Rufala, Nahatan Coastline
The coastal town of Rufala, acknowledged throughout the country as a hotspot for fire-type entities. On a creaking, wooden dock sat a young, blonde-haired man, watching the sun as it blanketed the horizon with calm, tender warmth. His gaze trembled, overwhelmed by an approaching scent of devilish malice. The scent pulled his gaze back onto the village homes, then upward to the trembling horizon. A frenzy of growing trembles rattled the lake, each vibration carving a thought in his mind - Something was coming.
Emerging from the sun-warmed dock, a sense of urgency embraced the man, leaking through his fearful cries. "There's something approaching Rufala… If we don't evacuate, we're dead meat!" The scent hit him again - hot, metallic, suffocating. He dropped to his knees with a rattling thud, retching hard as a violent wave of vomit erupted from his mouth, forming a puddle across the wood. His heartbeat hammered violently, rattling his ribs like an unleashed beast as he wheezed desperately. "There's no… doubt about it… The ultimate fire-type… Pyron, the Fire Soverign…" Before he could speak another word, his head thudded against the wooden dock, his consciousness crumbling beneath Pyron's approaching scent.
—
The sky burned a dark red as Pyron walked forward, each step forming a ripple of cracks through the flame-blanketed forest. Pyron's roar detonated through the air like a volcanic shockwave, the force so dense it tore chunks of ground in a violent, upward surge. The tree's combusted at Pyron's presence, erupting in violent explosions as the lively forest transformed into a cataclysmic hellhole. A blazing ray tore from its mouth, ripping through the ground as its scorching energy carved a molten trench through the forest, rattling the ground with an ear-piercing explosion. The echo of Pyron's flames grew stronger with each attack - each movement, each step, each roar.
This was the gut-wrenching power of Pyron, the Fire Sovereign.
Volume 13, Chapter 83 - Echo of the Flames
The Great Armor moved through the crackling trees, rushing through the ruins Pyron had left behind. Itama clenched his sword with a fearful gulp as Pyron's Core began to pulse brighter, thriving within the unsettling destruction. "He wasn't this powerful when we first encountered him… what the hell happened?"
"There are two stages of every pristine entity," Gerald replied, a weak tremble bleeding through his voice. "Most people witness the first stage, also known as Pristine One - the one we battled back in the Winding Forest. Pristine Two is superior in both destructive capacity and power efficiency. In other words, refer to Pyron as a newly reborn entity, his awakening brought along after the events of our first battle."
Forrest's eyes rose to the smoke-coated window. "We're in a race against time. Our goal is to restrain and defeat the Fire Sovereign before he reaches Rufala and unleashes a full-scale attack on the villagers."
"That's right," Kevin replied, containing his building fear. "We've traveled hundreds of miles for this moment - and, soon, it'll all be over." Kevin's declaration was followed by a moment of silence, then another one of Pyron's deafening roars. Itama's eyes widened as a sudden wave of heat washed through the ceiling and onto his face. His head popped out the Great Armor's top, frozen at the approaching phenomenon. "Guys," his voice trembled, "there's a large wall of flame ripping towards us as we speak!"
"How large?" Gerald questioned, his eyes snapping towards the burning horizon.
"Too large!" Itama shot back, gesturing to Forrest with a trembling hand. "I'm certain that not even the Great Armor can get through something like that!" Forrest yanked the steering wheel sideways with a strained grunt, swinging away from the approaching barrage with an ear-piercing screech. He was too late - the scorching hurricane enveloped the vehicle in a warm embrace, Pyron's scent seeping through the metal doors as everyone grew quiet. A colossal shadow appeared from the flame-coated windshield, stretching across the Great Armor as the surrounding flames grew silent. Then, without warning, Pyron's orange-skinned hand emerged from the shroud, his massive claws wrapping around the Great Armor's front. The vehicle heaved upward at Pyron's command, rising higher as the blood-painted sky appeared within the Great Armor's windshield. Inside, all seven members of Team Pyron watched in horror as their very target had detected their presence. Kevin's eyes shook at the forest's cataclysmic view, limited by Pyron's large, distorted palms. "NOT EVEN THE GREAT ARMOR IS SAFE!?"
"You're telling me he grabbed us!?" Stephanie shrieked, her body trembling in fear. Kevin forced the Great Armor's hatch open with a Gravitational Hammer, vibrating the vehicle as Pyron's grasp tilted. "Gerald, Itama! We're not going to just let him kill us!" The two moved instantly, following Kevin out onto the metal roof.
—
Gerald's eyes fixed on the burning forest below. "There's no way we'll survive if we go on the ground!"
"That's why we'll be attacking from the sky," Kevin replied, bashing his fists together with a solemn frown. "The only way we'll free the Great Armor is if we attack his head. Once we do, we'll figure out where to go from there." Their movements united, Kevin, Gerald, and Itama confronted Pyron with their sharp glares. From the depths of Pyron's mouth emerged a weak illumination of fire, forming a whirring vortex as his head shot upward. The clouds parted in a loud burst, and the ground trembled as Kevin recognized the motion. "Cataclysmic Fireball… this early into the fight?!" An accumulating orb of concentrated fire shot through the swirling vortex, rocketing into the bloodshot skies overhead. A layer of rock coated the orb, muffling its bright shine within the stones as Kevin's eyes squinted. "We'll split up for now - you two focus on the task at hand, while I focus on eliminating his Cataclysmic Fireball!" Kevin rocketed into the warm skies with a gravitational burst, fixing his eyes on the accumulating boulder. A scent of building firepower emitted from within the rocks, its presence rattling his composure as he charged forward. Letting Pyron use Cataclysmic Fireball this early would be a death trap for us all - whatever it takes, I have to stop it!
—
Gerald and Itama steadied themselves on the Great Armor's roof, the ferocity of Pyron's roar sending chills through their bodies. Their spirits refused to dim, growing stronger as embers of glowing flame enveloped their bodies. "Releasing the Great Armor, huh?" Gerald muttered, the surging ember of blue combusting his legs. Itama clenched his sword, his gaze locked onto Pyron's glowing-red pupil. The twin embers leaped from the Great Armor, followed by a glowing trail as they approached their target. Pyron's pupil narrowed as the embers closed in, his massive head tilting towards the incoming assault. Without moving from his position, several flaming, crimson spears condensed around his body. The spears launched into the heat-soaked skies, swarming Gerald and Itama like gnats drawn to a light. One spear slipped past Itama's guard, piercing his outstretched arm with a crackling hiss. Blood seeped outward from the burning spear as Itama's gaze trembled. "Gerald, don't let the spears hit you!" A light-blue ember blossomed from Gerald's leg as he raised it high, examining Itama with a concentrated gaze. "Let's go!"
His words rescued Itama from the distracting wound as he drew his sword with a sharp hiss.
"Itama Style…"
"Flaumulia…"
"Bypassing Slash!"
"Piercing Ambush!"
Pyron's head flew backward at the fierce collisions. His grasp faded alongside his focus, freeing the Great Armor from his crushing hold as the vehicle plummeted towards the burning forest below. A moment of relief struck Gerald, quickly washed away by a sea of realization as his gaze rushed ahead of the van's path. "Itama, they're going straight for the forest! If we don't do something, they'll die in the fla-"
Before he could say another word, a pillar of condensed sand erected from the blazing inferno, catching the falling vehicle in an instant. Stephanie's voice echoed through the metal walls, her struggling grunts nearly averting Itama's guard. "Escape, you three! I'm not the best with defense, so make it quick!"
Inside the Great Armor, the sudden impact sent the cabin trembling. "Stephanie," Forrest responded, his gaze frantic. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You're coming out with us, aren't you?"
"Can't promise that," she replied with a mischievous smile. "Either way, I assure you I'll be just fine!" Rolling his eyes in a fit of doubting trust, Forrest, Xavier, and Kaelan flew out of the Great Armor, fixing their pupils on the cataclysmic beast. Little did they know, however, that attention shift would bring chaos.
Behind them, Pyron's gaze shifted towards the Great Armor. Stephanie's smile faded at the horrifying sight. "There's not enough time to escape, but I can't… let the Great Armor… burn up in flames…" A faint orange glow began bleeding through the window, accompanied by a barrage of quivering screams.
"STEPHANIE, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? "STEPHANIE!" "STEPAHNIE, WATCH OUT!" The cabin temperature rose as the glow intensified, its distance luring Stephanie in a river of acceptance. Then, a wave of silence followed as her eyes bulged. "W-What the hell is going on…"
BOOOOOOOOM! A blinding point of heat embraced the Great Armor with a crushing blast, its metal bending within the explosion as Stephanie's instantly unconscious body plummeted down the pillar's side. The unsettling sight forced Itama to pause, followed by a wheezing exhale. "STEPHANIE!"
Itama didn't think or breathe as his body dropped from the sky, seeking his friend within the satanic flames. His body froze at the sight of her body, every ounce of liveliness that defined her drained by Pyron's ruthless attack. Without hesitation, he kneeled at Stephanie's side, coughing within the crackling flames. "Stephanie… you have to wake up… Please, open your eyes… Trhama's already gone, please… don't die on me." His head collapsed on her chest, tears trickling onto her dark-red shirt as Itama's wails grew stronger. "I said I was going to protect you… Last night, I said it without stuttering…" His fingers dug into her shirt, containing his sanity with a series of frantic wheezes. "I'M SO WEAK, WHAT THE HELL!?"
Pyron flicked his finger, dispatching an immense slash of power downward towards the unconscious Stephanie. Screams of urgency and fear sounded from above, each one pulling Itama's focus out of desperate fixation. The descending slash tore through the flames, swallowing everything in its path like a hungry beast. Scattered blasts erupted from the ray's path as it sliced through the trees, their severed trunks slipping along the angled cuts before crashing onto the forest floor. Without the slightest hesitation, Itama rose from Stephanie's side, stretching his arms outward as the crescent approached. A sudden sense of relief washed over Itama as the orange arc carved a wound in his flesh, blood spilling from the fresh cut as he staggered backwards. "Stephanie…"
In a matter of seconds, his body thudded onto the ground beside Stephanie. With every heartbeat, unconsciousness slowly crept into his mind, consuming his remaining strength as his eyes eased shut. "I managed… to keep my promise…"