Nadeline dropped her hands onto her knees, the remnants of her magicks slowly fading. All of Savayna's physical injuries had been healed, so at the very least the general wouldn't be in pain when she would awaken. Nadeline herself wasn't exactly in top form either, her magicks completely depleted at this point. Rest would be best, but as time went on, she actually found herself getting slightly antsy. Staying behind and tending to the wounded was one thing, but being away from the conflict was a foreign feeling. She looked towards the direction Jaakuna had headed off to and let out a sigh. Nothing too out of the ordinary had changed, as she was certain Ultima would have informed her by now, but sitting here and doing nothing was killing her.

Before she could contemplate the possibility of trying to find out what was happening, she felt another precense nearby. Her legs protested as she forced herself to stand, gripping her rapier as she looked around. Hearing a pair of footsteps behind her, Nadeline turned her head and spotted the brown haired girl that she had seen with Shion before--Ren was her name, if she recalled correctly.

"[color=lime]High...[/color][color=blue]Seraph...[/color]" Her voice was slightly distorted as she spoke, an all-too familiar darkness permeating around her.

Of course an enemy would appear with her weakened state and an unconscious Savayna behind her. The tip of her rapier touched the ground, a quiet barrier forming around the general, and Nadeline raised her weapon upwards. "[color=lightsalmon]Possessed by the Creature, are we?[/color]" She identified the source of darkness rather easily--there was no way she could forget its foulness after their encounter in Dalmasca--and readied herself.

[color=lemonchiffon][I]Cleansing Mateus' chosen took a majority of your Mist reserves,[/I][/color] Ultima chided her. 

Well, Nadeline wasn't going to just sit there when a threat was clearly right in front of her, though she had no time to retort as Ren raised her arms, dozens of vines springing from the ground. Nadeline jumped back, though she was glad her barrier protected Savayna. As the vines closed in on her, she placed two fingers on her rapier, flames following her touch. "[color=lightsalmon][I]Firaja[/I]![/color]" She called, whipping her spell out. The fire collided with the vines, burning a majority of them to a crisp. Without waiting for Ren's next move, Nadeline dashed forward, although she skidded to a halt as she could sense the clash of magicks happening. It was Jaakuna, and...the Creature?!

The distraction only served to impede her as Ren reached her first, swooping her leg up and kicking Nadeline. All of her air was involuntarily taken out of her, though Ren sent her crashing into the wall closest to them. Once she slid onto the floor, Nadeline could hear Ren chuckling darkly. Hmph, cocky little thing, wasn't she? But Ren had the advantage here, and as she summoned her vines again, Nadeline would stab her rapier into the ground. "[color=lightsalmon][I]Blizzaja[/I]![/color]" She called, several icicles shooting up around her. Pushing the spell further, the ice managed to form a small wall, protecting her as Ren's vines bounced off uselessly. A solid defense, though she was temporarily trapped. It was a blessing in disguise, though, as she found blood lightly running down her left arm. Ouch, Ren managed to get her after all.

[hr]

Jaakuna was rather confident in himself, and Emiri actually found herself smiling. There was that old confidence back again. She nodded in affirmation, taking a few steps back as the Mist would gather around him once more. The resulting clash between Jaakuna and Rio nearly knocked her off her feet, the brunette raising an arm to shield herself. The very foundation of the library shook beneath their feet, though as she watched, it seemed Jaakuna definitely had a point: Rio was certainly affected by Jaakuna's attacks. The man never flinched once, though she spotted several burns from near-misses. Of course, none of that seemed to deter Rio, if anything it seemed to make him push himself further.

Grant let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. Shion's light had thrown Jaakuna on another level entirely, and his skills helped him match Rio blow-for-blow. Rio was more experienced, obvious by the way he moved and would strike, but in terms of raw power, it was clear that Jaakuna had the advantage. At this rate, the rest would probably be more of a hindrance than help. When the thought crossed his mind, he could feel a separate darkness a distance away from them, and he looked towards the hole where Jaakuna had barged through. It was only now that it occurred to him that neither Savayna nor Nadeline were anywhere to be seen, the two having accompanied Jaakuna previously. 

Already knowing that Wesley had likely sensed the same thing, Zeromus would manifest and Grant would hop on its back. "[color=darkorchid]Let's hurry, then, that feeling is never a good one,[/color]" He told Wesley.