Chương 85: Locked in Battle

The Returning Wind Sigil flared to life. In that instant, the Echo Intent in Rowan's palm seemed to lose all weight. As the sigil brightened, Rowan called the crocodilian mana-beast back to mind. The low-set head. The gray-black armor plates covering its back. The thick tail dragging through the ruins. The way its massive body had barely begun to turn before the tail shifted first. Rowan worked through those details one by one. The Rock-Scaled Giant Crocodile charging at him.

The Mud-Jawed Crocodile lying low in the mud. Fragments from different moments, gradually drawn together. At the center of the array platform, pale-cyan light began to gather. The broad head appeared first. Then the neck. The torso. A massive tail slowly extended behind it. Rowan glanced down at his hand. The Echo Intent in his palm was steadily being consumed. Whenever part of the figure on the platform truly solidified, that strange sense of fullness thinned a little further. The forelimbs appeared.

The left hind leg began taking shape as well. But by the end, there wasn't much Echo Intent left. Rowan quickly saw the problem. Not enough. If he finished the right hind leg, there might not be enough left to stabilize everything else. His attention shifted back to the head. Several spell patterns along the jaws still hadn't fully solidified. Parts of the body along the flanks remained blurred as well. He hesitated for only an instant. The light gathering at the rear right stopped.

What remained of the Echo Intent flowed instead into the body and spell patterns that had already formed. A moment later, the light at the center of the platform finally stabilized. A massive crocodilian mana-beast crouched low against the gray-white ground. For a moment, no one spoke. The broad-nosed young man stared at it.

"It actually worked?" Beside him, the young man with the black-thorn tattoo kept his eyes fixed on the beast. The crocodilian True Echo slowly raised its head. Its thick tail dragged across the ground behind it. Then the body turned slightly. It didn't distort and collapse like the humanoid True Echo from before. The tattooed young man snapped his fingers and grinned.

"Looks like we bet right." Relief spread across the broad-nosed young man's face. Then he frowned.

"Wait." His gaze dropped toward the True Echo's rear right side.

"Where's its leg?" Evan looked over as well. Where the right hind leg should have been, there was nothing. The lower line of the abdomen simply tapered inward. The girl with the dark-silver prosthetic stepped closer.

"Not enough Echo Intent?"

"Yeah." Rowan flexed the fingers of the hand he had been using to maintain the sigil.

"Two and a half portions weren't enough for the whole thing." The broad-nosed young man opened his mouth. The relief on his face slowly faded.

"So can it even run with one leg missing?" Now that the construction was complete, Rowan could feel a faint pull linking the Returning Wind Sigil to the True Echo. He sent a simple intent through it. Forward. The crocodilian True Echo lifted its body. The first step looked normal enough. On the second, its right side dipped sharply. Its thick tail shifted at once and braced against the ground. The beast managed a few more steps. Slowly.

Nothing like the monster that had burst through the dust cloud on the historical battlefield. Rowan told it to turn. The front half shifted first. Its massive rear half lagged behind. The tail dragged a long mark across the ground before finally pulling the body back into line. The broad-nosed young man's eyebrows twitched.

"How is that supposed to chase anyone?"

"Who said it has to chase?" Isabelle spoke from the side. She was no longer looking at the missing leg. Standing at the edge of the platform, she stared across the battlefield. The other team had finished constructing earlier. Three True Echoes stood at the far end of the gray-white field. All three were Dual-Phase. The leftmost carried a narrow shield and short blade. Beside him stood one with a short spear. The third carried no obvious weapon, though faint spell-light constantly hovered around him.

Three complete Dual-Phase True Echoes. The broad-nosed young man followed Isabelle's gaze. His expression worsened.

"They really didn't waste a thing." The tattooed young man said nothing. His final half-portion of Echo Intent was gone as well. All he could do now was watch from outside the field. Across from them, the scarred young man was also studying Rowan's side. His gaze paused the moment it reached the crocodilian True Echo. The woman with the long copper-red braid turned too. The two exchanged a few words. Their expressions gave nothing away.

But the three Dual-Phase True Echoes, which had been standing relatively close together, slowly spread out. Pale-cyan currents rose around the battlefield. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The voice of the arcane custodian descended. [Construction time has ended.] [True Echo Battle begins.] [If all True Echoes constructed by one side lose the ability to fight, that side will be defeated.] The instant the announcement ended, all three enemy True Echoes moved. The shield-bearer advanced. Beside him, the spearman circled toward the flank. The third fighter held back, keeping his distance. All three stayed within positions where they could support one another. Rowan didn't send the crocodilian True Echo charging forward. It simply lowered its body. Its head tilted slightly toward the approaching shield-bearer. Waiting for him to come within biting range.

The shield-bearer darted in and slashed once at the armor on its back. Sparks scattered from the gray-black plates. Not a scratch. He immediately pulled back. At the same time, the short spear stabbed in from the flank. The crocodilian True Echo whipped its tail around. But the spearman was already retreating. Its thick tail swept through the space in front of him, kicking up a gust of wind. Beside Rowan, the tattooed young man clicked his tongue.

"They're testing its speed." The opposing team tried twice more. Within a small area, the crocodilian True Echo was still dangerous. From the front, it was frighteningly tough. Its tail covered a wide area. But once the enemy pulled away, it couldn't keep up. More importantly, none of the spell patterns on its body had lit up even once. The other side had clearly noticed. The scarred young man's attention gradually drifted away from the crocodilian True Echo.

The woman with the copper-red braid refocused on the other two True Echoes as well. After several probing exchanges, the shield-bearing True Echo stopped approaching the crocodilian mana-beast. Instead, it began pressuring Isabelle's side. The spearman stayed on the flank, always within range to support. Rowan watched for a moment.

"Isabelle." She turned. Rowan glanced toward the shield-bearer.

"Pressure him first." Isabelle followed his gaze, then looked toward the spearman farther behind. She understood almost immediately.

"You want him to come in?"

"Yeah."

"Got it." Isabelle's Dual-Phase long-blade mage clashed with the shield-bearing True Echo. The long blade came down. The shield snapped upward. At the moment of impact, pale-blue cold light swept across the blade. The shield-bearer slid back a short distance. White frost spread along the rim of his shield. A pulse of mana shattered it away. The girl's Single-Phase True Echo attacked immediately after. A spell skimmed close to the ground.

The shield-bearer had only just steadied himself when the gray-white surface beneath his feet rippled like water. As though something had pulled the support out from under him. His heel sank. Only slightly. He broke free almost at once. But Isabelle's blade was already coming down again. Bang! The shield shook. Its wielder gave more ground. Seeing that, the enemy spearman began closing in. He deliberately avoided the area directly in front of the crocodilian True Echo's head.

Even while passing its flank, he stayed well out of reach. The crocodilian True Echo slowly turned after him. By then, the spearman had already slipped past on the other side. The broad-nosed young man grew visibly anxious.

"He's going to reinforce them." Rowan didn't react. The spearman kept moving. The shield-bearing True Echo had already been pushed close to the edge of the battlefield by Isabelle and the girl. Then the spearman accelerated. Just as he was about to enter support range, Isabelle's Dual-Phase long-blade mage stopped. It abandoned the shield-bearer. One step shifted sideways— and the long-blade mage cut straight toward the spearman. He reacted instantly. The spearhead turned. Blade and spear collided.

A shrill scrape tore across the gray-white battlefield. The spearman held his ground. His free hand swept along the shaft. Flames roared over the entire spear. The long-blade True Echo's wrist jolted. Its blade was forced aside. The spearman began moving laterally. Isabelle pressed in again. He had no choice but to bring the spear across to block. At that exact moment, the girl's Single-Phase True Echo brought both hands together. The ground-skimming spell swept out again.

The spearman's stepping foot suddenly sank. His body tilted. Now. The crocodilian True Echo lowered its head. The spell patterns along its jaws, dark until now, flared to life. Across the battlefield, the scarred young man's expression changed. One by one, the patterns along the jaws rapidly closed. A gray-white arc shot out close to the ground. The spear-wielding True Echo barely had time to raise his weapon. A defensive spell unfolded toward the crocodilian True Echo.

A gate of flame appeared inch by inch as mana poured into it. But Isabelle's blade came down again at the same moment. In the blink of an eye, it was already nearing his throat. The blazing short spear caught the blade. Using the impact, the spearman shifted sideways. If that earlier step hadn't been disrupted— he would probably have made it. But now, the half-formed defense caught only the leading edge of the gray-white arc. Spell-light shook violently. Then shattered.

The arc sliced across the side of the spearman's waist. His entire body froze. A bright line appeared between his upper and lower halves. It widened. Bang! The True Echo broke apart. Pale-cyan motes burst in every direction. The broad-nosed young man straightened.

"Hit!" The word had barely left his mouth when the tattooed young man spoke.

"Don't celebrate yet. Look at the beast." Everyone turned. The crocodilian True Echo was still crouched there. But the gray-black armor that had been solid moments earlier had faded noticeably. At the far end of its tail, the gray-white ground was already visible through it. Tiny motes of light peeled steadily from its edges. The broad-nosed young man's smile froze.

"That…" The other side reacted even faster. Before the spear-wielding True Echo had fully dissipated, the scarred young man had already locked onto the crocodilian True Echo.

"It's fading!" The copper-red-haired woman raised a hand almost at the same time. The two remaining Dual-Phase True Echoes immediately began spreading apart. But Isabelle was faster. Before the defeated spearman had fully vanished, her long-blade mage was already back on top of the shield-bearer. The blade tore through the air, throwing out several blue-green arcs. The shield-bearer had been preparing to receive support. Now he was suddenly under pressure again.

A clear crack appeared across the outer face of his shield.

"Follow up!" Isabelle's voice sharpened. The girl reacted half a beat late. She had been looking at the crocodilian True Echo too. By the time her attention snapped back, Isabelle's blade had already struck the shield again. Only then did the Single-Phase True Echo rejoin the attack. That half-beat was enough. The shield-bearer had regained his balance. He angled his shield and deflected the next slash. Then began retreating. Isabelle's face darkened.

"Don't get distracted!" The girl pressed her lips together. Her True Echo moved in immediately. The ground spell spread forward again. Together, the two True Echoes resumed their pincer attack. The shield-bearer was no longer as steady as before. His shield took hit after hit. More cracks spread across it. But he was still backing away. Still intact. The final enemy Dual-Phase True Echo finally moved. It abandoned its position on the outside and rushed back to support. Rowan spotted the turn first.

"Right!" The girl immediately ordered her True Echo back. But she had pushed too far forward when she rejoined the attack on the shield-bearer. Ignoring Isabelle, the returning Dual-Phase fighter attacked from the side. Three stone darts streaked across the field. The Single-Phase True Echo had only just turned when one struck its shoulder. Its entire left arm burst into motes of light. The girl's face went pale. A second attack followed. She forced through a new command.

The Single-Phase True Echo threw itself aside. The spell grazed its chest. Half its body turned translucent. It wavered several times. Almost dissipating on the spot.

"Back!" Isabelle shouted. The Single-Phase True Echo retreated immediately. The enemy had no intention of letting it escape. He chased after it. Rowan ordered the crocodilian True Echo toward them. Its massive body responded sluggishly. Three legs shifted. The tail braced against the ground. By the time it finished turning, the enemy had already caught up again. Too far. It wouldn't make it. Not unless Rowan triggered its enhancement.

His attention shifted to the spell patterns around the crocodilian True Echo's shoulders and forelimbs. They were still intact. But he didn't activate them. After the first gray-white arc, the Echo Intent sustaining the True Echo had fallen to a dangerously low level. If he forced the enhancement now just to close the distance, Rowan had no idea whether the jaw spell would survive long enough for a second shot. He held back. Isabelle glanced at the wounded shield-bearer in front of her.

Then at the other Dual-Phase True Echo pursuing the girl. The next instant, her long-blade True Echo abandoned the shield-bearer. It turned and rushed the pursuer. The blade came in from the side. The enemy True Echo had no choice but to stop and block. The broad-nosed young man blinked.

"What is she doing?" Behind them, the shield-bearer who had been forced back immediately followed. The two enemy Dual-Phase True Echoes quickly regrouped. Isabelle's long-blade True Echo drove straight between them. No defense. Its blade went directly for the already wounded shield-bearer. A spell slammed into the True Echo's shoulder from the side. Motes of light burst outward. Isabelle still didn't pull it back. The blade kept falling. The shield-bearer had no choice but to raise his shield.

From the other side came another attack. A chunk vanished from the long-blade True Echo's waist. Light spilled from the wound. Then the long-blade True Echo suddenly reversed its grip. Its blade plunged into the ground. Cold spread across the gray-white surface in every direction. As mana continued pouring through both hands, ice sheeted across the field. Blue light surged. White frost climbed over the lower bodies of all three True Echoes. Including Isabelle's own. Their movements slowed almost at once.

The moment the frost spread, Rowan understood what she was trying to do. The crocodilian True Echo lowered its head.

"Rowan!" Her voice had barely left her mouth when the patterns along its jaws lit up. Rowan frowned. Too slow. The second activation was clearly taking longer than the first. The opposing team noticed too. The scarred young man's expression changed. The woman with the copper-red braid raised a hand almost simultaneously. Both Dual-Phase True Echoes began forcing themselves free. But Isabelle didn't retreat. Her long blade locked against the shield-bearer's shield as the entire True Echo leaned into it.

The other Dual-Phase fighter managed one step backward. Isabelle's True Echo immediately turned and followed. A spell slammed into its shoulder from the side. Motes of light exploded outward. Still, Isabelle didn't pull it back. The long blade swept across again, sealing the opponent's retreat. One after another, the patterns along the crocodilian True Echo's jaws continued closing.

"Come on…" The broad-nosed young man barely whispered the words. From the side, the shield-bearer slammed back in. His shield knocked the long blade away from the escape route. The right arm of Isabelle's True Echo shattered with it. The other Dual-Phase fighter finally broke free by half a step. Then— the final jaw pattern closed. Gray-white light flared. The arc fired. Almost at the exact moment the spell left its jaws, the crocodilian True Echo's tail exploded into pale-cyan motes. The collapse raced forward.

Hind leg. Torso. Across the battlefield, the gray-white arc had already arrived. It tore through all three True Echoes tangled together. Isabelle's long-blade True Echo shattered first. The shield-bearer had only just brought his shield fully around when every crack across its surface lit up at once. The shield exploded. Beside him, the other Dual-Phase True Echo managed only half a step aside. Its incomplete defensive spell was swallowed by the gray-white light.

At almost the same moment, the crocodilian True Echo's head began to crumble. The spell patterns along its jaws still carried the fading afterglow of the attack. Then came the forelimbs. The back armor. The final traces of its gray-black outline. Everything dissolved into pale-cyan motes. The gray-white battlefield went quiet. The area that had been packed with spells and True Echoes only moments before was suddenly almost empty. The broad-nosed young man stood with his mouth open.

For several seconds, no sound came out. The tattooed young man kept staring at the battlefield. Evan's gaze shifted away from Rowan. Toward the far side. The girl suddenly turned toward the direction her own True Echo had retreated. Far away, a figure so faint it was almost impossible to make out was still standing. One arm was gone. Half its body was transparent. Tiny motes of light continued spilling from its chest. The battered Single-Phase True Echo swayed. But it didn't fall. The girl froze.

The broad-nosed young man finally found his voice.

"…It's still standing?" The opposing side had no True Echoes left. Wind swept across the center of the battlefield. The remaining motes of Echo Intent were carried upward with it. The voice of the arcane custodian descended. [The outcome has been decided.] Their Returning Wind Sigils lit up. [Second Trial—] [Passed.]