Sparks flew as bone clashed with steel. Just like the fight started, Lyra on the defensive and Bakasura on an unrelenting offensive. She kept switching stances and shifting her blade, but she couldn't do anything besides become a wall for Lorcans Soul Binder. Bakasura grew more frustrated and kicked her away as he charged the others. Lorcans Soul Binder put up an air barrier and Bakasura started to wail at it. Cracks started to form as Lorcans Soul Binder had to focus more magic on Lorcan.
Lorcans Soul Binder: "LYRA!"
She tried to get up, but her wounds were finally starting to catch up to her. She was finding it hard to breathe and she was bleeding all over the ground. Her vision was blurry, and she was about to faint until she heard a voice.
Tomoe: 'Lyra! Stand up now! Are you just going to give up here? Let your friend die and then let yourself die too?'
Lyra: 'I… I can't… Tomoe it hurts, all over, it hurts... I want to… but I can't!'
Tears rolled down Lyras's face as she stared at Lorcans unconscious body. She thought about her other friends too, about Elias, and Aria, and even Kairos.
Lorcan: "…L-Lyra…."
Suddenly she snapped awake, and she struggled to stand, forcing herself up with her sword. She could barely raise it above her waist. She sheathed it and had her hand focused over its handle. She took several deep breaths in before gripping the handle again. She focused her blurry vision on Bakasura.
Lorcans Soul Binder: "LYRA NOW! WE NEED YOU NOW!"
Lyra: "ROARING WAVE!"
She suddenly ripped her blade out of the sheath and sent a wave of force towards Bakasura. Before he could react, the wave sent at him cleaved straight through his ankles and he fell to the ground.
Bakasura: "TUM BEVKUF KAMINE VESHYA BAG!"
Bakasura started to rise back up as bone spikes grew out of his feet. He started to charge at Lyra on all fours and jumped at her right before he got to her. She couldn't move from the pain and exhaustion but, for some reason Bakasura ran straight into some sort of wall. Lyra looked over to see Lorcans Soul Binder with an outreached arm.
Lorcans Soul Binder: "That's all the help I can give you! You better fight through whatever's wrong with you before you're killed!"
Bakasura shook his head as he got back up. He turned his head and screeched at Lorcans Soul Binder before continuing after Lyra.
Tomoe: 'Dodge.'
Lyra moved instinctively, dodging Bakasuras pounce just in time. Bakasura turned and jumped again, using his leg spikes to try and impale Lyra.
Tomoe: 'Parry. Counterattack.'
Lyra began to move instinctively again, raising her blade she parried both of Bakasuras leg spikes then spun around swing her sword straight across Bakasuras stomach. It was deflected by the bone he used to cover the injury Lorcan gave him.
Lyra: 'How am I…? Tomoe, are you moving me somehow?'
Tomoe: 'No, I'm simply giving your subconscious the idea to do have your body do what it's doing.'
Lyra: 'How is my body even able to move… It should be way too exhausted to even dodge out of the way.'
Tomoe: 'You think too little about yourself and the power your body now wields Lyra. It can do so much more than you think. So how about you try a little harder? No matter what happens to you, ill be here… So go defeat this demon Lyra!'
Just as Bakasura was getting ready to impale her skull, she jumped into action. She ducked the first strike, sliding under Bakasura and before he could land, she sliced into his back. Not even acknowledging the attack he went straight into attacking again. He swung wildly, first his right spike then his left. She just met the attacks equally. He altered his bone spikes edge to be super sharp and swung down onto her. She blocked it with her blade, but he then slammed his other spiked arm onto it to put more pressure. Struggling to keep against the pressure, she threw a right hook into Bakasuras gut. She hit so hard it knocked the wind out of him keeping him from keeping the pressure up. She then kicked into one of his leg spikes so hard it snapped, and he collapsed onto the ground. She was prepared to make a final strike but before she could he stabbed straight through her thigh and morphed the spike into a hook to pick her up and toss her to the side.
Bakasura: "Don't get overconfident now you goonga veshya!"
She tried to stand but the hole in her thigh made it hard for her to get on her feet. Bakasura morphed the spiked bone legs of his into flattened clubs and walked towards Lyra. She reached for her blade, but he stomped down onto it. She screamed out in pain as she felt the bones in her hand shatter.
Bakasura: "It was fun while it lasted but, I grow tired of you thinking you have a chance against me. Time for you to gujar jaate hain."
As he raised his bladed arm into the air for the vital blow, he felt something grab onto his arm. He turned to see Tomoe who had physically manifest from Lyra.
Bakasura: "ek atma bandhane ki machine?"
Tomoe: "Precisely, now leave this young girl alone!"
Bakasura: "Fool, physically manifesting like this leaves you vulnerable!"
Bakasura thrusted his spiked arm at Tomoe but in an instant that not even he could've noticed he felt a slice straight through his body. The slash was followed by a loud crack in the air. He then fell on the ground into two symmetrical halves.
Lyra; "T-Thunder… Sla... Slash…"
Tomoe caught Lyra as she fell unconscious into her arms.
Tomoe: "You did so very good child…"
She smiled at Lyra while combing through her hair. Lorcans Soul Binder walked forward and Tomoes smile turned into indifference.
Lorcans Soul Binder: "I don't have more than 30 seconds left manifested. Lorcan will pull through thanks to the girl. You're going to have to hope she pulls through for both of your sakes."
Tomoe: "I'm not worried about that; she will make it… Samir."
Lorcans Soul Binder scoffed at Tomoe before he faded back into Lorcan.
Back on the mountain with Elias and Ifrit
Ifrit: "Oh look at that, seems the young swordswoman and the bowman managed to kill Bakasura. I had never really liked him anyways. How can you be more idiotic than Moloch! HAH!"
Elias struggled for moment before throwing his head back into Ifrits nose making him drop him for a minute.
Ifrit: "Gah! Dammit young Elias! I said not yet! We have one more appetizer!"
Elias threw a fiery kick at Ifrit, kicking straight into his jaw and making him stumble back. He spit some blood onto the ground and stood up.
Ifrit: "Fine, I guess we could use a small break to empty our stomachs a bit."
Ifrit wore a sinister smile before stirring up a thick mixture of dirt and soot into the air. Elias' eyes began to dart around trying to find him. He looked right, then left, then right again and was met with a fist that flattened him into the ground. Ifrit then picked him up and sat him back down. He held him by the jaw, he forced his eyes back down into the valley.
Ifrit: "Lets see who will prevail between my ignorant brute of a subordinate and your little magicless friend shall we?"