[ Main Avenue to the Royal District - Maximum Velocity ]
"BRACE YOURSELVES!!!"
Murphy roared over the screaming V8 engine, which sounded like a wounded beast. He wrenched the heavy iron steering wheel, forcing the multi-ton armored vehicle to drift violently, weaving through debris and dodging ice pillars that littered the road.
The tires shrieked against the concrete—SCREEECH!—the massive centrifugal force slamming everyone inside against the steel frame.
"Murphy! Behind us! Look out!" Philip screamed, his eyes wide with panic as he checked the rear monitor.
"Incoming! Thermal energy levels are critical!"
Murphy glanced at the rearview mirror. What he saw wasn't a pursuing vehicle.
It was a "Blood-Red Sun."
A massive sphere of magical magma, over three meters in diameter, was spiraling through the air toward their rear bumper. It didn't sound like an engine; it made a high-pitched shriek as it incinerated the air itself!
"Damn it!" Murphy cursed, downshifting and stomping on the gas pedal to outrun death.
But the pursuers didn't just wield fire.
Just as the magma sphere was about to make contact, the ground beneath the rear of the Rover began to tremble violently.
"Earth Fang!" (A deep, chanting voice echoed on the wind.)
RUMBLE... CRACK!
Suddenly, the concrete road behind them exploded!
A massive Stone Spike erupted from the earth like the jaw of a subterranean behemoth. It didn't hit the car directly but struck the rear undercarriage, "leveraging" the heavy vehicle upward at the exact moment the fireball impacted!
BOOOOOM!!!!!!!
The explosive force of the fire magic combined with the kinetic lift of the earth spell sent the multi-ton Rover spinning into the air like a weightless toy!
The world spun dizzily in everyone's eyes.
Ceiling became floor... Floor became ceiling...
Supplies, ammo crates, and seven human bodies tumbled helplessly inside the cabin, which had turned into a metal centrifuge.
CRASH! CLANG! THUD!
The steel frame slammed against the road over and over. The sound of tearing metal was deafening. Sparks from the friction illuminated the chaotic interior before the wreck finally slid to a halt, upside down, its four wheels still spinning aimlessly in the air.
Whoosh...
Flames from the explosion licked greedily across the road, encircling the wreck. The acrid smell of synthetic fuel mixed with burning rubber filled the air.
Thick black smoke began to seep into the twisted cabin.
"Ugh..."
Murphy felt like his brain had been put in a blender. Fresh blood streamed down his forehead, blinding one eye.
He tried to focus, seeing his teammates hanging limp from their seatbelts or piled on the ceiling.
"Everyone... sound off... you still breathing?" Murphy rasped, choking on the smoke.
"Hah... hurts like hell..." Baron's deep voice groaned from the back. He kicked at the dented door.
"Door's jammed! The frame is twisted shut!"
"Fire... the fire is coming in!" Ren cried out in terror. Orange tongues of flame began to curl through the shattered windows. The heat rose rapidly, turning the cabin into an oven.
"Kick it open! Now! Before we roast!" Axel shouted, spitting blood.
Baron roared, summoning his last reserves of strength. He slammed his boots against the rear door.
BANG! BANG! CRUNCH!
The heavy steel door flew off its hinges. Murphy quickly cut his seatbelt, dropping to the ceiling-floor. He grabbed Philip, who was unconscious, and dragged him out.
"Get out! Move! The fuel tank is gonna blow!"
The seven of them scrambled out of the wreckage like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
Murphy dragged Philip; Baron carried the injured Jace; Axel supported Ren and Klein.
They crawled through shards of glass and searing heat, their armor torn, covered in blood and soot.
The moment their boots hit the pavement outside the ring of fire, Murphy looked back at his trusty vehicle.
"RUN!!!!"
They gritted their teeth and sprinted, leaving the scrap metal behind.
Seconds later...
KA-BOOOOM!!!!!!!
The fuel tank detonated. A massive fireball erupted into the sky. The shockwave nearly knocked them flat on their faces.
Shrapnel and engine parts flew past their heads like deadly meteors.
Murphy panted heavily, looking back at the roaring inferno.
Silence fell for a moment... before heavy footsteps crunched through the smoke and fire.
The silhouettes of three or four figures emerged from the backdrop of the blaze.
One held a staff topped with a glowing red orb... another wore heavy stone armor, arms crossed in arrogance.
"Thought they were tough..." The mage with the staff sneered. "Just filthy rats driving a piece of scrap metal."