My fingers firmly hold back the sword strike. When I look at my enemy, I see that it is a two-meter magma golem, but with a much more slender body. He looks like a knight in full armor, with an incandescent magma plume at the top of his head.

  The blade sinks in, and my fingers are almost being cut off. The knight golem forces his weapon forward. Seeing this, I bend my knees and jump back.

  The sword slices my fingers and grazes my mouth, but I manage to get out of the strike’s range. As my feet touch the ground, with my hands and mouth already regenerated, I raise my arms and launch several jets of water. But unlike the first golem, this one dodges my attacks and runs toward me.

  I step forward and charge at the golem.

  He raises his sword and brings it down against me. I dodge to the right, and his strike only hits the ground.

  Facing him, I lift my right leg, intending to kick his chin, but the golem steps back.

  At the same time that I lower my right leg, the knight golem adjusts his stance and points the sword at me. In the next heartbeat, we become nothing but blurs colliding in midair.

  With each collision, cracks spread across the golem’s body while deep wounds tear open across mine.

  My fist hits the golem’s stomach region, and his sword buries itself in my right shoulder. We pull away and run at each other once more.

  A firm stare locks onto him. As I rise onto the tip of my left foot, my right kick strikes his face. The weight of the kick makes the right side of his face shatter. Even the plume on top of his head disappears because of the blow.

  But the knight golem’s eyes glow an intense red. In an instant, I receive a sweeping kick, and right after, he brings his left fist down into my stomach.

  Blood comes out of my mouth, and I sink into the ground, but I endure. My eyes see the cracks in his arm. I quickly grab the golem’s arm and apply pressure, managing to break his left arm.

  Still on the ground, A kick drives into his stomach. At the same time, the propulsion of flames is released through my foot, throwing him far away.

  He rises and runs toward me, but stand up and unleash the water Skill. As expected, he dodges and evades.

  But with the movement of my hands, I freeze the water on the ground, making him slip and fall on his back. When he realizes it, I am already on top of him and drive my fist into his face, crushing it.

  Seeing him motionless, I pull in a breath of relief.

  "!!!"

  The golem manages to pierce my body with the sword. Weakness takes over me. I kneel on top of his body, my gaze shocked as I see him moving and trying to stand.

  I grit my teeth and then raise my other arm, bringing the blow down on the golem and releasing a great volume of water, shattering him.

  As I stand, I immediately pull the sword lodged in my body and force my regeneration to act, freeing myself from the accumulated wounds.

  "Aaah!"

  An arrow strikes my shoulder and makes me fall to the ground.

  I get up, but when I look toward the attacker, I have to grab with both hands another arrow that almost pierces my eye. However, a third arrow goes through my left forearm, reaching my lung.

  The lack of air takes over, but as I step on the ground, I give a command to my water. Raising a thick frozen wall in front of me.

  Several arrows hit the ice, causing it to crack, but at least they grant me a few seconds to remove all the arrows from my body.

  The ice wall gathers more cracks and, at last, breaks all at once. But I am already ready: I dodge another arrow and lock my gaze toward the enemy.

  At the top of a volcano, I see a very thin and slender two-meter magma golem, wearing an archer’s hat made of magma. He draws the bow and releases an arrow.

  Dodge at the last second and sprint toward him. Each of my steps is propelled by flames, helping me in the sprint.

  The archer golem jumps and slides along the top of the volcano, moving away from me without losing his balance. Magma arrows fly like rain, and avoid the arrows as best as possible, but some manage to pierce my body, through my arms and legs. Even so, I do not stop; on the contrary, with my Skill, I propel myself with much greater force.

  In an instant, I reach the volcano where the golem stands and leap.

  When he sees me up close, the archer golem points the arrow at the center of my forehead. My fingers are about to touch him.

  The arrow pierces my forehead, and my fingers release the water, destroying him. His fragments fly in all directions.

  My body collides violently against the volcano.

  I leave a deep crater and raise a thick cloud of dust.

  From inside it, the arrows lodged in the body are pulled out. The holes in my body slowly close.

  "What am I going to do?"

  "Even if I defeat all the golems, in the end this is all just entertainment for the dragon."

  "..."

  ***

  The volcanoes release smoke that covers the sky. Soot falls like a black storm.

  Far from the volcano where Nagaro collided, the red dragon was biting the leg of a yellow tiger, but his eyes never lost sight of Nagaro.

  The dragon patiently waits to see the human come out of the volcano, for his snacks were not yet finished.

  "..."

  Soon, he is able to see, emerging from the dust, Nagaro completely naked and without his right arm.

  The strong wind sways the human’s hair, and the soot clings to his naked body. But the blue eyes remain determined.

  The dragon rejoices in seeing him standing and unshaken, for now he can continue watching a good fight.

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  ***

  I climb the volcano for a better view as a new right arm begins to grow.

  Nagaro stares at the dragon.

  "..."

  The earth trembles once more and, on the ground, magma rises like a boiling ocean.

  From within it, dozens, no… hundreds of golems emerge.

  They arrange themselves into three rows: heavy golems, knight golems, and archer golems.

  Shock freezes me at the sight of the army.

  "He did all of this alone?!"

  For a brief second, everything is silent.

  Then. One step.

  Then another.

  Then hundreds.

  Their steps crash like thunder, and as they advance, the earth trembles more and more.

  My mouth trembles in disgust.

  What do I do…

  But I face that army with my fists clenched.

  "If it is to die!"

  "Then I will die fighting!!"

  I proceed to summon the greatest amount of water I have ever made and launch it toward the army.

  On the ground, the golems dodge, but my attack is too large. As soon as the water hits the ground, it catches some of them, making them cool down. Even so, the vast majority comes out relatively unharmed and runs toward me.

  The archers release arrows, and the heavy golems leap with their fists closed.

  I jump from the top of the volcano. In the air, I grab and block the arrows and manage to pass through the heavy golems’ blows without being caught. But, unfortunately, one arrow pierces my back and another goes through my right shoulder.

  A heavy golem jumps and strikes my back. I collide with the ground, feeling my entire body broken. I stand up, trying to regenerate, but sword strikes carve deep cuts into my naked body.

  I turn my face back as I sense danger, but a kick to the face makes me fall onto my back. My eyes lose some focus. When my vision adjusts, I realize I am surrounded by golems.

  They all advance together.

  Punches and kicks hit me, breaking my body even further. I feel multiple piercings and cuts. I try to place my arms in front of me, seeking some protection, but unfortunately, my arms are cut off.

  ***

  The dragon finally finishes his snacks, casually throws the last bone away and picks his teeth with his claw.

  Seeing Nagaro being kicked and trampled, he decides to stand up.

  Immediately, all the golems, as if they had received a command, stop attacking.

  Under the dragon’s gaze, they all organize themselves: heavy golems and knight golems on the right and left flanks, with the archer golems behind Nagaro.

  The heavy and knight golems form a path that leads the dragon to Nagaro’s body.

  The dragon walks between the two rows. When he gets close, he sees the human completely broken, without legs and arms, covered in bruises and cuts.

  Seeing him like this, he shows no kind of emotion. The dragon was about to make a movement with his claws, but upon noticing that Nagaro is still breathing, his expression seems to change slightly, even coming to a stop mid-motion.

  "Human Nagaro, still alive?"

  "Impressive!"

  "Very good!"

  "You managed to entertain me!"

  "Now you may die in peace of spirit."

  But the dragon realizes that he is blind, mute, and deaf.

  "He did not hear me."

  "Very well."

  He extends his claw and once again uses the yellow fire, restoring his sight, speech, and hearing.

  Nagaro can see the dragon right above him, and soon his eyes shift toward the golems around him.

  But he cannot observe for long.

  The dragon speaks again.

  "As I was saying, human Nagaro."

  "I congratulate you for having survived until now."

  "Your strength is worthy of great respect."

  "In my hundreds of years, I have never seen a mere human as resilient as you."

  "I thought you would only endure the fight against my first golem."

  "But you managed to surprise me, entertaining me greatly."

  "Now you may die peacefully, knowing that I, the Tenth Guardian, acknowledge your strength."

  The dragon looks with a proud, yet restrained expression.

  "Before I bury you, would you like to leave your last words?"

  "It is for your tombstone that I intend to carve them."

  Nagaro watches him, but cannot believe what he hears.

  "..."

  The dragon yawns.

  "Human, did you not hear me?"

  "I healed your body enough so that you can speak."

  "So say your last words quickly, I cannot waste my precious time."

  Nagaro grits his teeth, but immediately softens his expression.

  Taking a deep breath, he shows seriousness and respect on his face.

  "Oh, great and powerful dragon, forgive my delay in speaking to you."

  "Please, listen to the humble words of this foolish human. Forgive me for making you waste your precious time with this insignificant being that I am."

  "Please, oh my well-accomplished dragon, I know I have no right to ask this of you, but could you promise that you will write these my last words?"

  "Please, allow this fool to hear a little more of your powerful voice."

  The dragon, seeing the honorable attitude, looks at Nagaro with superiority.

  "Of course, human. I promise to write your last words."

  "Tell me what they are."

  The solemn face disappears, giving way to a wide smile.

  "May you die, you fat lizard!"

  The dragon’s expression changes instantly, consumed by rage as he sees Nagaro laughing loudly. In a single instant, the dragon crushes him with his paw and incinerates him until his body turns to dust.

  The dragon stares at the dust that remains of Nagaro.

  "Foolish human!"

  "You wasted your last words!"

  "Absolute rule number one: An inferior race has no right to disrespect a dragon."

  "Even more so honorable dragons like me."

  "Your last request becomes invalid, even though I promised you something."

  The dragon takes flight, hovering in the air.

  "Despite your blasphemy, I will still be benevolent. I shall give you a worthy tombstone, and this place shall be your grave, where you will rest."

  Immediately, all the golems begin to deform and melt. All that molten mass gathers together, building an enormous statue of Nagaro. The statue is beautiful, with several red lines of lava running through it. Anyone who saw it would say the statue seems alive in its details.

  A huge stone rises at Nagaro’s feet. On it, a little about him is written:

  Nagaro.

  The strongest human I have ever seen throughout my entire life as the Tenth Guardian of red scales.

  His greatest feat was having reached near our city, Dracoria.

  His strength impressed me and, as a way to honor him, I will leave this memorandum so that other dragons may know of him.

  Seeing everything he has done, he feels satisfied. And the red dragon flies back to the Silver Mountains.

  ***

  The new volcanic biome is silent, having only the statue of Nagaro at its center.

  Far from the statue…

  In a volcano where there is a crater…

  It could be seen, hidden among the rocks, a torn cloak wrapped around a severed arm.