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

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

It was a nightmare. Pois was standing next to Botarega when reports started rolling in. Massive ships numbering in the dozens were descending on the worlds in the Empire. It was as she feared when she found out the portals were going to remain closed. Tundra’s army could simply fly to the different worlds. It would take them a little longer, but they would get there.

She realized that it wouldn’t be long before an army showed up for Langal. With three royal children there, including the heir, she absolutely could not waste time lamenting Sarada’s poor timing. She needed a plan and needed one five minutes ago. “How many councilmembers are on Langal?”

Botarega took a moment to think. As the seconds ticked by, his already grim countenance grew grimmer. “Just me.”

“Shit.” She gnawed on the thumbnail as she tried to think of something. Tasure and Avoca were there, as were Pinach. They only needed one Super Saiyan to protect Langal. The other worlds were vulnerable. The only problem was that there were over a dozen worlds in the Empire and only six Super Saiyans; seven, if she counted that Lantro traitor. Either way, he and three other SSJs were unavailable, leaving only Tasure, Avoca, and Pinach.

She quickly pulled up the colonies on the screen in front of her and looked them over. As far as she knew, Callion was by far the weakest still and would need the most help. Besides them, the newer colonies needed the most help.

She sat down to write down the coordinates for three of six new colonies for Tasure; her instant transmission technique would make traveling to each world a snap. She intended on sending Pinach to Callion, then give him the rest of the new colonies. Avoca could stay on Langal; she didn’t foresee any attempt to get her to leave her children behind going well. Pepa would have to fend for itself. Becbaga was there, so there was hope. Hopefully, the soldiers wouldn’t be that strong. They were practically foot soldiers from what she heard from Senerg’s report. Unless they had stronger Lieutenants, there shouldn’t have been any problems.

“I’m going to hand out these reinforcements assignments,” she said as she started to walk out.

Botarega was right behind her. “I’ll rally whatever troops we have left here. I suggest you barricade yourself with those kids. They’re top priority.”

She didn’t know why he was entrusting her with their lives, rather than someone stronger. Still, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll do my best.”

She quickly hurried out of the war room and quickly zeroed in on where Pinach was located. Predictably, he was with his nieces and nephew. Avoca and Tasure were both there, too, which meant she could kill two birds with one stone. She stepped inside. Garnish was climbing over Pinach, laughing and giggling as she yanked on his spiky blonde hair. Avoca was sitting quietly in the corner, her son sleeping soundly in her arms. Pois stepping inside caught her attention.

“I hate to interrupt, but we have a serious problem. Tundra’s army has started to invade several of the other worlds in the Empire. Seven, so far. It won’t be long before they reach the other worlds, including here. Pinach, I need you to head to Callion first to clear the invasion out; they won't last long. Avoca, stay here. Tasure, head to these colonies. They're a ways out, but you can teleport, right?” She had no idea how it worked, but hopefully giving her coordinates would help somehow.

There wasn't a lot of time for her to gauge their reactions or to answer any questions. Not that she was expecting any from those three. It was pretty straightforward. There was fighting to be done, and she told them where to find it. The main and most important thing was making sure Langal was kept secure. The race's future was literally in that room. If it was breached, it wouldn't matter if they survived. "I...I'll keep guard over these three. I'll barricade us in here."

Avoca gently placed Mais in the chair after she stood up. "Okay. Do you know how far the army is out?"

"No. Botarega will make sure we have plenty of warning." She turned on her heels and walked out. "I'm going to gather some supplies. I'll be back."

She walked swiftly to the kitchen for food. After that, she needed to head to the armory for weapons and armor. The white dress and half breastplate she was wearing suited her for her role as palace coordinator, but a soldier needed more. Using weapons wasn't necessarily Saiyan-like - though the Princess had that ax, so who really knew what was Saiyan-like anymore - but necessity called for it.

It was up to her. Everyone else was going to be fighting.

She gathered up enough food and snacks for two hungry toddlers, and some formula for the Princess and placed it all in a cart. Then, she went to suit up. It had been forever since she wore a soldier's armor. It felt weird, but oddly nostalgic. Oddly, because she was never a soldier and only wore it during her stint in the CTC.

A pair of footsteps behind her attracted her attention from the wall of laser rifles she was looking over. "The soldiers are on high alert and I have the watchtower scanning the atmosphere. The moment the invaders come within a hundred miles of the planet, we'll know," Botarega said.

She swallowed, but couldn't bring herself to give any kind of sign of relief. "Okay, good." She turned back around and plucked a rifle, a handgun, and several cartridges from the wall and dropped them in the cart.

As if sensing her unease, Botarega took his leave. "Good luck."

"Yeah, you too," she muttered to his fleeing form. She sighed heavily and wheeled her supplies down the hall. It was empty. Most everyone was already outside and waiting. The other worlds were caught off-guard. They on Langal had a real chance with advanced warning and a Super Saiyan. Chances were she wouldn't even need to fight. The odds of anyone slipping by thousands of soldiers and Avoca were slim. Pois dared not get her hopes up, but... that was all she had.

Hope.

She could only hope the invaders weren't that strong, hope they didn't get past Avoca and the army, and hope she was strong enough to fight them all off if they did. And as the warning klaxon started blaring, accompanied by a flashing red light, she realized that wasn't any time to find anything else to base her confidence on.

"THIS IS NOT A DRILL! ALL AVAILABLE SOLDIERS REPORT TO THE BATTLEFIELD IMMEDIATELY. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THE PLANET IS UNDER INVASION!"

She neared the room and heard all three children crying. Her inner strength wilted. Strong face, Pois. For their sake, put on a strong face. She burst into the room, rolled the cart into the center, and then immediately closed the door behind her. She flipped open a case covering a red button and slammed her fist on it. A foot-thick steel door slid up from the floor and in front of the door. The windows were also sealed shut. "It'll be okay, children. We'll be just fine." She turned to face them and gave them the most confident smile she could muster. "I promise."

Tasure had been enjoying the quiet when... Pois, was it, entered the room and announced that multiple simultaneous attacks had begun on the empire's planets. Pinach was to go to Callion, Avoca was to defend Langal, and she was to handle some of the newer colonies. Pepa... was apparently being left to fend for itself.

Tch. Tasure made a mental note to head to Pepa once she was done with the colonies, even though nobody had asked her. Large scale battles, with all that ki being thrown about, were easier to sense than people just sitting around relaxing. Getting there wouldn't be an issue, and... well, perhaps Totoma was rubbing off on her, as far as good deeds went.

"Colonies, eh? With these coordinates, I can... probably manage it," she said. Hopefully she didn't end up teleporting into space, although if she did and wasn't too far, it wasn't a huge problem. She placed her fingers to her forehead and reached out with her ki senses.

And there she stood, brow furrowed and still as a statue, save for her tail wagging back and forth. After a long while, she managed to get a bead on the first of the colonies. Judging from the coordinates, they were closer to each other than they were to Langal, so teleporting from one to the other would probably be much smoother.

Her brow furrowed a bit more and her form blurred as she activated Instant Transmission.

...she reappeared high above the colony--high enough to see the curvature of the planet, actually. Holding her breath, she looked around, and soon notice that, several miles almost directly below her, was what appeared to be the colony's main settlement. And judging from the flashes of light and flares of ki she was sensing, the attack was already well underway.

Tch, not on her watch.

Her blue aura flaring to life, she shot downward, piercing and parting the clouds. Just before she hit the surface, she repositioned herself and landed, kicking up a great deal of dust and debris.



Standing up from her overly-dramatic entrance, Tasure cracked her neck, then glanced over the battlefield to get a bead on the current situation...

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Standing up from her overly-dramatic entrance, Tasure cracked her neck, then glanced over the battlefield to get a bead on the current situation...

The world Tasure landed on was the first of the new colonies, Tobaga. She would immediately recognize her fellow Saiyans as the ones who were casually slapping around the invading soldiers. She would also notice that the vast majority of the natives were... unbothered by the invasion. In fact, they seemed amused. They were the Magmara, a demon-like race of sorcerers who took in a hapless group of Saiyans who crash landed on their planet hundreds of years ago. They had fiery red skin, soulless yellow eyes, and pitch black hair that was draped around their equally black horns. They varied in size and shape, but most were at least a head taller than Tasure.

The Saiyans appeared to have everything well in hand. They were more powerful than the ones on Langal by a very good margin.

When Tasure made her appearance, they couldn't help but pause briefly to appraise her. "Oh, she's one of us," one man said, his words heavily accented. He broke away from the battle to greet her. "Welcome, stranger! My name is Cama. You... kinda caught us at a bad time, as you can see. Though, I suppose you aren't here to visit, huh?" An invader tried to sneak up behind him, only to have his head literally knocked off by a casual backfist. "Did the Queen send you?"

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

The world Tasure landed on was the first of the new colonies, Tobaga. She would immediately recognize her fellow Saiyans as the ones who were casually slapping around the invading soldiers. She would also notice that the vast majority of the natives were... unbothered by the invasion. In fact, they seemed amused. They were the Magmara, a demon-like race of sorcerers who took in a hapless group of Saiyans who crash landed on their planet hundreds of years ago. They had fiery red skin, soulless yellow eyes, and pitch black hair that was draped around their equally black horns. They varied in size and shape, but most were at least a head taller than Tasure.

The Saiyans appeared to have everything well in hand. They were more powerful than the ones on Langal by a very good margin.

When Tasure made her appearance, they couldn't help but pause briefly to appraise her. "Oh, she's one of us," one man said, his words heavily accented. He broke away from the battle to greet her. "Welcome, stranger! My name is Cama. You... kinda caught us at a bad time, as you can see. Though, I suppose you aren't here to visit, huh?" An invader tried to sneak up behind him, only to have his head literally knocked off by a casual backfist. "Did the Queen send you?"

It quickly became apparent that the colonists had the situation under control. They were individually a fair bit stronger than the saiyans on Langal, and there didn't appear to be any lieutenants around. She also noticed a few of the natives milling about, and their mien told her everything--this was a source of amusement, rather than anything to truly take seriously.

One of the Saiyans broke off and greeted her, swatting away the head of an opportunistic enemy as he did so. Nice. She didn't recognize his accent, though... must have been a local thing.

"Tasure, and no. Queen's on Earth, preparing to go take care of Tundra. Pois sent me to go check on the newer colonies..." She paused to slice an opportunistic attacked of her own to pieces with her Diamond Fang-clad tail. "...but it's obvious your troops could handle this on your own."

"Normally I'd be a bit more talkative, but I still have two more colonies to check up on. I can stay and help your soldiers thin the herd, or I can continue on my way. Your choice."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

It quickly became apparent that the colonists had the situation under control. They were individually a fair bit stronger than the saiyans on Langal, and there didn't appear to be any lieutenants around. She also noticed a few of the natives milling about, and their mien told her everything--this was a source of amusement, rather than anything to truly take seriously.

One of the Saiyans broke off and greeted her, swatting away the head of an opportunistic enemy as he did so. Nice. She didn't recognize his accent, though... must have been a local thing.

"Tasure, and no. Queen's on Earth, preparing to go take care of Tundra. Pois sent me to go check on the newer colonies..." She paused to slice an opportunistic attacked of her own to pieces with her Diamond Fang-clad tail. "...but it's obvious your troops could handle this on your own."

"Normally I'd be a bit more talkative, but I still have two more colonies to check up on. I can stay and help your soldiers thin the herd, or I can continue on my way. Your choice."

"Earth? Tundra?" Cama frowned in confusion, then shrugged. "Ah okay. Must be something serious going on." Tasure would notice that there weren't many sophisticated buildings in the area. Most of the infrastructure was perfectly blended with the natural environment. The only "modern" buildings were half-finished ones that appeared to be similar to the ones found on Vocado.

Cama scratched his head, then shrugged. "Sure, go ahead and check up on the other colonies. We got things wrapped up around here, just about."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

To those going to or already on the Lookout, 60% of it is gone. Pretty much just the main building and the RoSaT remain intact.

Eva’s body can be found on her bed, where Sarada laid her in death, eyes closed and hands folded over the hole left by the Judge’s attack.

No bodies remain for Jack and Nunlil, and Kai is not present either, left behind on Reshlan after being rescued by Totoma.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

For someone like Lemawngras, the last few days had been absolute hell. It all started when that meteor shower streaked across the sky a few days ago. He had been sweeping his front porch in the city of Nion when the first attack was reported. Things were moving so fast he could barely react before a voice in his head compelled him to head to the portals and get out off the planet. He was lucky his son went with him instead of trying to fight; though, the voice was so power, he doubted either of them could have resisted.

It was how he found himself on Pepa, waiting for any kind of word on what the hell happened. It had been two days and they still hadn’t heard any kind of word on what it was exactly that attacked Vocado, and what cities were attacked. Turned out, the time for figuring things out ended. More ships appeared in the sky, numbering in the dozens. They were nothing like the ships that showed up to Vocado.

These were Arcosian.

Tens of thousands of soldiers poured out of the ships and headed right for them, all while their ships opened fire on their buildings. Explosions erupted in every direction. It was utter madness! He ran for the nearest cover and ducked down so he could catch his bearings.

“What the hell is going on?!”

No one answered. No one had any answers. There hadn’t been any answers provided other than “Vocado’s been attacked”. Of course it had; he was there when it happened! Where was the communication? The chain of leadership? Why hadn’t Queen Sarada said anything or shown up to check their wellbeing? Surely those invaders weren’t so powerful, they could outdo even her. He had fought her himself, so he knew how powerful she was even four years ago. She was a Super Saiyan, even! No way she could lose to anyone!

“Dad, look out!”

A hefty body tackled him out of the way just moments before the bodega he was hiding in was engulfed in flames. Pasley got him out in time. “Thanks, son.” There was no time to say more. Soldiers flying overhead did a strafing run with their blasters. The street was alight with explosions that knocked both men off their feet.

“Tundra Force, move in! Take no prisoners!!” The soldiers landed on the broken paved roads and started blasting any Saiyan was so much as moved a muscle. Blaster bolts zipped to and fro, filling the air with ordnance that was more than capable of killing anyone caught off guard.

Lemawngras ducked down under a piece of rubble. “Argh! Damn it!” He hadn’t been expecting Tundra to make his move. He heard that they had a year until he did, and that was.. a year and a half ago? He wasn’t sure. Time seemed to blur together into one incoherent jumble after a certain point.

He gathered his wits about himself, then made up his mind. “Damn bastards! Like hell I’m going down without a fight!” He leaped out from behind the rubble, hands aglow with ki, and started blasting anything that didn’t look like a Saiyan. Dozens of soldiers fell in mere moments, with more dropping as more of his fellows joined the counterattack.

It was random and disjointed. They weren’t an army. They weren’t even soldiers. Most of them were from Nion like him, so they were just regular people trying to get by with their new lives. In just a few minutes, everything had been turned completely upside down. One moment, he was sweeping his porch, the next he was fighting for his life on Pepa.

“Don’t let up!” came a stern, but feminine voice from nearby. Becbaga, former queen of Vocado and Langal, surged passed them and engaged two dozen of the invaders by herself. Within moments, they all fell to the wayside, broken and battered under her superior strength. “Don’t give this fuckers an inch! HOORAH!!”

Having someone so strong on their side was a relief. He had no real doubt they could win, even if they were kind of outnumbered at the moment. Once the army and Pepa’s natives shook the shock off and jumped into the fray, things were going to start looking up in a hurry.

Lemawngras and Pasley followed Becbaga’s lead and hurled themselves headfirst into the fray. They both barely had any combat training beyond the CTC on Vocado. Pasley a little more so since he wasn’t confined to the Meat Market like his father had been. Still, they were nothing compared to the former queen.

He looked up and saw that countless tens of thousands more soldiers were pouring out of the ships. “Crap. They won’t stop coming.” Despite his apprehension, he felt a smile forming on his lips. “Good. Wouldn’t want it to be too easy.”

---

The sounds of chaos and mayhem on Callion were deafening. Dozens of ships filled the sky, which was quickly filled by thousands of soldiers. They were strong, stronger than the average Saiyan there. Not only were did they have a strength advantage, they had a numbers one too. Callion bowed to no one, though. They barely bowed to Queen Sarada; they weren’t going to fold just because an army of invaders came knocking on their doors.

They quickly mobilized and engaged the enemy. “Finally, some quality combat,” one man said before being blasted by six invaders at the same time. Bodies belonging to both sides fell out of the sky and quickly littered the streets below. The invaders were stronger, but the Saiyans were more tenacious and ferocious. They also fought as one, pairing up to take down invaders and watch each other’s backs.

The sounds of combat were so loud, they were clearly audible even underground. Pinrit looked up at the ceiling of his cell as small bits of rubble broke loose and fell on his head. “What the hell is going on?” He stood and walked as far forward as he could until the barrier sealing him in impeded his progress. He noticed the guards stationed on his level were all sprinting toward the lift and heading to the upper levels. “Hey. Hey!” It was too late. They were gone, and he and his fellow prisoners were alone.

Damn it, something is happening up there and there’s nothing I can do! All over again, the same feelings of impotence and helplessness he felt all those years ago before the vote and before the brief civil war rushed back all at once. This time, his people really did need him and he was completely unable to do anything to help them. Damn it, I should have listened when I had the chance! If he had, he would be free to fight whoever or whatever was causing that ruckus up there. Instead, he was trapped in a cell while his friends and family were fighting for their lives.

It felt like the entire prison was shaking. The lights were blinking on and off ominously. The cell door remained active, but he knew that if the power went out, then door would open.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the lights went out. The energy wall dissipated soon after that. Pinrit wasted no time in marching out of his cell and to the lift, only to realize that it was useless without the power. Damn. Guess I have no choice but to take the stairs.

“Wait for us, Pinrit!” The other prisoners filed out of their cells and followed after him. “What the hell is going on?”

“No idea. But whatever it is, I’ll rise to meet the challenge, as always.” With that said, he opened the stairway door and started sprinting up the steps.

The cells were equipped with power dampeners that nullified their powers. With those deactivated, it was going to take a while before they were back to full strength.

As they quickly scaled the stairs, they found that the prisoners on the upper levels were also headed up to the ground level to join the battle. Good; that would be less time wasted trying to rally what reinforcements he could. His battle power was returning to him, and with it his ki sense. He could feel an entire mish-mash of energies up there; those that felt completely alien were stronger than them. That wasn’t good.

What was worse, their numbers were steadily dropping. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening! For as long as he remembered, the Saiyans of Callion were near the top of the race. They were nearly the strongest, outside of a few outliers on the other worlds. The thought that there was any race or army stronger than them wasn’t fear. It wasn’t even a consideration. He never would have dreamed of them being invaded, despite so many people saying it would.

He felt like a fool. He wasted so much time trying to convince Callion to abandon the Empire, that most of them neglected to correct course and work on catching up with everyone else. They were way behind, and were paying for it.

Pinrit led the way out of the prison. He stopped a few steps from the entrance to take stock of the situation. The alien invaders were strong and numerous, but they weren’t particularly well trained. The Saiyans’ superior tactics brought things to a nearly even tilt. Still, the numbers kept them from gaining an advantage. What was worse, soldiers by the thousands were coming out of the ships in waves.

“Tch. Things aren’t looking good,” he said to those around him. He flexed his hand; his power had mostly returned, certainly enough for him to fight. By his measure, he was still among the top, though many had caught up and surpassed him. “Let go!”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

They launched themselves into the fray, finding and engaging the nearest invaders. Pinrit learned very quickly that the invaders’ power didn’t lie in their inherent abilities, but rather in their armor and weaponry. It gave them a measure of strength and near overwhelming firepower. One hit from their blasters had him reeling. The half dozen that followed were nearly too much. Already, his prison uniform was shredded. Only tattered portions of his pants and a thin sliver of his shirt remained.

Still, he fought on. Adrenaline from the battle and the feeling that he had something to prove both to himself and those fighting at his side were the things spurring him on. It was his fault they were in that position to begin with. He put so much emphasis on their inherent strength that he completely neglected the need to train outside of sparring. Once the conquests were done away with, they had nothing. Even with that fact staring him in the face, he still persisted stubbornly that their way of life was the right one. Because of it, their strength faltered and fell to the wayside in comparison to the other worlds.

One by one, Saiyans fell. They weren’t dead, but their injuries were too much for them to compensate for with adrenalin alone. Soon, they were outnumbered a thousand to one, with more soldiers exiting the ships every minute. Endless waves of invaders, all with his death on their minds. It reminded him too much of the countless invasions he himself orchestrated. How many times had innocent people been crushed under his bootheel, their throats stepped on until their cries for mercy were silenced?

Too many? Was this what some races called karma? Penance? Comeuppance? Regardless of the word used, their time of reckoning had been forcibly brought to their attention. That it came at the hands of a force far worse than they could ever hope of being was a tough pill to swallow.

A strike to the back nearly cut him through. He cried out and sank to the ground. On his knees, he could do nothing more than watch helplessly as the few remaining Saiyans fought. His wife, Callion, was among them. She was surrounded by dozens, yet still fought as ferociously as she did if she had the advantage.

His heart was racing. He couldn’t bear to watch, but couldn’t bear to take his eyes away from what may have been her last moments.

She was blasted twice in the back and cried out. “NOOOO!” He tried to stand, but couldn’t the strength. “CALLION!!”

His shout drew her attention. Their eyes met. Even from that distance, he could easily see the fiery defiance that attracted him to her in the first place. As the soldiers closed in on her to finish her off, he closed his eyes. He couldn’t bear to watch what he knew was about to happen.

“Looks like I showed up just in time,” came a voice from nearby.

Pinrit opened his eyes and saw a golden glow out of the corner of his eye. It was a familiar glow, one that had been haunting his dreams for years. His eyes cut toward the source, but found the Saiyan far different than the Queen. “Prince Pinach?” Since when was the boy a Super Saiyan? He saw him on television only a few days ago; there was no indication at all that he had ascended, as well.

Pinach launched himself into the air. The invaders had halted their attack when he arrived. He moved with such speed that Pinrit couldn’t follow what he was doing. All he saw were bodies falling to the ground all around him.

Callion quickly descended on out of the way. She kneeled down beside him and helped him sit up. “Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” he muttered. “You?”

“I’m still breathing.” She looked up to watch the young prince battle the invading hordes by himself. When Pinrit’s gaze joined hers, he saw nothing but a golden blur dashing around, followed closely by a stream of explosions that engulfed the soldiers. They fell out of the sky, quickly followed by the smoldering remains of their ships. “I see the palace knew we would be having trouble.”

“Yeah.”

His greatest failure had been covered over before it became more fatal than it already had been. His wife was still alive, as was he. He assumed his children were as well. “We should get our people out of the way and to the hospitals,” he said. With her help, he rose to his feet. His back and sides were killing him, but he refused to let his weakness show. Even if Prince Pinach was taking care of things at the moment, he refused to be seen as anything other than gracefully bowing out of the battle.

He wasn’t leaving because he couldn’t fight. He left because he didn’t need to fight. There was a difference.

---

The sounds of war were deafening, so much so that Pois could easily hear them within the barricaded room. She was sitting in the corner adjacent to the door, away from the windows, with the Garnish and Mais huddled in her arms. Kumara’s crib had been set in the corner, though she was still in it.

Everything was going okay. Pois’ heart was racing, but so far, nothing had happened. Yet, it was the very threat of something happening that kept her uneasy. She couldn’t calm down, and wouldn’t until every last one of those damned invaders was dead.

Word must have gotten out that Langal was the most important colony at the moment. She could sense three battle powers outside of Avoca’s that were higher than anyone else’s. Avoca was holding her own quite well, but she would have felt more comfortable with another Super Saiyan. Damn it, why did they have to just disappear like that? Queen Sarada was millions of miles away, doing gods knew what. Didn’t she realize her planets were under attack?!

No, of course she didn’t. How could she? As far as she knew, the colonies were safe and Tundra and his two lieutenants on Ruco were the biggest threat. Communication was shot, they could barely get messages across space to other worlds so they could be ready in time. The new colonies? They couldn’t reach them in time. Some of the worlds didn’t even have communication relays set up, like Tobaga. Pois felt that the entire thing had been handled so pitifully. It was a miracle they lasted as long as they had.

She understood, and had for some time, that Sarada had priorities outside of the Empire. She was, apparently, embroiled in some something or another dealing with the universe or something. Parsley and Inanna, as well. She didn’t know much about what was going on; she wasn’t told and she didn’t ask. Still, with the entire empire under attack and Tundra well on his way to attacking a world that had no idea the empire even existed, her priorities at the moment were distressingly askew.

I need to talk to her about this. Botarega was right. Every time she goes that world, something goes wrong. The proof was right there and it was undeniable. They were allies with Earth, sure, but... I don’t know. I wish I knew what was going on. She knew Lady Maiz had been kidnapped. She could only assume that was what the matter was. If so, then that was understandable, she supposed. Though, Parsley should have been more than enough to handle it?

She sighed softly.

“I’m hungry,” Mais said softly.

“Oh, okay.” She set them aside and stood to find him a snack to eat.

“When’s Mommy coming back?”

She glanced back at Garnish and frowned at how sad she looked. She was the longest she had ever gone with her mother. It had only been a few days, at most, but those days were filled with more terror than a small child should have had to deal with. At least Avoca was there. “I don’t know, sweetheart,” she responded. “She’s on a very important mission with your Aunts.” She handed them both a bag of chips and a juice box to keep them quiet. The moment she sat down, Kumara started crying. Ugh, now what? She stood up and checked her over. Diaper is good. She doesn’t seem hungry. What the hell? Is she....

Her nose caught the scent of people approaching. Her heart started thumping in her chest, because they didn’t smell like Saiyans. No!

Whoever was on the other side of the door started banging on it with tremendous force. Their scouters! There wasn’t a closet in the room, nowhere for them to hide. Not that it would have done them any good; the children didn’t know how to hide their power levels.

“What’s that noise?” Mais asked.

She quickly rolled Kumara’s crib to the other side of the room, then grabbed the twins and ushered them over. “Just stay still and keep quiet.”

“What? Why?”

“This is not the ti-” A loud bang that sounded like the actual door being punched through echoed through the security barrier. Between Kumara’s incessant crying and the toddler’s irritating confusion, Pois was already at her wits’ end. She picked the rifle and activated it, then slipped her handgun in her waistband.

“Get that door open!” a man on the other side shouted. “Grab that mine!”

“No!” She didn’t think to booby trap the door because she hoped she wouldn’t have to. All she had were a pair of guns she had no idea how to use and her own pitiful techniques. At that moment, she was regretting her entire life’s course.

A near silent beep on the other side sent a chill up her spine. It lasted for exactly five seconds, then was followed by a large explosion that instantly filled the room with smoke. The security barrier fell to the floor with a loud clang, allowing six people to quickly run in. “Light ‘em up!”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“NOOOO!” She quickly fired off two shots and managed to tag two of the men. Immediately after that, a hail of energy bolts cut through the distance between the two groups faster than Pois could react.

She was hit twice in the chest; because the twins were hiding behind her, though, they were spared. She dropped to her knees, her breaths heavy and haggard.

“Hey, those kids... Heh, seems we hit the jackpot.” The man in charge sneered and stalked toward them. “We’ll give them to Lord Tundra.” He looked inside the crib and raised an eyebrow. “The hell is that?” He shrugged and picked her up by the leg.

Kumara’s crying reached a fever pitch. Pois was helpless to stop him. If she managed to kill him, the other three would gun her down the next instant. She felt so weak and so damn helpless.

She looked up and witness the man holding Kumara by her leg and pulling her out of the crib. The girl was screaming like a banshee, but was even more helpless than Pois was. Or so she thought.

She watch as the baby was suddenly enveloped in a purple aura that was unlike anything any Saiyan had managed to do to her knowledge. Her crying stopped, replaced by a soft mewl that sounded more like a growl than any sound a baby was capable of making. A thin black beam of stygian energy erupted from that aura and struck the man in the chest. Instead of exploding like things usually did when hit by a beam of ki, he... vanished. With a scream so harrowing and blood-curdling that Pois almost felt sorry for him, he disappeared.

Not even disappeared. It was like he was erased completely.

Pois blinked in utter confusion, only to quickly snap out of it when she was Kumara falling to the ground. She managed to catch her with spinning to her feet. In a single smooth motion, she grabbed her handgun and fired off three shots that hit the dumbfounded invaders square in the chest.

They were still squirming after hitting the ground, but not after she shot them in the head at pointblank range.

She was breathing heavily, and not entirely out of mental exhaustion. That baby... what the hell was she? She had never seen energy do that before. It exploded, or pierced, or sliced, not... erased. She was half-Saiyan, but she was also half-whatever the hell Inanna was. Demon? Oni? Pois knew she was Ishtar, but was also different.

Though, she had a feeling this had nothing to do with her mother’s physiology.

Whatever it was, she had no time to figure it out. “Come on, follow me!” She waited for the twins to catch up before leading them out of the room and down the hall. The safe room was no longer safe. She needed to find a better place to hide until it was all over.

Kumara had calmed down and was back to her usual giggling self. Pois swallowed nervously and stopped at a storage closet. It wasn’t ideal, but she could feel more enemy soldiers pouring into the palace. There wasn’t any time to find any other place. Besides, there were many spots more secure than the room they just left.

She handed the baby off to her cousins and ushered all three inside the closet. “Stay quiet. I’ll let you out when it’s safe.” She shut the door closed and stationed herself in front of it. As soldiers neared, she opened fire without remorse, picking them off from afar before they could even think of becoming a problem. She missed more often than not - wielding a rifle was actually harder than it looked - but she managed. She, as a result of her poor aim, was running through her spare ammo far more quickly than she would have liked.

“The hell is going on out there?” The battle between Avoca and who she assumed were lieutenants was still raging. She could only assume that the grunts were slipping through the cracks because the more powerful invaders demanded so much attention.

*click* *click* *click*

Pois reached for a new magazine, only to realize that there wasn’t one. The hall was littered with dozens of dead bodies and the walls were covered in many more blackened pock marks. Word must have gotten out that the heirs were in the palace, because the invaders didn’t stop coming. She pulled out her handgun again and opened fire again. Her aim was better with the smaller gun.

*click* *click*

“Shit!” She had nothing left to hold the line from the dozens of enemy soldiers still bearing down on her. It was at that moment that she realized she had only one of two choices. She could fold, or she could stand. The answer was obvious, but the obvious answer brought with it actions she had never had to indulge in before. She wasn’t a fighter or a soldier or anything like that. She was just a palace coordinator, someone who kept things at home running smoothly so Queen Sarada could focus on her work. How had she even gotten into this situation in the first place?

She fired a blast at the ceiling behind her. Large pieces of rubble fell, blocking the hall behind her. Doing that left her with only one way out, through them. There were a dozen of them and only one of her.

Despite the dire situation she found herself in, she smiled. “Looks like the odds are in my favor. Come on, you bastards! Come get some!” Pois lunged forward, throwing herself into the throng of alien invaders. Keeping it close quarters meant they didn’t have the room to fire off their blasters without risking hitting one of their own. It also awakened something in her, something honestly felt she had been missing the entire time. That natural thirst for battle that every other Saiyan seemed to have except her. Yet, there it was, unearthed after being buried for so long.

No matter how sophisticated a person became, their instincts wouldn’t stay hidden forever.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

"Earth? Tundra?" Cama frowned in confusion, then shrugged. "Ah okay. Must be something serious going on." Tasure would notice that there weren't many sophisticated buildings in the area. Most of the infrastructure was perfectly blended with the natural environment. The only "modern" buildings were half-finished ones that appeared to be similar to the ones found on Vocado.

Cama scratched his head, then shrugged. "Sure, go ahead and check up on the other colonies. We got things wrapped up around here, just about."

Tasure put her fingers to her forehead. "Tundra's the one behind this invasion. Arcosian. Incredibly strong. Earth is... a backwater, by most standards, but has attracted a lot of... unusual attention lately. Inhabitants are fairly primitive and weak, but they've got... untapped potential, judging from Jinzi and their stronger fighters."

Considering that fighters such as that Ochazuke and Zaofan--or 'Zao-san' as her son had nicknamed the man--could keep up with Super Saiyans without transforming themselves, and possessed techniques that often let them punch outside of their weight class... yeah, saying they had potential was certainly warranted.

"Oh, and the food... Best. Food. In. The. Galaxy. Varied, too. Can definitely recommend taking a food field trip there, at least once in your life." Just that fact alone would make any saiyan love the planet. It certainly was what had made her fall in love with it.

After a moment, she got a bead on the next colony, so her time here had come at an end. "...there, got it. It's been nice, but as I said... have other colonies to check up on. Don't have too much fun with these guys."

Just from what she could see, they were having entirely too much fun steamrolling the invaders. Said invaders had probably assumed that saiyans sent the dregs of society to live in the colonies, but the reality was often quite the opposite. The harsher, yet more meaningful, life, tighter-knit communities, and the excitement of facing a new & potentially dangerous world often attracted those who were not only stronger than average, but more mentally flexible than average.

In just her brief time here, it was clear that this colony exemplified that tendency.

Her brow furrowing, Tasure activated Instant Transmission once again, her form blurring and disappearing. She re-appeared--thankfully on ground level this time--on the next colony. Lowering her hand, she began taking stock of the situation around her...

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Tasure put her fingers to her forehead. "Tundra's the one behind this invasion. Arcosian. Incredibly strong. Earth is... a backwater, by most standards, but has attracted a lot of... unusual attention lately. Inhabitants are fairly primitive and weak, but they've got... untapped potential, judging from Jinzi and their stronger fighters."

Considering that fighters such as that Ochazuke and Zaofan--or 'Zao-san' as her son had nicknamed the man--could keep up with Super Saiyans without transforming themselves, and possessed techniques that often let them punch outside of their weight class... yeah, saying they had potential was certainly warranted.

"Oh, and the food... Best. Food. In. The. Galaxy. Varied, too. Can definitely recommend taking a food field trip there, at least once in your life." Just that fact alone would make any saiyan love the planet. It certainly was what had made her fall in love with it.

After a moment, she got a bead on the next colony, so her time here had come at an end. "...there, got it. It's been nice, but as I said... have other colonies to check up on. Don't have too much fun with these guys."

Just from what she could see, they were having entirely too much fun steamrolling the invaders. Said invaders had probably assumed that saiyans sent the dregs of society to live in the colonies, but the reality was often quite the opposite. The harsher, yet more meaningful, life, tighter-knit communities, and the excitement of facing a new & potentially dangerous world often attracted those who were not only stronger than average, but more mentally flexible than average.

In just her brief time here, it was clear that this colony exemplified that tendency.

Her brow furrowing, Tasure activated Instant Transmission once again, her form blurring and disappearing. She re-appeared--thankfully on ground level this time--on the next colony. Lowering her hand, she began taking stock of the situation around her...

"Best food in the galaxy, huh?" Cama rubbed his chin in thought. "Alright! I'm definitely going to pay this world a visit. Good luck, Tasure. See ya around sometime!" He waved goodbye and flew back into the battle.

Two jumps later and Tasure found herself on the planet Rysoa. It wasn't far from Tobaga, but the situation couldn't have been more different. The world was comprised of two races, the Saiyans and a strange race of small rock-like creatures. The latter were the overwhelming majority. In fact, there were only about a hundred or so Saiyans on that world. Even against a thousand invading soldiers, the Saiyans were holding their own well. However, there wasn't much they could do to protect the rock creatures, who appeared helpless against the army.

One small creature caught sight of Tasure and waved to get her attention. "HELP! HELP US!" she cried out in common.

A man snatched her up and put his blaster to her head. "Quiet, you."

[grampagen]

To those going to or already on the Lookout, 60% of it is gone. Pretty much just the main building and the RoSaT remain intact.

Eva’s body can be found on her bed, where Sarada laid her in death, eyes closed and hands folded over the hole left by the Judge’s attack.

No bodies remain for Jack and Nunlil, and Kai is not present either, left behind on Reshlan after being rescued by Totoma.

It was a path they'd taken many times, and as their flight cut through the clouds, the upper reaches of Earth greeted them with the expanse of emptiness. Silence in this detached space, so far from the ground below it was as if time had stilled.

If only it had not been stilled to the moment where they had lost the battle for the Earth's soul.

Ochazuke and Zaofan set foot on broken tile and broken masonry. The smell the scorched garden and fragmented palms framed about the broken manor of the Lookout. The hollow half-spherical foundation upon which the Guardian's chambers were built on seemed to be cut apart, and the ash bloom of the laser fire was still fresh.

"This is horrible..." Zaofan cupped a hand over his mouth, his brow wrinking openly as he was affected by the sight. Here lay the tattered remains of the west wing, the small armory that had fallen into neglect from three hundred years before Kai had refurbished it.

Kai...nowhere to be seen. Nor was there any sign of the usual thunderous battling couple that had so often welcomed them to these ground. Nunlil and Jack save one.

"You don't have to see her."

Crouching by the ashen frond of the last kava plant, Zaofan sighed.

"I should have been here," Ochazuke said, "were it not for Auroc..."

"You didn't know. We, didn't, neither of us," Zaofan replied, attempting to convince himself as much as his friend, "Nobody could have known the Ulthan were watching."

"Only one."

Ochazuke turned his head, nod once to his martial brother, and then both at once began to pace towards Evangeline's resting place. When they reached the chamber, Ochazuke reached for the door, and his hand slipped from the knob.

It had been a rare occasion that either of them had been near this place. Many times this was the Guardian's refuge, where she'd retired when she'd given far too much of herself time and again. Whether it had been the expenditure to destroy a meteor, the reverb from years of psychic pain, to the direct result of pulling back the shroud of Eldfen himself, she'd slip here for only a moment's rest before returning to her tireless watch.

The wound was strangely clean, bloodless. By all indications she'd had passed almost instantly. Billions of lives as the world turned, she'd monitored them all, balancing many different gambits to avert them from a dark path. Ochazuke remembered vividly how desperately she'd plucked at the strings of Fate, knowing the reverb from such an action to save the Earth in that moment could change ten thousand subtle things. Indeed the Earth had persisted, even as it had inherited battle after battle for things far beyond its stars. All she wanted at the end of it all was to bring their people a spark of hope.

With a low grunt, Ochazuke gripped the Forger's hammer, the master craft of the man who decided she should die. The weight of it had slipped his mind, but he would sooner bear it than let any portion of Banespell even so much as touch the floor. How ironic. This is the closest your hand shall ever reach her... Zaofan stood at his side, dabbing his eyes silently as he bowed his head in silence. Is that it then...?

For a long moment they just stood there, observing their vigil, Zaofan searching - perhaps in vain - for some small spark lingering in the Guardian.

Ochazuke, meanwhile, pondered over what silent designs had been crafted behind that face now forever stilled beneath that silver halo crown.

For all this, there would be no wishing her back this time.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

For a long moment things are quiet, until a slight noise of boots on stone reach their ears.

Kai, still looking very rough though he’s been healed, leans against the door and shakes his head.

“Sorry.....just....sorry.”

He slumps and sighs.

“Anula dropped me off just now after Totoma took me to Reshlan after the attack.”

He clutches a small pendant around his neck, one with the sigil of an apprentice guardian on it.

“Jack and Nunlil didn’t make it either. They died....they died protecting me.”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The next day, Sellerie and Corra still hadn’t heard a single word from Queen Sarada. It was hard to explain where she was exactly, so they didn’t bother taking the time to try and understand it. She was still millions of miles away. “Damn it,” Sellerie cursed. “I guess we’ll have to go ahead without her.”

Corra nodded. “We gave her a teleporter when she first visited Turrip with Ishtar, so she’ll be able to make her way to the homeworld... whenever she gets back.” There was a ‘if she gets back’ that was left unsaid but was understood all the same. “Come on, we’d better get going.”

Sellerie was completely unenthusiastic, but nodded all the same. The day they spent together on Earth was the most fun she had had in some years. She had no idea Prince Pinach owned an amusement park. The food was delightful, even though her dinner was marred by her getting kicked out of the “all-you-can-eat buffet because she ate all the food. It wasn’t her fault they were woefully ill-prepared for a Saiyan appetite!

Anyway.

“Alright. Off we go. Yay...”

Corra fiddled with her teleporter. Sellerie closed her eyes and waited. When she opened them a moment later, they were standing in the middle of a dense and incredibly humid jungle.

“Good grief, it’s so hot!” She dropped her bags to the ground so she could take her jacket off.

“It’s 107°, with 95% humidity,” Corra said. Within a few seconds of standing outside, sweat was dripping down their faces. “How can they live like this?”

There was no air conditioning, no refrigeration, and no way to cool off unless they found some shade. Even then, the humidity made it unbearable. The two started their trek through the jungles. Just like before, random sounds from within the thick foliage made it very obvious that they weren’t alone. A rustle of a bush here, a broken tree branch there, the occasional growl that sent shivers up their spines.

“I really hope it’s not the same ones from before,” Corra whispered. The terrain didn’t seem familiar; then again, it all looked the same. Just endless jungles as far as the eye could see.

“Which ones? The ones who were sodding with our ship or the ones who wanted to turn us into breeding stock?” She shuddered and hugged her bags closer, as if they could provide even a modicum of protection. “I should have brought a gun.”

“Do you even have one?”

“...no...”

A sudden rustle made them stop dead in their tracks. A woman leaped out of the foliage and landed in front of them. A man jumped out and landed behind them. Just like that, they were surrounded on both ends, with no way to escape other than running into the jungles, where they would be at a sizable disadvantage. “Oh no!”

“Leave us alone!”

The man behind them crept closer, sniffing the air as he approached. “Back again?” he said. To Corra, it was just a series of slightly varied grunts. To Sellerie, it was as understandable as the modern Saiyan language. “What now?”

Sellerie swallowed nervously. I have to be strong and courageous. Strong and courageous! “Take me to your leader,” she stated firmly. “Your planet is in danger and we’ve not a lot of time to waste posturing.”

“Danger? From you?” The man and woman erupted into laughter. “You weak. We strong. We have nothing to fear from you two.”

Sellerie let out a low growl and balled her fists. “Not from us, you daft wankers! There’s an Arcosian on his way here right now to kill you all!” She stopped before she said more and took in a breath to calm herself. “He’s much more powerful than any of you.”

The woman scratched her head in confusion. Sellerie really didn’t know how to make it any clearer than that. “What’s Arcosian?”

She groaned.

The woman shrugged and turned to leave. “Eh. If someone come to fight, we fight. They lose and we eat them. This is how it is done here on Sadala. Come on, Daikon. Yam is waiting.” The man brushed passed them and followed the woman into the jungle.

Sellerie gritted her teeth and shouted after them. “That’s not your decision to make!” When they didn’t even break stride, she sighed. “Damn it.” She knew these people weren’t a monolith, but she feared that the majority were just as stubborn. After all, modern Saiyans were, in their own way. It took quite a bit to get them to listen - trust, strength, beating them over the head with fists or reason.

“What happened?”

“They wouldn’t listen.” It was as she feared, but she couldn’t give up. Thousands of lives were at stake! “Come on. We’re following them.”

“Are you crazy? What if they’re with those psychopaths?”

“If they were, they would have attacked.” She remembered that the brute of a man they ran into in that temple had no qualms about attacking them immediately upon spotting them. That those two didn’t and preferred to talk instead gave evidence that they were at least somewhat docile. “I think we’ll be okay.”

Corra sighed, but relented. “Alright, fine.”

They quickly followed the two natives into the jungles. It wasn’t hard to figure out which direction they headed in, they just tracked their scents. It wasn’t long before they picked several other scents, as well as their ki signatures. “We’re close,” she said quietly. A few moments later, they could hear voices.

“...hairless Saiyans?” They heard the man in the center say.

The rest looked at him with respect, leading Sellerie to assume he was Yam. He was tall with an impressive stature, with a shaggy black mane. She could see the outline of his musculature under his brown fur. Oddly, he appeared to be wearing what looked like a gold circlet around his head with a red gem embedded in the center, as well as a gold band on his right bicep. His pants were black, possibly out of animal skin; his shoes were brown, and were definitely animal skin. The other Saiyans were similar simplistic clothing, with some wearing jewelry made of bone and animal teeth and claws.

“Incredible,” Sellerie said softly.

“I don’t think they’re as primitive as first thought,” Corra whispered.

Yam suddenly sniffed the air and let out a low growl. “Someone is here.”

“It’s those hairless Saiyans!” the woman growled, pointing right at them.

“Eep! We’ve been spotted.” Their cover blown, Sellerie and Corra climbed out of the shrubbery they had been hiding in and stood out in the open. She stood up straight, shoulders square and head held high. If these people were to take her seriously, she had to exude an aura of confidence strong enough to mask the near overwhelming terror she was feeling inwardly. “Hello. We are from the planet Vocado.”

Hushed murmurs rippled through the village.

Yam raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

Damn it. I guess they wouldn’t know someone born after their people were taken into slavery. “Um, we were sent by our Queen to warn you of an incoming threat. An Arcosian of immense power who means to kill every Saiyan in the galaxy. That includes you lot. So, we were hoping you would help us convince the other natives here to evacuate to one of our worlds until he’s dealt with? We’ve only two days...”

Yam stared at her for a very long time without saying a single word.

She could feel beads of sweat drip down her face as the seconds ticked by. It was a lot to ask, and on such short notice.

“Arcosian?” he finally said in reply.

“They don’t know what an Arcosian is,” she said to Corra, words colored by incredulity.

“They’ve probably never seen one before,” she responded. “Crap, now what? Why should they feel threatened by something they didn’t know existed five minutes ago?”

That was a good question, and wasn’t something they planned for. It was just a given, considering an Arcosian came to that world thousands of years ago to... “I got it!”

Before Corra could question what she meant, she turned her attention back to Yam. “Your planet’s history is etched on the very walls of your temples, right?”

“...Yes...”

“Then you’ve seen what I’m talking about.” She set her bag down and flipped the cover open. Then, she pulled out a history book. Inside was an illustration of what historians thought Glacier looked like in his various forms, based on Vocado’s own testimonies. She opened to that illustration and turned the book around so he could see it. “See? This is Glacier. He came to this world over two thousand years ago and took countless Saiyans into slavery on own of his worlds. Those Saiyans were freed by a man named Vocado and settled on a distant world. I am a descendent of those Saiyans.”

Yam took the book and looked it over. His brow creased with confusion, obviously because it was written in a foreign language. Or... perhaps because it had words period. She wasn’t sure these Saiyans had a written language, and certainly couldn’t read anything other than pictures.

After looking it over, he turned and tossed it over his shoulder. “Follow,” he said as he walked away.

She took that to mean them, so she picked up the book and her bag and gestured for Corra to start walking. “I showed them the pictures of Glacier in this book. I think he recognizes him.”

“They probably have a mural all about that situation,” Corra said. “Like an oral history kind of thing.”

For the first time since she had been there, Sellerie was actually excited. These natives were actually friendly. Well, not so much friendly as they didn’t immediately attack. She actually felt somewhat at ease around them, unlike the other tribe. It was going to make completing her mission so much easier, not having to run for her life.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Corra and Sellerie followed Yam and the others into the heart of the village. Much like the other tribe, the centerpiece of a massive stone temple. As they walked up the stairs and inside, they found Saiyans of all ages flitting to and fro from one inner chamber to another. Some were carrying what looked to be rudimentary toys, others tools of some kind.

“Incredible! They have the intelligence to craft jewelry, tools, and toys. I... guess they aren’t as primitive as we first thought.”

That particular temple was much better lit. They could see the different murals on the walls, some stretching all the way up to the ceiling. She wasn’t sure, but Sellerie had the idea that they were in some sort of sequential order. That order, naturally, was unknown, but if they contained the history of that world, then an order of events as they happened was vital.

Yam led them to the innermost chamber. There, in the center of the back wall, was what was clearly a crudely drawn Arcosian. He stopped and turned to face them, then pointed at it.

She opened the history book to illustration and compared the two. It wasn’t a perfect match, but it was close enough for her to work with. “Yes, that’s who I’m talking about,” she confirmed. “He came to this world and took our people as slaves. And now one of his kinsman is on the way here right now to finish what he started. If you stay, you’ll die.”

“Hmph. Demons far weaker than we Saiyans,” Daikon snorted. “We not lose to Demon. Demon come, we kill him and use his blood to paint our walls.” The other natives murmured their agreement.

Yam nodded at Daikon. “He right. We not afraid of Demon. Let him come. I will fight him myself.” He beat his chest and flashed an eerily familiar grin. “I am easily the strongest on this world. No one can beat me. I will defend the tribes myself.” He nodded again. “I ask Lupin and Bean tribe for help, just in case.”

Sellerie felt herself frown. “He understood, but he still refused. In fact, he plans on fighting Tundra himself!”

“Our only hope is that Queen Sarada shows up between now and then,” Corra said. “Doesn’t look like there’s anything more we can do, right?”

“Right. They won’t listen, and I know for certain that the other tribe won’t listen.” With that, they found their options whittled down to just one: wait for Sarada to arrive and hope they respected - or feared - her overwhelming power enough to listen to her. If not, if they still persisted stubbornly, then they were going to learn the hard way.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

For a long moment things are quiet, until a slight noise of boots on stone reach their ears.

Kai, still looking very rough though he’s been healed, leans against the door and shakes his head.

“Sorry.....just....sorry.”

He slumps and sighs.

“Anula dropped me off just now after Totoma took me to Reshlan after the attack.”

He clutches a small pendant around his neck, one with the sigil of an apprentice guardian on it.

“Jack and Nunlil didn’t make it either. They died....they died protecting me.”

As Kai says this, for a single moment, Ochazuke you see something. Just faintly, barely there, a near invisible butterfly moves from the corner of your eye and lands upon Eva’s chest, just above the grevious wound.