Xiao's Birthday

Part 7 (Chapters 17-19)

Short chapters, so you get three!! Enjoy the cliffhanger!

Chapter 17

Boom. We're here.

The camp stretches in front of us. The archer hilichurls are sitting on their platforms, waiting. They look bored.

I climb up the first one, grunting all the way, in a world of pain.

He's still sitting calmly. I stab him through, and when he still moves I shake the sword a bit.

Then I crawl back down. His buddy is firing at me but it doesn't matter when the platform is my shield.

I put up a small ice shield to walk over, climbing up the next platform with it over my head to keep the worst hits from connecting.

I slash his ankles, and then cut him down as well.

From this spot, I can see the Abyss Mage and Lawachurl. Lawachurl has gotten up, and attempts to run over. He destroys a fence on his way, ramming into the platform.

I build several ice platforms, beside me, to run on to in the event I need.

I rain down ice shards on his back.

Abyss Mage aims for me, but cannot quite reach me without coming considerably closer. They must dodge the Cryo bombs that Lawachurl leaves in his path, which buys me time.

Lawachurl begins creating his ice platform, and I call down the heavens.

I point one hand to the sky.

"Are you doing that?! It made you tired last time!," Missy calls.

It's true. I'm not strong yet, and if this fails, I'll likely collapse. But better to use it now than not at all.

The sky opens, much like it did for the sea god.

Snow flies down, swirling around us as the area around me opens. Visibility worsens for everyone, Cryo creatures or not. But I have a rough understanding of where they are.

I dodge Abyss Mage's next attack.

The wooden platform I am standing on becomes encased in ice. Lawachurl I leap to the next ice platform, and the reinforcement connects the two platforms, forming a wall between them.

Lawachurl focuses on that, ramming his fist into it.

The snow begins to bite him, swirling around as an enemy. He looks to me, then bends over, beginning to charge. Abyss Mage moves closer.

I run over to the wooden platform, still attacking him. When he finishes his charge, I encase his horns in ice, trying to hold him to the platform.

I run onto the wall, beating him over the back with the sword. He reaches up and I retreat, back onto the wooden platform, out of harm's way.

Abyss Mage moves closer.

Lawachurl throws Cryo slimes, but they only land on the ground around him, creating more chaos that Abyss Mage cannot move around.

It's complete lawlessness, and I cackle.

All I have to do is run from one platform to the next. The snowstorm dies down as I lose mana, but it's fine. I throw ice spears into Lawachurl's back. I hurl shards at him, over and over.

He doesn't get any highly respectable injuries like I do, but I'm sure over time they'll accumulate.

Then, I get bored.