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Post by Letu on Apr 11, 2016 18:53:33 GMT
There it was. The one question that Letu had been hoping to avoid. It was clear in the way she froze when Reikiko asked her why she hated herself. She had hit the nail on the head. Her response was clearly one she was picking her words for carefully, as she had placed a curled finger against the tip of her chin, her eyes clouded and conflicted as she finally spoke up.
"I...wasn't always like that...it only started after I left home...where my mother called me a prodigy..even as she drank her way through my training..and my dad taught me the basics of swordplay..after everything was done..I started meeting people...each one being stronger than the last...and that compounded with what I saw...women with huge chests and butts...but tiny waists...people capable of large amounts of destruction...I left my home to make a mark...but it turns out that the world doesn't need it...now..all I see is perfectly built people...and I became acutely aware of how much of a lie it was to be called a prodigy..so..for a year...I worked....got insulted constantly for my horns...went from one irritable boss to the next...fired many times...eventually...I took up wandering again...but the insults...and my own certainty of my weakness...they both stuck with me...now..Ive sparred against Kaula..and her mother..using weights to handicap herself..I...hate myself because I have to hide behind others...I can't stand on my own...even in the face of a normal..angry person...with a figure as flat as a board...only Kaula and yourself showed any interest...I...guess I hate myself because I don't have anyone else to blame...I could have tried harder..made an effort to be my own person..but..I can talk about the what ifs until I'm blue in the face..it doesn't change that the person I hate the most..is myself..because I'm the most worthless person I know.."
She said, her tone carrying the weight of years of negativity, the weight of her own opinion of herself. As she spoke, Rei would likely notice that instead of shooting up, her power level was slowly but surely lowering..as if she was unconsciously suppressing herself. This wasn't just a problem of hating herself. It was that she had well and truly convinced herself that she couldn't do anything..and her subconscious was turning it into a self-fulfilling prophecy, limiting what she was capable of. If Rei had paid attention after the brief increase to her power finished its descent back down, she would find that Letu's natural, unhindered power level was at the edge of twenty thousand. If she put a number to it, or looked at her through a scouter before it started sinking, she would find that at her baseline, Letu's power level had a number of nearly twenty-nine thousand attributed to it. Perhaps..it would be beneficial for someone to tell her as such, show her that she was not as useless and weak as she seemed to think herself to be.
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Post by Reikiko on Apr 12, 2016 3:00:45 GMT
The bio-android had remained silent during Letu's explanation, seemingly listening attentively to her words. So that was it? She was so harsh upon herself because she was surrounded by people she considered 'perfect'? It was a little bit sad all things considered, and she knew mere words wouldn't help the girl in her current situation. Reikiko's fist balded up, looking as if she was getting angry before darting straight toward Letu, looking as if she was on the verge of punching her, but instead the fist had opened, revealing a white-colored sphere that would have burst into a blinding flare a moment later, her own variation of the Solar Flare. It was very likely Letu would have been blinded for a moment right after she finished speaking, yet when her sight recovered it wasn't a punch that greet her. Instead the bio-android had tried to pounce onto the girl, arms wrapping around her neck while she leaned in to kiss her on the lips. It was a surprising action, not to mention quite unfitting for the earlier angry display of the bio-android, but there was a reason for this all. If Letu had been caught by the surprise attack she would likely notice that something had changed. Feelings of pride came as a wave over her, and for a moment it might had looked as if she saw a image of herself succeeding at the exercise. A feeling of happiness as the image turned into the scene at the cottage just a while ago, and finally an incredible sense of sadness while no image followed. Despite the fact she had locked her lips with Letu the bio-android spoke, yet this wasn't a conversation through words, but thoughts.
"You're being blind to what is important Letu. Do you really think me or Kaula like you, or take interest in you because of some reason like having a huge chest or being really strong? I mean sure, I like big pillows but those of yours have their own charm."
Nevertheless, despite the gentle message she shook her head lightly, her mental pep-talk continuing.
"Nobody starts with true power, even a prodigy simply has a head-start. If power is truly important to you, then you simply train every day, each day pushing you further beyond your current limits. No, Letu we don't love you because of your power or looks but because of the individual you are."
She closed her eyes, and suddenly the thoughts that followed might had been a startling revelation.
"Did you not sense the potential within you? You seem to be constantly trying to hide your true power, but I can feel it, your true potential..."
She raised a hand, gently resting it against Letu's chest, near the place her heart was at.
"I estimate your power to be roughly around 4 to 5 times that of the average Saiyajin elite within the empire, likely more if you use it to its fullest. However, you seem to lose control over your true strength as a result of the emotions that haunt you."
Withdrawing her hand she sighed softly, allowing something to happen. Letu would likely notice it, how memories of Reikiko absorbing the refugees at West Capitol and then challenging Athren followed by her desperate attempts to help the people of Earth after the invasion by the empire, but each of those memories brought forth a mixture of grief and disgust, the latter aimed toward Reikiko herself.
"Do not call yourself worthless Letu, you're a wonderful person in your own way, else Kaula wouldn't have fallen for you. You might not be on the same level as us yet when it comes to your true strength, but like a seed you simply have to grow into a majestic tree first, give it time... At the very least you're more worth than a monster who gains her power by devouring others..."
She whispered the last words a bit sadly, her smile seemingly wavering a bit.
"From now on each time I'm sensing those emotions I'll punish you Letu. Light offenses will be light teasing like verbal comments, medium offenses will make me... ensure you'll get a big chest also someday~ If you get enough super gloomy thought train I'll do a heavy punishment..."
Her tail swished forwards as she smirked mischievously.
"I'll do what I did last night, but this time out in the open."
With those words she decided to let out a hearty laugh and turn back toward the subject of their training.
"Noticed that earlier flash of light? We call that Solar Flare, albeit this was a special version I taught myself."
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Post by Letu on Apr 12, 2016 3:58:47 GMT
Letu wasn't blind, at least not physically. She saw the small fist balling up, her head sinking as she prepared to be hit. She deserved it, she knew. These were weak reasons. However, when she came forward with an open fist, the saiyanesses vision suddenly went white, even as she felt arms around her neck and lips on hers. However, what hit her the hardest were the feelings. Pride..an emotion she was completely unaware she had the capability to feel. Her eyes teared up as her vision went dark, having closed her eyes moments after she had been blinded. She saw herself..the feeble punching..the begging...and then her success. Many successes. Pillar after pillar of water formed as she dropped to her knees in the river, the scene fading back into the cottage, her happiness swelling as she saw herself through Reikiko's eyes. By this point, her eyes were already tearing up, but the immense sadness that was directed at her caused tears to start streaming down her face.
Of course, even as she cried silently, she heard what Reikiko had been saying. However, it wasn't until Reikiko mentioned something about "true potential" that Letu froze, her heart skipping a beat as she was told she was stronger than an Elite. That caused her heart to raise, before she saw more visions. The absorption of refugees, the challenging of someone who looked visibly disturbed..helping the people of Earth. Letu shook her head as Rei finished her pep talk. You were doing what you thought was the best course of action at the time..it's okay.. She said softly, pulling the tiny bio-android into a hug as she listened to her explain the punishments, Letu's face turning the same shade as her hair for the last one.
Of course, after slapping her cheeks a few times, that color faded away, and she nodded. I can see why it's called Solar flare..it was like a sun flared up in my eyes..But..if that's a version specific to yourself..then what does the regular technique look like..?
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Post by Reikiko on Apr 12, 2016 16:06:23 GMT
The hug made her lips curve up slightly, and the blush that followed simply helped in making her smirk mischievously. However, it seemed their subject returned back to the matter of training, the Solar Flare inquire making her nod her head gently in response as she stepped backwards.
"It's more an improvement I made upon the normal Solar Flare. You see, the actual Solar Flare has been quite known among people on terms of its motion..."
She paused, seemingly raising her hands toward her head, fingertips spread as she explained the nature behind the gesture.
"When you do this motion most people will anticipate your action already, that is why they will try to prevent you from carrying out such an action. However, if you fake the gesture of an attack like I did earlier, an opponent will always either try to attack, or proceed to defend themselves, leaving them open for the Solar Flare. Perhaps in the future I can even teach you the offensive variant of this technique."
She nodded her head lightly, raising a fingertip to her cheek while pondering about the next part of their training."
"For now Letu I will be making things a bit more difficult. Try to catch me off-guard and use a Solar Flare, if at any point I'm anticipating your attack I will interrupt you."
--- Letu has been given access to: [SU] Solar Flare
Objective: Catch Reikiko off-guard with the newly taught technique.
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Post by Letu on Apr 12, 2016 17:27:40 GMT
When Reikiko told her what her next task was to be after teaching her the original Solar Flare, Letu couldn't help but feel like this was an overwhelmingly impossible task. She had only just corrected the volatile nature of her Ki..and now she was to use it to catch her master off guard? Someone who was far stronger than her? That was a recipe for disaster to her.
Still..she had committed to this path. She sighed and nodded slowly...only for a ball of black and silver Ki to form in front of her face, being launched directly at Reikiko! She quickly flew backwards, fighting the g-force to splay her fingers out in the same way she had, failing as she ended up deciding to fly straight up, preparing to have Rei follow her, keeping her guard up in preparation for some kind of retaliation as she splayed her fingers out in the way she had been shown, messing up at first, ending up needing to correct the spread and motion!
[N1] Shadowed Explosion used as an attempted distraction!
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Post by Reikiko on Apr 12, 2016 17:36:41 GMT
Letu's action was one she had expected, the ball of energy that formed and was launched at her making the bio-android smirk. Although it was subtle, the bio-android was slowly leaning forwards, when suddenly her body disappeared alongside a gust of energy, and indeed just as Letu decided to fly straight-up the bio-android reappeared right behind her, a hand attempting to tap her shoulder, and if she turned around a gentle tail whip would have been used to make the girl tumble forwards, not even a fragment of her true power being used.
"You're approaching it the wrong way Letu. An opponent like me is one that at your current level will never be outmatched in speed or strength. Think outside the box, approach the problem from an angle you'd normally not consider. Use that 'pretty' head of yours and find out the answer you need."
Her tone seemingly slightly changed to a more playful tone during the last sentence she hovered backwards, a calm smile on her lips while she pulled her hands behind her back. She really was curious how long it would take before Letu would figure out what she needed to be able to handle this challenge. She actually was using the same type of lecture her master gave her, but it was an answer she hoped Letu would find by herself.
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Post by Letu on Apr 12, 2016 18:25:21 GMT
It had happened almost too fast for Letu to react. She had only managed to whirl around halfway when Reikiko thwapped her in the head with her tail, sending the Saiyaness tumbling downwards through the air, catching herself after a few seconds, breaking the fall as her flight cut back in, her power rocketing back to normal from sheer shock. Before, everything felt like it was going much faster around her. Now everything seemed to move at a normal speed. She listened to Reikiko speak. At least one part of that had to have been a hint, but if it was, it went completely over her head, as she just took it as another teasing remark. She sighed as she rolled up each sleeve of her Gi slowly. It seemed that the only time Reikiko was going to attack her was when she prepared to use Solar Flare. That gave her time to think at least. Something she didn't really get in a real fight. She supposed she had that to be thankful for.
Speed and strength wouldn't work. She had to be creative...that was difficult. She couldn't think of anything that might have distracted Rei. So, she simply descended to the ground, a pondering look on her face as the sun started beating down on her, the young saiyaness sweating quite profusely underneath the somewhat thick wool of her uniform, causing her to tug at the collar, absentmindedly unbuttoning it, having completely forgotten that she wasn't wearing a shirt underneath it, that one hadn't been provided. She sighed out in relief as the cool air hit her, causing her to look up at Reikiko before frowning. She had no idea what to do. So, for now..she was going to try again. This time however, she held her hand out behind her, adjusting her stance a bit as a glossy black and silver ball of ki that was easily almost as big as her charged behind her, the ball forming within a few seconds as she launched it upwards, a burst of speed following it as she vanished from sight, attempting to appear off to the side, taking up the pose for Solar Flare with only a minor error, moving one of her fingers down a bit the moment she noticed it, taking a quick breath as she attempted to use solar flare for the second time.
[UV3] Equinox Explosion launched as a distraction! 18,949 pl potential!
Gi Unbuttoned, torso exposed to attacks
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Post by Reikiko on Apr 13, 2016 4:19:35 GMT
When Letu descended toward the ground Reikiko couldn't help but find herself slightly curious at her student's actions. Perhaps she needed a break? However, what followed afterwards caused the poor Bio-android to widen her eyes in disbelief, her cheeks flushing up brightly. Poor Letu, she clearly didn't realize she wasn't wearing a shirt underneath it, and for Reikiko this type of temptation was too strong to resist. However, unfortunately for her it seemed the girl had decided to retry her assault, charging a ball of energy that was launched straight at her. Such an elementary strategy!
"Naive!"
However, as she turned around and her body easily shifted past the second solar flare launched her way, the bio-android reappeared right before Letu, the second Solar Flare's dim flash of light briefly startling her, to a disastrous result.
boing...
As Reikiko staggered forwards she found herself landing face-first onto the exposed chest of her student, and it didn't help that the poor Bio-android, in her panic had grasped a hold of those pillows, initially in the hope to deflect an attack, but the softness of them was clearly not something fists possessed...
squeeze squeeze
Slowly opening her eyes, and realizing what she had actually grabbed the bio-android let out a soft yelp, her body blurry away as she reappeared a few steps away, taking a deep breath.
"Almost, you seem to be approaching the right direction, but I don't think you realize it yet. One last try Letu! If you fail the next try it's time for a little 'punishment' while I reveal the answer you seek."
Gods, that was distracting... Sure she LOVED the new look of her student's outfit, but it sure was distracting her from focusing on the exercise!
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Post by Letu on Apr 13, 2016 14:35:31 GMT
When Reikiko collided with her, Letu couldn't help but blush, yelping lightly at the squeezing of her chest, her face a brighter red than her hair as she assisted Reikiko a moment before she noticed, pushing her lightly moments before she blurred away. Though, from what Reikiko had done..Letu had a good idea of what she needed to do, even if she didn't quite like it. She was still sweating underneath the gi though. It looked like the most expedient process, along with the one that would allow her to recover from the heat most effectively would have been to get rid of the overshirt altogether. Thankfully, she wasn't completely naked underneath it, she did have on undergarments, simple as they might have been. She huffed lightly, shrugging off the overshirt, the wind catching it and blowing it into a nearby tree, snagging in one of the higher up branches, but thankfully not tearing. She stretched a bit as she felt the sun beat down on her skin. Of all the days to start..you had to choose a hot day, didn't you?She asked as she shot an unamused glance at her tutor. She REALLY didn't like this..but she also didn't want to face that punishment. This was her last shot, so it had to work. I mean, at the very least, you could have made sure that there was a shirt packed with the outfit, then I wouldn't need to be sitting out in the open like this. She said, seemingly complaining as she folded her arms over her chest.
With any luck, Reikiko had dropped her guard. And the moment she did, Letu would have taken up the pose for Solar Flare once more, firing it off for the final attempt. By Kami she really hoped that this would work..she REALLY didn't want to find out what the "punishment" Reikiko had in mind was..
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Post by Reikiko on Apr 13, 2016 14:47:52 GMT
Of all the things... Sure she had expected a flirting attempt, or some type of teasing remark, in the end the bio-android her interests were rather easy to guess but when she suddenly decided to get rid of the overshirt of the Gi entirely Reikiko couldn't help but blink in disbelief, her gaze following the thrown overshirt, back to Letu and several repeats until it finally landed on one of the branches.
"Didn't expect things to get 'this' hot."
And she wasn't just talking about the weather, but as the comment followed over the shirt the bio-android shook her head with a smirk.
"This type of training would be way too much with an additional shirt, you'd collapse from the heat. Besides you look quite refreshed!"
Still as those arms were folded up over her chest it was clear that Reikiko's gaze had wandered downwards again, like a hungry predator staring at her. No way Letu would be able to deal with another melee offensive, yet at the same time as those arms lifted upwards she mentally cheered in delight. Right pose, now just... wait wasn't she forgetting something? Oh right! she still needed to calculate who won on terms of softest pillows! Ah wait, that wasn't it... Umm
"Shi-"
Before she could finish her curse at the realization she lifted her gaze back toward Letu's face, swiftly raising a arm before her eyes, but even then the correct pose and the intensity of the flash that followed had been enough to obstruct her vision for a moment, making her declare cheerfully.
"You pass! Both on the exercise and that smart comment of yours."
She chuckled cheerfully, hovering closer toward Letu while extending a hand toward the girl's overshirt, making it slowly float upwards again while she hummed softly.
"Surely you noticed it by now: When an opponent is too strong or fast to defeat you need to think beyond normal means. Every opponent has some weaknesses. Yours for example is your insecurity, Kaula's might be her pride, alongside another easy to guess thing. Mine is obvious."
She giggled sheepishly as she took a hold of the gi, offering to help Letu put it on again, but while she stopped before the buttoning she whispered gently.
"Albeit this exercise was also meant to cheer up both of us. Surely I'm not the only one who is shouldering a lot of thoughts right now."
She lifted her gaze upwards, smiling innocently at Letu before hovering backwards.
"For the next part I'll let you decide. Either we return to the cottage for a quick snack and a drink to cool down, or we go straight into learning the Dodonpa ray, another trademark skill of the Crane."
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Post by Letu on Apr 13, 2016 18:09:39 GMT
Admittedly, Letu hadn't been expecting that tactic to work. Still, when Reikiko slipped the top of her Gi back on, Letu couldn't help but feel proud of herself. She had been clever, and had pulled off using Solar flare on someone much stronger than her. It was definitely an impressive moment for her. Still, when Reikiko said that it was to cheer them both up, the hybrid smiled softly, nodding at that before tapping her chin at the question. To take a break..potentially lose all of the momentum she had made..or keep going, learn more..maybe even feel better about herself. It was an easy choice for her. I think..that I want to continue. If we're making this much progress, why hit the breaks, right? She said softly, smiling nervously as she rebuttoned her Gi, still smiling as she lowered herself to the ground, waiting patiently for her mentor to follow her down.
In truth, she was more running on excitement than anything. Her biggest challenge to her development had been removed, and she wanted to learn as much as she could. It made her feel like she was actually making progress, like she was actually DOING something. It was...a great feeling. One she didn't want to go away any time soon.
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Post by Reikiko on Apr 14, 2016 13:37:44 GMT
She couldn't help but smile at Letu's response. She should have expected for the girl to want to continue her training, and while she descended down toward the surface alongside her she thought about their next exercise. She had some ideas in mind, but nevertheless it would all depend on Letu's determination. At least she seemed to had gained a boost in confidence, and while the two of them reached the ground she gestured toward a nearby collection of trees.
"Then let's continue your training then. For this specific training we'll be practicing certain aspects of your ki use. Your end goal is simple enough..."
She paused for a moment while allowing her hand to rest against the tree's bark, coating it in a layer of her scales before stepping over to Letu, and once beside made a pointing motion with her fingertips.
"DODONPA!"
The shout was accompanied with a flare of energy, and it was clear from the warmth that filled the air that the beam that shot toward the tree was quite intense, to the point it ended up piercing the scales, and finally tore through the tree.
"The Dodonpa is a technique that abandons size for concentrated fire. With the right amount of your volatile ki you'll become able to create a beam that can pierce through any defense. However, this will demand a bit of practice. Too much energy and your beam slows down due to its size, too little and you can't penetrate the tree. That first exercise in the river was your first warming up for this exercise Letu."
She smiled briefly as she started to step closer, a hand attempting to rest on her student's shoulder, and moments later she would find Reikiko's scales slowly expanding over her body like a suit of light armor, yet it felt surprisingly cool to the touch, even with this weather.
"You learned to place your power in one focus point, for this exercise I want you to channel it entirely into your aura. However, it's important to keep the right amount of your volatile energy, too much and my carapace will melt, don't worry it's harmless, your energy won't burn you either way. However, I should warn you... The carapace can only withstand up to three failures, if you fail after that..."
her lips curved into a smirk as she explained in a cheerful tone.
"You'll be losing your clothes. I mean sure, I can and will materialize a replacement set for you but... well, if you want to give me a show you can always make a mistake on purpose."
She teasingly poked out her tongue for a moment before her expression turned more grim.
"This skill will not just serve to help you get the control you need for the Dodonpa, but also the most powerful technique I and Kaula possess... But before we can go to that point I need you to bend your power to your will, control it rather than being controlled by it."
----- Objective: Learn to manifest your volatile energy into an aura, you have up to 3 tries before the protective layer Reikiko created fades away and your clothes become damaged.
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Post by Letu on Apr 14, 2016 19:15:46 GMT
When she was given her challenge, Letu blinked. Unlike the two challenges that came before: make a pillar of water and stun her tutor, this challenge seemed..actually possible. When Reikiko finished telling her how many tries she had before the scales covering her melted, Letu nodded, taking a step forward before closing her eyes, breathing in deeply as she forced her Ki to flare up, the glossy material surrounding her in a deep black aura. But..something was wrong. The silver edge was quickly gaining color, and the smell of smoke started to become present. In less than a minute, her aura exploded from the outer edges, the energy inside of it feeding the explosion, the force of which would likely catch Reikiko off guard, the heat being much more intense than what Reikiko would ever have assumed to be. However..this time..the mistake was obvious..at least to Letu. She had tried to send her aura up to a focused level too quickly. So, coughing lightly, her face all but covered in black soot, she smiled. Well..now we know I still have a speed limit. She said as she wiped her face off with her sleeve, taking a deep breath as she started again, slowing down this time. It started by outlining her body more darkly, the shadows seeming to deepen into the darkest black possible, slowly expanding outwards, the air around her heating up, the smell of burned materials becoming apparent as she slowly came to a stop, her full body cloaked in a black and silver aura, the scales only slightly scorched from the explosion.
Okay..I think it's stable now..what do I do next? She asked, not daring to move an inch in case another explosion happened, and she failed again, melting the scales partially. She seemed to be a natural for things like this, and it was clear that she had perfected at least one aspect of her training by now.
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Post by Reikiko on Apr 14, 2016 19:25:50 GMT
Reikiko nodded her head lightly, seemingly pleased by the swift progress. Letu had seemingly succeeded in controlling the density of her volatile energy, and after a moment Reikiko started to resume her explanation.
"For the next part try to channel your aura into a physical form, not yet a beam. Like..."
She raised her fingertips upwards, a gun-like motion being made as slowly a crimson sphere started to emerge above it, slowly burning with the same intense energy that coated Letu's aura.
"Next part involves charging and maintaining this beam. Let's see, maintain it for ten seconds, count out loud and upon ten use the gesture I made earlier toward the tree. If your density didn't change you'll see the beam pierce its target with little effort."
She stepped toward the girl, curiously enough ignoring the heat, yet the explosion that had happened earlier seemed to had left some sooth on her carapace.
"Seems we need a bath after training..."
And now she merely waited to see if Letu could properly fire the Dodonpa ray.
(sorry for the short post~)
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Post by Letu on Apr 15, 2016 16:20:56 GMT
When Reikiko told her what she was to do next, Letu nodded, the volatile aura staying stable as she slowly raised her hand, pointing at the tree with her index and middle fingers extended, taking a deep breath before exhaling as a sphere of Ki formed in front of her fingers. It wavered and flickered initially, weak at the beginning, but slowly gaining strength, the countdown beginning the moment that the sphere was stable.
Ten. The sphere stood strong, but small. Nine. The orb grew slightly, but remained as dense. Eight...seven...six...five...four...three..two...One. She said, the orb strengthening and turning a darker and darker black, looking to be a small slice of midnight, outlined in silver. She took in a deep breath, exhaling softly as her gaze narrowed on the tree, her aim shifting slightly to pierce the area right at the bottom of the scales. Dodonpa. She said quietly, the name of the attack being drowned out by the sound of the thin, red hot beam of black energy launching from her finger, drilling through the scales and the tree, leaving a clean, tiny hole in its place as her aura faded away, Letu's legs FINALLY giving out from the massive expension of energy she had made today, a big, beaming grin on her face as she let out a weak cheer. Of course, she had expended too much energy. O..okay..NOW..l..lets go back.. She gasped out through her attempts to catch her breath. She attempted to push up off of the ground, her arms shaking heavily before she flopped into the dirt, unable to pick herself up. O..or we can just l..lay here... she said weakly.
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