♕ first;

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

[You find yourself in a castle: a large, impressive one, with a moat made out of lava. The inside is just as impressive, if not for the occasional penguin-like creature running through the place.

And one of them is being kicked straight out of one room in particular.]

And don't come back until you get me that pudding from Etna, got it?!

[The penguin replies with a stammered-out "Y-Yes, sir, dood!" and runs off. If you choose to enter the room, you'll find a young boy with two hair antenna sticking up lounging around, watching something while eating popcorn. Whatever it is isn't important, though.

It's the boy, who'll only register your presence after a minute or so. And, even then, it seems as if he's mistaken you for the penguin. And who wouldn't, when their attention is focused on the TV?]

Didn't I tell you not to come back until you got me that pudding?!

Comments

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[The fist connects, driving the wind out of her for a moment, but she's been trained in a hard school; it drives her backward but she doesn't give up the fight; she stays on her feet as she's had to when it's happened in training. She grits her teeth.]

Dark Rhapsody.

[It's spoken much more grimly this time; she needs to drive him back and get the space to catch her breath. She struggles against a cough.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

[One thing that sometimes happens when you've been in battle for a long while: you start to get tired, make mistakes.

That's certainly what's happening to Laharl. He doesn't see the wave of water coming, which proves to be a bad mistake, as it knocks him back into a wall. However, it's still not enough to knock him out, he staggers to his feet using his sword as a support.]

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[Ami closes the gap immediately, right in Laharl's face. It's a mistake on her own part; he could overpower her physically.]

Just stay there and call this off.

[As if that's likely. It's about as likely as her doing it herself. But they do need to end this sometime. If he's not worried about destroying his own place, she won't be, either; but she's aware of how purposeless this fight is except as an exercise.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

Not a chance!

[He has a reputation to think of. If he gave up, he'd be laughed at and belittled as an Overlord.

So he fights on, launching another flame-covered fist at her, aiming to launch her into the air in order for him to strike her down and finish this battle.]

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[She can feel it singe her cheek as it comes too close. She takes in a sharp hiss of breath before grabbing at Laharl's shirt front; if she gets hold of it, spikes made of ice will grow from her hands to press themselves into him.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

[More like his scarf, actually, but she does manage to grab it.

Problem is, he still has his sword and is now slashing it towards her.]

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[It makes her have to give up the idea of her follow-through as she's forced to parry his sword instead.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

[He quickly starts his barrage, slicing and slashing in the hopes of breaking down her defense.]

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[The bald truth is she can't keep up with it. Oh, at first she can; she meets blow for blow. But she weakens and tires before him even now.

At this rate, she'll lose. She needs some strategy to turn the tables.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

[He's tiring out too, but he shows no signs of stopping. Once he's sure she's tired out, he leaps into the air and leaves yet another hole in the roof.

...Oh, god, no. Not another Meteor Impact. That's just overkill.]

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[She really doesn't have the energy to get out of the way.

So she teleports instead, winking out of sight, and fading back in some distance away.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

HAAAAAAAAAH-HAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Yep, same as last time. And again, the giant rock misses her entirely.]

...Again?! Where the hell is she?!

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[Probably?

Where that blast of dark energy is coming from.

...At this rate, these two are going to exhaust themselves rather than give in.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

[Indeed. Popcorn?

He manages to duck in time, then charges towards where he saw it, fist covered in flames again while he swings his sword.]

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[Don't mind if I do!]

[Of course, Ami isn't there anymore by then. She's not as good at this as Zoisite, who can move fast as the wind, or even Kunzite who-

Of course.

Ami's vanished, and this time she doesn't reappear. No further attack comes. Just silence.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

Great. [He lowers his sword, looking around.] Now where the hell is Etna? This place isn't going to fix itself.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[Then Ami winks back into the room. She whips up a water vortex and flings it at Laharl from behind.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

[He turns around, shock on his face, then brings up his sword, managing to withstand the force of the vortex, though he is pushed back a little.]

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[Well, that wasn't as good as hoped; but it was something. This time, when she vanishes, it truly is for good as she wakes up.

She shakes her head once she's awake. How did she ever dream up something like that, even in the dream world nexus? She almost, almost smiles; it was a good fight.]

[tiniestoverlord.livejournal.com]

[And Laharl wakes up as well, realizing that no, his castle has not been destroyed, thankfully.]

What the hell was that?

[He doesn't expect any response, but he does smirk. That was a good fight, better than he had expected out of a human.

Maybe they'll fight again someday.]