Ashe looked at the crimson chains wrapped all over his body and fell into a dazed, blank stupor. It's over.

There was no way he could break free. Even if he somehow managed it, the wind blades above wouldn't hesitate to cut him down.

For now, the blades were focused solely on Varkas because he was the only one actively resisting. If Ashe abandoned his passive, obedient posture to fight, there was no telling whether the blades would turn on him, the softer, far more vulnerable target.

Ashe thought. This time… I'm truly done for. Should I call the Swordswoman? But even if she comes, all she can do is watch.

Just as Ashe tried to empty his mind to find a fleeting comfort in his final moments, he felt himself moving. But he quickly realized the movement wasn't coming from him, but the ground.

He looked down to find that the earth beneath him had seemingly...