Chapter 62: Little Room for Error
And that’s where the third and final outcome covers Crow’s bases. With his attack, Crow could determine Armaros’s general whereabouts and create a distraction because Armaros opted to use an ability to defend himself, not iris transference.
However, even if Armaros chose to defend himself with iris, Crow would have gathered a general idea of his whereabouts regardless, thanks to the daggers. Every dagger thrown was augmented with the faintest of auras, and each was clearly visible through the thick dust cloud because Crow was using a very weak form of orasi. The additional iris that Crow imbued into each dagger was crucial, as it served as both a distraction toward Armaros and a locator for Crow. If a dagger were to be deflected or driven off course by Armaros, Crow would immediately be alerted and aware of their sudden change in direction.
This means things couldn’t have panned out any better for Crow when Armaros used his broken mirror ability defensively.
Before this moment, Crow had little to no conceptual understanding of how this mirror ability worked, as he had only seen it briefly used beforehand. Although he had no direct visual on the ability this time, the knowledge he gained was invaluable. Additionally, as Crow had previously inferred, if Armaros could use his rift flow ability from anywhere, he would have undoubtedly utilized it just now, as it would have been far more effective in dodging the daggers and catching Crow.
But because Armaros was still mid-air, his rift ability was rendered useless, which hinted at the fact that he may be forced to rely on his second, more mysterious ability if placed in a dire situation. There was, of course, the possibility that Armaros may intercept this feeble attack and attempt to reel Crow toward him by pulling on the chains attached beneath the daggers. However, Crow left little room for error, as he and his clones had all fully released their grasp on the weaponry just after pitching their daggers straight up into the sky. It was just one tiny adjustment that Crow acted on without fully contemplating, but again, it gave him another slight advantage with no real consequences.
Now aware that this broken mirror can be used defensively, Crow grinned. The bits of iris he had sprinkled on one of his daggers had disappeared entirely, presumably swallowed up by Armaros’s ability. Armaros’s location has now been revealed, as well as another way this mirror can be applied in battle. Not only could it possibly act as a shield, but also a makeshift vacuum. What kept Crow sweating, though, was how this ability could be used offensively and to such a terrifying degree.
Transferring the minimal amount of iris that Crow had been putting toward using orasi into the soles of his feet, Crow’s pace sped up as he wondered how much longer he’d be trapped in the dust cloud he had created.
1C, update.
After a minor point-of-view adjustment in 1C’s panel, Crow determined that he was almost at the edge of the dust cloud and very close to leaving the forest. So once he escapes the dust cloud, he’d practically already be at the open field he’s been struggling to reach.
Head back now, 1C, and make sure the others are correctly stationed for repair.
Receiving his message, the crow promptly turned around and flew away. Bringing the index finger of his left hand to the side of his face, Crow presses a tiny, camouflaged button that’s blended into his skin tone, located just beside the outer rim of his robotic eye. A ‘click’ sounds as his robotic eye stirs briefly, before returning his vision to normal, the purple light at the eye's center not nearly as bright.
The mirror that Armaros had temporarily manifested to devour Crow’s attack had long passed. Continuing to observe Crow, his mind instinctively goes to work, attempting to fabricate a coherent plan with minimal risks and flaws. After a brief pause, Armaros makes his move, his body just a few seconds away from hitting the ground as he deactivates orasi.
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“Kathos,” mutters Armaros as another broken mirror spawns beneath him, this time with the broken side of the mirror facing toward him. With his ‘Liraz Realm’ still activated, Crow picks up on Armaros’s word, and his eyes immediately whip back around as he reactivates orasi. Unlike before, Crow gathers much more iris in his eyes, intending to use orasi at a greater strength as he slows back down, sacrificing his speed due to this sudden iris transference.
Completely unfamiliar with the term ‘kathos’, Crow’s eyes dart around as he can’t detect any prominent aura that would be emanating from Armaros's actual body. The only silver specks of iris he can identify are all closely grouped together in a thin, horizontal line… only a foot or so off the ground, lying parallel with it. Considering the overall shape of the iris particles grouped so close to one another, Crow can only infer that Armaros had once more activated his mirror ability.
Additionally, considering that Armaros’s unique iris has totally disappeared, Crow is forced to assume that Armaros can use his mirror as some sort of transporter or teleporter. Focusing back on navigating through the dust cloud, Crow transfers his iris back to his body. While his attack bought him some time, valuable time even, now… he could only wait… bracing himself with as much iris as possible for an incoming attack that may come from any direction.
“Dikai,” sharply voices Crow, the handle grips of his all-so-familiar daggers neatly configuring into his hands as a fresh pair is created.
After diving head-first into the mirror, Armaros vanishes. But this time, the mirror doesn’t disappear… it stays in the same spot. After only a few seconds, Armaros pops out of the mirror, rising high in the air, his hands clutching onto a new, distinct glass transfiguration. It takes Armaros a second or two to fully unveil his concoction as he hurriedly hauls it out of the mirror. The item in question is a long glass cane about fifteen feet long, with a sharp hook at one end.
After quickly shuffling his hands down to the tail end of the cane, he reels the item back over his head before casting it toward the nearest tree. The hook latches onto a branch, comfortably locking in place as Armaros grabs on tight, using the cane’s momentum to swing himself underneath the tree. The tips of his toes just barely miss the ground as he passes by the lowest point of his trajectory before quickly rising back into the air.
Just a second or two before Armaros is about to reach the highest point of his trajectory, he lets go of the cane, letting his upward momentum send him soaring through the air. Shortly afterward, the cane reached its peak before falling back toward where Armaros had just come from, its hook unlatching from the tree branch, sending it spinning around in a short drop before landing on the ground, deserted and left behind.
No longer needing the cane, Armaros channels his iris into his lower body. Focusing most of it into the soles of his shoes, Armaros prepares to land on a tree branch he’s flying directly towards. As he makes contact with the branch, Armaros crouches and lets the iris in his shoe act as a cushion, slowing down his momentum while he thrusts his right arm out. Channeling any spare iris he can into his arm as he wraps it around the trunk, the tree completely stops his momentum.
After a few seconds, Armaros establishes a stable footing and calms down his iris usage, wiping away the sweat on his forehead as he quickly breathes in and out. But before he can properly recover, Crow catches his attention as he dashes out from the dust cloud, his arms crossed in front of his tucked head.
Quickly realizing that he’s made it out, Crow drops his arms, frantically looking everywhere around himself. At the same time, he continues running, trying to locate Armaros as a layer of purple iris brims along the outer edge of his body and weaponry. The purple streaks on his mask vibrantly boast an alluring neon-tainted glow as Crow exits the outer perimeter of his realm, dashing straight into the open field. Quickly weaving in and out of various boulders riddled along the ground, Crow attempts to distance himself from Armaros as much as possible.
Now standing up on the branch, Armaros continues tracking his crafty opponent as he rests his right hand against the tree trunk to balance himself. He then carefully places the sole of his right foot on the trunk, his right knee bent out with his toes angled downward. After adjusting himself into a comfortable position, a silver gleam returns to his face, illuminating his eyes and scar.
“Rift flow…”
And with that, Armaros vanishes once more.