It took at least a full two minutes before for the five could even get within any meaningful distance, given their speed. The suspense completely wore off at that point, as such it bordered on meaningless waiting.

They couldn't even prepare themselves more than just step back to a slightly wider segment - it was only two meters across.

"... Seriously? What the hell are you doing?"

He gave up trying to formulate a strategy against them on such little ground to fight on.

"You're seriously an idiot."

"... Is that necessary?" he said pointing his spear towards the golems still five meters away, "this is boring. Can't you extend the flames on your blades to make a bigger cutting surface?"

"No, I can modify it around the blade, but beyond that... that's about it. How about you just add a blade to yours!"

"... It wouldn't work with the mud blocking it. The core is too thick and there isn't enough ice to make a gradual enough edge without compromising the whole thing."

"Then just transfer it all to one, make something to cut them. So I'm not the only one killing them."

"... That means giving up reach. Which I don't want to do here."

"Idiot. Just do something and stop playing in the mud!"

Mathias was most certainly not playing. He was loafing around, to be sure, but aside from that, it was meaningless.

Until the five slowly separated. Each stayed out of reach as they encircled the two - except Lisanna pounced on the one near a small island.

It raised both its arms in front of its chest, apparently lacking in joints. Lisanna's blade hacked off one arm, but the mud stopped the sword in its tracks.

Mathias, a little late, grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and pulled the moment he saw the other arm wrench up sharply to hit her.

She shouted in displeasure as mud enveloped the ground she was standing on, and the watery ground burst towards her position.

He pushed her out of the way as he spun his spear, managing to block a little, as the first golem recovered.

Lisanna jumped for it again.

The other arm was hacked off and she quickly turned to its neck before she was swept off her feet.

Mathias, groaning, stabbed at the second golem, stunning it. It was very much inaccessible, being so clearly in deep mud. Then he dragged Lisanna to her feet and jumped to the tiny island where another, the third, was closing in.

His spear managed to pierce the golem's neck - and then he slipped.

His legs dug into the golem's lower body, suctioned in completely as his spear was still lodged in its neck. It shook, the spear fell, and the raised arms regained their momentum.

And stopped.

Lisanna's foot landed on his chest and she used that as solid ground to decapitate the golem.

And slipped back.

They were washed to the edge of the island and Mathias just barely caught the spear.

Both laid tangled up, with Mathias' shoulders taut to prevent them being eclipsed into the ground.

"..."

A burst hit their flanks.

He tumbled to his stomach and she slid into the mud. He groaned as he pulled her out, and both retreated back to the island - slipping in the process.

There were two on their original island that moved side-by-side. The ice on his spear was already cracking and her scarlet sheath atop the blade flickered, already retreating from the grip to showcase blood-stained leather.

Lisanna and Mathias looked at each-another and hung their heads low. Even if they beat those two, they would only be half-way done.

She was already panting, but he covered her right hand with his.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The spear shrunk.

"... Just shut up for a second."

It took an ungodly amount of energy to focus the melting spear's remanents towards her palm. He was not as proficient with recovery magic as he would like; magic for fatigue or illness was usually enough, and his ability with largely superficial, parlour treatments had no benefit here.

The spear's core, unbeknownst to him, shone a little brighter, with azure veins creeping out from where his hand rest, draining him and the exterior ice. It barely solidified at the tip, but the blood on Lisanna's palm and grip was washed away and some base level of skin returned.

"... Hurry up and kill them."

He muttered with a headache as he jumped forward. They each raised their outer arms horizontally as he landed and they immediately closed in on him.

His first thrust was straight and true; the golem on his right paused. However, feeling his back seize at the second thrust, the second golem smashed his over-extended left arm - there was an audible crack as he skipped across the mud.

In a haze, he saw the two disappear into a burgeoning tide of water and earth.

Lisanna bit her lip nervously as she saw Mathias' lower body collapse into the mud. His back remained upright, even as he struggled to remain conscious under the flaring pain.

There were ten meters of distance birthed between the two of them, but the islands for him only moved forward to the orb; as for her, the only path forward grew further away from him.

This time all ten moved forward.

"... We're back to splitting them, huh?"

He laughed weakly, picking himself up and cradling his left arm. The ice once bracing his back cracked and slowly shifted to form a cast.

"Are you okay?!"

Lisanna said after jumping to the nearest island. Her face was tense, but concern dyed her expression - even as she unhesitantly focused on him, rather than the five closing in her faster than the others.

"Fine. But... I'd look behind you," he said tiredly, pulling his shaking legs from the mud.

The ten that moved split into twenty smaller bodies. They darted forward and Lisanna just barely had time to react as she raised her flickering blade against the swing of the first golem.

She groaned and was pushed back - into the battering arm of another behind her.

Mathias saw the newly transformed ten closing in on him and he belatedly stabbed out at the first's neck.

His arm screamed in pain and he missed. However, since the blow came from the side, as his spear passed the creature's neck, it jolted the spear against its thick neck with its own force.

His arms shook from the force, but his right hand managed to keep the shaft that was swinging through a broken neck.

If the force wasn't dulled by the mud, he would have immediately lost his weapon.

Only then did he manage to stand.

A force battered him from the side and he stumbled. His spear managed to pierce one's throat - decapitating the smaller surface immediately. However, bruises appeared on his other flank. He swung the spear towards another, feeling a crack and mud pool at his feet.

He couldn't even move as he forced his feet in place, taking the bruises, and swinging haphazardly at whatever was in front of him.

Since their arms shrunk to a meter long, and they only stood at his chest, it was easier; except, their speed and the pelting mud they scattered blinded and slowed him. He could only make unrefined blows as he felt blow after blow hit his body.

Eventually, the force subsided and he collapsed to his knees.

He felt the mud from their grey bodies cover the one that was upright, and he waited for a long while before the viscous mud finally filtered back into the pools around him. His own staff was fractured, the spear-tip was broken off, and the azure veins seemed to fracture up from the base to the peak of the first half-staff.

Lisanna was much the same. Her sword barely flickered, but peculiarly, dull blue lights appeared at the grip, dying the black leather in a strange light. She was now, at most, five meters from him, but neither looked at the other. Their own bodies' situations demanded too much of their attention.

At least until a call came from above.

"Are you going to keep waiting? They respawn after fifteen minutes."

"...?!"

They forced themselves to their feet and limped to the other islands, taking the cries of their bruises, but knew that more would come with waiting.

Mathias looked dully at Lisanna who stood beside him. Neither said a word as his face contorted as he set himself prone on the ground. He extended the broken spear towards the amber orb that floated tauntingly in the mud and he swatted it over.

The second he grabbed it, he felt a strange force come from the orb. The second he let go of it, the force disappeared.

He unhesitantly bound the fist-sized orb to his fractured arm, using threads of ice, as he seemed to find it easier to manipulate mana.

"..." Lisanna just tiredly waved to the sides.

Two paths lay on either side of them. One with screaming wind pushing dust and foliage into a narrow tunnel, furious chirps; and the other scattered snow and ice, as the chill in the air froze the muddied pools, separated by only a few meters of clean marble.

She was already walking towards the gales, as if it was only natural. Even if they discussed it, it would be insane to do a debilitating course for one of them so early. Furthermore, it was just the natural rhythm they got used to.

Earth and air then fire and water, even if this was a little different.

Mathias, however, took great pain to extract what little water he could from the mud as he could. It went directly to his cast and brace, only managing to reinforce the spear a little before he felt his mind cloud with the tell-tale sign of mana exhaustion.

Helping one another across the larger gaps silently, the two accepted each other's company. It was the only way to make it through it all.

Neither thought of giving up.

Until their feet hit marble and saw doves with bloodied beaks chirped cheerfully sitting in broken trees. And ten lithe, naked women with bird's wings riding the winds and plucking one or two of the hundreds of doves from the air with their talons - only to eat half and hurl the rest of the carcass to their brethren.

They swooped in, clawing and smashing their wings, on the mutilated bodies, batting around the bodies as if dinner and entertainment simultaneously.