"Oof!"

The impact Matsu felt against Challah's midsection was not unlike a normal person punching a rebar-reinforced concrete pillar. Still, she was sent flying back several feet, and although the spines on the demon-boy's hand didn't seem to puncture the skin, they did leave multiple holes in the fabric of her shirt.

The girl with a tail skidded to a halt on her heels, dust clouds forming where the soles of her shoes ground against the floor. For a moment, she did nothing but pant and look down at her stomach. Then she suddenly looked up at Matsu and grinned dangerously.

"My turn."

One moment, the girl was about twenty feet away... the next, she was inches away, her fist careening toward Matsu's armored nose. Challah knew she didn't need to worry about holding back anymore.

In reply to Challah (msg # 29):

11:24, Today: Matsu Shoji rolled 13 using 1d20 ((13))

By the skin of his teeth, Matsu was able to swerve his head out of the way of the punch, his own hand shaking and sore with the impact of his punch to his opponent...

This girl was BEYOND what he was expecting...

'Guess I'll have to use a different approach...' He thought sucking in another breath before exhaling.

But instead of fire emerging from his throat a dark purple mist emanated and covered the area. covering 30-50 feet in no time at all, hiding Matsu from view
This message was last edited by the player at 03:31, Thu 05 July 2018.

"Nice try! Sorry, not that stupid!"

Challah simply jumped into the air, hovering a couple dozen feet off the ground.

"I could just pepper the place with Ki Blasts, but I wouldn't want to turn this nice tower into a pile of rocks. ... So basically the same, but... flatter. And on fire."

It occured to the Saiyan that she didn't know whether or not her sparring partner could fly. "Uh... is this cheating?"

Using his wings to fly out of the fog,Matsu rose up behind Challah. Before much time had passed, his antennas has started glowing with energy, before two bolts of lightning shot out in Challah's direction.

'I wonder if she can dodge electricity' Matsu thought to himself with curiosity before quickly retreating back into the fog below, and producing a bit more to keep his cover up.

Challah's muscles convulsed slightly as the lightning struck her back, causing her to curl up a bit, but she kept her place in the air stable. A smoking hole was left behind in her shirt where the bolt had struck her.

"Owwww-ow-ow-ow!" she shouted, turning around just in time to see Matsu disappear back into the mist.

"So you can fly! That's good to know. But I'm tired of this act already! Time for pizza!"

She raised her right hand in the air, a spinning golden disc forming from her palm. She shouted the word as she began throwing several of the discs, one after another, five in total.

"Kienzan!"

The razor-sharp energy discs flew into the mist and skimmed near the ground, causing a nifty light show from Challah's perspective. She couldn't enjoy it, though, because she kept turning in a circle to make sure Matsu couldn't sneak-attack her again.

Why'd I mention pizza? she thought, sighing internally. Now I'm hungry.

How stressful this was... dodging some energy blasts like this was starting to get on Matsu's nerves...

What to do?

Rising from the smoke, Matsu extended his arms in an invitational gesture.

"Come."

"'Kay. HRAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

Challah suddenly darted forward, enveloped in a blue aura, then spun in midair and aimed a roundhouse kick at Matsu's abdomen!

"Gotcha."

Instead of hitting the Devilman's stomach, Challah's kick would instead phase right through Matsu's body as if he wasn't there to begin with!
(though that aura surrounding the kick did sting a bit.)

Before any time had passed, His clawed hands would have reach out with super-human speed, grabbing her face in his hands before unleashing a thick torrent of purple mist directly into her face before leaping away with spread wings.

"Just because you got some tricks, doesn't mean I don't have mine." he said wagging his finger in a taunt like gesture.

After spending a moment coughing, Challah clenched her fists and growled in frustration. Then she quickly dropped into the familiar stance and launched a stream of cyan energy straight at Matsu!

"Kame-hame-HA!"

"Oh shi-" Matsu was cut off as the wave of energy hit him straight in the chest, sending him flying back and into a tower wall...

Honestly, this wasn't the worst hit he had taken, but it was up there.

His vision was swimming and his armor was a bit cracked, yellowy blood dripping through and onto the floor.

But he was chuckling to himself.

"Oh, crud!" Challah shouted as she sped over to Matsu, panic on her face.

"I'm sorry, I-I lost my temper! I didn't mean--what the heck's so funny?"

"heheh... Nothing... It's not as bad as it looks..." he said. Standing up, he cracked his neck before giving a fanged grin.

"The difference between you and I is that I have a lot of experience dealing with stronger opponents. I'm almost as strong as the Mighty Amon, but that doesn't help me with opponents of your tier. However, there are other ways to fight."

The lingering remains of the purple fog grew more ominous.

"That gas you just inhaled is a highly concentrated toxin designed to take down the strongest of demons, some of which are capable of surviving a nuclear bomb. I'm capable of generating it due to abilities that the demon in my body grants me. I made sure it wasn't potent enough to melt your insides, but it will cause some temporary paralysis."

He extended his arm, claws extending.

"The fight isn't over yet!" he cried charging forward.

"Oh." Challah replied sardonically. She tried to move her arms, but they suddenly felt very heavy and sluggish. She could barely even lift her tail anymore. "Well that su--"

She was cut short by a large, heavy insect-man slamming several claw-slashes into her midsection. As before, the claws easily ripped holes in her cloth shirt, but only left red lines on her skin. Though the girl was obviously constructed of flesh and bone that gave under pressure, that flesh felt like Matsu was slashing at a rock wall, the bones like steel cables only bending under the strikes, no worse for wear.

Even so, when Matsu was done, Challah could only lay on the ground, still having a hard time moving her own limbs.

"Okay... that's enough..." she croaked. "I'm done..."

"Oof." Matsu said, impressed at the durability of the girl. There were other ways to deal with hard skinned opponents. But he would save that for another time. His top half shifted back into his human half, however since his clothes were shredded, he would stay half transformed for now.

"If I was a true demon, you would be dead by now. Don't think that the enemy will always be beaten with kicks, punches and energy blasts." he said, tapping Challah's head.

"Well... it's worked up until now," Challah replied, arms moving sluggishly as she tried to push herself up. It didn't quite work.

"I'm gonna... I'm gonna just hang out down here for a bit, 'kay? ... Hang on. This... stuff wears off at some point, right? Can't get stronger by lyin' on the floor."

"Sure..." Matsu said, sitting down and cleaning up his wounds.

"Do you want me to carry you?" he asked, glancing at the incapacitated saiyan.

The Saiyan managed to flip herself over so she was lying on her back, looking very sleepy.

"Uh... maybe just put me back in my chair, if you don't mind," she said. "You wouldn't happen to have any food on you, would ya?"

In reply to Challah (msg # 45):

Picking up Challah with ease, Matsu placed her in the nearest chair he could find.

"Ya know, I'm starting to feel a bit hungry myself. I wonder if those two cloaked guys would know where to get some food." he answer challah's question while stretching to relax his muscles.

"So what is a Sayian exactly?" he asked over his shoulder, observing the tailed girl with red-eyed curiosity.

Night has been there observing the fight until both have decided on who came out the victor of the spar. Despite wayward attacks that were unleashed, it did not seem like the mysterious man was hit.

"If you have need of sustenance, we have a place for that within. First however..." Night said as he stepped forward and motioned a hand to both individuals. Challah would feel whatever ailments in her body disappear, whereas Matsu would find injuries on his person healed and some clothes to wear on his arms.

"May I then lead you around the Nexus?" Night then said as he offered to lead down the stairway of the tower they started in. At the end of the stairway they were greeted by an unusual sight - almost like a maze of stairs and paths leading to different buildings within the planet-like object.

Challah shook her head when Night let go, feeling as though she'd just downed a Senzu Bean.

"Whew! That's handy!" she exclaimed, jumping back to her feet. "And you have food?! I'm starting to like you!"

She fell into step behind Night, then turned to Matsu to answer his question. "A Saiyan? Well, most Saiyans you'll run into where I'm from are actually Saiyan-Human Hybrids, living on Earth. I, however," she placed a hand on her chest in a grandiose fashion, "am 100% pure Saiyan, born and raised on the planet Vegeta! We're proud warriors and sometimes-scientists that push ourselves to the limit in order to best any foe we come across! ... Stop lookin' at me like that. I'm doing the best a low-class can do, alright? I've just... never had to put up with toxic gas before, is all.

"Speakin' of which, what about you, Matsu? I mean, you look Human, but none of the ones I know turn into bugs. Er, no offense."

"None taken." Matsu said, adjusting his button up white shirt. "At some point, I was human. However, I was forced to adapt to my current state. I am a Devilman, body of a demon, heart of a man. I possess the powers that the demon Vespus possessed, but not his vile and evil soul. In my world, the clan of the devil has invaded the world of man. Nothing too special." Matsu said with a smile, walking alongside the other too.

Challah just nodded and said, "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds about right."

The pair was soon lead to one of the structures, whose interior was filled with round tables that could fit ten people around it and chairs. There's a warm and pleasant scent of food in the area despite no signs of cooking visible yet.

"If you have something you need, the food will be served..." Night explained as some of Challah's thoughts from earlier were picked up, bringing in a freshly baked pizza with her preferred toppings on it to the table.

"Oh wow! What's the food limit? I'm a big eater." Matsu asked with excited grin as he sat down at the table, happy to eat anything other that canned food or raw flesh.

Having returned to her human form, Virulina stepped off the disc upon landing and had a good look around.  The roof afforded an excellent view of the surroundings... except there was nothing much to see.

"This is a sanctuary, Darkness?  I have many questions... but perhaps you could explain the situation first.  That would be the simpler method."

Virulina wondered if there were any other 'phantom survivors'.  She was an independent woman and capable of taking care of herself... but something this big probably required a group.