Escudo

"A shield popped up from the ground!!"

- Osamu Mikumo

Escudo (エスクード) is a Defense Trigger. It is used mainly for protection, but it can also serve as an obstacle to hinder enemy movement or even as a trap.

Appearance
Escudo forms a blocky wall-like structure that sprouts from the ground, a wall, or other surfaces. It has the Border logo prominently displayed on its face. It resembles the crenelated wall of a medieval castle. When the user activates it, a luminous line of trion travels along the designated surface from their hand to the location where Escudo is intended to appear.

Overview
According to Cronin, Escudo is old and obsolete by Border's current standards.

Abilities
Escudo erects a defensive barrier in an intended location by placing a part of one's body, such as a hand or a foot, on any connected surface, even a trion body with the latter resulting in impeding the opponent. It can also be summoned a few meters away from the user, and be retracted at will. Escudo's barriers are seemingly much more durable than the ones created by Shield, taking no damage from the beam of a Ranbanein-Type Rabbit and from Lampyris's daggers. Only attacks as powerful as the oversized blades constructed by Lampyris have been shown to be capable of breaking it. Since it converts trion into a material form, Escudo can stop Lead Bullet. Like many Triggers of this type, its barriers do not disappear even if the user switches to other Triggers.

A single Escudo in one's Trigger set allows for the formation of multiple walls with a single activation, which permits the instantaneous construction of a veritable barricade. In firefights, Escudo can provide the user and their allies with a solid cover even out in the open, whereas in confined spaces, it can serve as a trap: the user can immobilize the target by jamming them between two barriers, or between a barrier and a pre-existing surface. An Escudo can be erected vertically or at an angle relative to the surface it is erected from. Also the user can exploit its force while it surfaces to propel himself and others high into the air or into distance if it's erected at an angle or to forcefully knock them in a desired direction. The user can cast an Escudo barrier within 25 meters of themselves, although with higher trion levels it is possible to increase that radius.

Nonetheless, Escudo has many drawbacks. To be activated, it needs a surface it can grow out of. It cannot be moved from its original position, and, unlike Shield and Raygust's Shield mode, it cannot shapeshift and it is not transparent, so it limits the user's field of vision as much as the enemy's. Furthermore, it is known to consume a large amount of trion.

Users
See also: Escudo Users

With only 4 known users, Escudo is one of the least popular Triggers. However, members of branches who do not participate in Rank Wars are excluded from the count, as their Triggers are unknown. Interestingly, 3 out of the 4 agents using Escudo are from the Tamakoma Branch, which already has very few members.

Trivia

 * "Escudo" means "shield" in Spanish, Portuguese and other.
 * This Trigger is similar in concept to the Escudo from "Talented Elite Jin".