Magma bubbled far, far below the edge of the valley, as Erebos hovered about. His eyes had a deathly serious look to them; a rarity for the nimble Shadowmancer, especially in this era of his life.
With the revelation given by Tsuya, as well as the continuously increasing popularity of attacking Namek by random passer-by’s, he was starting to get worried. It wasn’t like him to concern himself with the mortal worlds or their machinations, but here he was, pacing back and forth like a father waiting for news from the doctors about his newborn. Maybe that’s what he thought of himself as: a caretaker of Namek.
Or maybe he just liked the scenery.
Either way, he’d decided it high time to take living on Namek a tad more serious. And what better way to start then by extending his influence? It was an idea drawn out of a hat, truth be told, but the young Pankaa was a good lad with a rather brave heart, and folks like that would be invaluable in the coming days.
So, with a soft tap, he landed on the massive stone disc that bridged the valley, pacing back and forth with his feet instead of his cloud, and waited. His scarf billowed behind him as he circled the outer edge of the disc, waiting for his invitation to be accepted. If Pankaa showed, it’d be a sign of good things to come. If not? Well, getting some exercise in wouldn’t hurt, he supposed.
It hadn't been too long since the first meeting with that odd little Namekian, Shroom at the Castle Ruins but still the Avali found himself thinking back to it from time to time. If his older brother Nero hadn't been there how useful would Pankaa have even really been? It went better than the last time to two had shown up together to defend Namek sure but most other outcomes would've been better then that considering what had happened the first time. Was it just destined to happen again if Nero wasn't there to always help him?
He appreciated Nero's guidance and assistance even now even if he didn't show it very well in recent years but he also knew it wasn't something he should depend on either. Nero had other responsibilities and while Pankaa knew he could always count on him he wanted Nero to feel certain that he could count on Pankaa too.
That was why he would find himself pleasantly surprised when an invitation was sent his way by Erebos-- An old friend of the brothers by this point and one of the people who had shown up to protect Namek during that first fight too, Nero probably knew the Demon better but Pankaa still thought of him fondly as well. He didn't need much time to think on the invitation as he hopped on his Jack-O-Nimbus and took off in the direction of the First Scar, leaving a fluffy trail of orange behind him as the nimbus soared off into the green Namekian skies.
Hearing the lava bubbling down below let him know he was in the right place and sure enough he'd spot the white haired Prince pacing back and forth on the obsidian disc. Veering downwards on his Nimbus the Avali once close enough would glide on down the rest of the way with his wings that lined his under arms and would land somewhat clumsily beside the demon. The last time he could remember the two of them meeting up Pankaa had been much shorter and smaller and he could remember playing with a sort of toy the Oni had shaped with shadow, but he'd grown a lot since then and still seemed troubled by the incident at the ruins.
At the Avali’s arrival, Erebos suddenly grew deathly still, his dark cloak that had suddenly formed being the only movement on his person. It billowed in the whipping winds, and he turned away from the young alien. A sly smile found its way onto his face, but he hid it away. Now was the time for acting. For faux-villainy.
”Tell me, young Pankaa… Have you ever felt the terror of your heart skipping a beat? The unease of sweat dripping down your brow? The quickened pace of breath when adrenaline rushes, or the haunting sensation of your senses heightening in the heat of battle?”
With a sharp hiss of steel releasing from its sheath, a blade suddenly appeared in his hand. Erebos wheeled around on a heel, the sword shooting out like an arrow aimed to slice across Pankaa’s cheek.
Now facing Pankaa, it was clear his eyes held bloodlust. Practiced and false, of course, but Erebos was an excellent pretender, so the young bird hopefully wouldn’t notice just yet.
Another blade bubbled to life, formed from the long draping shadows that flowed from his cloak. ”Death comes in many forms, young Pankaa. Perhaps I can show you a taste of what waits for those who don’t prepare.”
In the back of his mind, he wondered if this might be too harsh. Would Pankaa think he was lame after this?
Too late to back out now, he supposed.
Erebos is (pretending) to be Bloodlusted!
[UT] Ki Control briefly used!
[Light] Lazy Slice used! 20% (reduced to 5% thanks to Ki Control) = 5,600 incoming damage!
Erebos got kinda odd once he'd landed, just what was he up to? Pankaa watched as a dark cloaked the demon had formed soon became the only thing about him that was still moving, his blue eyes narrowing as he watched it whip in the wind. Erebos who was usually much more open and talkative was suddenly very hard to read with his back to the teen.
What Pankaa was asked made him frown in confusion his head leaning to one side in a puzzled tilt as Erebos went on about the sensations of battle-- He'd felt some of those things truth be told like back during the fight when he'd been corrupted but why was Erebos bringing it up here? One of his ears would flick at the hiss of the demon's sword being drawn but the Avali really didn't expect any harm to come to him from Erebos even if he was acting a bit strange, or at least he didn't until he felt a sharp pain split across one of his cheeks, a shrill call of alarm and pain escaping from the Avali's throat as the blade met his feathers and flesh.
Pankaa would draw a clawed hand away from the spot on his face that Erebos had slashed finding his paw-like fingers to be covered in his pale violet Avali blood. His eyes would widen in shock and hurt as he looked to the Demon who had a bloodlust in his eyes that the young boy had never seen aimed at him before. He didn't have too much time to recoil from the pain right now though as Erebos seemed to be forming another blade to strike again with, threatening to show the boy a taste of what death was like for the unprepared. He felt stupid in a way for not having been prepared for the first swipe-- He had just helped dealt with the problem at the Castle Ruins and even still he wasn't prepared for anything on his own... He had felt what it was like to have your heart skip a beat in terror and the heightened senses that came from the heat of battle but even still he was afraid when standing on his own and Erebos was easily able to catch him off guard, did he trust too easily too now?
Erebos was much stronger than he was and that was something Pankaa could sense and though he was a friend he was also a wild card and it'd been a while since they last saw each other. His default thought solution was to call to Nero for help with telepathy but this in turn frustrated him! He could stand on his own two feet, he could stand his own ground! He could make Nero proud, maybe one day. "I-I have felt those things! All of them! Remember back at the Outer Plait?" He'd try to stand tall and puff out his chest feathers to show some confidence but doing so made his awful chest scar from being un-corrupted stand out and no longer hidden beneath the fluff, he tried not to let it deter him too much right now, he could cover it back over again later.
Pankaa's tail feathers would fan out like a peacocks to make him look twice his size as his ki built up to prepare to attack back if he had to, an attempt at looking fierce back was made alongside it too. He had felt all the things Erebos had mentioned but feeling them always brought him back to that day in the Outer Plait and the deep pit of fear he'd felt in his heart as a little kid at the time, rather then helping him in battles that came after, even now he felt the growing fear that gripped at his stomach at the possibility of a fight with Erebos even as he took up a fighting stance in response.
"I'm not scared to hit you back you know!" He'd lie. Or maybe he wasn't as scared to as he thought he was? He had no idea. Maybe it was time to find out!
"Yes yes, we fought a foolish little girl... And I distinctly recall how you faltered."
His expression went from cold to crazed, a cackle escaping him. Sadly, this wasn't something he was new to. Teasing and chaotic tendencies were in his blood. In another life, he might be more often like this on a day-to-day basis. It sure was a good thing for the folks of the galaxy that he liked living here.
"You rely on others. Squawk and chirp for help when you stumble. If I had tried to just now, you'd have been dead in a single blow! Lucky for you I like to savor my fights."
Erebos licked his blade, his tongue elongated by shadowy magics. His eyes narrowed, the pupils turning thin as paper, like a cat honing in on its prey. He was hungry alright, or at least he was damn good at acting like it. To Pankaa, this would surely feel like a battle for his life. "Shall I drop you in some unmarked grave at the edge of the plait, or will a lava burial do for you? Muahahahaha!"
Darting forward, the Shadowmancer practically danced across the distance between them, peppering the young Avali with short and rapid stabs across his body. They were attacks designed to be easy to dodge, but would take up a lot of attention.
From behind, the true attack began to bubble up. A shadowy image of Erebos peeled itself from the floor of the disc, attacking with a fierce rising knee! The strike would land squarely on Pankaa's back if it struck true, launching him skyward with brutal efficiency.
[UT] Ki Control briefly used!
[Light] Lazy Slice used as a rising knee from Erebos' shadow clone! 20% (reduced to 5% thanks to Ki Control) = 5,600 incoming damage!
Pankaa's four ears would flatten back against his head at Erebos pointing out how he had faltered back at the Outer Plait and addressing Phakk as just a foolish little girl. She hadn't been there alone though and two Shinjin capable of altering the terrain of such a large region is nothing to sneeze at, her corruption had been the cause of a lot of strife for Pankaa after that moment! But... Erebos was right, he had faltered at the time-- He'd been a kid at the time too yeah even younger than what he was now but still.
The Avali would give an annoyed snort when the Demon echoed some of his own thoughts though on that he relied too much on others. Erebos would know though as he was one of those people Pankaa had relied on in the past. He'd been trying to work away from that though, he really was! Training alone was hard though and he didn't get as much out of it in comparison to partnered training but asking for help was exactly what he was trying to avoid!
Putting his current thoughts aside for now though Erebos was being a little too strange here the more he thought on it-- He had seen what the Prince was like against people he was opposing even if Pankaa had been on the same side as him at the time. He was sure too that the Demon knew he could sense ki so the Avali could tell the power output behind Erebos' attacks and they were nothing like what he'd do to an opponent he was genuinely trying to harm...
As Erebos' eyes thinned like a cat honing in on prey Pankaa would take up a look and stance like that of a bird of prey that'd just found something to swoop down on and sink its talons into. He was scared but he had to be brave! Bravery was not the absence of fear afterall, it was about acting in spite of being afraid. "Ending where I started doesn't seem too bad, but I've still got things to do and people to stop from hurting Namek! It won't end here, not today"
When approached this time Pankaa was a little more ready though some of the rapid stabs would meet their mark he'd bring up his arms to shield himself using his wing feathers from the rest of them, channelling a light amount of ki into them to further their protection. Though still flattened his ears were still full at work too and though he wasn't as battle experienced as Erebos the Avali were a smart bunch and Pankaa was no exception to this, his back was arguably his most protected side too thanks to his trusty tail. So when the shadowy image of Erebos struck for him instinctively the large peacock-like tail would fan out to its full size with ki flowing through the feathers in time for Erebos' attack this time.
Meeting the feathers with the strike would instead be met with a much harder feeling then your usual feathers, much more akin to smacking straight into metal and not just that but the energy he'd built up in his tail remained afterwards as well! With his blue eyes glowing from the remaining energy Pankaa would refocus it back to his front in order to shoot the remaining power from a concentrated ki ball that'd formed in his palms afterwards, shooting the blue ball of energy straight for the real Erebos!
Word count: 588 (Total: 1,666) KP: 2/6 (-4, Tech) MP: 3/6 (+2, Post & Tech) DMG: 11/250%
Pankaa uses [Defence || Medium] Inner Peace: Rooster Return for 25,000 PL to protect himself against Erebos' Lazy Slice! Technique specs: 4 KP || 50% || Reflective
Rooster Return [25,000] VS Lazy Slice [5,600] Rooster Return wins! No damage taken and 29,400 PL in damage is reflected back Erebos' way! (25,000 - 5,600= 19,400 + 20% (10,000) = 29,400)
Current PL: 50,000 Resources: Extraterrestrial, Durability, Galaxy Brain, Tactician, Avenger
To say Erebos was proud would be an understatement. He had a small inkling of worry that Pankaa would genuinely give up, or if he DID stand up for himself, that perhaps he wouldn't have enough strength to withstand these attacks. But no, the little guy had some fight in him! That was really good, and it meant that perhaps Erebos wouldn't have to worry so much. If a little guy like Pankaa could defend himself, maybe these Super Saiyan guys weren't such a big deal after all.
But he had to stay in-character.
"Tch. Little brat!"
Erebos brought his arms up in a cross formation, blocking the incoming blast with raw force. The armguards cracked, and so too did his breastplate, but he was no worse for wear by the end of it. With a smirk, he shook his hands, wafting smoke from the points of impact.
"At least you've got something rattling around in that little noggin of yours. But I ought to stop holding back. Don't want you getting too confident, now do we?"
With a gentle toss, his sword clattered to the floor, sinking into the stone as if it were made of nothing. From there, Erebos placed both hands palm forward, and rose them to his forehead. Ki crackled in his hands, and he smirked.
"Maybe this one will look a little familiar... MASENKO-HA!"
A bright red light exuded from his eyes as he thrust his hands forward, sending a golden beam of Ki toward Pankaa! The blast was far, far more potent than the last attacks had been, and if the Avali wasn't careful, this one would really, really hurt!
Hit or miss, the blast would explode, clouding the arena with tons of smoke.
Seeing Erebos' armour crack from the power of his attack made the Avali give a hopeful smile, he landed a hit and got to see the results of it even if those results didn't result in his opponent being gravely injured after, a hit was a hit and he'd done it! This battle with Erebos was somehow helping with his fighting confidence even if it was only bit by bit for now and Pankaa himself hadn't fully noticed it.
The Demon was of course quick to recover from the impact though and opted now to stop holding back his power so much, Pankaa found himself trying to think on the why and why Erebos had been holding back so much up until this point in the first place? Was he actually trying not to hurt him or had he thought of Pankaa as just not worth his full effort? That sure ruffled his feathers to think about! He would prove him wrong if that was what he was thinking!
Having a lot rattling around in the noggin was an Avalis strong point! As well as a Namekians and luckily for Pankaa he was a bit of both where it mattered most. As Erebos dropped his sword Pankaa would flex his claws and the feathers on his arm wings, he knew what the Demon was going for next the moment he brought his hands towards his own forehead. The Masenko! He was of course familiar with it especially thanks to Nero's use of it. He also knew he probably didn't have enough power built up yet to completely do away with it and if he wanted a chance at hitting Erebos again he should probably keep his energy levels in mind!
He braced himself again as his mind whirled with what actions to take next, what moves would Erebos do next? Could he really defeat him? Well he had to try! As the golden beam of ki was sent streaking towards him Pankaa would cover his winged arms over his head and had turned to move but he wasn't fast enough! Erebos' hit would land and the blast would hit him right across the left side of his abdomen causing the Avali to give a shriek of pain as more of his pale violet blood would spill some even splattering the ground around him, he would live though and the attack wasn't as bad as it could've been-- Still it hurt like hell though!
"Did Nero teach you that one? You've got a lot of nerve using it here on Namek and against his own brother!" Pankaa would wince in pain and pull a hand away from the wound on his side as he looked around for Erebos after the attack but now there was tons of smoke surround him making his already poorer vision then most practically useless, so he'd close his eyes and listen instead. He still had some of Nero's blessings working on him from earlier but he could tell they were not as strong as when he'd used them to transform in a controlled state back when they faced Shroom at the Castle Ruins, could he risk trying to transform with this in mind? He might not have another choice against an opponent so powerful, he'd think on it for now though as he clutched at his injured side and listened for Erebos' next move, his four large ears twitching and swerving around for every sound that rang out around him, he could hear everything. Every graze of the dirt, every bubble in the lava around them, every drop of his own blood that hit the ground and every rock lightly kicked up from the ground. "Did you call me out here just to kill me Erebos?"
The strike landed true, but it seemed the little Avali was standing taller than expected. Bravery was hidden within those ruffled feathers. A good sign to be sure, and perhaps a sparkling sign of hope for the future. If this whole theory of rising Ki was true, then Pankaa was a prime candidate for it.
With all the smoke and debris in the air, Erebos sank into the disc, giggling capriciously as he did. "Perhaps I did bring you out here to murder you, little one. Perhaps after you're lifeless and limp, I'll toss your corpse at the foot of the great Nero." His voice came from below, but also above, and all around. He was a master Shadowmancer, after all. Hiding among smoke for him was like a drop of rain mingling with the ocean.
A mighty attack came from the smoke. Erebos sent out a flying knee strike, aimed right for Pankaa's chest! Whether the attack landed or not, however, the body would vanish, becoming shadowy mist and rejoining the cloud. Another Erebos clone would strike soon after, a quick right hook leveled toward the young birdfolk's jaw.
"I wonder what he'll think when he sees the horrified look etched onto your plucked corpse! Grief, maybe? So careless he was to let you roam. Maybe he should've kept you on a leash!"
One last strike, though this was one did not come from a mere clone. Erebos bubbled out of the floor behind Pankaa, performing a sweeping kick to knock his opponent to the ground, before following it up with a downward axe kick to split the poor kid's head open! Dodged or not, the force of the attack would leave a crack in the stone.
"I'll have to thank him for the cozy accommodations he provided. Now that I've rested so long, I've finally returned to my TRUE power!" Jeez. Maybe he was laying it on too thick. Oh well. No use holding back the drama now. "What should I rename Guru's home when I claim it? Badman Plateaue?"
Erebos uses [UT] Shadow Magic to send a barrage of attacks!
PL: 112,000
KP: 4/6 MP: 5/6 HP: 1/250
Items: Blood Ruby, Destron Flask, Dyno Capsule Resources: Life Leech, Curseweaver, Otherworld Training, Vampiric, Mimicry, Sparking USED Resources: Battle Armor
Erebos' voice rang out all around him and each time it did Pankaa would turn one ear towards that direction, Erebos could be all around him no doubt thanks to his shadowmancer abilities but Pankaa would be able to pick up on his direction no matter how much he hid. "So the mighty and powerful Prince Erebos had to lure little Pankaa out here just for that? Are you not strong enough to have done this anywhere? Or are you scared of Nero?" He snarled lightly though at hearing Nero be referred to as great. He could be great too! He just needed the chance to be! He would prove it one day.
The first attack from the smoke would meet Pankaa's chest making him gasp for air and grimace lightly-- That was where his big scar from being un-corrupted was but he couldn't let that slow him down right now-- He'd focus back and hear just in time for the second aiming for his jaw, ducking in time to dodge it before headbutting into the clone to make it disappear back into the smoke.
"Nero's too busy organizing wedding stuff with his Fiancé to keep an eye on me all the time..." --Oops that was supposed to be a secret that Nero and his partner were gonna tell people themselves over time and he was fairly sure that Nero hadn't told Erebos yet. Maybe it'd be enough to catch the Demon off guard too though? "I mean what-- You didn't hear anything"
Thankfully for Pankaa Erebos tried to come at him from behind again meaning his handy Avali tail was at the ready when an attempt to knock him over was made-- The Avali would quickly jump to tuck his legs up, his tail feathers fanning out again in an attempt to whack Erebos in the face before he fluttered out of the way as quickly as he could as Erebos' kick met the stone below leaving a nasty crack in his wake, good thing that missed! That would've left him with the nastiest headache ever and then some!
"What, being dramatic?" The teen would snort at Erebos saying he'd returned to his true power. But Pankaa could be dramatic too he'd learnt a thing or two about that from Erebos himself after all! At the mention of renaming Guru's home the Avali would finally let his power grow to the fuller potential he'd let it climb to back at the Castle Ruins with the help of Nero's blessings-- It wasn't as neat of a transform this time around of course since Nero's last blessing had been some time now but it also wasn't his fully uncontrolled 10ft monster form either, it was a kind of inbetween! His teeth sharpened like they usually would and he'd grow a little in size too, his feathers nearing the appearance of his monster-state of the transformation but he kept his control and his eyes wouldn't cloud over either. "Huh, I thought you woulda named it after yourself actually"
In keeping true to being dramatic though he'd make some moves of his own again! "You shouldn't talk about what you'll do yet though, you still have to get through me! --Then you'll have to get through Nero's Super Saiyan girlfriend after that" Pankaa's feathers would start to flutter and vibrate as he built up his ki again, his tail flaring out to an even fuller size as some of the feathers shot off towards Erebos now as sharp as throwing knives, many of these knife-like feathers would be shot off before the Avali quickly tapped two of his fingers on the same hand against his forehead then pointed them at the Demon and firing off an energy consisting of two beams, a light blue one alongside a gold one that twisted around the first as it soared towards its target.
"You know, I'll get into a lot less trouble with Nero for hurting you then you will for hurting me heheh" Was that a little mimic of Erebos' 'evil' laugh from before? Yes, yes it was.
Word count: 683 (Total: 2,988) KP: 0/6 (-4 for techs) MP: 0/6 (-5 for Second Wind) DMG: 15/250% (Healed up 50%)
Pankaa transforms into a (mostly) controlled version of his transformation Raptali (x4) putting his PL at 200,000! He uses all of his MP towards Second Wind healing himself of 50% damage taking him back to only 15% in damage total.
Pankaa then uses Galaxy Brain in order to use three standard offensive techniques in a single turn!
1. Pankaa uses [Offensive || Light] Mini Makankōsappō for 40,000 PL in damage headed for Erebos! Technique specs: 2 KP || 20% || Piercing (+ the Disappointment Sparking Variant using the Extraterrestrial Trait)
2. Pankaa uses [Offensive || Light] Sebright Might for 40,000 PL in damage headed for Erebos! Technique specs: 1 KP || 20% || (+ the Back-Up Plan Sparking Variant using the Extraterrestrial Trait)
3. Pankaa uses [Offensive || Light] Sebright Might for 40,000 PL in damage headed for Erebos! Technique specs: 1 KP || 20% || (+the Homing Standard Variant using the Tactician Trait)
Not the battle. No, not by a long shot. What he was losing was his ability to keep up the façade. For the briefest set of moments, he was able to keep it up, but it was clear he'd suddenly gotten very quiet. No more quips or evil laughs. Just vicious determination. Grim and serious, he tried his best not to squeal in happiness at the news that Nero was not only chatting up a Super Saiyan (whatever that was), but also getting married?!
His power erupted in the blink of an eye, and with the growth came further focus. His pupils turned from gold to an ominous red, and from the disc came a pair of Erebos shadow clones. They danced in unison, deflecting the incoming strikes with an inhuman grace. This was only a taste of his true power, and despite the fact that his façade was breaking, it was a sample of just how terrifying Erebos could really be when he began to try.
"Damn..."
The trio moved in, mere moments after knocked away the trio of beams, and advanced on Pankaa. Erebos loosed a powerful palm-strike, aimed to knock the Avali off-balance, whilst one of the clones leaped in from above to rain down a barrage of shadow-infused energy bullets. The third and final clone sank into the floor, leaping from below with a rising uppercut to send Pankaa off the ground and up into the incoming barrage of bullets!
Shortly after, Erebos backflipped away, panting.
"You really, REALLY... RUINED MY WHOLE THING!"
With a rough shove, he released a Kiai, dispelling any smoke or fog or spooky atmosphere he had left behind from that three-man assault. Huffing angrily, he crouched down near the edge of the disc, twirling his finger in a circle around the edge of the disc with a huge pout on his face.
"I can't pretend to be evil when you tell me Nero is getting married, dude. You KNOW I like parties, and you do that? C'mon."
MOMENTUM BOOST! +x2 form boost for 4 MP! Current PL: 336,000!
[CORE] Otherworld Training used! Three offensive techniques can be used this turn!
[Light] Lazy Slice used! 20% Power = 67,200 damage! Slice vs Mini Makankōsappō = Slice wins! Bleedthrough = 33,600 (enhanced to 50% of total damage due to clash rules. Original bleedthrough was 27,200)
[Light] Lazy Slice used! 20% Power = 67,200 damage! Slice vs Sebright Might = Slice wins! Bleedthrough = 33,600 (enhanced to 50% of total damage due to clash rules. Original bleedthrough was 27,200)
[Light] Lazy Slice used! 20% Power = 67,200 damage! Slice vs Sebright Might = Slice wins! Bleedthrough = 33,600 (enhanced to 50% of total damage due to clash rules. Original bleedthrough was 27,200)
PL: 112,000
KP: 1/6 MP: 1/6 HP: 1/250
Items: Blood Ruby, Destron Flask, Dyno Capsule Resources: Life Leech, Curseweaver, Otherworld Training (1/2), Vampiric, Mimicry, Sparking USED Resources: Battle Armor, Otherworld Training (1/2)
Watching Erebos' shadow clones dance to deflect his oncoming attacks made Pankaa let out an exhausted sigh-- He didn't have much energy left to spare now after the three attacks all one after the other and he needed to let himself recharge up more ki before being able to attack back again or defend himself properly. It did solidify though that Erebos was much stronger then he was and he really needed to train harder, he could tell they had quite the gap in terms of strength already but seeing just how much even his strongest efforts could be swatted away by the Demon really drove it home and Erebos was hardly even trying!
Erebos' palm-strike would knock Pankaa off-balance and he'd flail his arms out in an attempt to regain it only for one of the Demons' clones to rain down a barrage of attacks from above, Pankaa would attempt to shield his head with his arm wings again only to then be uppercut and sent straight up off the ground by the second clone! Which sent him straight into the attack of the first clone-- He didn't have enough in his tank at the moment to counter Erebos' attack any further then he already had so he'd have to deal with the outcome of this one. He'd grunt at being hit with the uppercut and let out a pained wheeze of a sigh after being peppered by the energy bullets and returning to the ground with a soft thud afterwards, landing near face first.
By the time he was back on the ground though Erebos had backflipped away and was soon shouting about how the Avali had ruined his whole thing. Pankaa would shakily lift his head up and blow some of his now crumpled top feathers out of his face as he looked over to the Demon, what was he wafflin' on about now? He'd even gotten rid of all the atmosphere made in the wake of his previous attacks too. The Avali would attempt to push himself back up to his feet as Erebos plopped down at the edge of the disc and pouted, attempting to the best of his ability to fix his crumpled feathers, smoothing them back into their original spots especially his ones that acted as hair.
"Man you really messed up my hair feathers! Mum's going to COOK me when I get home, what'd you go and do all that for!? Do you know how hard these are to style right?" His favourite sash was partially torn up too from the scuffle... But he'd look into fixing that up when he was home, hell maybe it'd work better as a scarf instead that way. Seems his slip up on mentioning that Nero was getting married had been what threw off Erebos' groove though afterall and though Pankaa was still annoyed he'd also find himself highly amused too at the pouty look and all because he'd made Erebos break character on pretending to be evil.
"I thought you already knew! Dude, Nero's gonna kill me for telling, you can't tell him I told you!" Wait-- Why was Erebos even pretending to be evil in the first place? "Why were you pretending to be evil in the first place?? Those attacks sure weren't pretend!" He'd give a grumble and rub one of the injured spots on one of his arms as he rested down on the disc nearby to Erebos.
Word count: 576 (Total: 3,564) KP: 3/6 (+1 for Disappointment, +2 from no KP spent) MP: 1/6 (+1 for Post) DMG: 46/250% (+31% damage)
Pankaa's 'Back-Up Plan' Variant from the last turn activates to generate a sustained 20% (40,000 PL) Defensive for himself. Which protects him against the first technique and part of the second!
(40,000 - 33,600 = 6,400) (33,600 - 6,400= 27,200 remaining of the second technique)
Pankaa takes 14% damage and 17% damage from the remaining techniques! Resulting in 31% damage taken this turn.
Erebos shook his head, a slightly vacant expression as Pankaa approached. How annoying. How lame. Why was he such a bad actor? Whatever. Surely Pankaa knew all along. Why else would he spill the beans so casually? Nero getting married was a big deal; not exactly the kind of thing you brag about to a supposed enemy. If nothing else, this proved that the Shadowmancer needed some serious acting lessons.
"I... I was trying to train you, I guess."
A thumb came up to scratch his nose idly. Not from his own hand, but rather a wisp of shadow from his neck. "I've been seeing some serious stuff out there, buddy. Big bad guys who can put on the pressure quick, and they don't like joking around or taking it easy."
His eyes trailed up toward the sky, his head leaning up to continue watching a particular cloud that had begun to roll by. Fat and gray, it brought with it a thick smattering of rain. Somewhere out there, a farmer was about to be very happy.
"I figured if I pretended to be evil, I could get a gauge on how tough you were. If me or Nero aren't around, I wanna make sure you won't get clobbered by some beastie."
"Oh" Pankaa seemed to pause in his attempts to fix his feathers back down once Erebos pointed out that he'd been trying to train him. The Avali had been wanting more training especially from more people than just his older brother or immediate circle of family and Erebos was a strong and clever fighter, that much he was sure of since he'd seen the Demon in action before now too. It'd be an honour to be trained by him honestly! Had Pankaa just totally ruined his chance to be?
With his ears flattening back he'd rub a sore spot with one arm again as he listened to Erebos as he explained how he'd been seeing serious stuff and bad guys who didn't joke around either. It sounded as though the demon had been around to some of the other planets then and ran into other dangers then just the ones that came to Namek from time to time. "It sounds like you have a lot of stories to tell" That was maybe a bit of a hopeful and childish way to look at it but it probably was also true, he wasn't not taking what was being said seriously either though, he'd been hurt before by the big bad guys and he knew that there'd be more of them to come too, beyond just Phakk and beyond Shroom too.
Pankaa kept his eyes down and his ears flicking occasionally at the bubbling of lava nearby them. Erebos echoed a concern of his too that'd been rattling around on his mind for a while now, he knew training would benefit him a lot but Nero was also fairly busy especially nowadays and at his age Pankaa wasn't really great at asking for help from his older brother like he used to be when he was younger. "Well you don't have to pretend being evil to train me right?" He tried not to sound too eager to learn under Erebos' guidance even if it was just for a little bit. "Hey maybe you could teach me some of the moves you used jus' before even!" His ears perked back up at the idea and he seemed a lot less bothered about his crumpled feathers now too.
"I really wanna learn some new things! Especially with Nero so occupied at the moment..." He grumbled the last part trying not to sound as bothered by it as he actually felt-- He knew why his older brother was busy and he was happy for him but at least to Pankaa it felt like Nero wasn't as around as he used to be and he sometimes wished he could go back to when they were younger and just playing dumb little games around the house and yard with one another.
Pankaa was right, though. Training could easily be done without the ruse. Hell, it’d be a lot easier all things considered. Being able to impart some actual knowledge rather than just making sure the kid’s muscles were limber.
It took him a moment, but with a hop to his feet, Erebos was bright and beaming again. Smiling wide, he ruffled Pankaa’s… Hair? Feather plume? Whatever it was, he ruffled it nice and good, making sure to sprinkle in a few shadowy motes that, in a few hours, would sprout into scary faces and run off to return to the shadows.
”If you’re really serious about training, I can teach you some stuff. I know some okay martial arts, and I’ve been using a sword pretty much my whole life. Oh, and I have the whole shadow thing.”
He wiggled his fingers, turning the digits into gooey strands that transformed. Each one represented a different version of Pankaa: one wielding a mighty great sword, one eye scarred and a cape billowing behind him. The other, a stoic warrior, bandana wrapped around their forehead. The final one, however, was merely Pankaa, with a hood drawn, their eyes a bloody red.
”I’m not the best at teaching, but there’s no better way to learn than to do, right?”