Chapter 2222: Chapter 2222 The Chapter Number just Looks Neat
--- Lily ---
[Scratch that you might have a bit of time. I just saw Marigold, er- Vanilla run past the door. I think they’re fighting? I can’t really hear any fighting but surely she’s doing something? Oh, and I think I just saw Maryland through something towards the pair. There goes something else going the other way. Um... I can keep up the commentary if you want? You can just look through my eyes if you want.]
*Too much pain to concentrate on that I think. Keep with the commentary, though maybe just if it’s super important.*
[Hmmm... well I mean Vanilla is screaming but she doesn’t exactly sound like she’s in real pain if you catch my drift.]
*Ok while that’s probably important I don’t think I want Marigold’s pain tolerance rubbed in my face at the moment.*
Lily had half given up on properly walking and instead had a small platform of shadows that was moving her carefully and quietly over towards the hole in the ceiling that she’d snuck through. Lily still couldn’t really hear anything and her eyes were in good condition if you ignored the water from the tears. Luckily they didn’t obscure her vision too badly.
[Ooh, I think Maryland just took a big hit. Vanilla did NOT sound pleased about that one... and ok what the heck was that. It sounded sort of like slime or something but I don’t hear any follow up noises and I didn’t see anything? Hmmmm...]
Lily had made it to the gap in the ceiling and was able to look down herself. Brook stood in the only clean area, and surrounding her was thick green goop that seemed be able to keep everyone in the corridor trapped. Vanilla was stuck against a wall, struggling against the substance but so far making no progress while Maryland was up against the back wall, head slumped unmoving, and equally stuck in goop.
Lily kept her breathing quiet and carefully moved back from the edge as she tried to plan what her next move was as she creeped around to try and get an angle that would just barely allow her to keep watching on everyone else in the corridor who wasn’t Brook. The rest of the enchanters were probably safe... if only because they were locked into their rooms by the goop.
For the moment, Brook seemed to be watching carefully, and Lily needed a plan. *Ok, what can I do here. I can jump down and join the fight... but can I free Vanilla and would that be helpful? She got caught pretty quickly, but I’m also guessing that Brook has prepared well to fight everyone.*
[I wonder what she’s got for dealing with Appoline.]
*Actually... a good question... and where IS Appoline?*
[I’m guessing she’s preparing some more potions to deal with a fight. Or perhaps just waiting for me to give the all-clear. Which I’m quite incapable of at the moment, but it’s possible. Appoline wasn’t hired as a guard, so this might not be her problem. I know she’s not locked in the room at least.]
*Are you sure? Brook trapped you with an enchantment, who is to say she didn’t leave something behind that would lock all of the other doors once she got to work so that she can take everyone out one at a time?*
[Slightly worrying... but I doubt it. She was alone in this room and working through the night to set up a trap for me. Surely one of the others would notice if she was trapping them as well.]
*Counterpoint, she’s ’known’ for making silly mistakes and getting distracted. It would be easy to play off if she got caught once or twice and assuming she didn’t get caught... she could have just kept working. I don’t know how similar a trap and a proper barrier would look, and considering the trap is probably also a barrier...*
[I see your point. Let’s ignore it for now though. You’re right in that we need a plan to take her down... and I don’t necessarily have a great one. Your shadows are risky at the moment because of those light bombs, and there’s a good chance she has more.]
*Hmmm... I can throw some paper spells at her? Maybe... I worry I might hit the others.*
[I don’t think Vanilla will care if you hit her.]
*A fair point. Though Brook has also seen that I can use paper already... what are the chances she has a counter?*
[I’m not sure.]
*I could just jump down and attack her with my actual claws?*
[You want to get in melee range of her?]
*Surely I’m stronger than an old woman who’s only Rank 2 at most...*
[Yeah you probably are... but you’re also a LOT lighter. If she gets in a punch or a kick that you’re not expecting you’ll get sent flying away... and then more light grenades.]
*Ok need a new plan. I really don’t want to be anywhere near the light grenades.*
[I’m really not sure we have any plan other than paper or claws...]
*Hmmm... do I have the mana for that? I can do a lot of damage but I’ve got no idea what her pain tolerance is like... and I’ve never really tried to kill with my paper storm ability.*
[It’s up to you.]
*I suppose I should at least try.*
Lily glanced around once more. Brook seemed to be slowly clearly away the gunk leading back to the main lobby with some sort of powder, and that seemed like a good enough distraction. Lily summoned her spell... but as soon as the sigil started to form. Not when it finished, only when it started, Brook was already moving. Paper shot out at the same time as Brook ducked to the side and, in the same motion, threw one of those fucking grenades towards Lily.
Lily growled and jumped away. The grenade wasn’t aimed directly for the gap, it was instead aimed for the ceiling she’d been standing on. As Lily glided away that section of roof exploded as, instead of light, a bunch of stone shot through the roof breaking away pieces of it as it went and shattering against the rocks on the ceiling above. Lily was out of the way for the most part, but now Brook was aware of her again and the hole in the ceiling was a lot larger.
Lily was considering what her follow-up move was going to be... but Brook needed to waste no time with that. Three more grenades flew through the expanded hole. One went ’forward’ and left, the other went ’forward’ and right from Brook’s perspective... but the crazy one, was the final grenade which bounced against the edge of the hole and rebounded to fly back towards the area Brook was... but hidden by the roof to keep her safe. It meant that basically every direction Lily could have run was covered in one way or another.
Lily reacted swiftly, she didn’t know what effects these would have, but she didn’t want any of them to get close to her. Paper walls rose up from nothing to block the bombs somewhat... and of course the flash of light that came later showed her what kind had been used. Lily was hidden behind a wooden beam and two layers of paper. The light tried its best but what little made it to her hiding spot wasn’t enough to cause further damage...
But throwing up those barriers still cost mana. Mana that she did not have to waste. Five percent and change. Lily was down to about fifteen percent of mana and the worry was that only ten percent of that could be safely used. The last five carried a decently high risk to it, and after that? Well Lily would just need to rely on her teeth and claws. Getting up close to Brook still seemed like a bad idea but it was seeming like less of a bad idea then anything else she could come up with.
Lily was about to start moving when another set of grenades flew upwards, following the same trajectory. Lily debated blocking them again, but simply decided to use a single sheet of paper closer to her to defend it. Even if it burnt up it would hopefully take some of the light away... except that’s not what happened.
Instead of light, each grenade exploded into the same green goo that had trapped Vanilla, and Lily knew she needed to move. The paper shield had absorbed all of the stuff coming straight for her... but it couldn’t hold it forever. Not only was some of it already dripping down, but she’d used as little mana as possible and the paper itself wouldn’t last long. Lily tried to fly away, but her wings screamed in pain as she extended them out. Instead, Lily was forced to grab onto a rock above her with her shadows and continue moving away from the hole.
Which was when she got an idea. *Kat! Give me a mental map. I’m going to break into Appoline’s room!.*
