[b]“Of course, getting to the bastard wasn’t going to be so easy.”[/b]

The lion walked behind Haruto as the boy found himself in a gigantic, empty hallway. The path went straight, but the lights made it difficult to see anything else – much like the lights inside of a boxing ring, it was positively blinding to Haruto, who had to keep his hand right in front of his face as he slowly made his way towards the back. The lion behind him nudged him forward.

[b]“But how exactly are you going to find the guy?”[/b]

Haruto suddenly found himself in front of a big door. Frowning, Haruto had to ask himself whether the hallway was smaller than he thought – there was no way he made it across the entire length of the way with so few steps. As the black door suddenly opened up, a gigantic black hand reached forward and grabbed Haruto, leaving him completely pinned to himself. 

Struggling, Haruto had never felt so helpless as the gigantic hand lifted him into the air, and from the darkness within the depths came a massive demon, horned and winged like Dante’s depiction of Lucifer. The demon’s shapeless face began transforming into different forms – his father, his mother, the Father who ran the orphanage…

[b]“Yes, none of those faces are that of your father’s murderer. You don’t even know how he looks!”[/b]

The demon’s face transformed into that of the lion, whose fur had become incredibly dark and emanating with a familiar hatred. 

[b]“It’s a magnificent emotion – you could direct your hate to anyone by simply putting his or her face over that of your father’s killer. But why go that far? Why try to avenge a man whose last decision was not of poor, little you, who needed him, but that of himself?”[/b]

The lion sneered as it brought Haruto closer to its face. 

[b]“Your hatred is born of more primal and simpler things. Let it consume you, boy. If anything, this feeling is all you truly ever had.”[/b]

___________

[color=0072bc][b]“ARE YOU MOCKING ME?”[/b][/color]

In response to Dai’s words, the lion-masked Haruto simply screamed words of anger, frustration, and hatred. The pressure that was already being applied onto poor Dai grew evermore as Haruto slowly advanced onto his opponent, ignoring the fact that there was an arrow pointed right at him.

[color=0072bc][b]“Did you think that you could so [i]casually[/i] say such words without bearing the consequences? Are you so naive that you thought you might simply make an attempt to reason with me?”[/b][/color]

Throwing his left hand back, Haruto’s hand closed to the point where it resembled a claw, and the boy readied his legs, as if ready to pounce.

[color=0072bc][b]“Very well then, [i]little mouse[/i]. Let us see you escape the lion’s den!”[/b][/color]

- rolled a 13 -

With a snapping of his wrist, Haruto rushed forward and dove right in front of Dai. With another roar, Haruto back-flipped into a graceful dolphin kick, striking Dai for 25 damage from underneath.
__________

[b]Haruto[/b]
HP: 70/70
SP: 50/50