Thematically and aesthetically, Lucian's Ardent Blaze really makes no sense does it?

Gameplay wise, it makes sense for the Lucian player. Mark his opponents with his W, and if you hit that person again you gain speed boost. Yay.

But...doesn't that look really inconsistent with the imagery? Why does the ability provide a self-buff rather than harm the opponent instead?

Looking at the ability as someone who has no idea what it's supposed to be, when you get marked by someone where the mark triggers an effect if you get hit, one would expect the triggering would inflict harm upon you somehow, be the mark detonating and triggering a burst of damage(Lux , Akali , Vel'koz , Nidalee , Shyvanna , Varus ), etc., or the mark's trigger causes some sort of harmful debuff or status effect(Kennen ). What does Lucian do? He sets his opponent on fire, upong firing at opponent, that flame is extinguished and Lucian's legs becomes more nimble, allowing him to run faster.

I know this is a game in the end, but...couldn't you have handled this ability in a way that "makes more sense"?