Tales of Undeath: The Von Virtus Chronicles

XCV. Celebrity

With its shaky legs, the fox finds the strength to bite into the dome, puncturing it with its teeth. Its magic pops the dome like a bubble, allowing it to enter the battlefield. As it walks between Lunalus and Virno, it picks up an intriguing scent, diverting its focus. With the world still frozen around it, it manages to sniff out the location of Ballo's coin, with the tails facing up. It stops for a moment, looking back at Virno and Rotavitea, heavily pondering its next course of action. Grabbing the coin with its teeth, it carries it towards Rotavitea.

Fox: Yip...

It gently places the coin down on the ground tail-side up, as a grey glow emanates from its eyes. When the fox focuses on the coin, it magically flips itself over, with its head side facing up. This causes it to violently vibrate yet, before anything could happen, the small animal bites into Rotavitea's clothes and disappears alongside her. Time resumes.

Virno: ...?!

Feeling like he had just dozed off, Virno takes a moment to gather his thoughts, the sword mere inches away from puncturing his torso. He couldn't help but feel like something wasn't quite right... Lunalus, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what had happened.

Lunalus: Filthy time-benders...! So, you're already in league with them...?!

As Virno looks at Lunalus, he remembers what he was about to do.

Virno: Don't know what the hell just happened... But I'll figure it out after I'm done with you...!

Gripping the sword tightly once more, Virno takes a deep breath, when suddenly an explosion of energy takes place behind him. Strangely, instead of being projected forward, he is pulled back into it. From within the magical explosion's particles that littered the air, a hand touches his shoulder as he flies it by, casting a cube of grey energy around him. His movements were greatly slowed while inside it.

Lunalus: You...

As the dust settles, the silhouette at the center of the blast is finally revealed. In its hand, it held Ballo's coin, now cracked and brittle.

The Lion: So, it wasn't him, after all. I suppose it was your doing, then... Virno.

He turns around to face a confused Virno. Noticing his cracked eyes, he sighs.

The Lion: Though the power bestowed upon you is undeniably great... You ought to use it more responsibly. 

Virno tried to speak, but even his mouth moved far too slowly to produce any words.

Lunalus: Thought you'd find the Owl here...? I'm afraid I've bad news to share...

The coin disintegrates in his left hand. In his right one, the Lion summoned forth his reality-bending scimitar, whilst assuming a combative stance.

The Lion: Be gone, Lunalus...

Lunalus laughs.

Lunalus: We meet again, Lion... I trust we both know how this goes.

The Lion: Indeed.

The Lion slashes at the air, his weapon consuming the space between him and Lunalus. This causes Lunalus to be instantly brought to the Lion, leaving him little to no reaction time. With the enemy now within hands' grasp, the Lion grips his throat with immense strength, lifting him in the air as his neck begins to crack. 

The Lion: One less vessel.

With an effortless swing, he decapitates Lunalus, holding his severed head by the neck. All the while, the magic in his scimitar eats away at Lunalus' body from within, disintegrating it rapidly.