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

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The ax is caught at the very last second, Hammer’s eyes widening at the switch. They narrow and glow with energy, eye beams lancing out towards Parsley’s face.

A hand reaches forward and holds a leg of lamb in front of Hamlet's eye beams. "Sasheem made it 'cause he got hungry on the way here," the Majin explained, having used the Spider's Blessing to conceal his presence as he followed Inanna and Parsley into the portal. "So thanks for the BBW, jabroni," the Majin smirked, popping The Bear's Claws laced with Venom Mist with his free hand and jabbed it towards the back of Hammer's neck.

A pair of eye beams erupted from Hammer's, well, eyes. They surely would have done some kind of damage, as preoccupied with cutting into him as she was. Both hands on her ax, she was in no position to defend herself. "..."

Perfect Intuition: Queenly Might

Her sister's stolen technique was her only hope at coming away unscathed. She felt her body harden as the beams hurtled toward her.

Wait...

A leg of...lamb? Sasheem?

Parsley was uncomfortable with how reliable Sasheem was proving himself to be. Nevertheless, she nodded her thanks to the Majin, then moved in unison with his venom laced Bear's Claws to drive her ax down into the fallen GoD's torso.

[grampagen]

Ochazuke, as you leave with Maiz, a....niggling sensation worms in the back of your mind.

Koorimaru’s energy had always been easy to spot and sense. He had indeed sensed it and scanned it as you landed and approached. However, upon reflection, the mask had been completely blind to your senses. It has t registered as anything. It had, in fact, hidden that part of Koorimaru from your senses.

But why leave the entire body exposed to senses but hide the face?


That thought troubles you and you leave with Maiz.

Once he had reached the Nevadian Navigator that Voyavoda had piloted here, Ochazuke paced down its sleek corridors, greeted by many a familiar automated door until he reached the vessel's medical bay. There, he lay Maiz down on the diagnostics bed, and took a seat by her side; should she begin to stir, she would deservedly want some answers.

Why, indeed?

The presence of Koorimaru had, evidently, taken over a body that was not his own. He himself had stated as much, and what Ochazuke had obseved led him to conclude that was true. But the very face that separated the being that was to the creature he had become, curiously, could hardly be said to exist at all.

It seems the Remnant is not the only one to operate in the manner of a new Cosmic Parasite.

Still, even in this nebulously ascended state, Koorimaru had continued to perform the part of a civilized man. After all, he'd summoned him here to discuss terms.

Terms. Of which he had none. In exchange for help, over an issue he never mentioned, only a hidden knowledge he gloated about to his would-be allies once he'd surrendered his leverage entirely. He'd be insulted, yet he expected nothing less.

How many kinsmen remaining among these Frost Demons?

What a lonely existence for a witty hermit content to be right, but ineffectual.

If Koorimaru had been self sufficient enough to act against this threat, he would have instead of dying gracelessly; and if Koormimaru wished to confront it in earnest, he would have spoken to it. Yet it seemed he'd prefer to remain hidden in a craven existence, on an ancient world filled with monuments of whom the Arcosian might deem lesser races.

Everlasting life, surrounded by the images of Saiyans in the temple grounds of Nevadians; and his bridge to the outside world was rapidly closing as it burned under his own contempt for would-be allies.

Yet unwittingly Koorimaru had painted a target all over his new face. This much Ochazuke ruminated over as he balanced the Black Sphere of a Guardian in his palm as he awaited the Saiyan's awaking.

Did Koorimaru truly think the deliberate issue of esoteric absence was something he would not notice?

And so, brewing a pot of green tea, Ochazuke sat, and waited.

[Miburo]

While flying, Praxat uses agility and flexibility to adjust herself and flies towards Held. This time on guard as she approaches Held. As she comes towards Held, Praxat eyes start to flicker blue with bioelectricity.

Praxat pushes her self to use 50% of her elastic energy in a straight right punch. The Elastic force causes a shock wave that sends Held skyrocketing even through Praxat's punch doesn't exactly connect. It also causes a great disturbance in the air, somehow creating an updraft that causes it to rain.

At the same time, the elastic force from using 50% of her elastic energy blows Praxat back and bruises her right arm.

The Nevadian vanished from sight towards the stratosphere as a result of the Toadians mighty blow, creating a torrent of rain that drenched the parched land below.

Perhaps it was not simply a torrent, but the summoning of a storm?

The moment lingered in time, before being suddenly shattered.

From within the heavens above, the Golden Spear of the Nevadian bolted down from the heavens like lightning, the blunt back-end of his spear striking Praxat in the back of her skull with enough force to down her to the earth below like a duck before a scatter gun.

However, the storm had barely began to form, the lightning serving as the herald for the thunder that was to come.

From below, Praxat might have been able to discern a dot, rapidly growing larger and larger in scale in the moment between blinks.

Miles. Yards. Meters.

Feet.

The Nevadian landed upon the torso of his apprentice, feet first with little consideration for the roughness of his landing. A thunderous rumble emanated from the earth below, as it shook and shattered violently from the pressure.

"That wasn't half bad Praxat!" The Nevadian exclaimed with a smile, nodding in approval, "I mean, I would have maybe took it a step further and hit me, but I suppose that I didn't see that coming at the very---"

The smile of the Nevadian faded he noticed his apprentices damaged and mangled right arm.

".....Well. It's what I would have said if you didn't cripple yourself at the start of a fight..."

I was thinking I might be able to teach her to use her sword as well, but....Fighting with one arm is difficult for an experienced warrior, let alone a neophyte.

He went silent for a moment, reflecting upon something.

"Come to think of it, don't you do that alot? I never bothered to say anything, since I wasn't paid to, but since I'm teaching you now---Actually, hold that. Why hasn't Dash told you to stop doing that? She was your tutor before this, wasn't she?"

The Nevadian recalled hearing similar tales from others, supporting the instances he had seen himself. It gave the scientist the reputation of being 'reckless' if one were to be charitable.

"It's a rather glaring hole in your style that hardly needs an innate talent for battle to pick up on..."

Held bent his legs, before hopping off of the body of his apprentice to solid ground nearby. He stroked his chin.

"I can't tell if you're a slow learner, or if she's not the type to worry about details... With a technique that carries so many detriments, you should try to position yourself into an advantageous situation, not use it at the first sing of trouble....You're already down a limb and we've barely begin to skirmish..."

Maybe I should go even easier on her? I wasn't going to go all out from the getgo, but she's wrecked her arm so ba---

Understanding dawned upon the Nevadian.

"Or...Maybe it was because you two were so close, she couldn't bring herself to take on the role of critic? I understand, fighting is a very personal thing...Separating the personal and professional, is easier said than done"

The smile from his face faded, his visage one of a jaded professional, cold as ice. He picked up his spear, returning it to its capsule in a puff of smoke.

"But, don't worry about that with me. You paid for my guidance, and a Nevadian takes a transaction very seriously. You'll get no special treatment here."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

The Nevadian vanished from sight towards the stratosphere as a result of the Toadians mighty blow, creating a torrent of rain that drenched the parched land below.

Perhaps it was not simply a torrent, but the summoning of a storm?

The moment lingered in time, before being suddenly shattered.

From within the heavens above, the Golden Spear of the Nevadian bolted down from the heavens like lightning, the blunt back-end of his spear striking Praxat in the back of her skull with enough force to down her to the earth below like a duck before a scatter gun.

However, the storm had barely began to form, the lightning serving as the herald for the thunder that was to come.

From below, Praxat might have been able to discern a dot, rapidly growing larger and larger in scale in the moment between blinks.

Miles. Yards. Meters.

Feet.

The Nevadian landed upon the torso of his apprentice, feet first with little consideration for the roughness of his landing. A thunderous rumble emanated from the earth below, as it shook and shattered violently from the pressure.

"That wasn't half bad Praxat!" The Nevadian exclaimed with a smile, nodding in approval, "I mean, I would have maybe took it a step further and hit me, but I suppose that I didn't see that coming at the very---"

The smile of the Nevadian faded he noticed his apprentices damaged and mangled right arm.

".....Well. It's what I would have said if you didn't cripple yourself at the start of a fight..."

I was thinking I might be able to teach her to use her sword as well, but....Fighting with one arm is difficult for an experienced warrior, let alone a neophyte.

He went silent for a moment, reflecting upon something.

"Come to think of it, don't you do that alot? I never bothered to say anything, since I wasn't paid to, but since I'm teaching you now---Actually, hold that. Why hasn't Dash told you to stop doing that? She was your tutor before this, wasn't she?"

The Nevadian recalled hearing similar tales from others, supporting the instances he had seen himself. It gave the scientist the reputation of being 'reckless' if one were to be charitable.

"It's a rather glaring hole in your style that hardly needs an innate talent for battle to pick up on..."

Held bent his legs, before hopping off of the body of his apprentice to solid ground nearby. He stroked his chin.

"I can't tell if you're a slow learner, or if she's not the type to worry about details... With a technique that carries so many detriments, you should try to position yourself into an advantageous situation, not use it at the first sing of trouble....You're already down a limb and we've barely begin to skirmish..."

Maybe I should go even easier on her? I wasn't going to go all out from the getgo, but she's wrecked her arm so ba---

Understanding dawned upon the Nevadian.

"Or...Maybe it was because you two were so close, she couldn't bring herself to take on the role of critic? I understand, fighting is a very personal thing...Separating the personal and professional, is easier said than done"

The smile from his face faded, his visage one of a jaded professional, cold as ice. He picked up his spear, returning it to its capsule in a puff of smoke.

"But, don't worry about that with me. You paid for my guidance, and a Nevadian takes a transaction very seriously. You'll get no special treatment here."

" I have a healing factor. I need to condition my body to handle more than 40% of my elastic energy. I figure the best way to condition myself to handle more than 40% of my elastic energy. Is to push myself to use more of it constantly," Praxat said.

" What you seen wasn't a technique. It was just me pushing myself to use more elastic energy than my body is a condition for. In my race's martial arts system Aoem, there is a school of thought called The Way of Compression," Praxat said.

" Which teaches a Toadian how to channel and use their elastic energy in combat. However, a Toadian must condition their body before even attempt to do this. Even using 40% of elastic energy would totally wreck my body or even kill me if I wasn't conditioned for it," Praxat said.

" Althena warn me not to go over 40% of my elastic energy. However, I believe it's possible to condition myself to handle more than 40% of my elastic energy," Praxat said.

As Praxat says all this to Held, her right arm begins to heal itself." I need to find a way to awaken this power inside me. I believe it's a way for me to handle more than 40% of my elastic energy without doing damage to my body," Praxat said.

" On average, a Toadian only uses 10 to 20% of their elastic energy as we have a mental block that normally prevents my race from using more. The Way of Compression gets around this. The energy is a result of my race's Springy Muscular System. My goal is to be able to use 100% of my elastic energy," Praxat said.

" In the book of Aoem, it is stated that no Aoem practitioner has ever used more than 40% of their elastic energy. However, my ancestor Disdemona isn't mentioned in the book," Praxat said.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Anubis, who had decided to harass Held, could only stare at the display in confusion, before finally barking somewhat incredulously. "Hey Held... you know her better than I do. Is lying a racial trait of frog people; or do they just say whatever comes to mind when they've been styled on?"

Was this why Durive wanted Anubis to eat the Toads?

[bruceleegreyhulk]

post deleated.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat looks at Held as her right arm slowly heals." Dash never stopped me from pushing myself to use more than 40% of my elastic energy. When she sparred together, she always wanted me to go all out. She never critic me because we were friends," Praxat said.

" I don't have things figured out about how to pursue my goal. You're the mentor I need Held, one that won't give me any special treatment," Praxat said.

( Dammit, what I was thinking blurting out I have a healing factor to Held like it's something to brag about. It isn't something to brag about. My healing factor is limited to my eyes and limbs. Plus, it's slow,) Praxat thought.

( A shattered limb would take me 2 days to heal, however I didn't shatter my right arm though, I only bruised it. So it won't take that long to heal,) Praxat thought

( Still, it's most likely going to take my right arm hours to heal,) Praxat thought.

Praxat then slowly moves her right arm and opens and closes her right hand, and then stops. ( ****, that hurts. From what I know about bruises. They're a rupture of underlying blood vessels caused by trauma) Praxat thought.

" Held, only using 50 and 60% of my elastic energy in just advantageous situations is not what I'm looking for. I want to be able to use 50 % and 60% of my elastic, or possibly more, without damaging my body. My goal isn't just swordsmanship. It's also to master my own physiology," Praxat said.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Better for you that Ochazuke did not take you up on that," Blizzar spoke turning around. "There is a force in this universe with greater pull than a black hole, and that dear kinsman, is a loophole. Every deal contains one. Even one such as you cannot hide from it's pull for very long."

And with that last barb, Blizzar too made his exit.

For one slight moment, a pale amber light seemed to escape from the sides of the mask as his hands clench in anger.

The moment passes and Korrimaru simply....watches. After a moment he shimmers and vanishes.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Once he had reached the Nevadian Navigator that Voyavoda had piloted here, Ochazuke paced down its sleek corridors, greeted by many a familiar automated door until he reached the vessel's medical bay. There, he lay Maiz down on the diagnostics bed, and took a seat by her side; should she begin to stir, she would deservedly want some answers.

Why, indeed?

The presence of Koorimaru had, evidently, taken over a body that was not his own. He himself had stated as much, and what Ochazuke had obseved led him to conclude that was true. But the very face that separated the being that was to the creature he had become, curiously, could hardly be said to exist at all.

It seems the Remnant is not the only one to operate in the manner of a new Cosmic Parasite.

Still, even in this nebulously ascended state, Koorimaru had continued to perform the part of a civilized man. After all, he'd summoned him here to discuss terms.

Terms. Of which he had none. In exchange for help, over an issue he never mentioned, only a hidden knowledge he gloated about to his would-be allies once he'd surrendered his leverage entirely. He'd be insulted, yet he expected nothing less.

How many kinsmen remaining among these Frost Demons?

What a lonely existence for a witty hermit content to be right, but ineffectual.

If Koorimaru had been self sufficient enough to act against this threat, he would have instead of dying gracelessly; and if Koormimaru wished to confront it in earnest, he would have spoken to it. Yet it seemed he'd prefer to remain hidden in a craven existence, on an ancient world filled with monuments of whom the Arcosian might deem lesser races.

Everlasting life, surrounded by the images of Saiyans in the temple grounds of Nevadians; and his bridge to the outside world was rapidly closing as it burned under his own contempt for would-be allies.

Yet unwittingly Koorimaru had painted a target all over his new face. This much Ochazuke ruminated over as he balanced the Black Sphere of a Guardian in his palm as he awaited the Saiyan's awaking.

Did Koorimaru truly think the deliberate issue of esoteric absence was something he would not notice?

And so, brewing a pot of green tea, Ochazuke sat, and waited.

Maia stirs and awakens.

Ochazuke, for the barest moment, a strange energy...pings...on your senses. A flash of something different from Koorimaru’s location as Blizzar retreats back to the ship.

It’s over very quickly, and all is well on the planet.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The lamb blocks the attack, and between the ax and Sasheem’s poison, the dead Namekian suddenly seems to lock up.

After a moment, his body puffs away into a whiteish orb and floats over to Sheki’hinah, who is standing shakily. She clasps the orb in her good hand and then a sphere of energy encases it.

“Good....good job.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Inanna smirked, as the struggle played out.

Ruination worked wonders. Should have gotten her hands on it ages ago. With Stine down, but for the moment not out, Inanna went for the two things that might've tipped things back into the soon-to-be dead angel.

His staff, and his severed arm.

Both vanish upon her touching them, but do not appear to go back to Stine.

Sihn walks up and places a strange device to Stine’s forehead. After a moment, his eyes roll back and the Angel simply....stills.

“Well......that sucked.”

Sihn seems to stagger a bit, then drops to one knee.

“Dear...niece...good timing.....”

Caliban walks up and, to Inanna’s surprise, is the one holding Stine’s arm and staff. He had conjured it from her apparently.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The lamb blocks the attack, and between the ax and Sasheem’s poison, the dead Namekian suddenly seems to lock up.

After a moment, his body puffs away into a whiteish orb and floats over to Sheki’hinah, who is standing shakily. She clasps the orb in her good hand and then a sphere of energy encases it.

“Good....good job.”

Parsley's ax tasted divine blood for the first time. Between herself and Sasheem, the Namekian GoD appeared to succumb and pass away. Or something that made him turn into a white orb and pass along to Shek'hinah. What a strange occurrence. She wasn't sure if he was dead or had just been... captured in some manner by the Death Goddess. Regardless, it didn't appear that he was going to be a problem in the near future. And he would forever know that he was felled by a mortal.

...

...and Sasheem.

She sighed and turned slightly to see how the other battle was progressing. The blue man was slumped against the wall, arm missing and in a daze with some kind of device on his forehead. She narrowed her eyes as she gazed on him. He appeared to be in some kind of stasis. Whatever the case was, it seemed the battle was over.

Both vanish upon her touching them, but do not appear to go back to Stine.

Sihn walks up and places a strange device to Stine’s forehead. After a moment, his eyes roll back and the Angel simply....stills.

“Well......that sucked.”

Sihn seems to stagger a bit, then drops to one knee.

“Dear...niece...good timing.....”

Caliban walks up and, to Inanna’s surprise, is the one holding Stine’s arm and staff. He had conjured it from her apparently.

"What a shame. I was hoping for more from two divine deities," she said as she stabbed her ax into the ground. She returned her attention to Shek'hinah and moved to help her to her feet. "Are you okay? What happened?"

She knew that Hammer was dead, as evidenced by the golden halo over his head, as well as his entry in Auroc's journal. However, she was unaware of what happen if a dead person died again. Perhaps they were erased from existence, or went to yet another plane of existence. Perhaps that death was permanent. A fitting end, if true, for a failure of a GoD. "What happened to Hammer? He was dead, yet I killed him again."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Sarada roared and exploded in golden fury. "AUROC!!!!!" she bellowed before erupting out of the palace and heading straight for him.

Parsley transformed and quickly followed after her, with Avoca hot on their heels. "Maiz," the former spoke urgently, "make sure any survivors are evacuated immediately. We can't let anyone else fall under his sway."

'Understood,' came the Saiyan Guardian's telepathic reply.

Maiz's precognition wasn't to the point where she could trigger visions consciously. How many people were going to die because she still didn't know how to use these damn powers she was given? She had been training for the last three years; the telepathic abilities were the slowest to develop. She supposed that was because of her nature as a Saiyan. She didn't know, and at the time, she didn't really care.

She had been told as much about Auroc as Inanna, Sarada, and Parsley knew. He likened himself a god, a false deity who had slotted himself into Threshling society and reshaped every aspect of it in his own image. That alone would make for fanatical followers in the later generations, since his influence would be all they knew. The Threshling Princess her daughters befriended seemed to have escaped him, but her kinsmen weren't lucky.

Telling Saiyans to retreat was like corralling a bag of cats. It wasn't impossible, especially retreating from an enemy that was so very strong and would provide a challenge of a lifetime. She would have to take drastic measures.

'Attention, people of Vocado. Fall back from the battlefield and report to the portal rooms immediately.'

Her Command Presence let her compel even the most stubborn Saiyan to do what she wanted. It was a powerful and dangerous ability; she didn't use it often. Bypassing a person's free will left a bad taste in her mouth. She preferred to let people decide what to do for themselves, good or bad. This time, sadly, was a situation that left her no choice.

Maiz left her temple within Mt. Oozaru and floated high above the peak. She saw a mass exodus or far around the battlefield and toward the palace. Over six million people trying to pass through one of three portals was going to create a massive bottleneck. Progress was going to slow significantly when time was absolutely of the essence. Once everyone was gone, Sarada could fight without worry. Until then, she was going to be distracted. "Tch." She took off toward the palace as fast as she could.

This Auroc is powerful. More powerful than any of us. This was not a battle Sarada was going to win. What was Auroc's endgame? To wipe them out? Take over the planet? Or something more sinister? She intended on contacting Sarada and telling her to be on her guard. She was still in the frame of mind to let her emotions get the better of her, causing her to make mistakes. Against someone like Auroc, that was a death knell. Wait, now wha-

But, Maiz never did, because suddenly, everything went black.

Maia stirs and awakens.

And so, brewing a pot of green tea, Ochazuke sat, and waited.

"My lord, it will take four days to reach this world."

"Hmph. Fine."

They lifted off, quickly ascending past the planet's atmosphere. Suddenly, however, the sky roof opened, allowing Tundra to float out into the bitter cold of outer space. The temperature, nor the lack of air bothered him in the slightest. Now, this makes number 2! he thought to himself as he lifted a single finger. A small speck of orange light formed and quickly expanded into a ball of condensed death and destruction. With a casual flick, he tossed the death ball down at the planet Vocado.

The nightmarish vision that had been cycling through Maiz's head mercifully subsided into the pitch black aether. Consciousness bubbled forth in its place, piercing the darkness like rays of sunlight behind a black storm cloud. Her eyes didn't open immediately. Partially because she was afraid of what she was going to see. The very last thing she remembered was flying toward the Palace while Sarada, Parsley, and Inanna did battle with Auroc. He outclassed all of them by a great deal.

Auroc. Tundra. It must have been a long day. She saw the planet being destroyed and she had no way of telling anyone before it was too late. Please... please let them still be alive...

She felt okay, if not stiff and sore. Whatever hit her didn't do a good enough job if the point was to kill her. Then again, it may have been just to get her out of the way. Not that anyone would think to attack her before any of the stronger defenders.

Her eyes cracked open a touch. She saw the interior of what looked like a space ship. What?! Her eyes opened fully. Had she been saved? Had Tundra already arrived and destroyed Vocado? What about Auroc? What about Sarada and Parsley, Pinach and Rutaba? No, wait. The latter two had already gotten away with the children. They were safe. But, what about her other daughters? She shot up into a sitting position. "Sarada! Parsley!"

She sensed him before she noticed him out of the corner of her eye. A human sitting beside her, brewing a...pot of green tea? She frowned angrily. "Who are you? Where am I? Where are my daughters?!"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Both vanish upon her touching them, but do not appear to go back to Stine.

Sihn walks up and places a strange device to Stine’s forehead. After a moment, his eyes roll back and the Angel simply....stills.

“Well......that sucked.”

Sihn seems to stagger a bit, then drops to one knee.

“Dear...niece...good timing.....”

It takes time for Inanna to calm enough to respond rationally, but when she does, it's curt.

"Uncle. Kill Stine before I do."

Caliban walks up and, to Inanna’s surprise, is the one holding Stine’s arm and staff. He had conjured it from her apparently.

"Keep the staff, I want the arm." Inanna said. "Or are you afraid of what I'll do with it."

"What a shame. I was hoping for more from two divine deities," she said as she stabbed her ax into the ground. She returned her attention to Shek'hinah and moved to help her to her feet. "Are you okay? What happened?"

She knew that Hammer was dead, as evidenced by the golden halo over his head, as well as his entry in Auroc's journal. However, she was unaware of what happen if a dead person died again. Perhaps they were erased from existence, or went to yet another plane of existence. Perhaps that death was permanent. A fitting end, if true, for a failure of a GoD. "What happened to Hammer? He was dead, yet I killed him again."

"I'm guessing Time Magic from Stine." Inanna grunted. "Hakai is the only way to kill with any permanence. Or by subsuming their soul." Turning her head back towards her mother, the woman then asked. "How are you doing Mom? What about you Miss Landinghorn?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Parsley's ax tasted divine blood for the first time. Between herself and Sasheem, the Namekian GoD appeared to succumb and pass away. Or something that made him turn into a white orb and pass along to Shek'hinah. What a strange occurrence. She wasn't sure if he was dead or had just been... captured in some manner by the Death Goddess. Regardless, it didn't appear that he was going to be a problem in the near future. And he would forever know that he was felled by a mortal.

...

...and Sasheem.

She sighed and turned slightly to see how the other battle was progressing. The blue man was slumped against the wall, arm missing and in a daze with some kind of device on his forehead. She narrowed her eyes as she gazed on him. He appeared to be in some kind of stasis. Whatever the case was, it seemed the battle was over.



"What a shame. I was hoping for more from two divine deities," she said as she stabbed her ax into the ground. She returned her attention to Shek'hinah and moved to help her to her feet. "Are you okay? What happened?"

She knew that Hammer was dead, as evidenced by the golden halo over his head, as well as his entry in Auroc's journal. However, she was unaware of what happen if a dead person died again. Perhaps they were erased from existence, or went to yet another plane of existence. Perhaps that death was permanent. A fitting end, if true, for a failure of a GoD. "What happened to Hammer? He was dead, yet I killed him again."

“They were both......weakened. Trust me....either at their most powerful....things may have gone differently. Wasn’t expecting.....a sneak attack. Or Stine to....temporarily reembody Hammer. You merely......injured his primary vessel enough to cause it to collapse. Hammer...cannot have a solid body in HFIL, so he...returns to a powerless soul now.”

Sheki’hinah carefully takes hold of the orb and then makes it vanish.