The Grand Battle [Game Over!]

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

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Ari appeared on top of a bookshelf, watching the events unfold below.

Damn, he thought, as he watched Aeon pursuing the spider. He's headed for the mage girl. The two of them together... they're likely to get ideas. Especially if they start messing with that mirror of Arnold's... And if the vacuum cleaner approaches, they may just find some way to stop it without killing it.

But perhaps I can interfere with that plan if I get to her first.

He vanished again.

***

If only the stupid thing had read Page 158, Arnold thought to himself. Then I might not have to take these risks.

"Well? What's holding you up?" Drake asked, impatiently. "Go and do whatever you're going to do with that silly book! What is it, anyway?"

"It's a fantasy novel. The heroes fight the forces of evil while wearing suits of armor that grant them mystical powers. Not especially well-written, I think the Director only has it because of the author. His later works were much better."

Drake sighed. "And how does this help us, exactly?"

"There's a scene early on before they get the armor where they learn of its location. One moment..."

Arnold mimed scribbling something in the book.

The first two suits of armor can be found in the Library of Lies...

As he wrote, a fiery red suit of samurai armor appeared nearby, as well as an ice-cold blue one that was more European in design.

"I think the red one is more your style," Arnold said, as he donned the blue suit. "Now, let's get going."

"...they don't require us to be pure of heart or anything corny like that, do they?" Drake asked skeptically, as he put on the red outfit.

"They did originally. I rewrote that part."

"Ugh. There's no accounting for some people's taste."

***

Eximo navigated its way through the bookshelves, trying to follow Aeon. As it turned one corner, it noticed one book up ahead that was crooked on its shelf.

"Minimal additional time needed to correct disorganization," it said to itself, and pushed the book in as it passed.

The shelf turned around. Eximo found itself in a small room. A book rested in a glass case in the center.

On it were the words "The Life of the Director: Book One of Four".

I've got a feeling this book I'm looking for is the only thing in this library that isn't filthy.

No matter what your current top priority orders are, it would be beneficial to them to find this book.

Eximo opened the case, and removed the book. It looked at the first page.

Please see Books Two, Three, and Four for details.

The rest of the book was blank.

"This book does not seem particularly beneficial to this unit's orders," Eximo said. It headed for the bookcase it had entered through and tried to smash a hole in it, but the shelf was too sturdy.

However, the impact knocked the key book loose again, returning Eximo to the corridor it had previously been traveling down. It continued to follow Aeon's signal.