Dragonball M, Chapter 2: Lighthouse! Across the Shores of Shattered Time!

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Earlier

Althena gets change into her royal attire saying " Praxat , Qaztoh it's time for your training." both Praxat and Qaztoh get change into their combat attire and Althena says to them "good now let's head up stairs." " oh and Megan we can talk later right now I have to train these two." Qaztoh contacts her bot Mr. Gazakai and it comes rush in saying " what is that creator wish for Mr. Gazakai to do "


Qaztoh replies to this saying " Mr. Gazakai help Megan clean up this mess." Mr. Gazakai answers saying " Mr. Gazakai accepts order." " Mr. Gazakai will help the one called Megan clean up this the mess here." the first thing Mr. Gazakai does is put Qaztoh's Karaoke machine back in her Jobox as Althena, Praxat and Qaztoh head up stairs.

[Lord Falcon]

"Prostrate. Strange choice of words." Ochazuke narrowed his eyes. "Is that what you would call it?"

Asha’rah’s eyes narrowed, yet somehow also softened. From the right angle, in the right light, one might even see them glisten.

“It is. Do you think me not hurt by Ishtar’s accusation, or her willingness to spurn me so easily upon a revelation? Do you think my soul does not ache that she be so certain and complete in her condemnation of me that she would rank my ego over the merits of a proper exchange? I gave of myself to her, Ochazuke. Far more than I gave to any other since before this universe was born. I love her. I would to apologize to her, even though I see not the wrong she accuses me of. I would chase after her, begging her to lend me her ear. I would prostrate myself before her, and curse my blindness for earning her abhorrence. This is what my heart implores.”

She shook her head, breathing in through her nose before letting out a long, quiet sigh through the same.

“Of course my ego has been wounded. But she does not seek me. On the contrary, she rejects me. To press on in the face of her would be to go where I am not welcome for selfish reasons. It would be the arrogance and ill-discipline of callous divine intervention to chase her still, imposing my will upon a butterfly as she leaves her cocoon. For good or ill, Ishtar has judged me and wishes to hear no more. Her path is her own. Until she becomes a god herself, that is enough.”

He ventured half a step forward to face the goddess in her earthly visage, unguarded, hands hanging at his sides.

"Is it too much of a burden as well to see more than is offered? You know Ishtar speaks without lies, but that is a truth conceived only as she is able to see it. If you'd allow her to depart a Destroyer, unchecked, full of unresolved grievances without answers, the only debasement will be to stand aside and do nothing."

"But...if it is too much to enact this labour, to stand and deliver our mutual friend, perhaps there are more cracks in the firmament of this universe than the latest ones that threaten us."

"Yet it is as you say. God, mortal, we are all involved in these matters now. The lines have begun to blur where unchecked ambitions have risen, and those who reached towards the warmth of the sun have found only a cold, unfeeling vacuum the universe over. We've seen what this results in for those who have found nothing greater in mind than their own power, their own sense of self: Solipsism, subjugation, and endless stagnation."


He cast a brief look to the chaff-littered sky above. If one allowed idle thoughts to wander, it would seem as if the stars had been brought nearer and more brilliant, seized and brought closer to Earth.

"Present company excluded, few that would claim to be gods have been agreeable. Suppose there were more, little would be learned, and little would change. Yet I, for one, would like to hear it from you. Say on."

-snip for characters-

Posted up a short distance away, the Oni heard the back and forth -- after the initial -- and rolled her eyes. Asha'rah, true to form, continued with her nonanswers. Opting instead to ask Ochazuke questions. True to his own form however, the grim warrior struck at the heart of it. Pointing out the flaws in Asha'rah's refusal while answering what little of the Fallen's questioning that mattered.

Yet I, for one, would like to hear hear it from you. Say on.

Ishtar chuckled.

Presence announced now, vocally, the golden-eyed Oni stared at Asha'rah then, and with something approaching a grunt of annoyance offered the fallen deity a few words. "We have humored you, Asha'rah. You have your audience. Now, speak your answers."

Ochazuke noted that perhaps that there were more “cracks in the Firmament”, and to this Asha’rah nodded in agreement. It would be a blind fool to have experienced the gods as much as any gathered here and not realize the imperfections of those of the heavens.

“To create the multiverse, even back in the time of the Great Founding when reality was still molten, was no small undertaking. We each had our personalities, our own outlooks. We expressed ourselves differently. Sometimes we argued days beyond counting, before the concept of a day was ever formed. Sometimes we made a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The multiverse would not increase our power. We would have to continue to devote ourselves to nurturing it. So why then did we do so? What meaning did we derive from our work?”

She breathed in deep, centering herself as she called forth essence from deep within herself.

“Inspiration and transcendence. These are my answers. In the void before all was born, none could challenge us, none could call us to seek greater heights. Zeno was an all-powerful eternal child, someone to be managed rather than to lead. We were forevermore the rulers of everything, and of nothing. We would have stagnated, so we created you.”

Golden images of species of all sorts danced before her, fading in and out as they hunted and crafted, farmed and loved. She smiled wistfully.

“Young, curious, striving to survive, to attain, to build. Energy given its own mind, to pursue paths we would not envision. In time, you might force us to grow, to be better ourselves. How exactly, we could not know. But just as we shaped you with our power, I hoped to see you shape us with your influence. In the fullness of time, perhaps you might even surpass us.”

A chuckle, carrying both notes of fondness and gallows humor, escaped her.

“The idea of rebellion, in fact, I learned from mortals. Witnessed it play out again and again. Sometimes they succeeded, sometimes they failed, but always they wrought profound changes upon communities and nations awoken to the weight of the rebels’ plight and resolve.”

But that was a digression. Back to the matter at hand.

“But to fulfill our dream, and our assigned roles once this work was done, we could not give you power and boon without limit. Should we have made it such that you never hungered? That you could fold space? That anyone could turn back time on a whim?”

A slow blink and shake of the head.

“You would have become just more of us – more people born with everything and unable to grow from the challenges of the world around them. So we laid down the rules of reality. Gravity. Space. Magnetism. Nuclear force. Time. These are but the bare bones of what it took to craft the multiverse as we know it. Here there would be rules, where you could strive and grow. Where we could observe and leave well-enough alone when possible, but manage whenever things spiraled completely out of control due to the limits of our own initial vision. Limits like how dire the exponential power of martial might would lead to mortal tyrants self-styled as gods.”

Asha’rah smiled a smile to Ochazuke both warm and tired. She was still a fractured mind, trapped within a robotic prison that ever-shifted to stimmy her rebirth. Pulling so deeply from her memories was exhausting even now.

“All things strive, and in their striving they give the gods meaning. Whether they succeed or fail, it is the valiant effort, resolve and innovation poured into the venture that are to be treasured. The freedom to choose to make the effort, to take the risk for a worthy cause is what inspires us. Time travel overwhelmingly results in the utter annihilation of everything everyone worked for except for the traveler. It is the attempt to remake other people’s choices for them, to manipulate everyone to a predetermined end, their striving merely an irritating variable to be discarded en masse, then worked around to play people like puppets. Time travel is anathema to the point of Creation.”

Twin orbs grew in Asha’rah’s palms, one golden and brilliant, the other violet and black. These were the domains of the gods, utter Creation and utter Destruction, two realms exclusively theirs.

“Are we hypocrites for not giving every mortal the ability to create everything they desire from nothing, that they need never learn from their fellows or the world around them? Are we hypocrites for not giving every mortal the ability to utterly obliterate whatever they desire, down to their component atoms without a trace? Mortals could strive with those powers as well! Perhaps we are, but these are simply two more fundamental rules that we decided when we yet worked upon a blank canvass. If so, we are hypocrites for every limit and hardship you have ever known, and we would bear the stigma as part and parcel of being gods of creation.”

The orbs winked out, allowing the pre-existing light of the room to illuminate once more. At last, she noticed Ishtar had come to listen as well, now that both their duties at the ceremony were over. Ishtar had kept her word, of course. Up till now, she had faced Ochazuke, but for the finale she turned to Ishtar as well.

“Yet even those powers pale in comparison to the consequences of time travel. Whatever I create, whatever I destroy, I will never dictate what choices you make. Whether I approve or disapprove of those choices matters not. Your freedom to choose your own path in life is yours alone. Even if that choice is to reject me. Especially if that choice is to reject me. Yet we are in a time of terrible danger, and have we not tied our fortunes together again and again without cause for regret? I still hold out hope we might come to an understanding.”

Gold glowed softly in Asha’rah’s palm, and when she extended her hand to Ishtar, it bore a soft plant limb bearing oval leaves and ripe fruit - a literal olive branch.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Later

upstairs on the Lookout Althena is training Praxat and Qaztoh with Qaztoh complaining saying " ancestor do I really have to wear this it's so cumbersome." Althena replies to this saying " yes that weighted training gear will help you build up strength and muscle . " " Praxat time for a little spar training attack me!" Praxat replies to this saying " I understand sensei I do my best sensei !"


Praxat spars with Althena and Althena casually dodges her attacks saying " don't tell me this is what you call your best, because this isn't close to be anywhere good enough!" Praxat thinks to herself saying ( dammit sensei Althena is schooling me again. this is our third sparring match and yet I still haven't been able to hit her ." not even once!)


Althena who is dodging Praxat attacks suddenly appears behind Praxat saying " your reaction time is still too slow Praxat!" Praxat turns around saying " I understand sensei I will do better." Althena replies to this saying " don't just say you will do better commit to it and stop thinking so damn much." Althena and Praxat continue sparing with Althena taking the lead.

Praxat thinks to herself as she is sparring with Althena ( hmm I will need to go out on a date maybe I should see if Sarada can help me with that?) while Praxat is distracting Althena quickly grabs Praxat and slams her to the ground saying " you're getting distracting focus Praxat!" " now get up your training is far from over." Praxat thinks to herself saying " ( sensei Althena's reaction time is remarkable compare to her I must seem like I'm going at a snail's pace!)


meanwhile Khan is in his car driving and hang out with two of his old friends with one of them saying" so Khan what to you do today?" Khan replies to this saying " nothing but the usually." " oh did go this wedding ceremony and reception for Jinzi and the woman he got married to name Megan ." another one replies to this saying " sweet so the owner of Capsule Corp got married, hey Khan did you manage to pick up any digits from any ladies there ?"


Khan replies to this saying " nah dude I forget my pen." " besides I didn't have time to grab any digits." Khan's old friend who is sitting in back seat replies to this saying" damn man that sucks." Khan's old friend who is sitting on passenger's side says " hey Khan I know where a party is being thrown right now ."


" we can go to it and maybe pick up some digits and I mean those bound to be a lot of ladies there from what I heard." " it's a big party for this a big movie premiere." Khan's old friend sit in the back seat says " yeah Khan we should totally go to that party I bet it be a blast." Khan replies to this saying " well I'm hanging out with two of my oldest friends so I guess we old geezers could go to this party to mingle."


Khan's friend in the passenger seat replies to this saying " than it's settle we're going to that party and picking up some digits from the ladies that are bound to be there." Khan looks at his friend in the back seat saying " hey you got the CD?" Khan's friend in the back seat replies to this as he takes out a music CD from his coat pocket saying " I have it right here Khan ." Khan looks at the CD saying " great put it in."


Khan's friend in the back seat puts the Music CD into the CD player and it starts playing with Khan saying " ah yes now this take's me back." " hey guys remember in our younger days when we would just cruise around looking for parties ?" Khan's friend in the back seat replies this saying " yeah I remember those were the good Ol days." Khan's friend in the passenger seat replies to this saying " yeah what I wouldn't give to relive those days."

the Song that's be playing in Khan's Car

[MrSandman]

Sarada had feeling Erosa was going to use that cloaking ability of hers. Unlike the last time, she was ready. Even as the chomping maws were heading straight for her, she didn't panic.

A red glow enveloped her hands before she fired a pair of energy blasts to keep the incoming maws busy. Then, she loosed hundreds upon hundreds of tiny energy blasts, no bigger than grains of sand, into the area. Before long, there were hundreds of thousands until it looked like she was standing in the middle of a red mist.

She could sense each energy granule, and thus could detect when it was disturbed. When Erosa made her move, such would disturbed the nearby granules, thus alerting Sarada to her position.

The two maws made no attempt to dodge, and were dispersed with Saradas initial volley....at which point the Saiyan threw her net to find the vanished Id.

...and for several moments no move was made on either side.

Then Sarada found her disturbance....Something was moving towards her from the outside, seemingly consuming the airborn energy as it moved. She couldn't sense it, but she could hear something smacking its teeth together as it moved through the red mist towards her...getting louder and louder with each passing second.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The two maws made no attempt to dodge, and were dispersed with Saradas initial volley....at which point the Saiyan threw her net to find the vanished Id.

...and for several moments no move was made on either side.

Then Sarada found her disturbance....Something was moving towards her from the outside, seemingly consuming the airborn energy as it moved. She couldn't sense it, but she could hear something smacking its teeth together as it moved through the red mist towards her...getting louder and louder with each passing second.

What... was that incessantly annoying sound?? It was coming from the mist, and Sarada knew exactly which direction it was coming from.

She couldn't help but get the feeling that this was just a distraction so Erosa could get the jump on her from behind or either flank. Well, it wasn't going to work. The Id was not that smart!

Sarada waited to make it seem like she was focusing on the incoming noise, even gritting her teeth and puttng on a determined grimace to sell the act. Then, at the last second, she flew to her left and curled upward into the sky clear part the tallest part of the Lookout until there was only the endless expanse above her.

"Nice try, Erosa!"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat thinks to herself as she is sparring with Althena ( good thing Khan didn't bring his old friends two the wedding . those two would have ruin Megan and Jinzi entire wedding. I mean one old dirty old man is bad enough but three that's a disaster of epic proportions. Khan is fine by himself when he isn't hanging around those two.)

( not to mention I dread to think what Sarada would do to one of them if they start hitting on her. yeah they probably would have gotten kick out from the wedding the moment they started hitting on every female here include myself . thank goodness Khan didn't bring those old friends of his. still he's probably hanging out with them right now since the wedding is over )

( Khan told me about the parties his friends would go to in their younger days, and I bet they were banned from every single one.)

[MrSandman]

What... was that incessantly annoying sound?? It was coming from the mist, and Sarada knew exactly which direction it was coming from.

She couldn't help but get the feeling that this was just a distraction so Erosa could get the jump on her from behind or either flank. Well, it wasn't going to work. The Id was not that smart!

Sarada waited to make it seem like she was focusing on the incoming noise, even gritting her teeth and puttng on a determined grimace to sell the act. Then, at the last second, she flew to her left and curled upward into the sky clear part the tallest part of the Lookout until there was only the endless expanse above her.

"Nice try, Erosa!"

"Nice try? We haven't even started yet Ero." Erosa vice rose from the deep "Ringalingadingding.....Dinner is serrrrved!"

The red mist below her parted, and from its depths an engorged Great Maw several times the size of a normal one along with a small group of smaller, but equally gorged maws, emerged from the feast of energy Sarada had prepared for them...chomping like a school of piranha as they swarmed upwards. The Hunter/Killer cloak fadedas soon as the Great Maw broke the boundary....revealing the Id riding atop the large maw as it ascended.

"Hey mom! I brought some friends to dinner....they're a bit pecking ero." She gestured and the wave, perhaps 5-10 of the small ones flew towards her with the larger great maw close behind.



~~~

Magicite Charges: 0
Erosa PL: 450,000

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat thinks to herself as she is sparring with Althena ( good thing Khan didn't bring his old friends two the wedding . those two would have ruin Megan and Jinzi entire wedding. I mean one old dirty old man is bad enough but three that's a disaster of epic proportions. Khan is fine by himself when he isn't hanging around those two.)

( not to mention I dread to think what Sarada would do to one of them if they start hitting on her. yeah they probably would have gotten kick out from the wedding the moment they started hitting on every female here include myself . thank goodness Khan didn't bring those old friends of his. still he's probably hanging out with them right now since the wedding is over )

( Khan told me about the parties his friends would go to in their younger days, and I bet they were banned from every single one.)

as they continue sparring Althena hits Praxat with two well precision blows aim at follow by a sweep kick that knocks Praxat over saying " Praxat focus!" Althena then starts jumping around with Praxat saying " dammit not this again." " **** sensei Althena bouncing around like that is making it hard for me to track her movements." " okay let's see I bet that sensei is going to appear behind me."

Praxat turns around to land a blow on Althena but hits nothing but air and feels Althena drop kick her from behind saying " **** I could have sworn I had her this time." Althena replies to this saying " this trying Praxat but you going to have to do better than that." " every time Praxat misses Althena does a counter attack with Praxat saying " damn I'm seriously getting owned here." " I need to figure out the best time to strike but I can't even do that Althena just keeps bouncing and to make matters worse she comes at me in complete random directions ."


" she doesn't even give me time to think much less react." " tries as I may I have land a single hit on her yet." Althena replies to this saying " you need to stop thinking so much." " if you can't react to my movements than what hope to you have of stand up to some one who equal to you in power or better and is as skilled as I'm in combat."


"as they are right now your reflexes are pathetic!" " it's like your moving at a snail's pace." Praxat attempts to strike at Althena and she dodges it saying " what the hell was that ?" " that punch you threw just now wasn't even close to hitting me."


Praxat things for herself ( well I guess it's me 0 and Althena 3.)

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Nice try? We haven't even started yet Ero." Erosa vice rose from the deep "Ringalingadingding.....Dinner is serrrrved!"

The red mist below her parted, and from its depths an engorged Great Maw several times the size of a normal one along with a small group of smaller, but equally gorged maws, emerged from the feast of energy Sarada had prepared for them...chomping like a school of piranha as they swarmed upwards. The Hunter/Killer cloak fadedas soon as the Great Maw broke the boundary....revealing the Id riding atop the large maw as it ascended.

"Hey mom! I brought some friends to dinner....they're a bit pecking ero." She gestured and the wave, perhaps 5-10 of the small ones flew towards her with the larger great maw close behind.



~~~

Magicite Charges: 0
Erosa PL: 450,000

Sarada knew Erosa was up to something, but had no idea it would be something so ridiculous. Points for catching Sarada off-guard, she supposed.

5-10, she didn't have time to count, of the smaller maws closed in with nothing but a single gesture. The Saiyan felt obligated to reciprocate, and sent 5-10 energy blasts to meet and destroy them.

As for the big man and the Id riding on top of it, their mistake was emerging from the mist. Like every time she used that attack, when Erosa passed through it, bits of granules clung to her like pollen. With a simple gesture, Sarada detonated those granules.

The more powerful blasts were reserved for the massive maw under her, while Erosa was beset by weaker, but very noticeable blasts meant to distract her while Sarada closed in to tackle her off of it.

[MrSandman]

Sarada knew Erosa was up to something, but had no idea it would be something so ridiculous. Points for catching Sarada off-guard, she supposed.

5-10, she didn't have time to count, of the smaller maws closed in with nothing but a single gesture. The Saiyan felt obligated to reciprocate, and sent 5-10 energy blasts to meet and destroy them.

As for the big man and the Id riding on top of it, their mistake was emerging from the mist. Like every time she used that attack, when Erosa passed through it, bits of granules clung to her like pollen. With a simple gesture, Sarada detonated those granules.

The more powerful blasts were reserved for the massive maw under her, while Erosa was beset by weaker, but very noticeable blasts meant to distract her while Sarada closed in to tackle her off of it.

"Gao!" Erosa grimaced in annoyance as a series of tiny detonations sparked forth from the red crap that had clung to her. The Great Maw she was riding bucked under the much stronger concentration of blasts, but it used its size to power through....damaged as it was. Sarada was heading straight for her, but the explosions were making it difficult to put up a solid defense.....so Erosa instead did the opposite and went on the offensive.

Erosa ignited Thanatos Drive, producing a pair of flaming wings.....and as soon as Sarada was closing in to tackle the id kicked off from the Maw and fired it a quick mental command.

A moment later, the already badly damage maw ruptured and detonated in a blinding hot flash of energy. Erosa, prepared for the blast, let the the wave of force give her the extra push she needed to put some distance between them while scattered the cloud of mist and perhaps throwing the less prepared Saiyan for a loop while she fired her up energy stores.

~~~

Magicte Charge: 1
Erosa PL: 900k

[KingofPie]

Her name is Bing Xiùlán. She is a student of the Turtle School, an aspiring singer and actress, and daughter of the notorious crime lord lord, Bing Lao.



His name is Ma Yūsha. He is a demon of the Makai Realm, an outcast of his clan, and a summoned servant of the notorious crime lord, Bing Lao.



And this is the man himself, Bing Lao. Disgraced student of the Turtle School and the most notorious and influential Crime Lord on Earth. All cowed before him and his forces. Not only had he employed a great deal of killers and assassins from both Earth and beyond the Stars, he had amassed a great number of followers who practice dark sorcery. None had ever opposed him...until lately. For the first time in his forty plus years of operation, Bing Lao had begun to feel stress.

There were several factors contributing to this stress:

At least seven, and possibly more, of the lesser criminal organizations he had been conducting business with have been completely eradicated by a strange blue assailant named Majin Sasheem. It was only a matter of time before he came after Lao as well.

One of his most trusted allied organizations the Looming Blades Assassin's Guild, had begun to start a coup against him, preparing to take their fight to his very doorstep.

At first, he suspected that they had sensed weakness in this trying time for organized crime, but he had several suspicions that his most powerful summoned servant, the demon Ma Yūsha had been the one to orchestrate the Looming Blade's betrayal in an attempt to overthrow him, having learned to overpower the talismans being used to control him.

Even worse, he had suspicions that the wretched demon had become infatuated with his daughter, his strongest hand-to-hand combatant, and that she felt the same. As such he had ordered her sent away, back to her masters at the Turtle School. At least they could be trusted. Though he had been expelled from their tutelage, they had let his daughter through their doors with no fuss, which earned a degree of respect from him.

With her away, he and his spies could keep a close eye on Yūsha. They had to make sure, he wasn't onto them, for he knew the one technique that could end Lao faster than even the Majin could. The Devilmite Beam. A magical attack that sought out those with darkness in their hearts and destroyed them from within. Luckily, it took some time to recharge once used, but if it was used on Lao...everything he'd worked for would be over.

And so, Lao and his closest lieutenants carried multiple holy talismans on person, still unsure if they had any power to keep the demon in check or not...but he had yet to make a move against any of them. However things changed once news of the Looming Blades' planned assault on the Bing Estate reached Lao's ears. He had sent for his daughter back from the Turtle School, needing her strength...only to discover that she had never arrived, instead staying at a hotel, up north in Capital City...and had made a secret visit to the Estate, presumably to see Yūsha.

Lao was furious. His security team explained that they had no idea she was sent away in the first place, it simply wasn't relayed to them. He had them all killed. Traitors...traitors were within and enemies without. Fortunately they were replaceable. Even Yūsha was replaceable, as the demon soon found out. Lao had ordered him imprisoned in the dungeons beneath the Estate, shackled by chains enchanted multiple times over to ensure that none of the fiend's magic could provide him with a means of escape.

Now, his daughter Xiùlán stood by his side, prepared for the tide of assailants to come pouring through their front gates, neither of them mentioning her deceit a day earlier. Lao wasn't entirely comfortable with her and Yūsha even being in the same vicinity, but there were more immediate matters to be concerned with. One of Lao's lieutenants, a fairly short Namekian by the name of Cowbell, approached and saluted them. "Sir...they've arrived!" he stated, alarmed. Lao made a motion and one of his technicians pressed a button, causing a screen to lower before him, displaying an army of Looming Blades ninja descending on his property, many simply leaping over the front gate.

"Deploy the guns," Lao ordered, as two giant AI manned turrets rose up from his front lawn and began to rain fire down upon the assassins. Lao's eyebrows raised in surprise as he saw chunks of metal and wire fly out of the gunned down ninja. "Robotic footsoldiers..." Lao spat. "Hmph. Think I'm not worth the trouble of bringing out their real fighters, am I?"

"More than likely, they want to send them out first to thin the ranks, father," Xiùlán chimed in, watching passively.

Lao, glanced over to her an eyebrow raised, before he sighed, "Yes, of course. That does make sense...There are far too many of them. They're going to make it past the guns eventually. Ready the marksman on the fourth floor!" he ordered one of his lieutenants. "And keep my infantry at the ready in front of the manor!" Lao continued, standing up. "The Mages need to be ready on the third floor balcony, ready to cast defensive spells!" Lao turned towards his daughter and Cowbell. "I need you out side with me to thin the herd some. Following, I want you two to head up to the top floor and attack from above!"

"But...what about you, father?" Xiùlán asked in concern.


"Do not worry, daughter. I'll be on the front lines, overseeing the battle and fight with my men when the time comes," Lao stated. "Now, let's be off," Lao stated, cracking his knuckles. "It's been a while since your old man's gotten into the fray."

Lao gave a small but confident smile and nodded. The two ran outside, Cowbell following them as two guards opened the front door. Just below, the giant stone steps, was a large infantry, over 600,000 soldiers armed with various weaponry and abilities, ready in battle formation for the fight ahead. The robotic assassins had indeed made short work of the guns through sheer numbers, the two turrets now shattered. The robotic horde attempted to march on towards the mansion, many of them gunned down by the marksman housed on the fourth floor.

"I think it's time we aid our snipers, father!" Xiùlán glanced at her parent.

Lao nodded and the two in unison, cupped their hands and held them at opposite sides of their wastes, blue ki, beginning to emit from their palms.

"Ka....meee...haaaaa..meeeee...HAAAAAAA!"

"Ka....meee...haaaaa..meeeee...HAAAAAAA!"

Two giant blasts of ki fired fourth, the father and daughters blasts clearing out two whole lines of the horde and shattering some of the front gate, as Cowbell stretched his arms out around them, wrapping his arms around the robotic assassins and slamming them violently into the ground. "Father, we-," Xiùlán began, noting the destroyed gate.

"I know...but they would've gotten through anyway," Lao frowned. "And look! The master of the machines makes himself known..."

The man Lao referred to, one of the three Grand-Masters of the Looming Blades, Karaage, stood atop of the gate's ruins, commanding more robotic minions of a different make and model to begin laying siege to the mansion. "Quickly now, the top floor! The infantry will take care of these and if they fall, my Guardians will be quick to take action!"

"Alright, you ready Cowbell?" Xiùlán nodded at the Namekian, who nodded in return.


"That I am, young lady. Let's be off!" The two then ran inside, the guards swiftly shutting the doors as they ran towards the stairs. Before they reached them, they were greeted with a loud explosion as the floor erupted from beneath them. More robotic assailants, these in the shape of robotic moles. "They must have tunneled underground!" Cowbell frowned. "Masenko, ha!" he shouted, a yellow ray of ki blasting from his hands, shooting a hole through the robotic mammals.

Xiùlán, leaped in the air, spinning gracefully leaped in the air and flew downwards as she used her elbows to land on one of the robotic moles with a thud, smashing it into another, crushing both to pieces. Instead of hopping back up to her feet, she used her elbow to launch herself off of the robotic carcass and land in a handstand on the floor, staring down several other robotic mole attackers, ready to take a swipe at her. As the moles used their claws to cut through, Xiùlán backflipped out of the way, easily, dodging the attacks of three of them, before landing on her feet, rightside up in a crouch. Coasting her hand in ki now, she made a bounding leap forward and punched through all three of them.

More robotic moles seemed to dig their way through the floor, beginning to overwhelm Cowbell. Turning to look at the Namekian in concern, Xiùlán gave a remorseful smile. "Cowbell...I'm sorry!" she apologized, before rushing off.

Thinking she meant ot go ahead without, him, Cowbell quickly realized she was heading downstairs. "Wait! Xiùlán! Where are you goiiiiing?!" he asked as more moles dug through the floor, not noticing the keys on his waist, missing.

***

Deep in the Bing Estate's dungeons, was Yūsha, hanging from his wrists via enchanted chains. Hearing the commotion outside even that far beneath the mansion, the demon struggled to get free, not eager to get caught in the crossfire in his weakened state. In vain, he struggled against the chains, which emitted a magical charge into his bloodstream every time he showed resistance. "aaAAAAAGGGGGGGH!" the demon screeched an unearthly howl. He had suffered enough...but still he smiled. He knew his freedom would be on it's way soon.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Gao!" Erosa grimaced in annoyance as a series of tiny detonations sparked forth from the red crap that had clung to her. The Great Maw she was riding bucked under the much stronger concentration of blasts, but it used its size to power through....damaged as it was. Sarada was heading straight for her, but the explosions were making it difficult to put up a solid defense.....so Erosa instead did the opposite and went on the offensive.

Erosa ignited Thanatos Drive, producing a pair of flaming wings.....and as soon as Sarada was closing in to tackle the id kicked off from the Maw and fired it a quick mental command.

A moment later, the already badly damage maw ruptured and detonated in a blinding hot flash of energy. Erosa, prepared for the blast, let the the wave of force give her the extra push she needed to put some distance between them while scattered the cloud of mist and perhaps throwing the less prepared Saiyan for a loop while she fired her up energy stores.

~~~

Magicte Charge: 1
Erosa PL: 900k

"Gah!" Sarada was unprepared for the blinding flash of light produced by the giant maw's sudden explosion. The red mist was dissipated, giving Erosa a clear place to land should she have chosen to do so.

The Saiyan rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision. She's gotten stronger. Erosa was even a touch stronger than Sarada was at the moment, though not by much. Her vision cleared, letting her catch sight of Erosa putting distance between the two of them. "No you don't!" Her aura fired up and she propelled herself through the air, once again closing in on the Id. As she closed in, her hands became enshrouded with red ki in preparation for hand to hand combat.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat is still sparring with Althena thinking to herself ( I hope no one else besides Qaztoh is watching this . I need to figure out a way to tag Althena. hmm wait maybe I can toss barrage of Ki blasts to create a diversion and give me a open. " yeah that might work it just has to!" )

Praxat starts fling a barrage of Ki blasts at Althena with Althena saying " what are you doing you're just tossing around Ki blasts wildly." Praxat then rushes in and just as she's about to hit Althena with a shockwave punch Althena dodges the blow and stops Praxat attack with a counter throw saying " I see so the ki blasts were just a diversion." " your were trying to catch me off guard clever." " good effort but you still miss your mark."

Praxat thinks to her self saying ( even though my Ki is higher than Althena's she's still physically stronger than I am. I can feel her blows every time she hits me, and it feels like a being pummeled repeatedly by a sledgehammer. not just any sledgehammer a freaking sledgehammer made out of Katchin. yeah that's what it feels like every time Althena hits me. )


( I watch her create a sculpture of Megan and Jinzi out of a multi ton boulder during the wedding. I saw her smash a very large Ruby with just one blow during the wedding also. she didn't even use any Ki to do those two things. it was just all raw natural brute force!)

Praxat PL: 325,000

Althena PL: 50,000

[MrSandman]

"Gah!" Sarada was unprepared for the blinding flash of light produced by the giant maw's sudden explosion. The red mist was dissipated, giving Erosa a clear place to land should she have chosen to do so.

The Saiyan rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision. She's gotten stronger. Erosa was even a touch stronger than Sarada was at the moment, though not by much. Her vision cleared, letting her catch sight of Erosa putting distance between the two of them. "No you don't!" Her aura fired up and she propelled herself through the air, once again closing in on the Id. As she closed in, her hands became enshrouded with red ki in preparation for hand to hand combat.

Erosa grinned, igniting her claws with a searing blue flame to match before launching herself forward to meet her mother. Using the maneuverability provided by Thanatos Drive, the id rushed in to meet the Saiyan in the air where she'd have a mobility advantage....her goal to make her attack seem like a single minded rush only to swing in around Saradas initial assault and strike her side with a charged fist.

.....and to make matters worse for the Saiyan, she could sense the ids strength was increasing even further. .

~~~

Magicite Charge: 2
Erosa PL: 1,350,000

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

In hearing what Asha'rah had to say, finally, Ishtar found herself underwhelmed.

For behind the veil of more dead-end questions there came at first only answers to the questions Ishtar had not asked:

'Inspiration. Transcendence.'

And even then, it was not those two words that explained the tangent the Fallen had taken upon Ochazuke's arrival, but was, instead, the words that spilled from the expressionless face-place that followed them. And while Ishtar would have preferred that Asha'rah had opened in that manner, what the Fallen God had to say was hardly profound. Though after a moment it seemed -- to Ishtar at the very least -- as if Asha'rah was saying that all that had been created by the hands of the Gods, including life itself; was merely intended to provide a catalyst for greater works. The ultimate hope once that work had been done being that the muse ... or entertainment ... these creations provided might force the hand and provide the sparks of 'inspiration', and 'transcendence' ... lest the inverse happen, and the Gods find themselves floundering about in their nothing, wholly stagnate.

Little more than peers, and rulers of an empty expanse.

And as Ishtar considered this, she offered a shake of her head in disagreement.

After all, did this not mean that in some sense ... the Universe and everything in it had been created to be little more than some perverted form of entertainment meant to stimulate others -- assumed betters, even -- to introspect and hopefully act upon such introspection ? And that too, all the suffering, and pain in the Universe that had been the norm for millions of years been allowed and even started simply because Gods could not find a better means of this hopeful self-improvement ? Yes, and yes.

So what then, did the Gods have to show ? Little.

Ishtar shook her head again.

How utterly insulting.

Thankfully however, before this tangent could become all consuming and no answers to relevant questions found themselves forthcoming; the former 'Creator' moved on. Though as with the first, what Asha'rah had to say next ... was certainly of further disappointment. As with but a simple twist of scale, the former Goddess 'transcended' from the singular 'I', to the collective 'We'. And in this subtle deflection, and perhaps even subconscious projection -- as the Gods she grouped in with herself could not make their own accounting, absentee as they were now -- there was little room for Asha'rah to make a case for her own actions.

We ... We ... We ...

Yet while it was clear to Ishtar that Asha'rah was going nowhere worthwhile with her response, there were at least a few paltry gems hidden within the mire; and the first of these was the return to the subject of Time: 'All things strive, and in their striving they give the gods meaning. Whether they succeed or fail, it is the valiant effort, resolve and innovation poured into the venture that are to be treasured. The freedom to choose to make the effort, to take the risk for a worthy cause is what inspires us.'

And for a moment, Ishtar believed the words to be insightful ... until another flaw in the logic appeared:

That through the striving of their creation -- and in some sense their pets, given the explanations that preceded this -- the Gods validated their continued existence. And in that sense it was not so much that Time was the anathema to Creation as it was that Time was the anathema to that validation. For without this striving, and toiling of others ... the Gods could no longer pat themselves on the back; and the added 'insight' about using time to serve as Puppeteer simply added to the falsity of the explanation as well. As had not mortals, such as Evangeline, played Puppeteer ?

Yet true to form -- for this conversation at least -- Asha'rah strove to bore. So Ishtar set herself to listening silently, as the former God continued onward ...

“Yet even those powers pale in comparison to the consequences of time travel. Whatever I create, whatever I destroy, I will never dictate what choices you make. Whether I approve or disapprove of the choices you make matters not. Your freedom to choose your own path in life is yours alone. Even if that choice is to reject me. Especially if that choice is to reject me. Yet we are in a time of terrible danger, and have we not tied our fortunes together again and again without cause for regret? I still hold out hope we might come to an understanding.”

Gold glowed softly in Asha’rah’s palm, and when she extended her hand to Ishtar, it bore a soft plant limb bearing oval leaves and ripe fruit - a literal olive branch.

Though as she continued to speak for the collective 'we', Asha'rah provided a slap to Ishtar's face in the form of summoned Hakai ... and the Oni's eyes widened ever so slightly. Yet despite that widening at the proverbial 'slap' -- which itself was not the first levied in response to her call out -- nothing truly profound was offered, even as the Fallen Creator set to finally answering at least a fragment of the questions Ishtar had posed. For in the end, Asha'rah sought to compare the ability to create and destroy on a whim, each aspect held in her outstretched palms as she asked if it would have been wise to give such over to mortals ... and in doing this the Fallen sought to provide a false equivocation:

That while Time could be manipulated by mortal hands, Hakai, and Creation could not.

Yet Ishtar knew better, and knew Asha'rah should have too.

For both Creation, and Destruction had been proved to be things that could be wrestled away, for use by those it had not been gifted to. Had not Asha'rah herself proven that, by slaughtering Indar'en and consuming that spark that had been his by right of station ? And had not Hammer taken that small ember of truth and devised his own way to strip Creation from another ... Ishtar's own mother, Shek'hinah ?

What of Genesis ?

The mortal who had ambushed, Sihn, and Zurvan ... and during their confrontation with Stine, and Hammer stripped from each side both a fragment of Creation, and the Arms of Destruction to be used for her own purposes.

All proof that what Asha'rah had to say was little more than empty words.

And yet above all else, the bigger problem loomed.

So it was then, a short time later, when the literal Olive Branch was offered and Asha'rah found it with herself to be silent; the Oni simply stared at the offering as she mulled over the questions that had popped into her head, before realizing that it was her turn to begin. And that she did.

"You offered so much, yet answered so little. Did you strive for this, I wonder ?" The Oni grunted, before deciding. "Tch. I suppose it matters not."

Pushing away from where she had been leaning, the Oni closed the distance slowly then as she continued.

"After all, what you offered in bulk, was little to do with what I asked. Answers and explanations as they were, to your own questions, which you pointed toward Ochazuke." Ishtar stated, with a humorless smile. "Though I must admit it was clever, the way you 'transcended' from "I" to the collective "We" and used absentee Gods as buffer. Yet ... the Gods you deign to speak for are not here, and cannot answer for themselves. So why should I care what you offer up for them ?" The golden-eyed Oni asked clearly annoyed. "To say nothing of your appeal to creation and how the rebellions enacted by mortal-kind gave you a mind for your own, and how ... hollow an offering that was." Ishtar continued, eyes set on Asha'rah now firmly.

"You did not fight against the established order. You used it. Made it your own. Became its Champion ! And worse still, was that when you bothered to answer me after all these failed attempts to cover your own hind end: your comparisons fell short."

The Oni stepped past Ochazuke then.

"Destruction. Creation. Two halves of a whole created for balance, and things you state cannot be made to bend like Time. This was how you strove to make your point. Yet here you stand, as living proof. Proof ! that the Destruction you fashioned to stymie the ego of the Gods of Creation, can be taken. That it is no more secure in the end than the Time you state so fervently is anathema to your creed that 'all things strive'. And that it is harder perhaps to wrestle away does not change at all the fact that it is possible ... Or did you forget Genesis ? How convenient of you, if so." The Oni fumed, "considering you were there as Zurvan turned back the hands of time. Proving to us a mortal with the might to surprise the Gods themselves, could steal away the Arms of Destruction, and a Projectile of Creation."

The Oni's eyes narrowed slightly.

"And this differentiation you make between Hakai, and Time. How a single soul can use the latter to erase the choice of billions ... trillions, and force them upon a singular path. What then would you consider the fruit of your 'Rebellion' to be, if not that ? When you forced your hand, and amassed the might to storm High Heaven in a gambit you knew was already lost; engendering one-hundred thousand years of stagnation and even entropy as the systems you helped fashion fall to pieces in the absence of their caretakers ... ?"

The Oni stopped short, taking a moment to calm herself.

"... and this is what you offer, and ask, at the end of it all ? After a slap in the face with the summoned Hakai; and further proof of your hypocrisy ?" Ishtar asked, calmly, as she stared down at the proffered peace. For a moment then, the golden-eyed Oni hovered then, eyeing Asha'rah lazily as she seemed to consider what to say. Of course she already knew; and taking a step back and away from Asha'rah's, the golden-eyed Oni offered it.

"Keep your peace. I will not accept it as it is now."