Great Dojo

[yinsukin]

Sethrol the Calm

"Come here," he said, holding out his finger.  The tip of it began to glow.  "Your movements are stiff, held back by thought.  Relax your body and allow me to cleanse you of your paralyzing thoughts."

[Panda]

Nanako

Nanako gave Sethrol a curious look as his finger started glowing, the heat burning in her chest still not abating. Practically bouncing up to her feet, the squirrel girl zipped closer, stared closely at the finger, even sniffed at it. Figuring she might as well give it a try, Nanako did as he'd asked, sitting down again and relaxing back against his leg, unsure of what to expect.

"Alright, go ahead," she said, looking up at him and nodding, mildly amused by how he now appeared to be upside down.

[yinsukin]

Sethrol the Calm

A light tap of the skin and a power that enveloped the entire area.  Nanako would feel her whole body shiver in fear and helplessness as a dark shadow emerged from her own.  Yes, her literal shadow escaped her, forming a blob on the ground.  Bigger and bigger it grew, until It took the form of an faceless angel.  Everything was shadow, no features, no details, just a 3d shadow angel, staring her down with its featureless face.

"Behold, the darkness inside of you," Sethrol said.  "This is the darkness of your soul manifested, the trauma and stress holding you back.  Defeat it and you will gain clarity."

[Panda]

Nanako

Nanako felt a chill rush through her veins, shivering as she felt something being pulled out of her. Her eyes widened as she spotted her shadow swelling, popping back up to her feet and taking a step back as it detached from her, then another as she saw what it was turning into. The squirrel girl stood stock still as the faceless angel stared down at her, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared back at it, where its eyes should have been.

Sethrol's words pulled her attention away at last, however, Nanako looking confused as he explained all this.

"Wait, really? That's all of it?" the squirrel girl looked confused, "And I just need to beat it up?"

Nanako looked between Sethrol and the creature he'd pulled from her. Shivers raced up her spine, but there was something else as well. Not the usual excitement she felt with those shivers, something hotter, almost scalding to the touch. The squirrel girl's clenched her fists tight as she met the creature's gaze, her own now resolute, buffered by the warmth of her ever-helpful goddess and spurred on by the prospect of an end to the sights haunting her.

[yinsukin]

"You must defeat it," Sethrol said.  "However you accomplish that is up to you."

The dark angel took a step forward, spreading its wings and slowly acending into the air.  The wings did not flap, instead simply growing a dark glow, as if the darkness itself was shining, if such a thing were possible.  The creature would return Nanako's glare, but the closest thing it could muster was to adjust its head to be in parallel with her own.  After all, it had no eyes to glare with, no features to return her passion.  There was only oppressive pain.

The creature did raise its fists into a boxing stance, floating forward.  It seemed it wanted to fight.

"What I give you, is the chance to overcome yourself.  The rest is in your hands Nanako."

[Panda]

Nanako

The squirrel girl nodded, but otherwise didn't respond to Sethrol, her focus already shifting to the shadow-y mass before her. She raised her hands as the creature did, stepping closer as it rose into the air and approached. Then, without warning, she shifted her stance slightly going airborne with an explosive leap, headed straight for the creature with one arm cocked back, ready not to slug the creature in the face, but instead grab hold of whatever limb it used to attack her. Her focus honed to a razor's edge, she tried using that anchor herself, bringing her legs around into swift kick in its non-existent face!

I just need to beat this thing, and then it'll be gone.

[yinsukin]

Nanako's Shadow

The dark angel shot to the opposite side of the cocked fist, practically vanishing from sight with its sheer speed.  It launched a flurry of jabs, at her upper body, threatening her face and torso.

"Don't underestimate your own trauma Nanako," Sethrol said.  "Far too often people assume they are stronger than their own shadow, then their own demons.  However, this might be the fight of your life."

[Panda]

Nanako

Even she'd had one on the tip of her tongue, there was no time to reply to the old man, Nanako's eyes widening as the shadow swiftly darted out of the way, getting to her side before unleashing a flurry of blows. She managed to get her guard up in time to protect her face, but fists still found her abs and chest, stinging blows lighting a familiar heat in her core even as her resolve held strong. She weathered the creature's blows for a moment before finding her chance, moving to grab one of its arms as wings unfurled from her back exploded from her back in a spray of ethereal feathers. A quick twitch from them sent her rocketing for the creature's head with a high kick!

[yinsukin]

Shadow

The foot slammed into the angel's chin with a shotgun like bang, causing the trees nearby to sway.

"Oh... nice kick," Sethrol said.  "To fight your trauma head on like that, how inspiring.  However..."

A hand reached for Nanako's throat, while the other cocked back.  A crater formed as the shadow slammed Nanako into the ground.  A fist crashed into her abs like a rocket.  Again and again, it slammed into her stomach digging them deeper and deeper into the hole.  Each of his punches were strong enough to knock the air out of her.

"To face yourself is to face your weaknesses, the anxiety, the sadness, the anger even.  What happens then?  For most, suffering."

[Panda]

Nanako

Nanako grinned as she managed to land a solid hit on the shadow, a thrill rushing through her at the shotgun blast of her kick striking home. Then the shadow's hand latched on to Nanako's throat, the squirrel girl gagging as a blush spread across her face, her hands gripping her foe's arm on reflex. Before she could try to figure a way out, the squirrel girl was sharply slammed down into the ground, the impact tearing a gasp from her lips before its fist burrowed into her abs. Each blow pounded down on her belly, driving a bit more air from her and leaving her shuddering like she'd touched a live wire.

As it dug deeper and deeper into the ground, that tension coiled higher and higher in her core, Nanako feeling lightheaded not from lack of air, but from something far more familiar.

"H-harder," she managed to gasp out, willing herself to move, to keep fighting, "You won't finish me, ahn, that easily."

She tightened her grip on the creature's arm and wrapped her legs around it before trying to hyper-extend its arm with an impromptu armbar. After all, if she didn't keep fighting, she'd pass out too soon. Too soon to feed that aching need building in her core.

[yinsukin]

Sethrol/Shadow

With his hands behind his back and his shirtless chest pushed forward, Sethrol the calm approached the crater, standing at the very edge.  A gust of wind flowed through the district, causing his gi to flap and flutter.

"At first I thought you were just a pervert," he said, staring down at Nanako from the edge of the creator.

The sound of bones shattering filled the air as the dark angel pushed through the lock and slammed Nanako into the ground.  The dark angel began to grow just a tad as it landed the attack.

"Deviant or not means nothing in this district.  To many, strength is something that comes from physical power or a sheer skill, but the strength of the heart is something that cannot be overlooked.  Come now Nanako!  Show this old man what a squirrel girl can do!"

[Panda]

Nanako

Nanako's eyes widened slightly as she heard the creature's bones breaking, before yelping as she was slammed into the ground again. Stranger still, the creature seemed to grow larger as it did. Confused and still heated, Nanako loosened up the armbar enough to only maintain her grip on the creature, instead of continuing to damage the injured limb. This creature was supposed to be everything that had haunted her these past few days, but it was getting stronger as she hurt it? Or was it just getting bigger?

Sethrol's voice cut through the confusion like cold water through arousal, bringing a measure of clarity amidst the heat pulsing in her core and the fading aches in her back and abs. He was right, of course. This wasn't the time to get bogged down in what was going on. She had to overcome this, and if she had to suffer to do so, she certainly wouldn't object.

"So I'll have to suffer to win, huh?" Nanako groaned out, gritting her teeth through the effort of keeping herself anchored to the creature, "Don't threaten me, nngh, with a good time!"

With that, Nanako moved, trying to get the creature's arm under one of hers for a secure grip, and unwrapping her legs from the limb, only to try to wrap them around the creature's neck for a solid hold!

[yinsukin]

Shadow/Sethrol

The shadow retracted its arm as she tried to lock herself in, but failed to stop Nanako's legs from wrapping around his neck.  The creature grabbed her face with one hand and began to squeeze.

Sethrol meanwhile simply stared from his spot.  "I suppose strength of the heart was misleading.  Its something closer to the legs that guides you."

[Panda]

Nanako

Nanako felt a thrill shivering up her spine as her legs locked around the shadow's neck, anchoring her in place. Then one of the creature's hands latched onto her face and started squeezing. Where most might have panicked and tried to pull the offending hand away, Nanako instead relished the tightening grip, one eye staring between its fingers, locked with the angel's face. Instead of weakening her grip, the squirrel girl's grasp tightened, blushing a little at Sethrol's words, before the last piece clicked into place. Breaking its arm had only made it stronger, just as that familiar heat pulsed in her core with every blow it dealt her. Sethrol had pulled this being from her shadow, but it was still her. This was everything that had haunted her these past few days, but it was still part of her. Just as much as everything else she'd lived through, it was part of her.

Though her gaze softened in that moment, her resolve didn't. Fighting through the pain, Nanako tried to pull herself in closer, reaching out to wrap her arms around the shadow's head before pulling its 'face' into her chest.

So it wasn't winning, after all. It was accepting. Accepting you as part of me.

[yinsukin]

Shadow?

The shadow's strong trunk like legs gave way to firm, feminine ones.  The hips of the angel became wider, his waist just a bit smaller.  The featureless torso gave way to breasts and visible muscle.  Its thick shoulders becoming more slender but detailed.  The black coloring filled in with spots of white and orange, until it completely matched Nanako's form.  The angel was her all along.  Wings sprouted from her back, radiating with a light so bright it blinded the old man.  Those wings in turn wrapped around Nanako's back, completing the embrace.

The other Nanako didn't speak, instead staring into her with weak shimmering eyes.

"The deed is done," Sethrol said, staring down at Nanako.