Mandra managed the strain she put on Zach's body flawlessly by alternating between her Eyes of Truth and magic output. But that didn't mean it wasn't taking its toll. If using magic was like opening the valve to a water fountain and using the magical energy pouring out to draw beautiful pictures, Mandra's magical energy was like a raging river held up by a dam.
When she used magic, she raised the dam slightly, letting her magical energy pour out. But shutting it again meant restraining the magical energy. Even with perfect control over magical energy that bent over backward to obey her, it wasn't an instantaneous process.
Like turning a faucet, the water—magical energy—was gradually shut off.
But if she wasted time by waiting for that to happen before she activated her Eyes of Truth, she would miss the Great Ugor's movements and tells. She would lose the fight in a heartbeat. Likewise, she needed to instantly reach as much magical output as she could to hold back the Great Ugor.
