On the Continent of Time.

"Witch!"

Ashe's warning cry was instantly followed by the appearance of a warm, golden barrier woven from a lattice of swords. Dia, momentarily stunned, snapped back to reality just in time to throw herself out of range before the Violent Slashing Dragon's tail shattered the barrier into shards of light.

Sensing that Dia was the weak link in the trio's formation, a pack of Fish-Slaying Dragons swarmed forward, intent on surrounding and tearing her apart. Fortunately, Ashe had already cast a vast, protective web across the battlefield with his Heart Pen. The moment the beasts lunged inward, they became mired in airborne brushstrokes that clung to them like thick ink. In an instant, their bodies were shredded apart. The brutal efficiency of the trap gave the remaining creatures pause, and none dared charge into the dense field of lingering ink.

The Miracle Heart Pen that Sonya had bought for Ashe had proven to be exceptionally handy. Originally, combining Swordheart with Sword Scar to create a long-range trap zone carried a fatal flaw. The sorcerer had to continuously expend mana to sustain the marks. If Ashe cut off the power supply, the Sword Scars would instantly vanish. This not only drained a massive amount of energy, but it also forced him to split his focus during active combat.

At first, experimenting with the technique had been amusing, but Ashe quickly grew tired of the hassle....