Mark stumped on the gas pedal and the engine roared, followed by the squealing of the wheels before the vehicle suddenly surged forward, thrusting the passengers into their seats.
In just a few seconds they reached the first floor of the underground parking lot. The entrance was in front of them and the blinding light coming from it masked the outside scenery. Mark had already steeled his heart so he headed straight for it without stopping. The real challenge would start the moment they're outside and he couldn't waste a single moment.
'This is it!'
The darkness was dispelled and the light blinded them for a moment. Mark kept his calm and spun the steering wheel to the left. He only planned to make a turn but the SUV continued to drift. Only when he saw the road did Mark realize that he made a miscalculation.
While chasing them the black dragon flooded the street with his flames. Mark was just relieved to have escaped them so he never stopped to consider their effects on everything else.
More than an hour later, the flames still burned in the street. The asphalt had melted, creating a layer of viscous matter that caused the car to slip. Mark felt a greater sense of urgency and quickly stabilized the vehicle without slowing down, using a trick taught to him by the maid －or brought to his attention by her, to be more accurate－ to ensure the vehicle didn't become useless.
Mark didn't stop to check whether the dragon had noticed them coming out and put all his focus into getting them out of the burning street as fast as possible.
Pebbles shot around as the car wheels dug into the ground and took off in the direction opposite to the one they first came from. Mark already had their potential escape routes memorized so he went straight for the closest, hoping it wouldn't turn out to be blocked.
"GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Another spine-chilling roar shook the entire city. In the wing mirror Mark saw the massive monstrosity perched on one of the nearby skyscrapers. Its head was turned in their direction, its eyes burning with unfulfilled desire. At that moment, a missile struck it from behind. A cloud of flame spread followed by a wave of smoke. Not a second later, the dragon's massive body fell down along with a mountain of debris.
Mark didn't dare to celebrate yet; Malarak, the black dragon, was struck with a salvo of missiles before and brushed it off like it was nothing. A single missile would never be enough to take him down.
As if to confirm his suspicion, the black dragon spread his wings and switched into a gliding position before flapping once and launching into a suicidal dive.
Malarak transformed into a single massive projectile that was on a direct collision course with the SUV and it didn't seem like he intended on slowing down this time.
Lara peeked her upper body out of the car window and began shooting her AR-15. Every bullet just bounced off the diving dragon, doing no damage whatsoever.
Mark swallowed his fears and hit the brakes while spinning the steering wheel to the right. He made a sharp turn at the right moment, leaving the dragon little time to adjust his trajectory, and the result was a direct collision with one of the buildings.
The impact shattered the nearby buildings, making it rain rubble for a few seconds. The SUV was hit with a few fragments and each time Mark felt his mind grow weaker with exhaustion.
"Master," Lara got back inside and gave Mark a determined look. "I believe it is time for me to go."
He remained silent for a few seconds then shook his head.
"That will be our last resort."
Mark went through the route he chose beforehand and prepared to turn right at the next intersection, but when he looked ahead he was met with a problem. The street was blocked.
'Huh?'
Cars were piled on each side of the road, blocking the left and right turns. That only left the path ahead which wasn't in Mark's initial plan.
'Hold on…' Panic hit his already exhausted mind. 'No way this is natural…'
Looking again, he noticed that the street was empty as far as he could see, which didn't make sense in a crowded city experiencing an apocalypse. The only explanation was that someone had cleared the road, which wouldn't be too strange, but the same couldn't be said about blocking the intersections.
'Don't tell me…'
Another roar told him that Malarak was already up. Instead of flapping his wings to lift into the air, the black dragon shook the rubble off his body then looked around before rushing to a nearby building. He scaled the first one then jumped to the next then another one, going to a taller building each time. After climbing the tallest building in the area, which reached above the hundred and fifty-meter mark, Malarak turned his sight in the SUV's direction, sending chills down Mark's spine.
"Master!" Lara turned to him with a distressed look.
"I know!"
Luck helped them avoid the last dive, but it was unlikely that the same would happen again. They passed several roadblocks already and with each one Mark became more convinced that they were being forced to go in a certain direction, one that would lead them away from the center of the city. The farther they go down that route the shorter the buildings would get, depriving them of the cover they relied on so far. The dragon no longer needed to make another risky dive now; all he had to do was get close enough to spill his flames and they would be fried along with a few of the surrounding blocks. Mark wasn't confident that he could protect them this time around
'Don't tell me…' Just then, he seemed to realize something. 'Is it meant to keep us away?'
Malarak leaped off the tall building and spread his wings. He was approaching their position fast, but not as fast as his last dive. The closer he got, the more visible the crimson flames leaking from the corners of his mouth became. Before long, he was flying only a few meters behind them. He didn't release his flames right away and instead waited for them to take the next turn.
Lara tried shooting at the dragon but didn't get any results. A few clicks announced that her ammo ran out, and with a frustrated look, she tossed the AR-15 inside.
"Lara! Wai-"
The maid ignored his call. She grabbed the window frame and pulled herself out. In an impressive show of gymnastic skill, she landed on the car roof and lowered her posture to avoid being knocked down by the wind. She looked up at the dragon, her eyes narrowed to a sharp glare, then raised her right arm and opened her palm. An instant later, a long pole materialized and fell right into her hand.
It wasn't a simple rod that she summoned but rather a long spear carved out of a single material. Its design was rather simple and its gray color gave it a dull look, however the sharp head seemed to be coated in a strange blue glow signaling that there was more to it than its appearance might suggest.
"Hold it, Lara!" Mark shouted. "We still don't know if it'll work! I told you it's only a last gamble!"
"This might be our only chance!" Lara shot back. Glaring at the dragon, she spun the spear around and held it in a reverse grip. "We have to do it now!"
Despite the car making another sharp turn, Lara still kept her balance and remained on the roof. Mark clenched his jaw, having noticed that every turn ahead of them was blocked. That left them with a long straight road and no escape from the torrent of flames the dragon was about to unleash on them.
The black dragon let out a guttural growl then opened his massive maw. Orange flames surged forward about to incinerate everything in its way. Lara stared straight at the flames without a hint of fear in her ruby eyes, and as she did, a bluish glow spread over her body, covering everything including the long skirt of her maid uniform.
She raised the spear over her shoulder and prepared for a throw, but just as she put some force into her arm, something collided with the dragon forcing it to halt it in the air.
Several explosions sent tremors throughout the surrounding area. Mark was stunned, almost losing sight of the road. He gazed at the roofs of the buildings flanking the road and was shocked by what he saw.
Multiple turrets sprung out of the buildings, each one training its aim on the flying monster and firing a single round followed by a devastating boom. It was a scene straight out of a movie, but being so close to it was far from an enjoyable experience. Doing his best to withstand the constant rumbling, Mark returned his sight to the road and drove off.