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

[Tami]

Charco had never met Chris, face-to-face, having been unconscious at the time that Chris had made his move during the tournament. From what he had been told, the assassin's business with them should have finished with relieving Battersea of Banefire, but it appeared that wasn't the case, "Any reason why he's targeting us?"

The Dragonballs still had half a year left to recharge their power before they could be utilized again, so unless the assassin just liked being extremely early to his appointments, Charco couldn't decipher a motive.



Ishtar's words prompted him to look over to her, "There's more than one of those pistols?"

Giving up her search, "Chris has a vendetta against us." Meagan walked in his direction, "Before I left to train, I ran into a woman who tried and failed to kill me. Turns out she's Chris' cousin. He sent her as a warning, also it turns out she has an infatuation with Jinzi. In any case, it must have taken Chris all this time to either learn how to control, adapt to, or have it, the Banefire, take control of him."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

As Sarada neared the kitchen, she caught the feeling of disquiet that had settled within the Oni. This entire situation was distressing. Eva was there, yet she was not. It didn't seem possible, yet it was exactly where they found themselves. Magic had failed to pierce the veil separating the two parties, and she knew of no other recourse.

The more she thought on it, the idea that they were sent to another dimension was losing its merit. Ishtar managed to track Asha'rah to Otherworld using the same means, which -- if Sarada had it right -- was another dimension. The only explanation was that Banefire... well she didn't know, but she knew it had something to do with the nature of the gun.

She stepped into the kitchen and found Zaofan and Ishtar. Butterfly still in her grasp, she stopped just inside the doorway and moved to the side. "Then, I have no other ideas. I don't know what he did. They were there one second, Banefire flashed, then they were gone." It was beyond her intellectual capacity to figure out. Magic and godly weapons were out of her expertise. As soon as they needed someone to punch Chris in the dick, she'd be the one to call.

"This **** is out of my scope," she laughed roughly.

Ishtar considered Sarada's recounting of the vision, carefully.

Banefire flashed, then they were gone.

Not terribly informative, that. Though at the very least it did imply that it was something beyond normal Ki usage ... and at this point, from where they sat- or stood, or sought out- something was better than nothing. Yet it was still not enough. Kai was gone. Nunlil was gone. Evangeline ... was gone ... and there was no way of knowing where to; beyond this scrying spell that told the golden-eyed Oni that they were here.

Where though ? The view offered from the ensorcelled water in the cooking bowl was of the Lookout as it was now. Which meant they were all here, somewhere.

Where ?

"Magic is simply using 'Ki' to manipulate the forces already established in the Universe for your own ends ..." Ishtar muttered, softly. "There is an answer here ... this spell is working as intended, which means there is a reason why it is showing us this place, the Lookout." The Oni offered a soft huff, before shaking her head. At this point she was merely rambling aloud, attempting to force her mind to think of something, anything, that might properly explain what had come to pass here; and in a way it worked as after a moment the golden-eyed Oni's head snapped up.

"They disappeared, yes. Gone to the wind, through some action offered by that thing ... Banefire." Yet unless Ishtar was mistaken there was at least one place on the Lookout that had not been checked, and while such was impracticable, improbable ... impossible; it at least served to be thorough.

"Yet it is saying Evangeline is here, on the Lookout. Have we checked the Room of Spirit and Time ?"

Ishtar's words prompted him to look over to her, "There's more than one of those pistols?"

"Not so limited, no." Ishtar responded before turning to look at Charco. "Though I do not know the number, only that there is more than simply Banefire."

There was at least a second, at any rate. After Asha'rah had spoken with her about the nature of her trip to Otherworld- after the excitement of her return to 'form'- had been explored on the day she returned, it had been made known to the golden-eyed Oni the truth of these ... weapons. To say nothing of that horn, a thing that had seen its use interrupted by Asha'rah's sister not two days prior.

Yet another thing to process, in time.

Offering the young Dinosaur School Disciple a shrug, Ishtar simply shook her head.

"For the moment finding out the truth of what my scrying spell revealed is of more importance."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

And there, Ochazuke sees it.

Perhaps it is because he alone truely knew what Banefire was, on a personal level, that he could see through the deception.

Eva, Kai, and Nunlil all lay where they had been felled, space pulled around them to make them effectively invisible and unsensable. But Ochazuke knew that energy, would always know that energy.

Which was why he was the only one who knew Chris was still on the Lookout. Which was why when the shot fired and took Sarada in the lower spine, severing her tail, Ochazuke could track it back to Chris, who stood, hidden under a cloak of pulled space, aiming another shot.

[grampagen]

And there, Ochazuke sees it.

Perhaps it is because he alone truely knew what Banefire was, on a personal level, that he could see through the deception.

Eva, Kai, and Nunlil all lay where they had been felled, space pulled around them to make them effectively invisible and unsensable. But Ochazuke knew that energy, would always know that energy.

Which was why he was the only one who knew Chris was still on the Lookout. Which was why when the shot fired and took Sarada in the lower spine, severing her tail, Ochazuke could track it back to Chris, who stood, hidden under a cloak of pulled space, aiming another shot.

It happened so fast that the only thing he could do was cast his gaze up as the shot fell upon Sarada. The shriek and wail of cold flame took to the air of the palace in heaven and he felt the hollow feeling rail through him as it dashed a void against his meditational field.

He's still here...! empty words unspoken, he was aware of the life ebbing from the fallen; instead he moved to act.

As the Assassin took aim, secure in his shroud, Ochazuke focussed on spreading his meditation field through Chris' territory, the killer's dome that surrounded the expanse of the Lookout, covering his victims, and making even the shallowest distance a sniper's nest.

A predator among the grass, he mused, for in spite of himself, his thoughts railed towards a different power he'd known intimately in times past. She did not escape his sight, and neither did the Knife.

Turning to face Chris, Ochazuke wordlessly threw his right palm out, casting his energy along his invisibility field with Kongosho, his blow seeking to shatter the illusory veil that hid man and conjoined demon across the span between them.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

And it does so, Chris now revealed.

[Tami]

And it does so, Chris now revealed.

Having heard the sound of the bullet flying through the air towards Sarada, Meagan turned in the direction that it came from and readied her defenses, and her attacks. Dealing with him is going to be difficult.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Something was wrong. A sharp pain in her lower back.

Had she accidentally backed into a nail of some kind?

No, it couldn't be. She was too strong to even feel something like that, let alone be hurt by it. And then, she heard something land on the ground with a thump. Then, her power started to drop dramatically.

No! But how?!

A glance behind her revealed her tail laying on the floor, still wrapped around one of the katchin knives she kept on her person. Impossible! How could it -- Wait, could he be...

She turned and found Chris standing there, Banefire's malevolent metal form glinting in the sunlight. Ochazuke was facing him, right hand held out.

"You piece of ****!" she ground out through gritted teeth. Two ki balls formed in her hand, but dissipated just as quickly as they materialized. Stay calm. His weapon is too dangerous to lose my ****.

Etrina could just reverse time and replace her tail, so there was no trouble on that front. But, her power was lost to her for the time being. "What the hell do you want with Eva?!"

The sharpness of the pain in her back started to eat away at her concentration like a flame to dry leaves. Her teeth gritted together. She had been shot by that gun before. It wasn't something she wanted to experience again. Chris had different ideas. The coward was too afraid to face her face to face like a man, so he hid. She was right, he had somehow made himself invisible with Banefire; which meant that Eva and the others were also visible.

'Ishtar, get that binding spell ready. I'm going to try and cut his gun arm off when you do.'

[grampagen]

Their foe now revealed, Ochazuke stood to his feet among the ashen and shattered stone he was surveying. He looked at the fallen Mercenary, and his immediate impression was such that the countless deaths he'd rendered in his time had returned to drag him under.

You look terrible, Chris. Was this power worth your soul?

He'd already taken aim within his veil, and Ochazuke would not be able to counterattack so soon after bringing the illusion down. Raising his focus to his flight, he focused on evasion with Shoshin Hiei as he crossed the distance to Evangeline, Kai and Nunlil, taking note of their injuries as he tried to ascertain how to remove them from the impending crossfire.

Even the very seat of your power is compromised, Guardian. How was he able to ambush you here?

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Their foe now revealed, Ochazuke stood to his feet among the ashen and shattered stone he was surveying. He looked at the fallen Mercenary, and his immediate impression was such that the countless deaths he'd rendered in his time had returned to drag him under.

You look terrible, Chris. Was this power worth your soul?

He'd already taken aim within his veil, and Ochazuke would not be able to counterattack so soon after bringing the illusion down. Raising his focus to his flight, he focused on evasion with Shoshin Hiei as he crossed the distance to Evangeline, Kai and Nunlil, taking note of their injuries as he tried to ascertain how to remove them from the impending crossfire.

Even the very seat of your power is compromised, Guardian. How was he able to ambush you here?

Slak is there with him, as is Chuan.

“We’ll take care of them.”

Chuan nods to the Namekians’ words as they start moving the three carefully, but quickly, away. Midori and Shiro helping them.


Jack meanwhile has his knife out and glares, stepping next to Ochazuke as he keeps his eyes on Chris.

“Plan?”

Chris, meanwhile, vanishes in a flare of light. Ochazuke, however, can track him even while hidden by bent space once more. Chris appeared to be heading towards the edge of the Lookout.

[KingofPie]

And it does so, Chris now revealed.

P-Sta shifted into a fighting stance, Katchin Mode still active. "Our assailant, I presume! I know...absolutely nothing about you, but a hitman's a hitman! You may put a value on people's lives, but justice is a priceless antique, untarnished by the passage of time! Shining like a gleaming beacon, it-"

Chris, meanwhile, vanishes in a flare of light. Ochazuke, however, can track him even while hidden by bent space once more. Chris appeared to be heading towards the edge of the Lookout.

"-What, hey! Where'd he go?!" P-Sta questioned, irritated over the villain leaving before his speech could finish.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The truth of the spell Ishtar had used to located Evangeline, Nunlil, and the Ronin, Kai; was made known to her in a manner far more painful than the Oni might have hoped for.

Which was why he was the only one who knew Chris was still on the Lookout. Which was why when the shot fired and took Sarada in the lower spine, severing her tail, Ochazuke could track it back to Chris, who stood, hidden under a cloak of pulled space, aiming another shot.

Something was wrong. A sharp pain in her lower back.

Had she accidentally backed into a nail of some kind?

No, it couldn't be. She was too strong to even feel something like that, let alone be hurt by it. And then, she heard something land on the ground with a thump. Then, her power started to drop dramatically.

No! But how?!

A glance behind her revealed her tail laying on the floor, still wrapped around one of the katchin knives she kept on her person. Impossible! How could it -- Wait, could he be...

She turned and found Chris standing there, Banefire's malevolent metal form glinting in the sunlight. Ochazuke was facing him, right hand held out.

"You piece of ****!" she ground out through gritted teeth. Two ki balls formed in her hand, but dissipated just as quickly as they materialized. Stay calm. His weapon is too dangerous to lose my ****.

Etrina could just reverse time and replace her tail, so there was no trouble on that front. But, her power was lost to her for the time being. "What the hell do you want with Eva?!"

The sharpness of the pain in her back started to eat away at her concentration like a flame to dry leaves. Her teeth gritted together. She had been shot by that gun before. It wasn't something she wanted to experience again. Chris had different ideas. The coward was too afraid to face her face to face like a man, so he hid. She was right, he had somehow made himself invisible with Banefire; which meant that Eva and the others were also visible.

'Ishtar, get that binding spell ready. I'm going to try and cut his gun arm off when you do.'

With a crack like thunder then, accompanied by a soft thump as the targeted prehensile limb fell to the floor of the Lookout; Ishtar felt a sudden- and dizzying- blossom of pain open at the base of her spine.

In a single, swift motion, Chris the Knife had revealed himself by severing Sarada's tail ... a thing he had done once before, surely ... and yet given the development that had seen to giving Ishtar her own prehensile limb, it was a thing that resonated far more so than before; and so it was for that a moment at least Ishtar found herself struggling to focus ... even as Ochazuke finally revealed the glamor of pulled space to reveal Evangeline, Nunlil, the Ronin, Kai ... and the Assassin himself.

After a time simply watching- as Meagan fired a burst of Ki, and P-Sta began monologuing- however, Ishtar found herself was well as could be given the pain that declared its presence with each beat of Sarada's heart; the Oni nodded along at the plan.

'I can do that. He simply needs to be visible when I cast the spell.

And it does so, Chris now revealed.

Chris, meanwhile, vanishes in a flare of light. Ochazuke, however, can track him even while hidden by bent space once more. Chris appeared to be heading towards the edge of the Lookout.

A thing that was proving itself to be difficult.

Still, as the others attempted to lash out at the Knife, and the bonded Banefire, Ishtar slid back to where Slak- and Chuan- were attempting to aid Evangeline, Nunlil, and Kai; as she began preparing to cast not simply the binding spell ... but the amplified gravity spell that had seen fit to pin Simon Battersea in much the same way. If Sarada could overpower the binding spell itself, after all ... it would not do to leave such things to chance.

All Ishtar would need when the time came, was the opening.

[Tami]

Slak is there with him, as is Chuan.

“We’ll take care of them.”

Chuan nods to the Namekians’ words as they start moving the three carefully, but quickly, away. Midori and Shiro helping them.


Jack meanwhile has his knife out and glares, stepping next to Ochazuke as he keeps his eyes on Chris.

“Plan?”

Chris, meanwhile, vanishes in a flare of light. Ochazuke, however, can track him even while hidden by bent space once more. Chris appeared to be heading towards the edge of the Lookout.

Unable to track Chris once he vanished, Meagan was well aware that Ochazuke was somehow able to do so. She did not want him to escape, but she did not know how. For her, this was infuriating and frustrating, but all she could do is wait to see what Ochazuke did next.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

With a crack like thunder then, accompanied by a soft thump as the targeted prehensile limb fell to the floor of the Lookout; Ishtar felt a sudden- and dizzying- blossom of pain open at the base of her spine.

In a single, swift motion, Chris the Knife had revealed himself by severing Sarada's tail ... a thing he had done once before, surely ... and yet given the development that had seen to giving Ishtar her own prehensile limb, it was a thing that resonated far more so than before; and so it was for that a moment at least Ishtar found herself struggling to focus ... even as Ochazuke finally revealed the glamor of pulled space to reveal Evangeline, Nunlil, the Ronin, Kai ... and the Assassin himself.

After a time simply watching- as Meagan fired a burst of Ki, and P-Sta began monologuing- however, Ishtar found herself was well as could be given the pain that declared its presence with each beat of Sarada's heart; the Oni nodded along at the plan.

'I can do that. He simply needs to be visible when I cast the spell.

They shared the pain of her lost tail, the trauma resonating even more now that Ishtar herself had a tail. The thought of the same fate befalling her beloved Oni brought a wave of dread that was quickly stamped down by the urgency of the moment. The blue woman would be fine, even if she did suffer the same attack Sarada herself had. The pain would be multiplied even more, if such a thought came to pass, but pain was nothing but a mental reaction to sudden stimuli. It was nothing that couldn't or shouldn't be ignored when the situation called for it.

And this situation definitely called for it.

Sarada's plan was accepted. All they needed was for Chris to be visible when Ishtar cast said spell and for Sarada to be ready to pounce on him. 'Understood. I'll be ready.' She was about to head for cover so she could prepare herself when

Chris, meanwhile, vanishes in a flare of light.

"Damn it. Coward! Your cover is blown so you run away!!"

Damn this bastard and damn his demonic gun. As long as he was invisible, Ishtar wouldn't be able to pin him down long enough for Sarada to sever the arm holding that gun. As long as those two things were true, he couldn't be beaten. They had to figure out how to disrupt his camouflage; and it seemed that Ochazuke had done exactly that once. He needed to do it again, and quickly, or they'd lose a lot more than a tail.

[grampagen]

Slak is there with him, as is Chuan.

“We’ll take care of them.”

Chuan nods to the Namekians’ words as they start moving the three carefully, but quickly, away. Midori and Shiro helping them.

Jack meanwhile has his knife out and glares, stepping next to Ochazuke as he keeps his eyes on Chris.

“Plan?”

Chris, meanwhile, vanishes in a flare of light. Ochazuke, however, can track him even while hidden by bent space once more. Chris appeared to be heading towards the edge of the Lookout.

Even as the words left Jack's mouth his mind began racing, and through the expanse of his field he was made aware of the precious space between seconds that ebbed between the Knife and his escape.

"Focus your efforts on Nunlil," he said to Slak and Chuan. "If she can pair with him, he cannot escape."

Not that he had any intention of letting him do so, but thought the coward's shroud did not avail him, the hesitation of his comrades showed Chris still had certain advantages.

"Jack, we do what we can," he said, "I'll reveal his position there at the edge of the Lookout. From there, we'll stop him from moving.

Expanding his awareness through Kei'i-Ken* once more, Ochazuke started forward in flight toward his mark, before throwing his palm forward again and smashing his Kongosho against the Assassin's technique. All he could do was ensure that he struck true, yet even as the iron wind guided by his warrior's instincts flew forth, he examined the Knife's movements curiously.

He is as bold as I remember, but he is moving to the empty air...almost as if...

His mind on the swiftness of his response, in his left hand, he drew the Neural Stunner pistol.

*Kei'i-Ken boosts the efficacy of the next action through enhanced focus; AoE may also bleed over to Jack, Slak and Chuan in their endeavours

[Cyke]

They shared the pain of her lost tail, the trauma resonating even more now that Ishtar herself had a tail. The thought of the same fate befalling her beloved Oni brought a wave of dread that was quickly stamped down by the urgency of the moment. The blue woman would be fine, even if she did suffer the same attack Sarada herself had. The pain would be multiplied even more, if such a thought came to pass, but pain was nothing but a mental reaction to sudden stimuli. It was nothing that couldn't or shouldn't be ignored when the situation called for it.

And this situation definitely called for it.

Sarada's plan was accepted. All they needed was for Chris to be visible when Ishtar cast said spell and for Sarada to be ready to pounce on him. 'Understood. I'll be ready.' She was about to head for cover so she could prepare herself when



"Damn it. Coward! Your cover is blown so you run away!!"

Damn this bastard and damn his demonic gun. As long as he was invisible, Ishtar wouldn't be able to pin him down long enough for Sarada to sever the arm holding that gun. As long as those two things were true, he couldn't be beaten. They had to figure out how to disrupt his camouflage; and it seemed that Ochazuke had done exactly that once. He needed to do it again, and quickly, or they'd lose a lot more than a tail.

Zaofan is on the defensive. If someone like Sarada can be caught off-guard, any one of them could be next. "This is nuts...! All of our ki-senses at our disposal, and we can't find him! I hate bonfires. I mean, BaneFire."

Even as the words left Jack's mouth his mind began racing, and through the expanse of his field he was made aware of the precious space between seconds that ebbed between the Knife and his escape.

"Focus your efforts on Nunlil," he said to Slak and Chuan. "If she can pair with him, he cannot escape."

Not that he had any intention of letting him do so, but thought the coward's shroud did not avail him, the hesitation of his comrades showed Chris still had certain advantages.

"Jack, we do what we can," he said, "I'll reveal his position there at the edge of the Lookout. From there, we'll stop him from moving.

Expanding his awareness through Kei'i-Ken* once more, Ochazuke started forward in flight toward his mark, before throwing his palm forward again and smashing his Kongosho against the Assassin's technique. All he could do was ensure that he struck true, yet even as the iron wind guided by his warrior's instincts flew forth, he examined the Knife's movements curiously.

He is as bold as I remember, but he is moving to the empty air...almost as if...

His mind on the swiftness of his response, in his left hand, he drew the Neural Stunner pistol.

*Kei'i-Ken boosts the efficacy of the next action through enhanced focus; AoE may also bleed over to Jack, Slak and Chuan in their endeavours

Noting the intentionality behind his friend's movements, launching his attack, Zaofan realized that his earlier concern, though applicable to the majority of them, was not completely true. Ochazuke is at work, and the cook readies himself into position, to follow up as quickly as possible, his right hand charging with energy by his waist while his left assumes a defensive flat stance in front of his chest.

"Ocha, you wonderful beast you -- I hope your aim is true!"