<h4>Chapter 161: A Ghastly Hand</h4>


    As Green and Nixilei''s fight started to drag on Kat started to rx. She was never particrly worried, but an intense fight is only as interesting as it''s novelty, and Kat was not proficient enough to notice the technique on disy, yet strong enough to watch everything in perfect rity if she wanted.


    In the end, Kat decided that rxing against the wall and just generally watching would suffice, letting her mind drift around while her ears listened to the ringing of steel and shing of des.


    That was, until those same ears picked up a creaking sound. Putting a bit of energy towards them Kat could clearly here someone climbing the stairs. Each slow, heavy step didn''t make that much noise in itself but Kat could hear them clearly.


    ncing out of the corner of her eye she saw that Estelle had closed her eyes but Grace looked alert. *Problem is, I can''t tell if Grace heard that sound as well or if she''s just enjoying the fight. I''m not sure where her love of fighting begins once her love of weapons ends.*


    ncing over at the trapdoor Kat decided it would be best to wait. *I''m capable of dealing with whoeveres through if necessary. Even if Grace hasn''t noticed yet, I doubt they can attack quickly enough. Besides I''m in the way of any attacks if the worst trulyes to pass.*


    Seconds passed as Kat stared intently at the trapdoor waiting for movement. Kat eyed it, waiting for the slight shift in the wooden tform that would indicate a new arrival shortly.


    Instead however, the trapdoor was flung open. Kat tensed, as a hand shot up out from below, mming into the stone floor. It was a pale, ghastly hand that was white as a sheet. A second hand mmed down next to the first.


    Then, gripping the stone in anyway possible the strange being pulled itself up. Heaving with a seemingly great effort, the full figure came into view…


    It was Ryo covered in flour. *Ok, what?* Kat looked over at Grace who was now trying not tough, and Estelle who still had her eyes closed. Ryo turned to face Kat whose eyes then went wide. Struggling to go for her weapon, instead she slipped and copsed onto the floor.


    Grace burst outughing and Estelle cracked open an eye, noticing the fallen figure before closing it again. "Ahahah, Ryo what the hell happened to you!" said Grace


    Kat managed to stop herself fromughing like Grace, but felt her lips rising into a smile. Ryo certainly did look ridiculous. She was nowpleted coated in flower. Her once light blonde hair was now pure white with blonde spots the flour hadn''t quite covered.


    Her once standard looking attire, was alsopleted coated in the stuff, and after copsing the floor around her had gained a thinyer of white powder. Ryo red at theughing scout and growled "Well, what the hell are you doing sitting around huh? Isn''t that more important?"


    Grace dismissed Ryo with a wave "Nope"


    Ryo''s eye twitched as she red at the smug form of Grace who was immensely enjoying herself. She looked towards Estelle seeking help but sighed upon seeing that Estelle wasn''t even paying attention.


    Sighing Ryo''s gaze travelled towards Kat. *What are you looking at me for? How am I supposed to help you?* Seeing that Kat also wasn''t going to help she let her gaze go towards the two fighters.


    Ryo froze in surprise at seeing two of the Unfortunate Four before turning back to Grace even more confused. "Don''t worry about it, tell us what happened to you" said Grace


    Ryo looked rather annoyed but bit down her words, realising that Grace wasn''t going to let up now. "Fell into a trap" whispered Ryo


    Kat only barely heard the words using the remnants of her empowered ears. She tilted her head to the side in confusion, but it was Grace who spoke up. "Hmmm? What happened?"


    "I said" growled Ryo "I fell into a trap"


    Grace nodded as if this was to be expected "So why didn''t you clean yourself off?"


    Ryo red at the scout. "Because, for some reason, this shit doesn''te off. Watch"


    Ryo sat up and held her twin tails in both hands, before turning to the side to give Grace a good view. Bunching them together, she then flicked them outwards together like you would shake out a dusty rug.


    Flour exploded out of Ryo''s hair coating the nearby environment. Kat''s eyes went wide as she saw it all falling over the trapdoor. *What the hell? That''s like a whole packets worth of flour where did it alle from.*


    Once the flour settled Ryo looked Grace dead in the eyes and then performed the same action again. To both Kat and Grace''s surprise more flour poured out, in almost identical quantities. Once the flour had settled for a second time Ryo looked at them, smug.


    She then stretched out her hand, still covered in flour, and brushed her hand along it. The sweeping motion threw off anotherrge helping of flour, coating the ground next to Ryo in a fine powder.


    Once the dust in the air settled Kat stared at Ryo''s arm that was STILL coated in flour. "Oh" was all Grace managed to say.


    "Oh indeed Grace" said Ryo a bit annoyed "Seems I''ve collected just a bit of flour. Hell I''m sure I''ve got enough to bake everyone a damned cake if I felt like it. You just can''t get rid of it"


    Grace took a deep breath, before raising her hand in a cating gesture. "Ok, fair enough. I understand your concern. How exactly did you end up covered in it though"


    Ryo sighed, and looked a little embarrassed at this. "I mighmhmam"


    "What?" said Grace raising an eyebrow and looking down at Ryo, which was impressive considering they were exactly the same height and both sitting down.


    Ryo shrunk down. "Ok, I might, might, have been a little tiny insignificant bit overconfident" said Ryo


    Grace gestured with her hands for Ryo to continue. After a long sigh Ryo obliged. "Ok, so, I was walking down one of the corridors by myself. I''d split up from Gareth-"


    "Wait hold on" said Grace "Why did you split up?"


    Ryo looked grateful for the diversion "So, we teamed up just for the sand skipper, because that needs two people at least, but we went our separate ways once we left the rest area. It seemed like a good idea at the time?"


    Grace sighed "Ok, fine, now continue please"


    Ryo winced a little as if hoping Grace had already forgotten. "Ok, fine. So I was walking down this corridor and I head the sound of a string snapping. When I turned to find out what it was, I saw this massive white boulder flying towards me"


    Grace red at Ryo. "You tried to cut it in half didn''t you"


    "Am I allowed to say no?" asked Ryo


    "Did you, cut, it, in, half" said Grace slowly


    "Yes" said Ryo, ears drooping and looking down.


    "Well, why did you think that would have worked out?" asked Grace


    "I… I''ve been practicing you know, and it wasing right at me, and I had my sword out… and that''s about it?" said Ryo


    "Why didn''t you just dodge out of the way like a normal person?" asked Grace


    "Well, I mean, the corridor was pretty thin, and it was behind me and I didn''t have enough time?" said Ryo unsure.


    "Is that a statement or a question?" asked Grace


    "Statement?" said Ryo even more unsure


    Grace sighed "You know what, it''s fine. This is totally fine. Do you know how long it''s going tost, and is there any other side effect?"


    "Um… no?" said Ryo


    "There are side effects aren''t there" said Grace resuming her ring


    Ryo started to mumble again so Kat enhanced her ears to here properly "might not haveanymana atthemoment"


    "What?" said Grace


    "She said she doesn''t have any mana" replied Kat


    Ryo red at Kat like she''d stolen thest cookie from her before bowing her head in shame "She''s right" said Ryo


    Grace let out another big sigh "You know what Ryo. It''s fine. I''m d you made it this far, you did a good job"


    Ryo''s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and leapt forward to give Grace a hug. Flour rained down from the girl as shepleted her arc. Just as she was about to touch Grace however, the scout lit up a sigil on her outfit blowing Ryo backwards onto Kat.


    "Oops" said Grace "Sorry Kat"


    Ryo pouted and looked at Grace "Why did you do that?"


    "You''d spread the flour, then I wouldn''t have mana either" said Grace


    Ryo looked shocked as if she had not considered this, then looked over at Kat in terror realising what she had just done.