There was just one problem with her plan: it required coordination with Pellen. Coordination Cass did not have the freedom to arrange.

If she could just pull away from the swordswoman long enough, maybe she could. But Fioreya’s swordswoman was relentless. Cass ducked under another sweeping blade, the air screaming to get out of its way over her head.

There was no way to disengage.

If she knew what spell Pellen was preparing, maybe she could take advantage of a summoned shield to dart away and explain what she needed.

But Pellen’s tome was enormous. She could be casting anything. A barrier. A binding. A stone-melting explosion. It could be something new. It could be a remix of something old. And, since Cass didn’t know any chants, there was no way to know.

Well, Cass could ask, but the only way for Pellen to answer while chanting would be to cancel their chant, explain, and start over.

Cass could shout a command for the spell she wanted next, but then everyone would know what was coming.

Maybe she could send Salos? It would leave the archer free for the time it took him to pass Cass’s message along, but maybe that would be alright? Maybe if Cass timed it with Pellen’s barrier spell?

But that brought her back to the beginning. If she just knew what Pellen was casting…

Her heart twisted. Would another mage recognize Pellen’s chant? Would she know if she were a wizard with all the training it involved instead of this strange hybrid spellblade fueled by System Skills?

If Cass had been born to this world, would she have studied magic like Pellen? Cass’s vision swam. She could see another life. Days spent studying by candlelight over dusty tomes and worn scrolls. Teachers and classrooms in towers overlooking this world of floating stone. Assignments procrastinated until the last minute then rushed over the finish line. Ill-advised all-nighters and cram sessions. Circles drawn in chalk and arcane words echoing through her ears. The satisfaction of mastery over a subject so fundamental to the universe in which she lived.

Concept Applied: [Liminality - Mana Sense

Through careful observation of the forces of unspooled potential, you have come to see it in all its glory. In another life, perhaps, you may have devoted yourself to understanding these forces.

Intuitively sense the position, type, and movement of mana.

Modified by Per. Modified by understanding of what is being sensed.

Association with the Concept of Liminality allows one to use their highest leveled skill as this skill’s level for the purposes of parsing the nature of observed mana.]

Mana Sense flared into full effect, the colors of the combatant’s auras overwhelming Cass’s sight. The swordswoman radiated an angry orange, buzzing like bees. Alyx’s burned around her, shining the color of sunlight through amber, clashing with Fioreya’s crimson, the same color as her armor.

And Pellen shone. Her mana pulsed through the room, filling it with a deep, midnight blue. But it glowed brightest from her tome, held open before her, shining like a golden sun in her hands.

That sun sharpened into circles of runes and symbols. Most of them still meant nothing to Cass.

But a few of them, Mana Sense read to her. Or was Cass reading them like they were simple English?

The swordswoman’s blade—narrowly missing Cass’s arm as she instinctively Dodged out of the way—reminded Cass she didn’t have time to unravel the mechanisms by which her brain understood the new information her skills were giving her.

This was what she needed. She could figure out the details later.

She read Pellen’s spell while ducking under the swordsman’s next strike.

[Unknown Ranged Barrier

Estimated time to completion: 3 seconds]

Perfect. That could protect them from the archer.

Salos, in three seconds, I need you to run over to Pellen and tell her to use a spell on Fioreya. Cass told him the spell. Then as quickly as possible, tell Alyx to run for the stairs on my command.

That is ill-advised. I am the only reason that man has not shot one of you, Salos said.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

It’ll be okay, Cass promised as she wove around another of the swordsman’s swings. Just make sure you get the timing right.

“Stop dodging!” the swordswoman growled.

“Stop trying to cut me and sure!” Cass yelled back. Now, Salos!

He was already in motion, darting across the room. The archer took the opportunity. In a flash, his bow was up and arrows launched after Salos and at Pellen.

Simultaneously, Pellen finished her chant. A barrier of force appeared between Salos and the first of the archer’s arrows. It struck, the barrier flashing red for a moment before disappearing and reappearing between Pellen and the next arrow. Again, the arrow struck and again the barrier flashed.

Salos had barely alighted on Pellen’s shoulder before he was gone again, slipping into a shadow.

Pellen’s barrier appeared before another of the archer’s arrows as Salos emerged from the shadows on Alyx’s shoulder. He didn’t linger with Alyx any longer, leaping at Fioreya’s face after barely a fraction of a second.

You told them properly, right? Cass poked him.

Time is of the essence, is it not? He twisted around Fioreya’s arm, his claws racking across her face as he flew past and into the shadows.

Pellen began her next chant, the mana around her book shifting to a steely grey, while her free hand still directed her summoned shield.

[Everholding Bands (fourth edition)

Estimated time to completion: 5 seconds]

Five seconds. That was how much longer they needed to survive, then they’d win.

The swordswoman swiped across at Cass. She dodged right, but not fast enough. A blue barrier appeared between Cass and the blade.

The barrier shattered, but not before Cass got the rest of the way out of the blade’s path.

The swordswoman’s eyes flicked toward Pellen, a simple calculation running in them. Not good.

Salos, I need Fairy Fire, Cass yelled.

Why? he asked, even as her body erupted in magenta flames.

“Rethinking fighting me? Tired of missing? Maybe I should zip over to your archer while you’re distracted,” Cass taunted, more to keep her attention than because she thought it would be effective. She was relying entirely on Fairy Fire for that.

Sure enough, the swordswoman’s eyes reflected the magenta of the Fairy Fire. She growled and swung her sword through Cass with a ferocity that Cass hadn’t expected.

It clipped her shoulder as Cass scrambled out of the way. Cass’s vision inverted as Liminal Dodge engaged.

Stamina: 23/129

[Estimated time to completion: 3 seconds.]

Just a little longer.

The swordswoman didn’t expect Cass to be uninjured from the attack and wasn’t quick enough to recover from the violent chop. Cass took the opening and stabbed the swordswoman’s shoulder. Tempest Blade rammed into the woman’s armor, but if it hurt the woman, she didn’t show it.

[Estimated time to completion: 2 seconds.]

The archer drew back his bow, the arrow pointed at Cass.

The swordswoman chopped at Cass again.

[Estimated time to completion: 1 second.]

Salos lunged from a shadow, his claws raking up the archer’s exposed side. He screamed as his arrow released wide.

Cass dodged the swordswoman’s blade and sidestepped the ill-aimed arrow. She inhaled and shouted, “Alyx now!”

Alyx stepped back. Marco stepped forward, his shield flaring black as it expanded in front of them.

Pellen shouted the critical word of her Chant. Glowing white bands sprang up around Fioreya’s body. They pinned her arms to her sides and forced her to her knees.

Alyx turned and ran for the doors.

Fioreya strained against the bindings, her eyes burning as she watched Alyx run. “Coward!”

Salos’s claws found the backs of Fioreya’s knees, where her armor was thinner. They came away with blood.

Go with Alyx, Cass commanded. Let me know when she’s got her blessing.

I’d rather stay with you, Salos said, but fine. Be careful.

The archer and the swordsman both stopped at their master’s shout, the purple fading from their eyes. Those eyes flicked from Cass to Pellen.

The archer drew back. The swordswoman charged forward.

Pellen staggered on her feet, her hand outstretched, pointing at Fioreya, all her eyes on the noblewoman. The eyes around the edges of her face flickered closed. The mana glowing around her faded with every second.

Marco appeared in front of Pellen, his shield blocking the arrow flying for her face. He slammed the flat of his sword against his shield, both bursting with a crimson light. The swordswoman faltered, her steps stumbling to a stop.

Alyx reached the doors just as Salos leapt onto her shoulder. She pushed them open and revealed the stairs leading down.

“Get back here!” Fioreya yelled, her Bands flexing against her struggles. “Fight me! You coward!”

Alyx didn’t look back, sprinting down the stairs.

Fioreya shouted again. A wordless battle cry. Her body sparked with electricity.

Pellen fell. She caught herself on her knees, one hand still pointed at Fioreya. All of her shook.

The Fioreya’s swordswoman shook her head, shaking off whatever Marco had done to her. She raised her sword, ready to charge again.

The archer shot off another round of arrows. They struck Marco’s shield, each one resounded louder than the last.

Everyone was converging on the door.

There had to be more Cass could do.

More to give Alyx the lead she needed.

She had been counting on Pellen lasting longer, but that just wasn’t going to happen.

It was up to her and Marco against all of Fioreya’s team.

Stamina: 21/129

Focus: 57/441

Health: 25/114