Chapter 160: Ifrit
Tarish pulled out the human-sized fiery shield on her back and shouted, "Tanks! Bring 'em out!"
The other two tanks copied their leader and activated the Tank LifeSkills in their Soul System.
Each one of them glowed a bright colorful tint as they manifested their powers onto reality.
Tarish's LifeSkill called 'Burning Wall' created a 5 by 10 meter wall of fire in front of her that perfectly protected the entire roof they stood on.
But they knew that wasn't enough.
The other tank had a LifeSkill called 'Sludge Fest'. This was a target-based power, so he had to concentrate on the giant fireball that threatened to consume the whole building.
With his experience and skill, he was able to lock on to his target within a fraction of a second.
A net made out of slimy liquid manifested outwards from his body and onto the fireball, bypassing the wall of fire made by Tarish.
It crashed into the fireball, with the liquid net weakening its target's flames enough to slow it down.
But that wasn't enough. The fireball crashed onto Tarish's Burning Wall, fighting fire with fire.
"Mountain of Support!" screamed the other tank. He raised his shield and it expanded into a size dwarfing only that of Tarish's burning wall. The man planted his foot firmly on the roof and pushed his shield forward, supporting the Burning Wall from collapsing.
TSHHH
The large fireball dissipated in the air, unable to pierce through the Tarish's Burning Wall.
"Wow…"
Atlan was amazed at their coordination. They supported each other with their LifeSkills, multiplying their defensive capabilities instead of simply adding them up. If they used their LifeSkills independently, the fireball would have torn through their defenses quite easily.
So this is high-level Savior teamwork.
It was completely different from his first mission. They didn't make mistakes. They moved with fluidity and coordination that couldn't be built without years and years of experience.
And even though Atlan had strength equal to them, the difference in experience between them was obvious. He wouldn't have been able to lock on to his target as fast as that tank. He would have needed at least a few seconds just to concentrate.
"Incoming!"
The fireballs didn't let them take a moment's rest as three more flaming meteors honed in towards their roof, each the same size as the last one.
"Can't we jump down?"
"No," Tarish replied. "The liquid is not acidic, but it will slow us down. We'll be like sitting ducks if we get bogged down from that slime."
Atlan looked down at the orange liquid flowing through the streets and onto the buildings. It had a consistency even more viscous than honey. Swimming in it would be akin to swimming in mushy soil.
The liquid was so thick that it could carry entire buildings and displace them far away from their original foundation with just a single wave.
"It's here," Tarish warned.
Once the three flaming meteors were close enough to observe, Atlan realized that they weren't meteors at all. They were demonic beings made entirely of fire and magma!
It had no lower body, just a flaming mix of gas and fire like a spirit.
It had two horns on its forehead that curved upwards. Unsurprisingly, it was made out of overlapping chitinous armor with a black tip. This was the only evidence that tied it back to the Canzer lineage. If it weren't for its chitinous horns, Atlan would have mistaken it for some other monstrous creature.
"Behold, the Gastros Enterifrits. Be careful of those horns."
"Is it something special?" Atlan asked.
"No. It's just a hook. It will use its horns to hang onto its victims long enough for it to—"
And before Tarish could explain, one of the Ifrits rocketed down towards them at even faster speeds than the flaming balls. Its spirit-like lower body erupted like a volcano and increased its acceleration, easily breaking through Tarish's Burning Wall.
"Mages!" Tarish's warnings were not needed.
The four Saviors behind the tanks quickly held out their hands as they chanted their spells.
Mages and Wizards used chants to facilitate the activation of their LifeSkills faster. It allowed them to bypass the creation of a giant hand in their Soul System and summon their powers in a fraction of a second.
It took them years to practice, but their hard work paid off in this current instance. Their magical LifeSkills manifested just in time to counteract the rocketing igneous body of the Ifrit.
One of the Mages created a giant sphere of water that revolved around itself.
The other Mage thrust his wand forward. Ice and frost spread from his arms and onto the air. Within seconds, a giant hammer with a face as big as the water sphere manifested in the air.
"Potential Tempest," a Mage screamed.
Green wind burst forth from her feet and created a whirling tornado that grew ten times its original size in a second. With her impressive control of magic, she commanded the tempest to surround the Ice Hammer, imbuing with it a twisting force that multiplied the hammer's potential energy.
The last Mage conjured a magic circle with glowing symbols of the sun and the stars. He focused on the Ifrit's eyes and released a burst of magic that created a mini sun directly on its iris.
It blinded the Canzer, disorienting it for a one and a half second.
His distraction bought enough time for the three mages' powers to come together. The swirling tempest powered up the ice hammer. The ice hammer then pounded the water sphere with tremendous force and cooled its temperatures to sub-zero while maintaining its liquid form!
The water sphere, powered with the two LifeSkills, charged towards the ifrit at an equally fast pace.
The two met together in the air.
Fire and water dueled for superiority, spewing steam and mist tens of meters outwards.
In the end, the LifeSkills triumphed over the infernal Canzer. Its entire body, made out of glowing igneous rocks and magma, cooled down as ice-cold water extinguished the fire in its entirety.
And as it died in the air, it suddenly released the hidden bomb inside its body.
BOOM
A fireless explosion rang outwards and sent a booming shockwave everywhere.
Tarish, knowing this would happen, put forth her giant shield and protected her whole team.
Atlan would have commended them for their efforts, but it seemed in vain. Out from the embers in the aftermath of its self-destruction, three more Ifrits spawned in its ashes.
"That's an Ifrit for ya," Tarish said to Atlan. "They self-destruct and spawn more clones. Before you know it, thousands of them are already on your tail. It's a vicious cycle."