[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/iHhPMhR.png?1[/img]
[h2][color=ed1c24]Aria Phoenis[/color][/h2][/center]

The screaming was the calling card. It was the sound of terror reigning as people were confronted by a thing they did not know, would not comprehend, and could not fight. It preceded the thunderous footsteps of all of them scrambling to get away. And, Aria knew as the noise reached her ears, it meant another monster had appeared. A heavy weight fell into her stomach as she instinctively recounted the previous instances; the first monster had nearly killed her before being driven away. The second had exhausted her entirely in its vanquishing. And now, the third was nearly at her doorstep, and there was but one being who knew what it would take before passing; and it certainly wasn't in the practice of talking.

"I could run," she thought to herself, "I'm far enough away that I could just get away from the broadcast range, forget this all ever happened." It would be easy, and nobody would blame her. And yet, something stopped her from doing that. Maybe it was her sense of responsibility, the knowing that she had the capacity and therefor the duty to fight these things. Maybe it was her inability to ignore those in trouble. Or, perhaps, it was simply that her transformation took the form of Marigold's drawings of her in a cruel twist that dripped irony as a snake's fang would venom. In spite of her hardships while donning it, it felt reassuring, peaceful even at times, just to wear that ridiculous outfit. 

By the time she was conscious of her choice, her feet had already started moving.

It wasn't long before the Razorback noticed the paralyzed girl staring at it, and with easy prey on the mind it started rumbling toward her. As its great arms rose to come crashing down on top of her however, a spherical swirling flame erupted into being around Emily, burning and singing the rocks on the monster's forearms as they met with what felt like a physical wall. The flames dispersed as it pulled its hands away, leaving Emily unharmed. Before the Razorback regained its composure, a blur of scarlet red slammed into it from the side and sent it stumbling like a drunkard for a moment. 

"Don't just stand there, get away from here!" Aria cried out to the girl as she stood in her costume, sword blazing and in both hands, "NOW!"

Turning her focus back to the recovering creature, one of the valves at the back of her sword sparked into a small jet of fire as her armor began to glow a brighter shade of red, pulling the Razorback's sight towards it- and more importantly, away from everyone else. She darted forward, just close enough to lash at the creature with her burning saber, then leaped backwards and began to strafe around toward an area less populated. The creature followed, chasing after her and swatting with its claws. Aria threw her sword before each swing, blunting the impact and protecting herself from the sharpened clutches, until the beast again attempted a brutal overhead strike with both hands. Aria once again called her protective fires, this time around herself as she raised her sword and supported it with both hands. The fierce attack broke through the shield and met the sword, driving her heels into the dirt as she pushed back with all the strength she could muster...!