Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

"What do you suggest we do about Kami, then?" Sarada inquired. "Leaving her with Fife is not an option. Do you suggest we just go our separate ways after rescuing her?"

"I suggest we leave her in the care of capable hands, should she need it." Ishtar replied simply. "As you all .. we, are now ? Unfit."

[Yun Lao]

It had been some time since Charco had raided the kitchen, and surprisingly, no one showed up to steal his food; a miracle if one were to ever see it. With the passage of time, the teen chose to picked up one of the tomes Mrs. Duck had nearly decapitated him with back in Dusk City. Bound in fade blue dyed leather, the book had no title, and its first few pages was a rambling mess of a foreword by its author, a Mr. Jorg Fourmen. Jorg explained the purpose of these tomes, the history behind their recordings, and people who could only be deemed "weirdos".

Charco was close to tossing the book in the garbage, but was stopped in his tracks when he came across something familiar. It was an explanation of the Ankylo Smash, in both its execution and the philosophy behind it. He had always assumed Tyranno-sensei, his grandmother, had created all of the techniques she had taught him, but it appeared that wasn't the case. The next few pages went to describe a technique he had not encountered during his previous training.

"Defense, eh? Hm..."

While it seemed bizarre for a style like his to even think of defense, nonetheless create methods to achieve it, the last few conflicts had been pretty painful. Maybe it was worth a shot?

Thus, moments later, he would return to the scene of many crimes...his and Chou's crimes to be exact. A quick glance to the tome, and he began to shift his stance to better match what was depicted. "...so...project your ki from your entire body...and what?" Reading ahead a bit, he closed the manual and tossed it aside near a pile of his valuables. The book had mentioned a risk of explosion, so it seemed only wise to keep keep fragile objects a safe distance.

Further widening his stance for comfort, he clenched his hands as he began to manipulate the chi within his body in order it protrude it as ki. His muscles tensed and bulged against taut flesh, forcing the outline of veins to become visible. A crackle of energy appeared, a brief spark of green resulting from otherwise pointless exertion. It was far too early to celebrate, as the tome had described it as a full aura. A low growl of frustration rumbled from his chest as the straining was becoming uncomfortable, yet he saw more encouragement as another arc of energy appeared and the left over rumble began to rise.

Unfortunately, it was too much and he immediately lost focus. The tension was gone, and he took a deep gasp for air, causing stars to line the edges of his vision. Falling backwards onto his ass, the previously floating rubble came down along with him.

"Jeez! Whoever discovered this out must have had a bad case of constipation."

[grampagen]

As Held traversed the area, searching for where Ishtar--or, more accurately, for where Nunlil was being held, as finding the latter would lead to finding the former---he almost entirely would have missed Ochazuke, had the man not given his salutations. As well as Chaun's shirt seemed to be holding, the Nevadian still could not shake the concern that somehow, unbeknownst to him, a sliver of the blade would worm its way from it's container.

He had his skepticism that he would be so unlucky, but had such a fate befallen, he felt certain that the Oni would know and even worse, would insist on carrying out the search herself regardless of her condition. As such, he had commanded a almost single minded focus on the object he held in his hand.

Hm?

He looked up from the parcel, facing Ochazuke.

He nodded slightly, acknowledging the mans presence.

"I don't know if 'fortunate' is the right word." He replied, a slight sigh escaping his lips.

Recover? I think salvaged is a better word....If Ishtar hadn't said anything, I wouldn't be surprised if someone had tossed it all in the rubbish bin.

Removing his hand from the top of the knot, he parted a side of the shirt, revealing the pale blue fragments within it.

"Ishtar's blade." He said simply, trusting the shattered remnants told the warrior all he needed to know.
"She was....."

He thought back to the Oni, barely able to move, intent on recovering what was hers, despite her obvious fatigue.

"Insistent--" was the word he settled for "--on getting this back. If I hadn't come back for it, she'd probably be trudging her way down the halls as we speak."

He closed the cloth once more, obscuring the blue glass behind a veil of white.

"Even that was barely enough to convince her to listen to me, though." He admitted with a wry chuckle. "But, I'm not entirely unlucky."

He reciprocated with a wordless sigh, nodding his head in a lamentful understanding, followed by a small chuckle.

"Good man."

Ochazuke would hardly doubt what Held said. It must be a matter of great importance that currently occupied the oni deeper in the facility.

"She's lost enough today. Walking the path set before us is as treacherous as balancing astride a fissure atop a frozen lake."

Curse fate. Blame Kami. But it was all them. The choices of foolish mortals were but a single push to becoming foolish mortal choices.

He looked over Ochazuke, attempting to discern his own reason for being in the area.

"And what about you? Was there something you were looking for? Or are you one of those types who get, say we say, restless?"

It was a polite term for those who could not resist the call of battle for more than a few moments, and this facility was certainly filled with them. Even as he walked the halls, all manner of sparring matches seemed to be taking place, not that he could find much fault in their reasoning. The time until they had to act could be measured in days, with a new enemy poised to attack at any hour.

Perhaps it's was vigilance, and renewed motivation that had pushed them so.

Restless was one way of putting it. Baring his soul and asserting himself to death's dark shroud left him with a certain level of awareness, and it was knowledge borne uneasily.

Light a beacon in the darkness and all matter of hidden things turn their heads towards you from the shadows.

"I find little comfort in rest, and even less in dreams," he said plainly, "Dreams of power are merely an idle surface luxury without the grit to realize them."

A twist in the wind, danger, and a flood of destruction at a moment's whim. Such a fickle clash of wills from a group supposedly banded. In the moment, perhaps Ochazuke sought the confidence of a second set of eyes that there was something of a shared perspective.

"I find once you've set your eye on a goal, you've decided where you shall plateau."

[Ptrvc]

Totoma heard an "OW!" and then the floor panel came whirling back at him. He smirked and released the partially-charged Kiho at the floor panel, obliterating it into debris and dust. Heh. Dustbris. Without hesitation, he propelled himself through the cloud, fist first. He needed a distraction... but wha--aha!

"Hey Jack!" he yelled as he rocketed towards Jack. "SWIMSUIT SARADAAAA!"

Totoma figured Jack was probably a bit attracted to the purebred--and on a physical level, he... couldn't blame him at all--so maybe the mental image would distract the guy enough for a hole to appear in his defenses.

Totoma's fist drove into Jack shoulder, but immediately after, he would find Jack's arms wrapping around the offending limb, and legs warping around his torso in a traditional armbar, "Joker's Joint Lock!" Jack called out as the two of them fell to the ground.

"Hey...Totoma...what's a swimsuit?" Jack asked as he tried to force to other man into submission, "Don't people usually just swim in their underwear?" Jack suddenly imagined Sarada swimming out on some lake somewhere, in her underwear. Which wasn't hard considering she was largely exposed early at that day. Jack's grip loosened just a tad as the image passed through his mind.

Nice...

[MrSandman]

Such precision, such vigilance, mind always on the job. Anytime her mind wasn't on the job, Etrina was thinking about what might go wrong. It kept her productive, focused. But what sort of toll was it taking on her soul? She had already rejected herself, burying everything she instinctively wanted deep down until she couldn't take it anymore, then resorted to spellcraft to rid herself of them. But Erosa didn't entirely lack self-restraint. Etrina didn't entirelty lack emotion and desire either. Was she on the road to developing the same problems all over again? What goal was she so fervently working towards?

All questions for later. Conversations must be allowed to flow.

"Erosa was wonderful," Asha'rah replied, raising a hand to reassure Etrina, "we helped each other with a number of important issues, and I have entrusted her with the safety of the Four-Star Dragon Ball."

"Oh.....I'm surprised she hasn't already eaten it or some such nonsense." Etrina waved dismissively. "But I'm pleased to hear she has been of use. Normally she would require near constant observation just to keep in check.....the impact of her antics is lowered considerably when everyone else is equal if not worse. You at least must have your head if you can handle her that easily."

[Sion Reaver]

The lady in olden dress approached. She seemed to be good friends with the half-Saiyan. Earlier, she had conjured shields and weapons from the shadows themselves. Was her power affected by ambient levels of light?

"Greetings, Karine. It's good to finally talk with you as well. How are you feeling?"

How did she feel after everything that had happened? She..honestly wasn't sure. Before Totoma had woken up she had a slight break down after nearly dying before putting those pieces together and kept going. Karine wasn't sure if she was 'okay' entirely now but she was functional at least.

"I've been better, but I can't complain too much." Karine said choosing her answer a bit carefully, no point in dragging anyone else down in her convoluted mess. She'd be fine, at least she was doing better then Ishstar who was completely off kilter at the moment. "The mess with the intruders gave me a few things to think about. There are other things that worry me but they're beyond my control to do anything at the moment so I'm trying not to focus on them."

Ishstar was one of those things while the general fragility of her own life and others was another. Not only had she nearly died, Isthar had been critically injured both physically and emotionally along with Totoma being wounded again. If things had gotten just a slight more out of hand, she could only imagine how bad it may have been.

"If its not too much trouble, I was wondering if you could teach me to meditate properly? You said you're not a monk but I imagine a lot of the practices you learned from them." There was absolutely no harm in asking the woman, as the worse she could do was decline in which case she'd just scout around. Her main reason for asking was being more pro active in controlling her own power, and to do that it meant having a calmer and clearer mind when it was needed the most.

Etrina, absorbed in her reading, mumbled quietly to herself as Asha'rah approached. It wasn't until his question that she turned her attention his way with a raised eyebrow. "No more now then I did upon my initial examination....that its a couple centuries old, ineffective lump of pottery being held together with spit, glue and magic seals. I can make adjustments to the sealing enchantment....but until I compensate for outside assistance or his particular spellcraft I can't rule out a repeat of Dusk City will happen another century down the road."

She snapped her book shut, her serious look giving way for a moment. "....Also hello.....Asha'rah was it.....you've been the one cavorting around with my familiar yes? I hope she didn't attempt anything particularly horrendous in my absence."




"Karine Cromwell? Karine Cromwell......Karine....Cromwell...." She repeated the name like a mantra a couple times. "Your name has quite a ring to it....rather reminds of the strong family names of nobility. I'm Etrina Von Stoltengarde....." Etrina let out a cough to dampen her over excitement. "Of course Etrina is fine...."

Karine allowed a slow small smile. "It is. Back when my people were in larger numbers it was actually the name of a few noble houses when nobility wasn't just a thing in history books. The name goes a bit back, but I can't recall all the details of it since a lot has been lost since then. I think I recall your family name, its from a family of mages if its one in the same, Perhaps we can exchange notes some time? Most of the other people around are Ki users and don't use any form of magic."

[grampagen]

It had been some time since Charco had raided the kitchen, and surprisingly, no one showed up to steal his food; a miracle if one were to ever see it. With the passage of time, the teen chose to picked up one of the tomes Mrs. Duck had nearly decapitated him with back in Dusk City. Bound in fade blue dyed leather, the book had no title, and its first few pages was a rambling mess of a foreword by its author, a Mr. Jorg Fourmen. Jorg explained the purpose of these tomes, the history behind their recordings, and people who could only be deemed "weirdos".

Charco was close to tossing the book in the garbage, but was stopped in his tracks when he came across something familiar. It was an explanation of the Ankylo Smash, in both its execution and the philosophy behind it. He had always assumed Tyranno-sensei, his grandmother, had created all of the techniques she had taught him, but it appeared that wasn't the case. The next few pages went to describe a technique he had not encountered during his previous training.

"Defense, eh? Hm..."

While it seemed bizarre for a style like his to even think of defense, nonetheless create methods to achieve it, the last few conflicts had been pretty painful. Maybe it was worth a shot?

Thus, moments later, he would return to the scene of many crimes...his and Chou's crimes to be exact. A quick glance to the tome, and he began to shift his stance to better match what was depicted. "...so...project your ki from your entire body...and what?" Reading ahead a bit, he closed the manual and tossed it aside near a pile of his valuables. The book had mentioned a risk of explosion, so it seemed only wise to keep keep fragile objects a safe distance.

Further widening his stance for comfort, he clenched his hands as he began to manipulate the chi within his body in order it protrude it as ki. His muscles tensed and bulged against taut flesh, forcing the outline of veins to become visible. A crackle of energy appeared, a brief spark of green resulting from otherwise pointless exertion. It was far too early to celebrate, as the tome had described it as a full aura. A low growl of frustration rumbled from his chest as the straining was becoming uncomfortable, yet he saw more encouragement as another arc of energy appeared and the left over rumble began to rise.

Unfortunately, it was too much and he immediately lost focus. The tension was gone, and he took a deep gasp for air, causing stars to line the edges of his vision. Falling backwards onto his ass, the previously floating rubble came down along with him.

"Jeez! Whoever discovered this out must have had a bad case of constipation."

The hollow clink and quiet slurping from spoon against bowl informed the Dino-ryu pupil that he wasn't the only one in the dining hall. Ochazuke, chewing a piece of stewed saurian tripe, watched Charco attempt the technique as he ate, quiet as a captive critic. He emptied his bowl of ginger, scallions, and guts, and swallowed.

"Fresh from the battle and straight into practice," he noted, "Your martial discipline is extraordinary."

He remembered how Chaco, battered and bleeding from fighting the Darkness of Chou, still rose up and gave him his support.

"For what you did out there, you have my thanks."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"I suggest we leave her in the care of capable hands, should she need it." Ishtar replied simply. "As you all .. we, are now ? Unfit."

She couldn't argue that point. How could anyone, after reflecting on the mishaps that had happened the last two days? Teammates injuring each other as a result of callous inattention and carelessness. "Fair enough."

But, who qualified as capable? Jinzi? He would surely be too busy to care for Kami and whatever injuries she would incurred during her captivity, but he was certainly the most qualified out of all them. Other than that, the options seemed limited, unless Kami or Jinzi knew of someone else.

[Miburo]

He reciprocated with a wordless sigh, nodding his head in a lamentful understanding, followed by a small chuckle.

"Good man."

Ochazuke would hardly doubt what Held said. It must be a matter of great importance that currently occupied the oni deeper in the facility.

"She's lost enough today. Walking the path set before us is as treacherous as balancing astride a fissure atop a frozen lake."

Curse fate. Blame Kami. But it was all them. The choices of foolish mortals were but a single push to becoming foolish mortal choices.



Restless was one way of putting it. Baring his soul and asserting himself to death's dark shroud left him with a certain level of awareness, and it was knowledge borne uneasily.

Light a beacon in the darkness and all matter of hidden things turn their heads towards you from the shadows.

"I find little comfort in rest, and even less in dreams," he said plainly, "Dreams of power are merely an idle surface luxury without the grit to realize them."

A twist in the wind, danger, and a flood of destruction at a moment's whim. Such a fickle clash of wills from a group supposedly banded. In the moment, perhaps Ochazuke sought the confidence of a second set of eyes that there was something of a shared perspective.

"I find once you've set your eye on a goal, you've decided where you shall plateau."

He's certainly a serious one.....He reminds me of someone, but I can't quite place it.

The Nevadian went silent for a moment, parsing the words spoken by his comrade in arms. Although his way of speaking way a tad unfamiliar to the Nevadian, it was positively plain compared to antiquated way of speaking Ishtar had used when addressing him.

I guess that's a yes, then? I can't say I'm surprised. He seems like the one who takes his art the most serious, I'd wager. It's practically emanating from his being...

Ochazuke was almost overwhelming in his intensity. He had assumed that--when they had first met--it was due to the stress behind the encounter, all that was at stake. He now realized that, no. This was Ochazuke, at the core of his being.

Goals? Plateau?

His head shifted to the side, the mans observation causing the Nevadian to ponder his own experience.

It was the Nevadians own goal that had led him to this place, after all. It was one of the few things that kept him from simply basking in the--until now--realitively carefree life this world had to offer him.

Although he had joined Kami's quest out of a debt for his life, he had pursued Jinzi--and others like him-- for his own interests. There were very few on this world who possessed the ability to make a ship to travel among the stars, and even fewer to navigate the hazards that existed deep in Nevadian space. The asteroid belt on the edge of that galaxy had made it somewhat annoying for even Saiyans to attempt anything too aggressive.

And although he had strayed on his journey, getting distracted by all manner of curiosities, distractions and merriment, it was this goal that had kept Held from being swallowed by the life that he had come to enjoy on this planet. There were no raids, there were no missions, there was no planet pushing its own inhabitants from where they rightfully belonged. It was liberating, and yet....

"No dream lasts forever." He admitted, nodding his head in agreement, "Sooner or later, I think we'll always either pursuing what we want, or casting it aside."

Of course, no sooner than he had finally found way to obtain what he had sought---or at least the possibility---This world--it's guardian-- sought him out, in need of his talents to save it and it's peoples. If only Nevada had a guardian so devoted to it and it's people. Of course, out of gratitude, and out of guilt, he accepted the task.

If nothing else, accomplishing this task, would make soliciting aid for his own goals, that much more attainable.

"I suppose it depends on the person, and the goal." He responded at last to the man's statement. "I'd imagine men stranded on island might have many thoughts, but only one thing they truly want, no?"

[Yun Lao]

The hollow clink and quiet slurping from spoon against bowl informed the Dino-ryu pupil that he wasn't the only one in the dining hall. Ochazuke, chewing a piece of stewed saurian tripe, watched Charco attempt the technique as he ate, quiet as a captive critic. He emptied his bowl of ginger, scallions, and guts, and swallowed.

"Fresh from the battle and straight into practice," he noted, "Your martial discipline is extraordinary."

He remembered how Chaco, battered and bleeding from fighting the Darkness of Chou, still rose up and gave him his support.

"For what you did out there, you have my thanks."

Holy crap! Charco was definitely not expecting Ochazuke to be there!

It was definitely a better sight to see him than some of the others, though. He still hadn't figured out how he would interact with Erosa should they ever end up having to for some reason. Still, the last time he recalled seeing Ochazuke was when the other was orchestrating the final series of attacks that put Dark Chou down for good.

"No need to thank me. After all, you were who figured out the trick to beating that guy...demon...thing...I never really got filled in on what happened there."

Now that he thought of it, he didn't really know much about a majority of the others, including Ochazuke. "I don't remember introducing myself, but I'm Ogatan Charco of the Dino School."

[KamenRaida]

If the Oni noticed that Koorimaru had been upset by her words, she didn't seem to care. Instead focusing on the last comment made. "We can barely protect ourselves, from ourselves."

And it wasn't as if the Ishtar was wrong. Two days, two separate instances of carelessness that wounded many. Their sanctuary compromised casually, and one of their 'acquaintances' revealed as nothing more than a threat to the safety of others.

"Perhaps you have the right of it, in the end. Yet until I am shown otherwise, I can no longer bring myself to believe it."

"You neglect the wide disparity in strength between ourselves, even collectively, Kami and Fife. While it would a tremendous, even fatal, drain of energy on her part, the display of force she demonstrated only this morning is proof enough that we should not overestimate our ability to inconvenience her." Koorimaru retorted, "On the other hand, even if only through the aid of allies like your cousin, Fife is likely far more dangerous a foe than Kami. That he has been successful in his attempts to coerce all his allies, individuals whom none of us alone, even now, would be able to pose a challenge to, demonstrates that he is at a level of power we cannot take lightly.

"Even assuming the idiocy of our peers remains a constant for the remainder of our sojourn together, her chances of surviving us are greater than her chances of surviving Fife should he have reason to be rid of her. But, your suggestion that she be placed in more cautious hands has credit. Truth told, if we kept her around us, it would be less to secure her safety and more to make use of her strength to make sure we don't tear one another apart."

[grampagen]

He's certainly a serious one.....He reminds me of someone, but I can't quite place it.

The Nevadian went silent for a moment, parsing the words spoken by his comrade in arms. Although his way of speaking way a tad unfamiliar to the Nevadian, it was positively plain compared to antiquated way of speaking Ishtar had used when addressing him.

I guess that's a yes, then? I can't say I'm surprised. He seems like the one who takes his art the most serious, I'd wager. It's practically emanating from his being...

Ochazuke was almost overwhelming in his intensity. He had assumed that--when they had first met--it was due to the stress behind the encounter, all that was at stake. He now realized that, no. This was Ochazuke, at the core of his being.

Goals? Plateau?

His head shifted to the side, the mans observation causing the Nevadian to ponder his own experience.

It was the Nevadians own goal that had led him to this place, after all. It was one of the few things that kept him from simply basking in the--until now--realitively carefree life this world had to offer him.

Although he had joined Kami's quest out of a debt for his life, he had pursued Jinzi--and others like him-- for his own interests. There were very few on this world who possessed the ability to make a ship to travel among the stars, and even fewer to navigate the hazards that existed deep in Nevadian space. The asteroid belt on the edge of that galaxy had made it somewhat annoying for even Saiyans to attempt anything too aggressive.

And although he had strayed on his journey, getting distracted by all manner of curiosities, distractions and merriment, it was this goal that had kept Held from being swallowed by the life that he had come to enjoy on this planet. There were no raids, there were no missions, there was no planet pushing its own inhabitants from where they rightfully belonged. It was liberating, and yet....

"No dream lasts forever." He admitted, nodding his head in agreement, "Sooner or later, I think we'll always either pursuing what we want, or casting it aside."

"Well said," he chuckled, "I see it's much the same on this world as it is among the stars. Desire strings us along, but it's never enough."

Desire. For strength? For approval? Right now, Ochazuke was caught up in the conversation to take in the surface absurdity that he was talking to an alien about these mortal matters.

"Fighting for the sake of another's dream, however, is something I cannot do. But neither can I be idle while lives are cast aside in the name of a fallen god."

Of course, no sooner than he had finally found way to obtain what he had sought---or at least the possibility---This world--it's guardian-- sought him out, in need of his talents to save it and it's peoples. If only Nevada had a guardian so devoted to it and it's people. Of course, out of gratitude, and out of guilt, he accepted the task.

If nothing else, accomplishing this task, would make soliciting aid for his own goals, that much more attainable.

"I suppose it depends on the person, and the goal." He responded at last to the man's statement. "I'd imagine men stranded on island might have many thoughts, but only one thing they truly want, no?"

"Heh. Are we all then staring into the sun waiting to die until heat or thirst take us?"

A morbid joke, but Held's thought expressed a peculiar sort of insight. Ochazuke imagined it might have been from experience.

"I'd prefer to find a way out. Kami, Pantaloon, have given us the means to the best of their ability."

What does an offworlder want with a blue planet? He'd not pursued violence like Sarada, nor did he seem at all fixated on these wishing baubles for what purpose Koorimaru craved. If he could have left, would he? Was being embroiled in this war the only thing that held him here, ransom to the promises of Kami?

"The pursuits of this Fallen God..." Ochazuke paused. Swallowing the words, he rephrased as if it would somehow diminish the power of the being in some way, "Fife...would be akin to the man who lashes together the bodies of his dead fellows and call the abominable construct a raft, and consider it no more. Divinity slipped through his fingers, it seems he would raze everything to the ground so long as he was the one standing on top. And he would call himself 'guardian'."

He sighed as he continued the darkened reverie, "You can feel it too, can't you? The weight of the Dragonball."

[grampagen]

Holy crap! Charco was definitely not expecting Ochazuke to be there!

It was definitely a better sight to see him than some of the others, though. He still hadn't figured out how he would interact with Erosa should they ever end up having to for some reason. Still, the last time he recalled seeing Ochazuke was when the other was orchestrating the final series of attacks that put Dark Chou down for good.

"No need to thank me. After all, you were who figured out the trick to beating that guy...demon...thing...I never really got filled in on what happened there."

Now that he thought of it, he didn't really know much about a majority of the others, including Ochazuke. "I don't remember introducing myself, but I'm Ogatan Charco of the Dino School."

Ochazuke nodded in acknowledgment, and reciprocated, offering his name in turn.

Of course, the other day, the name 'Charco' was on the tip of the tongue of many who were caught up in the jaws of the boy's beastly technique. The less said about that the better.

"There was no trick to it. You know this well," he said, "A man must confront his darkness and assert himself."

Or falter and loose his ruin upon the world.

Standing he made his way over to where Charco was. Turning his head to the side, he looked him over appraising some unknown quality.

"I've disturbed your training, haven't I," he chuckled, "recreating old arts, that is a task that requires dedication."

Taking a few steps away, he thumbed his chin thoughtfully before turning around to face Charco.

"Show it to me once more."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"I see." A mobile location; good for staying hidden from an enemy as dangerous as Fife. Sarada remembered Kami mentioning a place where they could get an entire year's worth of training in just a single day. She silently pondered whether or not the Lookout was such a place. Probably so; at least, she hoped so. A year of training would allow her to implement Tasure's training method, which meant that she would get unbelievably strong if the past two days were any indication. Perhaps even strong enough to become Vocado's new arena champion when she returned home.

"How close are you to finding it?"

Well, it’s meant to be hidden, so I’m not sure. But, a few clues Kami dropped when we spoke have given me an idea where it was last week. I’m tracking from that point outward. Should have some idea soon.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"You're not far from the truth, my dear Pantaloon. While my Void Tunnels can be opened outside of my field of vision, it takes no small amount of effort to achieve such a feat, particularly where great distances of concerned. Of course, if my assumptions of the general area in which I wish to open them are mistaken, they shall be rendered ineffective. Which is why this gift may prove useful indeed."

He raised the neural patch to eye level, appraising it with the curiosity given new material to dissect. Cyberisation, while of no great interest to Koorimaru, was not unheard of among his people. During the moments of desperation and madness immediately following his defeat by Saradasuke, Koorimaru had once briefly considered making use of the cyberisation process to replace what he had lost.

His flirtation with the idea passed, though now it seemed the opportunity to explore it in some less intrusive means now presented itself. Slapping the patch onto the back of his neck, at first there was nothing. And then... there was nothing.

"Wha-?"

The blackness soon passed as his vision returned to normal... only now interposed along with what he could see within his line of sight, the confines of a casket seemed also visible to him. It was only when the shock of it all passed that he became aware of a sharp tingling sensation at the base of his skull, and in diverting his consciousness to it, the mechanical orbs lifted, and with their rising, the layered visions changed in accordance to their new position.

He sent one to the far end of the dungeons, while another swung low, surveying the grounds of the prison. The last turned to each occupant in the room in turn before resting on a pallid yellowish-weight figure, marked with violet crests and poorly contained glee etched on his face.

"Yes. Very useful indeed. I suspect this will be of much use during our raid on Willa's base." Koorimaru said before turning and bowing deeply to Jinzi, "My thanks, my dear Pantaloon. With your ingenuity, we may yet even the playing field against our foes."

Jinzi nods.

“Happy to help, Koorimaru.”