It was a good thing that Shiro was already ticked off, because oh boy was this fight just grinding on her nerves. Well, mostly the attitude of whoever this worm thought he was that she was currently struggling to finish off. Maybe a cockroach was a more apt why to describe him? At any rate, his binding was really hampering her and she was actually starting to hurt from all the blows she was receiving. Which might've seem odd at a glance, seeing as her defenses seemed fine moments before, but it seemed like this poacher was either too stupid or too arrogant to notice. However, before Shiro could do what she planned she still did need to either immobilize him or somehow deal with this sword lodged in her, removing access to her dominant side.
And it seemed like this sword also came with another issue, one she had considered happening but really hoped it wouldn't as she found herself dragged back and away suddenly. The pull of the sword too great as she found herself soon eating a face full of mud back in the center of the ring. Actually now that he mentioned it, where had that lously Henri gone? She had almost forgotten about him, such was her annoyance and attention directed towards Hagar.
But as she looked up, she was quick to notice just where he was. Currently in the midst of landing a solid uppercut to the leader of the poachers jaw and launching him out of the ring of blades that surrounded them. Why hadn't he done that sooner? Speaking of soon, she soon found herself pushed slightly to the side by the sudden appearance of a massive shark jaw, the caster of which she presumed was Henri considering the nature of the spell and the element it consisted of, which dislodged not only the sword binding her; but also made quick work of the wall of blades. Well, at least a fair chunk of it.
"If you could've done that earlier, why didn't you you buffoon?" Pinching the bridge of her noise, she just shook her head and sighed. No matter, there were bigger fish to fry. Stepping out through the entrance so handily made, she began scanning the area to find where Hagar was. She had unfinished business with that piece of shit.
It would seem like they were all done now with little issues bar this treant sap that Meredith had mentioned earlier. Hopefully it would go well without it, well it must really. Manami didn't know what would happen if it didn't, but one could easily assume it wasn't anything good. So it just had to work. If it wasn't going to, why would Meredith even bother making it after all?
But just as those thoughts were shaken out of her head came a loud crashing sound from below them. Confused and almost in a daze, she watched as Meredith and her two assistants ran down the stairs before shortly making her way after them. It seemed like Karla was in trouble from the sounds of it; and definitely by the looks of when when Manami found the state the room she had been left in was. Even to someone as inexperienced with the magical arts that the witches practiced, Manami found herself unable to ignore the miasma like sensation the room seemed to be covered in. Just what was this though? She didn't even have the chance to ask Meredith as she was already gone.
But at this moment she heard the older lady's voice call out to her, the purple haired girl running to the gaping hole and looking down at the predictament down below. Even with little context as to the state Karla was in, Manami wasn't an idiot. There was something seriously wrong with the usually soft spoken girl, lashing out and attacking her fellow witches. Let alone her deformed state. But more importantly, Bullet, Meredith and her assistants were in dire need of help as one of them seemed unconscious and the others fighting a losing battle as a thick bush of thorns erupted from the ground.
Feeling something wet and warm dripping from her hand, she looked down almost in shock as she realised while she had been standing there she had been clenching her fist that tightly that she had drawn blood. Her other hand clutching at her shirt in a tightly clumped ball as she thought a sudden pressure around her. They needed help and fast. The best course of action would be for her to get help no?
......wait no, there was no help. Everyone else had gone to help Talos right? Shit, fuck. The only people she knew might still be here was Zhulie or noncombatants. There was no guarantee of anyone being able to help. That meant...Manami herself had to do something. Manami was a mage, a strong one capable of fighting at that. But this sudden crippling feeling, this hesitation that set in even as she watched her new so called friends getting hurt...it made her freeze entirely. She even forgot to breath as memories, images flashed before her eyes.
She had to do it. She had no choice. She
needed to do this. No one else could right? What was she doing then? She had sworn not to....but if now wasn't a time to use it, then when would she ever justify it?
"Arghhhhhhh! Fuck it!" Slamming her fist on the ground and ignoring the pain, she decided to once more call upon her magic. Delving into her greatest sin and regret for a good cause one last time, at least this was how she convinced herself. Snatching the vial that hung from her neck, she hurled it at Karla and made a clenched fist towards the girl. As if on cue, a radiant gold burst from the small vial, shattering the brittle container and began to expand rather rapidly into a watery hand the size of a small dog and go to grab Karla.
"Karla, please stop this! Can't see you see you're hurting your friends goddamnit!" Calling out to her, even though she felt it to be hopeless, the former dark mage began to make her stand despite the pain and anger on her face.
If the hand managed to grab hold of the girl, she would immediately begin casting Soothing Waves through the hand. She didn't care how much of a burden this would place on her, she needed to calm down or snap Karla out of whatever this state she was in. For Meredith, this was the first use of magic she had seen Manami use since joining Wolven Pyre. In fact, any of the witches had seen. Yet despite it being as beautiful and radiant as the sun, there seemed to be a hidden darkness lurking about it.