Roman took a moment to absorb John’s words. The gigantic skeleton certainly looked menacing, which only encouraged some insane part of him that wanted to put it to the test. But the panic in his friend’s voice seemed all too real, and Bella was already starting to turn and flee. Looked like she’d received the same advice from her guide.

[ New side quest available: Defeat the Gashadokuro. Destroy or incapacitate this resentful abomination. Reward: +500 additional fragments, +5 Node Points, Eye of Resentment. Consolation reward for escaping: +50 additional fragments, +1 Node Point. ]

Tempting, but he preferred to live. Roman activated [ Flash Step ], teleporting himself some twenty paces into the parking lot; there, his pick-up truck idled in anticipation of just this sort of surprise. Mixie sat in the bed, looking rather unconcerned, head tilted to the side. He offered a mocking little wave.

Roman shook off the slap of air resistance, ignored the shopkeeper, and flung himself into the driver’s seat. He shifted into reverse, peeling off into a half-turn as Bella arrived at a full sprint. She barely paused to hoist herself into the back next to Mixie.

Roman glanced at the rearview mirror. The gashadokuro remained in place like a menacing statue, shadows dancing across its frame.

John materialized in the passenger seat. “Go, go, go!”

Roman stomped on the gas pedal, tires squealing as the pickup truck lurched forward. As the truck gathered speed, sputtering a cloud of exhaust, the monster finally bent at the knees. Despite the distance, Roman could have sworn its yellow teeth stretched outward in a smile.

He took the left turn out of the parking lot at full speed, glancing between the rearview mirror and the road ahead. Nothing followed.

“Really,” said Roman, “what’s the big--”

He shut his mouth as the gashadokuro came into view, rounding the corner at a gangly sprint that ate up the distance. No gigantic skeleton should be able to move like that--shit, it had no tendons or ligaments or anything that should make that sort of thing possible--but Roman supposed such logic didn’t matter in this mad new world.

Though the speedometer claimed they had accelerated to sixty miles per hour, the gashadokuro kept pace with ease, the thick rods of its arms in a controlled swing, knees lifting high with each step like a professional sprinter. Within a few seconds it was close enough to reach out and nearly grab on to the vehicle.

A pillar of fire erupted from the back of the truck as Bella unleashed a blast from her phoenix-feather sword. It slammed into the massive skeleton’s sternum and diverted to either side, splashing off harmlessly. The attack didn’t leave so much as a scorch mark, but at least the gashadokuro stumbled and lost speed.

Ah, thought Roman. So that’s the big deal.

“They’re basically indestructible,” said John. “Made from the resentment of the dead. They grow weaker in the sunlight like most monsters within the Chaos Playground, but it’s still more than a match for this group.”

Roman grunted. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

The truck rattled as it accelerated, the world rushing past as the speedometer crawled up to 80. Some distant part of Roman’s mind noted that the surroundings looked different than he recalled when driving to the restaurant last night, the dark forest segueing into a long plain of autumnal shrubbery that glowed in the soft morning light.

The gashadokuro settled back into its comfortable rhythm, though it seemed a bit more eager to catch up, tombstone teeth displayed in an awful grin, its swinging arms describing a longer arc as it gathered more speed.

A second pillar of flame barreled toward it. This time, the gashadokuro leaned forward until it was loping along on all fours like a hound, joints stretching to impossible limits, the creak of shifting bones audible even over the rattling truck. The beam passed over its head before dissipating in the distance.

Roman’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “So how the fuck do we deal with it?”

“Keep going,” said John. “They’re restricted to their territories. Get far enough and it won’t be able to chase us anymore.”

“Yeah? And how big is its territory?”

John coughed into his hand. “It varies. But usually about a ten mile radius.”

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Roman’s heartbeat thudded in his ears, adrenaline surging. He rapped on the back window to get Mixie and Bella’s attention. He jabbed a finger against the glass, pointing at the shopkeeper. “Do something, asshole!”

Mixie glanced at Roman, glanced back at the fast-approaching skeleton. He shrugged and stood up, gripping the side of the truck for support. A dozen weapons detached from his body, including the five remaining swords around his waist; they spread out, hovering around him in a half-circle, all pointing at the incoming gashadokuro.

“[ Nirvana Lotus ]!” Mixie croaked.

The weapons lit up in a rainbow array, blinding in their intensity. He held out one hand and the luminescence gathered in front of his outstretched palm, coalescing into a prismatic orb that expanded until it was the size of his head.

With a whump, the orb flew forward. Instead of aiming at the gashadokuro, the blast connected with the road directly in front of it. A rainbow explosion consumed the world. The truck fishtailed, shuddering as if it was about to burst apart, but Roman managed to correct course before they flew off the road.

To his surprise, Roman felt something like relief when he saw both passengers still in the back of the truck. A smoking crater some ten paces wide consumed the stretch of road behind them. The gashadokuro had been flung to the side, a heap of bones twisted at awkward angles, but within seconds it began disentangling itself.

Again, not a single scratch marred its surface.

“Motherfucker,” Roman mumbled.

The truck reached its top speed, some eighty-five miles per hour. One hand on the wheel, Roman snagged a cassette from the dashboard and popped it into the radio. A wild grin spread across his face as death metal barked out of the archaic sound system. He twisted the knob to full blast, reveling in the heavy instrumentals and screeching singer.

He had to admit he was--insanely--somehow enjoying himself.

Then he glanced at the rearview mirror again, in time to watch the gashadokuro stand back up--then disappear.

John shouted something he couldn’t hear over the radio then pointed at his eyes. After a moment of thought, Roman activated [ Hunter’s Eye ]. A hazy white silhouette matching the gashadokuro’s form appeared, surging down the side of the road in pursuit; now that he knew where it was, he could see the foliage flattening beneath its feet. Some form of invisibility trick, then.

No way they would make it the full ten miles unless Mixie could lob those prismatic spheres with abandon, which seemed unlikely. Roman’s mind raced, spurred on by the pounding music.

It came to him, a lunatic epiphany he knew he couldn’t think twice about. He rapped his knuckles on the back window again, gestured at Bella, then at the passenger seat. She shook her head in confusion, and again he insistently pointed at the passenger seat. She frowned, nodded.

John disappeared, catching the hint.

Roman slowed down as much as he dared and leaned over to shove the passenger door open. Bella paused, visibly mustering up her courage, then reached over to grab on to the door frame. With superhuman grace she heaved herself forward and into the truck feet first. She slammed the door behind her, glanced at Roman, and turned down the volume.

“What?” she shouted.

Roman grinned madly and shoved his driver side door open. “Take the wheel. I’m goin’ in, boss.”

Eyes wide, Bella seized the steering wheel.

Roman leaned out the door, watching the gashadokuro approach as he tried his best to make some mental calculations. This better work, he thought, trying not to second guess the particulars.

He planted both feet onto the floor and mimicked the motion to activate [ Flash Step ], simultaneously imagining himself in the air instead of ending up on the ground.

He wouldn’t have tried to essentially walk across the air if he wasn’t aware of the existence of [ Tread World ]--and, after all, if indestructible giant skeletons could run and turn invisible, he could pretend the air was earth.

He winked into existence in front of the gashadokuro, hovering in the air, level with its eyes. Bronze energy flooded into his right fist, almost everything he could muster, distorting it into a colossal slab of organic matter, and with all of his Strength and mad energy, he launched a [ Chaos Touch ]-infused hook directly into the motherfucker’s skull.

The gashadokuro’s momentum carried it straight into his blow, adding its own kinetic thrust behind the collision. Bronze energy flashed. The impact of fist against indestructible skull utterly shattered Roman’s arm and sent him spinning wildly, the world a blur. He screamed in pain, dreadfully aware of his impending impact with the earth, his new Quirk preventing him from becoming completely disoriented.

Struggling to remain conscious, he jerked one foot in the babiest of baby steps. The last trace of his soul energy was just enough to manage a final [ Flash Step ] that landed him on his feet a few paces behind the gashadokuro.

He collapsed, the mangled mess of his right arm flopping beside him. As the edges of his vision darkened, he turned his head enough to notice the gashadokuro drop to its knees. Its skull had transformed into an explosion of fireworks (like a Roman candle, he thought, grunting at the pun), a swirl of leaves, a scattering of nuts and bolts. If its bones were indestructible, why not change the bones to something that wasn’t?

A flood of text marched across his vision. Before he passed out, he made sure to skim through them for one final confirmation.

[ Gashadokuro defeated. 5000 experience awarded. ]