[center][hr][img]https://i.imgur.com/J6dADik.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/XUvv02U.png[/img][hr][/center] On the way to the Kingdom, there were no spider ghosts. Thank God for that. They marched closer and closer to the Kingdom, and Lisa was surprised they didn’t get attacked by a monster yet. She looked around, it was just plains, rocky, rocky, plains. Same as before, but in the distance there were mountains that the chains holding the Kingdom down (?) were attached to. She could vaguely see something else in the distance, but Lisa just shrugged as she walked. [color=764820]”So what else-”[/color] Lisa tried to say, before a distant buzzing cut her off. She turned her head to see a group of massive freakish insect things approaching. [color=fce420]”… Get ready,”[/color] Yoko said, unsheathing the Yokai Killer. [color=e77fbf]"Ew,"[/color] Ella whispered, pulling out the Ice Scepter and pulling it in front of her. Saskia rolled their eyes, slicing their hand open. Blood coated their body, crawling up to form their blood tendril. [color=DC143C]"Now would be the perfect time for some fire, Ella."[/color] [color=e77fbf]"Oh yeah!"[/color] Ella quickly formed a massive fireball in her free hand and launched it at the insect-creatures. It burned a few but didn’t make a difference in the onslaught. The Yokai Killer extended as Yoko held it behind her until they got close, and swiped it, cutting through several of them as they rotted away into nothing. [color=fce420]”We’re going to need more fire than that!”[/color] Yoko shouted as the Yokai Killer went back to its default length. [color=fce420]”Disciple! Come here! Turner, Otten! Cover me!”[/color] There was a slight dread in Lisa, but she gave Yoko the benefit of the doubt. However, Lisa opened her mouth, aiming it at the center of the creature swarm and projectile vomitted spiders into it. They exploded, sending acid and chitin fragments in all directions. [color=DC143C]"Cover you for what,"[/color] Saskia muttered. They battered away a few of the creatures with their tendril, a fist coming up into ones face and a bone spear immediately shoving through its brain. At the same time, their wings started to push out their back. [color=e77fbf]"What do you need me to do?!"[/color] Ella shouted as she ran over to Yoko. The Yokai Killer shrunk into the hilt, and she threw it into her hip pouch and pulled out paper scraps and a marker. [color=fce420]”Just hold still!”[/color] Yoko shouted as she scribbled kanji and chanted… before jamming it into Ella’s chest to boost her abstraction. [color=e77fbf]"WHY THE TITS?!"[/color] Ella shouted as her abstraction was boosted. But she didn’t pause much more before turning around. [color=e77fbf]"Watch out!"[/color] She pushed out both hands to let out a massive burst of flames towards the creatures. It spread out in front of her, continuous and much further reaching than normal. Which burned through a majority of them, while Lisa kept vomiting spiders onto them. [color=fce420]”Next time I’ll smack you on the ass with it!”[/color] Yoko shouted as she unsheathed the Yokai Killer, with a flick it went to full length. [color=fce420]”You don’t have much time! Fight!”[/color] [color=e77fbf]"What do you think I’m doing?!"[/color] Ella shouted back. The burst of flames ceased for a moment - there were less now, so she swapped to quickly shot targeted fire balls. Strong enough to engulf each creature hit in fire as she threw them at as many left as she could. Lisa begun to connect several of them together by spider webs to make the whole process easier while Yoko was extending the Yokai Killer to slice them to pieces. As the fight raged on, the ground suddenly trembled. Lisa looked up, confused, just in time to spot a massive burning projectile soaring right. It crashed into the swarm of insects, scattering them in every direction. Chunks of dirt and insect remains flew, covering the group in a rain of debris. [color=fce420]“What the hell was that?!”[/color] Yoko shouted, before pausing to scan the horizon. Before anyone could respond, another massive burning boulder hurtled toward them. It crashed down only a few meters away, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked everyone off balance. Yoko pointed towards the edge of the plains. [color=fce420]”Autoknights!”[/color] Yoko shouted. [color=e77fbf]"Shit- they'll kill us before they capture us!"[/color] Ella shouted, barely keeping her balance. [color=e77fbf]"What do we do?"[/color] [color=DC143C]”Pretend to fight, at least,"[/color] Saskia hissed, raising a hand to shoot off a blood bullet without much care for where it went. They looked towards Yoko. [color=DC143C]"This is going great already."[/color] Ella nodded, grabbing the Ice Scepter again. She pointed it towards the sky, planning to freeze and stop the next boulder thrown at them. It froze, but did not stop - it was sliced in half by Yoko, both bolders, carried by their momentum, landed at both sides of the group. [color=fce420]”At this distance, fighting them is not viable!”[/color] Yoko shouted, [color=fce420]”We have to go!”[/color] [color=764820]”Where?!”[/color] Lisa shouted. [color=fce420]”Somewhere!”[/color] Yoko shouted back. [color=DC143C]"Maybe if we lie flat they won’t see us,"[/color] Saskia intoned. [color=e77fbf]"[i][b]LET’S JUST GO![/b][/i]"[/color] Ella grabbed both Lisa and Saskia, holding them under her arms as she started to run… vaguely towards the kingdom but in a strange zig zag motion. Yoko was right behind them, however, she sheathed the Yokai Killer and pulled out the Dragon’s Wisdom. [color=fce420]”I have an idea!”[/color] Yoko shouted as a storm formed. [color=fce420]”I’m going to create a rainstorm for cover!”[/color] [color=e77fbf]"Oh, great idea- maybe I can make it a thunderstorm!"[/color] Ella shouted. [color=DC143C]"Don’t fucking do that!"[/color] Saskia shouted back. [color=e77fbf]"... Well, is there anywhere we can hide?"[/color] Ella looked around. [color=e77fbf]"Maybe I can punch a hole in the ground?!"[/color] [color=764820]”Use your dumbass-”[/color] Lisa tried to say before another burning projectile landed some distance away and shook the ground - which was already saturated with rain water. Lisa looked up and saw several more bolders covered in pitch coming at them. One was sliced in half by Yoko, and the other two landed away from them. However, the rain was making it hard to see the encampment in the distance. [color=DC143C]"Well they can clearly still see us,"[/color] Saskia hissed. [color=e77fbf]"I’ll do it! I’ll make us a hole to hide in!"[/color] Ella shouted, dropping Lisa and Saskia and starting to punch the ground with enhanced fists. Creating a small crater, which Lisa hopped into followed by Yoko, and both of them made a splash when they fell in. The rain didn’t let up, slowly filling the crater as a few more bolders hit - shattering the earth- before abruptly stopping. Lisa looked around as the water soaked her clothes, and sighed. [color=fce420]”… It’s hard to tell through the rain,”[/color] Yoko said, ruining the moment of peace. [color=fce420]”But I believe they are coming.”[/color] [color=DC143C]"So we just sit tight till they come, put up a bit of resistance, and get captured?"[/color] Saskia shivered beside Lisa in the hole. Ella was doing her best to scoop water out of it with her hands. [color=e77fbf]"I’ll beat their metallic asses!"[/color] she shouted, stopping scooping water out of the hole to coat her legs in light in preparation. [color=fce420]”It would be more convincing if we took out a few,”[/color] Yoko nodded. [color=fce420]”So we’re going to wait until they get close, then attack them.”[/color] [color=DC143C]"I'll prepare my spit then,"[/color] Saskia intoned, pushing wet hair off their face. Ella poked her head up out of the hole, letting out a gasp and shooting off a strong blast of ice into the distance. [color=e77fbf]"They're close!"[/color] [color=fce420]”Maybe- forget it!”[/color] Yoko shouted as she hopped out of the hole, and disappeared in a burst of speed, distorting the rain in the process. There was the sound of metal crashing against the earth and rain as spider legs sprouted from Lisa’s back. She climbed out, and her glasses were drenched which made it more challenging to see in the rain. Lisa saw the silhouettes of what had to be the Autoknights. She sighed, the ground rumbled, and spiders erupted out of the ground in a sickening and macabre geyser. Mid-air, she applied Gunk-Burst and they exploded, sending gunk in all directions and hoped it wouldn’t be washed away by the rain. Lisa couldn’t tell, but several of the Autoknights stopped moving. Saskia came out of the hole spitting. With the difficult conditions, she had to aim for the rough silhouette's and what looked like their heads. Ella ran out last, sprinting past Saskia and Lisa to join Yoko in the fight. Glowing legs slammed into their metal bodies, while colour coated fists went for their… sort of faces. As the storm continued to rage overhead, Yoko moved like a shadow, her blade flashing out to sever the joints and weak points of the Autoknights surrounding them. Several of them dropped to the ground, before Yoko gathered the water and launched it like a wave. It knocked over several, they fell in a cascade, before Yoko looked over her shoulder. [color=fce420]”Let’s go!”[/color] Yoko shouted, as the remaining Autoknights formed together. [color=DC143C]"Don't have to tell me twice,"[/color] Saskia muttered, turning on their heel and starting to run away. Ella forcefully stopped her momentum, spinning around to follow Saskia… only to slip and fall ass first on the mud. She quickly scrambled up. Yoko led the formation while Lisa ran in the rear with her spider legs slowly retracting into her back. Lisa looked over her shoulder as she heard the Autoknights pursue after them. Each movement would have been heavy enough to shake the ground if it hadn’t been for the mud. [color=fce420]”Turner! We need a distraction!”[/color] Yoko shouted, her voice barely louder than the rain and thunder. Lisa turned around, her glasses smeared from the raindrops, [color=764820]”On it!”[/color] Lisa shouted, but the rain drowned her voice. Not that she was worried [i]at all.[/i] She put her hands out as far as they could go before slowly raising them into the air as the ground shook. The spiders burst out of the ground, sending mud that landed on Lisa in all directions, angled directly at the Autoknights. When they reached their target, Lisa activated Gunk Burst, and they exploded, sending gunk that hardened around their joints and restricted their movements during the process. Meanwhile, Yoko turned her attention to a distant group of Autoknights, their hulking forms barely visible through the downpour. She could see their catapults firing in the distance, their operators unrelenting even as the storm should have made targeting difficult. [color=fce420]”Good grief! We have to cut off their sight line!”[/color] Yoko hissed, grasping the Dragon’s Wisdom with both hands as she took a deep breath. The storm clouds were drawn closer until fog blanketed through the entire battlefield. She released before shouting, [color=fce420]”We have more cover now!”[/color] [color=e77fbf]"But we can't see either!"[/color] Ella wailed, squinting against the fog. She waved the ice Scepter behind her, blasting the soaked ground to create a dangerous ice path between them and the pursuing Autoknights. [color=fce420]”Just try not to trip!”[/color] Yoko shouted as she ran with the Dragon’s Wisdom low and ready. Another loud crash sounded as a boulder from the catapult hit the muddy ground nearby, splattering Lisa (and others) with cold, wet earth as she ran. Lisa’s heart pounded as she struggled to make sense of the chaos through the thick fog. She could barely see Yoko, let alone the Autoknights, but she knew they were out there. Her instincts screamed at her to turn and run, but something told her Yoko had a plan, even if it wasn’t clear. Yoko was ahead, holding the Dragon’s Wisdom tightly in both hands. Eventually, they broke through the Fog. However, the sounds of those mechanical monsters marching were overpowering. Yoko turned on her heel and held the Dragon’s Wisdom parallel to her chest, and let out a slow but deep, breath. [color=fce420]”They’re still pushing through the fog,”[/color] Yoko said, [color=fce420]”When they push through the fog, hit them hard and fast. We’re going to create distance for our [i]actual[/i] escape.”[/color] [color=DC143C]"I thought we were trying to get captured,"[/color] Saskia muttered under their breath. Lisa swallowed, nodding, even though Yoko probably couldn’t see her. Lisa summoned her spiders through the mud and scattered them around to wait for any Autoknights to stumble into range. Lisa held her breath as she heard their heavy footsteps grow louder. [color=764820]”... Just a [i]little[/i] closer,”[/color] Lisa muttered to herself. Their silhouettes became visible through the fog, and on cue, the first Autoknight stepped through the mist, wielding a large, metal spear… Ella immediately jumped forward, rainbow light coating her leg as she swung it up to try knock the metal spear aside. Saskia let of two quick spits, aiming for the joints were it’s arms met its body. All of these hit, and the spear hit the ground with a clatter. Yoko charged forward and spun on her feet, using the momentum to slash at Autoknight’s leg joints. It sliced through it and severed it, causing it to hit the ground with a loud boom. Then Yoko raised the Dragon’s Wisdom overhead and drove it into the Autoknight’s head before slamming her foot onto the Autoknight’s head and using it as a brace to pull it out. The rain kept pouring, and Lisa was soaked, but that was the least of her worries; she could see more of them coming as the three of them were handling that Autoknight. She narrowed her eyes as she saw them steadily march fo- Then she heard the thunderclap of one of their muskets; she could [i]feel[/i] the musket round whirl past her, and her eyes shot wide open. Lisa looked to the left and right as she shot both of her hands forward, and the spiders she had scattered around charged forward into the fog. Just as a few more rounds of musket fire whirled past them, she knew this was just a ploy… As the Autoknights fired, they formed together in the fog; from what she saw, they had formed three rows… The front row had been kneeling and firing, while the rows behind reloaded their weapons and took their place. [color=764820]”... We should go,”[/color] Lisa said. [color=DC143C]"Shit- get back,"[/color] Saskia hissed, blood coating their body, hardening to protect them. But it wasn’t as effective as normal thanks to the rain… [color=e77fbf]"They’re going to kill us- oh fuck!"[/color] Ella shouted as the next round of musket fire went off, a round slamming right into her arm. She seemed to ignore it as she grabbed Saskia around the waist to drag her back, towards Lisa, making to run. Even though Lisa had suggested running, there was that feeling that there was nowhere to run [i]to[/i]. They were in a flat plain, after all! And even though the Autoknights were slow, they had guns- Lisa glanced over her shoulder. A lightbulb went off in her head. Lisa wrestled out of Ella’s grip and then turned on her heel. [color=764820]”Yoko! Can you distract them for just a moment?”[/color] Lisa said. [color=fce420]”I [i]can[/i] but what are you cooking, Turner?”[/color] Yoko asked. Lisa looked over her shoulder at Saskia and Ella, and said, [color=764820]”... [i]Deathcrater.[/i]”[/color] Ella had hand pressed over the wound in her arm now, looking over at Lisa with a grim frown. Then she nodded. [color=DC143C]"Let’s do it."[/color] Saskia pushed around Ella so they were next to Lisa, crouching down on the ground in preparation. Lisa joined her as the ground underneath the Autoknight’s feet began to shake. The web started to weave and stretch outwards; Saskia pumped it with corrosive blood. They just need more time… Lisa looked up at Yoko, who was marching towards them with her sword out. At the same time, the Autoknights were changing ranks, Yoko put herself front and center. They finished, and Yoko took a defensive position with the Dragon’s Wisdom parallel to her chest. The musket fire barraged her, bouncing off her form, as Yoko remained steady. Lisa noticed many of them hitting her, but Yoko did not so much as [i]flinch.[/i] However, Lisa focused on spreading this damn web far and wide as she physically could. Once it was complete, Lisa turned to Ella and nodded. [color=764820]”Ella, now!”[/color] [color=e77fbf]"Yoko, get back!"[/color] Ella shouted - but she didn’t actually wait. She raised her hands, incredibly gay looking pastel pink lightning blasting the centre of the web. Yoko grit her teeth, but did not so much as move while still barraged by the musket fire. [color=fce420]”[i][b]... I can take it![/b][/i]”[/color] Yoko shouted. The Deathcrater activated and exploded upwards in a monstrous boom. The acidic blood [i]decimated[/i] the Autoknight formation as their remains fell into the crater that came afterward. Bits of acid sprayed outwards and hit Yoko, but she did not move as it sizzled on her clothing to the point where it exposed [i]skin[/i]. Lisa quickly ran over to Yoko and put her hands on her; the Healing-Spiders came from her pores and crawled onto Yoko to heal her wounds. [color=764820]”... That was pretty ballsy there,”[/color] Lisa laughed. [color=764820]”Surprised you survived.”[/color] [color=fce420]”You’ll need more than that to kill me, Turner,”[/color] Yoko nodded her head. [color=fce420]”Now-”[/color] Distant humming caught their attention, Lisa knew what it was from before… She could barely see them through the storm, but it couldn’t be anything other than the Autoknight airships. [color=764820]”Fuck,”[/color] Lisa said. [color=fce420]”... Those idiots,”[/color] Yoko laughed. [color=764820]”What?”[/color] [color=fce420]”My storm will make it difficult for them to fly,”[/color] Yoko said, [color=fce420]”However, they might just be dropping off reinforcements.”[/color] [color=764820]”Let’s go then,”[/color] Lisa said as she stuck her hands out and created a spider that was wrapped around in a glowing cocoon. When it grew to full size, it burst out with wings. Lisa climbed on and gave the back a few pats. Yoko leaped through the air and hopped on after her. Saskia climbed up behind them. [color=e77fbf]"Yeah, let’s get out of here!"[/color] Ella hopped on last, still bleeding but not seeming bothered about it at all. After everyone was on board, the spider took flight.