Beyond Phantasia

Novian’s POV

This fight had dragged on longer than I anticipated. My arms ached as I raised my blade. The sloakard loomed in front of us, its massive form casting a dark shadow over the area.

“Come on!!!” I shouted.

From my right, I could hear Elara’s massive gatling gun revving up. She unleashed a barrage of bullets at the creature. The rounds pounded into the sloakard, but it didn’t even flinch. The bullets disintegrated as they made contact, the creature seemed to be absorbing every hit.

“What the hell?” Elara shouted. “Olorona!!!”

I heard the unmistakable crack of a sniper-shot fire. The shot streaked through the air, aimed at one of the sloakard’s glowing red eyes.

Direct hit.

The creature roared, shaking the area around us as the shot landed — but nothing. The eye remained intact.

“Iris, give us some support!” I called out, trying to formulate a new plan in the chaos.

Iris was already in motion, her drones buzzing through the air. Each one fired energy bursts at the sloakard’s legs and sides, hoping to weaken it somehow.

“Umm…Novy, I don’t know if it's working,” Iris said.

Kaeygo, in his shifted form, darted in from the left. He slashed at the creature’s legs, but even his attacks barely made a dent. It was like he was hitting a stone.

“It’s not even bleeding!” Kaeygo growled, his frustration mounting. “This thing should’ve been down by now.”

I gritted my teeth, summoning another bolt of lightning. A sloakard was strong but not this strong, not even a corrupted one. But no matter how much energy I put into my strikes, the sloakard just shrugged off the damage like it was nothing. I leaped forward, slashing at its side, feeling the raw power of my socrilium vibrating through my arms.

But again — nothing.

“This is strange,” I muttered under my breath.

The sloakard let out a deep growl, its eyes glowing a bright red. The ground trembled beneath our feet, and I could feel the energy in the air shift. Something was wrong.

“Wait… what is it doing?” Elara said. “No…it can’t be.”

Its massive body began to twitch, convulsing as though something was trying to tear its way out. Shadows wrapped around its limbs, and its fur began to fall off in chunks, revealing a sickly, bony form beneath. The air around us grew cold, and I could hear the sharp crack of its bones shifting. Its body elongated, turning darker, as its glowing red eyes became more ominous.

Kaeygo’s claws retracted as he backed up, his voice stern. “Stage two?”

“I thought those didn’t, like, show up in the Prism,” Iris said.

The transformation finished with a final, bone-rattling crack as the sloakard’s massive, bony tail slammed into the ground. It stood before us now, a grotesque version of its former self. Its body now revealed raw muscle and bone, its eyes beaming with a darker shade of red. The thick, fleshy pieces of skin hanging from its body made it seem like something out of a nightmare.

“This… this isn’t good,” I said. “It’s gotten stronger.”

The sloakard’s body moved with newfound speed, launching itself toward us with a terrifying growl.

“Iris! Everyone! Prepare yourselves!” I shouted, raising my socrilium in defense.

<><><><><>

I ran into the battlefield, stationing myself behind the group where they could see and hopefully hear me. I couldn’t fight, but I was good at giving orders. This was our best option.

I took a deep breath and yelled out, "Iris! Iris, can you hear me?"

She turned, her metallic bunny ears twitching as she raised a brow. "What? Who? Kinda busy, Lucien!"

"Listen, we don’t have time. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one!” I yelled. “Your drones — use them to scan the sloakard! Find its vital points!”

Iris blinked, then nodded, immediately tapping a button on her wrist. "Fifi, activate scan mode!" she shouted.

The drones shifted in midair, whirring toward the creature.

"Novian!" I yelled. He barely had time to glance my way as he parried another claw swipe. "Focus your lightning strikes on its joints — we can stall time that way!"

"Got it!" Novian grunted, adjusting his stance. He channeled his lightning into his sword, targeting the sloakard’s hind legs and elbows, where the joints were exposed.

I wasn’t done. "Kaeygo!" I shouted. He’d just dodged a tail swipe, shifting into a watery form to avoid damage. "Use your claws to create an opening! Focus on its underbelly! It’s softer there, but you need to tear through first!"

Kaeygo gave me a sharp nod, his claws elongating as he dashed forward.

"Elara!" I called. "Switch to your axe! You’ll need to go in close and help Kaeygo tear through its underbelly once it’s exposed!"

She nodded, her weapon already transforming mid-spin.

Aurelia… where is she?

My eyes scanned the treetops, but I still couldn’t see her. I needed her to strike when we had an opening.

"Aurelia, I know you can hear me!" I shouted. "When you see an opening in its underbelly, take the shot!”

The plan was set. Now, we needed to execute it.

"Lucien!" Iris shouted from behind. "I’ve got something! There’s a weak point — its neck! It’s covered in bone, but it’s thinner there!"

"Perfect." I said. "Tell everyone! We’ll need to time it right."

I stepped back, watching the others move into position. Novian was already redirecting his lightning strikes, and they were starting to have an effect. The sloakard slowed, its movements less heavy. Kaeygo and Elara charged in unison, Elara’s axe cleaving into the creature’s side while Kaeygo tore at its underbelly with his claws.

Aurelia’s shots rang out, striking where the skin was starting to give way. I watched, heart pounding.

"Now, Novian!" I yelled. "Aim for the neck!”

Novian leaped, his sword crackling with electricity as he aimed for the thin bone covering the sloakard’s neck. The sloakard roared, its body convulsing as Novian slashed its neck.

"Almost there!" I shouted. "Keep going!"

It’s possible. It was rough, but it’s doable.

“I’m impressed, human. You’re very weak, and yet your skills are commendable,” The black snake said.

“Thanks…” I said. “But the fight is still not over.”

I watched the chaos unfold, heart pounding as the sloakard charged toward the group. Its darkened skin gleamed ominously in the fading light, the crimson glow of its eyes intensifying as night settled in. The creature let out a devastating roar.

"Kaeygo, keep it distracted!"

I could see him dash toward the beast with inhuman speed, his claws slashing across its back.

“Aurelia, hit its legs! Slow it down!”

Her shots echoed from the treetops. Each sniper round fused with her affinity allowed the vines to wrap around the sloakard’s limbs.

"Elara! Aim for the eyes!" I shouted, voice cracking as I strained to be heard above the noise.

She adjusted her weapon and sent a barrage of bullets at the sloakard’s face. The creature roared, momentarily blinded.

The creature let out another roar. It reared up on its hind legs, shaking off the vines and deflecting the bullets. Its body pulsated with an ominous energy, and before anyone could react, it charged.