zerotohiro | Some Legends Are Told, Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold [CEREALIA INBOX]

Normal strategising you can take a little time to make. But, when you're in the middle of a battle, you don't have that. So I'm gonna teach you what I've learned to do during battles.

You watch something while you're fighting it, you pay attention even while you're being attacked to try and figure out what the strength and weaknesses of what you're fighting are.

[Naoki scratches his fingers behind Inugami's ears as he explains.] 'Course, you can come up with strategies before you head into battle, but you're not always gonna be prepared or even know what your enemy'll be like.

[Oh wait, this sounds vaguely familiar and it's for that reason he suddenly blurts out:]

Oh! I've done that before. [...] Just once, I mean. We're still sort of getting used to the whole hero thing but when we were trying to stop a crime back home our strategy wasn't working so we had to regroup and think around the problem while on the field so we could use the guy's own attacks against him. So you mean it's kinda something like that?

[Naoki snaps his fingers and points at Hiro with a grin.]

Yeah, like that, though sometimes you won't have a chance to regroup and have to be able to think and analyse on your feet.

When I first started training with Yang, I didn't know what her weak points were, so I had to pay attention to her. Now I've got a good idea on what frustrates her with fighting, and what I can use against her.

[All through observation!!]

You mean Yang actually has weak points? [Cue the mock surprise.] I get what you mean...I think I've still got a lot to learn. The last time we really fought something huge that required a lot of regrouping? It was a bunch of machines that I actually made so...I kinda already knew how they worked.

[So it was kind of like cheating.] So. Does that mean I'm going up against Inugami and trying to pay attention to his weak points?

Don't tell her that I said that. [Hiro, you didn't hear it from him. He's not elaborating on what those weak points are, either. It's more like... frustration points, honestly, things that get Yang frustrated oops.]

But yeah, that's right. Find 'em, and use 'em against him and figuring out how to work around his abilities.

I think I can do that. Yang activated my aura for me, so I bet I can stand up to whatever Inugami can throw at me.

[It occurs to him maybe he should ask if the demon's dangerous or anything but...nah.] It's not going to hurt him, is it?

[All demons are dangerous, Hiro... all of them.]

Don't worry about Inugami. He's tough.

Just checking. [He grins easily, facing Inugami and choosing to speak to the demon directly this time.]

Okay. I guess I'm ready to get started when you are, Inugami. Come at me with everything you've got.

[Hiro, no.]

[The demon grins-- or, rather, he bares his teeth and lashes his tail behind him. He opens his jaws... before Naoki reaches over to tap him on the nose, making Inugami startle.]

With restraint. Until we see how much Hiro can handle.

[His voice is teasing.]

--did you seriously just boop your demon on the nose? [Naoki come on.] I'll be fine. I've had some really intensive field-training lately.

I prefer the word discipline. [But yes. He absolutely did.]

But, if you insist... Let's go in the training room. [And not battle here in the hallway-- He'll walk ahead to go into the room with Inugami darting ahead of him to have a good sniff around before they get to training.]

Not sure he'd feel the same way. [But it's still funny and he follows the pair into the training room. He's patiently waiting for Inugami to familiarize himself with the area while also allowing his eyes to flit around the room and pinpoint locations he can use to his advantage.]

Besides, at least this is a more controlled environment than being out there. ["There", of course, being the labyrinth.]

[Naoki relaxes against a wall inside, folding his arms over his chest and flicking with a hand to draw Inugami's attention. The demon darts through the air, eyeing Hiro now.]

Yeah. It's waaaay better to get in learning and practice in a place like this.

[It's cool, he's busy sizing up Inugami now. He's absolutely not making the first move though. That'd take away what he's trying to learn here, he thinks. When he does answer Naoki it's a bit distracted.]

Or ViViD. I've been trying to get better about training there, too. But this is a good start.

Yep. [However, Naoki will fall silent now. That's because Inugami's getting ready to fight, upon a glance back to Naoki and Naoki's nod for him to go ahead.

The demon gives a short bark, red eyes gleaming, and then just shoots toward Hiro, body twisting as a paw with claws gleaming red swipes down toward him.]

[With the way Inugami lunges at him, Hiro suddenly bounces back and throws himself into a backflip to stay just out of reach, rolling and tumbling to another part of the room before bouncing up again. He's a little out of practice but he's on his feet and watching the demon closely, eyes narrowing to examine how his body twists.]

He's aerodynamic. [It's more muttered to himself than anything before be moves, rushing in to try for a roundhouse kick to knock him back further. (And yet still avoiding his face. Hiro's still too nice for direct hits when sparring.)]

[Oh, he can backflip. Naoki hums at the back of his throat, watching the proceedings with interest. This will be his first time really seeing Hiro fight.

Inugami, in response to the kick... spirals himself in the air, winding in the air around that foot. Very aerodynamic. It's like he's a serpent, really, even though you'd think a dog would never be able to move like that. Opening his jaws, something flickers in the back of Inugami's throat-- fire. Inugami winds backward before spitting out a fireball.]

[Thanks to Disney magic he sure can. Thanks Disney. In all seriousness he's had practice and he's been sparring with Tadashi since they were children. He's picked up some things and he's practiced since he started training with Yang. The one thing Hiro has going for him is his ability to bounce back quickly.

He's not really focused on Naoki watching him but rather the demon in front of him. Inugami currently reminds him a little of the cobras he's seen in nature documentaries that wiggle before they strike. He can't say he's expecting the fire and he doesn't have time to dodge it, so instead there's a brief flicker of something, the activation of his aura and he brings up an arm to block the fireball.

It still hurts of course and there's a sound of pain from gritted teeth but not enough to deter him for too long. His mind's moving faster than he is but he's already following a theory.

Inugami spins. Inugami twists and turns and when people twist and turn they get dizzy. Could the same be said for Inugami? To test the theory, he makes another running start at the creature before taking a hard right to force him to follow and twist beat for beat. Come on, boy. Try to keep up with your moving target!]

[Naoki's lips quirk up where he's leaning against the wall. Huh. Is Hiro going to do what he thinks he's going to do? Well, it's not a bad idea, in theory.

Inugami growls low in his throat and he twists to follow after Hiro. At the very least, him moving constantly makes it hard for him to swoop in for an attack. And, without Naoki's guidance (as he would have during a normal battle), he doesn't have the same forethought to swoop ahead of him and cut him off.

He's not a dumb demon, exactly... but very instinctual.]

[Hiro has a cat. Hiro would know how to distract a cat-demon a lot better but he's had some experience with neighborhood dogs to study their behavior (plus there's Zwei, but he hardly counts.) The growl should be intimidating to him but he settles for narrowing his eyes instead and concentrating. Not a lot scares him now after what happened in the Labyrinth. Boundless energy helps keep Hiro light on his feet and he continues to bob and weave to goad Inugami into spinning himself in a circle.

Really, he's just trying to enact the equivalent of a dog chasing its tail. And with that said he suddenly breaks free, running straight for a wall before using his feet to brake and push himself off of it.

Of course, it would be a lot smoother if he didn't bounce too far and land flat on his back, but will Inugami be able to stop in time? He'll just have to wait and see.]

[You know what's sad? Inugami's having fun chasing him around that he's getting distracted from the fact that they're fighting-- his tongue is starting to loll out of his mouth and he follows after Hiro with easy motions of his body, just like a snake.

When Hiro breaks free, Inugami's right behind him, and he doesn't expect at all. So when there's suddenly a wall, the demon yelps and slams into it.

And Naoki? He's bursting out laughing.]

[He can't help but wince at the yelp and he's quickly standing up, holding his hands up in a sort of time-out signal.]

Sorry! [He almost feels bad because he was sort of enjoying himself, too, and Inugami, demon though he may be...is still a dog. He gives a small, sheepish grin to Naoki though.] How was that?

[Give Naoki a second, he's still cackling. Inugami raises himself up from the floor and gives himself a shake before rubbing his nose with one of his paws, snorting.]

Th-- that was good, real good. You saw something you could use and you used it. And you don't even need to worry about Inugami. Look.

[He points. Inugami is glowing a faint white, a glow that fades and then the demon is looping in the air with renewed energy.] I might've forgot to mention, but he can heal himself.

[He lifts both eyebrows, suddenly looking a little more than proud of himself.] You could have told me he's a cheater. [But he grins at Inugami anyway.] Up for another round? That fireball kinda hurt. [He's taking a hand and rubbing his forearm before focusing on Naoki again.]

The real problem is I don't think I can use that same trick twice.

It's not cheating, it's using what you've got. [With a wink. But Inugami is huffing at him, cocking his head as though he's unsure if he wants to. But hey. He'll wind his way closer and around Hiro's arm. He can heal him too, and he's doing so.]

And yeah, no, he's wise to that one now. Right, Inugami. [The demon barks a YES, his nose lifting.] Time to find some more weaknesses to exploit.

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