[center][h3]A Chance Encounter II[/h3]
[color=lightgoldenrodyellow][b]Pit[/b] - [u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 346/80 (-5 friend heart)[/color]
[color=bc8dbf]Grima Level 5 (holding 1 level up) 49/50 EXP[/color]

Location: Esaka's High Tier, Forbidden Kingdom (Friday Morning)
Word Count: 1991 (+3 exp) [/center]


There was no conspicuous canine present to signal the start of a match at the abandoned ring this time, nor was there any dramatic flash of lightning or anything of the sort. Just the drizzle of rain, Pit, and Grima. They didn’t actually need a count down though, as this was not an official tourney bout. In fact, if the angel standing on one side of the ring had anything to say about it… this would be a swift, one-sided beat down to free his fellow Smasher’s body. The quicker, the better.

Without further warning beyond his quip, Pit pulled his bow up and his arm back, creating an ethereal string to draw on. During the motion a glint of blue light traced his hand and formed a line with an arrowhead at the front. Then the light arrow shimmered, its color changing to soft gold. Finally, Pit met Grima’s eyes with a cheeky grin. Before releasing the arrow he jumped, wings pulling him into a showy backflip and keeping him airborne - and then one light arrow peeled apart into three as they sped towards the dragon’s vessel. 

Grima herself didn’t utilize any flashy moments. Instead, she simply raised her hand, several magical glyphs forming around her open palm before rapidly expanding to create a shield that intercepted the three arrows coming for her. And as soon as the third one slammed into her shield, the vessel dismissed the shield and brought her hand close to her chest, a mass of dark energy forming around it. Then she swung her hand out, sending out an orb of darkness that launched itself towards Pit.

It seemed that the angel had anticipated something like that, as he didn't appear surprised as he nimbly dodged the magic and fluidly drew his bow again. The combination of spell and sword was definitely familiar to him, but if there truly was no trace of Robin in Grima then she wouldn't be expecting the light arrow's special trait.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Now try these!"[/color] he said, firing another volley. This time they were one at a time, in three different colors: blue, gold, and purple. The purple arrow crackled with visible static as it flew straight forward - and through, if it wasn't intercepted, able to pass right through physical objects. The blue and gold seemed to follow the same course, but before landing they both suddenly changed direction. They curved up and around Grima, the blue slightly faster and gold imbued with elemental light, attempting to strike Grima from opposite sides.

[color=bc8dbf]“Again?”[/color] the vessel commented with a roll of her eyes, this time her hand gathering more shadows before a trio of black bolts shot out to intercept the arrows. The first one collided with the purple arrow without problem. The other two however swerved past Grima’s magic, giving the fell vessel just enough time to register her miss before they slammed into her from both the front and the back, eliciting a shocked gasp of pain as she staggered in place, [color=bc8dbf]“You- How-”[/color] Grima began, only to cut herself off with a growl, reaching her hand out towards Pit. And on the nearest wall to him, a shimmering circle of black magic rapidly formed, and when Grima clenched her hand into a fist and yanked it back towards her, a series of spikes erupted, trying to catch Pit before he could dodge away.

The ol' curving arrow trick never failed in both catching their targets off guard and leaving Pit with a smug look on his face afterward. Pit snickered, already nocking another to chase the Fell Dragon down when he heard more than saw her latest magic. He turned to look over his shoulder as the spikes burst into existence, then twisted out of range - of the first couple. Now with his back to Grima, Pit's bow was thrust out in front of him to block one of the spikes aimed at his center. It pushed him back while the rest in the series cut against his bracer, elbow, and the tip of one wing as he pulled it out of the way. 

[i]Okay, not as one-sided as I thought![/i] he thought to himself with a wince, tucking both of his wings in against back as the spell ended and he spun around towards Grima once more. His movement didn't stop at just that, one of the bladed bow's pointed ends aimed at the white haired woman in a mid-ranged, spiral stab. 

With a slight twirl of her blade, Grima stepped into Pit’s attack, her sword clanging with Pit’s bladed bow and parrying the blow, letting Pit fly by her as she pivoted. It didn’t take long afterwards for Grima to use the momentum from her parry to spin and slash at Pit’s midsection. Regardless of if he dodged, blocked, or was hit by the strike, she would then leap into the air and attempt to use gravity to plunge her sword down. Non-lethally, yes, but it would still hurt like hell.

He'd ended up meeting her weapon with his own, his free hand supporting the flat of his blade to strengthen the block and hold his position. Which ended up with him still in place when Grima came down sword first, but the angel didn't look worried as he followed her with his eyes. There was another crackle of violet static, this time at his feet, and he zipped backward suddenly as the space he was in burst in an electric shock wave. It wasn't strong enough to send anyone flying, but damage was damage. And Pit was ready to start piling it on.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"One more time!"[/color] he called, practically giving Grima a heads up as he drew the bow again. Another round of arrows snaked towards her, all blue this time, twisting before going to strike just as before. Only one flew straight, the final one fired of the group, which featured two small orbs of flame that circled the arrow head as it shot forward. 

This time Grima was prepared, narrowing her eyes slightly as she calculated the trajectory of the various arrows before whirling around, her blade singing through the air as it managed to intercept and parry each of the blue arrows. The one that held the two orbs of flame however, Grima was forced to conjure another shield, barely getting it up before the arrow slammed into her defenses.

The fire balls burst against the shield, thwarted from the explosion that would have triggered if the fire had collided with the electricity that still clung to her form. Pit was only a little disappointed that that plan hadn't worked out. He still had a whole heavenly host of stuff up his sleeve to try after all, and if Grima learned to handle the arrows this quickly then he'd just have to try something else.

He did fire two more arrows though, one slightly slower but stronger as he charged the shot first. While they sailed toward Grima, Pit himself followed after them. If she expected them to curve then she would have guessed wrong this time, as they both went right for her to break either against her magic or her vessel while Pit lashed out with a spin of the bow, making a sharp pinwheel that would continuously cut up whatever it came in contact with.

Grima’s response to the incoming arrows was to simply cast another shield, this one covering her back for a moment in anticipation for the arrows curving around her. When they didn’t, she was barely able to react, batting aside one arrow before the other slammed into her shoulder. The vessel didn’t react with anything more than an annoyed grunt however as she brought her sword up to block the spinning pinwheel that was Pit’s bow, a flurry of sparks erupting as the two weapons clashed. 

The clash itself was but one of the reasons why Grima was currently frowning. That, and she was now focused on the fight. She had no intention on killing the angel before her, despite her reservations, but it was clear that they were demanding all of what Grima could offer.

And more, as she'd soon find out. Since Pit couldn't break through with his bow, it was time to pull something else out of his arsenal. With one final [i]clang![/i] he drew his blade back, breaking their stalemate. Without giving Grima any time to reposition he let go of the bow with one hand and swung it at her underhand with the one arm, but during the motion there was a glimmer of light - brief and easily missed. Suddenly the blue and gold weapon had been replaced by an entirely new one, a blur of gold and red and black. Pit grinned at her as the quick-summoned Upperdash Arm was on track to smash right through Grima's defense and deliver the uppercut of a lifetime. 

[color=bc8dbf]“You wre-”[/color] was all Grima could say before the Upperdash Arm smashed directly into her face. Time itself seemed to pause, lingering on the devastating hit, before Grima was sent flying directly into a wall, collapsing to her knees and barely able to stay upright thanks to planting her sword into the ground and catching herself on its hilt, one hand holding onto it while the other covered her face, [color=bc8dbf]“[i]Cretin[/i], gah… THIS is your idea of ‘initiation’?”[/color]

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Just the first part of it,"[/color] Pit replied, staying where he was in the ring and letting the Arm weapon dissolve back into light. The bow was back in his hand as though nothing had happened. He looked Grima over, assessing something she was not privy to. Then, in a way he thought was helpful but probably just came off as condescending, he said, [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"don't worry, you're doing good! It's even kinda fun!"[/color]

[color=bc8dbf]“Oh, this is fun for you, is that it?”[/color] Grima asked rhetorically, pushing herself up to her feet, [color=bc8dbf]“Fine, I’ll show you something to enjoy. Make sure your tagalong is watching [i]closely[/i].”[/color] with that, the Fell Vessel raised her hand into the air, a sudden spark of massive magic forming around her: A telltale sign of her signature Expiration. 

The change in the air was stark, the atmosphere turning heavy and baleful. Pit's eyes widened as the spell grew, just the feel of it making his nerves tingle from the tips of his fingers to the edges of his feathers. It was evil energy, plain and simple. Or maybe not so simple, as the shadows began to twist, forming a dangerous looking shape. For a moment, the angel started to second guess his decision.

[color=lightgreen][i]Pit.[/i][/color]

He snapped out of it at the sound of the goddess' voice. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow][i]I know - I started this so there's no backing out now![/i][/color]

Even if he wanted to call it off, the fact that Grima was gleaming was the whole point of their fight. She wouldn't be able to stop until one of them was soundly defeated. And it wasn't going to be Pit! He was going to wipe Galeem from Grima's mind and get her on board, Robin or no Robin!

[color=lightgreen][i]Let's hope this works, otherwise you're in for some morning dragon slaying![/i][/color]

The angel shot forward toward Grima, intent to reach her before her spell was completed. He didn't raise his bow; instead Pit pressed his empty hand to his chest as he ran, withdrawing a pink, cartoonish heart from it. It glowed softly, a sharp contrast to the dark silhouette of head and horns that grew clearer by the second. Pit raised the heart up and threw it the rest of the way. The warm heart sunk into Grima when it hit her and burst to heal her wounds and cleanse her of all foreign influence. Pit skidded to a halt after the pitch, tense as he made sure the heart worked well enough to disrupt the Fell Dragon's spell concentration.