“…And then we flew ho,” Cottontail finishes.
Everyone in Jonny’s party took their turn explaining things or jumping in as they recalled specific details, with Cottontail taking the narrative from the ti she was summoned to now. The others recount everything else that happened to them, allowing the Sli Solidarity party to catch up while I ruminate on what we’ve learned.
Third Tier Sli evolutions… the origin of the Grove’s Mist… Elves harvesting Sli Cores for mysterious purposes… a Dungeon Fairy Swarm in desperate need of rescue… the remaining books in the ancient Library… Saint Lilith’s study… an intact trorail leading sowhere… the truth of Olindia’s previous life…
There’s so much to consider, and I want to make returning to the Dungeon my top priority, but there’s a war tomorrow—not to ntion I have a limited ti to save a human from being sacrificed to the Kraken before the full moon ceremony.
“So, the previous Mayor was a puppet of the Town Council, sothing has been abducting young adults from Ho Town, and that’s why Alex brought all of our classmates to Field Town for the night?” Jonny ponders aloud.
“So, it seems that bitch Nicandre, the spinner slighted by Alcinoe, she who Would-be-Queen Under the Mountain, finally perfected her Hybridization experints. She probably evolved into so grueso Third Tier herself after such a feat. This ‘sister’ of Spindle’s, though, perhaps isn’t the abomination one might assu?”
“I hope Princess Daenelis doesn’t do anything terrible to Jing…”
It seems I’m not the only one grappling with dire news.
Rapid fire, I point at the three of them in turn, “I will protect my classmates from abduction, I will stop Nicandre’s evil experints, and I will save Jing.” After letting that sink in, I clear my throat and further declare, “Ahem, before that, though, is the war tomorrow, and before anything else is making a solid plan of attack. So, let’s lay out all our assets and discuss our approach.
“I believe everyone knows what I bring to the table, but let remind you that I get stronger through impregnation—so every breeding volunteer is greatly appreciated! I have two Power Bond slots and one Sympathetic Link slot. Okay, that’s a good place to start. Suka and Cottontail, tell us what you were able to accomplish with your Power Bonds, and everyone can tell which of my abilities they’d pick if given the opportunity.”
Suka steps forward to give a quick reply. She puffs out her chest and says, “I chose Fast Learner to get better acquainted with my Fla Sculpting magic. I made leaps and bounds in developing my skills, as my team can attest. Tomorrow, I’d take Goblin Witch Spellcraft to boost my Fla Magic into the Third Tier!”
A straight upgrade to one of our most potent frontline fighters! An excellent choice. I wasn’t present to witness her Flaming Wolf Head construct in action, but I can imagine what she’d be able to do at Third Tier!
Cottontail goes next, showing more self-assurance than ever after the confidence boosts from today’s adventures, “Hi, everyone. This morning, I selected Fast Learner to learn more about my Stage Magic abilities. Gabby taught how to emulate elental effects, and now I can sort of fly, make an exploding cigar, summon the bloodthirsty spirit of my dead dad as a killer rabbit, and conjure murderous magical implents when I’m feeling… disagreeable.” Dead silence. Nobody wants to touch Cottontail’s abrupt bout of berserk rage with a ten-foot pole, although gan herself does look pleased as punch. “Also, the Elves taught how to swordfight.”
““Wha???””
There’s a minor uproar as the rest of us besides Jonny’s team process this tidbit. I’d kind of assud that was a one-off thing, or a joke like that thing about using rubber chickens as a weapon. “Wait, wait, wait, wait, Cottontail—you can do what, now?”
“Well, Alex, it seems the best way for her to explain is through demonstration,” Jonathan points out with a knowing smile.
“Let’s see! Let’s see!” Gale cheers.
The others are not so certain Jonny’s team is being entirely serious, but I’m not one to try and save face at this point after having put the question to her myself. “How about a friendly match?” I ask my Showbunny lover, summoning a Venom Dart to hand.
“No hard feelings, Alex?” Cottontail replies while drawing her imperator carrot sword and taking a fencer’s stance. It’s as long as a rapier relative to her height, although the thickness is nowhere near the sa. Still, it is very long and thin for a vegetable. Ever since fighting Peter the Bunny Patron, I’ve seen that rodent monsters can imbue carrots with so strange form of magic that makes the edible root sharp and deadly, so I try not to underestimate the weapon.
“Love the confidence, Sweetheart.”
I step forward, closing the distance between us with my Orc Stature’s long stride, and jab the point of my short spear at Cottontail. It’s only my faith in her capabilities and the presence of nearby healers that allows to strike at one of my beloved wives pregnant with my spawn. I needn’t worry, though.
In response to my thrust, the Showbunny twirls her wrist in such a way that her carrot sword blurs, and the Venom Dart’s haft pops from my grip! As she steps in to strike my middle, I’m so dumbfounded that only Denki Nezumi Radar alerts to the danger. I dash back with Flastalker’s Speed in the nick of ti and summon four more spears to fill my palms before really going at it with the New Warren’s Mistress.
I try to put up a fight, but it’s clear from the start that Cottontail has the edge by a wide margin. Though it may look to outsiders like she’s putting on a show and styling on , I can at least tell her every flamboyant movent is strictly necessary. The best way I can describe it is like a modified version of the ‘Drunken Fist’ fighting style from ancient human literature. Her flair is all misdirection, her flourishes put the tip of her blade exactly where it needs to be, and her flashy footwork keeps off-balance.
Despite having four arms, four spears, and four Multitasking Focuses, her single-blade style completely overwhelms . Cottontail leaps forward and past , her carrot sword flashing. I spin about to find my short spears on the ground and my panties dangling from the tip of the Showbunny’s rapier.
“You!!!”
“Eep!”
Dashing forward in false rage, I grab a mock-frozen Cottontail around the middle and take her into my arms as she drops her carrot sword. Dozens of onlookers who approached during the match applaud our performance, several of them giving wolf-whistles at my exposed nethers.
“We agreed ‘no hard feelings,’ right?” She bats her eyelashes at pleadingly while pretending to be at my rcy.
“You’re lucky you’re so damn sexy,” I say before tenderly kissing the Showbunny to more applause. We part lips and she sits her supple posterior on the shelf of my lower arm as we wave to the onlookers, indicating the show is over and they can go back to what they were doing.
Cottontail hops down and checks the fit of her ostentatious stage outfit while I grab up and redon my panties.
“We’re definitely sparring again, later, Sweetheart. It seems I’ve got more to learn.”
“Sure!”
“That’s not the Elvish fighting style,” Flou observes.
Cottontail nods. “I couldn’t copy it exactly with Fast Learner. I had to translate their skills to a new style and use my physical abilities to emulate theirs.”
As soone who has used Fast Learner in the past to develop her spear-fighting style, what the Showbunny did is quite impressive—especially in the middle of a battle. I won’t be able to copy Cottontail exactly either, but sparring together will help upgrade the quality of my technique a notch.
“You were going to say what Power Bond ability you’d take tomorrow,” I remind her.
“Oh, right. Let’s see…” she considers. “I’d take Flastalker Speed. Miss Suka proves that being fast can be good for both offense and defense.”
Another great selection. Her magic is already Third Tier, so the boost she’d get from Witch Spellcraft would be minimal. “gan?”
It seems the Denki Nezumi has her answer already long-since prepared, because she speaks without hesitation. “Electric Ewe Magic, obviously.”
Hmm… Actually, this isn’t turning out to be much of a decision. The whole point of my going to Ho Town, besides reuniting with my family, was to get sources of Electric Magic for gan. It’s the one thing missing from gan’s kit; it’d be a huge boost for her. With the stakes of the war tomorrow, I kind of have to reserve a Power Bond for gan specifically.
The others seem to realize this as well, and their answers reflect the likelihood they expect to receive the Power Bond.
“Spellcraft,” Spindle says without looking up from the book of Ritual theory.
“Gale would pick Witch magic, too, for sure!” Makes sense for her as a Second Tier spellcaster.
Gabby hesitates. “Hmph. Well, I knew I had the best abilities already, so I’m not opposed to releasing my claim on the Power Bond… even though I want it.”
“ too,” Cottontail agrees, “Miss Suka, you should keep your Power Bond, and I’ll give mine to gan.”
I smile as my girls naturally co to an optimal agreent. “At least everyone seems satisfied with this solution. We may have to draw straws again for the Sympathetic Link slot, but that can wait until tomorrow morning.”
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