Shion nodded in response to Wesley's request, and as the pair headed towards their destination, Shion threw aside her sword as it faded away. She didn't seem fazed by the multitude of clashes from Jaakuna and Rio, although she would stumble slightly. To her surprise, Emiri caught her arm, helping her stand again. It seemed to have been on instinct, as Emiri couldn't tear her gaze away from the fight. Despite her earlier claims, she truly hated how helpless she felt at the moment, clenching her fists tightly. Shion seemed to catch on, though she chose not to comment on it.

On the other hand, Rio was pleasantly delighted at just how far Jaakuna had come. Matching him blow for blow was quite the accomplishment, though he would surprise him by asking why he was enjoying himself. Was he now? The thrill of battle always gave him a rush, so he genuinely hadn't noticed. The Prodigal Son had an abundance of strength, offering Rio a challenge he didn't know he was craving. It was a nice thought, his blue eyes sparkling as they looked at Jaakuna's green ones. "[color=dodgerblue]It's been some time since I've been able to let go,[/color]" He admitted, smirking to himself. "[color=dodgerblue]Even your little girlfriend didn't give me as much of a challenge as I would have hoped. It's not her fault--her time manipulation is something I figured out a while back. She's skilled, but weak. With a little more time, maybe...[/color]" He trailed off for a moment, a thought occurring to him, though he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, as if laughing at a joke. "[color=dodgerblue]I digress, I'm rambling--though I won't deny if, I'm having the time of my life right now![/color]"

As he swung, more power was in it, and as the two clashed, an eruption of mist flew past them. Shion's eyes widened, and she pulled Emiri out of the way as the mist collided into the wall behind them. "[color=deepskyblue]They really will destroy everything at this rate...[/color]" She couldn't help but mutter, displeased.

"[color=springgreen]No, it'll be fine,[/color]" Emiri reassured her. "[color=springgreen]It sounds weird, but Rio's putting a lot of effort...Jaakuna will win.[/color]"

[hr]

The vines struck against Nadeline's makeshift ice pillars, making every attempt possible to get through to her. As she sent a cure over her wound, her body felt heavy. Running on fumes, was she? How she wished Savayna was active, but after the little stunt with the Zodiac Spear, she had no idea when the ice general would awaken. If only she had experience with spears, perhaps it could aid her! No, that was a desperate move, as she was in no condition for a physical fight. Her fingers rapped against the ground as she remained seated, ignoring her oncoming fatigue. Fumbling through her bag, she was ecstatic to find an Ether. As she brought the bottle to her lips, however, a terrible cracking sound caught her attention. The ice was too thick to see through, but a very thin crack had begun to form.

Scoffing slightly, Nadeline downed the Ether, sending a stronger Curaga to her arm, and as she pushed herself to her feet small bits of ice began to shimmer down. Alright then, what were her options? Direct confrontation went poorly. Perhaps she could grab Savayna and run? Ren seemed faster than she was. As the ice began to break, vines slowly started seeping in, and she bumped into one of the racks of weapons, reminding her where she was. Hmm, this [I]was[/I] the armory, there had to be something of use! Her eyes scanned the rack, ignoring the majority of blunt weapons and landed on the bombs. Dangerous, but a momentary distraction, and she took the closest one. Well, she would just have to hold her own for the time being. 

Dismissing her spell, Nadeline broke into a run, though she threw several bombs at the vines. They disintegrated rather easily. She must have grabbed a fire elemental bomb. As she ran, she kept looking around at the assortment of weapons. Something useful, something that could give her an advantage--anything! A light flickered close to her and Nadeline came to a halt, her hand reaching up towards the feather she kept. The Rod of Faith was reacting to something. Looking around, her eyes landed on a very long, plain looking staff with a bud at its top. There was something very eerie about it, but it looked familiar.

The rack of weapons close to her suddenly fell over, the clanging of metal snapping her out of her thoughts. Without hesitating, Nadeline took a hold of the staff, her feather shining even brighter. The flower lit up, blossoming on the sigil, and the light surrounded her before fading away. "[color=lightsalmon]This is the Staff of the Magi...![/color]" She realized, though she sported her usual mischievous smile as she turned towards Ren, holding the staff tightly as her rapier disappeared. Spinning the staff in a circle, a bright light appeared. "[color=lightsalmon][I]Scathe[/I]![/color]" She called, though she let out a slight shriek of surprise as her spell exploded forward, demolishing everything in its path. It had come out so much stronger than she had anticipated, and Ren herself quickly went on the defensive.

[I][color=lemonchiffon]Are we in need of going back to basic spell casting?[/color][/I] Ultima couldn't help but scold her. Nadeline ignored her as the vines returned with a vengeance, though she didn't even have to call out the spell's name for her Firaja to take care of them. [I][color=lemonchiffon]You need only stall, I can feel Hashmaal and Zeromus approaching.[/color][/I] Finally, some good news! Reinforcing the barrier around Savayna and Jaakuna's Zodiac Spear (knowing she would never hear the end of it if something happened to it), Nadeline began to run again.

[hr]

Wesley was right on the gil as usual, though Grant's concern was likely obvious at this point. He could only hope that Savayna was with Nadeline, but the lack of ice magicks confused him. If there was a fight, his bloodthirsty bride-to-be was usually one of the first to jump in. But there was no familiar chill in the air, and even if one argued it was Rio's influence, their skills were to the point where any of them were discernible. There was no point in lying to Wesley either, so instead, Grant nodded to affirm Wesley's thoughts. "[color=darkorchid]Even weakened, Nadeline's magicks still have their presence,[/color]" The long haired prince explained. "[color=darkorchid]If I'm being honest, I'm just as concerned that I feel nothing from Savayna.[/color]" He didn't even have the chance to ask Jaakuna why he had come alone. Shit, he felt so stupid.

The walls around them quaked as a result of Nadeline's spell. "[color=darkorchid]How reckless...who will bring the ceiling down first, Jaakuna or Nadeline?[/color]" It was meant to be a joke, but he couldn't help but whine slightly.