"Where's the medical squadron?" Freon shouted to the nearby soldiers.
During the time Benedict and Shirley fought, he had successfully evacuated the five Ten Dawns to a safe location in the rear lines while double-casting his magic to the frontlines. His performance might have been less dazzling than the Ten Dawns with their large-scale tactical spells, but it was no less impressive. Double-casting meant he had grasped a pinnacle skill that very few Arcanists could, placing him thoroughly at the top of the magic world. Honestly, they were more inclined to believe he was a Condensed Drop Arcanist hiding in plain sight. That would have been more believable than double-casting before Condensed Drop, at least!
Freon ignored their inquisitive gazes and assessed their injuries. They were moderate from being bucked off their horses, suffering various fractures or broken bones, but nothing too serious. Considering the situation, they could count themselves lucky for having survived at all. Still, asking for medical assistance in this battlefield right now might be a lost cause. There were far more urgent cases that required their attention than this. Freon weighed his options and took out his wand. Although he had practiced this spell before, this was his first time using it for real. A Magic Circle was swiftly constructed for the spell Verdant Apathy. Green fire burst forth from his wand and engulfed Ten Dawn Runenda. The woman was quite literally wreathed in flames!
Her companions consequently grew furious. They figured he would not harm them, but an unknown spell carried risks. It was not something that should be casually cast on someone. However, Ten Dawn Runenda stopped them as her eyes sparkled. The woman was true to her name, being the foremost expert in spells and runes in the Zino Kingdom. Her position was thus the 'Grand Archiver of all Runes'. She had memorized practically every spell imaginable, yet she had not seen this one. She was curious what this young man, capable of double-casting without being a Condensed Drop, could do. And contrary to belief, the green fire did not burn nor feel hot. It was more of a warm gentle embrace instead, one that soothed the soul and relaxed the body. It felt incredibly comfortable to be in. The woman was then pleasantly surprised to see her body absorb the fire. Her wounds did not close or heal, but the discomfort and pain disappeared almost entirely! As it turns out, Verdant Apathy was an elegant little spell that dulled the senses. The wonders it could work on a battlefield were limitless!
"I didn't heal your wounds, so please refrain from moving carelessly," he warned.
"Thank you, that's enough. I can heal myself," Ten Dawn Runenda replied.
She figured that was the reason he had helped her first, so she could use her own methods to help everyone else. The bracelets on her wrist twinkled and instantly projected a massive Magic Circle on the ground underneath them. Light wisps rose from the circle like snowfall in reverse and adhered to the Ten Dawns. Their bleeding rapidly ceased as their natural healing factor multiplied. True to her name, she was a walking encyclopedia of spells! She had something for almost every situation.
Benedict and Shirley joined them shortly afterward, stunning the Ten Dawns. They could not see the battle from here, so they naturally assumed that these two fell. After all, they were fighting against the combined might of hundreds, if not thousands, of Perception Realms simultaneously! It was the greatest concentration of combat strength anywhere in the human world today! Even with Elizabeth and Freon's support, there was a limit to what a human could do. To delay the council's advance, much less survive their attack, seemed like an impossible feat… and yet, they succeeded. Everyone was equally rendered speechless and stupefied. The Ten Dawns who participated in the Battle of Liguang were less surprised, since they had seen firsthand how strong Elizabeth's friends could be, but their current performance was ridiculous. It was like they became entirely different people! Their growth was absurd! As for Ten Dawn Runenda and Lorth, this was the first time they had seen what Elizabeth and her friends could do… Only one word sprung to mind: monsters!
"How'd you find us so quickly?" Freon wondered.
"It's nothing my Mock Perception can't figure out," Shirley bragged a little.
"I'm still not proficient enough with my Bloodline Ability," Benedict sighed.
Across his body were very faint and minor cuts and bruises. His Bloodline Ability, Rain Weaver Arc, relied heavily on his Martial Energy's control and dexterity to fully utilize. Ordinarily, it was not something that a Fundamental Realm Master could handle. Freon once stated that a Condensed Drop Core was the minimum requirement to use his Bloodline Ability. The same applied to Martial Bloodlines with Perception Realm being the equivalent requirement. This was clear from the battle. It took a huge amount of effort, concentration, and energy to synthesize a single thread that shattered under the first flying strike… Repelling a low-level technique was the most he could do now. Any stronger, and he would not escape unscathed.
"It's the same with me," Shirley said.
Echo Image might be a powerful Bloodline Ability, except it came with too many drawbacks. For one, the attack needed to be performed in front of her for her to copy it. She could not draw from memory. Of course, she could mimic it in the traditional sense without her Bloodline Ability, but it would yield a flawed imitation. Furthermore, Echo Image demanded a heavy cost in Martial Energy and concentration which when combined with the copied technique's cost resulted in an even heavier cost. This meant that it was more prudent to use it on stronger techniques than weaker ones. The problem with the previous battle was that her enemies used exclusively weak techniques… Using quantity over quality was one way to best her Bloodline Ability! The two mulled over the battle in their heads and unbeknownst to them, the Ten Dawns only grew more curious.
"Who are you three exactly?" Ten Dawn Lorth asked. He had never seen or heard of them before, but they seemed to easily match the Ten Dawns or the Royal Guards in power… No, probably, even greater than that. Not to mention, they were incredibly young. Their current power was only outmatched by their monstrous growth rate and potential. How strong would they be after five years? Or ten years? He dreaded to imagine. They might really stand at the apex of this world one day!
"I'm not sure how I should respond to that…" Shirley felt embarrassed. "My name is Shirley Adonina. You can call me Shirley."
"Sir Benedict Hawken."
"Oh, you're a descendent of the famous Hawken Household!"
"No, I'm…" He hid his shame and explained, "I'm only a Hawken in name now."
"And you?" Ten Dawn Lorth asked Freon. To be honest, he was the most curious about this young man who could double-cast.
"Freon Adnire."
"So, you're Ten Dawn Nassandra's older brother! No wonder, no wonder. That makes sense." That short affirmation was enough to leave Freon smiling from ear to ear.
"We don't have any time to waste here. We should stabilize the situation as soon as possible!" Ten Dawn Yvonne shouted, pushing her injured body off the ground.
"Thank you for your assistance, Freon, Shirley, and Benedict. Please notify General Petra and Her Highness that we intend to use our spells again and that we'll need the area vacated," Ten Dawn Rosemary added.
"I can keep healing us while we're moving," Ten Dawn Runenda said. "We should hurry."
"…Understood. Please take care of yourselves. We wish you good luck."
Back on the cliffside, Elizabeth collapsed in a puddle of her own exhaustion. Double-casting that many spells in succession exacted a heavy toll on her body, mind, spirit, and Core. She felt as though she had sprinted for hours on end! It was a miracle that she could do what she did at this range and accurately too. Although Sir Winstin stayed by her side this entire time, he never could have imagined thar she would come this far. Even he would feel helpless facing the unrelenting assault of her attacks from that far away. She had grown powerful! Elizabeth spent the remainder of her time regaining her breath and wrapped up when her friends arrived. While she confirmed their safety with her Far Sight spell, seeing them up close gave her additional relief.