[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/qSXKgkY.png[/img]
[sub][@Nanaya][@Psyker Landshark][@AThousandCurses][@Sifr][/sub][/center]
He trusted Ciara. Trusted that if she was out of her depth, she would know to escape.

The rest? He trusted less, but only because he knew less about their skills. Chloe had a good heart, but seemed to lack the physical ability to affect any particular change. Rio was hot-blooded and vengeful, but it was twice now that he displayed a sense of justice. Hildegunde didn't need further instruction; he had heard her shots, and only one of them made the sound expected of a bow snapping in half. Chunji was a greater anomaly still, possessing special eyes but not much else. Davil, of course, was a non-factor at best, a liability at worst.

And Iraleth? Iraleth was done.

[b]"Focus on forming your Personal Barrier,"[/b] the Strigidae said, without even turning to face his roommate. [b]"You can't help with anything until then."[/b] Harsh words, but he moved on without a pause, as if only checking such a statement off a list of many. [b]"Rio, intercept the one charging at Hildegunde. Chunji, spot the one that she missed."[/b] His tone quieted, somewhat. [b]"And analyze Instructor Alto afterwards."[/b]

The Personal Barriers formed a conduit for barehanded martial arts, but none of the Mannekins present displayed a penchant for casting, and they converged upon Iraleth with a simplicity that reminded him once more of their artificial nature. Intelligent and capable, better than a good portion of the 'geniuses' that Wingram Academy accepted, but artificial all the same. He let out a breath, a ritual to clear out his mind. Primal Overcharge dictated reversed incantations; he had more than enough time to slow the pace of his spellcasting in order to handle that requirement. The essence of fluidity, found in Strigidae blood, flowed from his heart to his extremities, reaching his vocal cords as he traced symbols that only he could see in the air.

[i][b]"Sea at drowns what land with submerge and
Flow quickly, flow quickly.
Flats glassy upon recede tides the
Earth living for roots fluid."[/b][/i]

He clapped his hands, as if capturing spoken word between his palms, and pressed them against the earth.

Beneath Iraleth, the earth gained the quality of fluidity, a quicksand that sucked at the limbs of all the mannekins that rushed for her. The one that swept with their legs found themselves half-swallowed by earth already, while the one that bobbed and weaved tripped when their feet stalled in the quagmire. Attempts to free themselves caused them only to sink deeper, and that same fate would await Iraleth too.

She knew how to fly though.

And that was the difference in ability Otis had accounted for.