New Game+ Chapter 97 - Cliff's Preparations

The Lynd and Cliff ran back to the room and stood behind ryl.

After the explosion, three areas of the room continued to burn with a strange bright fire. The enemies whom ryl faced where the masked assassin typical, Sting' and Shock, the assassin with a tal arm.

Cliff and Lynd, who stood behind ryl, were facing the other direction. Another set of three assassins, a large assassin with an abnormally huge gun, Trigger, an assassin who wore a strange mask with military-grade visors, and the large hulking figure of Suit, who have rged with several other androids which followed him.

"ryl, Seeker's awake! I saw him outside just now." Lynd's happy and excited voice sounded out.

The raging eyes of ryl imdiately diminished. However, knowing the skills of the enemy' she dared not turn his attention to Lynd who was behind her. Still, an uncontrollable smile of relief surfaced.

"Really? Where is he?"

"I don't know. But it looks like he's planning to face ng. Sothing must have happened to Richie." Lynd frowned.

"What? That's crazy!" ryl cried in alarm.

"Yeah. Let's go all out. We have no ti dealing with these guys. Let's finish them and help Zeek!" Lynd sighed.

"Go all out imdiately?! This isn't what we talked about! I-" Cliff complained.

"Get stronger Cliff. If you can't win against these guys, then you can't even help Zeek. ryl, let's switch. I feel that that Sting knows Realm Somatotopy." Lynd ordered and imdiately turned back to face Typical and his group. ryl moved in synch and faced the Trigger's group.

Dejected of being ignored and forced to fight a battle he knew not the outco, Cliff clenched his fist in anger. But as he had no choice but to follow on the changes in their plans, Cliff activated the strange back-pack provided by Lennox. The Backpack that he wore was started to emit strange sounds and it began to slowly reshape itself becoming a full bright silver armor that covered Cliff.

"Arican Nono-tech. Pesky Miscellaneous techs." Trigger couldn't help but frown as he identified the equipnts.

"They're ridiculously rich. Let's kill them and get those techs!" Suit couldn't hide the greed in his eyes. being the only Assassin that utilized such complex heavy machinery, he yearned for a suit that had Arican Miscellaneous techs.

Cliff continued to clench his fist in anger and despair even after the armor was fully equipped.

"Cliff, you can do it. You've been doing your best. For the first since ever, you were trying hard. You even studied under Arthur to improve your strategy." ryl giggled as she spoke to Cliff with a refreshing tone.

"That's right. We believe in you. You can do this. Don't think of it that we are giving our backs to you because we don't have a choice. We are moving on with the plans not because we are reckless or desperate, but because we know you have the strength to help us." Lynd added.

"Right. You have to grow stronger. But know that we believe you can. Don't worry. Lynd and I are Believers. So believing in you isn't just an empty gesture. We really an it. Let's go."

"I admire your confidence, but please don't underestimate us." Typical frowned.

"Kill them." Typical stepped back. He wasn't used in fighting with the assassins as a team so he decided to withdraw and observe.

"We don't dare underestimate you. We're just in a hurry. ryl. Do it."

Suddenly, a bright glow appeared again. Instead of the burning sun, a bright light enveloped the room.

"Pangean Everbright?" Shock wondered.

"No. Even my mask can't see through this light." Typical frowned.

"No wonder he made her face Trigger's group."

At the back, the three assassins, could not look directly at the light despite the advanced visors they wore.

"Strange. The light even distorts my scopes." Blast complained as he aid randomly.

"Mine as well." Suit had a solemn look as even his Suit proved useless.

"Careful! She's attacking!" Trigger shouted.

Despite the bright light, the assassins still sensed ryl's approach. Relying on technology alone wouldn't have made them fit to be in the Dragon's Fang.

Sting was the first to attack.

He imdiately raised his hands as a sudden swarm of small needles shot out towards the three enemies.

"HAH!" Lynd shouted mightily.

A strange fearful chill gripped the backs of the assassins blinding Sting from detecting ryl.

The alard eyes of the assassins could not help but focus on the location where the sound was heard. Sting, who faced Richie once, recalled the terrifying ordeal and unconsciously feared Lynd.

Though the sensation was weaker, the familiar dread made all the assassins warry.

Trigger imdiately started shooting. The blinding light hindered his sight but relying on his experience and instinct, his attacks were surprisingly accurate.

ryl tried to leap forward all the way, but she had to change her course and evaded it to the side and would rush backward. Suit joined in attacking as his suit opened several compartnts unleashing a storm of bullets. Despite the blinding light, Trigger and Suit managed to roughly trace the location by identifying where the light was brightest. This whole ti, they kept their eyes wide open.

Blast silently stood and observed as he left the two to do their part.

Suit and Trigger unleashing their load, ryl was unable to push forwards and simply started to run around the room slowly pressing forward.

anwhile, on the other end of the room, although Sting couldn't identify his enemy's positions as Lynd's copy of Peal's of Thunder created a powerful vibrating force that distorted his senses, he still managed to have a rough idea of where Lynd was.

Shock joined in the fray. He shot his attack as soon as Sting began.

Using the tal needles that Sting threw as a guide, the electric shocks generated from Shock's arm created a web of electrical energy that followed Sting's needles.

Lynd, who managed to 'understand' Sting, knew that ryl's light wasn't enough to incapacitate soone who had stepped on the road of perfecting Realm Somatotopy.

Lynd imdiately dove forward to face Sting as he used Lander's special attacks to dive right in, evading and knocking off the swarm of small needles. His weapon vibrated with a strange force that did not allow the electricity that coursed through the needles to hurt Lynd.

The counter-attack that Lynd employed not only managed to knock off the needles but it canceled the electric currents that went along the needles.

But Lynd dared not rush forward recklessly, he also started zip and zooming around the room as the entire swarm of lightning needles was not easy to deal with.

Blast suddenly lifted his gun and aid sowhere.

While the entire group was busy, Cliff stood unmoved from the sudden movents of his companions as well as the ensuing chaos caused by the assassin's attempts to shoot despite being in a light blinding scenario. He closed his eyes knowing that it would be impossible to see. He was right in the middle of Lynd and ryl. The light that ryl emitted had blinded him.

Cliff tried to rember Lynd and ryl's movents and guessed the movent that the two would usually do. He cursed himself for not paying attention to Arthur's training as his thoughts wandered to the fights he had with and against Arthur.

What would ryl do? How would Lynd attack? Knowing their personalities, who would they target?

Arthur and Lowengren had sternly warned the group not to make any plans. And ryl and Lynd followed it. Cliff, however, spent all his days preparing and planning what he can do. The simulations of Lynd and ryl's attack had countlessly replayed itself in Cliff's head.

Cliff had several sessions with Arthur, Lowengren and even had several bouts with Richie, days before the attack begun. He was relentless and constantly hovered over these three asking and inquiring, and often tis pleading with them to revert the plan. The upcoming battle was dangerous for them. The possibility of fighting ng had robbed Cliff of his easy-going confidence.

Seeker was the monster that he feared. But when he realized that this monster was training him to beco a monster as well he grew overconfident and laid-back.

But now, he might die. And so, when his life was on the line, Cliff pestered everyone with questions, advice and even fought with them.

His mories recalled further back and even reviewed the ti when Seeker taught them Realm Somatotopy.

He reminded himself about their talks and tried his best to achieve it.

The 'vision' of Cliff slowly started to form. Cliff could sohow feel things. It wasn't clear because clarity wasn't what Cliff wanted. A vague, blurry, image started to surface in his mind where all that he could see where strange silhouettes detailing the presence of sothing.

The mories were tightly grasped in his brain. The power of Advanced Recall made it so that he could replay the scenes in his head. Unknowingly, the thod and speed of his recollection had surpassed everyone, even Seeker Carlean.

In his mories, Arthur had a busy and imrsed expression but his mouth moved endlessly.

"The enemies are equipped with the best of Chinese technology. So the Technological Possibilities that they have focuses on magnetic, electromagnetic and rail technology. So expect attacks similar to the Lightning Rod technology. Using magnetic technology, they should be able to create diverse possibilities in the repelling and attracting of tals. ng's organization should use tals with specific magnetic frequencies. So the possibilities are endless as it is horrifying."

Cliff continued to give a dumb look as Arthur narrated every possible thing that their enemies would have.

Arthur gave a glance at Cliff.

"Repeat what I just said thirty-four sentences ago."

"The Assassins should be capable of working as a team and can undoubtedly utilize each of their skills to synchronize with each other's attacks and fighting styles," Cliff repeated.

"At least your Advance Recall can help you morize everything I'm saying. Watch the videos so you can completely understand everything I've said. It's important that you review and reflect on specific topics as you watch the videos which explain or show what I'm talking about."

What Arthur didn't know that Cliff had managed to push his Advanced Recall to another level. Even then, when Cliff was desperately preparing, he could rember everything that Arthur was saying, all at the sa ti.

It was a strange form of recollection that had surpassed the usual thod that people recollect.

Back to the present, using all the mories available and the totality of his vague Realm Somatotopy Cliff had actually morized everything that the assassins were doing.

Although he couldn't see anything, his poorer and distorted version of Realm Somatotopy allowed him to see where Blast aid. He wasn't even aiming at ryl.

At that mont, Arthur's words ca to mory.

"Rail technology, added with magnetic technology, could be dangerous. If it were , I'd create a weapon that can attract, push or guide other attacks so that it can surprise the enemy. Imagine seeing a tank fire about ninety degrees from where you are standing only to find out that the cannon was guided to attack your position."

Cliff just gave his usual blank and confused stare.

"They have that technology. They are assassins and they are a team. You can be dead sure, that if Lynd or ryl reveals their strength they will use underhanded thods to kill you."

As Cliff was recalling these words, he found himself asking an important question.

"How will Blast guide his attacks?"

His mories suddenly brought to attention Lowengren's suggestions.

"If I were fighting ryl, and I have the technology that the Brits have, I'd use heat-seeking technology to trace ryl. It's simple yet very effective."

The talk with Richie, which he dreaded since Richie would occasionally release an extrely painful sound, also surfaced in his mind.

"The feeling that I get is complex. I simply know where the attack will be, how it may happen, why it will be that way. It isn't a psychological understanding of my enemies, it isn't because I make impressive plans like Seeker, Arthur or Lowengren. No. All I ask myself is, what scares ? And oftentis, the most unlikely and strange things are the very things that do." Richie laughed.

Cliff realized, that of everything happening in that room, Blast's actions were the strangest. Why did Blast aim randomly at the center?

Slowly, Cliff waited for the precise mont.

Blast finally started to pull the trigger.

"ryl, off! All, don't move! Defend!" Cliff shouted. The words sounded strange as Cliff shouted at a fast speed that only an Unbecoming can understand.

ryl imdiately stopped her blazing attacks and stopped using the burst. A large tallic shield ford in front of her as she freefell from her last jump.

Lynd also stopped his boosts and used a complex maneuver to knock off all approaching needles.

The sudden act of stopping was reckless and extrely dangerous even for them.

But they imdiately followed without hesitating or questioning. All because it was Cliff Fangwood who told them to do so.

At that split second, Blast had already pushed the trigger.

A canister was launched.

Midflight, the canister glowed and finally, with the amazing rail technology it had, this canister, aid to shoot a rail beam.

The target? As Lowengren guessed, it was the area with the highest heat signature.

It would have been ryl. But ryl imdiately undid her bright flash. It would have been the Booster techs the two were wearing as the Dragon's Fang should have weapons that could conceal or cool down the heat that their weapons gave. But of course, it couldn't have been the Boosters, since ryl and Lynd stopped flying.

All that was left was Shock, the source of the lightning webs which enveloped Sting's needles.

And so, the canister, after confirming its target, fired.

BOOM!