Literally Snails

And again she doesn't strike. Does she think she's being smart by always deferring the initiative to me? Rokata narrowed his eyes at Jade. He stepped to the side, cautiously circling his way to the middle of the arena. @Canteen_the_unstable @Dynamo Pad @dragon4111 @reader8363 @DwhitetheGamer His presence was felt by the weaker fans in the audience, making their hearts race and pores sweat like they were suddenly struck with fever. Even the stronger onlookers like the members of Teams Tatterhoof, lockdown, and Crimos could feel an effect, making them feel hot and as if the air around them was too heavy to comfortably breathe. Quill clenched her chest and fell to her knees. There's something missing from Jade. Something in her eyes that isn't there. Perhaps she needs to lose some of her control. I can do that. Rokata smiled and flexed one of his massive claw, looking at his own muscles with fascination. This form was something even he rarely got to see. This was only the second time he'd seen his full power. "When I take on this form, I become something of a different person, Jade," He said with a devious smile. Quill got back on her hooves with the help of Shining Armor. "There's something about that body," she said, looking at Rokata. "I need to get to my notes!" "I really am quite ruthless in this form. I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want!" Rokata pointed an open palm at Jade's teammates and fired a powerful blast of demonic energy that impacted the ground beside them. Quill was about to run toward the direction of the exit, right in the path of the blast, but Shining Armor pulled her back. The dividing wall behind them collapsed into a massive pile of rubble, and entire section of the stands collapsed and a huge fissure split through the stadium all the way to the ceiling. Even though it wasn't a direct hit, Shining Armor's shield disintegrated like tissue paper in water. Shrapnel from the destroyed stands flew out at them, causing minor cuts and bruises, but no serious injuries. Shining Armor and Quill were closest to the explosion, and were blown back against the wall. With her teammates weakened by their own fights, a direct hit from that could have killed them. Rokata looked at Jade and turned his claw slightly to the left, readjusting his aim. "I wonder if I'll... miss next time?"

@Dynamo Pad@reader8363@DwhitetheGamer @Canteen_the_unstable @dragon4111 Rokata's body transformed, obscured by the bright lights around him. His silhouette could be seen standing upright and jerking left and right as massive, muscular additions grew to his body. His hind hooves stretched out upright, his pelvis contorting to allow him to stand bipedal, and his hooves grew wide enough to balance his entire body. His shoulders broadened like armored pauldrons, pointed skyward at the tips. His body became muscular and monstrous like a minotaur, covered in pronounced veins and leathery skin. A pair of massive, feathered, gryphon wings grew from his back, bursting through the skin. His head went through the most dramatic change. His snout changed into something resembling a fleshy beak with sharp gnarled fangs that stretched past his lips. Horns grew from his skull, pointed backward like tusks. Rail dropped his lighter, standing in awe at what Rokata had transformed into. "So that's what he's been this whole time? It's more than I ever could have hoped for." Rokata's beady eyes scanned the ring. One of his ears twitched in the direction she was coming from. She was aiming for his head from the right side. She thinks too much. Makes her predictable. He stretched out his hoof and grabbed the flaming hoof, redirecting her momentum forward before pulling her back and causing whiplash. The flames around her hoof spread down his arm, singing and cracking the skin on his claw, but he didn't react to the pain. "Are we going to have to do this again?" he asked. He squeezed her hoof hard enough to crush the bone in her foreleg. Then he tossed her back and looked at his claw where he blocked her hoof. There was a bit of purple blood traveling down his wrist, and his fingers were clearly broken, but those wounds healed in seconds. "Do you really constantly need other ponies to show you your own potential?"

@Dynamo Pad@reader8363@DwhitetheGamer @Canteen_the_unstable @dragon4111 Rokata cocked his head and took a step forward. The few audience members who were still near him stepped back. Even they could sense the unease in the air. "Finally, Jade Lotus, you've done as I've asked," he said. His red aura swirled around him, raising high into the sky like a bonfire, sending out blazing lights. A sound accompanied his ghostly aura that sounded like distant moans of long forgotten souls, nothing like the loud, booming ringing that usually accompanied that size of aura. "I've waited too long for this, but finally my patience is rewarded." He stood up on his hind haunches, lifting his arms and spreading both his claws. Jade could hear the sound of snapping joints and straining skin as veins appeared across his body along the lines of his purple tattoos. "I want you to watch this very closely, Jade Lotus. See the power your teacher hid from you!" He shouted. His aura shot straight into the sky like a beacon of light. For a moment, the dreary, cloudy day was bathed in sunlight as his aura burst through the overhanging ceiling and shot a hole through the clouds. "RAAAAAAAAAH!" The pillar of light disappeared, leaving Rokata without a visible aura for a moment. That didn't last long as his aura exploded again, creating enough force to push back anyone near him merely by being in its presence during the explosive expansion. That included Topaz, who fell on her back near one of the dividing walls.

Rokata didn't seem to be trying anything. He was just taking the hits. His blocking became less and less effective until Jade found herself wailing on an enemy that didn't defend himself. She could feel cracking bones with some of her best landing strikes. After one strong strike, he flew into the dividing wall between the stands, causing a massive section to collapse like it was hit with a wrecking ball. The audience nearby cleared away as Rokata was covered in rubble. Only one of Rokata's hooves was sticking out. "She got him!" Shining Armor declared, but he seemed to choke up at the end as an uneasy feeling washed over the team. It felt like some sinister presence was growing. Rokata's hoof twitched. The rubble ontop of him rolled off, creating hollow clinks and crumbling sounds. His body rose from the rubble, covered in white dust. His legs were mangled and he even looked a bit smaller, but there was a tepid smile on his face.

I'll post tomorrow

@DwhitetheGamer @Canteen_the_unstable @Unicorncob @dragon4111 @reader8363 @Dynamo Pad I need to explain the slow posting to you guys. We're really close to the end right now and things should be wrapping up, but I've gotten very depressed lately. It's hard for me to do much of anything which is why I haven't posted as much as I used to.

Rokata retaliated with an under hoofed sweep to her chest during his window of opportunity, but he had to cut back on the force of his strike in order to quickly defend against Jades next flurry of blows. Jade seemed to be in total control of the fight, forcing him back and pushing him into total defensiveness. He blocked with both hooves, but most of her strikes still landed. Despite her clear advantage, however, there was a cold look in Rokata's eyes, like he wasn't actually losing.

With the cuffs gone, it felt like Jade could do more than simply match Rokata. She swung at him faster than he could make a move, landing a solid blow to his chest that made him stumble back, She could feel the solid force of the strike and even left bruising on his chest.

Rokata watched her turn around his attack, impressed with her graceful technique. She has talent. That gives her a right to be proud. But graceful technique alone is not going to save her in this fight. He reached out with his right claw and stopped the orb from moving closer. With a primal grunt and gritted teeth, he redirected the blast downward, creating an explosion of light and dust in the ground in front of him. Then he dashed to the right, sidestepping the crater to close the distance between him and Jade and swinging at her with a powerful kick.

I mean, it might be safer for you to head out, but there is no longer a ring, so anywhere you go is potentially the battleground. So no, you don't have to leave.

Hey guys. Sorry I havent posted in a while. I havent been home since yesterday morning and dont have access to my computer. Just phone.

"No more games, Jade," Rokata demanded, widening his stance while extending a claw with his digits curled into a fist. "Come at me with all you have. I want to see it." He opened his claw, and with a simple flex of his muscles, sent out a sphere of destructive red energy that shot out at Jade like a cannon ball.

Shining Armor kept his eyes on Jade while Dynamo spoke to him. "Well, maybe those cuffs have something to do with why she cant hurt him? They look familiar..." @Canteen_the_unstable The pulse passed through the crowd, drawing silence from the typically rowdy crowd calling for blood. "Now that's showmanship..." Tatterhoof said. "It's not just like you can feel her from here. It's like she's all about at once!" Said Cumulus. "Its a good thing I fought her before she got the superpowers..." @dragon4111 "She's already stronger than I ever thought a regular pony could be..." said Dai, planting her hooves in the ground to keep herself from blowing back. Rokata glared at Jade with his brow set. "I should have expected she'd give you her cuffs." He said, "But I never would have expected you to be so arrogant. Did you really think you could defeat me wearing those?"

@reader8363 @dragon4111 @Dynamo Pad @DwhitetheGamer @Canteen_the_unstable Jade really had hit him hard enough to throw him off his balance, and that opened him up for her next strike, which was hopefully her finisher. Her firey aura brightened in hue to a more yellow tint at the moment of impact, the explosive force of her strike blew apart the adjacent divider wall. Rokata rotated to his back from the force of the impact, and the ground beneath him became a crater. What was left of the ring was completely destroyed. Only chunks of segmented concrete remained scattered around. Even a large swath of the stands was obliterated. Though most of the rowdy fans had cleared out when they saw Jade's attack coming. Topaz peeked her head out from behind a pillar of rubble, looking at the two combatants. Then she looked at the destroyed earth where the ring used to be. "I... guess they're both out of the ring now, but it's not like they can get back in." Rokata lay with his eyes closed. Some dirt and debris covered his chest, and for a while he seemed to be unconscious, until he spread his wings, shaking some of the dust off his body. He raised a claw and grabbed the ground, pulling himself back on his hooves. As the dust fell from his body, Jade saw that she hadn't even scratched his body. There was no bruising or bleeding. It's like he was a machine, and all she did was force a short reboot. "Is that really all you can do?" He asked with a tone of disgust and disappointment. "There must have been nothing left of Tricis, if that's all she was able to give you." "This stallion... he really is invincible, isn't he?" Quill asked. "Don't say that!" Shining Armor ordered. "Even if you think it's true, I don't need to hear it right now." "I was expecting to be able to fight you with everything I have, but you've sorely disappointed me," Rokata said to Jade. "I wont need to use my true power to fight you. I can finish this as I am."