C42 The Forgotten Silhouette 1/2

Blinded and deathlike experience.

It was as though I really died when it passed through me.

I thought when people died, their life flashes before their eyes, but why did a blade flashed before mine?

Yes, because I didn't die!

"No! Lily! It's Seth and his..? company!"

Shouted Beth at the top of her lungs when two blades clashed each other behind my head.

Although, she could've just said that they were my friends. She was being too considerate, not to me though, but to them and it hurt my feelings.

Am I really the type that doesn't make a lot of friends?

"Seth? You're alive? but I saw you get carried to the lab?"

"Yes! It's me! I'm alive, so don't kill me just yet!"

I pleaded for my life.

"Lower your weapon, Lily…"

"You lower yours first… and don't call me Lily!"

"Lily… If you don't lower your weapon you will regret it."

The two with their blades still crossed contested their strengths and threatened each other.

After a while, the blade started sizzling, like something was burning.

It was the Golden sword slowly melting through Lily's sword.

"What the Hell!? Okay! I give! This blade isn't cheap! I used every penny from the death cakes I sold to the Carsons to take this back from the pawn shop!"

Lily confessed the fact that she was running money through us.

No wonder those cakes cost a lot.

Perhaps the little girl's sword looked superior to Lily's eyes, I heard one last metal click then the heated pressure behind me disappeared. She must've loosened her gripped and lowered her weapon.

"I win!"

"Can I turn around now?"

"You didn't win! I think it's okay now Seth-"

*Engk! *Engk! *Engk!

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" x3

The lights went out, loud machineries began moving and switching bulbs with glowing red sirens as deafening alarms resounded the hall.

"Geez! Lily! This is all your fault! You know very well how security works around here! Everyone run!"

As soon as Beth yelled 'run', we all ran towards the path where it led to the exit.

"I'm sorry! I couldn't help it! I heard Isla died and then Seth! I thought there was some kind of serial killer and I thought you might get killed too!"

With me leading the group through the path, Lily behind me while running for her life explained why she attacked us even though she knew this would happen and Fio…

"This way!... Hurry! Hurry! The bots are almost… Bots!? We were running away from robots!?"

Those robots that you usually see in movies. The ones that look like trash cans turned upside-down with four tires for mobility.

Specifically, the ones colored silver gray and red, those were the ones chasing us.

"Those bots are deadly! The silver ones will electrocute you while the red ones…"

*huff *huff

The silver bots were gaining on us with visible taser arms zapping electricity so visibly while the red bots were a bit slower compared to the silver.

I wonder why was it like that?

"They will kill you! *huff With guns!"

As I had feared! No wonder this place only had guards at the entrance and they were far too weak looking to be real guards!

"That corner! To the right! That's the last one!"

"Wait! Where's that little girl you were with? and where's Beth!?"

At Lily's sudden realization we stopped running at the last corner of the hall on the way to the exit.

Just then, a desperate sounding high pitched voice came echoing from the halls where we were earlier.

"Seth! Lily!!! Why'd you leave us behind! I was still inside the front desk office! *huff *huff"

Two short girls were running towards us. The other one was a little taller than the other but for some obvious reasons the taller one was slower.

It was Beth. She was breathlessly running with her chest bouncing up and down.

It must be hard for her.

"Stop shouting. It doesn't make you faster."

Puchi lectured Beth because she slowed down just to shout.

"Puchi? You're a slow runner too!?"

Puchi probably waited for her to get out before running away unlike us who ran the moment we sensed danger.

"Shut up!"

"Fio! You didn't even run! You're just sitting on Ari's shoulders!"

"I don't mind..."

I yelled at Fio who made fun of the little girl. While Ari, She's... being Ari I guess?

"Okay! Okay! I'll run!"

Fio said as she got off of Ari's shoulder.

They were almost near to where we were but there was a tiny problem with that fact. The bots, the robot trash cans that were still chasing us were also getting close to them.

"The robots! Watch out for the red one! That's a killer one!"

"Don't worry Seth, the red one locks on to only one target. Which is me, the troublemaker… It won't attack them-Worry about the silver ones! Don't get close to them they'll sting! Like a bee!"

From how the red one was still not shooting us even though we're already at a close range, there must be a limit to how far it's shot could reach?

"How far does the red have to be for it to start shooting?"

"It should have been shooting right from the start but I think it's to prevent unnecessary casualties or facility damages?"

"What does that mean?"

"I mean… The guns installed in it are the type that scatters… What were those called again?"

Does she mean shotguns? Even if it was just shotguns, the scatter of the bullets could still possibly hit some of us.

"It's shotguns! Ari, Lily can you two make shields from air?"

"Easy!"

"Yes, I can, but I don't think shields made from magic can withstand multiple shots at once."

"No, we won't stop the bullets. We'll deflect it… Okay, everyone, stand in a straight line we're going from tall to short. I'll go up front next is Ari then Lily."

If it were just shot guns then there should be a two shot limit and the projectiles should be spherical not sharp which was a good thing because we had two mages here.

"Can you two cast some kind of protection on me? Just to be sure."

"Okay! Reinforce!"

"Oki! Done! You're Ari right?"

Just as the two casted their spells on me, I felt my body become numb. It was as if my flesh dried up and it was hard to move like how cement becomes sturdier when dried.

"Yes? Why?"

"Miss Ari, why did you shout 'Reinforce!' when you cast-"

"When I say 'Go' you do your shields from in front of me diagonally to the walls further to the back forming a 'V' shape. The more inclined or slanted it is, the better, just make sure it reaches the wall so it doesn't go through and bounce back to us."

This way the impact is lessened and at best, the bullets would bounce off towards the wall and bounce again towards the shield and back to the bots... I think? It's just an absurd theory I made up on the spot.

"What do you mean why? Of course to actually 'cast' the spell top not just pretend like you did when you actually didn't-"

Just when the two 'mages' were arguing the red bot started showcasing it's abilities.

"Here it comes, you two!"

"Hiyaah!!"

"Condensed Air!"

Even though I only just gave them the instructions the two already casted the shields.

"I said to cast it when I say 'Go'! Did you even listen to me?!"

Although that said, it actually became a good thing because a hole opened up at the upper part of the red bot and the gun I considered to be the second candidate for this killer event came out.

"Lily! It's called machine guns! Mini guns! The thing that never stops shooting!"

*Bang!.

*Bang!..

*Bang!...

*Bang! *Bang!...

Bullets started firing right at us! From one per second to two!...

Now it's just a barrage of bullets!

Lily and Ari were still holding up their shields but it didn't look like they could keep it up.

"Think! Think! Think!"

"Seth!!! I can't hold it!"

"I don't want to agree but I too can't keep this up longer!"

We could count on the little Goddess to make a miracle right now but I think she has her hands full on the clumsy Beth which was also getting chased by another group of bots.

"Lily!!! Just wait a moment! I'll be right there!"

"I told you! More running, less talking!"

Think!

I couldn't think of anything else.

I didn't want to be a hero nor I ever planned to be but there was only one way out of this.

"I got it!"

"He's got it!"

"He does?"