Tales of Aria | Piercing Lightning

XVI: Inferna Tera

"Look out!"

Lyria hollered as another fireball rushed through them, taking out multiple trees at once, thankfully not the ones the team took cover behind. The fire that Miko once put out started to blaze again, dyeing the forest an ember orange colour, smoke puffing out from all directions. A surge of distress and panic flowed through the team members.

Lyria silently affirmed herself that they were dealing with a fire holder, which had the defence to tank numerous powerful attacks before going down. It seemed highly unlikely, given his origin, but she had to, she had no choice.

"What is wrong with you...?" The hostile man engulfed his blade in flames a swipe of his fingers, preparing another fling. "You decided to mock me without the courage to clash swords with me?!"

Lyria hand-gestured Ray and Miko, a firm nod before summoning their weapons.

"Do you think I can't see that?" The flame-cladded man directed his sword to the trees that the team had been hiding, locking eyes on the spark that Axalat produced. "Take this!"

As the fireball catapulted across the forest, burning through the vines blocking it, Ray brought forth a wall of dirt from the forest's ground, exploding the flaming ball prematurely. Then, from behind the smoke, Lyria dashed forward to the man, distracting him while Miko placed a stealthy rune under him. As Lyria hopped back, dodging a slash from the angry blonde, Miko triggered her rune's explosion.

And there was silence, as the three gazed agitatedly at the cloud of smoke that was the epicentre of the explosion.

"Miko...!" Lyria managed to find a window to catch her breath before realising something critical about the surrounding situation.

"Clear out the fire again!"
"Roger!"

With a cheeky weave of her sceptre, she dusted off the circumambient forest fire with her ever so trusty runes. It was an admirable and satisfying sight even for both Lyria and Ray.
Yet the sight-seeing was short lived, as, when the smoke clouding around the flamed man hadn't clearly dissipated yet, a spark of fire glimmered briefly, prompting Lyria to widen her eyes at the centre as the man came out with swords ablaze, seemingly unscathed by the explosion, much to everyone's surprise.

Lyria hastily raised her spear in an effort to try to block the strike. She was sure that the blade had stopped, but then came a tornado of fire that enshrouded the blade as the force of the cut greatly strengthened. Lyria, sensing the same peril as when he flung the fireballs, directed his blade to the top with a sliver of strength borrowed from her lightning power, turning it into a parry as the flaming sphere was redirected to the sky, with a part of the blaze grazing the trees, setting them aflame.

"Take me seriously now?!"
"Tch!"

H..he's strong...! Lyria distressingly admitted. Even with the three of us, I doubt that we have the higher ground here.

Let's do something about this...

"Miko! Focus on putting out the fire caused by him!" She ordered hastily. "And Ray, try to immobilise him while I distract him to slow his movement!"

"What- out of the question, Lyria!"
"Just do it! Both of you don't have the compatible Arc to go up against him!"

"...Okay...!" Ray breathed out a frustrated sigh.
"Be careful, Lyria!" Miko twirled her sceptre, ready to anticipate.
"You think I can't hear that?"

The young boy rested his hammer down as he knelt down, clapped his hands, and thumped it to the ground, gradually sinking the ground beneath the enemy. Yet, he quickly rushed to Ray's standing point, blade brandished forward. It was a moment's away from hitting Ray as the terrified boy closed his eyes and let his Focus take the hit. Yet Lyria arrived just in time with her lightning leap, once again parrying the slash.