The colossal mass of golden metal towered over the group, constantly refining its form, and its many interlocking pieces clanged against each other with ear-piercing screeches until it finally completed its transformation into hulking humanoid-shaped armour as its six eyes fully beamed to life. Zalroth let out a long musical whistle at the Ancient Tower as he and the others continued to plummet past the armour-form Ancient Tower.

"Sure, glad we took this thing out of commission before it could transform in the past," Zalroth remarked to himself, while Chronia quietly sleep-mumbled in response. Zalkutaro strummed his handheld dawnite harp, playing an upbeat yet slow tempo melody, and used it in combination with the grey magic particles to blast away the incoming energy blast.

"Zuno and I will deal with the Ne-Lon Collosal's support drones and leave the Ancient Colossal to you," Zalkutaro said before he strummed his harp and warped himself out of the way of multiple energy bullets. Zuno glanced up at the origami golden metal flying drones before he rocketed off using his flying abilities and light dash in tandem.

Zalroth stretched his arms and legs, and as Chronia yawned in her sleep, Zalroth couldn't help but unintentionally yawned as well. Zalroth open an eye as he heard the sound of metal clanging and the wind rushing; he watched the Ancient Colossal throw a wide right hook at him, causing him to yawn.

"It's only been three years, and I already feel like a husk.". Zalroth slapped his cheeks to fully snap himself awake before he backflipped into an upright position. Zalroth created a magic barrier below his foot before he hopped off it and launched himself over the Ancient Colosal's swinging fist. Zalroth struck multiple skater-like poses, using an oval-shaped magic barrier as a skateboard, until he landed on top of the Ancient Colossal's hand. The wind rushed past Zalroth knocking his hair and fur coat around, and only as the Ancient Colossal's fist continued to punch through the air until coming to a metal-screeching halt.

Zalroth flexed his arms, and his two magic sun tattoos shone to life; the tattoos grew and slived up Zalroth's arms before coiling and spiralling all over his back. Zalroth looked at his palm and repeatedly grasped his hands before taking in a long breath, and slowly exhaling shortly afterwards.

"Do I have permission to use my Mastered Sage State?" Zalroth asked as he raised a finger and poked Chronia on her cheek. Chronia mumbled and raised her head towards Zalroth, but instead of saying anything, she started nibbling Zalroth's kitsune ear. Zalroth bit his lip and whistled through his teeth as he tried not to laugh from Chronia's attack on his ear.

"I'll take that as a yes.". Zalroth formed a maniacal grin on his face, slamming his fist together, and a massive explosion of mana erupted out from his body; his hair glowed cyan, while his hair tips remain unchanged, and his mana twisted around his body like a raging tornado.

One of the Ancient Colossal's eyes brightened into a neon-white light with an ominous reverb accompanying the brightness-increasing eye. The neon energy focused into a single point on the Ancient Colossal's eye before the entire eye lit up again and discharged a large, concentrated energy beam. Zalroth jumped into the air right before the beam slammed into the back of the Ancient Colossal's hand, spitting beam fragments in every direction and piercing a hole straight through it. Zalroth rose through the air as wind mana trailed beneath him before he came to a stop and floated in the air.

Zalroth closed his eyes and pulled in all his spiralling mana back into his body as the Ancient Colossal's hand restored itself, and one of its eyes' glowing increased in intensity. Zalroth sighed with an agitated expression plastered all over his face.

"It won't let up for even a second talk about unclassy," Chronia uttered as she continued to nibble on Zalroth's ear. Zalroth open his eyes and created a magic barrier beneath his feet.

"And here I thought it'd have the courtesy to at least let me transform," Zalroth uttered as he watched the Ancient Colossal's eye charge up its attack.

"Yeah... but it wouldn't be any fun for you if it were easy, now would it?". Chronia gave Zalroth a quick peck on the cheek, causing Zalroth to blush and scratch his cheek; Chronia giggled before she hopped off Zalroth's back and floated next to him. Zalroth fiddled with his hair and visually considered how to respond, causing Chronia to unamusedly lower her eyebrows.

"I'm waaiting~," Chronia said cheekily as the world around them was put into the teal and lime saturation of Chronia's time stop. Zalroth rubbed the back of his head, awkwardly chuckling and adverting his gaze from Chronia, as she waited for Zalroth to return her affection.

"So... you are...," Zalroth remarked as he looked at everything, particularly the Ne-Lon Colossal, frozen in time. Zalroth rag-dolled his arms, swung his head back, and let out a defeated exhale while managing to keep his legs in a combat stance. Chronia playfully puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms before darting her head away from Zalroth.

"Playing hard to get, are ya? Well, I'll-". Chronia was cut off by Zalroth placing a piece of chocolate in her mouth. Chronia was left dumb-struck but quickly swallowed the chocolate before she resumed speaking.

"Did you just?".

"Why yes, I did indeed give you the chocolate commonly referred to as a kiss," Zalroth said snarkily, as the image of Maru telling past Zalroth it'd be funny if he gave Chronia a piece of chocolate the next time she asked for a kiss. Chronia placed a hand over her mouth, and her body shivered as she tried not to laugh.

"Oh my... well us; that's so silly, hehe," Chronia said between giggles but abruptly stopped as she put on a serious expression, "I expect a proper kiss after this ordeal is done, promise?". Chronia tapped her fingers against her arms and stared Zalroth down, causing him to rub his forehead.

"Promise.". Chronia grinned smugly while giddily giggling before she and the time-stop saturation vanished into thin air. Zalroth exhaled from mental exhaustion as he rubbed his face.

"She's definitely thinking of a way to get back at me.". Zalroth placed his hands on his hips and shook his head as a distant golden light slowly grew in intensity.

"That's the last time I'll let my intrusive thoughts win," Zalroth uttered before he jumped into the air and evaded the large energy beam from the Ancient Colossal. Zalroth swiped his arms out, balling up his fist and flexing his arms as blue embers spurted all around them.

"Alright, you super-sized tin can, let's see if you're made of sterner stuff.". Zalroth flexed his arms again, causing the blue embers to explode into firework-like crackles before erupting into two tsunamis of black and white flames; the flames flooded the entire air space behind Zalroth and he unintentionally, or intentionally, eviscerated the swarm of Ancient Tower drones behind him as he used the flames to propel himself at the Ancient Colossal.