Dragonball M, Chapter 4: Kidnapping! Invasion! A new Threat Strikes First!

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Genesis’s Ark. I believe it to be the vessel she awoke in when she first appeared. It has clues to her, and I believe it to hold not only part of her story, but more information about her in general which can aid us. Beyond that, however, Lady Binder and I have devised a means to potentially kill or trap her by Oathbinding her. Failing the Ulthan just outright killing her, of course, which seems somewhat less likely now.”

He taps his hammer absently.

“There is always other options I’ve entertained too: Temporal Annihilation, but that would have massive ripple effects I’d rather not have happen. There was a potential technological means to stop her as well, but the Judge is no longer....available to help. I had also considered either the Candleman or one of the groups in the Cosmic Leylines, but both are.....less attractive ideas. And I would rather not bother Night if I can help it either, so he’s out.”

So, Parsley was right. The "Genesis' Ark" that was listed in Auroc's journal was, in fact, her point of origin. Knowing that gave Parsley a swell of hope that when she searched through it at some point in the very near future, she would find something that would aid them in killing the abomination once and for all.

"I know where her Ark is," she said. "Or rather, Auroc did. I intended on investigating this place myself eventually, but now that you've confirmed what it is, it's a top priority."

Temporal annihilation was another avenue, but with seemingly unsavory consequences. Project Parting Glass immediately sprang to mind. Jinzi's alternate called it monstrous. The prime Jinzi was fearful to even look into it further than he already did, and refused to even entertain it. It was a weapon of absolute destruction, made possible by weaponizing time itself. Normally, she wouldn't even consider such a thing and wouldn't think of subjecting Jinzi to it, but against Genesis, what choice did they have?

She would have to speak to Sarada and the others about it once many of their loose ends had been tied up. If that was going to be their play, they all needed to be on board.

"I also know where the Candleman is. But, he sounds less than savory. What does he do?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

She twists, the fist going into the half of her that was Ruination, and Inanna feels her hand start to burn badly as it attempts to eat it away.

Ishtar meanwhile head-buts Inanna as hard as she can.

Fist buried in the ruined gut of Ishtar, knee deep in the molten sea of a planet... Inanna felt right at home; and when the headbutt came through and rattled her skull the woman laughed. "You are certainly an Ishtar."

Then her other arm locked itself around the woman's waist. "Fight like her, too." No dodging, or fancy tricks with that damned blade, now.

The beauty of this moment would perhaps be lost on anyone but perhaps the Saiyans- considering the potential collateral- but in the second before she cut loose, Inanna couldn't help but find enjoyment in knowing that her opponent might survive long enough for a true test of strength; and for once she wasn't completely out of her depth.

She'd found a proper peer.

It was a shame one of them would die.

[grampagen]

He grits his teeth, then his shoulders sag and his head bows.

“I was ready to sacrifice myself, locked away with Inanna until our deaths, souls forever trapped there in that prison. I am not afraid to bear the consequences, student of Zxu’ro. I just never wanted it to be at the cost of billions, Darkling, Human, or otherwise. That was where I erred: I forgot the universe hardly complies with what we want, and I should have realized that to use disposable monsters like The Wolf God or Ishtar against monsters like Genesis and Inanna, there could and would be a price. Arrogance, on my part, for thinking I could contain it.”

Ochazuke lift an eyebrow at the mention of his Lineage Master. According to the slim records of that era and the compact Parsley and Inanna had found, an age ago they had been peers. To say he was unimpressed at his conduct would be an understatement.

"It seems you are plenty afraid of consequences," he said as the air shook and the firmament split beneath their feet. Things below seemed to be escalating. "You never spoke a word of the matter to any of them before you decided to execute them for circumstances they had no part in, Forger."

It came to him in a vision, this twisted path. This was a sentiment he'd heard over and over again. It was this way, it could only ever be this way.

"Arrogance, on your part, for resigning yourself to powerlessness and condemnation."

Fist buried in the ruined gut of Ishtar, knee deep in the molten sea of a planet... Inanna felt right at home; and when the headbutt came through and rattled her skull the woman laughed. "You are certainly an Ishtar."

Then her other arm locked itself around the woman's waist. "Fight like her, too." No dodging, or fancy tricks with that damned blade, now.

The beauty of this moment would perhaps be lost on anyone but perhaps the Saiyans- considering the potential collateral- but in the second before she cut loose, Inanna couldn't help but find enjoyment in knowing that her opponent might survive long enough for a true test of strength; and for once she wasn't completely out of her depth.

She'd found a proper peer.

It was a shame one of them would die.

At this proximity to the clash, it seemed to be an inevitability that a clash of Destroyers would have disastrous consequences, the like of which Banespell did not seem prepared for, and as he hammered away at his spell in the midst of his newly revealed lamentations, Ochazuke settled into a stance as he raised his palms before him.

Even in the face of monsters, he would do everything in his power.

By now, he'd enveloped a portion of the battlefield in the field of his sense-awareness. Using the Phoenix Wings of Houyokusen, he attempted to catch a portion of the energy loosed below to divert it from the planet beneath them.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

While searching for Totoma, Praxat spots the Forger's house. She notices the door has been kicked open and lets herself in. Inside Praxat spots, Zaofan over Totoma's body and approaches him. Still in her newly awaken form, her eyes glow blue with bioelectricity.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

There is a battle of Gods.


Of monsters.


As Ochazuke funnels some of the energy away, Banespell pauses in his hammering, eyes narrowing. A brief gleam in his eyes.

“Well done, Lady.”

——————

Amidst the explosion Inanna, you do feel that ruinous blade of Ishtar’s snake around and impale your side even as the conflagration around you explodes.

However, in that inferno that would kill just about anyone else, as Ishtar herself does as Inanna did and let fly her power, a single beam of energy expands around the conflagration and swallow it.

All of a sudden, Ishtar, Inanna, and their combined energies are gone. The molten core remains, churning but not in threat, Ochazuke sensing that the planet is safe.


He and the others also sense and see an explosion in the space just passed Darkle’s obit. A massive showcase of power that shudders the planet and sends waves of pressure down and around that nearly knocks them off their feet, trees swaying all around. In outer space ,Darkle below them, hangs Ishtar and Inanna.

And a small Fae.

Lady Binder looks upon the two wounded women. Inanna, with a stab wound that is infected and rotting, burns about her body and one eye burned shut.

Ishtar, her lower half now a mess of Ruination, her one remaining arm clasping her blade. Her half face is burned and twisted in pain, Cryomancy cooling and soothing as her legs reform in that strange orange energy.

The Fae shakes her head and forms a portal that slowly engulfs Ishtar, who screams in rage but it is soundless amidst space around them. She vanishes, and Lady Binder nods to Inanna. Thoughts enter her head then.

‘I trust you can return on your own. Good luck, Goddess Inanna!’

The Fae steps sideways and is gone, leaving only Inanna to hang above the planet Darkle.

[Miburo]

Vados nods.

“It’s good knowing he was finally taken care of permanently. Never liked him, and I never saw what Stine saw in him.”

Whis eats another bite before tapping his chin.

“Held, how would you like to train with us a bit? You seem rather down on yourself and I think some training would hit the spot! Besides, as a Unicorn summoner you are practically our distant cousin!”

Held went silent for a moment, chewing softly as he contemplated the offer.

Some training would help him clear his head, as he attempted to make sense of the sudden change of events. He had slowly began to regain his wits after eating and reflecting, but the barest hint of unease still lingered in the back of his mind. Simply eating himself into depression, or wallowing in self-pity about how deeply he had been disgraced would do nothing to change events as they were.

And with such dark thoughts ruminating, he would hardly be able to enjoy this vacation, even at the most sacred and divine place in the galaxy.

"....I suppose a bit of a workout would help me clear out the spiders nest that is my mind." Held replied slowly, nodding in agreement as he gulped down his noodles, before reaching for a goblet of wine. "Might help me recenter myself."

...Who knows, I might actually learn a thing or two....If these guys are the ones who train GoDs like hammer and the like, they've got to be pretty stellar themselves.....Not to mention, I'll finally have a training story to share with Zaofan and Ochazuke....

It gets a bit embarrassing to catch up with them and hear how they learned a new method from the bear or donkey school, only to inform them of the two new drinking games I learned in the meantime.

"I mean, if it's not an inconvenience to you, of course." Held added, looking at the two angels, "I imagine you both have duties to attend to, and I am an unexpected guest..."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

So, Parsley was right. The "Genesis' Ark" that was listed in Auroc's journal was, in fact, her point of origin. Knowing that gave Parsley a swell of hope that when she searched through it at some point in the very near future, she would find something that would aid them in killing the abomination once and for all.

"I know where her Ark is," she said. "Or rather, Auroc did. I intended on investigating this place myself eventually, but now that you've confirmed what it is, it's a top priority."

Temporal annihilation was another avenue, but with seemingly unsavory consequences. Project Parting Glass immediately sprang to mind. Jinzi's alternate called it monstrous. The prime Jinzi was fearful to even look into it further than he already did, and refused to even entertain it. It was a weapon of absolute destruction, made possible by weaponizing time itself. Normally, she wouldn't even consider such a thing and wouldn't think of subjecting Jinzi to it, but against Genesis, what choice did they have?

She would have to speak to Sarada and the others about it once many of their loose ends had been tied up. If that was going to be their play, they all needed to be on board.

"I also know where the Candleman is. But, he sounds less than savory. What does he do?"

As Lord Forger rights himself after the event Ishtar and Inanna created, he looks at her.

“He’s a madman and a genius. Visit him, if you like: there is no other like him in all existence. Not powerful, not like you or your sister or Inanna, but.......clever with what he has. And extremely, extremely dangerous.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Held went silent for a moment, chewing softly as he contemplated the offer.

Some training would help him clear his head, as he attempted to make sense of the sudden change of events. He had slowly began to regain his wits after eating and reflecting, but the barest hint of unease still lingered in the back of his mind. Simply eating himself into depression, or wallowing in self-pity about how deeply he had been disgraced would do nothing to change events as they were.

And with such dark thoughts ruminating, he would hardly be able to enjoy this vacation, even at the most sacred and divine place in the galaxy.

"....I suppose a bit of a workout would help me clear out the spiders nest that is my mind." Held replied slowly, nodding in agreement as he gulped down his noodles, before reaching for a goblet of wine. "Might help me recenter myself."

...Who knows, I might actually learn a thing or two....If these guys are the ones who train GoDs like hammer and the like, they've got to be pretty stellar themselves.....Not to mention, I'll finally have a training story to share with Zaofan and Ochazuke....

It gets a bit embarrassing to catch up with them and hear how they learned a new method from the bear or donkey school, only to inform them of the two new drinking games I learned in the meantime.

"I mean, if it's not an inconvenience to you, of course." Held added, looking at the two angels, "I imagine you both have duties to attend to, and I am an unexpected guest..."

“Ehh, Champa and Beerus are both asleep and probably will be for the next few months to years. We’ll have plenty of time!” Whist says, clapping and smiling.

Vados nods.

“Now than, I presume you can summon your Unicorn here, yes?”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

As Lord Forger rights himself after the event Ishtar and Inanna created, he looks at her.

“He’s a madman and a genius. Visit him, if you like: there is no other like him in all existence. Not powerful, not like you or your sister or Inanna, but.......clever with what he has. And extremely, extremely dangerous.”

Parsley raised an eyebrow. "A maniacal genius who's more clever than powerful? That just sounds like Jinzi Pantaloons."

She shook her head and let out a soft chuckle. "Well, I'll be able to compare notes when I meet him. Maybe I'll-"

An explosion above her cut her off and immediately attracted her attention. The force of the blast was tremendous. A pressure wave the likes of which she had only felt a few times before washed down over the planet. It displaced trees, shoving them aside like twigs, and nearly knocked her off her feet.

She snorted. The source - or rather, sources - was obvious. The only question was how they managed to get from the center of the planet to several miles above it. In the haze of battle, the forethought to avoid collateral damage was hard to come by. For someone as careless as Inanna and Ishtar, it was non-existent. "Seems one of your sole remaining allies saved Ishtar's life," she commented. "I suppose this is where you leave, in defeat and with absent the shadowy veil behind which you his."

She knew they were going to cross paths again. Whether in battle with each other as opponents or with Genesis as uneasy allies, only the future would tell. Of course, he had the leg up in that regard. Only one side had an all-knowing, all-seeing Far to which even the infinitesimal futures were as easy to read as the stars above them.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat kneels down." Zaofan, How's Totoma?" Oh, I remember the advice you gave me," Praxat said.

" That advice helped me achieved this newly awaken form I'm in right now. I form an achieved through deep focus. A form that has proven useful in battle," Praxat said.

Praxat takes off her goggles to clean them and notices that she can see Zaofan and Totoma clearly without them." That's strange. I have never been able to see clearly without my goggles before. This form I'm in must boost my senses," Praxat said.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Parsley raised an eyebrow. "A maniacal genius who's more clever than powerful? That just sounds like Jinzi Pantaloons."

She shook her head and let out a soft chuckle. "Well, I'll be able to compare notes when I meet him. Maybe I'll-"

An explosion above her cut her off and immediately attracted her attention. The force of the blast was tremendous. A pressure wave the likes of which she had only felt a few times before washed down over the planet. It displaced trees, shoving them aside like twigs, and nearly knocked her off her feet.

She snorted. The source - or rather, sources - was obvious. The only question was how they managed to get from the center of the planet to several miles above it. In the haze of battle, the forethought to avoid collateral damage was hard to come by. For someone as careless as Inanna and Ishtar, it was non-existent. "Seems one of your sole remaining allies saved Ishtar's life," she commented. "I suppose this is where you leave, in defeat and with absent the shadowy veil behind which you his."

She knew they were going to cross paths again. Whether in battle with each other as opponents or with Genesis as uneasy allies, only the future would tell. Of course, he had the leg up in that regard. Only one side had an all-knowing, all-seeing Far to which even the infinitesimal futures were as easy to read as the stars above them.

“Perhaps saved Inanna as well, though her death would be less permanent.”

He hammers a few more runes into the planet to help stabilize the core a bit more, than shifts the hammer and its a walking cane again. He pulls a hat out of nowhere and places it on his head, adjusting it a bit.

“Lady Binder is quite extraordinary. Perhaps the most dangerous one of the Ulthan. ‘Twas her mother that gave me the vision so long ago of Inanna and Genesis, and long have I seen its course as straight and true. I wonder now, though........”

His eyes watch the skies above, searching.

“Powerful indeed.”

He turns and nods to her.

“Princess. Until next time, though to be truthful as I told the young man with the crimson eyes, I’d rather our paths not cross again at all. For either of our sakes.”

He bows, turns, and begins slowly making his way to some trees. He raises his hand to his for head in a familiar gesture, moving his head as if searching for an energy signal to teleport to.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Perhaps saved Inanna as well, though her death would be less permanent.”

He hammers a few more runes into the planet to help stabilize the core a bit more, than shifts the hammer and its a walking cane again. He pulls a hat out of nowhere and places it on his head, adjusting it a bit.

“Lady Binder is quite extraordinary. Perhaps the most dangerous one of the Ulthan. ‘Twas her mother that gave me the vision so long ago of Inanna and Genesis, and long have I seen its course as straight and true. I wonder now, though........”

His eyes watch the skies above, searching.

“Powerful indeed.”

He turns and nods to her.

“Princess. Until next time, though to be truthful as I told the young man with the crimson eyes, I’d rather our paths not cross again at all. For either of our sakes.”

He bows, turns, and begins slowly making his way to some trees. He raises his hand to his for head in a familiar gesture, moving his head as if searching for an energy signal to teleport to.

"Powerful indeed," she muttered. Parsley's own eyes had witnessed Lady Binder's powers when she tore Wolf God's soul to pieces in Otherworld. She could easily see that she was deserving of her place as most dangerous.

Though, that top spot wasn't only earned by her power.

Hearing that it was her mother who gave Forger the vision coaxed out of Parsley a suspicious moue and narrowed gaze. She knew nothing of these Fae, and nothing of their ways. Perhaps the consequences of Oathbinding applied to the ones who broke their own oath, but she wouldn't have been surprised if it didn't, or they could be bypassed.

I believed this embattled Palantine is being played for a fool.

"Before you go," she called out to him as he was searching for an energy source to latch onto for teleportation. "What did your cabal have to gain from helping you? Wolf God was Sihn's blood, that I know. And I'm sure Ishtar's desires had something to do with Inanna. What of the others?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Powerful indeed," she muttered. Parsley's own eyes had witnessed Lady Binder's powers when she tore Wolf God's soul to pieces in Otherworld. She could easily see that she was deserving of her place as most dangerous.

Though, that top spot wasn't only earned by her power.

Hearing that it was her mother who gave Forger the vision coaxed out of Parsley a suspicious moue and narrowed gaze. She knew nothing of these Fae, and nothing of their ways. Perhaps the consequences of Oathbinding applied to the ones who broke their own oath, but she wouldn't have been surprised if it didn't, or they could be bypassed.

I believed this embattled Palantine is being played for a fool.

"Before you go," she called out to him as he was searching for an energy source to latch onto for teleportation. "What did your cabal have to gain from helping you? Wolf God was Sihn's blood, that I know. And I'm sure Ishtar's desires had something to do with Inanna. What of the others?"

“Truth, of a wrongdoing. Restoration, of one taken. Identity, of one lost. And as for the last.....curiosity at how long I can last before I slip and she claims my life. The Fae....enjoy games and bargains, and they especially enjoy seeing how far and how long the line can be toed. They make wagers on it. I believe I have lasted longer than most, so far.”

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

“Sheki’hinah is Inanna’s mother, and technical goddess of death. She’s back where the souls were getting checked in.”

Oh, so this Sheki'hinah was Inanna's mom? He felt he'd heard something about this during the whole... time escapades thing a while back, but to be honest, all that had been confusing and sort of a blur. On the plus side, he'd found the muffin button during that, so... yeah.

"Alright, I'll go talk to her and see if she'll introduce me!" And with that, he rushed off to talk to Sheki'hinah. A woman he had no idea looked like or anything. Of course, there was an easy way to get around that...

"Um, hey, Sheki'hinah! Sheki'hinah! Looking for a Sheki'hinah! I'm one of your daughter's, uh... friends," he called out as he neared the souls being attended to by various... non-soul people. He recognized Jack and Nunlil, of course, so, presumably, Sheki'hinah was one of the others.

...god, Sheki'hinah was a hard name to pronounce.

It burns in a pleasant way, and you feel your entire body suddenly alight with energy. Flames erupt and consume his body, his ki pool grows deeper, his power higher, and when the flames stop he stands....a middle aged Voyavada. About twenty years younger in appearance than his old form, though clearly still in that body.

And his his hale, while, healthy, and very naked.

Voyavoda examined his renewed body approvingly. Instead of regressing wholesale to a much younger age and being truly reborn, he had... somehow partially reversed the process and stabilized almost exactly in the middle of his prime years. Better yet, the little stunt had powered him up quite considerably, though how much of the totality of his power he could access so soon after being... semi-reborn, was unknown.

Fascinating.

Still, the process had been tiring, so he was in no mood to do anything except sit in the middle of the burnt patch of grass he was currently in. Might do to find or make some clothing soon, but... ahh, that could wait. Voyavoda flopped over onto his back and stared at the sky.

'Feeling' within himself, he felt that something had changed in regards to the flames of palingenesis... though he wasn't quite sure what, at this point. Perhaps, if he were lucky, he would someday be able to die and move on... as himself, rather than as some hypothetical close-but-not-quite future self.

One could dream, could they not?

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Truth, of a wrongdoing. Restoration, of one taken. Identity, of one lost. And as for the last.....curiosity at how long I can last before I slip and she claims my life. The Fae....enjoy games and bargains, and they especially enjoy seeing how far and how long the line can be toed. They make wagers on it. I believe I have lasted longer than most, so far.”

Truth of a wrongdoing.

Restoration of one taken.

Identity of one lost.

And curiosity of how long he could last before she could take his life.

The Fae apparently enjoyed playing dangerous games. Purposefully leading him down a destructive path that would lead certainly lead to the pressure of his goals causing him to slip. Slip enough for her to take his life.

She tilted her head to the side. He played a dangerous game, and new it. At least three of his so-called allies couldn't be trusted. Wolf God had already proven himself incapable of keeping his word. She saw no reason to believe that he wasn't aware that the others could be just as untrustworthy. It only spoke to the depths he had sunken to, if these were who he chose to help him accomplish his foreordained goals.

"How possible would it be for you to have been mislead from the very beginning? Perhaps the vision you were shown was altered in some way to lead you down this very destructive path. If these Fae enjoy playing games and making wagers off them as much as you say, I don't see them being above hedging those bets at the earliest possible juncture."