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

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

A rail-thin ray of burning red shot up from the surface below without warning, flashing silently through the base of Anula's spine.

Down in the Wastes, Ochazuke's outstretched finger point to a distant mote in the sky. Though Jagam's shifting form and flood of new power was certainly the more immediate danger, through his meditational field he was able to trace the source connection of his energies; the familiar Bluntz signature from the Moon owing to the Saiyan comrades of the last year, to a matter they'd previously thought attended to only moments ago.

How resilient these Threshlings are, he pondered, lowering the hand which cast the Dodonpa skyward in a bid to bring the Threshling observer nearer to Earth. The presence of their royal-come-exile before the Priestess did not escape his attentions.

Lofty whimpers from all-too savage minds.

So struck, he then turned his attention to the more immediate problem in their midst.



Jagam had fallen twice already to his most-assured hubris. Now stripped of his pride, he seized upon newly invested powers desperately, and spread his hands to new sadistic designs.

Kith and kin, beyond half a heritage and animal wails. Increasingly, this had become a sight Ochazuke had become all but jaded to. On the heels of the Threshling Weapon's swiftly cooled tongue and pleas for mercy, at this moment he had about all he could take of this beastly peon.

Kei'i-Ken*

Through the field of Battle Meditation, Ochazuke's focus swelled and fell upon Jagam's presence with renewed vigour. A moment's inattention passed over that endemic quality, and allowed the thrall to rise to his feet unimpeded. No longer shrouded in either ignorance or doubt, as his sense parsed the nature of this new form, already a small theory began to take toot in his mind.

As he moved towards the battlefield, it seemed in some fashion this sentiment was shared as the Nevadian Unicorn threw his lot into the fray. Following the beam's path at a distance, he lagged behind shortly, waiting to observe its effects as his martial aura rippled and expanded within.**

*Ochazuke's meditational focus has increased; his and any nearby allies will receive increased efficacy in their next actions
** Kikojutsu has been charged for 3+ posts.

Anula gasps, eyes wide, as the beam takes her in the spine and pierced through her. Blood pools at her mouth as she falls, silently, before Neva. Moments later, her body strikes the ground and creates a small crater.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Asha'rah, though her eyes were closed in focus, allowed herself a tiny smile as she felt Jack move in to help immobilize Jagam. A limb already moving to avoid entanglement could be a tricky target, and one that might have the momentum to wrestle free. A limb caught immobile on the other hand, allowed Asha'rah to devote more mental energies to invading Jagam's body with her other vines instead.

"Even an inferiority complex has its advantages, Jack. If you believe you know what you are capable of, then you can act without hesitation. There is nothing that will not shine if you polish it enough."




A great beam of lunar light crashed down upon the battlefield, annihilating vines and Jagam's flesh both. His keening wail would, with almost any other being, have heralded his end. But Jagam's zenkai factor had been accelerated to unnatural levels, and when the smoke cleared, Jagam's body had evolved yet further, enough to protect his body from the beam's remaining energy...and to protect the vine already embedded within his scrotum. Asha'rah had to act fast - the vines had a limited pool of energy available, and the trauma from being ripped from its roots had drained precious ichor. Still, its juices were infused with creation itself, and that was not to be taken lightly.

Parsley was the first to fall, her throat laid open by a ki blade. Asha'rah's vine network reached out with a modicum of attention, stemming the flow of blood with fresh blood cells infused with oxygen, making it easier for anyone close by to stabilize Sarada's sister.. But Asha'rah's main focus remained on Jagam himself. The plant matter within him expanded rapidly, growing in all directions and burning through its limited ki supply with abandon. It grew fresh grasping tendrils into his stomach, out his bellybutton, back through his sphincter...all to meet the rush of vines rising from the ground to meet Jagam. Just as the vines growing from within Jagam began to wither from exhaustion, they made contact with the vines from outside, infusing fresh ki into the malignant growth within the Saiyan-Threshling hybrid.

And deep inside, within the nest of Jagam's guts, a darker seed began to grow...

They tear away as he flies up to heal from Held’s wound. The vine inside are having a helluv a time dealing with the Threshling’s moving biology and healing, organs actively changing and morphing before her senses in an incredibly elegant and impressive way. Though more active now, Asha’rah thinks his healing and organ moving will most likely be greatly reduced to outside injury.

[Ptrvc]

Occupied and temporarily blind as he was, the attack lands and punches through his left shoulder, making the ki blade disappear and barely missing Sarada as it spirals through.

Jagam grunts in pain and flys up, out of the melee he was in, to give himself some time to heal the large wound.

Seeing this Jack takes his sword in a two handed stance and focuses.

Judging speed trajectory.... I am shit at math. Outside of counting cards anyway.

A gamble then.

Jack teleports in front of Jagam, hoping to let the Hybrid run himself through on Jack's outstretched blade.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Seeing this Jack channels the energy he had been building and whispers "Midnight."

Instantaneous all ki sensing around him is fogged for thirty feet, including the sayains in front of him.

Jagam, above, freezes momentarily. Cursing, he wipes at his eyes to get his vision back. His protective aura flaring to life around him.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sarada heard Etrina talking in her ear and just barely comprehended what she was telling her. She must have had a trap prepared, but that meant having to halt her assault and lure Jagam there.

No! She wanted to rip him apart limb from limb for what he did to her sister!

She growled stubbornly, but acquiesced and suddenly shot into the air. She flew south west, just as instructed. "You and me, Jagam! One on one away from the others. If you're not afraid, that is!!"

Jagam do any follow, flying up out of melee to heal instead.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Seeing this Jack takes his sword in a two handed stance and focuses.

Judging speed trajectory.... I am shit at math. Outside of counting cards anyway.

A gamble then.

Jack teleports in front of Jagam, hoping to let the Hybrid run himself through on Jack's outstretched blade.

His eyes just clearing, Jagam almost does so. At the very last second he course corrects and the blade nicks his cheek instead. A quick flash of eye beams slam into Jacks and send him into the ground below.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The blow lands and digs in, but the wound closes up.

Ishtar makes a note of this, yet allows her momentum to carry her a short distance past Jagam, safely out of harm's reach.

Jagam, above, freezes momentarily. Cursing, he wipes at his eyes to get his vision back. His protective aura flaring to life around him.

With Etrina's coordinates in mind, and the distraction provided by Jack, Ishtar makes a note of Jagam's position overhead before catapulting herself into him from below. Should she connect, she will attempt to dig her Katchin claws into the hybrid's leg and sling him into position for Etrina's trap to take effect.

OT: 3

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Jagam do any follow, flying up out of melee to heal instead.

Sarada growled and halted. He didn't take the bait. She knew egging him on further would only be to her detriment.

She took out her two katchin knives and closed in to try and slice into him while he was distracted with Jack.

[KingofPie]

Jagam, dealing with two Saiyans, now puts forth some effort to party these blows as he dodges the others.

His eyes just clearing, Jagam almost does so. At the very last second he course corrects and the blade nicks his cheek instead. A quick flash of eye beams slam into Jacks and send him into the ground below.

Sasheem tossed an Annihilation orb in Jagam's path, hoping that the Threshling hybrid would run right into it in his fervor to attack Jack.

After he threw the orb, he used Mamba Boost to speed up to Jagam again, before spitting Venom Mist in the Threshling warrior's face and then quickly speeding off again.

[grampagen]

Taking up a fighting stance in the air, his bo-staff ready and his eyes charged with crimson energy, Zaofan takes his place next to the two. "Ochazuke, brother, if there's one thing I've missed from the group these past 6 months, it's the banter. This few. This happy few. This band of fighters!"

With Sarada, Totoma, Sasheem, Asha'rah, Jack, Charco, Ochazuke, and Held more or less forming a single front, and with Meagan, Chuan, and Etrina close by, no force on Earth could ever hope to stand against their combined might. But this force certainly wasn't of Earth, nor of this plane, for that matter. Despite all their power, Zaofan braces himself in anticipation, and fear.

"...remind me to ask Jack about the afterlife. Not that we'll be going there on this day!"

Ochazuke scanned his eyes across the horizon, searching as the tide of battle shifted. The assembly dashed into the fray, one after another against Jagam as the horrid power within him twisted his countenance even as it honed his fighting edge.

"This is a morbid turn for you, Zao," he chuckled. "Though there are grave matters at hand..."

He spread his hands before him, and the Dragon's Fire welled through Ochazuke's frame as he invoked Karura no Kaen.

"...I'll not have you speak of your own. You hear me?"

Anula gasps, eyes wide, as the beam takes her in the spine and pierced through her. Blood pools at her mouth as she falls, silently, before Neva. Moments later, her body strikes the ground and creates a small crater.

A small billow of dust in the distance revealed that he had struck true, and he could sense the low ebb of the Priestess's energy amid her gnarled flesh. Assuredly, Anula even in this state was still alive, and the wounds inflicted on her person on top of what Ishtar fell upon her would allow the Threshling witch to do little more than bleed.

Bear witness now, and choke on the dust of this world.

Marking Jagam where he stood with Zaofan and Charco, he saw billows of smoke flare around the Threshling warrior; Jack's old vice made manifest all around.

Though the Saiyans had their matters to resolve, the moment called also for the people of Earth to rise to the occasion. With little else to contemplate, he rose to flight, and would soon meet Jagam in the air.

[Cyke]

His eyes just clearing, Jagam almost does so. At the very last second he course corrects and the blade nicks his cheek instead. A quick flash of eye beams slam into Jacks and send him into the ground below.

Sarada growled and halted. He didn't take the bait. She knew egging him on further would only be to her detriment.

She took out her two katchin knives and closed in to try and slice into him while he was distracted with Jack.

Zaofan floats in the air, carefully observing the action, waiting for an opening. Noting Sarada charging at Jagam with her katchin knives out, while also noting Jack spiraling down while still holding his sword, Zaofan instead throws his katchin staff Bojack well above and behind Jagam, rather than at him.

"Sorry to do this to you, Jack, but if you see an angle or three, you go for it...!"

Zaofan quickly fires three Ricochet Optic Blasts, one at Jack's blade, one at Sarada's blade, and one at Bojack above, each beam hitting its intended surface with their aim ringing true, the three blasts reflecting almost simultaneously, triangulating and converging on Jagam in the center - a beam towards his torso, another underneath, and yet another for his back. Using Zanzoken, Zaofan fades out, then fades in above Jagam, firing another Optic Blast from above and aimed right for his head. Four concussive beams, all converging onto one Threshling, all at once.

Oh boy, someone please catch Jack.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

It was humbling, having to lay there prone while others mended her life back together. Then again, humility had been a permanent part of Parsley's diet since her humiliating defeat at the hands of her own sister. Allowing the human healer - with whom she already had a report- and the Chromakai mend her wounds was nothing compared to what she had done just days, weeks ago.

Healing the damage done by the lunar blutz beam and Jagam's blade took far longer than she wanted, but not as long as she fear. Before she knew it, she was riding into a sitting position. She flexed her hands; she could feel that her power had increased from her brush with death.

She rose and surveyed the battlefield. Many of the others were assaulting Jagam from all sides, with varying degrees of success. The Priestess was laying prone in a crater.

She would deal with that creature first.

"Thank you," she said to Meagan and Chuan before rocketing not toward Jagam, but rather toward Anula.

She landed some feet from her body. Just looking at this... this thing disgusted her. To know that there were beings who erroneously thought themselves superior to Saiyans was as laughable as it was pathetic. The bravado and arrogance these Threshling creatures possessed were staggering, even by Saiyan standards.

This woman - if this thing was indeed a female - had caused them a fair deal of trouble. Whether the elf Princess had gotten her answers or not was irrelevant, this loose end needed to be tied up post haste.

As such, Parsley fired an energy blast expansive and powerful enough to vaporize whatever was left of the sorceress, thus ending her involvement in this conflict.

[grampagen]

Jagam, above, freezes momentarily. Cursing, he wipes at his eyes to get his vision back. His protective aura flaring to life around him.

There was no denying that Jagam had great power and the preternatural gifts of his heritage, those violent instincts and sense-acuity fueled his sadistic reverie. Sharpened as Ochazuke's focus was on every shifting moment of the battle, perhaps the length and number of episodes caused silent memories to play out in his mind, and brought to mind, of all things, Asha'rah's dialogue of the Ant and the Elephant.

Was it a simple nature that compelled one to act? Every name that glint in that now obsidian flesh of the Threshling was - as he had heard it from Sarada's anguish - peeled from one fading soul after another. Did it mean anything to this Threshling any more than a simple task, a matter of brute course, that he would seize his bloodied hand on the sentiments of better nature when held to fear, and the yoke of a master when stripped of purpose? A blooded echo of the very people he so despised, Ochazuke could read it in every contemptuous motion, every arrogant beat of aura that quickened so shortly as Jagam was given pause moment-to-moment.

You don't know what it means to truly fight.

Twice he'd fallen; twice he'd stood, and the sadist's fleshy mask spread over the soulless frame of a living weapon. He'd seen it then when Jagam's form buckled, when he screamed as he accepted this new condition he'd never known before.

You don't know how to cope with struggle.

Ishtar makes a note of this, yet allows her momentum to carry her a short distance past Jagam, safely out of harm's reach.

With Etrina's coordinates in mind, and the distraction provided by Jack, Ishtar makes a note of Jagam's position overhead before catapulting herself into him from below. Should she connect, she will attempt to dig her Katchin claws into the hybrid's leg and sling him into position for Etrina's trap to take effect.

OT: 3

Assailed from all sides, Jagam hastily scattered his path upwards. Ochazuke altered his trajectory, moving apart from the monstrous powers among his allies and moved to find another angle of attack. Force for force, he would be little match for this monster; but long ago he had come to know it was not simple power that decided the course of a conflict in these clashes of will.

Rhythm. Distance. Timing.

All of this was the preamble for that which mattered most.

Execution.

Zaofan floats in the air, carefully observing the action, waiting for an opening. Noting Sarada charging at Jagam with her katchin knives out, while also noting Jack spiraling down while still holding his sword, Zaofan instead throws his katchin staff Bojack well above and behind Jagam, rather than at him.

"Sorry to do this to you, Jack, but if you see an angle or three, you go for it...!"

Zaofan quickly fires three Ricochet Optic Blasts, one at Jack's blade, one at Sarada's blade, and one at Bojack above, each beam hitting its intended surface with their aim ringing true, the three blasts reflecting almost simultaneously, triangulating and converging on Jagam in the center - a beam towards his torso, another underneath, and yet another for his back. Using Zanzoken, Zaofan fades out, then fades in above Jagam, firing another Optic Blast from above and aimed right for his head. Four concussive beams, all converging onto one Threshling, all at once.

Oh boy, someone please catch Jack.

Shoshin. With precise movements, Zaofan's maneuver gave Ochazuke the open target he needed, and swiftly he fell upon the monster between beats of the broken rhythm.

Mushin. He seized upon that opening, and the attack was sculpted through Kongosho, forged with the legacy fire of Karura no Kaen, and charged with the energies of a Kikoho into his fist.

Zanshin. And so he struck, forcefully disrupting the stability of Jagam's protective barrier, and followed with a second kiai burst that fell at the very energies that composed his frail valour; the burning Threshling intent held fast his will fell under the force of an Iron Wind as Ochazuke threw his fist forward to slay his intent.

You very well should know fear, for you don't know how to become any more than you are.

Perhaps soon enough, the katchin claws of a waiting Oni below would pay the deed forward.

[Ptrvc]

Jack rolled over in his crater in the ground.

"Pain, forgot how visceral it is when you have a body...how tired you get too, being dead isn't all bad."

The ghostly Spectre of Manco appeared, floating directly overhead.

"Oh don't you start," Jack muttered as he began to charge energy into his right hand. "Kept you otta Hell, didn't I?"

"Put me there too, if I recall. Also considering the nature of our deal I'd rather you not do the suicidal super attack thing. Honestly, I regret ever coming up with that damn technique," the ghostly Manco muttered.

Jack placed a cigarette in his mouth and started focussing his ki.

" Here's a conundrum, for you Jack o' Broken Hearts. Are you going after this Jagam character so hard because you want to help save the world, or is it some backwards attempt at one upping yonder girl and her bluefully beloved? You know, that girl you claim to be over?"

"You know another good thing about being dead, Manco? When I'm dead I can hit you!"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

booming voice is heard from sky saying " young Toadian you have pray to me , but I will not heed your prayer . " " you wish for me to lend my power to barbarism." " I can not condone my power being use for violence." " violence is never the answer."


" remember my commandments 2 Thou shall repay hostility with forgiveness and understanding." "10 Thou shall see justice is done according to Zykona's will." " 12 Thou shall show compassion and mercy. "14 Thou shall not act upon your darkest desires, but instead cleanse them from Thou being."

"16 Thou shall be sincere to all." 22 Thou shall strive to cause no harm to any life, including thyself ." 23 Thou shall not inflict pain or terror in my name ." 25 thou shall treat strangers with kindness."

"26 Thou shall not murder." 31 Thou shall not take or use a life as if it belongs to thou ." "32 Thou shall not incite violence." 33 thou shall not do to others what you wouldn't want done to you."


" 42 Thou shall not take any life." " love and compassion is always the answer perhaps try to understand where the other party is coming from." " see that poor creature laying on the ground ( speaking of Anula ) she didn't deserve such cruelty ?" " violence no matter what isn't justified. "


Praxat answers saying " no disrespect great goddess Zykona I tried using words she won't listen." Zykona answers this saying " then you have not try hard enough." " now about this Saiyan Jagam ?" " have you or any one that's against him."

" tried to show comparison and understanding towards him?" " maybe tried to have compassion and understand were this Saiyan Jagam is coming from." " there's no need for such senseless violence." " any can be solve through love, compassion and understanding."


Praxat answers back saying " no offense great goddess Zykona but give that Saiyan a hug and telling him it's alright I understand." " it's suddenly going to make him have change of heart." " maybe just maybe not every creature deserves of love and compassion." Zykona answers saying " nonsense ever creature is deserve of love and compassion."


" I'm Zykona and I have compassion and love for all creatures." Praxat stops praying and rushes head first towards Neva and lands right in front of her . Praxat gets up and dusts her self off saying " I tried praying to my goddess to get her lend some aid in this fight, but she won't do it." " she believes what we are doing is wrong."

" that we should show compassion and understand towards the Saiyan Jagam." Praxat slams her fist in the ground saying " dammit I do not wish to take her name in vain, but why can't see understand that maybe violence is the only option." " she firmly believes that every creature is deserve of love and comparison even a monster like Jagam."

" from my perspective trying to give that Saiyan Jagam a hug and saying I understand everything's alright." " would be utter foolish thing to do."