Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

He doesn’t react in time to dodge, but he does get his arms up to block.

As soon as contact is made, Ishtar locks her wrists around 'The Knife's' arms, the skin searing underneath the Oni's burning palms.

Chris parries the disc with one of his knives. Hoping backwards, he smiles.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

"Yes."

And with hands still locked around 'The Knife's' wrists, Ishtar's eyes glow blue, lightning arcing between her horns as she then fires a stream of it into his face.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Jack slumps to his own knees, mirroring his opponent almost perfectly.

He watches as his allies attacks tear into the world Champion, continuing to shred him. At last, Slak's blade stops mere inches above Jack's head.

And buried deep into Simon's cloven skull, at last wresting the man's life from his grasping ambition.

In the distance he can hear Willa's scream. Jack turns to look, but all he can do is send over and wretch, hacking up blood.

His right arm is shot, and his left is still crispy. He can feel his heart spasming, slowing down with each beat.

"C'mon, kid. Hold on..." He hears Manco from somewhere close by, "Listen to me, you hold...Jack..hey...Jack!"

Chou suddenly teleports beside him and feeds him a senzu bean.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The attacks cut, burn, and destroy, Chris much left the worse for wear.

Until he smiles again through half a face.

“Assassination Form 2: Breathe of Life, Breathe of Death.”

Meagan, Zaofan, and Ishtar feel their ki reserves drop dramatically as, before their eyes, Chris heals up and his own reserves are restored. He breaks Ishtar’s hold, blurring backwards and appearing atop the downed mech.

“I’m not so easy to beat.”

[Tami]

The attacks cut, burn, and destroy, Chris much left the worse for wear.

Until he smiles again through half a face.

“Assassination Form 2: Breathe of Life, Breathe of Death.”

Meagan, Zaofan, and Ishtar feel their ki reserves drop dramatically as, before their eyes, Chris heals up and his own reserves are restored. He breaks Ishtar’s hold, blurring backwards and appearing atop the downed mech.

“I’m not so easy to beat.”

OOC: Let me have this, please.

IC: As Chris makes his boast, a teal sword slices his back open as it flies upward towards him, on its own.

OOC: Meagan's crystal can restore Ki, but only once per person per day.

[Cyke]

The attacks cut, burn, and destroy, Chris much left the worse for wear.

Until he smiles again through half a face.

“Assassination Form 2: Breathe of Life, Breathe of Death.”

Meagan, Zaofan, and Ishtar feel their ki reserves drop dramatically as, before their eyes, Chris heals up and his own reserves are restored. He breaks Ishtar’s hold, blurring backwards and appearing atop the downed mech.

“I’m not so easy to beat.”

Gradually but severely fatigued, Zaofan was brought to his knees, reduced to using the bo staff to lean on like a crutch.

He reached out in a futile attempt to grab Chris as he blurred away. His eyes glowed with crimson ruby energy, only to flicker on and off erratically.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The attacks cut, burn, and destroy, Chris much left the worse for wear.

Until he smiles again through half a face.

“Assassination Form 2: Breathe of Life, Breathe of Death.”

Meagan, Zaofan, and Ishtar feel their ki reserves drop dramatically as, before their eyes, Chris heals up and his own reserves are restored. He breaks Ishtar’s hold, blurring backwards and appearing atop the downed mech.

“I’m not so easy to beat.”

Ishtar feels her reserves drop, as Chris the Knife restores himself.

Yet such a thing mattered little now, did it not ? The fires of Aeshma Xeshm would burn regardless, and with it the world ... and with it, Ishtar. Teeth grit, in pain, the Oni stood then, and offered what few words could be managed in the wake of her soon to boil-over rage.

"Cease your prattling, boy."

In another explosive firing the Oni then catapulted forward ... but towards the downed machine that the boy stood atop. The Oni's target now was the mecha piloted by the now deceased Willa Rautt. Burning as she was, whatever fuel left within the ruined battle-frame would find itself ignited.

OT: Stage 2, in 2.

[Eternal Torment]

A scarlet X takes him in th chest, battering him backwards.

A blast from Meagan further doing so, blood dribbling from his mouth.

A spear punches through the shoulder on his good arm, making it useless.

“9. 10.”

A blow from Jack to his sternum breaks it and four ribs, Simon falling to his knees.

Erosa tears apart some of his throat, missing a fatal blow by millimeters.

“Banefire, Obli....”

Chuan silences him, his needle work sealing his ability to speak forever.

And then Slak’s Dragon Fang slams into his head and ends his life. The body slumps down, Dead, the gun falling to the ground.


A mere second later, Willa screams in rage and hate at the sight, seemingly frozen.

Chuan closes his eyes and shakes his head. Battersea sure was a bastard, but even they deserved to go out clean.

This? This would be like putting ground meat in a casket.

Damn it all.

He reappears behind Willa, grabs her round the neck, and cuts her throat. She bucks against him, eyes widening, but he holds her.

“Shhh, shhh. Rest, rest. Shhh, don’t fight it.”

Willa’s eyes go hazy, her body slumps, and he gently lays her on the ground.

“Goodnight, Colonel.”

He the strolls over, whistling, and grabs the gun Simon dropped.

“Well, about time the fool summoned it. I waited a long time for this thing to pop back up again. It’s even uglier than I imagined.”

Black circle go up his arm as he bonds with it. It disappears.

“Been waiting years to get my hands on Banefire. My compliments to you all.”

"Shit."

For the first time in a long while, Chuan swore wholeheartedly. Chris the Knife had one of the two things that they'd never want him to get his hands on, and he was much fresher than they were.

Now what were they going to do?

Checking in on Chuan, and seeing Battersea's fate, Zaofan tried to process the sequence of events as best he could. But even then, there was only so much his mind could handle on this day.

But now Willa is gone, and Zaofan felt powerless as he watched the villain pick up the Banefire.

Thus, Zaofan clenched his teeth and his fists, and brought his bo staff to position, slowly but surely.



Zaofan swings low towards the upper legs in one wide swoop...



...and swings in a 360 full circle, aiming lower to tangle Chris' legs with the bo staff, in an attempt to prevent him from moving.

The attacks cut, burn, and destroy, Chris much left the worse for wear.

Until he smiles again through half a face.

“Assassination Form 2: Breathe of Life, Breathe of Death.”

Meagan, Zaofan, and Ishtar feel their ki reserves drop dramatically as, before their eyes, Chris heals up and his own reserves are restored. He breaks Ishtar’s hold, blurring backwards and appearing atop the downed mech.

“I’m not so easy to beat.”

Chuan knew the answer, and he wish he didn't. His hands trembled, but he swallowed the renewed fear within him, pushing the bile down as he noticed how the assassin drained them.

If only he hadn't shown his hand when attacking Battersea! Chris would know exactly what Chuan would do, so he needed to somehow out-sneak a trained killer to pull it off. That, or....

He didn't dare avert his head or his eyes. If he let the assassin figure out what he had in mind, it'd never work. All he could do was wait and defend himself until there was a proper opening.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Jack slumps to his own knees, mirroring his opponent almost perfectly.

He watches as his allies attacks tear into the world Champion, continuing to shred him. At last, Slak's blade stops mere inches above Jack's head.

And buried deep into Simon's cloven skull, at last wresting the man's life from his grasping ambition.

In the distance he can hear Willa's scream. Jack turns to look, but all he can do is send over and wretch, hacking up blood.

His right arm is shot, and his left is still crispy. He can feel his heart spasming, slowing down with each beat.

"C'mon, kid. Hold on..." He hears Manco from somewhere close by, "Listen to me, you hold...Jack..hey...Jack!"

Sarada saw Jack on his knees. She could feel his ki wavering.

No.

She had already told him what would happen if he died again. She was going to beat the shit out of him. Even if The Knife was stabbing her in the chest, she wouldn't stop until Jack got the message and stopped being dead.

"Hey, Earthman," she called out to him. "I'm warning you. Don't even think about it!"

Another ghost of a smile, and Ishtar nodded.

"I decided Death was not to my liking ... far too cold."

Words that were true enough, but had it not been for the quick response from Karine, and Slak; there was no denying the Oni would have died. As the Oni turned, however, there was a flicker of something felt through Totoma's Kizuna ... and for a moment Ishtar was back on Ilargi.

Sarada smiled to herself. Ishtar would live another day. This fact was to her liking.

How familiar it was ....

Jerking back around, Battersea wholly forgotten, Ishtar took a step towards the girl.

"Sehkmet ?"

Yet through that failing connection, there was yet life; and after a moment of simply staring Ishtar realized her mistake.

"Sarada."

The young Saiyan was not dead yet, and thanks to the quick actions from Meagan, the girl would live yet ... but with the wounds to gut, and throat; she would need assistance. And if that assistance did not come soon, it would, end the same as it had for the Daughter of the Moon ... and if not stopped here, what fate befell so many others before would befall the rest of those assembled.

Ishtar took another step towards the downed Saiyan, then.

"No."

A resolution forced through gritted teeth.

The golden-eyed Oni took another step, steam rising from her blood-crusted skin as her tired body reacted almost on instinct.

Inhale.

"Aeshma ..."

With another step, the golden aura around Ishtar sputtered out as the energy that had been gifted by Karine, and Slak, was funneled into keeping the Oni in one piece for the minutes to come.

Exhale.

Ishtar's foot sank into the soil beneath her, as she took yet another step.

" ... Xeshm."

The air shimmered around Ishtar, as her inner fire now bled through her skin, seeking only to escape and ignite the world; and given time she would let it. For now, however, the Oni did all she could to wait for Chris the Knife to reappear.

Pushing off of the ground beneath her then, the golden-eyed Oni surged forward, carving large trenches into the Island floor as she fired like a shot towards Chris the Knife.

It did not matter, what he did to Willa.

Nor did it matter what pact had been made with the weapon, Banefire.

Ishtar surged forward then, the ground beneath her giving way as she fired like a shot towards Chris the Knife.

OT: 50% increased speed, burns on contact. Stage 2 in 4.

Sarada felt the heat emanating from Ishtar and immediately knew what it was. The technique, Aeshma Xeshm.

The temptation to activate her own was strong, but... she wasn't sure if she could again. The anger was there, certainly. The day's events gave her plenty to ignite that flame again. But, once she crossed that threshold again, would she be able to turn back before the point of no return.

But, the boost in power provided by Battersea's gun was untold; partially because there was no accurate record of how powerful The Knife was by himself. There was no time to hold back.

"All or nothing."

She breathed in deeply. A single word echoed through her head, as it always had when she meditated every morning.

She exhaled slowly, the word channeling itself from her head to the tip of her tongue.

"Anaxam." A single word, and Sarada saw red.

Ironic. A word meant to bring peace to her mind snatched what little peace she had left, and replaced it with every ounce of anger and rage it had been absorbing over the years.

Well, this could work after all.

Sarada let out a low, primal growl as her grip on Ishtar's katchin sword tightened into a vice. When the Oni erupted into motion, the Saiyan watched to measure the Knife's reaction. He couldn't dodge in time.

Excellent.

The attacks cut, burn, and destroy, Chris much left the worse for wear.

Until he smiles again through half a face.

“Assassination Form 2: Breathe of Life, Breathe of Death.”

Meagan, Zaofan, and Ishtar feel their ki reserves drop dramatically as, before their eyes, Chris heals up and his own reserves are restored. He breaks Ishtar’s hold, blurring backwards and appearing atop the downed mech.

“I’m not so easy to beat.”

A smaller crater incurvated into the ground as she exploded forward, a rocket of rage hurtling toward Chris. The edge of the sword thrust out in front of her intent on stabbing it into his chest

OOC: Anaxam is active. Current PL is 306 (Kizuna + Anaxam). Stage Two in four posts.

[grampagen]

A scarlet X takes him in th chest, battering him backwards.

A blast from Meagan further doing so, blood dribbling from his mouth.

A spear punches through the shoulder on his good arm, making it useless.

“9. 10.”

A blow from Jack to his sternum breaks it and four ribs, Simon falling to his knees.

Erosa tears apart some of his throat, missing a fatal blow by millimeters.

“Banefire, Obli....”

Chuan silences him, his needle work sealing his ability to speak forever.

And then Slak’s Dragon Fang slams into his head and ends his life. The body slumps down, Dead, the gun falling to the ground.

Ochazuke recovered from having struck at the essence of the twisted thing, and casting his glance upward, it was a dubious pleasure to see a primal justice served to a man who'd sold his soul for empty victory. Banefire was its name, a cold, harrowing thing that twist power manifest in his flesh to heights unknowable.

He could see the moment then, through the field of his meditation, the moment. The fire that leapt from Simon Battersea's spirit to consume everything escaped the hearth of his design and was snuffed out.

A mere second later, Willa screams in rage and hate at the sight, seemingly frozen.

He looked over to the twisted anguished sound. In the run of the tournament, Ochazuke had only felt the resonance of the Colonel's spirit when she engaged the others. It was a cold thing then, metal sheathed within the flesh it sheared as it shook his comrades and threatened to overtake them in battle. Now having the opportunity to see the fearsome leader of the Red Raiders face to face, he got the measure of her.

Contracting the deadened fingers of his left hand, he rolled his neck and balled his right fist to his side.

"Rautt!"

Ochazuke felt the power of Totoma's outreach begin to slowly wither within him. He would see that the second wind imparted would not go to waste as he began to walk towards the Colonel, entering into the phases of Battle Meditation as he approached the Colonel, resolute in his advance as her iron-clad countenance begin to shatter...

He reappears behind Willa, grabs her round the neck, and cuts her throat. She bucks against him, eyes widening, but he holds her.

“Shhh, shhh. Rest, rest. Shhh, don’t fight it.”

Willa’s eyes go hazy, her body slumps, and he gently lays her on the ground.

“Goodnight, Colonel.”

He the strolls over, whistling, and grabs the gun Simon dropped.

“Well, about time the fool summoned it. I waited a long time for this thing to pop back up again. It’s even uglier than I imagined.”

Black circle go up his arm as he bonds with it. It disappears.

“Been waiting years to get my hands on Banefire. My compliments to you all.”

And now, another plot reared its ugly head. The one who'd they all presumed to be the hand of the Colonel instead cut her down.

...what fresh hell...?

Ochazuke grit his teeth. After he had heard Kenshiko had thrown away her pride as Master to follow in the path of this enigmatic revolutionary, the attempt to reconcile the memory of his Kru with the bloodthirsty rebellion rending their fanciful ambitions with tooth and claw stood there in his mind, like a splinter he could not reach, digging ever deeper into inflammation, driving him mad.

What was it they were fighting for? How did a rising despot convince her to kneel before her? With the revelation of the Colonel's collusion and blood-ties to the Champion of the world, what possible change could they have there, when they already had everything?!

The Knife fell, and the Shatterer was fractured with a single blow. These questions would forever go unanswered, forever lost to the cold, sealed lifeless lips of a cruel child that cried for a father that was already dead. Already, Ochazuke's vain hope of illumination faded to a darkened past.

It doesn't matter.

His injuries groaned as he felt the Kizuna fade from him. Ribs were broken, his right knee was swelled from impact, and the knuckles of his left hand were knotted. But the Knife had revealed there that he was a neophyte and wagering his soul to the deisgn of Battersea's dark weapon.

Gathering energy in his right hand once more, he spread his aura about and got the measure of Banefire's energy once more.

[Tami]

Sarada saw Jack on his knees. She could feel his ki wavering.

No.

She had already told him what would happen if he died again. She was going to beat the shit out of him. Even if The Knife was stabbing her in the chest, she wouldn't stop until Jack got the message and stopped being dead.

"Hey, Earthman," she called out to him. "I'm warning you. Don't even think about it!"



Sarada smiled to herself. Ishtar would live another day. This fact was to her liking.



Sarada felt the heat emanating from Ishtar and immediately knew what it was. The technique, Aeshma Xeshm.

The temptation to activate her own was strong, but... she wasn't sure if she could again. The anger was there, certainly. The day's events gave her plenty to ignite that flame again. But, once she crossed that threshold again, would she be able to turn back before the point of no return.

But, the boost in power provided by Battersea's gun was untold; partially because there was no accurate record of how powerful The Knife was by himself. There was no time to hold back.

"All or nothing."

She breathed in deeply. A single word echoed through her head, as it always had when she meditated every morning.

She exhaled slowly, the word channeling itself from her head to the tip of her tongue.

"Anaxam." A single word, and Sarada saw red.

Ironic. A word meant to bring peace to her mind snatched what little peace she had left, and replaced it with every ounce of anger and rage it had been absorbing over the years.

Well, this could work after all.

Sarada let out a low, primal growl as her grip on Ishtar's katchin sword tightened into a vice. When the Oni erupted into motion, the Saiyan watched to measure the Knife's reaction. He couldn't dodge in time.

Excellent.



A smaller crater incurvated into the ground as she exploded forward, a rocket of rage hurtling toward Chris. The edge of the sword thrust out in front of her intent on stabbing it into his chest

OOC: Anaxam is active. Current PL is 306 (Kizuna + Anaxam). Stage Two in four posts.

Meagan calls out, "Sarada! The Crystal! The others need it."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

OT: Chou ported in and have him a senzu.

[Ptrvc]

Chou suddenly teleports beside him and feeds him a senzu bean.

All around the mulberry bush...

The wounds close and heal, dead burnt flesh sloughs off to be replaced by new unmarred meat.

It hurts almost as much as the injuries in the first place, but Jack's body is mostly mended. He gives Chou a thumbs up, now that his hand can actually form the shape once more.

The monkey chased the weasel

While the best restored some of Jack's energy, it's in such a chaotic mess from using the Dead Man's Hand twice in mere minutes that he cannot even use it to sense things, much less use it to attack.

The monkey thought 'twas all in fun

I guess I'll just sit this out...

Jack caught sight of Sarada.

Where was her tail...WHAT HAPPENED TO HER THROAT!

Pop goes the weasel!

Jack tore the anklet from his leg and picked up the fallen Willa's hammer.

[Hazard]

Slak's question is lost to the wind. The frenzied fighting continued around him.

Slowly, he turns to Willa's body.

It's a mad impulse, but he reaches and tries to feel if any Ki still burns in her.

[Miburo]

He reappears behind Willa, grabs her round the neck, and cuts her throat. She bucks against him, eyes widening, but he holds her.

“Shhh, shhh. Rest, rest. Shhh, don’t fight it.”

Willa’s eyes go hazy, her body slumps, and he gently lays her on the ground.

“Goodnight, Colonel.”

He the strolls over, whistling, and grabs the gun Simon dropped.

“Well, about time the fool summoned it. I waited a long time for this thing to pop back up again. It’s even uglier than I imagined.”

Black circle go up his arm as he bonds with it. It disappears.

“Been waiting years to get my hands on Banefire. My compliments to you all.”

Held was stunned silent at the sudden betrayal and revelation of the assassins motives. Years of supposed loyalty and service brought to an end with the flick of a knife, leaving a supposed ally to choke and die on their own blood.

All this for that gun?

Kenshiko had been right to treat Chris with such disdain and mistrust, it seemed.

Unlike the warriors who fought and died for something they believed in, Chris seemed to be motivated by nothing more than....

"....What is it that you want?" Held asked the assassin with loathing in his voice, not fully understanding, "Have you really been playing everyone for fools to add to your collection? Did you really feel nothing for any of them?"

[Tami]

Held was stunned silent at the sudden betrayal and revelation of the assassins motives. Years of supposed loyalty and service brought to an end with the flick of a knife, leaving a supposed ally to choke and die on their own blood.

All this for that gun?

Kenshiko had been right to treat Chris with such disdain and mistrust, it seemed.

Unlike the warriors who fought and died for something they believed in, Chris seemed to be motivated by nothing more than....

"....What is it that you want?" Held asked the assassin with loathing in his voice, not fully understanding, "Have you really been playing everyone for fools to add to your collection? Did you really feel nothing for any of them?"

"Don't waste your breath on him." As Meagan willed her sword to do another strafing run at Chris.