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

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"His lack of control was evident by his disposition the moment we arrived here," Ochazuke replied. "Still, he hasn't left this world. I wonder, what words does he speak to his people now that he drew them to the edges of his personal crusade on the universe?"

Right at this moment, he could still perceive the Darkling's essence through his expanded awareness, the cudgel of True Magic rising and falling as he rallied to his people. Whatever absolutist story he'd fed them, the logic he'd convinced himself to act upon, instantly it crumbled away when it was his people that were threatened.

"It is not too far a span to consider, Parsley. 'Yours must die so that mine may live.'"

Asha'rah was lost in some place, spirited off by Koorimaru's cabal, yet even now he heard that idle whisper, equally cruel and profound. Strive.

"To strive to live means another must fail. Perhaps that is the way of things as they had been...but even so the old fool, he cannot see any other way than the path of beasts."

Yet even the gods were hard pressed to create a path outside of this savagery, and while they remained here, the arms mounted to strike back at divinity gathered in the hands of Genesis and the Remnant.

Ochazuke's fist balled at his side. The Earth was unprotected. Alakazah loosed his chains, Evangeline's work undone. He knew all this, yet here he remained lightyears away.

"To hell with the Fae," he said, "I will not be goaded into their games. This is a matter that goes far deeper than a Dwarf's lack of foresight."

"He became the very thing he sought to destroy."

It was an amusing realization. Forger claimed with wavering confidence that Inanna would go crazy and, with the vast amount of power she had at her disposal, destroy the universe as they knew it. The Oni played things fast and loose, so even if that vision was a slightly altered lie, it was still a believable one. In his quest to rid the universe of what he believed to be one of the two most dangerous threats to its safety and sanctity, he became what he hated.

A monster.

A menace.

An out of control beast led by the nose by his master. But, instead of being led by his lust and curiosity like Inanna, he was being led by Lady Binder and Queen Mab. It wasn't a coincidence of curious timing that he left right after Inanna reappeared. Seeing her without doubt made him realize - along with his conversation with herself and Ochazuke - that exact thing.

"Perhaps he's speaking with his people to reaffirm his belief that he isn't a monster." Also, to convince his people that they were the monsters. After all, they had brought violence and conflict to that world. Not without provocation, but that was a small detail that could be left out or readily ignored. Regardless of whether that was the case or not, what was clear was that he knew as well as they did that the conflict was over. They, or at least she, wouldn't pursue him with him near innocent civilians. It wouldn't be long before he disappeared to reunite with the remainder of his cabal. At that point, he would be lost.

The prudent thing would be to fall back to Reshlan and heal and regroup. Earth was unprotected. The sooner they returned, the better.

"There's nothing more we can do. The Fae aren't a priority worth pursuing at this point. I have seen Binder's power first hand, as have you. Any further conflict would quickly turn against us. We need to return to Earth as soon as possible and figure out where to go from there."

The Fae were the furthest thing from her mind at that point. Those that played a simulated game didn't interfere with that simulation too much. She felt safe to assume Binder wouldn't harass them, not like The Judge had recently. She felt they could be safely placed on the backburner until they gained more power. For herself and Sarada, mastering the three Super Saiyan forms and undergoing the ascension ritual to achieve godhood was the top priority. That would even the odds. Three gods for the Ulthan, and three for them.

Given how well they battled the Ulthan while severely outmatched, it would actually tip things in their favor.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

"OOF...who's Forger?" Zaofan said, "Oh, th-that guy..."

Totoma was back, and that took a lot out of him. Zaofan slumped a bit as he reele from the gutcheck. After fighting the Last Daughter, he'd started to space out, and Sarada's hit was like getting slugged in the middle of a dream; cold-cocked straight awake.

"I had a few words with him myself. Wherever he is, I hope he's considered just what he's done," he said, a slight, sad smirk rising in the corner of his mouth.

"The question is, just where do we go from here?"



"Oh, well look at you!"

In all the recent violence, they'd lost far too much, but even so Zaofan was mindful to be grateful for what they had. As he appraised Praxat's new awakened form, the shocking bioelectricity managed to lift a small smile out of him. Turns out she'd been listening after all.

"I...well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "it's a little more complicated than that. I suspect you had this in mind the whole time, but Held-"

Then he grew quiet with a solemn frown as he remembered the losses they took today.



"You really had me worried there...just what the heck took you so long anyways?"

" You're right it is, and poor Held. I feel like it's my fault that he's dead," Praxat said.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"OOF...who's Forger?" Zaofan said, "Oh, th-that guy..."

Totoma was back, and that took a lot out of him. Zaofan slumped a bit as he reele from the gutcheck. After fighting the Last Daughter, he'd started to space out, and Sarada's hit was like getting slugged in the middle of a dream; cold-cocked straight awake.

"I had a few words with him myself. Wherever he is, I hope he's considered just what he's done," he said, a slight, sad smirk rising in the corner of his mouth.

"The question is, just where do we go from here?"

Sarada quirked an eyebrow when she noticed that Zaofan was struggling after her love tap. She didn't think she hit him that hard, but apparently she still didn't know her own strength.

"I wouldn't count on it," she remarked. "That ******* sounds like the type to believe with unwavering confidence that he's right. Everything he does is for 'the greater good', even if that means killing innocent people because their in the way." If it wasn't for the fact that the Dragon clan could and would eventually make a second set of dragonballs to revive Elder Nail, she would have been a hell of a lot more upset. Instead, it was only a major pain in the ass.

"We'll have to travel to Namek to wish Eva and Jack back to life. Once she's back, we can use Earth's to bring Nunlil back." She huffed out a sigh. "Tch, what a fucking pain in the ass. We'll have to head back to Reshlan to pick Maiz up, then return to Earth. I guess we can figure out where to go from here once we get back." She was sick of looking at Darkle and just wanted to go home. Except home was a cloud of space dust at that point. ****. I just need somewhere to lay down.

"We all need some rest."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Banespell disappeared after an attempted barb, and Inanna simply let him leave. So bound, by means of Fae sorcery, there was little else to do. To say nothing of her wounds...

"Tch..."

The Sword of Damocles. Even now, she still felt it; though perhaps that was simply exhaustion as the rest of her had yet to heal properly. There were more pressing matters, besides.

Held. Evangeline... the rest of them.

Their blood was in part, on her hands. She'd played it over cautious. Hadn't expected her opponent to turn to such underhanded tactics...

In a way, the game had changed.

As had the relationship between herself, and this group she surmised. All of this had been after all, a bid in part, to kill her; while securing other high value targets. The rest of them had merely been caught in the crossfire. Which left her few options moving forward, especially if the plan was to protect what little she cared for.

Inanna looked up at the stars above Darkle, and sighed heavily. "Is it time for that, already?"

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Rutaba listened to Totoma's recount of his death and the circumstances surrounding it. She didn't know who Sihn was, but if he was related to Inanna, then he was important. Saving him was the right thing to do, even if it came at the cost of his life.

That was why Just Saiyan was a hero's hero! He sacrificed himself so Parsley could help him defeat the bad guy. ...A god. She had never met one of those before, other than seeing Shek'hinah at Sarada's pairing ceremony. It must have been super exciting to fight someone that powerful! Too bad she wasn't there. Or maybe not. She probably would have just gotten in the way. That was why she intended on training as hard as she could with Vocado! And with Just Saiyan there, he could join them.

That wasn't all she planned on doing.

This was totally her chance to prove to Just Saiyan that she, the Fabulous Rutaba, was more worthy of being his wife than that old hag he was currently married to. She was younger, hotter, and would be way stronger by the time their training was done. There was no way he would be able to deny her.

Oh.

Well, when she reached adulthood, that was. By that point, she would have already proven herself!



"Yes, the woman mentioned she had a son," Vocado affirmed. "Though, from her description, you were much smaller the last time she had seen you." A small smile touched his lips as he recalled the subtle, very well-hidden pride Tasure displayed when recounting how powerful the boy was at such a young age.

"So, Totoma, since you are here, I assume you wish to train with myself and young Rutaba? You've already displayed the level beyond Super Saiyan. Very good. I'm curious about how far you can push your power."

Rutaba seemed excited. Couldn't blame her... yeah, she'd died, but how many got the chance to train with the Legendary Vocado, himself. She'd definitely be a super saiyan by the time she was revived... maybe even ascended past that! The sky was the limit, as the saying went.

...but then there was also space, which was really huge, so maybe space was the limit? But some scientific theories said that space was unlimited, so maybe there was no limit?

...

Agh, this was making his head hurt. Back to non-head hurting stuff.

Totoma nodded to Vocado. To be honest, it was difficult to avoid fanboying out when in his presence, but Rutaba... had probably given him a lot of that, so he restrained himself. "Yep. Recently--and I do mean recently, like... past couple of days--I keep running into guys that make whatever power I've achieved up until that point look like nothing. Like that multi-armed dragon guy on Ruco... had I not somehow managed to combine Hitozaru and Super Saiyan, I'd have died right then and there."

It hadn't been that long ago, yet in the intervening time, he'd managed to grow by leaps and bounds. After E Bekon had 'fixed' his body and switched back, he'd found that he'd become multiple times stronger... probably a result of a self-inflicted zenkai from the Hitozaru stunt. But when he'd transformed into an Ascended Super Saiyan upon Eva's death, his power had swelled beyond all measure.

He had the sneaking suspicion that E Bekon had something to do with that abnormal power increase, as well. He was a quick learned, so maybe just being in the Emperor's body had helped him... dunno, optimize his own body or its ki usage?

...whatever the reason, he was grateful, because had he entered the fight as he was before attaining SSJ2, he would've been dead weight.

"Don't get me wrong, I've managed until now... I've always had a reserve of hidden potential to draw upon or a new form, a new technique, or some combination of those things, but if I keep relying on that sort of thing... eventually there's going to come a time when I don't have any hidden reserves left or some ace up my sleeve," he said. "Still, I've noticed something in my battles with that dragon-guy and the wolf god."

Closing his eyes, Totoma Blutz Flashed himself into Hitozaru. "I mentioned using this form and Super Saiyan at the same time, yeah? I did it the first time against that dragon guy, and the aftereffects... well, it fucked something up and if not for, uh... unexpected help, I'd be at home, on Earth, probably wondering if I'd be permanently crippled. However..."

Focusing, he transformed into Super Saiyan 2 on top of the Hitozaru, his power swelling to awesome new heights. He couldn't do much with it except channel it into one gigantic finishing blow... or just stand there being intimidating, but that was the thing... "I did it again against the Wolf God, using, uh, Super Saiyan 2, and it didn't have the horrible, debilitating backlash. I mean, yeah, I think I could only use it as a one-time boost to a specific technique or just to be really... really intimidating, but the point is... it somehow became more stable despite the power output being higher."

Exhaling sharply and relaxing his muscles, Totoma reverted to his base form. "I figure that, at least as far as Super Saiyan goes, you've gotta be the most knowledgeable in the universe, since you've had like 2000 years to figure this stuff out and all that. This is just a crazy out-there idea, but I really think that taking both Hitozaru and Super Saiyan to their limits and then combining them will yield a form that goes waaay beyond anything imagineable. So yeah, I want to train with you and Rutaba, so I can achieve a form that nobody's ever seen before."

...well, it was entirely possible that Vocado, in his 2000 years, had achieved what the Just Saiyan was aiming for. Honestly, it seemed pretty likely. But he meant the people in the living world!

And, uh, well, there was god ki to consider, but he was talking normal, non-god saiyan stuff, ha ha. Couldn't transcend one's limits without actually hitting them, he figured.

[grampagen]

Sarada quirked an eyebrow when she noticed that Zaofan was struggling after her love tap. She didn't think she hit him that hard, but apparently she still didn't know her own strength.

"I wouldn't count on it," she remarked. "That ******* sounds like the type to believe with unwavering confidence that he's right. Everything he does is for 'the greater good', even if that means killing innocent people because their in the way." If it wasn't for the fact that the Dragon clan could and would eventually make a second set of dragonballs to revive Elder Nail, she would have been a hell of a lot more upset. Instead, it was only a major pain in the ass.

"We'll have to travel to Namek to wish Eva and Jack back to life. Once she's back, we can use Earth's to bring Nunlil back." She huffed out a sigh. "Tch, what a fucking pain in the ass. We'll have to head back to Reshlan to pick Maiz up, then return to Earth. I guess we can figure out where to go from here once we get back." She was sick of looking at Darkle and just wanted to go home. Except home was a cloud of space dust at that point. ****. I just need somewhere to lay down.

"We all need some rest."

"...I suppose it all depends on the Namekians then," Zaofan smiled weakly. "Has anybody kept in touch with Slak? Fella always seemed to be busy if he wasn't picking up after us."

Part of the reason why he'd put aside extra time during his own training to understand the driving force of the body was to try and keep things moving smoothly. Attacking an opening was a skill he'd always wanted to stay sharp in, of course, but after delving into the lost history of Zxu'ro, to say nothing of Avalon, it made him realize, sometimes, it wasn't enough to just keep fighting if you wanted to keep a thing alive.

"Well, it's as good an idea as any, Sarada. Personally, I'm exhausted, but I know for a fact that they didn't get out of this unscathed." This world aside, they'd retreated, which meant either they were regrouping and plotting for another strike, or this would be the only chance their lot would have to recuperate.

"Rest, boy, that'd be nice." It'd been a half year since he'd departed to search for Reshlan, but it felt like an age since he'd been home. Wiping his eyes and patting Totoma one last time on the back just to make sure things were in order with him, Zaofan sighed and shook his head as he looked back over to Sarada.

"But there's still some things we've left unattended right here."

Totoma, your green beam clashes with the red light of the moon above. The Judge avoids some of the damage, but under the torrent of energy he cannot escape.

One more bullet manages to fire and slam into your left ankle, but your beams destroy more and more until only a head, part of his chest, and half an arm remain laying against a massively thick tree.
.

Got 'em. Probably. Totoma himself had gotten hit again--this time in the ankle. He tried to mend that one as best he could with that... thread trick he'd just pulled out of his ass, then began making his way, warily, towards the Judge's body, wincing in pain due to the fact that his leg and ankle were royally fucked up.

...while he was doing so, he made efforts to look for any sources of water nearby. Not only was he thirsty from all the fighting and RAGE, he needed to heal. At least that RAGE was starting to subside, what with Eva & the others' killer having been overwhelmed and killed... or subdued.

Stopping enough distance away from the Judge to dodge--twice--if he were indeed still alive, Totoma focused on him, trying to sense any energy, movement, or... sign of life from him. Or sign of activity, since he seemed to be some sort of android or cyborg?

There are sparks of energy within the Jody, but that’s about it. It’s head turns weakly and watches you.

The forest near where the Forger had first situated his cottage had largely burned away since the first combat, and when Ishtar arrived the battle swiftly moved across the continent. Haze and exhaustion brought with it a foggy air over this former battlefield, that one might have easily slipped through the cracks...if they could move.

Marching through the clearing, ashen earth broke underfoot as Zaofan scanned the decimated forest floor for something. No, for someone. He found him there, a fragmented torso leaning against the trunk of a tree, cast a glance at him, and kept walking.

Only for a moment though, for when he came back from stepping into the brush, the chef returned with a rather ill-fitting rifle at his side.

Aiming from the hip, he point the Judge's own gun back at him.

"Bet you didn't see this coming, did you?"

[grampagen]

"He became the very thing he sought to destroy."

It was an amusing realization. Forger claimed with wavering confidence that Inanna would go crazy and, with the vast amount of power she had at her disposal, destroy the universe as they knew it. The Oni played things fast and loose, so even if that vision was a slightly altered lie, it was still a believable one. In his quest to rid the universe of what he believed to be one of the two most dangerous threats to its safety and sanctity, he became what he hated.

A monster.

A menace.

An out of control beast led by the nose by his master. But, instead of being led by his lust and curiosity like Inanna, he was being led by Lady Binder and Queen Mab. It wasn't a coincidence of curious timing that he left right after Inanna reappeared. Seeing her without doubt made him realize - along with his conversation with herself and Ochazuke - that exact thing.

"Perhaps he's speaking with his people to reaffirm his belief that he isn't a monster." Also, to convince his people that they were the monsters. After all, they had brought violence and conflict to that world. Not without provocation, but that was a small detail that could be left out or readily ignored. Regardless of whether that was the case or not, what was clear was that he knew as well as they did that the conflict was over. They, or at least she, wouldn't pursue him with him near innocent civilians. It wouldn't be long before he disappeared to reunite with the remainder of his cabal. At that point, he would be lost.

The prudent thing would be to fall back to Reshlan and heal and regroup. Earth was unprotected. The sooner they returned, the better.

"If he does tell such a lie, then the Binder will have his fool soul to go along with his mind," Ochazuke replied, "It would be simpler for all of us involved if her were otherwise honest, least of all to his own people before he presumes to use their lives as a shield."

What a strange, provocative sentiment from one who gave the order to murder Guardians in cold blood. Perhaps he felt some lives were worth more than others in the grand design of things. For Ochazuke it served as a cruel reminder of the time and distance he'd put between himself and his home in order to save it.

"I should have been there. But for Auroc, I would have," he smouldered. Six months ago, he'd moved out without hesitation to bring this years-long nightmare to an end. Now that these new agendas had sprouted from the ether, he was able to glimpse the endless void of this impossible task that stretched from the beginning of the universe itself.

"We would give anything to ensure our lot remains safe. Perhaps in that we and the Ulthan are the same, common fool, Forged in fear."

"There's nothing more we can do. The Fae aren't a priority worth pursuing at this point. I have seen Binder's power first hand, as have you. Any further conflict would quickly turn against us. We need to return to Earth as soon as possible and figure out where to go from there."

The Fae were the furthest thing from her mind at that point. Those that played a simulated game didn't interfere with that simulation too much. She felt safe to assume Binder wouldn't harass them, not like The Judge had recently. She felt they could be safely placed on the backburner until they gained more power. For herself and Sarada, mastering the three Super Saiyan forms and undergoing the ascension ritual to achieve godhood was the top priority. That would even the odds. Three gods for the Ulthan, and three for them.

Given how well they battled the Ulthan while severely outmatched, it would actually tip things in their favor.

"It matters little. Each of them wears a ring to symbolize their pact," Ochazuke said, "Now they wear them like a marked brand. In time, I will find them."

Parsley seemed determined to move to Earth. It had always been the haven for whatever galactic passers-by there were, and yet so often had it been the battleground for denizens of far-off worlds they knew nothing of. Long had he wanted to return and attempt to right the wrongs.

If only it were that easy.

"Alakazah has been released. I don't know how, but Banespell loosed his bonds to get his futile wish. And now with Evangeline gone, there is no telling to what extent he will realize his power." He wouldn't say it aloud, but as far as he knew, Earth could very well be doomed. If there were recourse, he'd swore to find it, but the days of battle wore long on him.

"Cheh, how ironic. The safest place in the universe right now may be Reshlan."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"...I suppose it all depends on the Namekians then," Zaofan smiled weakly. "Has anybody kept in touch with Slak? Fella always seemed to be busy if he wasn't picking up after us."

Part of the reason why he'd put aside extra time during his own training to understand the driving force of the body was to try and keep things moving smoothly. Attacking an opening was a skill he'd always wanted to stay sharp in, of course, but after delving into the lost history of Zxu'ro, to say nothing of Avalon, it made him realize, sometimes, it wasn't enough to just keep fighting if you wanted to keep a thing alive.

"Well, it's as good an idea as any, Sarada. Personally, I'm exhausted, but I know for a fact that they didn't get out of this unscathed." This world aside, they'd retreated, which meant either they were regrouping and plotting for another strike, or this would be the only chance their lot would have to recuperate.

"Rest, boy, that'd be nice." It'd been a half year since he'd departed to search for Reshlan, but it felt like an age since he'd been home. Wiping his eyes and patting Totoma one last time on the back just to make sure things were in order with him, Zaofan sighed and shook his head as he looked back over to Sarada.

"But there's still some things we've left unattended right here."

"Nah. I figure I'd leave Slak alone unless I needed him." If Sarada was being honest, she had long gotten the vibe that Slak hated them. He was a reserved, sensible person. The majority of their group even back then was anything but. For someone like him, the constant antics had to have been grating on the nerves. It didn't surprise her that he had kept his distance all this time, with the exception of major things. Finding out that his Elder was killed due to some far-out scheme to kill someone he was only briefly associated with was going to piss him off.

She sighed. "They're licking their wounds, no doubt. Two of theirs are dead and The Judge and Ishtar both got fucked up pretty bad." She looked up, taking in the endless sea of stars above them. Somewhere near one of those stars, the Ulthan were waiting, resting, and preparing. "They underestimated us, big time." Not surprising. They managed to catch them off-guard. Even still, it was close. They were hurt, but still standing.

"We're all on their hit list now. That Judge guy is scrap, but this won't be the last time they try to **** with us." Her remaining hand balled into a fist. "I'm gonna beat them to the punch. No one fucks with my Queen and gets away with it." She looked at Zaofan and gave him a lopsided smile. "Rest up and get to training, Cookman. We got a lotta hard fights in the future. The remaining Ulthan, Genesis, Sakin. We're in the realm of gods now, buddy. It's time for us to ascend and square up."

The forest near where the Forger had first situated his cottage had largely burned away since the first combat, and when Ishtar arrived the battle swiftly moved across the continent. Haze and exhaustion brought with it a foggy air over this former battlefield, that one might have easily slipped through the cracks...if they could move.

Marching through the clearing, ashen earth broke underfoot as Zaofan scanned the decimated forest floor for something. No, for someone. He found him there, a fragmented torso leaning against the trunk of a tree, cast a glance at him, and kept walking.

Only for a moment though, for when he came back from stepping into the brush, the chef returned with a rather ill-fitting rifle at his side.

Aiming from the hip, he point the Judge's own gun back at him.

"Bet you didn't see this coming, did you?"

Zaofan reminded her that The Judge was still around. She thought Totoma finished him off, but apparently not. Fucking bastard was tougher than she thought a machine could be, but it wasn't going to last for long. Zaofan left to finish what Totoma started.

While he was gone, she decided to amend the plan she came up with. She stepped toward Totoma and sat down beside him. "We still have a few days left before Tundra arrives," she said. "Let's take the rest of today and tomorrow to get our minds right, then we'll leave to face him. There's no telling what those natives are like, so I'd rather recover on Reshlan or Earth than there, even if going straight there now is more tactically sound."

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

"Nah. I figure I'd leave Slak alone unless I needed him." If Sarada was being honest, she had long gotten the vibe that Slak hated them. He was a reserved, sensible person. The majority of their group even back then was anything but. For someone like him, the constant antics had to have been grating on the nerves. It didn't surprise her that he had kept his distance all this time, with the exception of major things. Finding out that his Elder was killed due to some far-out scheme to kill someone he was only briefly associated with was going to piss him off.

She sighed. "They're licking their wounds, no doubt. Two of theirs are dead and The Judge and Ishtar both got fucked up pretty bad." She looked up, taking in the endless sea of stars above them. Somewhere near one of those stars, the Ulthan were waiting, resting, and preparing. "They underestimated us, big time." Not surprising. They managed to catch them off-guard. Even still, it was close. They were hurt, but still standing.

"We're all on their hit list now. That Judge guy is scrap, but this won't be the last time they try to **** with us." Her remaining hand balled into a fist. "I'm gonna beat them to the punch. No one fucks with my Queen and gets away with it." She looked at Zaofan and gave him a lopsided smile. "Rest up and get to training, Cookman. We got a lotta hard fights in the future. The remaining Ulthan, Genesis, Sakin. We're in the realm of gods now, buddy. It's time for us to ascend and square up."



Zaofan reminded her that The Judge was still around. She thought Totoma finished him off, but apparently not. Fucking bastard was tougher than she thought a machine could be, but it wasn't going to last for long. Zaofan left to finish what Totoma started.

While he was gone, she decided to amend the plan she came up with. She stepped toward Totoma and sat down beside him. "We still have a few days left before Tundra arrives," she said. "Let's take the rest of today and tomorrow to get our minds right, then we'll leave to face him. There's no telling what those natives are like, so I'd rather recover on Reshlan or Earth than there, even if going straight there now is more tactically sound."

"You are, of course, welcome to recover on Reshaln... or Vaikuntha, if you so prefer," said Neva, as she approached the Saiyan Queen and... the Just Saiyan, as he called himself. Apparently he had died and been revived during the course of the battle? How curious.

She regarded Sarada's... stump. Always with the loss of limbs with these saiyans--this one in particular. "It may have been beyond my abilities previously, but I may be able to restore your arm. Assuming, of course, that you haven't grown to prefer your artificial ones and would prefer Jinzi or someone else to craft you a replacement."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"You are, of course, welcome to recover on Reshaln... or Vaikuntha, if you so prefer," said Neva, as she approached the Saiyan Queen and... the Just Saiyan, as he called himself. Apparently he had died and been revived during the course of the battle? How curious.

She regarded Sarada's... stump. Always with the loss of limbs with these saiyans--this one in particular. "It may have been beyond my abilities previously, but I may be able to restore your arm. Assuming, of course, that you haven't grown to prefer your artificial ones and would prefer Jinzi or someone else to craft you a replacement."

Nevanlinna approached with an offer to restore Sarada's arm. Her... flesh arm. It had been three years since her arm exploded and she got it replaced by the awesome and technologically exquisite prosthetic crafted by Jinzi. It could turn into a giant vibrator. She hadn't had much occasion to make Inanna's toes curl with it, but from the few times she had, it had performed its duties admirably.

Sadly, she only had a few days before she was set to engage in the battle of her life, she didn't have time wait for Jinzi to make her a new one.

As much as it pained her, she would... have to allow Neva to remake her flesh and blood arm.

She swallowed and grimaced. "You can... go ahead and... *sniffle*... restore my arm." Just saying it had her almost in tears. At least her hand could vibrate, too.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Nevanlinna approached with an offer to restore Sarada's arm. Her... flesh arm. It had been three years since her arm exploded and she got it replaced by the awesome and technologically exquisite prosthetic crafted by Jinzi. It could turn into a giant vibrator. She hadn't had much occasion to make Inanna's toes curl with it, but from the few times she had, it had performed its duties admirably.

Sadly, she only had a few days before she was set to engage in the battle of her life, she didn't have time wait for Jinzi to make her a new one.

As much as it pained her, she would... have to allow Neva to remake her flesh and blood arm.

She swallowed and grimaced. "You can... go ahead and... *sniffle*... restore my arm." Just saying it had her almost in tears. At least her hand could vibrate, too.

Sarada accepted her offer, but seemed almost... crestfallen at its necessity? Perhaps she had grown attached to it, but the circumstances demanded she be... fully armed before Jinzi (or another) could craft another?

...it mattered little.

Hovering her hands over Sarada's arm-stump, Nevanlinna closed her eyes and 'felt' the Saiyan Queen's hozon. Since it was, well, hers, there should be an... imprint of her full body, so to speak, in it, and... oh! Indeed there was. Through a complicated interplay of her new ability to manipulate hozon and her magical abilities, it should be possible to restore the saiyaness' arm.

Weaving together hozon and magical energy between her hands, the mixture flowed into Sarada's... stump... and began to do its work. The Queen would feel an odd tingling sensation at first, then a... sensation of quick growth--or regrowth, in this case--as her arm began to reform.

Skin stretched, bones, muscle, sinew, ligaments, and nerves regrew and reattached themselves properly, and finally, her ki channels and meridians re-established themselves. The entire process took, perhaps, thirty seconds, and at the end, she had her fleshy arm back, good as new.

"There," said Nevanlinna. "It might very well take a few minutes, perhaps an hour, to adjust to it, and in the meantime it may be a bit numb and clumsy. Unfortunately, this is the first time I've performed healing to this extent, so I'm sort of, mmm, what's the earth saying... 'winging it'?"

She was pretty sure that was the correct phrase to use for her having an idea for the final result, but only half an idea of how to actually pull it off.

"How intriguing. Someone able to manipulate hozon, especially in that manner, is quite rare, young lady," came another voice from nearby. It was Voyavoda. Nevanlinna gave him a sidelong glance.

He was younger-looking now... no, not just younger-looking; he had actually de-aged to some extent. And the cause was immediately apparent... it was none other than an effect of the very energy she had begun delving into, albeit limited only to himself. "I could perhaps says the very same of you... Voyavoda."

Given the similarities between this man and the Nevadian Emperor, the fact that he could at least manipulate his own hozon to some extent, and that Bajie had referred to him as 'the emperor', it stood to reason that this man was the very same one she had seen in that odd little... past life regression. In a manner of speaking, anyway. Two-thousand years was a long time, so he had no doubt changed immensely since then.

Voyavoda cocked his head. "Is there something wrong? You're regarding at me with a rather perturbed expression."

"...is it normal for Nevadians to approach women while completely naked?" Nevanlinna averted her gaze to somewhere else.

"Oh dear... my apologies, princess," replied Voyavoda, as flames erupted from his body, forming a... supposedly modesty-preserving... speedo on him. In some ways, that made things even worse.

"..."

"Right. Ignoring... whatever that is, I must ask you... I have heard that Nevadians can 'jumpstart' themselves back to life if dealt a near-fatal blow. How long will it take?" Held was a companion--not a particularly close one, mind, but still a companion--and beyond that, was assisting in setting up economic and... assistance... ties for Reshlan.

"Truthfully? He should have been back up a few minutes after he was felled. He's certainly not dead--not with Hilda having preserved him--but for unknown reasons, he hasn't jump-started," said Voyavoda, scratching his beard. "Perhaps his soul has been whisked away to a heavenly realm to dine with Angels and Unicorns, and he is so enjoying himself that he has yet to return?"

"...that's silly and you know it." This man certainly had a peculiar sense of humour.

"Just trying to lighten the mood. In truth, all we can do in regards to young Held is wait and hope that whatever is holding up his return passes by soon."

With that, Voyavoda turned his attention to Totoma. "My boy, it seems that Earthling managed to get you back up and running. Wouldn't happen to have seen held lounging about in heaven during your brief trip there, hm?"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

( Zaofan is right on the money. I did have this in mind. It's because of my own selfishness that Held's dead. He gave me good pointers , I should had listen to him more ) Praxat Thought.

(Realm of the gods, huh, if I want to stand against gods, I'm going to have to become one!) Praxat thought.

"In her new awakened form with her eyes glowing blue with electricity. Praxat clutches her right hand into a fist." Starting now, I will be training in this state As a part of my training, and my goal is to reach the level of a god!" Praxat said.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Sarada accepted her offer, but seemed almost... crestfallen at its necessity? Perhaps she had grown attached to it, but the circumstances demanded she be... fully armed before Jinzi (or another) could craft another?

...it mattered little.

Hovering her hands over Sarada's arm-stump, Nevanlinna closed her eyes and 'felt' the Saiyan Queen's hozon. Since it was, well, hers, there should be an... imprint of her full body, so to speak, in it, and... oh! Indeed there was. Through a complicated interplay of her new ability to manipulate hozon and her magical abilities, it should be possible to restore the saiyaness' arm.

Weaving together hozon and magical energy between her hands, the mixture flowed into Sarada's... stump... and began to do its work. The Queen would feel an odd tingling sensation at first, then a... sensation of quick growth--or regrowth, in this case--as her arm began to reform.

Skin stretched, bones, muscle, sinew, ligaments, and nerves regrew and reattached themselves properly, and finally, her ki channels and meridians re-established themselves. The entire process took, perhaps, thirty seconds, and at the end, she had her fleshy arm back, good as new.

"There," said Nevanlinna. "It might very well take a few minutes, perhaps an hour, to adjust to it, and in the meantime it may be a bit numb and clumsy. Unfortunately, this is the first time I've performed healing to this extent, so I'm sort of, mmm, what's the earth saying... 'winging it'?"

She was pretty sure that was the correct phrase to use for her having an idea for the final result, but only half an idea of how to actually pull it off.

It was done. It was a fucking strange sensation to literally feel and watch her arm regrow from nothing, literal empty space. Witnessing cells multiply and shift into bone, veins, blood, muscle, and finally skin and hair was one of the weirdest things she had ever seen. That was saying a lot, but somehow also didn't say enough.

She flexed her newly formed bicep and balled her hand into a fist. Neither resulted in much of a sensation. Neva said that the arm would feel numb for a while before finally feeling like normal. By the time the rest of her recovered, it would be up to par and feel as good as new.

"Thanks, Neva," she said with a small, tired smile. "It can't turn into a vibrator, but it'll do."

Hm.

Actually...

She was fast enough to vibrate her fingers. Sure, she wouldn't be able to do the different settings like pulsate and such like her right hand could, but it was more than good enough. Besides, there was nothing quite like kneading a soft tiddy. A cybernetic prosthetic couldn't replicate that sensation. The more she thought about it, the more Sarada was okay with having her flesh arm back up and running.

She grinned and gave Neva a friendly slap on the ass. "Thanks again, Neva. I owe you one."

Didn't seem like there was much else left for her to do there, so she decided to find her dumbass wife and slap her up - verbally speaking, of course - while she was in a good mood. She took to the air and flew back in that direction.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"If he does tell such a lie, then the Binder will have his fool soul to go along with his mind," Ochazuke replied, "It would be simpler for all of us involved if her were otherwise honest, least of all to his own people before he presumes to use their lives as a shield."

What a strange, provocative sentiment from one who gave the order to murder Guardians in cold blood. Perhaps he felt some lives were worth more than others in the grand design of things. For Ochazuke it served as a cruel reminder of the time and distance he'd put between himself and his home in order to save it.

"I should have been there. But for Auroc, I would have," he smouldered. Six months ago, he'd moved out without hesitation to bring this years-long nightmare to an end. Now that these new agendas had sprouted from the ether, he was able to glimpse the endless void of this impossible task that stretched from the beginning of the universe itself.

"We would give anything to ensure our lot remains safe. Perhaps in that we and the Ulthan are the same, common fool, Forged in fear."

"You didn't know," Parsley said. An obvious statement. Of course he didn't know these people were out there, plotting and planning the most craven means of drawing out their quarry. None of them did. However, she found that the simplest, most obvious statements were often the most comforting. People needed the reassurance of hearing something they knew deep down reaffirmed to them.

"None of us knew most of these people existed." She sighed and cut a glance toward Inanna. "Except her. Fitting how their quarry was the only one who knew their intentions until she told me a few days ago."

"It matters little. Each of them wears a ring to symbolize their pact," Ochazuke said, "Now they wear them like a marked brand. In time, I will find them."

Parsley seemed determined to move to Earth. It had always been the haven for whatever galactic passers-by there were, and yet so often had it been the battleground for denizens of far-off worlds they knew nothing of. Long had he wanted to return and attempt to right the wrongs.

If only it were that easy.

"Alakazah has been released. I don't know how, but Banespell loosed his bonds to get his futile wish. And now with Evangeline gone, there is no telling to what extent he will realize his power." He wouldn't say it aloud, but as far as he knew, Earth could very well be doomed. If there were recourse, he'd swore to find it, but the days of battle wore long on him.

"Cheh, how ironic. The safest place in the universe right now may be Reshlan."

"According to Sarada and Inanna, he can't actually bring about any harm while he's still bound to his dragonballs, nor can he be harmed. Banespell only loosened the trammels, but didn't break them. Earth, for the time being, at least, should be safe from his wrath."

She knew that would do little to ease his concerns, nor should it have. The threat of the elder dragon was the weightiest threat out of the plethora of enemies they had accumulated over the years. The new confirmation of his power only proved to heap a new level of anxiety on the pending confrontation. The thought of confronting the most powerful entity in Universe 15 was utterly exhilarating, but that excitement was annihilated the moment she reminded herself that if she and those who fought with her lost, the universe would fall.

They were the only ones, that she knew of, who would eventually stand a chance of defeating him. How they would reach that level, she didn't know; but ascending to godhood was a must. Lampton will be busy in the coming years.

"The Dragon won't be released until a peer of his makes a wish upon him. Banespell is a fool, but I don't think he's so stupid that he would fully release him for another chance at ridding the universe of Inanna. Perhaps naively, but I don't think he will be released until we are ready to kill him once and for all." That was her hope, anyway.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

"You didn't know," Parsley said. An obvious statement. Of course he didn't know these people were out there, plotting and planning the most craven means of drawing out their quarry. None of them did. However, she found that the simplest, most obvious statements were often the most comforting. People needed the reassurance of hearing something they knew deep down reaffirmed to them.

"None of us knew most of these people existed." She sighed and cut a glance toward Inanna. "Except her. Fitting how their quarry was the only one who knew their intentions until she told me a few days ago."

It took a moment, but Inanna eventually looked at Parsley.

This first, she supposed.

"I had my suspicions about what Banespell was up to, but had confirmed nothing." She said with a shake of her head. "It wasn't until I translated that book you found, I even had any idea who all he had allied himself with. I had suspected it was merely himself, and the Binder." Even still, it was a definite lapse; assuming that Banespell posed no immediate threat; and the fresh blood on her hands was clear for everyone to see.

"The Dragon won't be released until a peer of his makes a wish upon him. Banespell is a fool, but I don't think he's so stupid that he would fully release him for another chance at ridding the universe of Inanna. Perhaps naively, but I don't think he will be released until we are ready to kill him once and for all." That was her hope, anyway.

"You misunderstand. A Peer did wish upon him. Ishtar." Inanna clarified simply.