Literally Snails

On 4/20/2020 at 6:50 AM, Unicorncob said:

Her heart stopped when she saw Rokata's raised claws, Draco impailed on them, limp and lifeless.

No. No no no. No no no no no no no no no no no.

Images flashed in her brain. Tricis in her bed. Bodies laying defeated in Rokata's wake as this monster stamped across the world. Her home laying in ruins and everyone she ever knew slaughtered.

A single tear hissed into steam on her cheek. She stopped thinking. She couldn't think anymore. She was too angry.

@Dynamo Pad @Canteen_the_unstable @reader8363 @dragon4111

"Isn't that anticlimactic?" Rokata asked. His tone was one of mocking condescension. Despite the respect he'd shown for the dead in previous fights, he seemed to be a totally different person. Draco was laying at his feet, looking to be totally lifeless. Rokata was a professional killer, and if he wanted to pierce Draco's vital organs with an attack like that, he could. He didn't. Draco's heart was still beating, but his breath was so shallow, he appeared dead. "You were just getting to know each other, and now he's dead. He couldn't even break my skin with the last attack of his life."

Rokata pulled his left foot back and kicked Draco's body, sending it tumbling away with a brutal bluntness to the way his body spun and twisted on the ground.

"You monster!" Dai cried.

"At least you were there this time. Isn't this how your other teammate died? And Tricis? All without you even being there to help them? You can't defend the things you love. By choosing weakness, you've chosen a life of loss and pain." A smile crept across his face. The beak of his mouth couldn't articulate, but the flesh surrounding his cheeks curled back to show his teeth. "But you wont have to live with that for much longer."

Rail let out a chuckle and tilted his head down to take another drag of his last cigarette. For him, things seemed to fall right into place, exactly as he'd planned.

Rokata stepped closer to Jade, watching the change in her eyes with a curious demeanor. He looked at Copper Strikes briefly, seeing that he might be the next to attack him, then he turned back to Jade. "Are you understanding me now? Or do I have to kill another one of y-"

On 4/20/2020 at 6:50 AM, Unicorncob said:

The next thing she knew, she was right in Rokata's face, wildly swinging lefts and rights square in his jaw and screaming with a primal fury nopony had ever seen from her. No techniques, no strategy, no rhyme or reason. Just raw, emotional aggression.

Was it working? Did Rokata even feel it? She didn't care. The apathy from this monster, his mocking her no matter how hard she tried, his callous slaughtering of innocents. Everything she had seen in this infernal place. All of her trying to keep herself together, and she had finally had too much.

Rokata staggered back at Jade's presence when she appeared before him in the blink of an eye. He threw his arms up in an X formation to block as her blade came crashing at his chest. His footing was firm, but she was able to knock him back! He skid along the dirt from the explosive force of the blast, forcing him away from the others and back to the center of the ring.

Blood poured from his arms, and the gashes were so deep that it was slow to heal. He bent his knees and jumped back, breaking the momentum of the pushback before Jade could attack him again. While in the air, he uncrossed his arms and shot out a burst of purple energy where Jade was standing. Where the strike impacted the ground, it would create an explosion strong enough to bathe the stadium in white and deepen the crater in the ground.

1 minute ago, DwhitetheGamer said:

Well what am I supposed to do, then?  How does this fight have a happy ending?

Jade hasn't lost yet

2 minutes ago, DwhitetheGamer said:

@Literally Snails @Unicorncob @reader8363 @Dynamo Pad I hope you all understand what I have to do.  If Rokata can't be damaged normally like shown, then Copper is gonna have to blow up... literally.  As in blow up and make sure nothing remains of Rokata.

He will survive the blast, but he'll be hanging by a thread.

This is is kind of Unicorncob's fight, you know? I understand wanting to get involved but you can't do that.

12 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

"Yes, we--"

Jade vanished again, blinding speed leaving her invisible to the naked eye. The next thing Rokata would feel is a sudden, seering pain in the chest, enough to at least fracture ribs.

"--will."

She unleashed an onslaught of explosive strikes, pulses of pure energy striking Rokata in every possible area. Like a very violent fly looking to destroy his skeleton.

18 hours ago, dragon4111 said:

@Dynamo Pad@Literally Snails

Draco took those three head on and ordered Dynamo "Stand down now. Only one of us needs to die. You have much more to live for," He slid back quite a few a ways. But he pressed on. "You know I had hoped you would have won this without my intervention," Draco said sadly towards as he came speeding at Rokata.

Blocked the first two strikes from Jade, and as he pushed the broadside of her blade with the second strike, he was able to throw her momentum off long enough to turn his attention to Draco, who was slowly advancing. Jade swung at him again, continuing her flurry, but this time, Rokata didn't block. Her blade hit the thick hide on his shoulder, clanging against the gnarled horns that covered his flesh like spiked armor. Chips of bone flew off, singed by the flaming aura, but her strikes weren't even drawing blood. She swung again, hitting him in the back, this time drawing a thin spray of purple blood. Her strikes weren't slowing him down, however, and he started walking toward Draco while he did the same. "Maybe this one will offer what I need." He said as Jade struck him across the chest, once again failing to pierce his hide. It was like he was covered in flexible titanium.

Jade was helpless still, but how could that be? She'd done everything he asked. She'd done everything Tricis asked. This wasn't how this story was supposed to go. Now was the time that her sudden power-up would save the day- prove the bad guy wrong. How could it still not be enough?

12 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

At one point, Jade drew her sword, and the dragon drew its own at the same time. A blazing dao filled the air arond the arena, and it swung toward Rokata with enough force to cleave bone.

"I wonder if you'll heal from this."

That last strike was enough to get Rokata's attention, if only for a moment. He pushed himself closer to Jade so that her real blade would hit him before that of the spectral dragon, and he held out his left claw with an open palm. The blade hit his hand and he gripped it tight, blood trickling down his wrist. When he stopped her blade, the dragon was held in place as well. He squeezed the blade and looked Jade in the eyes.

"You can't reach your own power. Not by yourself. Or maybe you are this weak," He said. He pulled her blade down, either disarming her or forcing her off balance. Then he pushed her away with an elbow to the chest. "In this game, when you fail to become as strong as you need to, you lose the luxury of getting what you want." It sounded like something Tricis had told her, but his tone was cruel and sinister.

18 hours ago, dragon4111 said:

"Come ooon beast here I am," Draco said as he  send some of his remaining energy into this one strike. "Make it good because unlike Jade there I'm not holding back this Angel's Mercy!" Draco stated as he sent an attack at Rokata's midsection a hard punch with his only front hoof. Upon the wind there was a whisper to his team ' I offer thee this silent sacrifice'

"DRACO STOP!" Dai cried, she stepped away from the safety of the group and ran at Draco with Dynamo, but they were both too late to stop his charge.

With Jade pushed away, Rokata was free to deal with Draco just in time for him to start his charge. He widened his stance, getting a strong base like a bull ready to charge. In the moment before Draco hit him, Rokata punched the earth beneath them, shooting up a small dust storm on a shockwave of explosive energy.

The sound of the impact followed. there was a roar from Rokata and the sound of a blade piercing flesh. The dust cleared as quickly as it appeared, and Rokata was  still standing with a deep, blackened gash across his chest. His right arm was raised in the air with the digits of his claw pulled together into a single point, stuck deep into Draco's chest, who was impaled on Rokata's claw. The digits sunk in deep bellow his ribcage, just shy of poking out through the other side.

"How tragic," Rokata said. He knelt with Draco still on his claw and let him gently slide off onto the ground. His wound began to heal. "None of you could even stop me. I wonder how that feels."

On 4/17/2020 at 10:14 PM, dragon4111 said:

@Literally Snails

Draco clicked his tongue and he began to walk forward. "Oi Jade!" Draco yelled out. "Seems you can't handle this fight eh?" Draco asked as he walked forward one step at the time. He knew he was no match for Rokata. But this? Pathetic. "Come on Rokata let's go," he stated as he walked towards Rokata. Fires of determination in his one eye.

16 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

"Back away. Now."

After Jade warned Draco to back away, Rokata flexed both his wrists and shot Draco back with three unseen projectiles. Whatever that attack was, he could only do it in this demon form, and it was nearly impossible to dodge.

"Yes, I suggest you all stay away." Rokata said, he looked at the other members of Team Lotus, and at some of the audience members who seemed ready to storm the ring to try and take him down. "Jade and I can get temperamental in the heat of battle."

Rokata lowered his claw. On second thought, he regretted pushing Draco back. If the merc chose to attack him again, Rokata would have a use for him. Though the idea was a bit distasteful, even for him.

23 hours ago, DwhitetheGamer said:

"You're an absolute dumbass, Rokata."

Copper's voice echoed throughout the arena, with authority and clarity.  He stood on his hind hooves as he continued speaking, defiantly even.  "You used to be a pony, yes, but look at yourself now.  You've become nothing but a puppet to a corporate entity who isn't even as powerful as you are!  All this shows out of you is that you're the weakest pony in this ENTIRE stadium!"  He put a heavy emphasis on "Entire" just to make sure Rokata heard.  "You're far, FAR weaker than even the spectators in this crowd, and no matter how much power you flex, you cannot deny the truth.  You've become a side-show, a gimmick, a mockery of who you were.  You were taken advantage of because of your own stupidity... and I bet that you will be left for DEAD as soon as Rail gets his way.  Is that what you want?"

He let the words hang for a long period of time, just to see how Rokata would react.

Rail was the one to react to Copper's words instead of Rokata, and he seemed almost flattered. "Take a look at these two fighters right now and ask yourself if I could manipulate them if I tried," Rail said. "I've laid my cards down, it's true, but Rokata is playing with his own hand and I assure you, he's doing exactly what he wants." He took the last cigarette out of his pack and lit it, looking back at Jade and Rokata. "Besides, in this playing field, they're both smarter than each of us."

18 hours ago, Dynamo Pad said:

He quickly turned back to see Jade had landed a kick to Rokata's stomach. All the while, an explosive force that had destroyed the concrete barrier behind Rokata. The gamer pony began to grow concerned as the damage Rokata had received had begun to heal instantly. "Even with that kind of power, he's still able to heal that easily. I just wonder if there's a limit on how much damage he can heal. If there's a way for Jade to deal enough damage that can't be healed, then she's got this."

"But she would have to deal that damage all at once if she wants to counteract his healing," Quill elaborated, "And by my projections, she can't do that."

"Geez, don't sound too confident in her. You'll jinx the whole thing," Shining Armor said. His words were sarcastic, but his tone betrayed a hint of nervousness.

18 hours ago, Dynamo Pad said:

As Rokata threw Jade into the dirt, Dynamo watched as Draco and Copper had tried to stand against Rokata. He knew he was no match for the towering Pegasus, but he knew he had to help his captain. "Are you sure you're not talking about yourself, Rokata? You wasted in reaching those same heights because you willingly gave up that humanity. You accepted the power of a yokai to gain this kind of power. It's not even yours and yet...you took the easy way out. A sort of shortcut to strength so nobody can stand again you. That's not what true strength is." Dynamo closed his eyes to concentrate as he summoned his key shaped blade, once more. He had gained some magic back, but he knew his power wouldn't last. "What makes you have any right to judge us when you, yourself, were or still are a pony? What made you want to even accept the power of a yokai so willingly in the first place?" He would ask, before looking towards his captain. "Come on, Jade! You can do this! That can't be it, can it!? I don't know if it's still fear that's holding you back, but remember what I said before? Plus, he's wrong about one thing. You aren't fighting for yourself. You're fighting for Tricis, for your team, for your teammates and for your friends. That's something you have and something that Rokata doesn't. Something he probably never will have, or even understands. Don't give up like this, Jade."

Rokata cocked his head at the sound of Dynamo's voice. He'd forgotten about that one for a moment. Remembering the idea he had with Draco, he realized that Dynamo would be an even better candidate. Dynamo summoned his blade, and Rokata realized that he was also ready to charge him to save Jade like Draco. Either of them would do. That blade could barely slice through butter, let alone my hide, but he could be of use.

13 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

The draconic image around Jade disfigured, turning into a simple ball of fire that engulfed Rokata's hand. Even he would feel a seering pain from that much energy. He would then feel Jade pushing herself up.

"You're right. I'm not fighting for myself. I'm fighting for my team. My teachers. Everypony you have wronged."

Rokata turned back to Jade to see the flames grab his wrist, helping her free herself.

"AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE FAILING! YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MY ADVICE!" Rokata shouted in turn His hand shook, trying to keep his grip on the back of her neck through the searing pain.

17 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

She swung around once she had enough room to free herself. The fire dragon took shape again and its claws grabbed Rokata's wrist. He could feel his bones starting to crumble. He could see that her pupils were gone, eyes totally glowing red.

"And they're all going to watch as I take your black soul. I will stand over your body and all your murder and betrayal will lead to nothing."

Rokata let go of the back of her head and clenched his fist. With a flex of his muscles and a primal howl, he was able to break the magical restraint on his wrist, but not before Jade was able to free herself. When it was removed, everyone could see his broken forearm as the bone fragments pulled themselves back into place.

He distanced himself from here and spread into a wide battle stance with a smile on his face. "We'll just see about that, won't we?"

On 4/15/2020 at 8:20 AM, Unicorncob said:

Jade was sent hurtling back from the blow, but recovered swiftly some meters away. She sped toward Rokata again, arching downward then suddenly straight up, aiming a kick square in his jaw.

Rokata Took the punch, standing firm with his stance spread. This time she didn't even make him stumble back. His head tilted up with the force of the blow, and when it was over he tilted his neck back and spat. He pushed her away with an underhoofed sweep. Was this still not enough? For a moment it felt like she had the upper hand and now he was back to overpowering her. Even with all the energy Tricis gave her and all the effort she was exerting, Rokata was able to push her away.

@Canteen_the_unstable @Dynamo Pad @dragon4111 @reader8363 @DwhitetheGamer

"Can't you see it's pointless..." Rokata said. When Jade stood herself back up, Rokata opened his fist hit her with another one of his invisible canonballs to keep her down. "To waste yourself like she did. Never reaching the heights you could have if you just let go."

Next to the members of Team Crimos, Tatterhoof clenched his chest and lurched forward in his seat. Others around them were doing the same. Many members of the audience were already unconscious, unable to withstand the demonic presence that filled the ring, slowly draining their lives.

"It's like my innersides are moving around and my head is drowning in air!" Cumulus complained.

"Most of the audience is even too weak to leave their seats and the ring is falling around us..." Topaz announced. She was leaning against one of the dividing walls between the ring and the stands that was still intact, holding her mic close. "I don't know how much more of this I can take but I'll... try to officiate."

"I used to be a pony, Jade, I'd say that gives me the right perspective to judge them, and there's something missing from you. Something you used to have..." Rokata gave Jade time to stand herself up. "You aren't even fighting for yourself!" Rokata disappeared, and Jade briefly couldn't tell where he was because it felt like he was all around her. He reappeared behind her, standing on one knee, still dwarfing her in height.

He grabbed the back of her head and forced it into the dirt. "Are you really gonna watch all these people die?"

On 4/3/2020 at 8:03 AM, Unicorncob said:

Perhaps it's time to try some new approaches. That block means he saw us coming.

Perhaps so.

Jade, and the fiery dragon around her, vanished with blinding speed again. She had noticed her new strength had sent Rokata back a few feet, but she was sure she could go further. The next thing Rokata would feel is a sharp, burning kick to the stomach, then up toward the chest.

Rokata jumped back when she stopped in front of him, but  not in time to avoid the blow. She kicked him in the stomach with an explosive force that caused the concrete barrier behind Rokata to explode in a cloud of fine dust.

The beast stood his ground, however. He didn't budge from his position, and the burn on his chest  began to heal in front of Jade's eyes. He curled both claws into tight fists and opened his palms. There was a sharp  cracking sound that sounded like a gunshot and Jade's body was struck by two invisible projectiles with the force of cannon balls.

On 3/29/2020 at 7:07 AM, Unicorncob said:

While Rokata was showing off his power, the fiery orb hovering over the arena was taking a shape. A long, scaly tail, two pairs of reptillian legs and claws, a long snout.

Soon, Jade could be seen hovering in the centre of a large blaze the shape of a dragon, its spittling wings flapping alongside her own. On its back was a huge dao sword of pure fire, to coincide with hers. Her pupils were narrow slits, and they were focused right on Rokata. A warmth could be felt across the arena, like a hot summer's day.

"I see impatience is one of your flaws. If you had just waited a minute more-" Suddenly, she moved at a speed untraceable to the untrained eye, almost like she'd disappeared completely. Rokata would suddenly feel a sharp, burning recoil on the side of his face, and then see Jade retracting a hoof, the dragon retracting a claw. "-you'd get what you've been begging for all this time. Tricis never mentioned you would act so much like a petulant child."

Rokata's eyes shifted when Jade made her dash. This time was different than when she moved quickly before. He really couldn't tell where she was, at least not physically. But Jade had a predictable fighting style. She never attacked from the front when given an option, and she never went for the back either. She would attack from the side. He raised a claw to block the claw swipe from the spectral dragon, but it was able to strike his head. He was sent off balance for a moment, but quickly planted his feet into the ground and only scoot back a few feet. "Perhaps that was enough."

I'm sorry I'm posting so little. Things are just bleh

On 3/25/2020 at 8:19 AM, Unicorncob said:

Jade looked at her opponent across the ruined arena. His beady eyes focused, but devoid of any true life. No remorse, no pity, not a single emotion. Rokata had thrown away any semblance of a real pony a long time ago. She truly was fighting a monster now.

Her front hooves blazed again, and she glared into those dead eyes.

 

I might need some help.

Hope there's room for two at the helm, then.

 

She gasped, eyes widened, her aura dimishing right away, but she still hovered in the air. She groaned, curling into a ball. Flames started to spit out from her body, until she was coated in a swirling orb of pure fiery energy.

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?"

On 3/19/2020 at 9:33 AM, Unicorncob said:

The pulse sent Jade skidding back on her hooves, leaving four trails of dirt along the ground, but she kept her stance. She looked at Rokata, unsure of what to think for a moment. He truly was a monster now; no kind of pony could give off this kind of energy. It was... wrong.

Losing your nerve? I thought you'd battled worse than this.

@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."

On 3/19/2020 at 9:33 AM, Unicorncob said:

She took a deep breath, steeled herself. She hunkered down, preparing to leap. And with no warning, she shot toward him like a bullet. To the untrained eye, it was like she'd vanished from sight.

She swung a kick toward his jaw again, her hoof blazing with her aura.

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?"

7 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

Jade watched as the rubble buried Rokata, leaving only a mangled hoof in view. She stood there, staring, wide-eyed and panting lightly.

"I... I got him?" she whispered.

Don't let your guard down. I sense something.

Soon, so did she. Something wrong. She saw Rokata rise from the debris, smiling. His body was nothing short of destroyed, but he was smiling.

She got into a stance, ready to move at the slightest twitch.

@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.

On 3/8/2020 at 7:01 AM, Unicorncob said:

Jade took the strike, too caught up in her attack to block properly, but it dealt significantly less damage due to his prioritising defence.

Despite her seeming to have the obvious advantage, Jade had a feeling Rokata was holding back. She caught the ice-cold glare in his eyes.

He's going to try something.

She kept up her barrage of kicks, but made sure to have at least one leg ready to leap away, should Rokata try to sneak an attack.

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.

On 3/6/2020 at 11:53 AM, Unicorncob said:

Jade stopped for just a moment, registering that she not only landed her strike before Rokata could act, but she left a bruise.

She continued just as soon, throwing blazing kicks toward every possible opening she could find.

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.

On 3/3/2020 at 6:40 AM, Unicorncob said:

Jade saw the explosion, in the moment thinking that this was her opening. She shot toward Rokata, closing the distance between them, and swung her leg at him for a kick to meet his own.

 He's still quite fast, but at least now I can match him on all grounds.

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.

On 2/28/2020 at 8:17 AM, Unicorncob said:

"As you wish."

Jade saw the sphere approach, almost like it were in slow motion. She jumped to the side, twisting herself and stretching and curling her wing to catch the sphere. She used its momentum to spin herself in place like a spiral of flames and lobbed the orb back at Rokata, its red energy gilded with her red-yellow aura.

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.

5 hours ago, DwhitetheGamer said:

@Literally Snails Just to let you know I gave a question to Topaz if both teams needed to move out of the expanded Arena circle.

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.

7 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

"I didn't have much trouble fighting you with them." Jade allowed herself to smirk. Something inside her liked that she had gotten under Rokata's skin somewhat.

She stretched her neck, causing a gust of wind by spreading her wings. "Will taking them off suffice, then?"

"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.

On 2/25/2020 at 8:59 AM, Dynamo Pad said:

"I don't want to agree, but I understand what Quill is talking about. I try to be hopeful, but I have to be a realist from time to time. I mean, Rokata didn't even take any sort of damage. How durable is he? My only guess would have to be the yokai he willingly accepted."

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..."

6 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

"灵魂"

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the arena. The rings around Jade's hooves snapped off, fading into nothing.

The air around Jade's body began to ripple with heat. Flames began to spit from the tips of her hooves, spiralling up and around her legs. A pulse shot out from her across the arena, pushing spectators back in their seats, and she was ablaze with her red and yellow aura. Anyone who could sense energy would no doubt feel the sudden spike in power coming from her. She didn't show it, but even she was taken by surprise with how much stronger she felt without the cuffs.

She stalked toward Rokata, each step leaving behind a hoofprint burned into the soil. "I apologise for the delay."

@Literally Snails

@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?"

4 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

Jade wasted no time. The moment she was stable, she raced toward the downed Rokata.

He's barely put up a fight at all. It's like he wants me to win.

Don't assume you've won. He's still standing, after all. Somewhat.

She jumped up and dived down to Rokata, aiming a glowing hoof and planning to create some property damage of her own by slamming his head into the arena floor.

@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."

13 hours ago, Unicorncob said:

The shockwave blew Jade's mane back. Such power couldn't have been earned naturally, not with how monstrous Rokata looked right then.

She saw the opening, and her chance to take it. She swung both hind legs, glowing with her aura, and aimed a kick to the side of his head.

Jade's double-hoofed kick landed with more force than any of the other strike's she'd landed. She could feel in her hooves that there was some give to Rokata where she struck him on the cheek and neck, instead of feeling like she was striking a brick wall. The monstrous pegasus let out a loud grunt, and went tumbling in the opposite direction of Jade's kick on a bright wave of firey energy. He slammed into one of the sections of concrete as it fell back to the ground, causing it to explode into dust.

He slammed into one of the steel and concrete divider walls separating the ring from the stands, nearly toppling it as he landed on his side. He propped himself up on his elbow, seeming to actually take a moment to catch his breath, leaving himself open again, if only for a few seconds.

On 2/21/2020 at 6:36 AM, Unicorncob said:

Jade watched for which direction Rokata would swing. The destroyed ring didn't give her good footing, and with those cuffs on, a full-on assault would be too risky.

She jumped back to evade the slash, and risked aiming a kick toward his lowered leg.

Rokata's hoof slammed into the ring where Jade was standing moments before, blasting chunks of concrete in all directions on waves of red, demonic energy. Jade felt the shockwave from the blast, but it left him open for an attack. As the rubble flew, Rokata seemed off balance. His claw was still punching through the ground, making it impossible for him to block, an opportunity Jade wouldn't often get.