Dragonball M, Chapter 5: Clarion’s Call! The Signal! The Fate of the Universes!

[Miburo]

You see Parsley attempt her anti-magic strike against Sakin’s effects. You see, with your new gaze, the effect not quite work until a shroud of smoke (to your gaze, nothing actually appears in the material world), in the form of Grinthorn press close to her and amplify her effect. With that, two of his Seals shatter and his gaze turns squarely to you and Parsley believing you both to be the culprits.

As the Nevadian closed in on the others, he tilted his head quizzically at what seemed to be transpiring. It brought him to a dead halt.

Grinthorn seemed to be aiding Parsley? If Held hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would scarcely have believed it, but the truth was manifest with this stage of the Shingan. Sakin's seal had been undone--at least a portion of it.

....Truth seemed to elude Sakin however. He seemed none the wiser, and very annoyed at the Saiyan Princess, and the Nevadian himself.


Held opened his mouth, beginning to protest before falling silent. Grinthorn would not have turned on Sakin without something in it for himself, and Held's understanding on the stipulations of the Eternal Dragon's station was such that acting as he wished in this matter was unlikely.

There had to be some bargain at play...Not to mention, it seemed that they needed him, for now. Even Parsleys magic seemed to be blunted against Sakin, somehow.

Held shrugged sheepishly at Sakin, playing the role of antagonist before pointing the tip of his Golden Spear at the Angel.

"I guess Angelic magic isn't all it's cracked up to be" he explained simply. "Or, you're just a worse hand at it than I expected. That was far too easy."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

The Coldlight, while intact, won’t be able to be properly repaired without a ship-yard.

( Well, I did all I could for the Coldlight. It's not a proper repair job, but without a shipyard, I had to work with what I had. My repair job of the Coldlight will have to do for now until it can get to a shipyard for a proper repair job) Praxat thought.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Grinthorn’s eyes stay on the hammer as he listens. The only thing to have actually harmed him, housed within one of his own dragon balls, he seems almost enchanted for a moment looking at it before his golden gaze snaps back to them.

“Well, when you put it like that…….”

Smoke curls around his fingers and mouth, cigar vanishing as a pulse of True Magic surrounds him.

“Recall I AM still limited from my true abilities, though more free than I was thanks to dear Banespell…….but yes, even here I am capable of…..many things. I am also bound somewhat by my previous agreement with Sakin to aid him, but……..”

His eyes gleam and a smoke curls around his lips. For a moment, the dragon he is can be seen overplayed the Grinthorn form.

“I suppose I never said I wouldn’t help you either….”

His gaze turns to Parsley, far away, and grins.



Parsley, a little voice and the smell of smoke fills your mind and nose as Grinthorn speaks to you.

‘Not bad, allow me to help.’

Your Muda, having little effect at first, suddenly surges and washes over the local area and you feel the Blood Seal on Sasheem shatter and the Seal of Healing as well. Sakin staggers mid-air, frowning as his gaze whips around to you and Held who comes up from behind you.

You both have his attention now.

Parsley was staggered for a brief moment. Her ploy worked in totality, but only because... of Grinthorn? If she hadn't heard his voice in her head and smelled that damnable smoke from that equally as damnable cigar, there was no way she would have believed it would have happened. She had no idea what could have been the cause of his sudden about-face. Perhaps he realized that Sakin would soon be much too dead to make good on his end of their bargain. Or perhaps Ochazuke and Zaofan managed to convince him to actually lift a finger to help.

Regardless, she had no choice but to accept his aid. "Tch."

Convenient for him to leave her and Held to deal with the consequences of his betrayal. Sakin's gaze settled upon them. Clearly, he blamed them for the dissolution of two of his three seals.

Held opened his mouth, beginning to protest before falling silent. Grinthorn would not have turned on Sakin without something in it for himself, and Held's understanding on the stipulations of the Eternal Dragon's station was such that acting as he wished in this matter was unlikely.

There had to be some bargain at play...Not to mention, it seemed that they needed him, for now. Even Parsleys magic seemed to be blunted against Sakin, somehow.

Held shrugged sheepishly at Sakin, playing the role of antagonist before pointing the tip of his Golden Spear at the Angel.

"I guess Angelic magic isn't all it's cracked up to be" he explained simply. "Or, you're just a worse hand at it than I expected. That was far too easy."

She couldn't help but chuckle. "Please cut him some slack, Held. He's gotten frail in his old age. A consequence of ambitiously betraying his station, after all." She remembered back to a conversation she had with Caliban months ago. The Fallen Angel was weaker than he was before, but he had thousands upon thousands of years to regain his strength by means of stealing it from whatever Guardians he managed to lure to his twisted world. Mortal power paled severely in comparison to Angelic power, but enough "donors" made up the difference quite nicely.

Still, if his power worked in the same way as ki did, then his power had dropped tremendously as a result of his grievous injuries. She gazed upon him with Observational Focus to make sure.

"Tell me, Sakin," she said to the one-armed Angel. "How much longer will your stolen power last? The Gotengo had to have cut into that by a pretty sizable degree, wouldn't you say?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Efrideet let the mortals, and Grinthorn, do as they could. She had done all she'd meant to, until the Angel's judgment need be carried out. Retreating a safe distance before laying Genesis down. Then she rapped her knuckles gently on her forehead.

"Down for the count, or is there yet more of you to spare?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Sarada spoke and her people responded. In truth, though, it didn’t matter what she said. The last time the Empire caught sight of Sarada was when Ochazuke contacted them with an harrowing image of her badly injured. The extent of the injuries was withheld from them for good reason, but the fact that she was on the sideline and not fighting was more than enough to divulge that it was grievous. So for her to be up and seemingly prepared to head back into battle was more than enough to inspire the Saiyans once again.

With Spirit of Saiyans, she tapped into that tangible faith. For the first time, she practically held that Heka Flow in her hands. It wasn’t energy in the same way that ki or God Ki was. Actually, she wasn’t sure what it could be quantified as other than what she had been visualizing it as that entire time, even with Parsley’s knowledge of it at her disposal. Regardless, she had it. Her people’s faith. Their will. Their hope.

Their fire.

The fiery furnace that was the Saiyan will and pride enveloped her. Inside that furnace, as she let her eyes drift closed again, she knew what she needed to do.

Peerless Instinct

For the first time in a long time, the instinctual mindset was brought forth. With it, the flames of the Saiyan race scorched and devoured everything that had been holding it, and her, back. Her fears, her hesitation, her anxiety, her guilt, her rage, her impatience, the universe’s potential destruction, her friends, her family, everything was pitched into the fire. Her mind was completely empty of all thought

When all of it was turned to ash, all that was left was herself, Sakin, and the battle itself.

For the first time, Sarada felt nothing but the impulse of a warrior. Not impulse for the sake of it. Not the headstrong, narrow-minded, tunnel-vision impaired impulse that had plagued her at so many inopportune times. This was the impulse that guided a warrior to fight outside of herself, to not think about what to do but simply do. To simply do whatever was required at the moment. That was the essence of combat: to be formless and shapeless, perfectly malleable.

She had finally reached the end of the path she started on six years earlier. With the help of Parsley, Zaofan, and Ochazuke, Sarada had finally reached the summit, the purest form of martial prowess.

Ultra Instinct

You can see Sakin in the distance, floating up before Sasheem. The Angel is badly wounded, Sasheem seems fine, and away from them is Efrideet holding Genesis, a blade drawn in her hand.

Sarada stepped foot out of the Gotengo, eyes still shut and body generating an incredible amount of heat. There was no aura around her. She looked no different than she normally did. Her energy - normally passionately frenetic and raging like an inferno - was eerily calm and still. Suddenly, the crimson aura of the Super Saiyan God form enveloped her as she transformed. Still, there was no alteration in her energy.

The battle with Sakin still raged. Hundreds of yards separated her from him. She took a single step. The distance was immaterial and evaporated in less than an instant as she threw a kick aimed for his face.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Efrideet let the mortals, and Grinthorn, do as they could. She had done all she'd meant to, until the Angel's judgment need be carried out. Retreating a safe distance before laying Genesis down. Then she rapped her knuckles gently on her forehead.

"Down for the count, or is there yet more of you to spare?"

Genesis stirs after a moment, then opens her eyes.

“How passing…strange. He removed me from this realm. The experience…..was troubling.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sakin stares at Parsley and Held, both of which can see him, literally, bleeding power away. Whatever he had stick-piled over so many years, it is fast fading as wounded as he is.

He snarls and moves, appearing right in front of them, leg arching toward Parsley’s head to snap her neck while his hand opened to fling blood at Held’s spear.

But neither of those things happen.

Sakin steps, he appears in front of them almost too fast to follow. His leg and hand move, the intent clear, when Sarada simply appeared and kicked him away with as much effort as one would use to swat a fly.


The wounded Angel is sent hundreds of feet away into a large rocky outcropping, smashing into it and leaving a blood indent.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat rests on top of the Coldlight for a bit and goes back into her upgrade electromagnetic energy form.

[grampagen]

Grinthorn’s eyes stay on the hammer as he listens. The only thing to have actually harmed him, housed within one of his own dragon balls, he seems almost enchanted for a moment looking at it before his golden gaze snaps back to them.

“Well, when you put it like that…….”

Smoke curls around his fingers and mouth, cigar vanishing as a pulse of True Magic surrounds him.

“Recall I AM still limited from my true abilities, though more free than I was thanks to dear Banespell…….but yes, even here I am capable of…..many things. I am also bound somewhat by my previous agreement with Sakin to aid him, but……..”

His eyes gleam and a smoke curls around his lips. For a moment, the dragon he is can be seen overplayed the Grinthorn form.

“I suppose I never said I wouldn’t help you either….”

His gaze turns to Parsley, far away, and grins.



Parsley, a little voice and the smell of smoke fills your mind and nose as Grinthorn speaks to you.

‘Not bad, allow me to help.’

Your Muda, having little effect at first, suddenly surges and washes over the local area and you feel the Blood Seal on Sasheem shatter and the Seal of Healing as well. Sakin staggers mid-air, frowning as his gaze whips around to you and Held who comes up from behind you.

You both have his attention now.

"...I hate to admit it, but that's kind of clever," Zaofan muttered, "a little nudge on something that's already there, so it's not really him that put anything into motion and then..."

His face drooped as the conclusion of these shenanigans struck him. "...and then Parsley and Held...take the heat..."

Both Zaofan and Ochazuke looked over to Grinthorn, and the hand which gripped the hammer rose that much higher.

"Cheh! I'm disappointed," Ochazuke said, "Soliciting a contract, peering past the veil to know its weaknesses, yet even with the Binder's oath nullified, that's what you negotiate with all your eternal acumen. Surely you can do better!"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"...I hate to admit it, but that's kind of clever," Zaofan muttered, "a little nudge on something that's already there, so it's not really him that put anything into motion and then..."

His face drooped as the conclusion of these shenanigans struck him. "...and then Parsley and Held...take the heat..."

Both Zaofan and Ochazuke looked over to Grinthorn, and the hand which gripped the hammer rose that much higher.

"Cheh! I'm disappointed," Ochazuke said, "Soliciting a contract, peering past the veil to know its weaknesses, yet even with the Binder's oath nullified, that's what you negotiate with all your eternal acumen. Surely you can do better!"

Grinthorn watches as Sakin gets booted away by Sarada before responding.

“I’m somewhat new to this ally thing. Besides, I could have moved them had Sarada not interfered.”

His eyes glow:

“You should watch what happens next. It seems your Queen has finally reached her pinnacle of martial ability.”

He shakes his head.

“A weakened Sakin, an awoken Sarada. One with the experience, the other fresh and uninjured.”

He remains silent, smoke curling from his mouth and eyes glowing brighter.

“Though I suppose perhaps I can give her a leg up.” He says this, eying their weapons.

“May I move closer without being attacked, gentlemen?”

[grampagen]

Ultra Instinct

Sarada stepped foot out of the Gotengo, eyes still shut and body generating an incredible amount of heat. There was no aura around her. She looked no different than she normally did. Her energy - normally passionately frenetic and raging like an inferno - was eerily calm and still. Suddenly, the crimson aura of the Super Saiyan God form enveloped her as she transformed. Still, there was no alteration in her energy.

The battle with Sakin still raged. Hundreds of yards separated her from him. She took a single step. The distance was immaterial and evaporated in less than an instant as she threw a kick aimed for his face.

Grinthorn watches as Sakin gets booted away by Sarada before responding.

“I’m somewhat new to this ally thing. Besides, I could have moved them had Sarada not interfered.”

His eyes glow:

“You should watch what happens next. It seems your Queen has finally reached her pinnacle of martial ability.”

He shakes his head.

“A weakened Sakin, an awoken Sarada. One with the experience, the other fresh and uninjured.”

He remains silent, smoke curling from his mouth and eyes glowing brighter.

“Though I suppose perhaps I can give her a leg up.” He says this, eying their weapons.

“May I move closer without being attacked, gentlemen?”

As the winds of the planet began to change, the heat haze of Sarada's new aura shook in the blowback from where her punch landed and sent the Fallen One a sizable distance away...

...neither Zaofan nor Ochazuke turned from where they stared down Grinthorn.

"...buddy, Earth's a democracy. She's not our Queen. She's our pupil." And a hard-headed one at that.

"I have no need to keep my eye on Sarada, or any of my comrades. Do you really think we would have made it to the Heart of the Universe if we did not take stock of each other?"

The moment Grinthorn's gaze raked over their armaments, simultanously they both moved a step closer into striking range.

"Don't change the subject...and don't even think about it," Ochazuke continued. "I'm familiar with the predatory transactions of your ilk...and you've just sighted a new peer to break the seal upon your power."

There are no leylines. Not traditional ones, at least. Nothing natural. What he sees is that the planet is a creation of Sakin’s in as much as it is his prison. It is by his will that it exits, and by that right any and all that enter it’s atmosphere are within his reach (where he himself cannot physically leave the planet).

You also realize that unless he wills it, none may leave this place.

As the genius loci of the planet was absent, its ingrained energies indistinguishable from Sakin's will. The Woven Path would serve as a substitute as Ochazuke silently drew his meditation field across and through the planet through Muhen Sekai Keihatsu. Set into the firmament of the Forsworn World, even as he spoke he was a silent study of the remainder of Sakin's remaining power.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

As the winds of the planet began to change, the heat haze of Sarada's new aura shook in the blowback from where her punch landed and sent the Fallen One a sizable distance away...

...neither Zaofan nor Ochazuke turned from where they stared down Grinthorn.

"...buddy, Earth's a democracy. She's not our Queen. She's our pupil." And a hard-headed one at that.

"I have no need to keep my eye on Sarada, or any of my comrades. Do you really think we would have made it to the Heart of the Universe if we did not take stock of each other?"

The moment Grinthorn's gaze raked over their armaments, simultanously they both moved a step closer into striking range.

"Don't change the subject...and don't even think about it," Ochazuke continued. "I'm familiar with the predatory transactions of your ilk...and you've just sighted a new peer to break the seal upon your power."



As the genius loci of the planet was absent, its ingrained energies indistinguishable from Sakin's will. The Woven Path would serve as a substitute as Ochazuke silently drew his meditation field across and through the planet through Muhen Sekai Keihatsu. Set into the firmament of the Forsworn World, even as he spoke he was a silent study of the remainder of Sakin's remaining power.

Sakin is weak. His weak control over the planet is dwindling, as is his control on the last seal he placed to restrict teleportation. With his missing arm and the destruction of the apparatuses, Ochazuke you surmise through your meditation field that he has five minutes alert to operate at this level before he will collapse. Longer if he minimizes how much he does, but the very nature of his seals requires sacrifices his concentration and power to maintain them.

However, despite his current predicament, you do get the sense of some other plan he holds up his peverbial sleeve.

—————

Grinthorn rolls his eyes but holds his hands up in surrender.

“Fine, fine. Fair enough.”

He focuses, and a strike of significant smoke hits the ground and merges with the planet. A moment later, the seal holding off teleportation also breaks.

He nods once then gestures with his head.

“Sakin is injured. I can keep him from sealing anything else but I need to be able to summon my power more. Try not to attack me when I do.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

In a flash, Praxat goes from being on top of the Coldlight to appearing in front of Mira. " Mira, ma'am, I did all the repairing I could do for the Coldlight with what I had available to me, but it's still going to need a shipyard for a proper repair job," Praxat said.

[Yun Lao]

"All of this trouble just to tip the scales in your favor and yet it all comes crumbling down like so much fragile glass..."

He had been sleeping a lot lately; couldn't even remember getting on a ship nonetheless where and what they all had been doing. It appeared things had been handled pretty well in his absence, but it was time for him to awaken. Stepping out from the battered Coldlight, Charco managed to get a few meaty cracks from his neck as he moved it side to side.

"With all the hype, I was expecting the big bad guy to be more... impressive?"

After all, his lineage and fate had been altered just to face this guy and the Angel wasn't stirring up any emotion other than disappointment. Although he didn't know the details, he sensed enough to get the general idea that Sakin had some control over the planet they were on, albeit not as much as the Angel had been hoping now.

"Whatever... it doesn't matter..."

Fishing into his pocket, he withdrew a small, credit-card-shaped object from it, his thumb against a small indentation on the top, parting the device's cover to show a red button. The doctors back on Earth had devised this invention and he couldn't recall whether he had actually tested it or not, but there was only one way to find out.

"A wise man once said: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.". I plan to do a lot more than punching, though..."

Pressing the button, Charco ceased to be, parted from reality if only for a few moments.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sakin pulls himself out of the indent and stares for a moment.

“Even Angelic purview is no longer sacred, mongrel ape. I see…..fine, you want to dance this dance…..heh, ha ha ha ha…..”

His hand comes up, streaking what little hair he has back and he stares ahead, hand then going to his wounded arm that he pinches, painfully, shut and cauterizes with some Ki finally to stop the bleeding.”

“Damn Dragon, no point in Sealing with him around………but he’ll get his. Oh yes, even if it’s the last thing I do…….”

Instead, he closes his good eye and breathes in, then opens it and seems to…..shudder…almost as a ghostly part of his power breaks away from his aura and dissipates into the air.

“Perhaps I am not enough…….One.”

He grins his teeth, a shudder of pain through his body as another piece of his aura seems to break off and vanish.

“Two.”

He hisses as blood pools in his mouth and he spits it out, the action carrying some of his aura with it as it too, breaks off and disappears. The skin of his burns rips, blood seeping a bit down his scalp and face.

“Thr….ee….”

He pauses and awaits Sarada’s next move as he gathers himself.