<h4>Chapter 362: Crunch Time</h4>


    Kamiko''s in charge.


    ---


    Kat was two steps away from the central beard structure and she was debating making a leap for it. The only thing that stopped her was Kamiko''s grunt of what had clearly been pain when they''d performed that roll. Of course, Kamiko would have told Kat to go for it.


    In the end, nobody really got what they want. Kat made it one more step before, as she tried to take the final one, she slipped slightly and kicked off the ground. The pair didn''t exactly get much height, and had more or less onlyunched themselves towards their foe.


    Kamiko grimaced and shot as much power out of her eyes as she could, watching as the beard hair started to smoke lightly and nothing else. Kat, seeing the area Kamiko was targeting, pulled her legs in close before super charging them with energy and kicking out with as much power as she could at the ce Kamiko was firing.


    Kat felt her feet burning for a second, before the hair gave away crumbling around her shoes and letting her momentum carrying her further forward. The hair seemed to part and she was thinking they were ok.


    For all of two seconds before the hair that had parted for them suddenly closed in around the pair. *Oh shit.* Was all Kamiko could think before Kat had pulled the shorter subus off her shoulders and stood tall. Kat braced her legs against the edges and pushed back on the hair feeling it try to crush down on them.


    Kamiko got up to help but Kat said. "No stay. I can''t move anymore while this thing is bearing down on me, and I''m not sure how much you can help without being injured. I can heal at least, so just rest up if you can"


    Kat''s point was well made, as she could feel her muscles burning as they were healed rapidly while she tried to keep up with the strain of holding it. Really, it was her ligaments giving the most trouble as her bones were strong enough to fight back, but she''d had to lock her joints essentially, and the damage between each bone was somewhat extensive, at least in her arms.


    Kamiko grit her teeth and looked away, clearly unhappy with the arrangement. *Dammit. I wish I could help but Kat''s right. Just that tumble was enough to do a good deal of damage to the muscles in my arms. They feel a bit better now but I doubt they''re really healed. Kat can take it I suppose but I feel pretty shitty just standing here… wait what about my weapon?*


    Kamiko quickly summoned her naginata back, carefully across her legs so as to put no pressure on her arms if she could help it. Dismissing the de on the end, Kamiko ced the staff up as high as she could before the constricting walls tried to close in around it and she seeded in lodging it in ce.


    Kat felt the walls lighten up slightly and noticed what Kamiko had done. "Thanks. Be ready to grab it though, just in case" said Kat


    "Yes Kat!" said Kamiko happily. *Yes! I did it! I helped my friend. Ok, is there anything else I can do? I know I can burn the beard a bit… but that probably won''t be enough. I could…. wait where is Meron? Shouldn''t he be here? I mean, that is why we went to the centre isn''t it?*


    Kamiko looked around the admittedly small space, and found that the only things she could see was, herself, Kat, the beard walls, and the floor. *Hmm, does this count as a disable actually?*


    Before she could really properly consider the thought, Kat shouted "Now!"


    Acting without thinking Kamiko grabbed onto and dismissed her weapon before jumping towards Kat''s back once again. As this happened, the walls came down around them to show they''d been surrounded by Seralina. The beard hair all retracted itself into Meron''s body who was clearly not moving.


    Kat bent down just enough so that Kamikonded on her back, before standing and asking. "So… what just happened?"


    Silence reigned, as nobody said anything. A couple seconds past, until some signal was given by the brothers and Uncle said, "Right, I''ve been given permission to tell you. That was Meron''s… well Ultimate Move you could call it. It knocks him out and generates as much aggressive hair as he can.


    "I wasn''t willing to count the match as over because you were only partially confined, none of his teammates could assist him, and if you ousted it Meron would be out of the fightpletely. Plus while you were somewhat confined you could both move"


    Kamiko thought the end of Uncle''s speech would be a signal for the others to attack but nobody made any extra movements. Seralina was watching the pair with a half-lidded eye that was clearly ready to close should Kat and Kamiko charge it.


    The brothers also didn''t seem to be doing anything, so Kat took it into her own hands once again. She spun on her heel and ran for a few steps before trying to make a leap over Seralina''s body as far away from her head as possible.


    This of course, was something Seralina prepared for. Rather than moving too much though, she bunched that section of her body up, raising it directly into Kat''s path. "Shit" cursed Kat, as she twisted in mid-air so that her feet would hit Seralina''s scales.


    Kamiko had tightened her legs around Kat''s neck, and was possible choking her slightly as the shift in position tried to force her off of Kat''s shoulders. She was hardly ready for the burst of speed that was Kat beingunched. The only thing that kept Kamiko on Kat''s shoulders was that Kat had been getting somewhat used to a passenger, and had brought her hands down on Kamiko''s legs to hold her in ce.


    Kat had aimed for the space opened up by Seralina''s movement which was now a somewhat sizeable gap between her head and tail. Sadly, they''d prepared for this. When Kat arrived in that space, she was beset on both sides. Sekron with a shield to the left, Percy with a shield in front, and Krekron with a hammer to the right. Kat and Kamiko nced above them, checking their escape route only to see Seralina bearing down on them.


    Kamiko actually reacted first, sting of a short burst from her eyes straight into Seralina''s mouth, which caused therge snake to flinch back. Sadly, it wasn''t really enough to escape, only buy them a little time. Kat was willing to use that though. She charged straight at Percy; the weakest link she had avable to her.


    Sekron dashed forward behind her though, and ced a shield in the way of Kat''s punch. Not willing to let Kamiko''s chance to go waste though, had Kat moving her tail as soon as the shield appeared.


    Sheshed it backwards straight into Sekron''s chest and he was sent flying. It wasn''t a lot of damage, and he managed to stick hisnding, albeit one shield shorter than he''d started with, and a dent in his armour, but Kat hadn''t given herself the time to send extra energy to her tail resulting in thecklustre damage.


    Still, she took the opening for what it was, dashing for the break in the brothers'' formation, as Kamiko sent a second st at Seralina''s face. Seeing her mouth was closed, Kamiko tried to get the edge of Seralina''s eye and just barely missed. She still managed to hit a sensitive area though as Seralina hissed in pain, giving the subi just enough time to escape from the trap.


    Kat whipped around once she''d gotten out of their enclosure, trying to assess the situation. Sekron was already trying to sprint back towards the group, and Krekron had kicked Sekron''s shield back towards him. Seralina, was hardly damaged and was gathering her body behind her head tounch herself at Kat if need be.


    Percy had turned to face the subi, shield at the ready. He was feeling a little useless this time around, but he was determined to block at least onerge attack and provide an opportunity for Seralina or maybe even his brothers to deal some damage.


    *Damn, that was close. I''m not even sure who to go for now. I really hope Kat hasn''t used up too much energy… I mean, I think she''s ok, but I heard some rather unsettling sounds while surrounded by the beard and I''m not sure how much energy her regeneration uses. I''m still at about eighty percent power so I''m good…


    I think we can consider that engagement a sess, right? We are down to just Seralina and the three brothers. The only issue with that, is they are the main problems here. I''m really not sure who we can pick off next. Might be able to go for Seralina and use herrge body to block the others… but she can just raise another part of her to let them through…*