Oh me oh my, what a pleasant surprise this was...!
Virus hadn't expected much of the oversized ball of greens and blues that was Namek, simply using it as a 'pit-stop' of sorts to prepare him for his little play-date with Earth in three months. Lick his wounds, slaughter a village or two, then head back as if nothing had ever happened.
...But something drew him to this place; An ominous, dark energy that had seemingly called out to Virus from afar. The 'Outer Plait'...Judging by the state it was in, something terrible had happened here. Corruption of the finest, most tantalizing of degrees.
Heavy, armored footsteps echoed across the barren wasteland. Shadowy tendrils slithered through small cracks in the soil, and eyes snapped their gaze toward the creature as he passed by. Whoever was responsible had a knack for decorating.
Virus looked around with glee, amazed by the mere existence of such a place on such a peaceful little ball of dirt. The corrupted whispers and energies beckoned to all that passed, tainting the minds of the pure and just.
Yet for one such as Virus, so blighted and malevolent, it felt like nothing more than a luxurious vacation spot. It must've been the same sensation as feeling the warm summer sun kiss your skin as you step outside; Truly, it was nothing short of bliss...!
Curiously, Virus continued to walk across the Outer Plait with surprising peace of mind. Perhaps he'd stick around for a while...
It wasn't often Erebos was one for reflection. He wasn't against it, of course, but he was just too busy of a guy to get around to it yknow? Today, though, was different. His scuffle with Nasu left him struggling for answers. Figuring out what to do next was a conundrum in itself. So, he figured he'd try out the whole inward thinking thing.
The Oni sat atop a mountaintop, lava flowing far in the depths below. The Scar was where he first landed on Namek. It wasn't quite home, but it did give him a strange sense of peace.
As his thoughts drifted, they came back in droves. Something was disturbing the tumultuous peace of this terrible place. Something big and bad and evil. There wasn't quite an energy to sense, more an ominous feeling. A scent that shriveled his nose and forced a sneer onto his lips.
As if Namek didn't have enough of that going on.
Erebos sunk into the floor, and slung himself across the shadows. Bubbling across the wastes, his movement morphed the floor with its speed. Soon after, the Shadowmancer popped free of the dirt, tumbling to a stop across from the chitinous beast he was looking for. Always fun when life worked out the way you wanted it!
"Hello~!"
The Oni dusted himself off, and hopped to his feet. His signature finger-wiggling greeting came shortly after.
"You're a cute little fella. Not a native are you? Not often you run into a big beasty like you on Namek."
In truth, the bug looked more at home in the Demon Realm. Erebos was pretty sure he owned a pet of similar shape in his youth.
"I've got a weird feeling you're up to no good. Do I need to call your owner? Where's your nametag anyways?"
Maybe egging on a big giant demonic bug wasn't the best idea. Erebos was never a fan of the best ideas, though.
KP: 6/6 MP: 0/6 HP: 0/250 PL: 64,000
Resources: Dark Departure, Mimicry, Tactician, Sparking, Battle Armor, Blood Ruby, Destron Flask, Dyno Capsule Used Resources: N/A
As soon as Virus was getting used to the corruption, a new sensation began to hammer his fine-tuned senses - Fast approaching, a little too eager for his taste. Virus groaned, the one time he was enjoying a nice spat of alone time...
"Oh, bother..."
Sure enough, following Virus' annoyed mumbling, a strange little man came tumbling out of the shadows that slunk toward him. The Biodroid's eyes immediately narrowed at the twerp; He seemed harmless, a far cry from threatening, yet his Ki was as potent as could be - Reeked of 'Demon', too...
"...?!"
Virus physically recoiled ever-so-slightly at the way he was addressed. Left utterly speechless, if only temporarily. He... What? Cute? Owner?!
That alone was nearly enough to have him pop a blood vessel, if he could, that is.
"...Can't a guy just enjoy his vacation?" Virus tried to sound as calm and casual as he could, yet the venom seeped through his tone nonetheless. Virus' maw pulled up in frustration, revealing quite the nasty set of pointed teeth.
"Well! Well, well well!! You're in luck, little man." He shouted in a lively tone, clapping his hands together as quite the malicious smirk formed on his maw. "Your hunch is very correct! Perhaps I am up to no good, after all."
Pressing a claw against the back of his neck, Virus cracked it to an absurdly loud degree. The red in his eyes seemed to grow more potent, briefly.
"You see, I'm going around planet-to-planet collecting the heads of loud-mouthed folks with white hair and pointed ears. What a coincidence...!"
Virus still felt rusty after the beating he'd received at the hands of Dai and Kowlin, but it was of little matter. He'd make quick work of this incessant pixie.
A nasty face usually paired well with a nasty demeanor, and it seemed this was no exception to the rule. This big fella was just furious. The ornery type that really fit the stereotype to the letter. His attempt at taunting was met with an awkward stare.
”Cool.”
His hand came up, and a bullet of Ki lazily jutted from his palm towards Virus’ face. The sharp speed might help it make its mark, but it’s lack of power left a lot to be desired. Whatever the case, it’d betray Erebos’ own intentions just a tad— to let off some steam.
Attack landed or not, the Oni would leap back, his hand reaching for his own back. He pulled at the shadow cast over him by a nearby plateau, bunching it up and lacing his fingers with the black. Having an excess of shadow on hand was important, especially this early on in a fight.
”How many heads do you have so far? Any good stories attached? I’m dying to know!”
It was a little hard to get a bead on the guy so far. All the taunting seemed a bit like bluster, but it was tough to tell without human features in the face.
Erebos’ stance was casual. Lazy and seemingly free of concern. How true that may have been was yet to be seen.
Used [Light] Lazy Slice (flavored as Lazy Blast) 20% Power = 12,800 Damage headed your way!
KP: 5/6 MP: 2/6 HP: 0/250 PL: 64,000
Resources: Dark Departure, Mimicry, Tactician, Sparking, Battle Armor, Blood Ruby, Destron Flask, Dyno Capsule Used Resources: N/A
An irritated scoff escaped Virus' maw as Erebos simply waved off his threats. Virus had little clue what exactly this Oni's problem was, but Virus wasn't having any of it. Were it any other situation, he would've indulged in the banter and potentially found some amusement in it. Sadly for Erebos, he caught Virus at a bad, bad time.
The idle blast of energy that careened towards him was met with an equal amount of passion. A dull flick of Virus' forearm completely nullfiied the blast, sending it hurtling toward a nearby cliff-face that stood in the distance.
As the Oni leapt back to prepare for battle, Virus responded in turn. He groaned in irritation, sinking into a combat stance that mimicked that of the Namekian Warriors to an almost perfect degree. Might as well indulge in the culture while he was here, no?
"I'm not in the mood, Shadow Boy."
Speaking of shadows, that was quite the strange technique, wasn't it? It hadn't escaped Virus' perception - His opponent was definitely manipulating the shadows around him to some degree. It wasn't often that Virus was faced with an opponent that he had no prior knowledge or experience with.
This was either going to be vaguely interesting, or incessantly frustrating. Virus was leaning toward the latter.
Keeping his guard high for any possible tricks, Virus engaged Erebos with a quick dash, hoping to close the distance quick enough to test him with quick, precise swipes of his claws.
Annoying as it was, Virus couldn't place all his chips onto one attack just yet - He had to figure out the full extent of this Oni's strange abilities, first.
Fizzling the Lazy Slice with a [Light]Rending Claw!
Erebos clicked his tongue as the bug dismissed his play. ”Aww come now. You started our banter. You try something too!”
Virus zoomed closer, and the Oni leaned this way and that to evade. Nothing fancy yet; no need for it in a simple exchange like this. Despite his apparent newness to the area, the bug was rather well versed in the Namekian battle culture. A concerning display for sure, but what could it mean?
Another blast came from the Shadowmancer, this one the tiniest bit more forceful than the last. It came at Virus from a low angle, aiming to blast through the chin and send him flying back!
The pull to get tricky was so alluring. So tempting it was to show off! But he had to treat this battle with respect. At least a little bit, anyways.
”Where’re you from? I’m from the Demon Realm, in case you couldn’t tell.” His head did a little wiggle, like he was trying to be proud of the heritage. ”Erebos. Erebos Herosbane to be exact. Always fun to meet someone new.”
There had to be some way to get a read on this guy before it meant being smacked in the jaw. For one, he was strong. For another, he was fast. That much was true of any fighter worth their salt, though…
Used [Light] Lazy Slice (flavored as Lazy Blast) 20% Power = 12,800 Damage headed your way!
KP: 4/6 MP: 4/6 HP: 0/250 PL: 64,000
Resources: Dark Departure, Mimicry, Tactician, Sparking, Battle Armor, Blood Ruby, Destron Flask, Dyno Capsule Used Resources: N/A
Virus' silent engagement had been evaded by the Shadowmancer with seemingly little effort. He'd gathered the attention of a fighter who was quick on his feet - Those dodgy types always were the most irritating to combat.
After Virus lashed out with a final open-handed swipe, he retracted the swing to pivot, twisting his hips to once again deflect the incoming blast with a quick flick of his forearm. He could tell these were mere 'tests', to try and coax something more out of Virus' arsenal that he could surely capitalize on. Virus wasn't going to take that bait.
Following the parry, Virus returned to a neutral posture and sunk back into his stance, casting an analytical glare toward the Oni.
"Not much of a surprise - Your energy frankly reeks of it...!" Virus responded with a brief snicker. "Erebos..." He'd remember that name, just like he did all his victims. The Shadowmancer was going to regret picking a fight with him.
"I am Virus. I'd return the pleasantries, but you caught me at a very bad time."
Virus never thought he'd be faced with a moment where he wasn't searching for trouble, but sure enough, Erebos managed to find him at that exact moment. The Biodroid groaned, baring his fangs once more.
"Let's make this quick."
Virus once again stepped from his position with a quick dash, the burst of speed enough to catch most people off-guard. Yet midway during his stride, Virus' wings unfurled from his back with a powerful beat, launching the Bio-Weapon further as he kicked off into a dangerously aggressive launch.
A flying knee was sent towards the Shadowmancer, followed by a fierce guillotine kick meant to slam him back towards, and into, the very Namekian soil beneath them.
"Ooooh~! Virus! That's a fun name! Who named you that? Momma or Papa?"
He snickered to himself, fingers crossing as a part of some somatic component or another for a spell. Things were getting intense fast, and he needed to start dishing out some techniques that actually meant something. This game of tennis was getting both of them nowhere.
Virus seemed to feel the same. Ramping up the tempo with a rather powerful strike, the bugling soared through the air on wings of... Well, wing. The flying knee was blocked by the Oni's forearms, but the kick that followed was too fast to evade! Erebos braced himself, snapping his finger in a panic.
The bio-android would find his kick would not make purchase. Soaring through the blackness where Erebos was standing, shifting the shadow he'd summoned in his place, but not damaging the caster itself.
Shortly after the spell's casting, Erebos leaped into action. His spell had swapped his and Virus' shadows, and in turn, swapped Erebos himself with his own shade. The triple-trade of locations meant he needed to escape the ground again, and he did so with a flourish.
Brandishing his blade, Erebos soared out of the ground with a rising uppercut, blade in hand. The goal was to slice across Virus' back (or chest, if he'd turned around by now), leaving a particularly nasty gash to ooze blood.
But this would be no ordinary wound. The blade, made of shadow itself, was laced in vitriolic energy, and as such made it hard to close up or staunch the flow. Virus, being a vicious beast, would probably be no stranger to such a deadly attack, and would surely have an idea in mind for retort.
Erebos had no quip this time. His senses were razor-focused. In truth, this attack was a ploy. Though it fully intended to do damage, he expected it to come up short. His true intention was to see how the thing responded. Its top speed would be at least teased with its reaction time, or at the least how sturdy it ended up being.
Erebos uses [UT] Shadow Art: Dark Dance to evade the Non-KP attack.
Used [Medium] Rend! 50% Power = 32,000 Damage headed your way! This has the Bleed Variant! If it deals 20% or more of Virus' PL in damage, he will take 10% damage for two turns!
KP: 0/6 MP: 6/6 HP: 0/250 PL: 64,000
Resources: Dark Departure, Mimicry, Tactician, Sparking, Battle Armor, Blood Ruby, Destron Flask, Dyno Capsule Used Resources: N/A
Virus refused to give a real answer to the Shadowmancer's incessant taunts. It was always the overconfident that had the urge to talk the ears off of others. Virus briefly pondered if it truly was arrogance, or a mere mask to hide his crippling anxiety. He desperately hoped for the latter.
The wild kick sliced through the air, meeting nothing as Erebos fell backwards into his own shadow. There was a moment of brief silence as Virus touched down onto the grass, displeasedly clicking his tongue against the roof of his maw.
Virus readied himself, somehow not appearing to be caught off-guard by the Shadowmancer's strange magic. Virus simply stood still in the silence, honing his senses as he waited for Erebos to strike.
"Oh, please." Virus responded with an uninterested moan, sensing Erebos as he dove from Virus' shadow to cleave his backside. The Bio-Weapon stepped to the side at the perfect moment, pivoting on his heel to catch Erebos with a fierce, spinning stomp aimed directly at his spine.
Whether the counter-attack landed or not, Virus would take a single step back and brandish his claws once more, scoffing audibly.
"How cute. Got anything else to showcase, or was that it?"
Virus spoke with a staggering amount of confidence; Almost as if he had some sort of prior knowledge of Erebos' strange magic. But how could that be? Was it truly possible for Virus to learn everything about a fighter from mere seconds? Perhaps the creature's reaction speed was simply that honed...?
The Bio-Weapon grinned, beckoning Erebos to engage him with a simple flick of the head, knowing that Erebos likely wasn't the type to resist such an urge.
Virus evades with a [Light]Hunter's Instincts at 60%! Virus counters with a non-kp stomp.
It wasn’t possible. Shadowmancy wasn’t one-of-a-kind, but even a seasoned fighter would’ve been caught off-guard by such an attack. Thinking up some kind of seat of your pants maneuver was exactly how a professional would do it, but this was… Different. It was as if the attack was child’s play to him. A simple and obvious ruse.
The attack from Virus slammed him across the expanse, pain echoing out of him as he winced from the combination of connecting limb and harsh landing.
Erebos’ body sunk into the floor where he lay, and a few moments later, he walked out of the side of a plateau. His gaze was sharp. Angry. A rare sight for anyone in the galaxy to earn.
”You cheated.”
His lips pursed. An expression of indignant sourness forced itself into his face. He brought his hand up to move stray hair from his face— another somatic element.
”I’m not an underground starlet here, but my name isn’t exactly tossed around in war rooms. Who told you about me?”
Instead of attacking head-on, he decided to take an alternative approach. As his hand came down from his face, the shadow of the pillar-like rock he stood in front of shuddered. Part of it tore away from the rest, peeling free from the floor and tearing across the air to attack Virus!
”I knew you’d dodge the strike. I planned for it, in fact. But that wasn’t a dodge. You knew my spell like I’d shown it to you before. That’s not possible.”
Jeez. Why was he getting so worked up? He’d faced plenty of smart foes before. This just felt off, though. Why? Why couldn’t he put his finger on it?
KP: 2/6 MP: 6/6 HP: 0/250 PL: 64,000
Resources: Dark Departure, Mimicry, Tactician, Sparking, Battle Armor, Blood Ruby, Destron Flask, Dyno Capsule Used Resources: N/A
Apr 6, 2024 1:21:15 GMT -5
Lottus: Friendly reminder for new folks to check the rules regarding art claims - AI Art is not accepted on Sparking for character sheets.
Apr 17, 2024 14:43:28 GMT -5
Lottus: Hey folks, got a new phone, but verification is preventing me from downloading Discord for now
Apr 17, 2024 14:43:57 GMT -5
Lottus: I won't be available until I get home from work!
Apr 17, 2024 14:44:58 GMT -5
Lottus: Feel free to dm me if needed!
Apr 17, 2024 21:13:47 GMT -5
Dingo: I'll post what you've said here up in the discord so it doesn't get missed!
Apr 18, 2024 19:19:20 GMT -5
Yakito: I am the #1 Tenrec hater (Striker will be struck)