Chapter Twenty-Two - Do we Have an Alliance?

Olive has an ugly scowl. I had just transformed my tail into something with leaves that I was hoping she could unlock or use it to her advantage more than me. Sort of like a team-up ability. The first time I unlocked this tail, it was useless. I just waved my tail for fifteen minutes trying to use the leaves as some sort of projectile or anything else. I could not get it to do anything extra like my Ocean Slug Tail or my Ocean Eel Tail who had elemental attributes too. I was excited to get something different, even though the original tail’s owner had unceremoniously seemingly sacrificed itself. Seiko and I took it as a sign. But then again, with Olive, is this considered rude?

Olive was back in her full battle armor. Her katana is ready to strike down at me. I reacted quickly and lunged forward grabbing both her wrists. She struggled to break free as my grip was ironclad. She attempted to kick me, but I was ready and blocked each with my shin. With my attention on her defiant legs she managed to rotate her blade cutting me and I instinctively let her go giving her more space to prepare another attack. Seiko did not hesitate to join the battle and raised her gun firing multiple shots utilizing her [Hard Light Slug] to produce more shots than what the gun is normally able to fire with one magazine. The bullets load into the magazine as soon as one is expended making it seem like it has infinite ammunition. Olive’s fragile looking armor is able to absorb all the shots and the armor’s pieces shift as the leaves crawl towards the area that is being attacked, providing more defense to the affected area.

“[Orange Leaf Magic - Teleport].” Olive announced.

A collection of orange leaves flew into Seiko’s direction making a surface around her before locking themselves into an actual pedestal, the leaves ultimately sliding themselves below her feet. As if she had stepped onto a trapdoor, Seiko fell into the ground and I could not find her re-emerging anywhere within my field of vision. Where did Olive take her?

At the same time, I don’t really want to fight this girl that we just met. I know she has good intentions despite what is happening now. Her combat and magic abilities are just something I do not want to be enemies with. Was she familiar with the Guardian of the Forest?

“Can we solve this with words?” I said meekly.

“[Red Leaf Magic - Fire].” Olive chanted.

On command, red leaves followed an invisible trail of air where the blade danced. The leaves rotated in the air and spun around enclosing themselves on me.

“Oh man.” I sighed.

The sequence of explosions left me disoriented to say the least. My ears were ringing and my sight was blurry. The burning sensation on my scales was amplified tenfold. I covered my nose with my arms as the ash and smoke lingered.

“[Purple Leaf Magic - Accelerate].” Olive incanted.

“Oh, I remember this one.” I said, shaking. Olive was not giving me time to think and I had to be on my feet. Luckily for me I had a scrappy plan.

This magic was the one I was the most scared of. I am 90% sure that I can track it because in her previous fight, with each slash against the demon, although swift, I could see them as if they were in slow motion. Like frames in a movie, stuff you could see with the human eye, but could not comprehend how to mimic such actions without slowing it down. But I can see it, the real question was, could my body keep up with such speeds. The purple lighted blade emanated and advanced.

The first slash swung downwards and I was unable to block it. A huge gash formed in my left arm. The second slash struck horizontally successfully, slashing my stomach, luckily nothing deep. My coat and shirt would need major fixing and washing. The leather absorbed the blood giving it a darker shade. The purple blade however did not have enough blood yet.

The next two strikes went for my legs and neck. I was able to step back and duck to avoid both strikes. I applauded myself as I was able to let my body know how to react accordingly with my thoughts. Olive followed with five more quick slashes and I avoided all five. Then ten, and I did it again. The fast paced action left the strikes looking like a net trying to capture me, and I as the prey did my best from becoming completely hunted.

At the same time, I was trying my best to keep the battlefield from entering the gaze of the tower’s roof. We had no information on how its laser mechanism worked, so it was best to stay underneath it after traveling a whole month under its potential watch.

I felt a tingle of sorts and decided to try something out. After the next neon purple net attack and my constant defense, I extended my hand towards Olive. My leaf tail danced, much like Olive’s leaves. And they were able to form a small tornado around Olive as she deflected any leaves that were remotely close to her face. I closed my fist as soon as I felt that all my leaves were participating in the theatric tornado and the leaves attached and wrapped quickly and tight around Olive creating a second set of armor. This was essentially sealing her into a floating sarcophagus, and this tail is uncanny. To my understanding, these types of fighters cannot do magic unless there is also movement accompanying the incantations. I’m lucky enough that my magic is transformation, and Seiko has energy and physical mana stuff. Speaking of Seiko, where is she?

From the corner of my eye and across the field I saw a light glare, almost twinkling.

“SEIKO! DON’T SHOOT, I GOT HER!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. Hopefully I did not engage the unwanted attention of the looming tower.

At the same time, there were explosions and demon growls happening half an hour ago, so a bit of yelling would probably not do anything.

I now had time to examine my wounds as I noticed Seiko initiate a light jog with her gun ready instead of strapped behind her back. She is always cautious and I can’t blame her. I’m glad she’s ok, I have no idea what might have happened during her teleportation, but all in all, she looks ok.

The leaf sarcophagus shifted after my thought. I took a deep breath and looked at it with a look that I could describe as disappointment. Not at myself, but at Olive. Like if she were a child that decided not to follow the rules and needed a stern talking to.

I could still feel the tight hold that my tail was providing after all my virtual timer says that I still have nine minutes left of use of my leaf tail. But then, what about after? How else could we cool her off?

“Seiko, whatever you do, do not hurt her, at least really bad. I think we can all still be friends with Olive.”

“I feel the same, but she is difficult to control. May I neutralize her?”

“Geez.” I didn’t even want to give her an answer.

I gently pushed the floating sarcophagus to a new area and watched it glide with almost no effort as if it were behaving in zero gravity. The coffin violently shook with each passing second. As my leaves were losing their grasp, they returned to my tail forming an incomplete body part. Like an unfinished puzzle, they all had their predetermined position as some leaves were attached to my body and some floated like a ghost.

“Rarrgh!” Olive broke free from the decaying cage, her green leaf armor also crumbled away. She had her four rainbow leaves wrapped around her arm, but I had a feeling she did not want to use them. This was a checkmate. My tail fully reassembled like an Iron Man suit. We were in the field where she had unleashed her ultimate attack and burned everything away. There were no leaves close by.

“[Guardian of the Forest Leaf Magic - Guardian].”

Can she do that? My leaves detached from me and formed a giant fox behind Olive. Its teeth baring and a nasty snarl accompanying it.

I looked at Seiko, “This is above me now.” I said.