not wait. He launched himself at the nearest one. His body twisted mid-air, morning star force exploding from his fist. The blow landed with a heavy thud. The Golem’s arm tore free and slammed into the dirt.
For a second it stayed down. Then the severed shoulder knitted itself back together, stone flowing like thick mud. The Golem’s other fist shot forward. The punch caught Neo square in the chest.
He flew. The impact hurled him skyward like a cannonball. Tara’s face twisted in pain as she watched the hit land. The force had been brutal.
Neo crashed back to earth. Dust exploded around him. Before he could rise, more Golems surrounded him. Fists of solid rock hammered down. Neo cursed under the barrage. They had ganged up on him without mercy.
Tara moved like a blur. Her speed let her slip between the swings, circling the pack and drawing their attention just enough to keep them from finishing Neo. He saw her dance through the hits and cursed again.
"You bastards didn’t leave me a choice."
Flame erupted across his skin. Torch Man mode ignited. Fire coated his arms, his broad shoulders, the hard lines of his muscled legs. Heat rolled off him in waves. He raised an open palm toward the closest Golem. A beam of pure fire roared out.
The beam struck. Stone melted. The Golem collapsed into a glowing heap. Neo watched the molten rock begin to cool and reform. The thing was already regenerating. He cursed under his breath. The core. He needed the core.
An idea clicked. He looked at Tara. "Pull their eyes. Leave me one or two."
She nodded once. Her body flashed forward. Light, stinging strikes landed on every Golem in reach. The pack turned. One by one they lumbered after her, heavy feet pounding the ground. Within moments a whole group thundered in her wake. Only a single Golem remained facing Neo.
He grinned. The time she bought him was enough. Neo rose into the air, hovering above the remaining construct. He stretched his senses, probing the dense stone for the hidden pulse of power. There. Right side of the chest, buried deep.
Fire gathered in his palm again. The beam punched straight through the marked spot. The Golem shattered. Rock collapsed into a lifeless pile.
Neo did not pause. He streaked after Tara, targeting the Golems that chased her one by one. Each core found. Each beam fired. Stone bodies crumbled in his wake until the last pursuer fell and the path behind her stood empty.
Tara slowed, chest rising and falling hard as she finally caught her breath. Neo dropped Torch Man mode. The flames died. Sweat cooled on his skin as he walked toward her.
"Where did these things come from?"
Tara’s expression darkened further. "The Beard Demon. He knows we exist. Someone in my network sold me out."
She explained the rest without wasting words. The Golems could only be called by her city lord stamp pressed into the Golem Revival Book. The Beard Demon had taken that place. The town was small. Hiding would only burn time they did not have. They needed to move now.
Neo nodded. The two of them turned toward Valis and entered the city. Streets narrowed as they pushed deeper. At the center Tara’s hand closed around Neo’s wrist. She pulled him toward a solid building marked Adventure Guild Hall. Inside, she did not stop. Stairs took them upward. An upper room waited. She shut the door behind them, crossed to a heavy desk, and dropped into the chair behind it.
"Tadah. I’m also the guild master."
Neo stared. "How does that help?"
Tara’s grin returned, sharp and knowing. "This is the last place the Beard Demon expects me. Listen."
She laid it out. The Masked Demon owned a building in town—a five-story brothel called the Red Room. The place was a fortress. No one walked in without an insider. Her sources said the Masked Demon and the Beard Demon would meet there. One strike could end both. But the traps and magical wards inside were lethal. Even a peak transcendental would die on a wrong step.
Neo exhaled. "So who’s the insider, and how do we get one?"
Tara went quiet for a moment. "I don’t have anyone inside. That building is his territory. I never managed to plant spies."
Neo’s eyes widened. The plan formed fast. "Use your guild master rank. Give me a job—party agent appraisal. I evaluate danger levels for parties. Put me with a group that has a prostitute from the Red Room. I’ll handle the rest. My dick will do the talking. I’ll turn her."
Tara’s eyes went wide. The idea was clean and sharp. She already knew the right party. "Red Star. You’ll like them."
She dug through the drawers, pulled a thin file, and handed it over. Neo opened it. His eyes scanned the pages. Tara watched him and grinned.
"The red-haired one is Zita. She’s a prostitute. She sells herself to pay off the debt of her childhood friend Leo. There’s another member named Delta. They’re D-rank. And Leo? Dense as a rock. He has no idea his friend is selling her body for him."
Neo’s grin matched hers. He looked at Zita’s description again. "Alright. I’ve got my target."
He turned for the door. Before he reached it Tara called after him. "Once you bring Zita to our side, come back here. We’ll lock in the rest of the plan."
Neo nodded. "Give me a letter with your stamp that proves my position. And an S-rank badge with my name on it."
Tara’s grin widened. She worked quickly. In a short time both items sat on the desk. Neo pinned the S-rank badge to his chest. The metal caught the light. He left the room without another word.
In the hallway his thoughts stayed cold. He would not return. He already had everything he needed from her. Trusting a demon’s nature was a risk he refused to take.
He descended the stairs and stepped into the main hall of the adventure guild. His eyes locked on the Red Star party. The three of them stood in front of the quest board, waiting. Neo walked straight toward them, goal fixed and clear.
Tame Zita.
And then his eyes widened reading a quest notification in front of him.
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