Chapter 22: Preparations and Inventions

The hours before the dawn assault were a flurry of frantic activity. While the main army clanked and sharpened its way into formation, our small party made its own, far more chaotic, preparations.

Chloe was in her element. She set up a makeshift alchemy station, her hands a blur as she mixed, boiled, and bottled a series of increasingly bizarre concoctions.

"Okay!" she announced, holding up a flask filled with a viscous, rainbow-colored liquid. "This is 'Instant Tanglefoot Tar'! One splash and it creates a super-sticky, super-stretchy net! Perfect for crowd control."

Next, she produced a set of small, clay spheres. "Glitter Grenades! They don't do any damage, but the explosion releases a cloud of incredibly distracting, nigh-impossible-to-remove glitter. It's psychologically devastating."

"You weaponized glitter?" Rina asked, looking impressed.

"And for the dragon," Chloe said, her eyes gleaming, "I've brewed a super-concentrated cooling agent. If we can get this into its mouth, it should, in theory, cause a rapid temperature drop and give it the magical equivalent of a brain freeze."

Luna and the Grimoire were poring over ancient texts by candlelight.

"The barrier spells required to withstand dragon fire are complex," the Grimoire lectured. "Luna has the power, but the incantations are archaic. We are cross-referencing Third Era draconic defense patterns with modern mana-flow efficiencies. It's thrilling!" Luna, for her part, just nodded, her fingers tracing the glowing runes in the book with intense concentration.

Rina was methodically sharpening the spikes on her mace and giving the local militia a crash course in dirty fighting. "Forget honor," she barked at the nervous-looking soldiers. "You see an opening, you take it. Kneecaps are your friends. A good kick to the groin is better than a fancy sword technique any day."

Kenta was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his eyes closed in deep concentration.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm communicating with the Snail King," he whispered. "I'm trying to explain the concept of 'urgency.' It's not going well. He seems to think 'charging into battle' is a type of slow-growing moss."

My own preparations were simpler. I had no skills to practice, no weapons to sharpen. I sat alone, holding the crystal cherry blossom Isao had given me. It felt cool and smooth in my palm. It was my last resort, a literal deus ex machina from the God of Death. I hoped I wouldn't have to use it.

As the first rays of dawn touched the sky, we gathered together. We were a strange sight: a brawler, a mage, an alchemist, a snail-summoner, and an ex-goddess. We were under-equipped, outnumbered, and our best hope was a giant snail and a glitter bomb.

"Ready?" Kenta asked, looking at each of us.

Rina slammed her mace into her palm. Chloe adjusted her goggles. Luna gave a determined nod.

"Let's go be legends," I said.