[h3]Lily/Brucie vs Angry Dragon - Round 2[/h3]
Within his shell of metal, Jiang made up and discarded plan after plan. Outside was a mechanized shark, and an unknown opponent who had the ability to create fire. His illusions had proven themselves useless, having been ripped apart after just a few seconds after their conjuration. He needed a way to nullify at least one of them if he were to have any chance of victory. 

A crash of metal against metal came from outside, making him momentarily cringe. The Shark was still out there, occasionally beating at the wall. He found no weak points - it was virtually perfect. An impenetrable defense, so long as his music kept playing. He still had a few minutes of protection from this particular piece, but just staying hidden wouldn't make his situation any better. He had to find some way to break the deadlock he was in. But how? He could make a run for it and try to get into the building, but he was at least half a dozen metres away from the nearest opening, and even then there was no certainty that he could get in before his opponents got to him. 

No, he wouldn't have much luck with trying to run for it. His best bet was to go on the offensive, create an opening for himself to create some distance, and force them on the defensive. 

Within his metal shell, Jiang's brow furrowed in determination. He flicked his wrist, a second song overlapping the current one, soon overtaking it and replacing it in its entirety. 

[hr]

Outside Brucie was sent reeling back as the ground burst into flames, scorching his hide and threatening to melt the rubber-like musculature of his mechanical limbs. The shark let out a curse, clenching his fists, but there was a glint of excitement in his eyes. The metal shell had fallen away, leaving his prey in the open. Fire or no fire, he wouldn't last long without his walls. Just when he was about to charge in again, fire be damned, the song changed once again, and the flames were replaced by a multitude of firearms hovering behind him. Liang smirked and, almost as one, they started firing, each in tune with the music and each following the rhythm of a different instrument from the piece. The first few bullets struck his metallic limbs, but another few struck him in the body, and although he didn't feel pain from it, he wasn't stupid enough to stay out in the open. 

"Shit!" He exclaimed and dove behind the corner of the building beside them, back to his previous hiding spot. "Didn't expect the guy to go full freaking Bastion on me." 

"Hah! Flee like the coward you are, abomination!" Jiang shouted after him, waving his baton. "I don't know what broken mind co-" [i]Have you forgotten about me?[/i] It was soft, like a whisper, not quite a sound nor a thought. A sensation in the back of his mind that made the hair on the back of his neck rise as a cold washed down his back. He whirled around, guns blazing as the song continued, but found no target to hit. Only empty air and a feeling that something was most definitely wrong. 

[i]So slow...[/i] 

He whirled to his right on sheer instinct, ready to fire on whoever "spoke". But what he saw sent such a shock of terror through his mind that his concentration faltered and the music ceased. In the shadows of the wreckage opposite the building stood Lily, half-covered in shadow and flanked by tears in the very fabric of reality. Eyes of otherwordly madness peered out from within, tendrils of pure shadow slithering across the ground towards him and, he knew, were they to reach him the chill of their touch would be like the grave itself. The sound of gnashing teeth from within promised an end possibly even worse than the shadow-hands reaching him. He could see it already - His own body torn apart by shadows he could neither see nor fathom, his mind torn asunder by beings not meant to be gazed upon with mortal eyes. 

He took a step back, beads of sweat dripping from his brow, eyes wide in terror of what awaited him. [i]Parasites crawling underneath his skin, burrowing through your flesh and gnawing at his bones. His eyes burnt in their sockets from the sheer force of existence that were the things on the other side, yet still able to see the terror that was[/i] them. [i]His mind torn to pieces again and again. Reformed by their will, destroyed for their curiosity and put back together again. Destroyed. Healed. Destroyed. Healed. Again and again, and again again again again.[/i] A tendril of shadow reached him and wrapped around his leg. 

He screamed and fell back, slamming into the wall behind him. His heart was hammering, eyes wild and fearful. Had to get away. Away away away! Couldn't let them get him. Better to die than experience that. No. No no. Not possible. He couldn't allow it. Death was better. Let his soul be stolen, his body broken and buried. Just not [i]th-[/i]

The pain that flared in his jaw as Brucie punched him was almost welcome. He felt the grip of terror loosen on his mind even as he skidded across the ground, blood welling in his mouth. He shook even as he stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. Lily and Brucie stood side by side as he looked up, some distance away from him. Brucie was clenching and unclenching his metallic fists, and Lily stood relaxed, a smirk playing on her lips. 

"You don't look so good," Lily said, to which Jiang's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. 

He fought to calm himself even as he stuttered, "Your... That was your voice!" He straightened himself and forced himself to meet her eyes.  "Then you-" her eyes narrowed slightly, and that was when it struck him. Not only were the voice the same. The eyes were, too. Those madness-inducing eyes; their slitted pupils full of malice and bloodlust, hidden only partially by the veil between realities. 

A silken whisper, words on the wind. [i]Then me, what?[/i]

Something cracked. Not stone nor wood, nor anything physical. And yet the sound as was audible for Jiang as had his baton been broken by his own two hands. [i]Not those eyes. Not those eyes... Not her![/i] Light and music erupted from Jiang, blinding both Brucie and Lily with its intensity and forcing them to cover their eyes. The light took form as tangible tendrils and wrapped around him. Brass horns and the slow beat of drums followed closely by a cacophony of bells blared towards the sky at nearly deafening levels and showing no signs of stopping. Within stood Jiang, a wild look on his face like someone desperately wanting to get away, and yet finding themselves unable to and so were forced to fight. Within his cocoon of light, Jiang had lost to himself. He wouldn't get away. He couldn't. But he [i]would[/i] end this. 

Lily, already darting into cover for fear of what her opponent was unleashing, rubbed her eyes in an effort to clear the spots of colours from her sight. "What the hell was [i]that?!"[/i] She exclaimed, pressing herself flat against the wall of the building, for the moment afraid to peek around the corner. 

"Ain't no clue, boss-lady," Brucie grunted, standing beside her. "But t'aint good."