Chapter 25
The night had already begun to stretch its limits when Danny finally spotted something—an anomaly on the empty road below. A car, seemingly alone, cruised down the road that led out of the town. The headlights pierced the darkness, a beacon for something that didn't belong in the quiet hours. Danny's eyes narrowed as he saw the driver, a man in the car, and a wave of excitement and anger surged through him.
'There you are,' Danny thought, a deep instinctual feeling surging through him. The target he'd been searching for had appeared just when he thought the night was winding down. He didn't waste a moment—rushing toward the car with unmatched speed, intent on preventing the human from entering the vehicle and escaping.
But the ghost driver had sensed him, and without a moment's hesitation, it swerved the car away from Danny's path, its engine roaring to life. It wasn't interested in a fight—not yet. Danny, however, wasn't one to let something slip away so easily. He blasted the car with bolts of ghost energy, but they barely scratched the surface, barely even slowing it down.
With a grim expression, Danny summoned his anti-tank rifle, the weapon pulsing with a ghostly energy as it materialized in his hands. He took aim, but before he could fire, the car accelerated, taking to the sky, its tires screaming and sending a horrible, ghastly wail through the air. The sound sent a shiver of unease through his mind, clouding his concentration. His shot missed, the bullet streaking wide.
Then, in a cruel twist, the ghost car's tire collided with Danny's abdomen, sending him flying through the air, crashing into the ground with a sickening impact. Pain flared across his body, sharp and blinding, but he gritted his teeth, pushing through it. His body, already more resilient than it once was, could take the hit, but the pain was still intense.
As he stood, breathing heavily, he realized that long-range weapons wouldn't be enough. The car was too quick, too agile in the air for him to keep up. His mind raced for a solution, and instinctively, he called upon his ghostly powers. A magnetic shield appeared around him, a layer of energy that could absorb blows and shield him from further damage. In his other hand, he conjured his long sword, its blade shimmering with the same raw ghost energy that surged through his veins.
With both shield and sword, Danny felt free to engage in combat without fear of immediate injury. His sword crackled with energy as he slashed at the car, each strike making contact with the spectral vehicle, but each blow seemed to barely leave a mark. He cursed under his breath. It was stronger than he had anticipated, and he wasn't sure how much longer his attacks would hold up.
"That was my prey!" he shouted into the wind, his voice laced with fury. The ghost car didn't take kindly to his words, its energy flaring up as it retaliated, transforming its aggression into pure ghostly fury. The car's metallic body shifted, responding to the violence, as if it had become fully aware of the threat Danny posed.
With a growl, Danny lifted his sword high, focusing his energy into the blade. "That is a human, and you will pay for all the people you have killed!" Danny screamed, his fury giving his movements an edge. He surged forward, flying at full speed, narrowing his path as the car tried to avoid his strike.
But the ghost car was faster. As Danny swung his blade with all his might, it barely scratched the surface, just enough to cut across the car's roof before the vehicle sped away, evading his attack. The gap between them was closing, but the ghost car seemed to almost anticipate his every move.
Danny hesitated, realizing that it wasn't a matter of speed anymore. The only way to win was to turn the tables. His next move would have to be calculated. He dropped back a few feet, surrounded by the protective magnetic shield. Holding his sword in one hand, he carefully maneuvered his anti-tank rifle to the other side, ready to fire with a different strategy. His other hand grasped an automatic rifle, loaded and ready for rapid fire.