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

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Why would you kill your friend? Asha'rah winced as, with one innocent sentence, Sarada cut deep into the fallen god's heart. But Asha'rah would not have it any other way. Killing a friend should bring agony. Indar'en had been dear to her, and their battle had done nothing to change that. To do any less than face the agony of ending his life with her own hands would be a disservice to his memory and herself.

She looked around, but off to the distance, as if surveying more than just the battlefield around them.

"The universe is not entirely as I would have made it. There are differences of opinion in any collaborative work, of course, and for the most part we were able to work out our differences. But there lies a fundamental imbalance in the bedrock of reality, an imbalance that I acceded to under protest. As my objections continued to be ignored over the eons, concern turned to fear, and resentment turned to wrath."

Asha'rah sighed, her voice like wind on autumn leaves.

"The mechanics of the universe inherently the strong in martial might. Not at first, but as you climb further - exponentially. The finest cooks, the greatest artists, the smartest scientists...it all starts to give way to the individual fighter. Singular forces walking amidst creation like gods, with nothing to stop them but an even greater force. Tyrants will rule, progress of a million generations wiped out on the whim of someone who has never refined anything but their fist. The universes were...are...doomed to this fate if nothing changes. So I rebelled, in the hope that I might finally shake the Heavens out of their complacency. I never had hope of actually winning outright. The universes are ruled by a being who is as supreme as he is childish. He would have to but snap his fingers to annihilate all of Creation. But I had hoped to create enough of a ruckus to draw the attention of the Heavens to this issue. A great many rose to my side. Indar'en was not one of them. Whatever other tenets he held dear, he respected the order power provided above all else, and I was rebelling against the most powerful beings in existence. We fought, and I won."

She turned her attention back squarely on Sarada, old emotional wounds and enduring resolve balanced upon her features.

"I tell you this because I confess a bias. I came to view the Saiyan species as the most likely to exploit this imbalance. Saiyans' immense drive to fight and their collective 'might makes right' mentality cannot not help but pull them upon the issue I have staked my life on reforming. Many a time have I envisioned the Saiyan race having enslaved entire galaxies, ruled by a royal family who wipe out entire star systems on a whim. There, no culture unrelated to combat can flourish. No science unrelated to combat may advance. I do not wish to see such a future come to pass, and it engendered in me an implicit bias against your species. When I first met you, I saw the arrogant, utterly combative face of everything I was working against. I did not hold it against you. It was the fault of the gods. But I prejudged you. And for that I am sorry."

Asha'rah started her reply by indicating that universe had not turned out the way she wanted. It was a collaborative effort, further indicating that there were other creators out there like her... or were others like her. The implication was that everything -- the ground beneath her feet, to the stars and moon above her, and everything in between -- was created by a race(?) of hyperpowerful 'gods' who then took no role in their creations lives. While she had grown to have a distaste for having her life's course dictated by someone more powerful than her, there was a certain amount of gratitude she held toward Eva for saving her from the Meat Market. The second time. The first time her life and wellbeing was in danger in that damned place, no higher power came to her aid.

What were these beings doing? Had Asha'rah killed them all? Did they think themselves too high and mighty to help someone as 'small and insignificant' as her?

What the answer, it didn't matter now. What was done was done, and she was in the process of moving past it.

Her mind moved away from her own dwellings and back to Asha'rah. The collaboration between the creators led to many ideas and opinions being thrown in on how creation should be. Asha'rah's own concerns and objections with how things were proceeding went unheeded, which eventually led to fear and resentment, then resentment turned into wrath. It was easy to see where it went from there.

She rebelled. A singular point spearheading a revolution against the established order. Indar'en stood in opposition, and fell where he stood.

Sarada could understand why she rebelled. If there was something she knew was wrong, and no one listened to reasoned arguments, then the only other means to make her point was with fists and power. To 'raise a ruckus' as she put it. It was what Mato was prepared to do if he didn't have the results of a completely, radically reformed younger generation of Saiyans to back up with ideals and philosophy. When reason failed, when outright evidence failed, the only other recourse was war. In their case, it would have been a civil war. They were fortunate that it didn't come to that, that by some miracle, the older Saiyans set aside their pride for just a moment to witness the fact that their children and grandchildren had long surpassed them at such a tender age. The reason why was made plainly evident, and they were slowly but surely embracing that reason themselves.

For many, it was too late to make any significant change. In the time lapse that saw her power leap from 3000 to 7000, her parents' power only rose a few hundred points. The fact that it was enough to bump both of them to Saiyan Elite status was not lost on her or her family, but the fact remained that their gains, and the gains of many Saiyans their age and older, were not nearly as impressive. Maiz and many Saiyans her age didn't even bother training, all stating that it was too late for them to make significant headway.

For centuries, the Saiyan race had been enveloped in the toxic mindset of 'Might Makes Right'. It was an unofficial motto for those that supported the initial construction of the Meat Market. Those that were mighty ruled those that were not. Those that were not lived only to serve and entertain those that were. For years, the specter of a life of servitude and a death on one's knees stymied the power of many. As a result, the Saiyan race stagnated, dropping from the lofty heights of the days of Vocado. At that time, Saiyans boasted power levels well into the tens of thousands, with Vocado himself ascended into the hundreds of thousands. Over time, starting with Otatop IV, their power gradually declined, until the entire race was just a hollow shell of its former glory.

Everything Asha'rah said about her race was true. Sarada had witnessed it firsthand, and had read about an even longer history of tyranny. Entire races were wiped completely from existence for profit. Planets had their natural denizens erased from their surface and replaced with a colony of Saiyans seeking to expand and grow the empire to the furthest reaches of the universe. Any planet not worth money or inhabitable by Saiyans was simply destroyed from orbit. So much destruction, all in the name of progress. Ishinsa, Pepa, Langal, Callion, Ruco, Turrip, all built on the corpses and blood of slain billions.

This counter-productive, toxic mindset was what Asha'rah fought against. It was why she rebelled against the established order to bring about real, fair change. It was why she stood against her closest friend, and killed him. He stood in support of this order, and as an extension, this mindset.

In Sarada, Asha'rah saw that same mindset. That same thirst for combat and power. Sarada knew that it was because it was all she had come to know over her life, and that thirst for power was out of fear of what her future would hold if she returned to Vocado as anything less than a working class Saiyan. It turned out that it was the gods' fault that such a future even existed. In their arrogance and blindness, they fought to keep everything the same. All the while damning their creation to a slow, violent death by their own hands.

The Saiyans were fortunate. Ironically, exterminating those races and establishing the colonies was what started their reform. Ruco and Pepa had proven time and again to be the lofty examply of what their race could be if separated from Vocado's strength first attitude. Turrip, built on the technology of the slain Tuffle race, was next to embrace another path, only of art and science. Langal even made extreme headway over the last three decades to turn itself around. And now, Vocado under Mato was making the necessary changes to return to how it used to be under the kings and queens of old. Only Callion stood unmoving in the face of progress.

Sarada was only a microcosm of the cultural evolution -- or perhaps regression was the correct word -- the Saiyans were enjoying. For witnessing that, and realizing her preconceptions were wrong, Asha'rah the goddess of creation apologized.

A goddess humbled herself to beg the forgiveness of a mere mortal.

There was something unreal when realizing that, and Sarada was at a loss for words, even after spending several moments digesting what she had heard. While the Sarada of old, the one who still lived on Vocado prior to fleeing to Earth, would have made this lofty being humble herself more and actually beg, Sarada as she was now saw no need for humiliation. "I accept," she replied with a single nod. "I'm sorry your war caused you such great personal loss. And, if your metal shell is any indication, it was all for nothing, right? You and your side lost?"

[Tami]

"Only death, or mutual understanding, can end a war, and even death is questionable."

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Pinach watched Rutaba's attack closely to gauge what kind of defense and speed Totoma was working with. After observing up until Rutaba managed to get a punch in, his expert analysis was that he was strong and fast. He winced when Rutaba was punched and kicked away, but quickly realized that this was his opportunity. Quickly, he dashed into the air.

Just today, his class was taught how to fire energy blasts. It was a lot easier than he thought; so easy that he wondered why Sarada hadn't bothered to teach him when she was here. Oh, yeah; 'Baby steps' she said. Whatever. He wasn't a baby. He was Pinach the Magnificent, hero to all Saiyans everywhere!

The instructor told them to visualize their ki as a fire. All they had to do was center that 'fire' into the center of their hand as if they had scooped it up and were holding it. At first, it hurt, but after a few tries, it stopped hurting so much. It took him all day, but he finally managed to fire an energy blast. It wasn't very strong yet, but that would come in due time.

And now, it was time for him to show Just Saiyan what he had learned.

He stretched out his hand and took aim downward. His brow furrowed with concentration. Slowly, a blue ball of ki materialized in the center of his palm, and grew larger with each passing second. And now, to shout something cool to catch him off guard!

"Justice Cannon!!" he bellowed right before the ball erupted from his hand and shot toward Totoma's back.

...Justice Cannon? Ah, to no great surprise, he and Pinach had a similar naming scheme for their attacks, for that is precisely what he had renamed the Kiho to during the past few months. Why? Because Kiho was such an indistinct name. Too generic for a superhero!

Well, time to test young Pinach's Justice Cannon. He braced himself just before the attack hit. There was a bright flash of light and an explosion, sending a plume of dust and debris into the sky and a pressure wave expanding outwards. When the dust cleared...

Totoma stood, fists on his hips and his stance wide. He seemed... mostly unharmed, save for some scuff marks on the back of his outfit. He glanced over his shoulder at Pinach. "A commendable effort, young Pinach. Based off of my signature attack, the Kiho, I presume? Heh, I recently renamed that attack to... Justice Cannon, ironically enough. Great minds truly do think alike!"

Sarada would no doubt disagree on the 'great minds' comment, but he was sure that she would secretly be proud of Pinach for being able to expel his energy to attack so soon after enrolling in the CTC. Yes, she was more powerful than them now, and she put on a tough, indifferent act, but in the rare cases she spoke of them and from what he'd seen of their interactions, she truly loved them and... was almost certainly proud of them, or at least proud of what they represented--a future in which the Saiyans were a positive influence on the universe, rather than a negative one. Even if that positive influence was currently a bit hammy.

In any case, there were a few issues with the attack. The primary principle behind the Kiho, which was not immediately apparent, was to compact and compress great amounts of ki into a relatively small attack. Upon impact, that ki would be released in a massive explosion, causing great damage. The lesson he would impart to young Pinach, then, would be just that.

As for Rutaba... hm... he could perhaps give her a head start on things by teaching her to use her energy to attack. She was a Saiyan, so it shouldn't take longer than a day or two to get the hang of it. And then Pinach could teach her the Justice Cannon, for some Double Justice Cannon action! And maybe triple if they ever ended fighting together. Which, given the existence of Jagam, may very well happen, though he would strongly prefer to keep these two--and their peers--as far away from Jagam as possible, given his own experience with the man around their age.

"Now then! Try again, but this time... imagine the ball shrinking down to a point of light--you need not actually compress it that much, but it should react nonetheless--and then add more energy to it and then imagine it shrinking to a point of light again! Repeat this... two or three times and then launch it at me! It will take time, at first, but I will wait." The more times one repeated the process, the more concentration and ki control it required. One of the ways, as a kid, that he'd trained himself, was to make a Kiho, then see how many times he could repeat this compression exercise.

Now, however, he'd found that the Void Tunnel/Lens was better for honing his concentration, while being much less tiring, so that was his preferred tool for sharpening his focus.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

In case it was missed, Cleric.

Eresh pauses, her eyes glowing softly.

“Death awaits in many forms. Hither and yon, that grey shadow looms over immortal and mortal alike. A reckoning shall be upon the Earth soon.”

Her voice relaxes back into her childlike one and, like nothing happened, she smiles at Ishtar.

“Stay with you, please.”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Eresh pauses, her eyes glowing softly.

“Death awaits in many forms. Hither and yon, that grey shadow looms over immortal and mortal alike. A reckoning shall be upon the Earth soon.”

Her voice relaxes back into her childlike one and, like nothing happened, she smiles at Ishtar.

“Stay with you, please.”

Well, that was ominous. Sarada wanted to ask Eresh what she meant by that, but it didn't appear that she had any idea what she said just seconds prior to her answering whether she wanted to stay with Ishtar during the battle or not.

"Hmph. Now, we have to decipher some ominous message that the kid doesn't even realize she gave."

Something was going to happen on Earth. In a way, it was good that it wasn't Vocado or one of the colonies. They had enough to worry about in the form of Jagam. With the threat being on Earth... well, at least they were likely headed that way anyway to check on Eva and Ronin.

She assumed, anyway.

There was little reason for them as a whole to go elsewhere. Meagan would very likely stay here on Chroma once the Nagadarr were dealt with. She herself planned on going back to Earth to make use of the Room of Time and Spirits. A year's worth of training in one day simply couldn't be overstated.

She assumed everyone else was headed back to Earth with her, regardless of where they were from. If not for this ominous message just delivered to them, but just to check on Eva. They owed her at least that much.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Eresh pauses, her eyes glowing softly.

Ishtar had been expecting the response to be something like a choice. Instead however, it was a portent of things to come; offered in a tone of voice and posture that hardly belonged to the Eresh the golden-eyed Oni had become acquainted.

“Death awaits in many forms. Hither and yon, that grey shadow looms over immortal and mortal alike. A reckoning shall be upon the Earth soon.”

Her voice relaxes back into her childlike one and, like nothing happened, she smiles at Ishtar.

“Stay with you, please.”

And what a portent it was.

A looming threat made mention of, to a world that had six months prior found itself at a similar mercy ... yet the mention of Death, as it related to the Gods themselves- functionally immortal as they were- was ... of greater concern. The fact that it came moments before Ishtar herself planned to end the lives of these Nagadarr with which she had become so recently acquainted, was not lost on the golden-eyed Oni either. Nor was the understanding of what Ereshkigal was, in the end. A harbinger of portents, and whisperer of hidden truths. To be found in a child ... a Soothsayer.

Yet for now ... the young Oni was the former again.

Ishtar offered a smile, and pushed her concerns to the side.

"Then we will go with Sarada, hm ?"

The golden-eyed Oni stood, and offered her hand.

Well, that was ominous. Sarada wanted to ask Eresh what she meant by that, but it didn't appear that she had any idea what she said just seconds prior to her answering whether she wanted to stay with Ishtar during the battle or not.

"Hmph. Now, we have to decipher some ominous message that the kid doesn't even realize she gave."

Something was going to happen on Earth. In a way, it was good that it wasn't Vocado or one of the colonies. They had enough to worry about in the form of Jagam. With the threat being on Earth... well, at least they were likely headed that way anyway to check on Eva and Ronin.

She assumed, anyway.

There was little reason for them as a whole to go elsewhere. Meagan would very likely stay here on Chroma once the Nagadarr were dealt with. She herself planned on going back to Earth to make use of the Room of Time and Spirits. A year's worth of training in one day simply couldn't be overstated.

She assumed everyone else was headed back to Earth with her, regardless of where they were from. If not for this ominous message just delivered to them, but just to check on Eva. They owed her at least that much.

"I do not feel we need to decipher much." Ishtar replied, turning toward Sarada, then.

"Regardless of whatever hidden meaning there is in the words. The sooner we return to Earth, the better." The blue-skinned woman offered a smile then, before turning her eyes towards where they were headed.

"Which means we have a reason to see this ... affair settled quickly. What do you think ?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

...Justice Cannon? Ah, to no great surprise, he and Pinach had a similar naming scheme for their attacks, for that is precisely what he had renamed the Kiho to during the past few months. Why? Because Kiho was such an indistinct name. Too generic for a superhero!

Well, time to test young Pinach's Justice Cannon. He braced himself just before the attack hit. There was a bright flash of light and an explosion, sending a plume of dust and debris into the sky and a pressure wave expanding outwards. When the dust cleared...

Totoma stood, fists on his hips and his stance wide. He seemed... mostly unharmed, save for some scuff marks on the back of his outfit. He glanced over his shoulder at Pinach. "A commendable effort, young Pinach. Based off of my signature attack, the Kiho, I presume? Heh, I recently renamed that attack to... Justice Cannon, ironically enough. Great minds truly do think alike!"

Sarada would no doubt disagree on the 'great minds' comment, but he was sure that she would secretly be proud of Pinach for being able to expel his energy to attack so soon after enrolling in the CTC. Yes, she was more powerful than them now, and she put on a tough, indifferent act, but in the rare cases she spoke of them and from what he'd seen of their interactions, she truly loved them and... was almost certainly proud of them, or at least proud of what they represented--a future in which the Saiyans were a positive influence on the universe, rather than a negative one. Even if that positive influence was currently a bit hammy.

In any case, there were a few issues with the attack. The primary principle behind the Kiho, which was not immediately apparent, was to compact and compress great amounts of ki into a relatively small attack. Upon impact, that ki would be released in a massive explosion, causing great damage. The lesson he would impart to young Pinach, then, would be just that.

As for Rutaba... hm... he could perhaps give her a head start on things by teaching her to use her energy to attack. She was a Saiyan, so it shouldn't take longer than a day or two to get the hang of it. And then Pinach could teach her the Justice Cannon, for some Double Justice Cannon action! And maybe triple if they ever ended fighting together. Which, given the existence of Jagam, may very well happen, though he would strongly prefer to keep these two--and their peers--as far away from Jagam as possible, given his own experience with the man around their age.

"Now then! Try again, but this time... imagine the ball shrinking down to a point of light--you need not actually compress it that much, but it should react nonetheless--and then add more energy to it and then imagine it shrinking to a point of light again! Repeat this... two or three times and then launch it at me! It will take time, at first, but I will wait." The more times one repeated the process, the more concentration and ki control it required. One of the ways, as a kid, that he'd trained himself, was to make a Kiho, then see how many times he could repeat this compression exercise.

Now, however, he'd found that the Void Tunnel/Lens was better for honing his concentration, while being much less tiring, so that was his preferred tool for sharpening his focus.

A direct hit! Pinach pumped his fist when Totoma was engulfed in a flash of light. A pressure wave blew back the nearby Saiyans, including Rutaba and Maiz. "Oops," he mumbled. They were able to get back on their feet quickly, so it was okay.

He turned his attention back to his opponent, only to witness that he hadn't been moved an inch! In fact, it didn't look like Pinach had done anything more than slightly singe his armor. "Damn it."

He was at a loss. What else could he do? That was the extent of his offense, as he hadn't learned much else in the way of combat. Stupid baby steps. Why couldn't Sarada teach me the Galick Gun?

"Why?" Sarada asked when Pinach asked her to teach him the Galick Gun. "You'll just blow yourself or something else up."

"No I won't!" he protested.

"Oh? Then explain what happened at the park yesterday." She folded her arms and watched him hem and haw over some lame excuse for why he blew up a swing-set. "Thought so. Moving on, how to properly defend against a punch. DODGE!" She immediately punched him in the face.

He shook the memory from his mind and listened closely to what Totoma had to say. He wanted him to do his Justice Cannon -- which he, coincidentally, had a technique baring that name -- again, but this time to focus on making it more concentrated. He was to do this envisioning what he did before, but to narrow it down to a small point, then repeat this as many times as he could until he couldn't anymore.

It sounded simple enough, so he nodded. "Okay. Here goes."

As before, he envisioned himself scooping up a handful of fire, then narrowed his focus down to a single point. It took a long time and more effort than he had ever had to expend on anything else before that, but he did it. Unbeknownst to him, his blue ki ball started to glow a little brighter than before. When he managed to repeat this feat, the ball glowed even brighter. Sweat dripped down his brow as he struggled through the feat a third time.

That was it. If he concentrated any further, his head was going to explode. "Here it comes! Pinach's Super Ultra Justice Cannon!!!" The ultra bright blue ball of ki was fire and zipped toward Totoma's back.

This time, Rutaba and Maiz braced themselves for impact.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"I do not feel we need to decipher much." Ishtar replied, turning toward Sarada, then.

"Regardless of whatever hidden meaning there is in the words. The sooner we return to Earth, the better." The blue-skinned woman offered a smile then, before turning her eyes towards where they were headed.

"Which means we have a reason to see this ... affair settled quickly. What do you think ?"

That was true, but Sarada was mostly thinking about deciphering who exactly this prophecy was referring to. What grey shadow was about to loom menacingly over the planet Earth? Just six months ago, that planet was in a similar situation with Fife, and they managed to defeat him after a very long, very difficult day. And now, the task was about to fall on their shoulders once again.

Sarada thought that once Fife was gone, her obligation to Earth was done, but evidently, fate held a different plan for her. I can't let myself get too distracted with this. Jagam is still out there, so Vocado is still in danger.

She would never be able to truly rest easily until he was dead. Until such a time came, everything else was a secondary concern. "Quickly? Yes, I like the sound of that." She sighed and started to walk away from the rest of the group. "That means I can't as much hold back at the start. Brace yourself."

Once she was far enough away, she breathed in deeply and squeezed her eyes shut. With a soft click, the Blutz Lamps behind her eyelids were activated, opening Sarada up to a wave of immense power and primal elation she rarely felt. She grunted -- a sounded that was far deeper and more guttural than her normal voice should have allowed -- the power spread through her entire body, forcing the transformation last seen several months ago on Turtle Island. It required a fair deal of concentration and focus to stop the transformation exactly where she needed it to stop. It took her months of solitary training to finally get it down pat. When she did, she never did it again.

She wanted to say that she was saving it for a rainy day, and that it was far too difficult to just do all the time. The truth was that she was waiting for a dramatic moment to pull this technique out.

The final stages of preparation prior to a battle to liberate her friend's homeworld wasn't the dramatic moment she was anticipating, but it would have to do.

Her muscle mass grew, and dark brown fur sprouted and covered much of her visible skin. With a ferocious bellow, her power exploded outward, kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured her from sight.

"Ah! I did it," she spoke. Her voice was much deeper than normal, closer to that of her Great Ape form. When the dust clear, she was walking back to the others.



"Well, what do you think?" she asked Ishtar, planting one hand on her hip and curling the other upward to flex her impressive bicep. "Pretty kickass, right?"

OOC: Hitozaru x2.5 is active. Sarada's current power level is 37,500.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

That was true, but Sarada was mostly thinking about deciphering who exactly this prophecy was referring to. What grey shadow was about to loom menacingly over the planet Earth? Just six months ago, that planet was in a similar situation with Fife, and they managed to defeat him after a very long, very difficult day. And now, the task was about to fall on their shoulders once again.

Sarada thought that once Fife was gone, her obligation to Earth was done, but evidently, fate held a different plan for her. I can't let myself get too distracted with this. Jagam is still out there, so Vocado is still in danger.

She would never be able to truly rest easily until he was dead. Until such a time came, everything else was a secondary concern. "Quickly? Yes, I like the sound of that." She sighed and started to walk away from the rest of the group. "That means I can't as much hold back at the start. Brace yourself."

Once she was far enough away, she breathed in deeply and squeezed her eyes shut. With a soft click, the Blutz Lamps behind her eyelids were activated, opening Sarada up to a wave of immense power and primal elation she rarely felt. She grunted -- a sounded that was far deeper and more guttural than her normal voice should have allowed -- the power spread through her entire body, forcing the transformation last seen several months ago on Turtle Island. It required a fair deal of concentration and focus to stop the transformation exactly where she needed it to stop. It took her months of solitary training to finally get it down pat. When she did, she never did it again.

She wanted to say that she was saving it for a rainy day, and that it was far too difficult to just do all the time. The truth was that she was waiting for a dramatic moment to pull this technique out.

The final stages of preparation prior to a battle to liberate her friend's homeworld wasn't the dramatic moment she was anticipating, but it would have to do.

Her muscle mass grew, and dark brown fur sprouted and covered much of her visible skin. With a ferocious bellow, her power exploded outward, kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured her from sight.

"Ah! I did it," she spoke. Her voice was much deeper than normal, closer to that of her Great Ape form. When the dust clear, she was walking back to the others.



"Well, what do you think?" she asked Ishtar, planting one hand on her hip and curling the other upward to flex her impressive bicep. "Pretty kickass, right?"

OOC: Hitozaru x2.5 is active. Sarada's current power level is 37,500.

Nevanlinna, who had thus far been leaning against the outer hull of the ship keeping quiet and out of the way, took notice of Sarada's transformation. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she reached out and felt the Saiyan's power. It was quite on the level of her own, but it was high enough that it wouldn't be a trivial effort to put her down.

More worrying, the form bore a troubling resemblance to something Jagam had claimed to witness... during one of his first kills ten years ago. He had claimed, during a fight against a notably powerful and famous Saiyan--Tasure--and her offspring, the former had assumed a sort of... demi-oozaru form. Jagam had no reason to lie, so he had been believed, but as now Saiyan since had displayed such an ability, it was assumed to be a distinct technique--now lost, thanks to himm--and not a 'natural' form. Either that was a mistaken notion, or that Tasure had passed on the technique before passing on, herself.

Then again, there were well-substantiated claims of Tasure somehow coming back to life, despite Jagam confirming the kill. And apparently her son--a halfbreed of the name of... Tomato? Totomato? Matoto... ****, she couldn't keep track of all these idiotic barbarian names--had somehow survived the encounter outright, and was the source of that leak about Jagam that had sprung up... about six...

Son of a bitch. Ishtar claimed that she'd met this group approximately six months ago, on Earth. As far as she knew, the halfbreed's father had been from Earth--Bekon, from what she'd gathered--which meant that he did indeed survive and had apparently taught this purebred girl how to transform into this... half-oozaru thing. And informed the Saiyans about Jagam, causing them to go into high alert.

Somewhere along the line, something had gone horribly... horribly wrong. The halfbreed didn't know much beyond what Jagam looked like and how he fought, but giving that information to a warrior race like the Saiyans... if Jagam didn't take care of them soon and chose to go about things in his usual way, he would fail.

Ah, how to salvage this situation...

***********************************

A brisk clap rang out after Sarada's transformation, emanating from a cloaked figure that was slowly approaching the group. Whoever he was, he had suppressed his power, but the more sensitive among them could sense of an indeterminate, but considerable amount kept in check. As he got close, the clapping stopped.

"Hehe, I see you've gotten the hang of that form, Sarada," said the cloaked figured, as he drew back his hood to reveal... Totoma. He gave the others his usual two-fingered salute-wave.

"Hey guys, long time no punch," he said, his usual goofy smile plastered on his face. Those of the group that weren't new would notice that he now carried himself with a certain poise and confidence that had been lacking six months ago, even after Kami's mind-fix. Some might say he carried himself like a true Saiyan now.

"Room for one more? I promised Meagan that I'd help with this, and a hero never goes back on a promise, so... here I am," he said.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Chuan smiles at Totoma.

“Nice to see you again, man. Where’s Karine?”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

A brisk clap rang out after Sarada's transformation, emanating from a cloaked figure that was slowly approaching the group. Whoever he was, he had suppressed his power, but the more sensitive among them could sense of an indeterminate, but considerable amount kept in check. As he got close, the clapping stopped.

"Hehe, I see you've gotten the hang of that form, Sarada," said the cloaked figured, as he drew back his hood to reveal... Totoma. He gave the others his usual two-fingered salute-wave.

"Hey guys, long time no punch," he said, his usual goofy smile plastered on his face. Those of the group that weren't new would notice that he now carried himself with a certain poise and confidence that had been lacking six months ago, even after Kami's mind-fix. Some might say he carried himself like a true Saiyan now.

"Room for one more? I promised Meagan that I'd help with this, and a hero never goes back on a promise, so... here I am," he said.

After she was finished and asked Ishtar for her opinion, an applause rang out from somewhere nearby. A cloaked man who definitely wasn't there a few minutes ago -- at least, not where she could see or sense him -- was slowly approaching them. She couldn't get a sense of his power, but she could tell he was suppressing it. Whoever he was, he had reason to hide who he was.

Was... was it him? Was it Jagam?

How would he even think to look here for Saiyans, on the Chromakai homeworld? It didn't make any sense, unless his ki sensing ability was so acute that he detected her from outer space. It was possible; some theorized that the skill had no limit and could even reach across light years if one was powerful enough. Still, with a power level as low as what she hypothesized Jagam's was...

Wait, no... that voice...

It was only Totoma. Sarada let out the breath that she had been holding since he arrived. "Well, well, look who decides to show up. I'm honestly shocked you could pry yourself from Karine's chest armor long enough to go anywhere," she remarked with a smarmy smirk. "Unless, she's with you under that cloak."

Damn it. Why is he suppressing his power? How powerful has he gotten? He certainly seems to be in a better place now. Damn it, this wasn't good. Sarada had gained a good deal of power over the last six months. It was her only hope that Totoma had been too busy mating with Karine to do any serious training since she last saw him. "Alright, enough stalling. How powerful have you really gotten?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

“We’ve got to go. Time’s a wasting and I just got word my diversionary forces have struck. They’ll be pulling about twenty percent of the defensive forces, so this is the moment.”

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

When Sarada transformed, offering Ishtar an echo of an almost primal power that reached to the core of her; there were several things that crept in along side it.

Inadequacy, of the sort that she had felt in touching minds with Genesis and had suffered first hand in her brief skirmish with Marduk. At how despite how strong she used to be, and how strong she felt now ... it was nothing. Annoyance, that even now, two days after the confrontations; she still felt this way ... and that despite her resolution to train and grow stronger than Genesis herself alongside Sarada ... that she was at a disadvantage ... even with the one she loved and had resolved to grow stronger with. And anger. Though be it from the power she felt from Sarada influencing her thoughts, or the realization that these feelings engendered having finally set in; Ishtar could not tell.

The golden-eyed Oni shook her head.

No time for this now.

Time enough to lament the centuries wasted, later.

...

It took a moment, then- as Sarada was walking back- for the golden-eyed Oni to quiet the feedback that had disturbed her calm; and when it was finished Sarada was standing in front of her.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked Ishtar, planting one hand on her hip and curling the other upward to flex her impressive bicep. "Pretty kickass, right?"

OOC: Hitozaru x2.5 is active. Sarada's current power level is 37,500.

Ishtar stared at the partially transformed Saiyan a moment, before offering a weak smile.

"Yes ... Kick-ass."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“We’ve got to go. Time’s a wasting and I just got word my diversionary forces have struck. They’ll be pulling about twenty percent of the defensive forces, so this is the moment.”

At hearing the command prompt, Ishtar offered her hand to Eresh.

"Time to go now. Climb up on my back, and I will carry you, and keep you safe."

[Yun Lao]

“We’ve got to go. Time’s a wasting and I just got word my diversionary forces have struck. They’ll be pulling about twenty percent of the defensive forces, so this is the moment.”

"About time..." Charco said to himself, rising from the seat he had taken to approach the crowd. His frustration from the inconveniences this journey was nearly boiling over, so he welcomed the chance to vent some aggression.

"Just point me to those I need to wreck."