Frigid Fury and the Dance on the Bridge

[Warning. Initiating neutralization protocol.]

Without another word, the two cannons on the Scrapheap Supervisor G-8's arms fired two beams of frigid blue liquid. They didn't shoot straight, but swept across in a wide arc, covering the entire entrance to the bridge.

"Dodge!" Yanaki yelled.

The party quickly fell back. Where the liquid beams passed, the metal ground was instantly covered in a thick layer of ice. A few pieces of scrap hit by the beams shattered like glass. This was an extremely dangerous area-of-effect attack, with both slowing capabilities and high damage.

"Can it fire continuously?" Yanaki asked Elara through their link.

"No," the Spirit of Memory replied after observing. "After each shot, the energy coils on its cannons need a short time to recharge. About five seconds."

Five seconds. An extremely narrow window of time.

"Here's the plan," Yanaki said quickly. "It'll fire a volley, we fall back. As soon as it stops to recharge, Sylva and Volt will charge in to apply pressure. Elara, you observe its weak points. I'll provide support from a distance."

The Scrapheap Supervisor once again raised its cannons. The whole party retreated. Two jets of icy fluid swept past again. The moment the blue light on the cannons dimmed...

"Now!"

Sylva and Volt charged onto the metal bridge. The Supervisor, surprised by their speed, couldn't fire again and switched to melee combat. It used its two cannons like giant clubs to smash down.

Sylva raised its [Legacy Shield] to block. CRASH! A heavy impact, but thanks to the reinforced bark, Sylva was only pushed back slightly. Volt was more agile, slipping to the side and using its power mace to strike the Supervisor's leg joint, making it stumble slightly.

"The joints are very sturdy!" Elara reported. "But the coolant pipes running along its back are not well protected!"

Yanaki had her target. But how to get behind it when it was being blocked from the front?

After five seconds, the cannons were recharged. It roared, pushed Sylva and Volt back, and prepared to fire again. Both the automaton and the treant had to hastily retreat.

They fell into a stalemate. They could only attack for a brief five-second window before having to retreat. At this rate, their energy would be worn down until they were defeated.

"We have to change our approach," Yanaki thought. "We can't let it control the rhythm of the fight."

She looked at the surrounding terrain. The bridge was the body of a giant transport robot. On either side was a deep abyss. But along the robot's body, there were metal plates and girders jutting out.

A bolder plan formed.

"Sylva, Volt, next time it finishes firing, charge in and hold it down, at all costs!" she commanded. "Elara, with me!"

The next time, just as the ice beams swept past, Sylva and Volt charged again. But this time, they didn't just apply pressure. Sylva used [Root Prison], its tough wooden roots wrapping tightly around the Supervisor's legs. Volt continuously struck the same knee joint with its power mace, forcing it to focus on defense.

Meanwhile, Yanaki and Elara did not retreat. Yanaki ran quickly towards the edge of the bridge and took a risky leap, landing on a rusty metal beam jutting out from the side of the bridge. Elara flew behind her.

They were flanking the boss.

The Scrapheap Supervisor noticed her intent. It tried to turn, but it was being held in place by Sylva and Volt in front. It let out an angry roar, and one of its two cannons turned, firing a beam of ice at Yanaki.

Yanaki was on a narrow beam with no room to dodge.

"Elara!"

The Spirit of Memory immediately flew in front. She couldn't block the attack, but she could do something else. She sang her [Serene Lullaby]. The melody collided with the ice beam; it couldn't make it disappear, but it made it less stable, slowing its flight speed slightly and altering its trajectory.

The ice beam zipped past right beside Yanaki, its chill enough to make her shiver. But she was safe.

She was now on the Supervisor's flank. From here, she could clearly see the blue coolant pipes running along its back.

She had no powerful ranged weapon. But she had a dagger and precision. She waited for the moment the Supervisor was struggling with her two tanks, then threw her dagger with all her might.

Thwack!

The blade embedded itself precisely in a joint of the pipe.

A loud hissing sound erupted. The blue coolant began to leak out, instantly freezing the Supervisor's own shell. One of its two cannons began to malfunction due to the loss of pressure.

The plan had succeeded.

The Supervisor let out a roar of pure fury. It realized its true enemy wasn't the two thorns in its front, but the tiny fly dancing on its flank. It ignored Sylva and Volt, turned, and aimed its remaining cannon at Yanaki.

Her path was cut off. She was cornered on a narrow beam, with the abyss below. There was no retreat.