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

[Yun Lao]

"Mmn, praise from the Strongest." Inanna responded with a chuckle. "You have changed."

Perhaps only insofar that he could acknowledge the strength of others- he would inevitably attempt to consume- but it was development over his former self. Though from what remained of Ishtar's considerable memories; the conversation with Rex after he had wrestled control away from the remains of Charco had been at the least far more pleasant than the former Oni's conversations with the more... 'well-meaning' members of the rag-tag group.

How piteous. A would-be destroyer more relatable than heroes.

As for Rex's suspicion? It was... "Understandable though, that you'd have reservations." The golden-eyed woman said after a moment. "If you look at it as a situation similar to your own however... perhaps less so. I was little more than a prisoner in my own body for millennia; and in the end when the mantle of responsibility was too much for Ishtar to bear. I reclaimed what had been stripped from me."

A life.

"Of course, the main difference between us is that Charco is still alive in one form or another."

"Savor that praise, for I rarely give it," The last had been to Charco, although it was doubtful the boy had acknowledged it; his thoughts poisoned by the notion that they should be foes.

While Inanna's ascension had proven to be abrupt for such a timespan, she had proven to have obtained it through her own means, rather than sacrificing her own will to another entity like those of Avalon. "A new name... I suppose we are similar. I was never gifted a name upon birth. Then again, I had been born with nothing; my parents dead or missing, my siblings hunted down or dying in their shells. It was only when I had managed to conquer those who once thought me as prey that I took the name of the Strongest."

If Charco had found kinship in fellow martial artists such as Ochazuke, Zaofan, and Sarada, then it was only obvious now why Rex had the faintest glimmer of fondness for the oni. Although they differed in species, they had experienced similar trials and tribulations.

"The boy lives, although I am uncertain in what form." Looking to his shameful human hand, he thought back to the mountains, where Charco... or rather something resembling the boy, had briefly overpowered him.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

"Savor that praise, for I rarely give it," The last had been to Charco, although it was doubtful the boy had acknowledged it; his thoughts poisoned by the notion that they should be foes.

While Inanna's ascension had proven to be abrupt for such a timespan, she had proven to have obtained it through her own means, rather than sacrificing her own will to another entity like those of Avalon. "A new name... I suppose we are similar. I was never gifted a name upon birth. Then again, I had been born with nothing; my parents dead or missing, my siblings hunted down or dying in their shells. It was only when I had managed to conquer those who once thought me as prey that I took the name of the Strongest."

If Charco had found kinship in fellow martial artists such as Ochazuke, Zaofan, and Sarada, then it was only obvious now why Rex had the faintest glimmer of fondness for the oni. Although they differed in species, they had experienced similar trials and tribulations.

"The boy lives, although I am uncertain in what form." Looking to his shameful human hand, he thought back to the mountains, where Charco... or rather something resembling the boy, had briefly overpowered him.

"Oh I certainly mean to," Inanna said with a nod.

"Though I must say... despite your persona... and the gravitas tied to what's happened to Charco; you've been far less monstrous than is to be believed. Or at any rate no more than those that made it possible for you to thrive." The woman said with a simple shrug of her shoulders. "Born into a life of death and destruction you made something from nothing. To quote a dear friend: you strove." Oh how she loved these petty jabs. Poking fun at the Gods of Stagnation, and Failure... and yet like the phoenix Rex was a testament to the successes possible when one's will proved strong enough. If only the makers had realized this and managed to do so, themselves. Or at the very least realized that burning it all down over what amounted to little more than a petty squabble about leadership, and direction was simply that.

A petty squabble.

"And in the end, that Charco lives is enough for me." For now. "Perhaps in time a means of separating the two of you may be attempted. Or we let nature take its course, see which soul is ultimately stronger."

A glimpse behind the screen perhaps? Hard to say, considering Inanna's default aloof expression.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Parsley, you will train in the Crystal Hollow. Marred by death, and twisted by Magick your Soul is in want for cohesion.

Parsley and Sarada went their separate ways. Depending on how long this took, this could have possibly been the last time they saw each other until it was time to leave and return to the outside world. Sarada's quest sounded far more in depth and time consuming than hers, but only time would tell.
Parsley, for her part, was led several thousand miles beneath the planet's surface. The place they arrived at was a curious one.



The Crystal Archon described it as the Crystal Hollow, a fitting name given the creature who took her there. What she said next was of greater interest and curiosity. "This is the place where the Oni once known as Ishtar sought death. Instead, she found a rebirth, a resurrection of what she was always meant to be. In this light, it is my hope that you find the same."

The story of how Ishtar became Inanna was one she had heard before. The former Oni was nearing a mental breakdown as the machinations of Zurvan and Sihn finally registered. Perhaps if she had time to properly digest them and come to terms with them over the course of years, then this would not have happened. Instead, she was forced to acknowledge millennia of manipulation and lies in the course of a few days. As a result, the woman her sister fell in love with died. In her place came...something else.

She would have been lying if she said she trusted Inanna completely. Not to say that Ishtar was this heroic force for good, but Inanna was more...chaotic neutral. There were times when Parsley wondered if, she would turn on them one day, if it suited her goals. Naturally, she felt that Sarada and their child would be spared this betrayal, but everyone else... As much as she wanted to dismiss such thoughts, every day that passed made it more difficult to do so.

Parsley kept these concerns to herself. Inanna made Sarada happy, and vice versa. So long as that continued -- and she saw no reason for it not to -- she would keep her concerns to herself. And as long as the reborn Oni continued to fight on their side -- even if doing so was merely a means to her own ends -- Parsley would offer her the measure of trust she had earned over the years.

"Parsley?"

The creature's voice reminded her that she wasn't alone. "Sorry. Yes, so do I." In truth, she wasn't even aware her soul was out of order. She felt fine, and her techniques operated as they were supposed to. "How do I begin this process?"

"Step into the Lake. Know this, young one; you are on your own once you submerge. Should you fail, your demon will consume you. One of you will reemerge. Which one of you depends entirely upon you."
Ominous words that did nothing to help Parsley understand what was about to happen. This Crystal Hollow was simply a cave, but there was something peculiar about the Lake. It held properties that she couldn't place. One thing she did know was that it was far from an average body of water. With a tentative frown, she stepped forward until she was halfway up to her waist in water. After a moment's pause and seeing that nothing was happening, she sighed and submerged completely.

Parsley squeezed her eyes shut until she grew completely acclimated to being underwater. That included ensuring that she had enough air to last for however this was supposed to take. Slowly, she allowed her eyes to open. First, a crack, then halfway, then completely open. The Lake of the Crystal Hollow was perfectly clear and pristine. That was hardly a surprise, given how deep underground they were and who likely tended to this place, assuming it was even tended to. Still, it was unlike any Saiyan world, outside of Ruco.

For a long time, nothing happened. Parsley's lungs -- even if they had been trained in holding old air for long periods of time thanks to Avoca -- were beginning to burn.

"Speaking of, where is our little pet?"

That voice?! The familiar voice rang through her head like a honeyed siren's call, forcing her to reemerge. Even if her air supply was about to run out, she hadn't intended on returning top-side like this. Like a water spout suddenly erupted into like, she shot out of the water and into the air. Her short hair was matted to her face, but she could still see clearly enough to see who was waiting for her on the shore.

The Crystal Archon was gone. In her place was someone Parsley thought was long dead.



"Parsley", or perhaps a figment of her imagination brought about by coming dangerously close to running out of oxygen, was floating serenely on the Lake short, one leg crossed over the other. The real Parsley could barely believe what she was seeing. Was this truly her imagination come to life, or perhaps even a creation of the Crystal Hollow? The Crytal Archon was annoyingly short on details. Perhaps because even she was unsure of what would happen.
Regardless, Parsley was face to face with herself, and couldn't deal with that.

"Hm? Nothing? Don't tell me our usual sharp wit has dulled by this point?" She tsked and righted herself. "Or, is it perhaps that you've become neutered once paired to our pet?"

Hearing her own voice, mockingly questioning her silence, raised her hackles. She quickly descended and landed mere feet from her double. Everything about her, from her piercing green eyes and supercilious smile to her pristine armor, was an exact replica of Parsley as she was years ago. "A near flawless copy," she commented sharply. "Yet, a copy all the same."

"Hmph. From my standpoint, you are the pale copy. A poorly made one at that. Only a knockoff would deem it appropriate to subjugate herself to that foolish sister of ours."

Parsley's expression remained neutral. Her hyper acute observation revealed that this copy was like her in every way. Every way except one: she hadn't grown as a person like the true Parsley had. She was still the same cocksure piss ant she was years ago. To the point that she likely thought that, should a battle break out, she would win with ease. Such was the pride of the Ultra Elite. Just thinking it made her sick. "The only foolish one is you. Tell me, copy. Since you know Sarada is Queen, then surely you must know how your path ends, and how I end up this way."

The smile the Copy had been carrying faded into the aether. Her head tilted to the side as she appraised Parsley curiously. "I do. Quite unfortunate, but hardly a shock coming from someone so weak."

"I'm you," she responded simply.

That meager reply was more than enough to get under Copy's skin. "Hardly! To think that someone like me could ever lose to Sarada! You may have humiliated yourself time and again, but not I and that is clearly where we deviate."

"Perhaps so, but that doesn't negate the fact that we are one and the same."

"Enough." The word, though spoken calmly, fell in the same menacing line as the vicious grin that appeared on the Copy's face. "I've heard enough of your nonsense. I'm going to shut you up once and for all, then you'll never speak to me again! She powered up. The power being exuded, unsurprisingly, fell far short of what Parsley was capable of.

"Suit yourself." Parsley herself didn't bother to power up. What she had available at the moment was more than enough. She knew it, and the Copy did also. She knew she did, which made the pending victory that much sweeter.

Copy burst forward, engaging Parsley firstly in hand to hand. With her vastly superior speed, it was like Copy was moving in slow motion. Even still, Parsley took the gulf in speed to observe her fighting technique. Even as full of herself as she was, her technique was nearly flawless. Not as polished as Parsley's was after years of additional training, but it was still above most fighters she knew.
She parried the strikes with ease, but didn't counter. Not yet. She wanted to instill in this copy the same feeling of helplessness and hopelessness that she felt when she was at the height of her egomania. Only through humiliation could she gain humility.

The mewls of impotent frustration were music to her ears. There was quite literally nothing that the copy could do that Parsley wouldn't have thought of. More importantly, there was nothing she could do that Parsley didn't have a counter for. She knew all her techniques intimately, even the ones she rarely used. Every time the copy moved, Parsley was ready to counter. Even blows reduced to half-power had the power behind them to cripple. The copy's flesh buckled and tore, her bones shattered, and her will to fight slowly but surely subsided until she was fighting purely out of pride. So to, quickly, that was snatched away from her.

The copy was blown back by one last strike and smashed into the cavern wall.
"Had enough?" she asked haughtily. When no reply came, her smile dropped. "Don't tell me the high and mighty chimp is so ea-easily defeated." Still, no answer or reply came forth from the unmoving body. The way it was twisted and tangled within itself, like a marionette cut from its strings and dropped unceremoniously, was unnerving. Still, that wasn't what had Parsley's skin crawling. She opened her mouth to speak again. “You may not have been there personally, but you're just the same as they are. I don't care how 'sophisticated' you make yourselves out to be, you're still the same now as you were then.”

That voice...

It wasn't her own. She looked at her hands. Instead of her regular tan skin, they were pale white and manicured.

"Hmph. What an animal."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

This time, instead from her own mouth, the words came from behind her. She whirled around to face her. However, instead of seeing someone standing within the Lake, she saw her standing on the shore.

Appel, the Tuffle scientist and the demon that haunted her worst nightmare. Behind those thin framed glasses, a pair of cold, dead eyes stared at her. The contempt that radiated from them burned worse than the hottest sun.

The Tuffle took one step, then another. Parsley wanted to back away, but the feeling in her legs were gone. What is happening? Why can't I move?! It didn't take very long for the truth to settle in, and when it did, a cold chill ran up her spine. It took all the strength she could muster to move her head, but she managed to just enough to reassess her surroundings. She found herself leaning against the wall, slumped over with barely enough energy to breath, much less anything else.

"Finally awake, huh?" Appel said when she came to stop mere inches from Parsley. She kneeled down and placed a hand on Parsley's face so she could pry open her eye with the other. "You got some nasty looking dots on your eyeball. Then again, I'm not a medical doctor. You lot killed them all."

No! This is not happening! A fear the likes of which she had only felt twice in her entire life took hold of her, choking the life out of her with nothing in the way of leeway or remorse. "...no...," she just barely managed to mumble.

Appel just looked at her. The source of her torment and the cause of her death five years ago hadn't changed even though she was a figment of this illusion. The same heartless menace, the same cruel smile that heralded days of pain and agony, it was all the same. She released Parsley's face roughly and rose to step back a few feet. "I bet you thought you were free, didn't you?" she hissed with arms folded over her chest. She peered down at her over her glasses, a venomous sneer overtaking her expression. "The mighty Saiyan princess thought she had finally overcome her trials."

She chuckled, then outright laughed in her face. "You'll never be free. I told you that you'd never escape me." The final words were spoke as a whisper that chilled Parsley to the bone. "I see your tail is still gone. Good; that means my final serum worked."

Every word she spoke felt like acid being poured directly into Parley's ear. It hurt to listen to and made her feel sick to her stomach. It was not enough that she heard the voice in her worst dreams, and spent sleepless nights playing the words in her head over and over again. Every insult, every acerbic statement, and every sinister sneer replayed in her head until she couldn't take it anymore. Even years later, when she had a wife and two little ones to take her mind off of it, she still remembered vividly the days and weeks she spent in that pitch black room, gripped in agony and terror.

Appel was right. She had never escaped. Even to this day, she was still chained to that wall.

She attempted to raise her hand to muster some kind of offense, only to find her range of motion hindered. Her eyes floated to her right arm and found it chained to the cavern wall. The same with the left. "...what?"

"Heh. Can't have you escaping now." Appel chuckled and turned to walk into the Lake. There was an operation table in the center, one that hadn't been there before. She could see the outline of a person laying motionless on the table, but she couldn't make out who it was. "Thanks to you, I'm equipped to do away with those Saiyans once and for all. What better way to do it than by inhabiting your gross body. A good thing you lost your tail; at least then I can pretend to be a Tuffle." A table carrying medical equipment appeared. "And I'll start with this one!"

Parsley was helpless to do anything. She felt so weak, and being chained to the wall meant she couldn't do anything even if she wanted to. There was nothing she could do to help the person on the table and keep them from suffering the same fate she underwent.

The only thing left for her to do was wait and accept the fate she knew was coming. The darkness was already creeping into her field of vision. Perhaps death would overtake her sooner and more quickly than it did the last time.

A shame. In the past, she had accepted that one day she would die, but stated on more than one occasion that she would die on the field of battle. A blaze of glory was the funeral pyre for Saiyan warriors, and there were none like Parsley.

Parsley, the conqueror.

Parsley, the prodigy.

Parsley, the Ultra Elite.

Back then, she wasn't weak-minded. She wasn't meek and timid. She thought quickly, spoke swiftly and acted just as rapidly, with a decisiveness that was just as deadly as her abilities. Those who opposed her fell by the wayside and were forgotten by the time the next challenge arose. She didn't waste time mourning the fallen, for only the weak fell.

Parsley was not weak.

Until she was. What happened? Where was this Parsley? Had the foremost Ultra Elite been relegated to the pages of Saiyan legend, forced to become nothing more than a mythological being with nary a shred of proof of her existence outside of hearsay and oral history? Some would say that the Parsley of present times was better after dying, that she was stronger because she learned from her past mistakes and grew. But she hadn't.

She hadn't grown. She had regressed. Her pride was such an irreplaceable part of her being, and it was whittled away and then cut out like a healthy piece of flesh, with nought erected to replace it. Some thought pride was a virulent and cancerous trait. In many regards, that was true. And yet, Saiyan pride was far beyond simple arrogance, even if that played a part in it. It was the embodiment of their spirit and tenacity.

No, but it was beyond even that. It was Parsley's arrogance, her ego that was shattered. It started back at the very end of the Tournament of Destiny when she suffered the greatest defeat of her life at the hands of her own sister. She had been so sure, so confident of her victory, only to snatch defeat from the jaws of certain victory herself. She had been outwitted by a halfwit, and never recovered. Her death only completed the process that had started weeks earlier. When she returned, her ego wasn't just in ruin, it was nonexistent. But her pride was buried deep under thick layers of hidden doubt and self-loathing.

As she was now, she believed in the benefit of humility, a trait the Parsley of before thought was laughable and pathetic. As she was now, her pride would be tempered in humility and could drive her to become greater than she ever would have been had she gotten all that she wanted.

An evolution was in order.

Such a metamorphosis would normally have taken years or even decades to achieve from start to finish. She had before her the opportunity to accomplish it in a few short minutes.

Her hands balled into fists. Her new-found resolve brought with it a burst of energy. This new power helped her burst free from her chains and struggle to her feet.

Appel whirled around, eyes wide with shock. "What the?!"

She began to move forward. At first, her steps her unsteady; but with every moment that passed, her new truth became etched in her mind and heart. As a result, her strength became renewed. "I won't allow you to torment me anymore," she said, every word dripping with acidic venom that could melt even the hardest stone. "You're finished."

"Oh, am I now?"

"Hm, you're not as slow on the uptake as I feared. That will save me from having to explain things. Not that explaining things to the dying is anything other than a waste of breath." In a flash, Parsley was in front of her, hand clapped around her throat. "You've tormented me for the last time. I'm exorcising you for good."

Appel squirmed in her grip, but found it impossible to break free. "No... No! Let go!" An energy blast was loosed point blank and pierced through her torso. Appel's frantic struggles ceased immediately.

Her grip slackened just enough to let the limp corpse slip from her grip and into the water. After the water settled, silence reigned within the Crystal Hollow.

Parsley let her eyes close. In the past, she saw nothing but Appel's sneering face. This time, she saw nothing but darkness. For the first time in five years, she was at peace. "Finally."

"Well done." The Copy of Parsley was standing off the to side, arms folded and expression neutral. "You finally decided to get your act together."

"Yes. Perhaps one day, you will as well."

"Perhaps so." The copy held her hand out, just out of reach of Parsley's should she stretch hers out in response. "Then again, I believe this is a path we should both partake in together."

She raised an eyebrow and appraised the outstretched hand. "Why?" This copy was a representation of how Parsley used to be before she died. No, before she lost in the tournament. The thought of helping someone else rarely crossed her mind unless she benefited from it in some way.

"As you said," the copy responded, "We're one in the same. Two sides of the same coin. What benefits you will benefit me in the same way."

In the end, they were both of the same mind. With a simple nod, Parsley stepped forward and took the copy's hand in hers. The Hollow was filled with a bright flash of white light that lasted only for a second before dying down immediately after. The copy was gone, and Parsley remained where she had been standing. Outwardly, she looked much the same. Inwardly, however, there was something different. It would take some time for her to properly appraise herself.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The outward change made itself known almost immediately by worming into her field of vision. The brown, furry appendage that had been taken from her during her torment had returned. "My tail," she uttered softly. She gently ran her fingers up the length and shuddered at the tingling sensation. She had forgotten what it was like to have a tail, it had been so long. She hoped this wasn't just a figment of her imagination, also; she would have very much liked to show Avoca.

"Ah, you are finally finished. And you were successful. Very good. Tell me, how do you feel?"

The Crystal Archon was perhaps aware of how difficult a question that was to answer without first taking the time to consider everything. That may have been why she asked. The first answer Parsley gave was likely going to be the most authentic. With that, she simply answered. "I feel happy."

"Wonderful! I can feel that your soul is finally in one accord."

"Yes, it does feel that way." She wondered how this new development would affect her magic. If it made it more potent, then that was all the better. Regardless, she was happy to finally have this all behind her.

"Now then, let us be off and see what has become of your stubborn sister."

Parsley nodded and moved to stand next to the Archon so they could transport to where Sarada was. With any luck, she had also discovered -- or perhaps even rediscovered -- truths about herself that would help her progress and truly grow as a person. One of those truths would hopefully be that it was okay to wait before jumping into a battle.

Probably not.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

" Yeah, I'm very close to my family, and our relationship isn't perfect, no family is. Well, very close to my mother, grandfather, father, sisters, and my father's side of the family, at least. I don't know shit about what my awful grandmother's Intoadian side of the family The McFrogs are like," Praxat said.

" However, if they're as psychotic as her, then I don't want to know them. Yeah, that would be nice I would love to visit your village, Dash. Oh, as you notice in the photo that Qaztoh and Althena aren't in it. Of course, my awful grandmother isn't in it, she was already in prison by the time this picture was taken," Praxat said.

OOC: For Tami.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"I'll use what's available then, thank you." Inanna said with a small smile.

"I don't intend to travel there alone, no. Too dangerous, that old Universe. That said, the need to travel there however is undeniable; and unfortunately given recent happenings I feel this is one chance where I can do this without worrying overmuch about the state of this Universe... at least for a few minutes." Inanna shrugged. "Just a matter of who to take. Unfortunately that list is small, as all here need time in the RoSaT. One of the Saiyans perhaps... presuming they could be pulled away for a short spell."

A considerable amount of their 24 hours was finished, certainly... but pulling one out prematurely might prove fatal.

"Ah well... perhaps I'll have to. Go alone that is."

Eva nods.

“There are several here who might not be Super Saiyans but are still strong. Dash, Praxat, Jack, Nunlil......well, you might be able to persuade Adam even if you can pry him from Capsule Corp. Held perhaps if you can find him in space right now?”

She pauses, eye far.

“I would have suggested Ochazuke, Zaofan, or Sasheem.....but they are far away right now. What ever you do, just make sure it’s not alone when you leave.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Kai walks up to Dash and Praxat.

“You still intend to go into the RoSaT once your turn comes around?”

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Kai walks up to Dash and Praxat.

“You still intend to go into the RoSaT once your turn comes around?”

" Yeah, I still intend to go into the RoSaT," Praxat said.

[Tami]

Kai walks up to Dash and Praxat.

“You still intend to go into the RoSaT once your turn comes around?”

"Yes, that's the plan. After what ah went through on Pinach's rescue mission, ah know ah ain't strong enough to even be much of a distraction. The guy we ran into, oh boy was he strong. Pinach, Totoma, Erosa, and me are lucky to have gotten out of it alive. Well, maybe Totoma fared a bit better, but even he wasn't prepared. Ah think his Saiyan batteries may have been worn out from his fight."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Eva nods.

“There are several here who might not be Super Saiyans but are still strong. Dash, Praxat, Jack, Nunlil......well, you might be able to persuade Adam even if you can pry him from Capsule Corp. Held perhaps if you can find him in space right now?”

She pauses, eye far.

“I would have suggested Ochazuke, Zaofan, or Sasheem.....but they are far away right now. What ever you do, just make sure it’s not alone when you leave.”

"Sasheem won't be hard to track down..." Inanna commented, after a moment's reflection. "As for the others. I'd not risk it. Versatile they may be, but that means little should concern over soul manipulation is more than simply hypothesis." Even she would be hard pressed to do anything but but flee. Which she certainly could and yet...

"No. I suspect Sasheem, or one of the Saiyans- should I be able to borrow them- will be sufficient. Sasheem's relation to my former self should also prove of some benefit. Considering I bound his soul to a weapon not unlike Remnant, or Banefire."

One of the few instances where Ishtar's curiosity had proven useful.

[Yun Lao]

"Oh I certainly mean to," Inanna said with a nod.

"Though I must say... despite your persona... and the gravitas tied to what's happened to Charco; you've been far less monstrous than is to be believed. Or at any rate no more than those that made it possible for you to thrive." The woman said with a simple shrug of her shoulders. "Born into a life of death and destruction you made something from nothing. To quote a dear friend: you strove." Oh how she loved these petty jabs. Poking fun at the Gods of Stagnation, and Failure... and yet like the phoenix Rex was a testament to the successes possible when one's will proved strong enough. If only the makers had realized this and managed to do so, themselves. Or at the very least realized that burning it all down over what amounted to little more than a petty squabble about leadership, and direction was simply that.

A petty squabble.

"And in the end, that Charco lives is enough for me." For now. "Perhaps in time a means of separating the two of you may be attempted. Or we let nature take its course, see which soul is ultimately stronger."

A glimpse behind the screen perhaps? Hard to say, considering Inanna's default aloof expression.

He laughed, a hint of cruelty laced with mirth, "It would not be the first time it's been attempted. Salaman Naphtha learned the hard way that I am not something you can discard."

It would be akin to someone trying to remove the oni from Inanna... no, that wasn't quite right. He wasn't an expert on the oni, but her growth had suspiciously appeared to have purged her oni-nature from her, yet her mind was still the same as it was when he taught her the secret of fukushuu on the transport ship. Still, he was lacking a proper metaphor for his situation, but then again, Rex was not one you could simply compare to such trivial things. He was, after all, the Strongest.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"I can't say for certain that they'll win, but their chances are good. I had to take those two on by myself and it was... difficult. I am legitimately impressed that you lot managed to survive an encounter with them as you are now," he said. Likely a result of his counterpart's... stunt and Letchee having a tendency to mess around, but even so, with that sort of gap, even an opponent that was merely messing around could be an unstoppable menace.

"...so, you seem to fancy yourself a hero, much like my counterpart." He took another bite, pausing for a moment to chew. "How... nostalgic. When I was a child, I wanted to be a... champion of justice. Unfortunately, I ended up on Callion after I slew Jagam, and that... place would only allow me to maintain such delusions for so long. The purebreds that used to populate that planet did... not treat halfbreeds well."

His gaze drifted to the void beyond the area they were sitting it. "...but part of me thought that if I just did good deeds and set a good example, they'd accept me and, by extension, other halfbreeds. And maybe without that virus that drives most purebreds insane and stupid, they might have..." There was bitterness in his voice, yes, but at the same time a tinge of regret.

Pinach knew the origin story of the Just Saiyan. His mother was killed during a fight with Jagam. Just Saiyan barely survived, even though he was only a child at the time. Rousong had the same, but he ended up on Callion of all places. Pinach had only been there a handful of times in his life, and each time was unpleasant at the very best. They were all hateful, arrogant, unlikable people before the conquest era ended. After, they were all those things plus embittered, which only added to their insufferable attitudes. If he grew up in that kind of environment, and had his attempts to help them thrown back in his face with a helping of racist rhetoric, Pinach could see why Rousong was the way that he was.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. Even here, Callion is a terrible place to live. But, at least Sarada made it illegal for them to treat half-breeds unfairly."

He grew quiet before responding again. "We barely made it. If the one we were fighting hadn't played around, I'd be dead right now." Even playing as he was, he still messed Pinach up pretty badly. Not only mention Dash. In fact, Erosa was the only one of them who managed to get away pretty much unscathed.

"Wait, what virus?" he asked as the last part finally hit him. "Do you mean SaiyAIDS?"

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Pinach knew the origin story of the Just Saiyan. His mother was killed during a fight with Jagam. Just Saiyan barely survived, even though he was only a child at the time. Rousong had the same, but he ended up on Callion of all places. Pinach had only been there a handful of times in his life, and each time was unpleasant at the very best. They were all hateful, arrogant, unlikable people before the conquest era ended. After, they were all those things plus embittered, which only added to their insufferable attitudes. If he grew up in that kind of environment, and had his attempts to help them thrown back in his face with a helping of racist rhetoric, Pinach could see why Rousong was the way that he was.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. Even here, Callion is a terrible place to live. But, at least Sarada made it illegal for them to treat half-breeds unfairly."

He grew quiet before responding again. "We barely made it. If the one we were fighting hadn't played around, I'd be dead right now." Even playing as he was, he still messed Pinach up pretty badly. Not only mention Dash. In fact, Erosa was the only one of them who managed to get away pretty much unscathed.

"Wait, what virus?" he asked as the last part finally hit him. "Do you mean SaiyAIDS?"

"There is no need to apologize for something you had nothing to do with. What happened, happened, and the consequences are mine alone to shoulder." And shoulder them he would... probably straight to hell, not that he believed in such a thing. "Callion is not such a bad place these days... quite cosmopolitan, in fact. Mostly purebreds, but you might encountered Theshlings, Tuffles, Namekians... even the occasional purebred, as of late."

He distinctly remembered happening upon a... curious scene recently. Purebred, halfbreed, threshling, and even one or two tuffle children playing together in a park. Rousong had watched it from afar and it had been one of the few things in recent years to elicit a genuine smile from him. In point of fact, a hint of that smile bubble up without him even realizing even just from the remembrance.

The smile faded as he considered Pinach's words about SaiyAIDS. That disease, of course, existed in his world, but it was not the one he was referring to. Rousong shook his head. "No, it's a disease that, when purebreds are exposed to it, infects their brain and dampens their higher reasoning abilities, as well as increases aggression. Not all purebreds are vulnerable to it, thankfully, and halfbreeds such as myself are typically immune, though there have been instances of infection with... considerably lessened symptoms. It was designed as a bio-weapon by the tuffle to rip the fabric of saiyan society apart at the seams, leaving us vulnerable to... retribution."

Taking a few more bites to finish off his current roast, he let loose an un-kingly burp. "It's likely that the tuffles of this world, if they even still exist, never pursued that line of research... or perhaps didn't pursue it to fruition. A good thing, if that is indeed that case, as it indeed left the Saiyan people vulnerable... so much so that, despite my power, we might have been overwhelmed by the Threshlings and, later, Tundra, save for the intervention of a rogue group of Tuffles that wanted to bury the hatcher. Saiyan martial might and Tuffle science is quite the formidable combination...."

"I don't think you will have to worry about it, but if you impress, then I shall pass on what I can about it," he said. "Think of it as... further incentive."

Things in this world weren't quite as... dire as in his, but the saiyans of this world still had their trouble... and would continue to have their troubles in the future, no doubt. He felt that they, just like the saiyans under his watch, deserve a chance to redeem themselves.

He remained silent for a long while, munching on his food. As he ate, he took out some device and began fiddling with it. Once he seemed satisfied, he spoke: "Without a day and night cycle, it will be difficult to keep track of time in here... this little device will help with that... keep us on a disciplined schedule." He placed it down on the table, and Pinach could see that it was... a clock, albeit one a fair bit more advanced than your average one.

"It has a ki converter to recharge the battery, and we have an... ample of supply of that, to say the least," he said. "Tuffle creation... quite convenient." Having finished his meal, he motioned to the bath. "When you're done, bathe and do what you will until the alarm sounds. That is your signal to go to bed. I, on the other hand... intend to do what I said I would do."

With a quick burst of power--though considerably less than before--he transformed up to Super Saiyan 3, walked to the edge of the 'safe zone'... and sat. Steadying his breathing, he began meditating, attempting to control and focus on controlling the raging ki of this form.

...even after a few seconds, he knew that this would be a monumental task. Perfect.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Sasheem won't be hard to track down..." Inanna commented, after a moment's reflection. "As for the others. I'd not risk it. Versatile they may be, but that means little should concern over soul manipulation is more than simply hypothesis." Even she would be hard pressed to do anything but but flee. Which she certainly could and yet...

"No. I suspect Sasheem, or one of the Saiyans- should I be able to borrow them- will be sufficient. Sasheem's relation to my former self should also prove of some benefit. Considering I bound his soul to a weapon not unlike Remnant, or Banefire."

One of the few instances where Ishtar's curiosity had proven useful.

“Perhaps Etrina than? Or Nevalinna? If this journey is to be done, I would suggest haste: Auroc won’t wait forever.”