NOVEL NEXT LXIV. Entangled Nightmares
Now defenseless, the enemy had no means of lessening the impact of the trio's relentless advance. Upon crashing head-on into Novilunium, the crunch of his bones breaking against the unbending metal of their vessel's frame punctuated the unfurling chaos, quickly followed by the shattering of several other bones that were crushed underneath its metallic wheels as they drove over him.
Driver: Wanted to help, Virno?!
Without letting up, the driver presses yet another button, causing a large turret to spring out from the vehicle's bed at the back. Unlike the other turrets, this one didn't seem automatic.
Driver: Turn that freak into a strainer!
With a nervous grin on his face, Virno approaches the turret, trying his best to guess how it works.
Virno: I'll try...!
Noticing the slight unease in his voice, the driver is quick to give him further guidance.
Driver: Just grab the thing's handles and squeeze when the guy's on your sights, nothing to it. It'll do the rest for you...
Grabbing the two padded horizontal handles jutting from the turret, Virno aligns its crosshairs with his target and gives the trigger a squeeze. In that instant, the turret seems to awaken, exhaling a cloud of steam and executing subtle adjustments to its aim, honing in on Novilunium with eerie precision. Before long, the barrel begins spinning and a hailstorm of bullets rain down on the target.
Driver: Hahahah! Just like that...!
As they continue to widen the gap between themselves and their adversary, Ballo's brow glistens with beads of sweat, his breaths labored as he weaves yet another shield into existence, fortifying their defences against the looming threat.
Novilunium: S-STOP...
Yet it wasn't long until the sinister timbre of Novilunium's demonic voice pierced the stillness of the night once more, as his shambling, broken body slowly levitated from the ground and began flying in their direction, producing a new cloud of tar-like smoke to cover his body.
Ballo: Faster, we must go faster...!
Driver: We go much faster and I'm not sure this thing'll hold together...!
The vehicle shook violently, as its flimsy suspension did its best to withstand speeds that were far greater than it was designed for. Blindly trusting Clavia's invention, the driver chose not to slow down, committing to the plan of moving away from Novilunium as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the enemy wasn't about to let that happen...
Virno: Guys, he's trying something...!
Virno, having kept the turret's sights on him to the best of his abilities, had had his efforts thwarted by a sudden speed burst coming from his opponent, who had managed to escape the turret's onslaught. It appeared that, as the cloud grew larger, so did Novilunium's swiftness, having now rapidly ascended high overhead and flown off to one of the sides, far in the distance. There was no longer any chance that the turrets, automatic or otherwise, could keep tracking him accurately.
Ballo: What? What is he doing?!
Driver: Is he... Retreating?
Virno: No... No he isn't. WATCH OUT!
Harnessing the distance it had cunningly crafted, the black cloud surged forward, gathering momentum with an unstoppable force. It collided head-on with Ballo's shield, its magical barrier crumbling beneath the sheer ferocity of the impact, leaving them vulnerable and defenceless. In the face of such overwhelming speed, their reactions were rendered futile... All but Ballo's. He would not allow himself to be caught unprepared so easily.
Ballo: NO!
Anticipating that his shield would not withstand the attack, he had used what little time he had to prepare yet another spell. As Novilunium crashes against the shield, Ballo releases a wave of energy towards him just before he manages to seize Virno, successfully altering his trajectory, but forcing him to crash into one of the vehicle's front wheels, breaking it into pieces.
Driver: Oy, OY OY OY!
As the vehicle loses its ability to go straight, it veers off the road and heads into a nearby thicket.
Virno: This fucker's just not going down... The turrets aren't doing a thing to him!
Dazed by the harsh impact against the vehicle, Novilunium's movements had slowed down once more, allowing Virno to resume showering him with bullets. Despite this, even though he could swear the bullets were landing, it was as if they had little to no effect when it came to actually damaging him. They seemed to merely assist in dispersing the smoke and reducing the accuracy of his attacks...
Driver: Shit, and I can't get this thing to go where I want it...!
Navigating through the dense forest, the driver veered and twisted, skillfully evading the looming trees with every ounce of their expertise. But, with the once precise control over the vehicle faltering, evasive manoeuvres were all that could be applied. The vehicle became both vessel and master, the sole decider of its destination. With each jarring bump and unexpected turn, its very structure groaned under the strain, bolts and nuts loosening as the unyielding terrain tested its integrity to the brink.
Ballo: Enough! No common means can stop this monster. I'll put an end to this... Right this moment.
As he says this, Ballo's palms begin glowing with a radiant white glow, one whose luminous aura was all too familiar to Virno...
Virno: BALLO, DON'T YOU DARE!
Ballo's skin had begun searing underneath its intense heat, as if his body could not fully withstand the power he was trying to command.
Ballo: I do not recognize this foe, Virno... But he is not weaker than Lacerbus. We cannot risk it, not when we're this close...!
Virno: Then let me try to get him, please! There's one thing we haven't tried yet, something that could work... Let me use the necklace. It's imbued with your magic, right?! It has to work, it worked against Lacerbus...!
Weighing both options, neither of them offering a clearly favorable outcome, he stops his spell. With smoke emanating from his slightly-burnt palms, Ballo concedes.
Ballo: My magic had little to no effect after he transformed into that atrocity... But, I suppose there's not much left to lose at this point. We can try. I'll assist you!
Virno raises his right hand high overhead, as the necklace around his neck dissolves into countless glowing grey particles, coalescing into the form of a gleaming silver blade within his clenched fist. As Novilunium hurtles toward him once more, Virno braces himself, poised to deliver a decisive strike.
Virno: Breathe... Breathe...
Taking deep breaths, he focuses his attention on the target. Before long, Novilunium enters Ballo's range and, the moment he does, a grey bubble of energy is cast around him. Trapped within the bubble, his movements become sluggish and labored, affording Virno the opportunity for a meticulously calculated strike.
Novilunium: LET ME ENGULF YOU...!
Yet the enemy leveraged his abilities to produce a sudden burst of smoke within the bubble, concealing his body entirely. Despite this, Virno commits to the cut completely, and as his blade enters Ballo's bubble unimpeded, he feels it slice through Novilunium's flesh and cutting off some part of his body.
Novilunium: ARGHHH!
Wailing in pain as a severed arm flies off to the side, Novilunium crashes to the ground, with the smoke surrounding him subsiding once more. Even though the attack was successful, Virno couldn't help but feel discouraged upon hearing his opponent's cries of pain... He had intended to aim for the head in order to end their clash with a single blow, yet it seemed Novilunium's manoeuvre had caused him to miss the neck, slicing off one of his arms instead.
Virno: Couldn't kill the fucker, but at least that should buy us some time...!
Driver: Time...?
Their voice cracked with urgency, panic seeping into their tone.
Driver: Have you seen where we're headed?!
As their eyes dart ahead, dread washes over them. Concealed by the thicket, a sheer cliff now loomed ominously, its edge drawing perilously closer with each passing second...