The Golem was no longer Eben. Boulder, the Golem who moved according to Erie’s will, slowly turned to face Jair.
Gandolf followed suit, edging closer to Jair following the other Golem’s lead.
“To think you had this much power… Things just aren’t going as planned.” Jair clicked his tongue and turned around. And, without an ounce of hesitation, he sprinted away from them.
“Boulder! Hunt him down!” Erie bellowed, but Boulder ran in such an awkward, clumsy manner, he was far from capable of catching up to Jair. Meanwhile, Jair disappeared into the darkness of the night without looking back.
“He ran away, again…!” Erie spat with the utmost resentment burning within her. On the other hand, the cord of tension running through Cliff had been cut. He began to fall over. Erie quickly rushed over to support him. “Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine… Just a little dizzy is all…” Cliff forced a smile. Relief washed over Erie’s face.
“…You called Jair ‘Master,’ right? Why?” she asked.
Her question was difficult for Cliff to answer. He spoke without coming to a complete answer himself. “Jair—well, he might not be the same person—but he’s the spitting image of the boy I call Master.”
“What kind of person is your master?”
“His name is Roche. He’s three years older than me and is capable of using Remote Engrave Incantations… He’s really amazing.”
More than seeing Roche as a best friend, Cliff viewed him as the pinnacle of his aspirations. Cliff admired him as someone with power that far surpassed his own. That was why he called Roche ‘Master.’
“Master and I met three years ago. We hit it off right away and worked hard together to make Golems ever since.”
Master Roche had often told him, “You have talent too. I’ll work hard right beside you, so let’s climb to the top together.”
Those words were the reason Cliff tried so hard. He imitated what Roche did and longed to become just like him someday.
Cliff turned his eyes toward Akizu Company’s barracks. He saw the remains of the giant the Rabbis had torn apart three days ago sitting behind it.
“…See that there?” he pointed to the destroyed giant. “It’s the Prime Body Master and I completed together. He’s got an overall height of 352 centimeters. We made him that big even though we knew it’d make him unmovable.”
Master Roche had brought up the idea the prior year. “Let’s use scrap iron to make Akizu Company’s symbol!”
The project had doubled as training and play for Cliff and Roche. After investing months of hard work, they had completed it by the time winter came to an end.
“Hey, Cliff, I’ll bring this Golem to life once I become an unstoppable Golem Tamer. I’ll activate this Golem that nobody else can.”
“Let’s race to see who’ll bring him to life first, Master.”
They had promised each other the day Roche left for the Academy. The metal giant was a testament to Cliff and Roche’s bonds. For the two boys who had spent three years working together on everything, it stood as their last collaboration project.
“And then Master left Chest Island and moved to Head Island… Not more than a week ago.”
When Cliff asked him why he wanted to go to Head Island, Roche told him, “The girl I love is on Head Island.” Cliff thought his motives weren’t the purest, but it brought a smile to his face regardless. His master was a tough, upbeat, and really just an all-around amazing guy.
Tears blurred his eyes before he knew it.
How could I be so stupid? There’s no way I’d mistake the face of somebody I saw just a week ago. Jair is the complete opposite of Master, but I’m positive he’s him.
The tears spilled over with the thought. Because Cliff had the terrible feeling he would eventually have to fight him to the death for real.
Erie didn’t say anything to the quietly crying Cliff, so he asked, “…How about you Erie?” since she was being considerate of him. “Why are you after Jair?”
“I have a grudge against him. A grudge that won’t go away.”
“A grudge?”
“He attacked me for no real reason…and I lost the most important person to me as a result,” she said, casting down her eyes and lowering her head. Hearing that reminded Cliff of the boy who was always by her side.
“Oh yeah, what happened to Heath?”
“He was captured by the Rabbis and carted off to the Church…because he’s a Golem.”
“He is?!”
Cliff was speechless. He had thought Heath was a quiet guy since they met on Heartbreak Hill, but the truth was beyond what he expected.
“I’m going to go save Heathy,” Erie said to the thunderstruck Cliff. “I can’t lose him again.”
“But you’ll be caught.”
“I’ll be fine, I’m sure… I have Boulder on my side too.” Erie glanced at the Golem she had stolen from Jair. But Boulder moved crudely and seemed incapable of making agile or precise movements.
Cliff looked at Boulder and blatantly told her, “It’s impossible. You stand no chance challenging the Torah Church alone.”
“…!”
“But if there’s two people—if Gandolf and I come with you—we might be able to pull off the rescue.”
Erie spun toward him like he had lit a flame under her feet. “Why would you do that…? Why would you go so far for me?”
“I have someone I want to rescue from the Church too.”
“…Lovel?”
Cliff nodded. Erie looked at him skeptically, like she couldn’t fathom what motivated him so.
“Why are you going to try and rescue Lovel? What’s your relationship with her?”
“We only just met a few days ago, but Lovel helped me remember the reason why I’ve kept at makin’ Golems all these years.”
“What reason is that?”
“I wanted to obtain the power to protect somebody. Meeting her reminded me of that.” Cliff regarded Gandolf. “This guy’s Restrictor makes it so that he can’t hurt humans. I don’t wanna hurt anybody, but I also hate getting hurt or seeing my friends get hurt… Gandolf’s arms work now, thanks to you. So, I want to protect you too.”
Erie gazed straight at Cliff, and a peaceful expression came over her face, releasing the tension from her eyes. “…Boulder’s Restrictor is to fight only to save someone. Looks like I thought along the same lines as you, when it came down to it.”
Erie stared at her hands—the hands that had formed the Engrave Incantations on Gandolf and Boulder in a split second. “Just now was the first time I’ve ever used this power for someone else… My professor was right. It’s better to have friends you can trust than to go at it alone.”
She smiled and held her hand out to Cliff. He took her hand in his and squeezed. It was a firm handshake, conveying not only warmth but reassurance. Erie surely felt the same way Cliff did.
They looked into each other’s eyes. “Ready to do this?” Cliff confirmed.
“Yes,” she reassured.
And so, they walked the causeway seeped in darkness to Head Island.
They walked in order to go to the Church, where the people dearest to them were waiting.