dev 6 - frustrations amidst thunder

Before Keitaro can make it into the caves, it was almost like the earth rose to deny his passage.

From the top of the cliff stood Percival.

"No. Didn't you hear? Akasha is in that cave." He spoke.

He'd trailed after the Shenlong, closely- and quickly, as he tried to make his way east. He wouldn't lose more friends.
(Percival Kang)

Moving swiftly, it's clear that Shenlong intended to make his way to the cave, but apparently an earth rose blocked an entrance for him; he would almost assume that he's being ambushed at first, and he reached out for his staff--

-- only to realize that it's Percival.

"Oh. It's you."

"I realize that, yes. I was there to personally see him. He's able to be talked down from intervening, so long as you speak of humanity's free choice - often more than not, he acts as observer."

"That's not to say he isn't dangerous. That's to say I've had experiences talking him down."

Whatever has gotten into Shenlong, he held little regard to own safety, even when told of the fact that there was divine being inside - the fact that he was clearly aware of. However...

"I don't intend to fight Fallen Angel alone. I'm not that stupid. I'm only looking to hunt people from Dawn- or well, Dusk."

At least he wasn't downright suicidal. Just... very, very bold.
(Keitaro)

Percival continued to stare from the cliffs, frowning. He didn't care about Keitaro wanting to go in there, or his assurance that the fallen wouldn't intervene or do anything.

"..I don't care. You're not going." The Kang spoke. "I'm not gonna let you. The only reason we go in is when we have overwhelming numbers.. Not when it's only one of us." He declared.

The earth before the entrance was unyielding, forming a wall to prevent access. "Turn back. Go home."
(Percival Kang)

He really didn't want to get to that area of argument.

A sigh escaped him. He absolutely loathed just standing around Levengard and doing nothing, even if it meant safety- that life wasn't for him, and while it may be for the best to actually wait till he's of age, there's still a certain lack of patience about him.

"Percy, I was already doing this before. I know what I'm going for, and I know what I'm dealing with. I do it alone almost all of the time - hardly anyone goes with me, and I'm just fine."

"If you're so concerned..."

"Why won't you just come with me, then?"

The Shenlong didn't abandon his idea so easily. At least, not right away.
(Keitaro)

Staring down at him with his coffee-brown eyes, they're anything but pleasant as he glares down at the Shenlong. He didn't want him to go in.

He leaps down, landing on the ground before the wall.

"..I know I'm not gonna stop you, since willpower is stronger than might regardless. If I convince you here, you'll just.. Come back another time. But I don't want you to go in if you're not strong enough." He spoke, huffing. The last time they'd fought, Percival had won. He'd also only seen Keitaro lose fights, against Ilui and Adrian.

"..So, if you can prove to me. That you're strong at all. I won't stop you."
(Percival Kang)

Percival also says something about how he refuses to go in, because i forgot that part.
(Percival Kang)

That much is true. There was always something lacking about Drakanite, but he tried his best to overcome that weakness; albeit, it didn't come immediately, nor it would be clear and efficient right off the bat, but he was trying.

This, however, was the perfect opportunity to do what he sought to practice so much. Perhaps it is one of these techniques that would allow the matters to shift when it comes to him battling, but for now, it comes about as imperfect, yet potent technique- his hand stretches out to the sky, drawing an immediate bolt of lightning that only surges through Shenlong.

Whenever he managed to get a grasp of that?

Still, if Percival paid attention, it's clear that he carries the Gem of Storms, which is of yellow color and with concentrated lightning within, and the Lightning Core, which belonged to the powerful lightning demon once slain. Perhaps, it is these items that offered him a 'crutch' in performing this feat. And yet...

The field of electricity stretches all around him, conjuring an ever-moving zone of influence.

The arcs of bolts stretch, creating a 'cage' around them. It's intended to harm his opponents, should they walk by- the eyes of Shenlong acquired a sky-like hue, a notable change due to lightning surging through. Just how effective, or ineffective, this technique was?

Only real test could tell.

"Go on, then."
(Keitaro)

Percival stood before the earthen wall before the cave, intent on letting none pass in this mere moment. Keitaro was his friend, someone he cared about, and therefore no one he wanted to see get hurt. How he literally watched Thalia talk about how they were attacked by Declan and injured by him and still had the nerve to go there was anyone's guess.

He reaches for the blade, now more thin and toned than the original longsword he used, and swipes it across the air.

… And just like that, it begins to burn again in his mind. The wall of earth behind him crumbles, but a golden circle appears before him and fires forth a golden blade alike his family members at high speeds.

.. Right for Keitaro! Hopefully his cage is helpful.
(Percival Kang)

Things may have changed after all.

There's less raw might that comes about from Shenlong- only to pointlessly crash against someone else's efforts- but more tactical resort and more thought in what he does next. Whenever there's lack of escape for him, he would resort to hiding behind the electrical 'cage' that he put up, leaving the golden glow that could tell Percival of one certain thing.

Advancing anywhere further is futile.

If he had, it would only end up severely shocking Percival in his tracks. Thankfully, as both of them were magi, Keitaro was sure that he could endure - and did not hold anything back. Within reason, of course...

"I told you that I change."

The whole fact that so many were looking down upon him actually disgusted Shenlong. But... he also knew that this was deserved. He knew that unless he became anything better, he would be forever stuck with this prejudiced outlook on him that he's somewhat weaker, inferior to them all - and though Elishevas were able opponents with the drop of divine blood coursing their veins, he was far from just giving up.

For that, when Percival came too close, he was met with the sudden static charge that shoved him away from Drakanite in an instant; it coursed through his body, and he's been ensnared in this field, this new technique that he devised.

It was akin to storm - but with no winds, no moisture, only pure lightning.

"Let me pass, Percival. I know what I'm doing."
(Keitaro)

As the first golden blade is summoned, the Kang is in a state of shock. As lightning reaches him, he's in a real state of shock. Electric shock. Hurt-y shock. Percival felt himself tense immediately, and then relax as everything hurt all over again. He'd almost forgotten that he challenged Keitaro at all.

.. And his mind began to burn.

"..No, NO!" He shouts, his arm waving through the air as more and more circles began to grow; alike runic ones, but blades of judgement surge through them instead. They all aim for Keitaro, but only few of them make their mark; and they're not particularly strong.

He couldn't focus. It all hurt. As he's ensnared for few moments, Percival freezes.

My mind is on fire..

.. And then he snaps, the lightning around him scattering as his eyes grow a restless gold. He started to fight back harder. Sapphires grew around his form, intermingling with violent rubies. The ground trembles beneath his feet.
(Percival Kang)

He waves his blade, and despite all of the burning, there was almost a sense of clarity as it all stops for a moment.

Golden circles grew, but nothing came. The earth tensed.

… And then all at once, it happens again as earthen pillars grow, sliding towards Keitaro to stop him and the blades all surge towards him at once. They would never cut, nor truly harm. They merely stung.

..After all, the basis of holy magic was that it could never harm your allies.

"..I can't-- Keitaro, it burns, please stop fighting me." He pleads. He refused to let him pass. His voice reeked of desperation.

He flies back, collapsing to his knees as Keitaro falls all the same. Even so, it seemed that Percival would stand first.. and he wasn't done yet.

"I don't want to hurt you. I want to protect you. But-- agh!"

Blades launch from around him once more, charged with the power of the divine. He falls to his knees. He can't stop them.
(Percival Kang)

Not this again.

To feel the sting of divine swords, of the very golden light that he's come to despise... it may have belonged to his allies, to Elishevas, but to him? It was a symbol of his inferiority, of how little he can do comparing to those that were simply born with this drop of divinity in their blood. Where he would need to invest immense effort to get anything as powerful as this - this was their birth right.

And when it stings, he falls.

A pained hiss leaves his lips, and the scales quickly reform around his body to protect the Drakanite from anything that could incapacitate him. No, this wasn't just about getting a pass now- it was about making a point that he isn't this terribly weak, even if he wasn't born with such gifts.

"You have no idea."

A small huff. He slowly rises to his feet, looking upon Percival; the malice or anger was lacking upon his features, but... it was something akin to resentment, to bitterness and sadness.

"You have no idea how it feels like."

"To be inferior your entire life, just because you aren't born a certain way... do you think I enjoy this, Percival? Do you think I like it when people look down upon me, because I have no inheritance like they do?"

"Do you think I like to be some loser?"

With a deep inhale, the cage was reforming. The golden glow of holy magic was mixed in, intending to tap into Keitaro's own emotions - what he really feels about this situation. The sky-like hue intensified in his eyes, and it would all begin, all over again.

Even through pain.

"Let. Me. Pass."

"To be out there is my only chance to prove that I'm not nothing."
(Keitaro)

His mind burned, and so did the lightning that seared against his armor.. The thunder against his form.

He didn't want to fight, and so, he stopped. He stood still as sapphires wildly whirred about his form, trying to stop the lightning sparks as they came to him.

He stopped, altogether. Golden energies surround him- normal holy magic in nature as it tried to briefly nurse him.

"..I'm sorry Keitaro. I don't want you to feel like a loser, I don't want you to feel lesser." He weakly breathed. Whatever strong front he'd put on was gone, now.

He falls to his knees, lost.

"I don't know what's happening to me now. It all burns. Please--"

He pleads, and he pleads.

But the earthen wall blocking the doorway was gone.

"--help me.."
(Percival Kang)

The Shenlong was naught but a walking frustration.

So many dreams, so many hopes had gone wrong for him in the Academy. He expected it to be grounds where he learns something new, where he would acquire many friends that would help him with myriad things in the future, a place where something better would be made. Instead? The child that once was only had its heart crushed beneath cold reality.

A lot of it was his own fault, true... but it didn't make it feel any less worse. If anything, certain actions of other people felt belittling, like he didn't even belong here- at some point, he contemplated just leaving, and only his own age really stopped him from doing so.

What would he even do out there, still vulnerable like this?

But it becomes quickly apparent that the crash of thunder and lightning had briefly incapacitated Percival, forcing him to take a knee. Where Keitaro was tempted to just vent his frustrations even further, to lash out how he really felt about everyone - the feelings that he only kept bottling up, again and again, he just...

He couldn't. Seeing Percival like this, it didn't let him strike again. It didn't let him say anything bad either, nor vent his frustrations any further. Instead, he took a deep breath, huffing as he stood. The beads of sweat rolled down the side of his head, showing apparent signs of fatigue.

"...This sucks."

Those two words really said everything Keitaro felt, in as short version as possible. Instead, the cage of electricity dissipated, approaching closer to help Percival stand on his feet- if he had to, he would allow Percival to lean upon him while he guides him home.

Even after all that happened, he didn't have the heart to be truly cruel. Maybe that was his problem.

"Come on..."

"We can't stay around here. I'll get you home."

The bitter, sour expression remained, but he fell silent. No more words had to be spoken.
(Keitaro)