Queen's Mettle IX -- Clear as Crystal I
Sarada stepped foot in the last realm with renewed vigor and a wide grin on her face. Not only because she was about to have the best fight since she had started training in Vaikuntha, but also because Criostalach's drip was undeniable. The entire realm was comprised entirely of crystals. They looked like giant diamonds. Sarada wasn't one to fawn over jewelry, but even she could appreciate a bit of swagger. Or in this case, a lot of it. But she wasn't there to gawk at the sheer amount of shiny, gleaming crystals as far as the eye could see. She had one last fight, and that always took precedence over everything.
She stepped inside what she assumed to be the sole structure that could be considered living quarters - assuming the Archon's didn't just sleep outside, or that they slept period - to begin her final challenge.
[COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"Queen Sarada, you have done far better than I expected,"[/COLOR] Criostalach stated. She was seated upon a gleaming throne in the center of open space. The walls in the short distance were comprised of crystals situated in a way that reflected the sunlight perfectly, giving the entire room a dreamy, almost fantastical appeal. The floor was smooth and polished and clearly displayed the perfect reflection of the ceiling.
Each step Sarada took toward the throne echoed like an empty amphitheater. "I surprised myself, I think. Didn't think I'd have the patience to play games and think."
The Archon let out a chuckle, a crinkling laugh that sounded like someone was gently bending a broken window. [COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"Indeed. However, in persevering this long, you have proven yourself more capable a warrior than if you had fought all eight in sequence. A true warrior can prevail in all manners of combat, not just physical."[/COLOR] She stood from her throne, looking very much like a Queen about to address a subject in a more personal manner. [COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"And now, for your final test, you will put to use all the lessons given to you by my brothers and sisters and face me in the physical combat you Saiyans love so dearly. You will not win. In fact, I highly doubt you will be conscious by the time I am done."[/COLOR]
Any excitement she had evaporated. "Wait, w-- ?" A large, pointy fist sunk into her abdomen and nearly exploded out the other side. Blood and bile erupted out of her mouth before a punch to the face sent her flying out of the Crystal Throneroom and onto the hard ground outside.
Criostalach was on her before she could even comprehend what had just hit her, let alone try to recover. The Archon's arms blurred as she besieged Sarada with a relentless volley. Her Saiyan blood splattered across the ground. The blood that didn't was either smeared on Criostalach's fists or was running down Sarada's face.
She tried to block, to parry, to do anything, but the Archon was too fast for her to keep up. [i]What the hell is going on?![/i] she demanded mentally. She was so used to being stronger than nearly everyone she faced, or close enough that she could still do some damage with some planning. To be [i]this[/i] outclassed and completely overwhelmed [i]this[/i] quickly wasn't just a shock.
It made her feel small.
[i]No! **** that![/i] When Criostalach attempted to land another punch, Sarada ducked out of the way and quickly scampered away to safety. Her entire face was painted crimson with her own blood. Her armor was in tatters, as were much of the tights she wore underneath. Standing on her own two feet was a challenge. Her balance was just about gone and her legs felt like they were literally made of jelly. Still, she persisted.
She closed her eyes and breathed in, and then out slowly. And then again. When she opened her eyes, her body relaxed. The nearly autonomous state of [b]Peerless Instinct[/b] was her only chance to keep up. She hadn't used it since training with Parsley those months ago; this was as good a time as any.
She dashed forward, fist drawn back and scanning her opponent for any weak point. There weren't any. She wouldn't be able to brute force her way to a win, nor would she be able to finesse one out. This was a battle she couldn't win. Even if that was true, that didn't mean she was just going to give up and take her beating without putting up a fight first.
She was a blur of motion, unleashing her own unrelenting volley upon the Archon. Yet, unlike Sarada, Criostalach had no trouble defending herself. Even thought Sarada knew where to attack and when, she wasn't fast enough.
[COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"Interesting. You appear to have gotten even more attentive, even if you clearly are not thinking,"[/COLOR] the Archon noted. She continued to deflect Sarada's strikes.
As the battle progressed, it was happening again. The difference in speed between the two had been more than noticeable. The Archon was more than capable of dodging or parrying and countering with very little trouble. Yet, gradually, that advantage started to subside. At first, it wasn't noticeable enough for the Archon to worry, but that quickly changed.
[COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"Uff,"[/COLOR] she grunted as Sarada finally landed a hit on her torso. No damage was suffered, but the successful blows were starting to happen more and more regularly. [COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"Interesting."[/COLOR]
Sarada wordlessly leaped into the air, pirouetting through the air while also charging her next attack. "Galick Gun...Fire!" she yelled while upside down.
The famous purple beam cut through the air at an alarming speed. That confirmed to her that not only was her combat and movement speed faster, but the speed of her attacks also increased drastically. She would have to study this phenomenon more closely when she got the chance.
Criostalach casually raised an arm to meet the beam head on. Like light through a prism, the beam filtered through her body and shot out the other side, showering the Crystal Throneroom with a diffused light show while the destructive ki of the Galick Gun shot harmlessly into Vaikuntha's "atmosphere". [COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"An intriguing turn of events,"[/COLOR] the Archon admitted with a glassy clap of her hands. [COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"I do not believe I have ever seen anything like this. What is this technique?"[/COLOR]
Sarada didn't have much more time life and she couldn't spend it talking. She dashed forward, a ball of ki in each hand. "I call it Peerless Instinct," she answered as she lobbed those balls at the Archon. "I can fight without thinking."
[COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"Fascinating. Autonomous combat is a feat rarely seen in mortals, and to this extent. Tell me, who taught you?"[/COLOR] A pair of explosions erupted in her face as the two energy blasts struck her without so much as an attempt at evading. She was standing in the center of a small crater when the dust clear, not even a smudge on her gleaming form.
"I've been teaching myself for the last five years." She floated to the ground and dashed forward. She had one last thing to try. Once again, ki cycled through her arm as she threw her fist back. "[b]CRIMSON DEATH!![/b]" Her fist flew forward, the energy it was carrying exploding outward on contact.
However, instead of flowing through the Archon and exploding outward, as it had done the last few times she tried, it instead exploded back in her face on impact. It was like she had hit some kind of supernatural mirror.
Her own ki washed over her and flung her back a ways until she slammed into the ground. No sooner than when she landed, Criostalach stomped her footed down on her ribcage. She didn't so much as feel as she heard several of them break in half. She was pretty sure one of them punctured her lung because it was suddenly very hard to breathe. She gasped for breath and heard a rattle in her chest.
Yep, definitely punctured lung.
[b]Peerless Instinct[/b] faded away, leaving her with nothing but pure pain and agony on her mind. The Archon was gracious enough to remove her foot from her abdomen and fall back a few steps to give her enough room to try and get up. [i]I suppose this is where I'm supposed to keel over,[/i] she thought as she attempted to roll over onto her stomach. Even doing that felt like she had gotten run over by an asteroid. "Guess I'm out," she muttered.
She managed to get to her knees, then slowly rose to her feet. Blood dripped from her mouth to the ground, coalescing into a pool by her feet. "Hehe. You're a lot stronger than I thought." [b]Saiyan Grit[/b] activated, closing her wounds just enough so she could at least breath more comfortably. That, plus the natural healing properties of Vaikuntha had her feeling better. Not by much, but she was in a better position than she was a half-minute ago.
[COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"Indeed. I am the strongest of my kind, much how you are the strongest of your kind. I trust this is not the end of your efforts."[/COLOR]
"Heh, ya got that right. I didn't keep the throne by rolling over and quitting." She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "I'm not done yet!" Her aura flickered to life, then roared like a newly reinvigorated flame. [b]A Saiyan's Pride[/b] gave her the energy she need to go on. The energy, not the strength. She needed more power, and there was only one way she was going to get it.
Queen's Mettle IX -- Clear as Crystal II
She gritted her teeth and tapped into [b]Saiyan Soul[/b] again. The last time, she grew into a hulking version of her normal Super Saiyan form. That form, however and shockingly, had less power than she had available once she master Super Saiyan. This time, was completely different.
She felt a surge of power the likes of which she had never encountered. Sparks of lightning shot around her aura. But, as soon as the power was there, it was gone. Her hair turned back to its natural brown color as she collapsed to the ground. "Damn it. Not again!"
[COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"A pity."[/COLOR]
Sarada heard Criostalach dashing toward her, but was in no position to do anything about it. The last thing she saw before it all came to an end was the gleaming crystal fist flying toward her face.
Then, it all went to black.
Queen's Mettle X - Kith and Kin
When Sarada came to, her head was still throbbing. She was laying on a hard stone slab that apparently passed for a bed for these guys. She must have been out a while because the sky was dark, whereas it had been early morning when she fought Criostalach. She rose to a sitting position and took stock of her surroundings. It seemed to be some kind of grassy knoll. She wasn't sure which realm they were in, but she supposed it didn't matter.
[COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"Ah, she is awake,"[/COLOR] came Criostalach's voice from a short distance away. The murmurs of the other Archons, as well as the shuffling of elemental feet through the shin-high grass alert her to the presence of the other Archons. [COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"You are to be commended, young queen. You have completed the quest of mine. Do you have any words before we proceed any further?"[/COLOR]
Sarada rose to her feet and turned to face them. The first thing she did was salute and bow at the waist. "I'm honored to have faced you all in some form of combat. Despite not fighting all of you straight up, I still learned something, so all in all, it was a good time."
[COLOR="#AFEEEE"]"Well said, Saiyan. If there is nothing else, choose which of the nine you wish to be recognized as kith and kin. Then, that Archon will bestow upon you the boon I promised at the outset."[/COLOR]
Sarada didn't need to think on it. The only one she made a connection with outside of combat was Lasair. Both of them were young rulers who had to earn the respect of those that were older, wiser, and more experienced than them. They were both hotheads who had been thoroughly enthralled by the allure of revenge. Lasair, for the destruction of his world at the hands of Ishtar; Sarada, for the assimilation of her friend, Charco.
"I choose Lasair."
He nodded and, she suspected, smiled. [COLOR="#B22222"]"Very well. Take my hand, and I will bestow my boon to you."[/COLOR]
She stepped around the stone slab she had been standing behind and approached him. Without hesitation, she took hold of his outstretched hand. A sharp burning sensation spread rapidly through her hand, like fire burning through a pile of dry leaves. It persisted all the time he held her hand. When he let it go a moment later, it still persisted. She looked at her hand and saw the back of it had been branded by what she assumed was his race's ensignia or symbol or whatever.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/uLoicqQ.jpg[/img]
[COLOR="#B22222"]"There. You have been recognized as the kith and kin of the Fire Elementals of Lasair. Carry that badge with honor, young one."[/COLOR]
She then knew what Ishtar, then Inanna, felt like when she found a new shiny for her collection. In short, it was exciting. She would have to test things out so she could know for sure what kind of boon it was she had just received. A sparring session with Parsley was definitely in order. She should have been done with her quest a while ago, and Sarada wanted to see where she stood afterward. "Thank you, kin. I'd test this out now, but I have to go. I have a race to save from genocide." With that, she saluted one last time and took off.
The first place she headed was the village the Turrip Saiyans set up for themselves within Vaikuntha. It was basically a small city, but they hadn't the chance to expand it further than the little they originally staked out for themselves. [i]I wonder if I should refer to them as the Vaikuntha Saiyans,[/i] she thought as she landed. It had only been two days, but it felt so good to finally lay eyes on other Saiyans again. Her interactions with the larger realm of Vaikuntha had been severely limited over the past year. It had basically been her, Parsley, Nevanlinna, and little Kumara. While training took precedence over pretty much everything else, she was missing interacting with other people besides the ones she was training.
"Your Highness," spoke a man with an immediate salute. The other four behind him also saluted. "Finished with your training?"
"Yes. It's been a long year, but I feel I'm finally ready to face Tundra. I need new armor, then I'll leave."
"Of course." One of the women gestured for her to follow her into her shop a short distance away. Different advanced models of Saiyan armor were hanging up on the wall. She noticed that several of the models weren't of the same design as many Saiyans had become accustomed to. In fact, they looked more like regular clothes than actual armor.
She knocked on a particular breastplate that appeared to be nothing more than a shirt and marveled at how sturdy it was.
"Ah, that's our pending casual line. Impact resistant, but still flexible like regular cloth. It's still a work in progress." She handed her a suitcase. "There you go. The changing room is... right...okay," she stammered as Sarada started changing right there.
She pulled the breastplate over her head and looked at herself in the mirror. She really liked [url=https://i.imgur.com/Mh1Csig.jpg]what she saw[/url]. She tossed the scouter in the trash like the outdated garbage it was and slipped the Medallion of Leadership over her head. "Looks good." She turned around to get a look at the back. "Heh. Been a while since I've worn short tights." Showing off the legs was never a bad thing. [i]I wonder if Inanna is a leg woman. Heh.[/i]
"Very good, Your Highness. Would you like some supplies before you embark to Vocado to face Tundra?"
"Yes. I'll need some food, and I want a few medics to go to Ruco to check out the injured. There's no telling how much damage was done."
With that, gathered up a few days worth of food and stored it all in a capsule she kept in a compartment in her hand. Then, she took her leave. [i]Hm, that's weird. Inanna's back. And so is Parsley. I guess they're still training. Ah well; I don't have time to waste.[/i] Sighing to herself, she used her key to open the doorway between Vaikuntha and Earth and stepped through.
As it closed behind her, she noticed that several of the others were on the Lookout. No sign still of Ochazuke, Zaofan, or Held. The latter was probably busy shoving pencils up his ass or whatever bureaucrats did. That didn't explain where the former two were. At least she hoped it didn't.
"Hey, what's going on?"