Another blast of lightning launches from the ceiling, but showing some insane dodging skills, the beast leaps to the side. It was ready this time. Seria curses at her wasted blast.

Aria attempts to make use of its leap to get behind it. She thrusts her spear at the waving tail in an attempt to get a hit on the crystal, but hits the bone with a horrid screeching noise.

With a roar, the beast slaps Aria away with the tail. My heart leaps into my throat.

Fortunately her own barrier appears in the nick of time to protect her, but even so, she is still sent smashing into a sarcophagus in a

"Aria!" Rishya shouts. She temporarily ignores Yuuzu and the brown haired gothaloli woman, and stands rapidly and chants, soothing Aria with some healing light.

I kind of want to run out there... but...

Right now, I can't be foolish. I have to stay calm.

"Seria! I have an idea!" I shout over the beasts roar, dashing up to her.

She looks at me, lowers her upraised palm, and asks "What is it boy? I can't natter and cast at the same time."

"Is this magnetic?" I urgently query, holding up the bomb containing meteoric sand.

She stares at it, her eyes briefly glowing white.

"Curious... it is... but... why?"

"Shoot it with your accelerator!" I shout. Accelerating the sand to high speed, using a shotgun effect to give a wide burst will help with the accuracy, right?

She momentarily thinks, but she then shakes her head.

"Not enough space to go at a useful speed, boy. And will it not explode in my face?" She says.

Oh shit. She's right. Both of these things are possible problems. This was too stupid an idea. Shotgun blasting the tail is actually out. Fuck.

I curse repeatedly under my breath.

"Fufufu... that sounds quite... colourful in Syjillian, you know."

She looks aside and begins chanting once more. I need to think of something better.

I then suddenly hear Kaede shout out something, and shimmer into existence above the skull beast.

I did wonder where she went...

She falls and lands like a cat on the skull, crossing her arms whilst grasping a pair of Kunai, drawing an 'X' shape with a screech and all her strength.

"It's now!?" I hear Aria shout. She stops, leaps backwards, plants her feet, grasps her large spear one-handed, and looks about to throw it like a javelin.

What the heck?

"Get away, yes!" Kaede shouts.

The beast roars, and tries to fling her off, but before her second rodeo of the day can end in failure, she bounces off of her own volition in a mighty leap.

Her warning is heard by both Kiku and the red haired girl, though, who both momentarily burst with backwards speed, almost appearing to teleport. Flash step, of course.

Just in time for an explosive vertical pyre of orange fire to engulf the beasts head. It is slammed into the ground, losing its footing once more, and sticky fire engulfs the skull.

It reminds me of a highly controlled but less powerful variant of the time I used the molotov.

When the heck did she learn something like...

But my surprise is hardly finished. A row of magic circles, of all things, engulf Aria's ready and waiting spear. It begins to suck in light like a black hole.

The beast, despite being momentarily stunned, realises Aria is preparing something. Though prone, it opens its mouth and purple flames start to appear.

This thing has necrofire breath?! It'll be faster!?

Aria grimaces, but stays put.

"Aria, get out of the way of it!!" Rishya cries out again, reflecting my own concern as the flames start to rise.

But...

"I got it!" Kiku shouts.

What the heck has she got?

She flash steps back in, right next to the fire, and with a spin, both of her blades shimmer.

She plants them into the skull beasts open mouth. There is a screeching 'ping' noise and the flames literally disappear in a gush of embers.

It's seriously the imagine breaker, sword version. Even the sound!

How brave! I feel like I'm falling in love.

The beast reels backwards at having its magical breath dispelled, and Kiku backflips away.

Just in time for Aria to actually complete her spell, whereby her spear is sheathed in light and she flings it.

The sunbros. spear as well!? It soars like some kind of sci-fi blaster laser.

Is this it?!

Fanboying aside, when did they come up with this combo attack?

Unfortunately, my surprise turns into shock. The beast somehow still forces itself to leap up, and bounces aside itself in evasion, slapping a surprised Kiku away with the backswing of its scythe in fury, and the spear laser that should have penetrated the centre of its mass and taken the tail crystal with it only glances by, blowing away its remaining wing.

"Kiku!!!" I shout.

She didn't have a barrier to absorb the crazy power of the scythe like Aria. One of her swords shatters, and she spins through the air at obscene speed... and will slam into the wall head-first like this!

I can't make it...