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Arrode sensed that Rayne was preparing himself for an attack. She felt it from him, as if she were in his mind. He heard him telling himself which tactics to pull, what time to execute them, and how. The waves of energy that he charged up washed over her. Closing her eyes, she allowed it to pass through her, energizing her. Her mind cleared itself, leaving her in a state of concentration. Her senses temporarily shifted out of focus, detecting the sweat that dripped down their faces. Then the barrier took its effect. Arrode's omniscience suddenly snapped as it shrunk to fit into the space the barrier allowed.

The barrier was the only thing that separated her from the Ico soldiers. She couldn't possibly allow them to report back to the Leader about this event. She stared at the barrier. It was transparent. The confused and dazed expressions on the soldiers' faces lured that smile out from her stoned face. Arrode knew that there was a way out of anything. Only a fool believed in "the end." Arrode was a Spell Swordsman. She never discovered an effective use for her spells because her foes were always weaker than hers. Again she stared at the barrier. It seemed pretty solid. She approached it and extended her forefinger. Cold. She bent her knees and hunched her shoulders, entering an offensive stance. The air crackled with energy as her Great Sword of Lightning extended from her hands. She leaped high into the air and sliced at the wall. The lightning buzzed and the wall stood strong, unaffected. She sliced again and again, but to no avail. Then it dawned upon her that brute force wasn't the answer. She turned to a more subtle method: magic. Arrode mumbled words as her Great Sword bursted with light. The yellow sword now emitted a blue hue of energy. She sliced at the wall again. A small dent displayed itself. Encouraged by her success, she attacked it again. Slowly, it gave way. Arrode screamed as she forcibly embedded the blade into the wall. She strained to pull the blade upwards, attempting to carve a hole through the barrier. She yelled, and her sword exploded. The wall crumbled and the outside air invaded the contained area with a rush, cooling her face.

The Ico finally saw that bright figure emerge from the enchanted barrier. They trembled at the sight of her angry mood and bore their arms. "She killed the Manslayer! He must be avenged!" one cried. With a mighty roar, the entire army moved as one and rampaged her way. Arrode's Twin Swords of Lightning buzzed into existance, and she charged at them. The contenders ran towards each other, but the Ico clearly underestimated her speed. She tore through the army, dividing it like a hot knife through butter. As she barreled into the fray, she whipped her sword in every possible motion, swiping at arms, legs, and anything that happened to stand in its way. Cries of pain swept across the army. Blood spurted forth from dismembered limbs and guts surged from disemboweled corpses.

"Retreat!" The order drove the men into a panic as they dropped their gear and dashed off into the horizon. "No!" Arrode cried. The earth flew into the sky as her feet ripped through the grass. The wind bowed to her agility. Holding her sword in her right arm, she slashed at her right, beheading some soldier. "Where do you think you're going?" Their knees gave out and they sunk to the floor, raising their arms in surrender. "Please!" they pleaded. "We mean no harm!" Arrode released an incredible yell, causing them to flinch, shiver, and cover their ears. Her sword glowed white. A spark of energy flew from her sword onto the ground, creating steam in the process. The soldiers' throats jammed at the thought of being burned alive. In a flash, the remainer of the army was dead. Seconds later, their skin began to bubble and melt. It was then that she knew her job was done. She sunk onto her knees and sighed, exhausted.