heartofthestar | Labyrinthium Inbox

[This is the correct answer, more or less -- violence, properly infused with aether, against the growing orbs causes them to dissipate in a few simple strikes.]

[Venat's answer is simply to conjure more, and then more still, including some that rage red with greater strength and size. And then, almost as an afterthought, a shining circle appears beneath Robin Hood -- the only warning Akechi gets before a massive sword blade erupts skyward, aimed to avoid the boy but pierce the Persona.]

[The persona is ethereal in nature and a part of his soul manifest, the blade will likely go through it. Attacking Akechi would remove the persona entirely, but she avoids him.

But that's not what Akechi cares about.

No, he wants to hit the goddamn attack back and see what happens. The explosion is incredible, the power is amazing, and he wants to if something could break it.

So while Robin Hood doesn't vanish - it does move to throw a little Kouga at the blade.]

[An excellent plan, an excellent intention, rather spoiled by the fact that no sooner does the blade reach the apex of its eruption than it dissipates, no power existing within it to fuel its presence longer than necessary.]

[The delay, by fortune, allows one of the condensed balls of aether to reach Venat, permitting her to absorb it.]

[That's super annoying!

So annoying he may accidentally use Kouga again on Venat herself. Whoops! Powers are weird huh!]

Oh, my apologies. That wasn't intentional.

[The energy-gathering requires Venat to stand still and channel aether for a significant amount of time. Designing it in such a way that striking her would stop her would be the height of folly. The Kouga never makes it past the aether blazing-crackling around her, an extreme defense she maintains in trade for any ability to move or attack during this.]

That's quite all right. No harm done.

[Venat.]

Ah, glad to hear it. I would hate to have someone of your power hold a grudge against me for a simple mistake. How kind of you to overlook it.

[She takes this opportunity to lure in one last ball, but overall her aether is not the same ridiculous level it had been in her first strike. That one had transcended her limits; this one will only reach them.]

[But that is no small matter either. With a swift gesture, Venat lashes out with a conjured chain of force, aiming to wrap it around Robin Hood rather than Akechi. Though the summoned construct might be immune to assault, it has enough physical presence to attack, and thus, she believes, be chained in turn.]

[Akechi isn't perturbed by the chain - Robin Hood is an ethereal extension of his soul. When it moves to wrap around the entity-

It vanishes. Disintegrates into sparkling light with Akechi's thought alone.]

Oh, there it goes - how unfortunate. You'll have to be quicker next time.

Ah, well. One must adapt.

[Without hesitation, Venat turns, a sweep of her hand summoning the silvery manifestations of her weapons. Between her magical attack and her attempt at binding Robin Hood, she judges that Akechi relies heavily on its ethereal nature. These weapons are pure conjurations as well, however, infused with aether and more than capable of striking at a foe with no proper physical presence. That ought to bridge the gap.]

[If it doesn't, well, this will be a bit embarrassing.]

[With swift gestures of her hands, Venat bids portals open around Robin Hood, each of them immediately hurling several copies of a weapon at the manifestation.]

[It doesn't hit in the traditional sense.

But it hits. A jolt to his psyche, a piercing force against his soul itself. That's not a normal attack. Nothing she does is, but that in particular-

Oh, he hates that.

Whatever smug bastard energy he was exuding? Gone. He's irritated. Every weapon strikes Robin Hood over and over and over. His least valuable persona - he doesn't really give a shit that it's 'damaged' by her ability. Stamina drained almost completely by that power, the entity vanishes at the end of the attack.

It doesn't hurt Akechi either. Not in the way he's used to. Drains. As if Robin Hood's weariness is his own. That I Am Thou Thou Art I resonating in full.]

Nice job, I suppose. I didn't think that would work. I guess that's why you were able to kill such a formidable foe. What a blessing it is to have you on our side.

[By the time Robin Hood disappears, Venat is already charging white-blue aether into her conjured sword. Stopping the second part of the attack midway has all the grace of stumbling over her own two feet, and after she recovers from the jolt, she has to stand straight and shut her eyes, the better to focus on liberating all that aether back into the environment.]

[When she speaks, though, her voice shows no hint of strain.]

Battling incorporeal foes is fairly common practice for those of us who have skill in combat. Channeling aether through our weapons is a simple matter for addressing both those and several other potential issues that might arise.

[The vision of her stumbling will be in his psyche forever. Bless this moment for that singular memory.

Yet, she somehow doesn't sound exhausted. That is infinitely more annoying, when his own voice is strained despite how he didn't battle at all. Robin Hood mirrored in him - they're one and the same.]

How adaptable. As expected of someone with your experience.

[Irritating.]

I thank you for indulging my requests today. That's all I wanted to see.

[She has hardly done enough to exhaust herself. If he wishes to hear that, he'll have to try much harder!]

[At his comment, she turns her smile on him, radiant as it always is.] And I thank you. This was a unique experience, and one I shall treasure.

[Of course she's teasing him a little, but she also means every word of it.]

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