Chapter 53 Punishment

After Lilly went to collect the girls and tell them that it was fine now. They headed back to the dining room and finished eating.

They were wary of Chrys the entire time, fully expecting him to pounce at them at any moment, but he didn't. He just ate his food silently while wearing this small smile.

After everyone was done eating, Lilly began to clean up as the others began leaving. Miya and the other two girls decided to help her out.

"Thank you." Lilly said as they began cleaning up the dishes.

After they finished cleaning up in record time, thanks to a few extra hands. Lilly led them back to the room they were at this morning.

The wide, open room greeted them as they entered. Rose then asked Lilly. "Why are we back here? Is teaching time again?"

"No..." Lilly replied without explaining further.

She then closed the door behind them and walked towards the middle of the room.

The girls just watched in suspense as Lilly has been acting a bit unusual. Lilly faced them and said with a gentle smile. "Come on, it's time for your punishment."

The girls felt an intense sense of dread upon hearing Lilly's reply as they knew why she is doing all of this.

"M-may I ask why we deserve punishment?" Rose asked nervously.

"I think you already know." Lilly replied with her gentle smile still on her face.

"You're right. I was going easy on you girls earlier, but this time I'll take you all seriously." Lilly continued.

"I-I don't think we told that?" Amber asked feeling guilt in her heart.

"You didn't. I heard it from Goldie." Lilly responded.

"He did what?!" Rose shouted.

"He told me before he left the dining room. He told me your evalution of me." Lilly said with a saddened expression, making the girls feel even more guilty.

"H-how can you tell he's telling the truth?" Miya asked.

"He can't lie to us. That's want differentiates us from his enemies. And also, because I know that he is a snitch, who is born to troll." Lilly answered.

"Uh-huh..." The girls nodded while taking a few steps back as sweat drops rolled on their backs.

"Are you sure you want to run? Turning your back and running away is quiet disrespectful to your opponents, and it also gives them an opportunity to attack." Lilly said as her coat began to transform and wrap around her arms.

Seeing this, the girls attempted to escape through the door, but a metal bar is preventing them from unlocking the door.

"Oh, forgot to mention. I locked the door when we entered. It isn't just Goldie who is formidable, you know?" Lilly stated behind them.

The girls slowly turned and looked at her. A total of six snake heads are on her arms and ready to attack at any moment.

"Aaarh!"

The girls swallowed a nervous gulp as they let out a yell. They then scattered across the room as they tried to reach for their weapons that was left behind on the floor.

As Rose ran, Lilly used one of her snake heads to swiftly run it's chain in front of Rose's feet. It caused Rose to face plant on the floor before she could reach her weapon.

Lilly then used two of her snake heads to launch Amber's weapon far away as Amber was just about to reach it.

Miya, who already have her weapons thanks to them being placed on their sheath on her legs.

Miya stared with wide eyes as Lilly sent the remaining three snake heads heads towards her.

Miya barely managed to dodged all three of them. The snake heads continued to move forwards and slam themselves onto the place where Miya stood a moment ago. The snake heads slowly lifted themselves up and revealed a small dent on the floor.

Miya exchanged glances at the small dent, to the snake heads, and Lilly. A nervous sweat dripped down her forehead a moment later.

With a childish smile, Lilly recalled all of the snake heads towards her. She then moved in a dance-like fashion, causing the snake heads to spin around her like whips.

She then used these whips to attack the girls. Luckly, Rose and Amber managed to reach their weapon in time to block the attack, but due to their momentums, they were both sent flying off of the ground and fly towards the side.

The same happened to Miya. She blocked them, was swept to the side, landed safely, before she then breathed a sigh of relief.

But Lilly had other plans.

She sent all six of the speeding snake heads to Miya. She stared at the approaching snake heads with wide, open eyes.

Miya raised her guard and said to herself. "I can't dodge them at that speed. So do I just have to take them, and hope I survive?"

As the snake heads inched closer to her, the wounds that Chrys gave her began to hurt like before they were treated by Lilly.

"Mmm, I don't really want to get hurt like that again..." Miya thought.

In a last move of desparation, Miya turned sidewards and made her body as small as possible.

Five snake heads went past her, but a snake head managed to hit her solidly on the side. She was sent flying off the floor and into the air.

Once she landed, Miya let out a pained groan as she clutched her side. She then noticed an object too familiar by her side.

"Aaarh!"

Before Lilly could send a follow up attack on Miya. Rose charged at her while letting out a yell.

The snake heads immediately changed directions and intercepted Rose before she could reach Lilly.

"If you're doing for a surprise attack, don't yell..." Lilly said to Rose as she was being sent away by the snake heads.

"That is of course... if it's only a surprise attack, and not a distraction." Lilly added as turned around.

Once she turned around, she saw Amber getting ready to attack with her stick, but was being wrapped in chains by the snake heads.

Before Amber could land her attack, she was incapacitatad by the chains and laid helplessly on the ground.

Lilly looked down at her and said. "I just pulled 'the greatest distraction ever'. Do you really think that will work on me?"

Just then, a knife still in it's sheath went past her face. Lilly began to turn to the direction the knife came from while saying. "It's not wise to throw your weapon away."

As she was turning, another knife on it's sheath went towards her face. Lilly used one of the snake heads to block the incoming projectile.

But in doing so, she blocked her line-of-sight.

As the snake head began to move out of the way and return Lilly's vision. A little girl was already in arms reach from her. It was Miya, and in her hand was another weapon that isn't her knives.

It was a staff she picked off the ground. As for how it got there, it was the same staff Chrys used to polevault his way out of the room earlier.

Miya remembered how Chrys moved and tried to imitate it while attacking Lilly. Her moves was sloppy in comparison to Chrys', giving Lilly enough time to dodge her attacks easily.

"That was a good attempt, but using a weapon your unfamiliar with is a death sentence." Lilly said to Miya face.

Just then, some of the snake heads transformed back into the white, paper-like material before wrapping around Lilly's hand.

A moment later, it formed large, tail-like appendeges on Lilly's hand that resembled claws. Lilly used these claws to block and parry Miya's attacks.

"Each weapon has it's own strengths and weaknesses, like a person. That's why you need to know your weaknesses so you can do something about it." Lilly said as she used her giant claws to grab Miya entire body, making her unable to continue.

With Amber and Miya in captivity, Lilly said to Rose, who was recovering from the blow she took earlier. "Is what I'm doing enough?"

Rose looked at her with surprised filled eyes before she gave her a nod.

"I see... Then, that's enough for today." Lilly said as she let Miya and Amber go.

She then gestured to Rose as she said. "Come on, Rose. Sit with us. I will teach you now."

Lilly then sat down on the ground, causing Miya and Amber to do the same. A moment later, Rose arrived and sat with them.

"Alright, what do you think?" Lilly asked.

"Uh, I'm not sure what you mean by that?" Amber replied.

"Well, did you at least learn something?" Lilly asked, making herself clear.

The girls then responded.

"Don't make Lilly mad."

"Lilly is scary."

"Goldie's a snitch."

Hearing their replies, Lilly burst out laughing in an unlady-like fashion. "Hahaha!"

The girls looked at her with nervousness as they didn't know how to react.

Wiping the tears that formed in her eyes, Lilly said with a bright smile. "Alright, I'll forgive you. It's seems like you learned something today, but I like that last reply the best though."

Lilly stood up, and said. "Alright. Stand up. I think you know what you need to do?"

The girls gave her a look of confusion. Rose seemed to have realized something and whispered to the other two.

They stood up and performed a little bow as they said.

"Sorry for doubting your abilities."

"We appreciate all your efforts."

"Thanks for all the things you have thought us."

Lilly wore a satisfied grin as she said. "Alright. Alright. I already did forgive you."

Lilly clapped her hands and continued. "Now, onto a different topic. I can't help but notice, what you girls look like..."

Upon hearing Lilly's statement, the girls began to look at themselves.

Miya wore her relatively clean grey, oversized, furry coat. A pair of worn out pants, a dirty shirt, and a set of boots that are sprinkled with sand.

Rose lost her jacket during the last fight, so she is only wearing her relatively nice clothes. Aside from the few scratches here and there, she looks rather clean.

Amber had her casual wear that have little rips and tears, almost like she ran through a maze of thorny plants. There was also a bit of dried blood on her clothes. She has no though injuries, so it clearly wasn't hers.

Aside from the fact the girls are wrapped in bandages, thanks to a certain golden-eyed man. They look like fine in a sense.

"Uh, I guess we're kinda in need of a new set of clothes..." Rose commented as she looked back at Lilly.

A paper sheet went towards Lilly and merged with her cloak. Rose turned to the direction the sheet came from and saw that the door is unlocked.

A sweat drop fell down Rose's cheek as she turned back her gaze to Lilly, who has a white sheet forming in her arms.

Soon later, it folded itself into her signiture snake heads. The girls unconciously took a step back upon seeing this.

"Uh, Lilly, why are you bringing the snake heads back out?" Rose asked.

"Huh? Oh! It's so I can get you girls new clothes." Lilly replied while wearing a gentle smile, but it somehow felt intimidating.

"I don't get how the snake heads will help with that?" Rose asked as she proceeded to take another step back, causing the other two to do the same.

Lilly cleared her throat and explained. "Well, you see... People around here... Don't like it when I 'fix' their apperances."

"So, they usually run away or be an annoying fuck about it. Ahem! Goldie."

"Since we have been together for some time. I can't help but notice, that some of their actions are influencing you girls."

While Lilly talked, the girls slowly backed up towards the door. Since somewhere in their minds, they know what's coming.

"So, to make sure you girls don't run away while I 'fix' you... I'll have to tie you girls up while we play dress up, got it?" Lilly said as she gave them a bright smile.

"Nobody has to get hurt. If you just stay still, it'll be done in no time~..." Lilly added as she smiled brightly, but the girls felt darkness within.

Lilly raised her hand and swiftly lowered it. It caused the snake heads that are attached to it, to raise in the air and slam into the ground, looking oddly menacing.

"If you want to run... just remember that I do this with more... powerful people." Lilly said calmly.

After Lilly finished her sentence, the girls bolted towards the door like their lives depended on it.

As they began to run, Amber tripped on an uneven tile, causing her to faceplant onto the ground.

As Amber let out a groan, Miya and Rose then looked back after hearing her trip. But when they turned around, they saw Lilly quickly approaching.

Rose seemed to debate for a moment before she said. "I'm sorry, Amber. I swear I'll make it up to you someday."

After saying that Rose continued her sprint for the door, Miya gave Amber a little bow before she too, ran towards the door. Amber extended her hand towards them as her eyes reflected her hopes and dreams shattering.

Before Amber could utter a word, she felt a weight of a person on her back. And that same person placed their hands on Amber's head in such a way that it looked like they were about to snap her neck.

Amber felt her life flash before her eyes as the hands pulled her body backwards. Her body landed backwards into Lilly's grasp as Lilly cheerfully said. "Aww! You're so cute and clumsy, Amber!"

As Lilly continued to hug Amber, who is still experiencing her life flashing before her eyes, Rose and Miya left the room.