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

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Very well, I suppose we did have a deal," Blizzar sighed, perhaps not sounding as disappointed as Sarada would hope. "And just to make sure these transactions are being made on the up and up....I've recorded our previous conversation."

"It truly does pain me to part with money so justly earned, you know," the Arcosian practically yawned, standing up to open the swag bag. "Do you happen to have something to carry your prize money in, your highness?" He asked, overly earnest.

He didn't sound disappointed, so this must have been what he wanted!

Sarada's eyes narrowed as she removed the same capsule from before. "Just place it here at my feet and I'll capsule it," she said. Her eyes cast a heavy gaze on him, watching turn Frost Demon closely to ensure that no bullshit was going on.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“A combination.....human technology...First Race technology. Both...integrated. The human technology acts....as a starter. Powers the ancient...tech. First Race stuff can...last millennia in storage but have...**** batteries. Always wondered...about more coming out of the darkness...in space.”

He taps a small section that suddenly slides open, revealing a shielded section that is still powered on.

“Thought...so. Traverse Beacon. Sort of...backup data analysis and ...locator....chip. Stores memories, experiences, and sends them off when needed. Can...follow the trail.” He says, looking at Jinzi.

“It’s...salvage alright. A Dreadnaught heart.”

He says this with almost near dread in his heart.

“Dreadnaughts.....titanic beings. Had five of these...hearts....powering them. Very powerful and very...deadly. Whomever.....fused this with human tech....was foolish. They nearly...ruptured the integrity of the device. Very...nasty result if it happened.”

"Unsurprising, this." Ishtar commented. "The Doctor like the Jinzi we know, makes ... improvements, to what he finds."

It was after all, a thing proven time and again in the past two years. Each technological discovery or obstacle met by Pantaloon was taken to with a glint in his eye, eager hands, and an injection of caffeine; the end result coming -- some hours or even days later -- as a thing beyond what it was before and more often than not bordering on the cusp of magic ... of a particular kind. Though it seemed, as Wilhelm pulled back the veil on the Doctor's handiwork and revealed the means to ferret out the would be 'God of Time', that this retrofitting of his had been more slapdash, than inspired.

Telling.

Though at the same time ... the mention of how close the Doctor had come to prematurely ending his dreams of a reversion however, did engender curiosity after a fashion however; and for an Oni curiosity was a difficult thing to ignore. So as the conversation ebbed, and Wilhelm addressed the supplemental, Ishtar considered something briefly ... before that curiosity compelled her to ask a question of her own. "After this device to track the alternate Jinzi is fashioned Wilhelm ... Jinzi, and provided you do not succeed where the Doctor failed in compromising its integrity; would you be so kind as to return the heart to my care with battery charged, if at all possible ?"

A long-shot perhaps, this question ... and request. Yet all the same, there were several uses to be had from an unending supply of energy, let alone one so easy -- and perhaps even eager -- to discharge the selfsame energy so very, very catastrophically.

He nods and pulls a data pad out.

“Historic...videos. Information. Some of it....is disturbing. Prepare yourself.”

Before the question could be answered however, the preceding questions needed be, and Ochazuke, ever one to address the 'heart' of an issue had requested as much detail of the First Race as Wilhelm could provide. A thing that the man did with a measure of trepidation; but given what was shown not a moment after he produced the tablet containing the relevant information ... did everyone understand why.

Dreadnaughts. Terribly large entities, created by the mysterious First Race. The first video shows a warrior in magician garb attempting to subdue one annihilating a city. Bodies, debris, and wreckage lay all around.

~snip~

More video’s and clips, images of various other Dreadnaughts.

~snip~

So much carnage and devastation. Cities, countries, swaths of the planet destroyed.

Then more videos and clips of ships, some like the Chaff Bearers that struck at Earth and others for larger and more menacing.

And the whole of it, what these Dreadnaught were capable of, seemingly fashioned so by the First Race themselves ... filled Ishtar with a slowly building anger. Though the reason itself -- for what was more destruction for one who had been made to watch countless more just like it ? -- was perhaps carryover, from sentiments already formed, and further cemented; on the wings of yet another damnable realization:

"... Yet another on an ever mounting list of things that were left untended to by the ever watchful, ever-loving Gods." Ishtar all but spat, as she gazed over at the nearby Asha'rah, before disgust caused her to turn away. "For there could be no denying they existed before the Heavens' War, this First Race; and yet they were left unattended ... without judgment. Yet now the Gods' demise ... these First Race specters linger still. Yet who is left to clean up after what the Gods refused to acknowledge, enraptured as they were by petty squabbles of how a Universe should be run ?"

There came a pause as she considered the question in the moment.

Who else was there ? Mortals ? Unlike the Gods, Ishtar would not require them to settle this. Would not hold them accountable for the sins of the Creators. That line of reasoning was reserved only for the mad, and monstrous. Other Gods, then ? Like Auroc, and Asha'rah, and the absentee Zen'o ? Why would anyone turn to those who allowed these problems fester from the outset ? To say nothing of how twisted those Gods who remained -- or those who wished to be seen as such -- had become. What of Sihn, and Zurvan ? ... Given the truth unveiled by Zurvan not twenty-four hours prior, of they had manipulated her since birth ? No. They may offer help ... but in that they had proven themselves to be as untrustworthy as the Gods themselves.

So it seemed to be, in Ishtar's eyes ... there was no one else; and it was on the heels of this realization that the Oni whispered softly. "There is ... only me ?"

It would fall to her, after all, her Hakai no longer sealed and mantle sure to follow; she would be GoD ... and so the task of righting the wrongs of the Gods who came before would fall squarely on her shoulders.

"... only me."

Her head sagged, and with a weary sigh she turned away from the tablet. "Thank you, Wilhelm. I have seen ... all I needed to."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat walks towards Meagan, Jinzi and Althena and stops ," Meagan I'm glad you and the others are alright. I was kind of worried that something bad might have happened to you guys ," Praxat said.


In her right hand Praxat is holding a handbook and it's obvious to anyone with a train eye that the cover on the book is a fake. That's hiding the actual cover underneath.

[KingofPie]

He didn't sound disappointed, so this must have been what he wanted!

Sarada's eyes narrowed as she removed the same capsule from before. "Just place it here at my feet and I'll capsule it," she said. Her eyes cast a heavy gaze on him, watching turn Frost Demon closely to ensure that no bullshit was going on.

"Of course, of course..." Blizzar nodded, fetching the money from his bag. "But, you know, there's a funny thing, Sarada..." he stated, telekinetically laying the money down before her. "I've run quite a few scans over these bills to ensure that they're legit and while they do seem to be the genuine article....I couldn't find a single planetoid or galactic community that uses these bills as currency!"

"Now, I know this may be cause for concern, but fret not..." Blizzar raised a finger. "We may be timelines apart, but I'm sure this brand of money will make it into our timeline's hands....eventually. Perhaps. Maybe it already exists on a small, uncharted world. But then you'd likely have to take conversion into consideration for it..." Blizzar scratched his chin, mockingly pretending to ponder...

[MrSandman]

She couldn't help but wonder what it was that Erosa seemed to have forgotten, but resisted the urge to ask. She really didn't think she was going to like the answer. She did know that she really didn't like the idea of Erosa having any kind of surprise waiting for her in the kitchen. If there was one thing she hated almost as much as someone messing with Ishtar, it was someone messing with her food.

With narrowed, suspicious eyes, she replied, "Alright. I won't be long." With that said, she took off her armor and her under armor and tucked it all under her arm. "Guess I should wash this ****." She dared to take a whiff and immediately recoiled. "Blech!" The sooner she got in the bath, the better.

Parsley sighed and shook her head.

"Don't act so high and mighty, sis," she chided as she started toward the main building.

"I don't walk around naked in public," she retorted.

"Eh. It's nothing they haven't seen before." That, of course, harked back to the time when she fought Jack naked while he was sleep-walking years ago. Ah, good times. Things were much simpler back then.

She reached to spot where Helena was sprawled on the floor and squatted down over her. "Hey," she said while poking her in the face with her tail. "You alright, magic girl?"

Helena groaned in annoyance, Saradas finger not doing her situation any favors with the relentless jabbing. ".....I feel like I got hit by a dump truck with a dino-catcher made of marshmellows......eh..." The mage jerked upright, fending off any further assault on her face. "Enough...I'm awake.......I'm fine. Ugh, this place is a madhouse. How does she managed to stay in the right frame of mind up here...."

Getting back to her feet, the mage wipes her robe off and gives the assembled crowd another glance over. "Meh....I swear its like trying to find a needle in a....." Turning quickly back to Sarada, the mage took stock of the woman in front of her for the first time.

....and her lack of clothes.....

".......You know what.....*cough*.....I'm going to assume being naked is just normalcy around here." Helena spoke but, nonetheless, averted her eyes. "....Helena Blavatsky, I'm looking for a friend....Etrina Stoltengarde."

[Tami]

Praxat walks towards Meagan, Jinzi and Althena and stops ," Meagan I'm glad you and the others are alright. I was kind of worried that something bad might have happened to you guys ," Praxat said.


In her right hand Praxat is holding a handbook and it's obvious to anyone with a train eye that the cover on the book is a fake. That's hiding the actual cover underneath.

"Thank you for your concern. It did get more dangerous than we anticipated, but in the end we were successful thanks in a large part to Althena's actions." Meagan acknowledged Althena with a nod and a smile.

[MrSandman]

Who else was there ? Mortals ? Unlike the Gods, Ishtar would not require them to settle this. Would not hold them accountable for the sins of the Creators. That line of reasoning was reserved only for the mad, and monstrous. Other Gods, then ? Like Auroc, and Asha'rah, and the absentee Zen'o ? Why would anyone turn to those who allowed these problems fester from the outset ? To say nothing of how twisted those Gods who remained -- or those who wished to be seen as such -- had become. What of Sihn, and Zurvan ? ... Given the truth unveiled by Zurvan not twenty-four hours prior, of they had manipulated her since birth ? No. They may offer help ... but in that they had proven themselves to be as untrustworthy as the Gods themselves.

So it seemed to be, in Ishtar's eyes ... there was no one else; and it was on the heels of this realization that the Oni whispered softly. "There is ... only me ?"

It would fall to her, after all, her Hakai no longer sealed and mantle sure to follow; she would be GoD ... and so the task of righting the wrongs of the Gods who came before would fall squarely on her shoulders.

"... only me."

Her head sagged, and with a weary sigh she turned away from the tablet. "Thank you, Wilhelm. I have seen ... all I needed to."

Something tugged at her arm, accompanied by a timid voice.

"...E...Excuse me. Hello....its nice to meet you again." The voice belonged to Lillet, who had finally worked herself up into coming out of hiding. ".....I mean....unless this is a bad time........"

[Tami]

Blizzar shook his head and raised a brow. Perhaps...one last gamble.

"Cash...or credits?" The Arcosian asked the Saiyan regent



"I bet on whoever I was sure would win. I'm fairly lucky in that regard, you see," Blizzar informed her. "Of course, my primary goal for attending was to assist in seeimg our mission through. I'd like to think I did fairly well in that, regard," he patted the bag he say upon.



Blizzar offered a shrug. "I did bet on you, in fact, but I must apologize, Charco. If you want any recompense, it will have to come later. I had time to take into account would I would owe Sarada, but not you...not yet."

"Does that mean you bet on Meagan too?" Dash seemed to have something more on her mind as she spoke.

[Sion Reaver]

Cyanna continued to watch in the background quietly, taking it in and resisting the urge to speak up.

Aleka didn't notice the newcomer at first as she was focused at the current conversation. Then she noticed someone who seemed like they wanted to say something but held their tongue. "You got something on your mind? You've been quite."

At last! Home! People she knew! Ishtar!

As the temporal energies of the Room of Time and Spirits overtook them, Sarada and the others were whisked away instantly to their home timeline. It was going to feel so great to finally breath her own air, eat her own food, and finally take a hot shower after hours of fighting and standing. Plus, she needed an aspirin for the headache that was hammering her skull like a jack hammer.

"We're ho-" she started before Aka Manah re-established itself, once again linking herself with her beloved Ishtar. With the connection came a dull, but consistent pain throbbing around her side. She winced and rubbed where the pain was radiating. Something must have happened.

She stepped into the plaza where the others were waiting. She tossed the time device at Zurvan. "Eat up, Zurvan. Almost done." As her eyes scanned the area, nothing seemed out of place, but what she was feeling from her love - which undoubtedly had to have been worse at some point, so she lucked out by arriving when she did - disputed the relative peace the others seemed to be enjoying.

Besides, they were never at peace for long. Something always had to go wrong.

Jack congratulated her on her transformation; they must have been watching the tournament somehow. "Thanks, Earthman. Feels good to finally be golden." Hm. I feel Karine. And Avoca... and one more.

She wasn't sure when or how Avoca got there, but she was glad she was here. It meant the chaff must have been wiped clean, meaning she could go home. But, first, a shower, then she needed to catch up on what had happened while they had been gone. And finally, she needed to introduce herself to the newcomers.

"I'm gonna take a shower. I'm fucking exhaus-HOLY ****!!!"

Her eyes nearly flew out of her head as the new girl made herself fully visible. Sarada keen vision immediately zeroed in on the most important details of her person.

*SMACK*

"Ow!" she hissed as she rubbed the back of her head.

Parsley narrowed her eyes disapprovingly. "Stop being a pervert."

Sarada grumbled something. "Sorry," she said to Aleka. "I'm Sar- Queen Sarada. And boobs? Ah! I mean, and you?"

When the new energies were picked up and others began to move to greet them, Aleka took it as a mental cue to go see what the fuss was about herself. It had been noted there were other people that weren't present earlier so why not see them for herself? She was bound to interact with most or all of them on a regular basis for as long as she was present with the group, a Sayain, Human, an 'Frost Demon' as they were called and a Nevadian?

Interesting bunch. Not strange or out of place considering those present.

Then the younger one introduced herself as Sarada, after being smacked by Parsley for leering at her chest. She didn't take offense to it and chuckled slightly extending her hand for a hand shake. Kid was up front if nothing else. "My name is Aleka Cardan, just a traveling martial artist that maybe got more then what she bargained for but that's part of the story of my life. It's nice to meet you."

And the whole of it, what these Dreadnaught were capable of, seemingly fashioned so by the First Race themselves ... filled Ishtar with a slowly building anger. Though the reason itself -- for what was more destruction for one who had been made to watch countless more just like it ? -- was perhaps carryover, from sentiments already formed, and further cemented; on the wings of yet another damnable realization:

"... Yet another on an ever mounting list of things that were left untended to by the ever watchful, ever-loving Gods." Ishtar all but spat, as she gazed over at the nearby Asha'rah, before disgust caused her to turn away. "For there could be no denying they existed before the Heavens' War, this First Race; and yet they were left unattended ... without judgment. Yet now the Gods' demise ... these First Race specters linger still. Yet who is left to clean up after what the Gods refused to acknowledge, enraptured as they were by petty squabbles of how a Universe should be run ?"

There came a pause as she considered the question in the moment.

Who else was there ? Mortals ? Unlike the Gods, Ishtar would not require them to settle this. Would not hold them accountable for the sins of the Creators. That line of reasoning was reserved only for the mad, and monstrous. Other Gods, then ? Like Auroc, and Asha'rah, and the absentee Zen'o ? Why would anyone turn to those who allowed these problems fester from the outset ? To say nothing of how twisted those Gods who remained -- or those who wished to be seen as such -- had become. What of Sihn, and Zurvan ? ... Given the truth unveiled by Zurvan not twenty-four hours prior, of they had manipulated her since birth ? No. They may offer help ... but in that they had proven themselves to be as untrustworthy as the Gods themselves.

So it seemed to be, in Ishtar's eyes ... there was no one else; and it was on the heels of this realization that the Oni whispered softly. "There is ... only me ?"

It would fall to her, after all, her Hakai no longer sealed and mantle sure to follow; she would be GoD ... and so the task of righting the wrongs of the Gods who came before would fall squarely on her shoulders.

"... only me."

Her head sagged, and with a weary sigh she turned away from the tablet. "Thank you, Wilhelm. I have seen ... all I needed to."

Karine watched the scene mutely, a combination of emotions going through her head. Why was the First Race attacking in the first place? What was the point of those creatures they had made? The fact some of their kind were here and possibly planning the same thing was more then a bit worrisome since her home and this universe had already been through enough without throwing yet another wild card into the mix.

It seemed ever since this journey there was problem compounding into another one. A hard task would be left incomplete only to learn there was more pieces of the puzzle becoming a bigger mess then what it was. The whole campaign was indeed a unconventional war if you looked at everything as a whole.

And that knowledge made the young Nosferartu a bit more tired.

Wrapped a bit into her own world, she only caught bits and pieces of what Ishstar mentioned at the end but it was enough to give her pause along with adding yet more questions; but ones she felt could wait. What was more important was she seemed resigned and tired. Karine didn't know what words she could offer to console her friend, but being a emphatic person she couldn't sit still and do absolutely nothing. Maybe Sarada, her mate would have more success but still..

Karine gave the other woman a gentle, but brief comforting squeeze as if to say 'I'm here.' but she didn't say anything otherwise, Ishstar was obviously not fine and had a heavy burden but she didn't have to carry it alone and it was important to let them know that.

What else were friends for?

[KingofPie]

"Does that mean you bet on Meagan too?" Dash seemed to have something more on her mind as she spoke.

"Possibly..." Blizzar raised a brow. "Why do you ask?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

When the new energies were picked up and others began to move to greet them, Aleka took it as a mental cue to go see what the fuss was about herself. It had been noted there were other people that weren't present earlier so why not see them for herself? She was bound to interact with most or all of them on a regular basis for as long as she was present with the group, a Sayain, Human, an 'Frost Demon' as they were called and a Nevadian?

Interesting bunch. Not strange or out of place considering those present.

Then the younger one introduced herself as Sarada, after being smacked by Parsley for leering at her chest. She didn't take offense to it and chuckled slightly extending her hand for a hand shake. Kid was up front if nothing else. "My name is Aleka Cardan, just a traveling martial artist that maybe got more then what she bargained for but that's part of the story of my life. It's nice to meet you."

Heh. The lady, Aleka, didn't take offense to the leering. "Nice to meet you. Sorry about that. It's an old habit I'm trying to break." Trying and failing; but at least she was trying. That counted for something, right? She was thankful that Ishtar was as free-minded and patient as she was. Anyone near her age wouldn't have been as willing to wait for Sarada to stop ogling other women and pay them their due attention. Not to say that she didn't have two eyes on Ishtar all the time, but it was hard to stop doing something she had had no reason not to for years.

Maybe one day.

"Martial artist, huh?" she murmured when she returned her thoughts to the conversation at hand. "That means you like to fight, right? If you do, then you and me are going to fight at some point. I wanna see how strong and skilled you are." Plus, there was nothing that brought two strangers closer more quickly than fighting. Well, that and mating. That second thing was out of the question.

Regrettably.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Of course, of course..." Blizzar nodded, fetching the money from his bag. "But, you know, there's a funny thing, Sarada..." he stated, telekinetically laying the money down before her. "I've run quite a few scans over these bills to ensure that they're legit and while they do seem to be the genuine article....I couldn't find a single planetoid or galactic community that uses these bills as currency!"

"Now, I know this may be cause for concern, but fret not..." Blizzar raised a finger. "We may be timelines apart, but I'm sure this brand of money will make it into our timeline's hands....eventually. Perhaps. Maybe it already exists on a small, uncharted world. But then you'd likely have to take conversion into consideration for it..." Blizzar scratched his chin, mockingly pretending to ponder...

Sarada knew what Blizzar was trying to do. Yet, he was mistaken about one thing: she had no intention of actually spending the money. How could she? She pretty much assumed that it was worthless since it was from another timeline.

Inflation and all that.

Plus, Vocado and the Saiyan Empire didn't use galactic credits; though, she was in the thought process of making the switch from antiquated orbs to credits, if only for the simplicity and uniformity.

"Pfft, nice try. Just give me my money, bitch."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Helena groaned in annoyance, Saradas finger not doing her situation any favors with the relentless jabbing. ".....I feel like I got hit by a dump truck with a dino-catcher made of marshmellows......eh..." The mage jerked upright, fending off any further assault on her face. "Enough...I'm awake.......I'm fine. Ugh, this place is a madhouse. How does she managed to stay in the right frame of mind up here...."

Getting back to her feet, the mage wipes her robe off and gives the assembled crowd another glance over. "Meh....I swear its like trying to find a needle in a....." Turning quickly back to Sarada, the mage took stock of the woman in front of her for the first time.

....and her lack of clothes.....

".......You know what.....*cough*.....I'm going to assume being naked is just normalcy around here." Helena spoke but, nonetheless, averted her eyes. "....Helena Blavatsky, I'm looking for a friend....Etrina Stoltengarde."

So this nerd was a friend of Etrina's, huh? Made sense. Nerds often flocked together, since no one else wanted to listen to their nerdiness.

Magic. Feh.

"Nah. You humans are just overly prudish. I'm shocked you guys don't faint every time you catch yourselves in the mirror after a hot shower." And speaking of, she started back to the main building to do just that. "Etrina's around here somewhere. She's probably busy pegging her man, so it'll be a while."

With that said, she left.

Then, her gait noticeably altered. She felt a wave of emotion from Ishtar that she hadn't felt in years. It was almost like an... existential dread like the kind she felt when she first told her about Genesis. At that time, she tried her best to make her feel better by filling her with as much confidence as she could. This time, it didn't seem like that would do it. This was different. Ishtar was different.

Her ki felt nearly nonexistent, but she was as healthy as ever. Something had changed while Sarada was gone. There's a lot of catching up to do. Perhaps over a hot bath. 'Join me for a bath,' she transmitted to Ishtar. It felt like she needed it far more than Sarada did.

[Tami]

Aleka didn't notice the newcomer at first as she was focused at the current conversation. Then she noticed someone who seemed like they wanted to say something but held their tongue. "You got something on your mind? You've been quite."

The petite Chromakai looked up at the new arrival, "Um, hi. I'm Cyanna. Are we going to be invaded again?"

[grampagen]

Dreadnaughts. Terribly large entities, created by the mysterious First Race. The first video shows a warrior in magician garb attempting to subdue one annihilating a city. Bodies, debris, and wreckage lay all around.

*snip*

More video’s and clips, images of various other Dreadnaughts.

*snip*

So much carnage and devastation. Cities, countries, swaths of the planet destroyed.

Then more videos and clips of ships, some like the Chaff Bearers that struck at Earth and others for larger and more menacing.

When Wilhelm displayed the contents of the Terran archive, Ochazuke watched silently. The towering giants were reflected in his dark eyes. Each thunderous footfall, each impassive wave of destruction begotten by the merest gesture echoed upon the surface where he beheld them. Machines built in the likeness of man. His response, if any, was muted, scarcely any more than a listless nod carried upon the rhythm of his breath.

Steady, poised, and watchful as one calamity bled into the next. Little by little, his head bowed and his expression grew more sullen.

Asha’rah remains watching the Terra archive, a coldness in her robotic gaze watching the First Race atrocities and machines.

"Is it a sin to strive?"

Though pointed, Ochazuke's words were spoken unusually softly. In his various discussion with the fallen goddess, he remembered quite well the relative distance and scale she looked out upon the universe.

The same distance between Zeno and her creation. A film of ants clustered beneath the pillar-feet of an elephant. He stared into her blank face, his gaze blameless, searching for some answer, wordlessly asking 'why'?

What was the reason she let them into the universe of her creation. Who could say? Did she even remember?

Worlds burning unwatched. Screams unheard. Lives stricken from memory, no more than a torturous spasm considered once jadedly, and then no more; there are no memories for those granted no remembrance.

Perhaps Asha'rah had shed her tears dry the day the Cairnstones crumbled to dust and left in their place absolutely nothing. Had she known then what she remembered now? Was it a show of her touted vision to be praised by those hailing from outside of it?

"That is the price of ill-considered apathy."

"Unsurprising, this." Ishtar commented. "The Doctor like the Jinzi we know, makes ... improvements, to what he finds."

It was after all, a thing proven time and again in the past two years. Each technological discovery or obstacle met by Pantaloon was taken to with a glint in his eye, eager hands, and an injection of caffeine; the end result coming -- some hours or even days later -- as a thing beyond what it was before and more often than not bordering on the cusp of magic ... of a particular kind. Though it seemed, as Wilhelm pulled back the veil on the Doctor's handiwork and revealed the means to ferret out the would be 'God of Time', that this retrofitting of his had been more slapdash, than inspired.

Telling.

Though at the same time ... the mention of how close the Doctor had come to prematurely ending his dreams of a reversion however, did engender curiosity after a fashion however; and for an Oni curiosity was a difficult thing to ignore. So as the conversation ebbed, and Wilhelm addressed the supplemental, Ishtar considered something briefly ... before that curiosity compelled her to ask a question of her own. "After this device to track the alternate Jinzi is fashioned Wilhelm ... Jinzi, and provided you do not succeed where the Doctor failed in compromising its integrity; would you be so kind as to return the heart to my care with battery charged, if at all possible ?"

A long-shot perhaps, this question ... and request. Yet all the same, there were several uses to be had from an unending supply of energy, let alone one so easy -- and perhaps even eager -- to discharge the selfsame energy so very, very catastrophically.

Before the question could be answered however, the preceding questions needed be, and Ochazuke, ever one to address the 'heart' of an issue had requested as much detail of the First Race as Wilhelm could provide. A thing that the man did with a measure of trepidation; but given what was shown not a moment after he produced the tablet containing the relevant information ... did everyone understand why.

And the whole of it, what these Dreadnaught were capable of, seemingly fashioned so by the First Race themselves ... filled Ishtar with a slowly building anger. Though the reason itself -- for what was more destruction for one who had been made to watch countless more just like it ? -- was perhaps carryover, from sentiments already formed, and further cemented; on the wings of yet another damnable realization:

"... Yet another on an ever mounting list of things that were left untended to by the ever watchful, ever-loving Gods." Ishtar all but spat, as she gazed over at the nearby Asha'rah, before disgust caused her to turn away. "For there could be no denying they existed before the Heavens' War, this First Race; and yet they were left unattended ... without judgment. Yet now the Gods' demise ... these First Race specters linger still. Yet who is left to clean up after what the Gods refused to acknowledge, enraptured as they were by petty squabbles of how a Universe should be run ?"

There came a pause as she considered the question in the moment.

Who else was there ? Mortals ? Unlike the Gods, Ishtar would not require them to settle this. Would not hold them accountable for the sins of the Creators. That line of reasoning was reserved only for the mad, and monstrous. Other Gods, then ? Like Auroc, and Asha'rah, and the absentee Zen'o ? Why would anyone turn to those who allowed these problems fester from the outset ? To say nothing of how twisted those Gods who remained -- or those who wished to be seen as such -- had become. What of Sihn, and Zurvan ? ... Given the truth unveiled by Zurvan not twenty-four hours prior, of they had manipulated her since birth ? No. They may offer help ... but in that they had proven themselves to be as untrustworthy as the Gods themselves.

So it seemed to be, in Ishtar's eyes ... there was no one else; and it was on the heels of this realization that the Oni whispered softly. "There is ... only me ?"

It would fall to her, after all, her Hakai no longer sealed and mantle sure to follow; she would be GoD ... and so the task of righting the wrongs of the Gods who came before would fall squarely on her shoulders.

"... only me."

Her head sagged, and with a weary sigh she turned away from the tablet. "Thank you, Wilhelm. I have seen ... all I needed to."

They saw the end result of a world pushed to their last resort. Scores of graves marked nameless rows across Terra, stacked in cairns.

Splinters of that which shackled the Destroyer had let the legacy of the First Race join humanity in death.

It did not escape his notice then when Ishtar turned from the scene on display. Much like her words, he saw in her movements a pronounced inability to lie. That great strength, the will to push against gods and fate for even a moment, faltered.

Thousands of years of habit upended in two and a few days. But it wouldn't have been for nothing. What stood before them at this second, this battle was what mattered. But not alone.

What Wilhelm clutched in his hand for examination was a familiar shape. Raising his hand to the archive, and so Ochazuke began turning from the recorded projections to the scores of images within. Plunging deep into the forboding, the familiar shapes of the glyphed obelisks, the silent armada that rallied in the North and over Capital City led him here.

Machines built in the likeness of man. At the core of it, the intention...

The motives of the Faceless First Ones remained a mystery, but their fear was palpable through the scale of violence they had inflicted upon Terra. It remained to be seen, then, whether their war had concluded or had only a brief reprieve. Sequestered in some space across time, the Doctor turned his lethal eye towards a path tread once before; but in the scope of his blighted vision, how well did even Jinzi Pantaloon understand it without the will to see something for what it truly was?

Past the twisted geometry of weapons seen in the scrap of Universe 18, Ochazuke found what he was looking for: an entry on the construction of a Dreadnought Heart.

"The heart, Wilhelm. Let me see it again."