Warhammer met metal with a thunderous crash, setting Dharen’s ears ringing violently and cracking the floor as Keljier’s body slammed into it. Wary of a counterattack, and wishing to give his allies the opportunity to support him, he quickly backpedalled in order to create some distance between the creature and himself.

Before the others reached him, the metal creature twisted sharply, whipping its tail in Dharen’s direction. Though the movement initially seemed relatively slow, the tip of its tail seemed to build up speed as it flexed, shooting through the air with a sharp crack. Dharen slid backwards with not a moment to spare, finding himself just out of range of the creature’s assault.

Finally, the others had managed to follow in the wake of his charge. As Erik sidled his way around to the great worm’s flank, Dharen and Ozen pressed forward once more. Though he remained cautious, Dharen was acutely aware that this battle would have been significantly more dangerous without the inhibiting effects of the Pulser. Though it was hard to quantify exactly how effective it was in reducing the battle power of the automaton, it was certain to have made a large impact. That, in conjunction with the effects of his Warcry upon the creature and his allies’ stats, had helped to even the playing field.

The members of the party committed to their previously laid-out battle plan. Dharen and Ozen assaulted the creature, from the front while Erik harried from the flank. Serah had conjectured that the linkages between the Orbels’ spheres were a potential weak point, as they did not seem to gain a sort of cognizance unless a sizable number of spheres were connected. Thus, they slashed, hacked, and smashed at the clefts between the individual spheres.

Slowly, they began to chip away at the creature, their combined efforts beginning to disrupt the linkages forming its body. Yet, despite the disrupting effects of the Pulser wave, it still managed to bring itself back together again each time. Seeing this, they redoubled their efforts. Finally, a section of the worm’s tail was split in twain by a might swing of Ozen’s fiery axes. And there it remained, inert.

Dharen knew this to be the death knell of the formidable automaton. It was only a matter of time before enough pieces fell inert that it became helpless before their combined assault. The creature’s assaults had as of yet been unable to land a hit upon him, his increased agility serving to protect him from its vicious whips. Its movement grew increasingly frantic, and he was sure that there would be desperation reflected in its eyes had it eyes with which to see.

Suddenly, the diminished worm rolled in upon itself, shifting into a massive ball of spinning spheres. It rushed forward, bowling Dharen and Ozen over before they could fully react to the sudden change in strategy. At the last moment, Dharen managed to shift his body enough to take the majority of the damage from the bullrush.

Ribs fractured with a sickening crack, splitting into disparate pieces under the powerful blow. Dharen had no time to pay heed to the agony in his side, however, for the sphere unrolled itself and formed into the diminutized worm once more. It continued the momentum of its lightning-quick roll, transferring it into a crack of its tail. There was a deafening crack, strong enough to stun by sound alone. Then, Dharen found himself blasted away, flesh meeting unforgiving stone as he smashed into a nearby ornate pillar.

Rubble was strewn across the floor of the Great Hall, rocketing away from the impact point. It split into shards, raining across the makeshift battlefield, a deadly attack in and of itself. Dharen dazed, felt his vision begin to blur momentarily and his ears ring harshly, the array of unexpected blows ripping away at his once-overwhelming Vitality.

His strength returned slowly, his senses in a state of disarray and confusion. An enraged shout finally broke through the ringing in his ears, jolting him back into the moment. He found himself amidst a pile of rubble and debris, blood spilling from his wounds and painting the floor.

Limbs shaking in an overwhelming mixture of agony and exhaustion, he sluggishly pulled himself back to his feet. Though he knew that his body was certainly ravaged beyond belief, there was no time to take a proper accounting of his injuries. There might not be time for anything at all, he couldn’t help but think to himself. Just before him was Serah, holding the line against the rampaging automaton. She loosed arrow after arrow at Keljier, ineffectual though it was, snarling and shaking in rage. Nearby, both Erik and Ozen lay. Though it was clear that they had not taken an attack like that which had brought Dharen low, their limp postures betrayed the nature of their current situations. They were out of the fight, unable to continue.

And yet, there Serah stood. Though she held no defense capable of holding against Keljier, and no weapon of great strength to defeat him, there she stood. It was admirable. But ultimately, it was hopeless.

Dharen swayed on his feet, stepping forward slowly as if held back by a powerful current. His vision formed a dark tunnel, with Serah holding firm at its very center. Slowly, ever so slowly, he approached. Keljier rolled about menacingly, yet with a hint of hesitation. It was easy to see why, as a large portion of his previously massive form was left on the stone behind him, inert and useless.

As he approached, Restraint held in one hand, he flicked his fingers and withdrew the Pulser and its companion hand once more. Though he attempted to activate the device another time, it turned out to be an exercise in futility. Whatever the mechanism was that lent it power, it had not regenerated enough to have a discernible effect.

And so, his gaze lit upon one last hope. And hope was the defining word, indeed. For within the construction of the Pulser was a single soulseed - either a source of power or guidance for the mechanism. Either way, it was of no consequence. With the device momentarily nonfunctional, the soulseed held only one use at this juncture.

As much as he might wish to absorb its essence and empower himself, he knew that would prove ineffectual due to his next major improvement occurring at the tenth level. On the other hand, Serah was at level four; she lay at the precipice of great potential. And in this desperate time, he couldn’t help but feel that he should pin his hopes on the one that had grown to manifest Hope itself. In fact, he couldn’t bring himself to do otherwise, injured as he was.

He staggered his way alongside Serah, passing her the Pulser as he did so. With torn muscles and broken bones, he could only let out a grunt to convey his plans, pointing at the soulseed adorning the Pulser as he did so. With a startled yet determined nod, Serah indicated her understanding.

Or, at least, Dharen hoped that she understood. A small noise split from his bruised lips, a rasping chuckle. There it is again. Hope. Honestly, Dharen felt more than a little ridiculous relying on something so historically deceptive, something so foolishly unreliable Yet on he walked, trudging past the woman, ready to face the one that had been created to defeat the slaughterers of a race.

He walked forward on unsteady feet, the last man that was capable of truly standing before the beast. Expecting to taste defeat. But, deep in his bones, hoping for victory.