Greyashe chapter 355 is entitled 'Countless hands.'

Previous chapter 354: Blind sided.

Next chapter 356: Instants

Summary page

-Short summary-

Delaney fights his siblings in a bid to save the two who saved him from being alone, and it is through this that he really is able to discover that there are those who are with him.

-Long summary-

Delaney had traveled back to the tower against orders due to his own sense of unease, and oddly enough his confidence in Aicha's abilities. The fight against Van and the violent guy had gone well mainly because of her strength and sense of loyalty. That's not to say he thinks he's the weaker link in their team, but she is a wholly impressive fighter. He remembers how long it took him to get used to not having magic anymore....from what he heard Aicha had only been without her abilities for a few months at most and had already gotten used to her new magic impervious body. Coming from the brink of death to become someone stronger is impressive in it's own right, but to already be back on the front lines and completing assignments is worthy of only the highest praise. Besides he had already begun disobeying orders by going to see Kani in Springtime Epigram rather than going with Aicha in the the first place, so he'd might as well go all the way in. Besides he wouldn't be satisfied unless he dealt with this growing sense of restlessness. Taking a faster means of transportation and a shorter route back to the tower, Delaney arrives and quickly makes his way in, going straight of the prison where his siblings are being kept. To his horror, the prison is in shambles and a blood trail leads up to the higher levels of the tower. The young man decides to follow it in hopes that he can regain a sense of control before things spin out too far for him to handle, but his nerves are shot. He's not sure what he will do....heck, what he can do. If the recall works the way the others had described it, then he's not only going to have to deal with a deranged pair of magic users who are also his siblings, but a powered up pair of deranged magic users. Even if his body is impervious to magic, even he doesn't know to what extent that lasts. What if after a certain limit he just dies like anyone else does?

For now he puts these thoughts into the back of his subconscious and creeps along slowly until he sees a familiar flash of yellow electric energy and realizes that Willard is attacking someone in a nearby hallway. Dashing to the source he finds Dio engaged against his siblings, and Delaney's quick glimpse of his eyes makes it all too obvious that Dio intends on killing them if it means providing safety to those who are in the tower. Delaney is both irrationally enraged and pragmatically accepting at this. Be it anyone else that Dio flashed his killing intent toward, and Delaney would have shrugged it off as part of a greater good. However those are his siblings, and he'd like to have a say in what happens to them.So now he stands before Dio and proclaims that it is his right as their sibling to deal with them. Rightfully so the former God gives him an incredulous look. What can he possibly hope to do against them in this situation? He seems to ask silently, but he doesn't defy him and continue his attack. --A small favor.

Delaney gives his siblings a look. A long, sad look. He then spreads his arms and asks if they can see him? Remember him? If so they don't have to do this, they don't have to hurt each other. Whatever is ailing them, whatever stands in their way they can face it together. They had been known as the triplets of terror at one point right? That they would take responsibility for each other no matter what happens.....they have each other and that's all they need. He had even asked Dio --a God to step down for their sakes. So they know he can be trusted!

Dio frowns at that last part but remains on standby. Honestly while he feels this is a waste of time, he'd much rather let Delaney try to reach them then to enact the alternative. Delaney takes a further step toward them with his arms outstretched, allowing too much emotion to show. Even if they are his siblings, and even if he can save them somehow the recall is absolute. Until Van can do something about Butcher they are still...

Blood.

Delaney clutches his shoulder as a vine stabs it. Another extends from his little sister's arm and slams him in the torso sending him flying into the adjacent wall. The girl licks her lips with an empty expression and turns back to Dio who prepares to defend. Almost instantly Delaney is upon his sister and tackles her to the ground. She struggles violently and manages to smack his face with a thorny vine a few times knocking off his glasses. Delaney recommits his hold and glares at Dio a look daring him to do something, to touch his sister. He grits his teeth and takes a step back wanting to respect Delaney's wishes but finding it harder and harder to do so. Willard lights up the entire hallway and prepares a ball of pure electric energy to destroy Dio with, but Delaney shifts so that his sister is underfoot and grabs the ball with his bare hands. The impact causes him to shake as the ball expands and finally explodes, sending him flying backward. Dio turns to save him, but Willard is already upon him and slams the God down with a fist wrapped in yellow electric energy. Dio coughs up blood as he lands face first in the floor, and finds himself at the mercy of a follow up attack. Delaney is already up on his feet and springs toward his half brother with the intent of stopping him until a vine sprouts from the ground and stabs him in the leg. The pain rocks his entire body but Delaney does not stop running. More plants and thorns grow from the wall and stab the unloved Delaney. Apparently the needles of the plants still hurt despite being enchanted, which makes sense since it isn't an effect of the plant itself that's stabbing him but the actual act of being stabbed. The unloved may be able to shrug a fireball fired at them from zero range, but if that fireball hits a building and the debris flattens them they'll die just like anyone else. The stabbing takes it's toll and by the time Delaney makes it to his sister he can only collapse onto her shoulder as a bloody mess. Still he holds her tightly with the strength he has left and begs her to stop. They --and he mean more than this to each other don't they? All they have is each other right?

Lighting flashes and Delaney knows Willard is preparing another attack. The tragedy of being killed by his siblings is bad enough, but that they'd even go as far as sacrificing each other to kill him is too tragic to bear. His body is too worn to do anything about this however, and he can only wait for his oncoming doom. That is until a flash of light causes Willard to stop and use both of his hands to cover his face. Dio stands and dusts himself off as Colin walks over with strange device that lights up every time he tosses it in the air. Dio asks the soldier what he's doing, and Colin shrugs a shoulder. He's not entirely sure either frankly. He heard the commotion and decided to check things out, and while he knows this is none of his business, he can't just ignore it either. Addressing Delaney he asks the young man how long he's gonna talk like it's him and his family VS the world? Is that how kids nowadays view themselves? As irrational soldiers against everyone? He then sighs ruefully asking if he looks as old as he sounds.

Delaney wearily coughs and asks what Colin could possibly know? Colin admits he knows next to nothing about them, but points out that he no longer can talk about being alone or only having his siblings. Azha had taken them in and offered her providence right? Then there's Dio who's fighting for all of them --and trying not to kill despite it being woefully easy for him to wipe all of them out. Oh and now he's here joining the fight despite it being none of his business. Last but not least, Van and his friends who are going to defeat Butcher so that they won't have to suffer the recall anymore. In short whether they like it or not they are being supported by countless hands. These hands prop them up unbeknownst to them, and it's high time they learn to accept it. Now is Delaney going to get down and accept their help, or lie down after they beat him to submission?

Delaney despite himself allows a small smirk and points out how much like a threat that sounds. Colin smirks back and says that he's not in the mood to be diplomatic. The boy slides off his sister's arms and lies limp on the floor, his last conscious sight being Dio and Colin striding over to his siblings.

How long had it been since he had last trusted someone other than them...? 

Meanwhile Baker marvels at seeing his breath rise in the air of the cold climate as he strolls into Greyashe with his orders in mind. He too hopes that the people will get down rather than being made to lie down. Not that it matters either way to him since his mission and orders are absolute.