f16207 *** STAGE 7 ***
f17161 Segment 0:954
f17977 Segment 1:816
f18516 Segment 2:539
f18707 Segment 3:191
f18776 Segment 4: 69
Something like 5 frames with a different route through that last segment. This might be the winner of the stage 7 miniboss skips.
There may be a minor frame loss in how long it takes to get into position after the miniboss, but certainly less loss than what the new route gains. I can't put myself any further left relative to the camera.
I'm still hoping a frame is saved in Stage 8, before the 3 frames dropped by the ladder after the miniboss. That would save an animation frame rule. That, in turn, will save a dialog frame rule. And that will collapse the 32-frame rule the start of Stage 7 is based on right now (f24 delay at the moment). Mostly, I'd like to be lazy in redoing Stage 7, and I'm being lazy on the pretense there is a frame to save in Stage 8.