HPDBC Chapter 25: Ch23. Clockwork nightmare
Chapter 25: Ch23. Clockwork nightmare
Chapter 25: Ch23. Clockwork nightmare
The Rabbit's claws raked the air, distorting reality as jagged fractures rippled outward. Each swipe of its enormous paw sent waves of destruction coursing through the greenhouse, twisting the air and shattering the ground beneath Miles' feet.
Miles ducked, narrowly avoiding a strike aimed for his head. His chest heaved with ragged breaths as he stumbled back, the [Harbinger's Scythe] humming with anticipation in his grip. The black fog coiling around the weapon whispered to him, urging him to attack, but the Rabbit's sheer speed and ferocity left him no time to focus.
Even as he tried to strike with an upward arc, aiming at the Rabbit's arm, just like when he had landed a hit on it, the Rabbit vanished like it had not been there to begin with, reappearing just steps away from the scythe's range.
The Rabbit lunged again, its elongated frame a blur of interlocking gears and fur. Miles swung the scythe in a desperate arc, but the Rabbit twisted mid-air, evading the blade with supernatural precision. It landed with a heavy thud, its crimson eyes gleaming with malice as it tilted its head, mocking him.
"You're slowing down, boy," the Rabbit crooned, its voice grating like grinding metal. The pocket watch in its clawed hand spun faster, emitting a high-pitched whine that made Miles' ears ring. "Is that all you've got? Alice's gifts wasted on a thief?"
Miles didn't answer. He couldn't.
Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, his mind racing to keep up with the onslaught. His usual quips felt hollow in the face of the Rabbit's overwhelming power. Instead, he planted his feet, gripping the scythe tightly as he steadied his breathing.
'Focus, Miles!' He gritted his teeth. 'There has to be a way out of it.'
The Rabbit charged at Miles again, closing the distance between them in an instant. Miles barely had time to react as its claws came down, slamming into the ground where he'd stood moments before.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, hurling shards of broken glass and debris in every direction.
Miles rolled to the side, grimacing as a jagged shard sliced across his forearm. Blood seeped through the tear in his sleeve, but he gritted his teeth and pushed himself back to his feet.@@@@
'Think, dammit!' he hissed, watching the Rabbit as it stalked toward him, its movements unnervingly deliberate.
The Rabbit's attacks weren't random. They could not be.
There was a pattern, a rhythm to it. The way the Rabbit moved, the way the pocket watch spun faster before each strike... Miles realized it wasn't just using its claws and strength; it was using his time magic to boost its attacks, unlike it did back when Miles fought the dark fog wraith.
'You bastard... You've been saving it for now, right?' Miles grinned nervously underneath the mask.
The Rabbit snarled, moving faster than ever, its claws slashing through the air in a blur of motion. Miles ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding each strike, his entire body screaming against the movements.
He focused on the Rabbit's movements, on the way its attacks synced with the spinning of the pocket watch. Every time the watch reached a certain speed, the Rabbit would strike. If he could disrupt that rhythm...
Miles clenched his jaw, tightening his grip on the scythe.
The Rabbit attacked again, its claws raking through the ground as Miles dodged to the side. He swung the scythe in a counterattack, but the Rabbit deflected it with ease, its movements precise and calculated.
"Too slow." The Rabbit taunted, its voice echoing through the shattered greenhouse.
Miles' mind raced as he dodged another strike, his heart pounding in his chest.
The Rabbit was fast, almost imperceptible, but the rhythm was there. He just needed to find the right moment to strike, like before.
The scythe pulsed in his hands, its dark energy flaring briefly before settling into a steady hum. Miles took a deep breath, centering himself as he watched the Rabbit carefully.
And then he saw it.
The watch pulsed briefly as the Rabbit struck, nearly beheading Miles this time. But it was there.
The Rabbit's movements grew sharper, more frantic, its attacks losing the precision of before. Miles ducked and rolled, his heart pounding as he realized the truth: it was protecting the watch. Every strike, every lunge, was meant to keep him away from it.
It wasn't just a weapon. It was the source of the Rabbit's power. Every movement, every attack, was tied to the spinning of the watch.
'Maybe if I can break it...'
Miles grinned and focused as he gripped the scythe tightly, the blade glowing with dark energy. He shifted his stance, his muscles tensing and screaming in protest as he prepared for the Rabbit's next attack.
The Rabbit lunged, its claws slashing through the air, and Miles ducked, rolling to the side. The roll sent a jolt of pain through his entire body, but he swung the scythe in a wide arc, aiming not for the Rabbit, but for the pocket watch in its hand.
And the blade connected, letting out a cracking sound.