"Hey Effy, could you help me with this?" I ask quietly. We've moved a decent distance away from the other rail units, and I've put my thoughts about the nature of my mana and its growth on hold until I have more information.
"With what?" she asks, and I turn a look at the others, still not paying much attention to us.
"I need some help tying these on," and I show her the metal disks and bandages I brought.
She looks at them briefly before asking, "What are they? Why are you tying them on?"
"That... is a lot to explain, actually. They let me work with my mana in certain ways that will help in battle."
"Ok. Tell me about it later?"
"Sure." After the quick exchange, she helps me out. I open up the little containers of mira sap and smear them on the metal, then press them together in pairs. One disk of nuvrite with each of the seven others. I barely have enough sap in the little containers to join them together well, I definitely had them made too large. Even so, I pull off my robe and set in it in the grass, then Effy helps me tie the metal against my back with rolls and rolls of bandages.
It's... not a great solution. I feel a bit awkward and off-balance with so much weight tied to my back, and the metal and bandages make it a bit harder to move. It's still better than having nothing for mana conversion, but there's a lot of room for improvement...
Once everything is secured, I slide back into my robe, and I'm ready. I spend a little time passing mana through the metal on my back to generate different mana types, memorizing which ones are where, and what types they give me. Then, it's back to waiting. Effy uses the chance, with her extra mana now, to summon Metallica and use it to combine more armaments. First Ishi, the mirror shield, since she uses that one a lot. She combines two, filling the book with a stronger version, a star showing up on its picture.
I watch closely as she does, which lets me determine exactly how much things like this cost. As it turns out, with Ishi costing seven mana normally, compared to Sval that only costs five, we see the same sort of pattern. Double the cost for the first that goes in the book, six times for the second, the total for the entire process coming to ten times the normal cost of just summoning the floating mirror shields, seventy mana total.
Normally that would be a horrifying waste, but now that we know I somehow gain insane amounts of mana at impossible rates, it doesn't seem like that big a deal. Besides, like she said, she might need to use more powerful armaments to defend us since she's alone, so it's probably worth it.
Actually... "What about an even stronger version?" I ask as she looks at the floating book like she's about to dismiss it.
"Stronger?" She obviously doesn't get it, so I explain better.
"I mean, what about combining the star versions from the book? Wouldn't it get even better? The mana costs would increase more, but if it works, it could help if you need some really strong shields."
She hardly considers it before answering, "Yeah, I like that idea." Then she extends a hand and the book flips open, floating just away from her palm as she calls, "Sval," drawing the floating shield out with a small flash of light. She summons another, then they both go back into the book again, on a new page. The total this time is seventy five, so I guess the cost summoning from the book was actually seven and a half mana, not an even seven like I originally thought. She does the same with Ishi, at another cost of one hundred five mana. It really adds up fast...
Still, I feel like I'm starting to see patterns, but I can't quite place exactly how they work yet. I'll have to figure it out when I meet Effy again after the battle and we have more time, because she's already finishing up, dismissing the book and her divine gear. The sun has already fallen behind the western mountains, so I think we'll be going before too much longer.
I'm just glad that even if I didn't learn much more to help myself, Effy is in much better shape to protect me. I don't even feel that bad about relying on her like this, since I can actually contribute mana, apparently.
I'm surprised, I was terrified before, but with Effy here, with so much mana and her stronger armaments, things don't feel that bad. I think we can actually make it through this...
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We're sitting and resting before battle, my nerves slowly but surely picking up as the time ticks down, when the whistle finally comes. Just like last time, I'm immediately aware of its location, a particular spot in the mountains.
Hilde and Avara are actually pretty close by. Wondering about the spot, Hilde flies up a little, keeping to the rocks of the mountainside to close in, until he comes to rest on a little ledge above and behind a rather large cliff, to peer down.
Are those handlers? Yeah, they have the dark robes, and there are five of them. Looking out across the enormous fields between us, even Hilde's eyes can barely pick us out individually. I have no idea how well they would really be able to see from there.
While he's doing that, I'm getting up and walking with Effy, toward the battlefield. The other rail units separate from the crowd as everyone splits up. When some approach us, I look them over. 8E, 3G, 4I, 7I, 2K, and 1M. They're all male rail units, except for 2K. They mostly have brown hair, cut very short, but 1M is a little more blond. Besides that, they all actually have pretty distinctive faces. It feels kind of weird that I never paid any attention to what the rail units looked like before...
Ok, I get it, they're just weapons, not people. If it wasn't for Effy having emotions now, I would still look at her like that too... They all walk up, immediately ignoring me and turning to look at Effy. "I will focus on shielding against long range attacks and maintaining strengthening armaments," she says flatly, "you all will be in charge of defending against direct attack."
They don't answer, and just proceed toward the battlefield with us. I empty my basket by a particularly large rock, though I can't say for certain if it's the same big rock from the last battle. I dump all the extra bandages, in case I need them like last time, carrying nothing but the last resort lele fruit with me.
The other rail units spread out to the sides, moving to the nearby hilltops as we once more reach the dead ground and shattered stone of the battlefield. The sharp rock clatters underfoot as we arrive at the top of a shallow slope to overlook the huge flatlands, nothing but death between us at the enemies arriving opposite.
I have to shake myself, make myself keep breathing as my heart rate really starts picking up. Come on, Effy's here, she's incredibly strong and has an absurd amount of mana to protect me. It's going to be fine...
I keep telling myself that, and it's sort of working, but can't dispel all of my fear and terror, especially when flashes of the last battle, the pain and helplessness of dying all start come back to me.
It won't be like that again, it won't...
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"Full release." All the rail units call out the same thing one after another, their divine gears flaring to life at their words. It makes me squint until my eyes adjust, the darkness of night instantly blown away by the glowing gears and floating halos circling their bodies. While they call, "Aura," to begin summoning their armaments, I dump mana into the nuvrite pressed against my back, the one paired with chromium, and start generating air mana.
I can just barely make out the moving dots that must be the enemies. I have to keep going, up to seventy percent air, three and a half units of mana, before I can finally pick them out individually. They're just arriving at the other side of the field, the line of the horizon behind them, broken up and bumpy due to the hills. "The enemies are here," I alert them, as they continue summoning.
Then I turn back, going up to Effy. Our eyes meet, then I glance to the other rail units, before asking, "3F, can you use Lilia again?" I give just a bit of emphasis, to let her know we shouldn't use our names in front of the others.
"1A," she responds, clearly catching on despite her lifeless tone, "understood." Then she steps up to me and says, "Metallica." Huh? "Lilia, Lilia." The book flips open and just like earlier, she combines them in its pages. Glancing to her gear, I see the mana listed plummeting too fast to read. Then she says, "Lilia," one last time, drawing the spell from the pages.
Her hand glows as she crouches, pressing it to my chest, and I can feel the surge of power wash over me like nothing before, incomparable to the last battle, even when both of them used it. With the rush, comes a much more subtle trickle of emotion. She's definitely pleased with herself for coming up with this.
I blink a few times, getting adjusted to the new feelings, and look down at the little pink star floating just off my chest. It's different than I remember. Instead of the outline of a star, there's a second, filled in star inside now. My hand comes up automatically, but passes straight through it. Huh, I guess Lilia isn't a physical thing...
Looking up again, I meet Effy's gaze as she stands, the smallest bit of a nod passing between us. She's shaking a little, her fingers moving nervously, so I try to calm myself down more, since she isn't used to feeling like this. That definitely helps, and she lets out a shallow breath, before turning her attention to the enemies on the other side of the field.
I do too, walking just past her and reporting, "They're getting set up." Even they should be able to tell, it's impossible to miss the blinding glow brighter than the sun from all of those rail units using their divine gears.
"We don't know how they'll move this time," Effy says, to all of us this time.
"You have a lot of mana," 4I points out to Effy, and I turn to check her gear. Even after combining and summoning a number of powerful arms, she still has forty eight thousand. "They should focus their attacks on you."
I keep myself from wincing, I hadn't thought that through. By giving Effy so much mana, I made her the biggest target here instead of me...
"That's fine, if the enemies focus on me, our formation should work correctly," she responds.
"Understood." The others turn forward again, waiting for the enemies to come.
Then she looks back to me. "Do you think they'll attack from long range like last time?"
"No, I don't think so." To explain my reasoning, I say, "I can see better now. They aren't summoning long range weapons."
"You can see that far?" asks 2K. All of the rail units except Effy are squinting into the distance as it asks.
"Yes. I have the best sight, I will be the spotter," I tell them. If not for their lack of emotions, I'd swear they're surprised by my answer.
"So we should prepare to defend against enemies coming into close range," Effy concludes, "Catherine." She summons the sword and tosses it to me like last time. It feels lighter, the increased effects of Lilia are amazing...
I shift the sword in my hand a little, eyes going to the empowering reddish glow of Aura hovering like flames around the other rail units' shoulders. I wonder how much Catherine strengthens them in comparison?
At the next tick of my gear, I turn my attention back to the sword. I can feel its presence weakening in my grip. Since I actually have my mana freed up for use this time, I send a bit to fill it back up. As I watch the enemies approach from across the field, the flanks of our formation spreading out to catch them from both sides, I count out the mana the sword uses. Only one mana every three ticks, that's not too bad.
I shake myself a little, I have to focus. No matter how anxious the approaching enemies make me, I have to devote all of my attention to them now... I keep taking slow breaths, ignoring the cold sweat breaking out over my skin and the hammering of my heart, and stare forward.
They're dressed the same way as I noticed in the forest, in odd, form fitting clothing, though I can't tell the color with everything washed out in the glow of their divine gears.
"They mostly have long weapons," I tell the others, "Ton in the front, mostly." I point out the bladed spear, a pretty standard divine armament, basically just a larger and more effective spear than the kind the guards use, with a long spear head in a bladed shape that can be used for slashing and thrusting.
"I count about one hundred," I note, their entire force moving straight toward us, their spears still held at rest, though they'll surely level them them when they get closer, to hit us with their charge. They'll try to crush us in one move, taking out Effy, the biggest threat, before she can make use of all the mana she's holding. Just like they taught us.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
It will be up to us to avoid or defend, surviving the initial assault while our allies hit them from the back and sides. I tighten my grip on my sword and swallow nervously.
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When the enemy force makes it about halfway across the battlefield, Effy summons a number of shields around us, just in case they launch a few attacks before closing in. The partially transparent, purple colored shields float between us and the enemies, a solid, pulsing star in the center of each. They make it a little harder to see, warping how things look on the other side slightly, so I walk up close behind a shield. It's solid to the touch, and perfectly smooth. It actually feels a bit like the divine gear. I peek around the edge to get a better look at the enemies while staying in cover.
Effy doesn't say anything to me, but she stacks a couple extra shields in front of the one I'm standing behind, and I hide a smile.
"Besides the front, there are a number of enemies with axe and sword type armaments," I explain, looking back. "Hael... Fraga... Zal..." I slowly call them out as I manage to identify different weapons. For the most part, they're all the normal weapons we were told to expect. I don't spot any of the enemies using the significantly more dangerous ones like Rostoros or Arcane, like Effy told me about.
They're coming close, and everyone is readying themselves, a number of shields and other weapons in the hands of the rail units with us, and I retreat to stand behind Effy. I shift my mana composition, less air, more lightning, fire, water-
What is that? I rapidly convert more mana to water, and I pick it up better. One of the enemies is saying something, shouting loudly enough for their forces to hear, but I can just pick it up at this distance, over the crash of their feet on the rocky ground and the clanking of their weapons.
"Four, three, two," they're counting down? To what?
"Th-they're-" I start, but I'm too late.
"One!" Then I hear all of them call at once.
"Lica!" They all call, and I repeat it for the others to hear, even as my mind spins, not understanding.
Because Lica is just an armament to defend against negative effects like being stunned or weakened. Why would they-
"Herata!" The same loud voice shouts, and in the next instant, a huge cloud of smog spreads from the center of the enemy formation, extending out further and further.
"Herata!" I gasp, already starting to flee. The others lurch, moving to follow, and before I know it, Effy scoops me up in her arms, sprinting as the darkness chases after us.
I can't believe they would use that! The smog of chaos causes everyone it touches to lose their senses. They won't be able to see or hear properly, think rationally, tell allies apart from enemies... If it touches us, we'll basically lose our minds! Why did they do that? Using it in the center of their own formation is insane!
Thankfully, there was still some distance between us when they used it, and it reaches the end of its range quickly. Stopping at our heels, it's like the smog hits an invisible barrier, curling upward as it finishes filling what looks like a pitch black dome. Effy drops me on my feet and I stagger just a little as she spins back, rapidly summoning shields between us and the edge of the black mist, like she expects the enemies to rush us any moment.
Which... they might! That's why they used Lica! I shift behind her again, all the other rail units forming up in front. With Lica reducing the effect, they might keep enough of their sense to use the mist as cover instead of it disabling them. We won't be able to see them coming at all!
"Back!" Effy commands, and we all continue retreating, carefully maintaining our formation. I immediately generate a ton of water mana to listen for their approach, especially worried if they try to move invisibly again. But I don't hear anyone coming. Herata doesn't mask sound too, does it?
Just as I mention that to Effy, there's another new surprise. Loud explosions and the clash of metal ring out, coming from the right flank.
We all turn as one, seeing the enemy breaking out of the black smog, practically on top of the right flank. They look pretty disoriented at first, but quickly shake it off, before streaking forward to crash into our allies. It seems like they'll hold, until more and more enemies start pouring out, and a single look at our left flank shows they have no idea what's happening, the massive cloud of darkness is completely blocking their view.
Over by Hilde, a handler curses. "Shit, what are they up to...?"
Turning to Effy, I point, but she's already running. "Reinforce the right!" At her command, we all rush toward the right. We've barely crossed any of the distance before I start to fall behind, even as I convert my mana. I'm bounding in huge strides thanks to the increasing earth mana, but I just can't keep up with adult rail units at my size.
Effy starts to slow down when she sees I'm falling behind, but I try to wave her off. The enemies are going after our allies this time, not us. Why are they ignoring her when she's such a huge, dangerous target?
Then my eyes flick past her, and I twist on instinct. It helps, but it's not nearly enough. Arrows tear through my side and leg, like fire ripping holes right through me. I gasp out in pain, but I can't breathe right. I saved my heart, where I'm sure one was headed, but it must have gotten my lung. I stumble, nearly losing my feet and going down into the sharp stones as I try to fight through the pain. I can feel my blood flowing from the wounds, especially the big hole in my left thigh that makes it hard to even put weight on my leg.
Still, this is nowhere near as bad as last time. The injuries are bad, but I'm still standing. Effy's strengthened Lilia is incredible!
"Aria!" Effy gasps, digging her feet in to stop and rush back to help.
But my eyes are still focused past her. Despite my vision starting to go dark at the edges, my mixed up mana still has enough air for me to see every detail, like time is standing still.
An enemy in that form fitting uniform of theirs, right near the edge of the dark dome. A tall male rail unit with short blond hair and thick, bulging muscles like a blacksmith, blank and expressionless as it levels its bow on Effy while she's distracted. That rail unit, it doesn't look fifteen years old, it looks older...
It's already drawn, the glowing arrow of light formed on the string of its bow. I can only recognize that before it releases, its aim centered directly on Effy's head, with more arrows splitting off from the first as it flies.
I don't have time to speak, or even to think. I'm already moving. I can't put any weight on my left leg, so I leap off my right with everything I have, right past Effy, into the path of the arrows.
Without a thought, I do the only thing I can. I use the special fire mana. Flinging my right hand out, I throw mana just as the first arrow arrives in front of my face.
Fwoom!
The instant I release the fire, it explodes outward in a massive wave from my palm. I barely even see it wipe away the arrows, shattering them into sparks of scattering light, before the wave of heat exploding outward floods back over me too, and I have to flinch away, shielding my face. I stumble a step back from the continuously rolling, violently expanding flames, my entire arm and chest feeling like they're on fire.
"Aria!" Effy calls again, just a short gasp as she arrives at my side. I start to turn toward her, before my instincts kick in. Again, I barely turn to avoid a lethal hit. The larger, heavier arrow cuts through, scattering the flames and tearing right into my cheek first, then the second skims the side of my head as I flinch away from the pain. There's a snap, and I feel my hair fall free.
"Urgh!" I go down, everything burning, my own blood splattering into one of my eyes so I can hardly see. My sword clatters away noisily as it slips from my grasp.
"Sval! Multi!" I barely recognize Effy's pained grunt as she flings a wall of shields all around us, more arrows crashing against the defensive spells, shattering one shield after another. "Firolia!" with a shout, she throws out a massive swarm of tiny, fiery lights, bombarding the entire area around the shooter and forcing it to retreat, definitely injured. Then her attention is on me again. "Calad." As soon as she summons the healing staff, I feel my numerous wounds closing.
Just as I'm starting to recover, Hilde hears one of the handlers speak up again. "Look there, are they attacking the right flank?"
"I can't tell," another comments worriedly. "If they are, the left flank can't see, and that spell will delay them helping."
Then I think I can move enough, and my lung isn't collapsing every time I try to draw breath. I'm panting and feel sick and everything hurts, but I'm not bleeding out anymore. So, I push myself up to sit and let the handlers' conversation fall to the back of my mind again.
Effy's shields are still in place, and I don't hear any more attacks landing against them. The other six rail units that were with us are gone, they probably didn't notice us getting stopped by that sneak attack. "Thanks, Effy," I say, but then I look and see her. "You're hurt!"
With wide eyes, I look her up and down. There are at least four or five spots, bleeding freely, her robes soaking through, staining deep red.
"I'm fine," she says, "the damage isn't too bad."
"You should still heal yourself! I'm fine already!"
She hesitates, still keeping the healing staff leveled at me a moment longer, before taking my advice. Holding it up to herself, she pauses briefly, waiting for her own wounds to close.
While waiting, I keep an eye out for enemies and think back to the handlers conversation, Hilde filling me in on the bits I missed.
"How would they even get out of that smog? It should basically disable their forces," one said.
"It looked like they used some other arm first. What if it was Lica? They could have made it through like that," another responded.
Then they went quiet for a bit, until the first man speaks up again right now. "Fine, call them back. I don't like the look of this."
"Ok." Then one of the handlers draws something from inside his dark robes, and Hilde stares down closely. It's a little box with a hinge, that he opens up to reveal a couple small stones that look a lot like manastones. Is that the whistle? How does it work? While I'm watching Effy heal her wounds and eyeing our surroundings, he simply shifts the two little stones so they touch, and I hear the whistle instantly, immediately aware of it coming from that exact spot. The sound didn't have any travel time?
Ignoring it, I look up at Effy and say, "Retreat." We both nod to each other. Then she dismisses her healing staff. When I go to move, my leg throbs. Like I thought, the wound is closed, but that's about it. Without a word, Effy can feel it, so she picks me up in her arms and runs away from the battle. I keep an eye out behind her, just in case anyone tries to take another shot at us, but nothing happens this time, and we quickly run south.
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We get back to the big rock with my piles of bandages, and Effy sets me down. It's only then that I realize I dropped my basket. Probably when I got shot. Shaking it off, I grab the bandages and just wrap them around my arm, chest, and abdomen. More go around my leg, over the big injury punched through my thigh. Effy healed the worst of it all, but I still have some really bad burns all down the entire right side of my body from using the fire like that.
I frown down at the rocky ground. I used up the special fire mana that I made out of that hobin. It saved Effy's life, but... I mean, I should be happy. I basically traded the life of a hobin for the life of a... a rail unit...
But I care about Effy! I definitely care about her life more! Even if I know I shouldn't...
"Mmm..." I grumble, trying to turn my thoughts away from that topic.
I still hurt everywhere, it's going to take some time to heal. But overall, it's nowhere near as bad as last time, since the enemies focused their attacks elsewhere. Besides that... I touch the back of my head, finding a chunk of the hair around the left side missing. It's hard to say how noticeable it is with all the rest of my hair so long, but I don't like it. I really like my hair... For now, I just tell myself that it'll grow back.
Since that arrow clipped my bun and knocked it all loose, it's all hanging around me again, but I don't really want to fight to put it back up again right now when moving like that makes me throb all over, so I ignore it and go over to Effy. "So, what now?" I ask. "I guess we just go back to town?"
"Yeah, the handlers will pick us up along the way."
"Ehh..." I don't want to go back there with them. "I guess I'll leave first."
"Huh?" she looks faintly confused by my response, so I explain.
"I hate the program, I'm not going back there for anything but the battles. So I'll leave before the others get here."
"Oh, ok." Effy responds, though I'm still not sure if she understands. "I'll talk to you later then."
"Yeah, talk to you later, Effy." With that, I finish tying on the last of the bandages. Then I go to leave, but stop. I turn back around, and give Effy a hug. "Thank you for protecting me."
"Thank you for protecting me too, Aria." She shows a small, warm smile. That's right, I did. I was able to save Effy... I nod strongly back, before breaking apart to leave.
Looking one way, the handlers are making their way down from the mountainside cliff they used to watch the battle, so they can't see me right now. The other way, the rail units are working on retreating from the losing battle and getting back over here. So, I generate more colored mana, and run west, toward the mountains. Avara heads up to meet me, while Hilde continues keeping an eye on the handlers.
Running hurts a lot. My lungs burn despite the lightning mana and the pain from my leg stabs out worse every time I put weight on it, but I do my best to get far, far away from the rail units' meeting spot so I don't have to see the handlers any more than absolutely necessary.
Despite my best efforts, I still end up hobbling painfully by the time I make it over near the mountains and meet Avara. I practically fall into her, immediately snuggling her fur with relief.
"Oh wow, you really are soft," I mumble into her side.
"Come on, let's get back," she replies gently, somewhere between happy and worried. "You need to get those injuries checked."
"Yeah," I agree. Running like that despite my injuries really didn't help. My chest feels like it's on fire...
"Here, climb on," she lowers herself down into a crouch, leaning way over onto one side so I can get on her back easily. It's a surprise, how big she is. She seemed so small compared to Myra, but she's more than half my height, and way longer than I am tall. Once I'm up on her back, she begins to head south, avoiding the handlers leaving the mountains with Hilde's help.
I need to hold on so her quick strides don't slide me off, but otherwise it's a pretty smooth trip, which my aching body really thanks her for. Even after Effy's healing, I'm starting to feel tired and dizzy, and weak from blood loss too, now that the rush of battle is wearing off.
Just have to get back to town. I've made it through another battle.
I actually survived this time...