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

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Well, that's one less of a headache." Held replied with a laugh, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a pain trying to get anything done with those knights chasing me down."

It had been a close call, the Nevadian charging his attack to purifying the darkness that had festered within the planets core while two or three knights attempted to get the better of him. Thankfully, he outmaneuvered them, and was successful, but it was not an enjoyable moment.

"I'll take the Galloping." He continued, pondering the orders he was given. "I don't particularly want to shove my face in that storm any sooner than I need to..."

That, and I don't want to risk my body cramping up again any sooner than necessary.....Although, I get the feeling things should be alright now.




"Well, that's a relief." Held replied, gratefully taking what was offered to him. "I sure wish I had one with me a few hours ago when I was---"

Held went suddenly silent. Perhaps this was not the time to regale his allies of how his body was so thrown off by his soul suddenly inhabiting it, that crippling and debilitating pain had left him prone in the snow for hours.

"--When I was debating on what to have for lunch....."



Held nodded. The task was simple enough.

"Understood. I'll head ou---"



The Nevadian grimaced as his senses were assaulted by an offensive presence manifesting itself. It was a cancer on the planets surface, rotting and roaring.

"Ugh." The Nevadian could not hide his disgust, his face scrunching into a frown as if he smelled something putrid. The being was the very antithesis of purity.

He felt something shift at the bottom of his stomach.

He did not feel fear, he felt revulsion. He very swiftly wished to dispatch with the creature, much like a janitor would hope to throw a rancid meal into the bin.

His gait increased as he walked towards the Galloping, mumbling vaguely as Crazy Horn accompanied him, perhaps more offended at the presence than even the Nevadian was.

The sooner it was annihilated, the sooner the Nevadian would be able to rid himself of his unease.

The Galloping is ready whenever Held is.

The demons presence grates on Helds’ senses the entire time, a blight against the universe.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

One lightning bolt crashed into Avoca's mouth. The feeling, beyond the seering pain from her mouth becoming slightly charred upon impact, was... pleasurable? Was that even possible? Avoca wasn't one of those sick fucks who got off on pain, but the feeling was undeniably rapturous. ...Did that say anything about her that she didn't want to know?

Probably - hopefully - not.

"Avoca?"

"Can't do that again," she replied to Parsley. Her words were slurred; it was hard to talk with a badly burned tongue, it turned out. As endless lightning bolts crashed down all around them, they kept moving to keep from getting hit. "We're in way over our heads, Parsley. We aren't gods like Sarada apparently is." It was as unSaiyan-like a sentiment as had ever been expressed in her lifetime, but there was no point in letting pride get in the way of the truth.

"Not directly, no. We'll just have to wait to find out what part we can play in this burgeoning plan." Parsley spared the goddess a withering glance. "I'm not willing to just sit idle and let higher beings save us poor mortals." She looked at Avoca and gave her a confident smile. "But if you're feeling wary of our chances, you're more than welcome to sit this one out."

"Not a chance!" She supposed they were stuck until something more their speed happened.



Not even a few seconds after that thought, that thing happened. The three Saiyans felt it first. A horrible, terrible feeling power that bled out from the storm cloud above. Its demonic energy beat across the sky. The air felt heavier, denser as it made its presence felt with a tremendous roar with such volume that it actually rivaled the lightning barrage cast by its mistress. A menacing aura permeated the air, choking away any life like an intangible hand of dead.

"****, what the **** is that?" Sarada grunted.

"No idea. It... feels familiar. Somewhat." Parsley narrowed her eyes as she and Sarada both turned to face the creature fully. "The GoD is a lost cause for now."

No more needed to be said on that front. Sarada grinned and clenched her remaining hand. "Finally, something I can actually hit. Let's see what sound it makes when it dies."

They both took off for the creature, Sarada a far bit ahead. Parsley focused her attention on the creature, keying Observational Focus in on finding any weaknesses in the creature.

Her Observational Focus bounces off a being of pure hate and hunger and consumption. All she gets is a massive headache.

It’s massive head turns towards Sarada and unleashes a beam of energy from its mouth that is sewer Grey in comor, the stench of this putrid energy scalding up close.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Rice flour pastry, bean past cut with lard," Zaofan said, resignation in his voice as he dispassionately stated the ingredients of what might be the last thing he'd ever have time to cook. "Well, regardless, that about settles it."

"If you're going to hit the thing directly, go with Tasure, otherwise fly down in the Galloping and support Held. You'll need to throw all you can at this sucker, and the lesser demons, to turn this thing around. Meanwhile we..."

Zaofan paused, short of words, and turned to Ochazuke. "...what are we doing again?"

"We'll find a way to divide the storm and ascertain the limits of She Who Stalks," Ochazuke said.

"Okay, not for nothing, but how exactly are we going to do that?"

Ochazuke said nothing, but the Gotengo began to lurch, the superstructure gathering power as it positioned itself to move against the planet's rotation and steer away from the Threshling Capitol.

"It will not do for a Knight of the court of Queen Nevin to stand idle. Not when he may deliver his liege and brothers."

"...right," he said, "I'll get my cape."

Queen Nevin actually interjects, alongside Neva.

“Sorry we were late in responding. The….abomination stalking here is blocking my access to the spells under the palace right now. Mother and I are currently attempting another method to reach them, Sit Luop is watching our back.”

Nevin than responds.

“All the civilians are evacuated, and half my knights have fled back into Neva’s pocket dimension. We will not be able to hold out much longer if another monstrosity like this one appears.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Held nodded his head in affirmation, his attention divided between Ochazuke's orders, and the frankly nauseating presence of the demon waiting in the wings. Vaguely, he wondered if Ocha was aware that he was nodding in agreement with the ships Captain. He probably was. Even on the worst of days, his insight was keen. Whatever this ship was, seemed to have elevated those talents to another level entirely.

"I'm not so crass as to suggest out loud that I can improve upon the work already laid down there." He stated as he entered the cockpit of the Galloping, "But if we have enough time I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out."





The cargo doors of the Galloping began to close as Held input several commands into a terminal, the ships engines humming to life.

"All ready for take-off over here." He reported to the Gotengo's captain, "disembarking now."

Gently touching a command yoke, the ship drifted forwards, out of the Gotengo's docking bay, "I'll keep in touch, when I can."

If I can...I don't have much experience with sentient storms.

As the Galloping exited the docking bay, the battered landscape of Reshlan was in view, straight ahead. Or what could be seen of it through the massive storm.

A deft gesture caused the Galloping to shoot ahead at a breakneck pace, the engines now fully roaring to life, streaks of golden light trailing behind it.

As the mission began in earnest, Held began altering the course as to approach the heart of the arrary from a less direct angle.

I'll likely have to fly through the storm soon enough....I'd prefer not to plunge right into the thick of it immediately, if it can be helped.

He would find Totoma on board with him, just as eager to see this done.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

If the star that Reshlan orbited around would penetrate the dark purple shroud to reach the people upon its surface, they would not know it from here.

From this angle, the sky was an arcing dome, and as they moved, the sun seemed to slip behind and leave all else shrouded in darkness.

Ochazuke's thoughts grew silent, observing the mass of energies and presences ebbing below them, transcribing on the observation monitors on the bridge as the Gotengo shift its course. A dozen eyes glimpsed as many readouts, energy readouts written in holoform analytics that shift from one axis to another; each in turn reflecting the aggregation of sense-awareness that filtered through his meditation field, a piece of the sense sublime rendered in models of hard data as he extended Kyokushin Keihatsu over the world from the plasma streaks that scarred the sky over the capitol to the rings that wreathed the planet and shone glory to the Threshlings where they once hid from the wider universe.

How things have changed. This wasn't the first time they'd returned to the hermit planet. Earth was likewise newly minted as a trading partner linked directly to the Nevadian Federation...and accordingly, the Navigators' handiwork that had been employed to find Reshlan remained.

Transponders from pole-to-pole that had once fixed a physical place situated its location. When Ochazuke hailed their signals, instantly this granted the Gotengo a comprehensive satellite view of the world as it turned.

"The time has come. You all know your places."

With a flash, the Wave Motion Engine pooled the energies through its superstructure as the bow-drill spun, leading the starship as it leaned upward. Precision was exactly what they needed, and aligning the shot parallel to the continental mass at this scale was like splitting hairs; all the more if execution was not up to par.

That depended on all those gathered aboard.

"Now, pool your energies toward the superstructure. Shape the energy up to the point of execution; your intention will be enough."

So said, Ochazuke's eyes snapped open from his meditation. He raised his right hand, and the Forger's Hammer materialized. Held next to Arthur's Ring, the resonance of Creation imbued into the hammer's surface resonated and carried through the Orichalum plating that he and Morgan had welded into the Gotengo's surface.

The drill began to spin, and guiding and combining energies from those aboard who would offer it, Ochazuke balancing them finely to a single point.

"Prepare to fire the maser on my mark."

A massive eye appears in the storm cloud and looks up, curious, as SWS senses the Gotengo finally.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"The launch bay will open after the count. You may leave when ready."

So as it was said, the passage for the Galloping was set. Time was of the essence, but though Ochazuke's manner was curt, no further wellwishing or sentimental pleas for luck were exchanged between them.

His trust in Held would be sufficient, and with everything at stake, there would be no relying on chance, but for their means to seize it.



As the collective of energies on the bridge gathered, by the innate magic in the Orichalum on the Gotengo's hull and the nascent power of Creation in the Forger's Hammer, Ochazuke began to fold complex energies into a single point before the bow drill.

"This Stalker has no need of her heart, Ma Yusha. The Devilmite Beam, however, may have its uses on the impurity of the energy she exhudes."

The spellcraft of the Wizard, on the other hand, would still remain beyond his ability to use beyond a bludgeon.

"Whatever words you may offer, Bensho-Sennin, will be sufficient if they slow her down."

Moreover, with the power embued into Jack Knave's sword Excalibur, the scar Ochazuke still bore upon his arm reminded him that some charms were less complex, but no less vital.

The nose of the ship spun, the bow leaned upward, nearly parallel to the planet as Ochazuke took aim.



Brittle static filled the ship communicators for a moment. Interference from the cascade of energies pooling behind as the Galloping took off at its brisk clip towards the planet.

"...then let me make it easier for you." The response was flat, and pressing as if some decision had been already been settled in quiet.

No sooner had the message passed when a ray of icy white shot forward, and a rush of force shot outward noiselessly in the space vaccuum. Burning bright from the south of the planet, just below the equator, a beam of gestalt energy issued from the Wave Motion Engine from all those who offered their energies to it, carrying the spiraling payload wrought of Ki, Creation and Magic skimming across the surface of the globe and punching toward the fell atmosphere.

"We'll draw her attention, and test the mettle of her chosen form."

Aimed parallel to the land masses and oceans, the Gotengo aumed to cut a trench through the planetary storm from south of the equator over the barrens to a bit beyond the Royal Capital.

The ship rips through the storm, and an unearthly shriek is heard that you can feel in your very soul.

The lightning stops and suddenly the clouds swirl and form a massive body of SWS, one so large that it reach towards the Gotengo to grab it.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Tasure vansishes with Jack and Charco, reappearing near the fifty foot tall demon as it fires upon Sarada.

Charco grunts and nods his thanks, power pooling in his body as Jack Knave prepares to summon his sword and Tasure goes Super Saiyan 2.

[grampagen]

Queen Nevin actually interjects, alongside Neva.

“Sorry we were late in responding. The….abomination stalking here is blocking my access to the spells under the palace right now. Mother and I are currently attempting another method to reach them, Sit Luop is watching our back.”

Nevin than responds.

“All the civilians are evacuated, and half my knights have fled back into Neva’s pocket dimension. We will not be able to hold out much longer if another monstrosity like this one appears.”

"I assure you," Ochazuke said, "The optimal course will be for you to hold your position."

Little over a year ago, they had come to Reshlan as enemies. Chasing after the mad god Auroc, when he had learned the truth of the means from which their people had drawn their strength, when faced with this new foe Ochazuke remembered well how the Queen and her host had cast off the yoke of the Majin.

Strength drawn from a fixed point, unwavering in resolve...

It was a distant hope at best against a Destroyer come calling. Then the maser beam from the bow drill struck through the storm.

The ship rips through the storm, and an unearthly shriek is heard that you can feel in your very soul.

The lightning stops and suddenly the clouds swirl and form a massive body of SWS, one so large that it reach towards the Gotengo to grab it.

Hammer held in hand, Ochazuke felt the impact of the beam through his senses, but this he beheld with his eyes.

"Beginning the descent now. Be on your guard." He spoke this to everyone, but in particular his thoughts remained with his martial brother, who in between Held's departure in the Galloping and the collective effort of the maser fire had all but disappeared.

___

Through the clearing in the parted sky, the Gotengo slowly descended. Over the ocean some distance away from the capital proper, the sun was at their back, made all the brighter where it gleamed off the composite alloys adorning its hull.

She Who Stalks rapidly animated the clouds upon that fell shape in the darkness, reaching towards a presence all too familiar.

Standing atop of the Gotengo's hull in the upper atmosphere, the White Knight of Reshlan had returned and laughter echoed through from sky to sea.

BGM: Sure Promise

As the storm-hand reached, the ray of hope dimmed; only enough that anyone could see Zaofan, arms folded defiantly before him as the White Cape billowed. Yet his ki signature was strange; the impression had somehow become bolder than ever before in a manner that seemed uncanny.

"Reshlan! Lend me your ears!"

The air seemed to carry Zaofan's voice startlingly near despite the vast distance from the capital, as if he stood among them.*

"Sakin decided it your time was over, but look! You called out and we answered!"

The darkness of the Stalker loomed, and yet the defiant figure astride the starship stood firm as he addressed the people. The nearer she drew, the warmer the golden glow surrounding them seemed to grow.

"She Who Stalks was going to choke this world beneath her tempests and bring an end to your days, what've you got to say about that?!"**

* Spirit Bomb: the call for energy gathered from the planet and its people has begun.
** Heka Flow: Zaofan's rallying call to the M-Fighters and the Threshling host seeks to reinvigorate a power they have never beheld before.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat gets on her guard.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Her Observational Focus bounces off a being of pure hate and hunger and consumption. All she gets is a massive headache.

When Parsley set her gaze on the horrifyingly grotesque and putrid creature, she expected to learn something, anything, about its makeup. After all, the times when her vision failed her were few and far between. So when her observations came up empty, she felt nothing but muted surprise tempered by the agonizing pain of what felt like a nail being driven into her skull.

She groaned and clutched at her head.

“Parsley?” Avoca’s voice came from behind her. “What did you see?”

“Nothing,” she said through gritted teeth. “It’s a being of hatred and hunger. All it wants to do is consume. That’s it.” There was nothing else. Whether her observations failed because of the nature of its being or because there was nothing further to observe didn’t matter in the end.

“Alright. Guess we’re going in blind.” She caught up to her wife and two moved as two synchronized pieces of the same machine, nimbly avoiding nascent lightning bolts that continued to rain down from above unabated. Sarada was far ahead of them and they wouldn’t be able to catch up before she reached the creature, but that only gave her time to prepare.

“Not blind,” she spoke. The pain in her head persisted, but the urgency of the current situation called for otherworldly focus. “We encountered one years ago, in The Doctor’s base. It’s a creature of malice and suffering and rot.” There wasn’t much else to say beyond that. Well, nothing pertinent and useful. “Sasheem defeated that one then. This one may be kin to it or it may not. I don’t know.”

“Well... that’s good enough.”

Down below, shadows began to flicker and shift independent to the people and objects they were tethered to.

The ship rips through the storm, and an unearthly shriek is heard that you can feel in your very soul.

The lightning stops and suddenly the clouds swirl and form a massive body of SWS, one so large that it reach towards the Gotengo to grab it.

As they approached, a sound like thunder ripped through the entire planet.

No, not thunder; a scream. A scream so shrill and pained that it penetrated Parsley’s and Avoca’s very souls. Their bodies trembled as the sound reverberated through them, shaking their bones to the marrow. “What the hell was that?!” the latter asked.

“Look!” Parsley’s eyes cast upward, where a sizable hole had been punched through the planetary storm cloud that they had come to find out was SWS herself. In response, the cloud shifted it shape, coalescing its power into one vaguely Saiyanoid shape in the likeness of the puppet that had been harassing them mere moments earlier. “That’s the first part of the plan done.” The next part had to remain with them until Held arrived to impose the finishing blow. Those on Reshlan still had another pressing matter to see to.

It’s massive head turns towards Sarada and unleashes a beam of energy from its mouth that is sewer Grey in comor, the stench of this putrid energy scalding up close.

Sarada looked upward to witness the Gotengo pierce a hole through SWS’ cloud cover and drive the GoD into a fit of agony. Her face split into a wide grin. “Ahahah! Dumb bitch made the same mistake twice,” she said. Just like before, she allowed herself to be attack and was, again, found lacking. Once was ego. Twice was just plain old idiocy. She supposed years of being the top dog in the universe would erode a fighter’s senses, both fighting sense and common sense. The Stalker had suddenly found herself as the one being hunted. How would she react? Sarada had an idea, one that was quickly being proven by her forming a “body” out of the clouds and reaching to strike the ship. “Kick her ass!” she said to Ochazuke, knowing he was still on the ship. “Make her regret waking up this morning.”

Her attention returned to the creature just in time to witness it firing a beam in her direction. Her nose actually caught its “power” before her senses did. The hyper-sensitive organ found itself bombarded by an otherworldly smell so ghastly that she started gagging. “What the ****?!” The smell burned her nostrils, but she persisted in her path. The only way to go without risking anyone behind her was straight ahead.

Lasair’s Gift: All-Consuming Flame 1

Sarada’s aura blazed like an ethereal wildfire as she continued on her collision course with the beam. Just before impact, she clothed herself with a shield to not only protect against the beam, but also block the horrid stench.

Her flaming aura struck the beam as she barreled forward like a runaway asteroid. At that moment, the moment of truth, she would find out what was stronger: this creature’s power or her will and the fire of her kith and kin. Only one way to tell.

“Hold on!” Parsley grabbed Avoca with the beam mere yards away from them. The next moment, the two of them sunk into the ground and disappeared.

Tasure vansishes with Jack and Charco, reappearing near the fifty foot tall demon as it fires upon Sarada.

Charco grunts and nods his thanks, power pooling in his body as Jack Knave prepares to summon his sword and Tasure goes Super Saiyan 2.

Dances With Shadows

A swarm of shadowy figures materialized from off the ground, as if literally rising to their feet and standing amongst the new arrivals. Then, they shot into the air and moved to surround the creature. Out of one of the shadows, Parsley pulled Avoca to safety behind it.

“Thanks. I didn’t think energy could smell so bad.”

She could only imagine that meant trying to eat the energy was out of the question. She wasn’t going to shed any tears. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Tasure, Jack, Charco... and Praxat standing nearby. “It’s a demon of hate and hunger and consumption,” she told them. “I can’t get a read on it beyond that. We’ll have to scout out its weakness the old-fashioned way.” She hated not being able to come up with a strategy before wasting precious time and energy, but sometimes it couldn’t be helped.

Below her, her own shadow flickered to life and rose to stand beside her. Parsley imbued it with her own ki and gave it its task. It sunk into the ground and flitted quickly toward the creature, where it began carving out a rune underneath it. As it worked, Parsley knelt to the ground and started drawing blood from her arm. “Help them,” she said to Avoca. “This is going to take a minute.”

“Okay.” While Sarada was keeping the creature busy, at least for the moment, Avoca circled around to its blindside - if it even had a blindside with all those eerie faces. She formed a ball of greyish mist between her hands and unleashed it at the creature. She didn’t know what kind of energy it was working with; if she had to bet, probably she same kind that the GoD had, at least the non-divine kind. Regardless, she hoped she could **** with it all the same and muddle with those internal energies to keep it from fighting back when they started their offensive.

Attack Denial

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"I assure you," Ochazuke said, "The optimal course will be for you to hold your position."

Little over a year ago, they had come to Reshlan as enemies. Chasing after the mad god Auroc, when he had learned the truth of the means from which their people had drawn their strength, when faced with this new foe Ochazuke remembered well how the Queen and her host had cast off the yoke of the Majin.

Strength drawn from a fixed point, unwavering in resolve...

It was a distant hope at best against a Destroyer come calling. Then the maser beam from the bow drill struck through the storm.




Hammer held in hand, Ochazuke felt the impact of the beam through his senses, but this he beheld with his eyes.

"Beginning the descent now. Be on your guard." He spoke this to everyone, but in particular his thoughts remained with his martial brother, who in between Held's departure in the Galloping and the collective effort of the maser fire had all but disappeared.

___

Through the clearing in the parted sky, the Gotengo slowly descended. Over the ocean some distance away from the capital proper, the sun was at their back, made all the brighter where it gleamed off the composite alloys adorning its hull.

She Who Stalks rapidly animated the clouds upon that fell shape in the darkness, reaching towards a presence all too familiar.

Standing atop of the Gotengo's hull in the upper atmosphere, the White Knight of Reshlan had returned and laughter echoed through from sky to sea.

BGM: Sure Promise

As the storm-hand reached, the ray of hope dimmed; only enough that anyone could see Zaofan, arms folded defiantly before him as the White Cape billowed. Yet his ki signature was strange; the impression had somehow become bolder than ever before in a manner that seemed uncanny.

"Reshlan! Lend me your ears!"

The air seemed to carry Zaofan's voice startlingly near despite the vast distance from the capital, as if he stood among them.*

"Sakin decided it your time was over, but look! You called out and we answered!"

The darkness of the Stalker loomed, and yet the defiant figure astride the starship stood firm as he addressed the people. The nearer she drew, the warmer the golden glow surrounding them seemed to grow.

"She Who Stalks was going to choke this world beneath her tempests and bring an end to your days, what've you got to say about that?!"**

* Spirit Bomb: the call for energy gathered from the planet and its people has begun.
** Heka Flow: Zaofan's rallying call to the M-Fighters and the Threshling host seeks to reinvigorate a power they have never beheld before.

A surge of energy jolts towards Zaofan and his spirit Bomb as the remaining Threshlings all give their energy to it. The (NPC’ed) M-Fighters bolster it as best they can while keeping the fight up.


Meanwhile, in response, the grasping hand suddenly flattens out, palm upwards. A massive surge of energy ripples across the storm as power pools into its hand in mockery of the Spirit Bomb collection. This energy SWS gathers is half Hakai and half demonic as it surges through the open portals from the demon realm.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

When Parsley set her gaze on the horrifyingly grotesque and putrid creature, she expected to learn something, anything, about its makeup. After all, the times when her vision failed her were few and far between. So when her observations came up empty, she felt nothing but muted surprise tempered by the agonizing pain of what felt like a nail being driven into her skull.

She groaned and clutched at her head.

“Parsley?” Avoca’s voice came from behind her. “What did you see?”

“Nothing,” she said through gritted teeth. “It’s a being of hatred and hunger. All it wants to do is consume. That’s it.” There was nothing else. Whether her observations failed because of the nature of its being or because there was nothing further to observe didn’t matter in the end.

“Alright. Guess we’re going in blind.” She caught up to her wife and two moved as two synchronized pieces of the same machine, nimbly avoiding nascent lightning bolts that continued to rain down from above unabated. Sarada was far ahead of them and they wouldn’t be able to catch up before she reached the creature, but that only gave her time to prepare.

“Not blind,” she spoke. The pain in her head persisted, but the urgency of the current situation called for otherworldly focus. “We encountered one years ago, in The Doctor’s base. It’s a creature of malice and suffering and rot.” There wasn’t much else to say beyond that. Well, nothing pertinent and useful. “Sasheem defeated that one then. This one may be kin to it or it may not. I don’t know.”

“Well... that’s good enough.”

Down below, shadows began to flicker and shift independent to the people and objects they were tethered to.



As they approached, a sound like thunder ripped through the entire planet.

No, not thunder; a scream. A scream so shrill and pained that it penetrated Parsley’s and Avoca’s very souls. Their bodies trembled as the sound reverberated through them, shaking their bones to the marrow. “What the hell was that?!” the latter asked.

“Look!” Parsley’s eyes cast upward, where a sizable hole had been punched through the planetary storm cloud that they had come to find out was SWS herself. In response, the cloud shifted it shape, coalescing its power into one vaguely Saiyanoid shape in the likeness of the puppet that had been harassing them mere moments earlier. “That’s the first part of the plan done.” The next part had to remain with them until Held arrived to impose the finishing blow. Those on Reshlan still had another pressing matter to see to.



Sarada looked upward to witness the Gotengo pierce a hole through SWS’ cloud cover and drive the GoD into a fit of agony. Her face split into a wide grin. “Ahahah! Dumb bitch made the same mistake twice,” she said. Just like before, she allowed herself to be attack and was, again, found lacking. Once was ego. Twice was just plain old idiocy. She supposed years of being the top dog in the universe would erode a fighter’s senses, both fighting sense and common sense. The Stalker had suddenly found herself as the one being hunted. How would she react? Sarada had an idea, one that was quickly being proven by her forming a “body” out of the clouds and reaching to strike the ship. “Kick her ass!” she said to Ochazuke, knowing he was still on the ship. “Make her regret waking up this morning.”

Her attention returned to the creature just in time to witness it firing a beam in her direction. Her nose actually caught its “power” before her senses did. The hyper-sensitive organ found itself bombarded by an otherworldly smell so ghastly that she started gagging. “What the ****?!” The smell burned her nostrils, but she persisted in her path. The only way to go without risking anyone behind her was straight ahead.

Lasair’s Gift: All-Consuming Flame 1

Sarada’s aura blazed like an ethereal wildfire as she continued on her collision course with the beam. Just before impact, she clothed herself with a shield to not only protect against the beam, but also block the horrid stench.

Her flaming aura struck the beam as she barreled forward like a runaway asteroid. At that moment, the moment of truth, she would find out what was stronger: this creature’s power or her will and the fire of her kith and kin. Only one way to tell.

“Hold on!” Parsley grabbed Avoca with the beam mere yards away from them. The next moment, the two of them sunk into the ground and disappeared.



Dances With Shadows

A swarm of shadowy figures materialized from off the ground, as if literally rising to their feet and standing amongst the new arrivals. Then, they shot into the air and moved to surround the creature. Out of one of the shadows, Parsley pulled Avoca to safety behind it.

“Thanks. I didn’t think energy could smell so bad.”

She could only imagine that meant trying to eat the energy was out of the question. She wasn’t going to shed any tears. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Tasure, Jack, Charco... and Praxat standing nearby. “It’s a demon of hate and hunger and consumption,” she told them. “I can’t get a read on it beyond that. We’ll have to scout out its weakness the old-fashioned way.” She hated not being able to come up with a strategy before wasting precious time and energy, but sometimes it couldn’t be helped.

Below her, her own shadow flickered to life and rose to stand beside her. Parsley imbued it with her own ki and gave it its task. It sunk into the ground and flitted quickly toward the creature, where it began carving out a rune underneath it. As it worked, Parsley knelt to the ground and started drawing blood from her arm. “Help them,” she said to Avoca. “This is going to take a minute.”

“Okay.” While Sarada was keeping the creature busy, at least for the moment, Avoca circled around to its blindside - if it even had a blindside with all those eerie faces. She formed a ball of greyish mist between her hands and unleashed it at the creature. She didn’t know what kind of energy it was working with; if she had to bet, probably she same kind that the GoD had, at least the non-divine kind. Regardless, she hoped she could **** with it all the same and muddle with those internal energies to keep it from fighting back when they started their offensive.

Attack Denial

Sarada gets through the attack but is quickly grabbed out of mid-air and slammed into the ground. Then stepped on multiple times.

Avaoca’s grey mist does nothing as long tongues extend from the faces on its back and wrap around her throat and arms, pulling her towards their mouths.

Tasure charges but gets blasted away by another mouthbeam, while Jack suddenly pulls a glowing blade out of nowhere and disappears in a puff of smoke and Charco roars as a burning sun like Ghost Hakai aura erupts around him and he charges up a burning attack in his hands.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

While on her guard Praxat gets on her intercom." Is there anything particular you want me to do, Ochazuke? Yeah, I know you want me to be on my guard and, I'm, but is there anything else you would like me to do? " Praxat said.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Sarada gets through the attack but is quickly grabbed out of mid-air and slammed into the ground. Then stepped on multiple times.

Avaoca’s grey mist does nothing as long tongues extend from the faces on its back and wrap around her throat and arms, pulling her towards their mouths.

Tasure charges but gets blasted away by another mouthbeam, while Jack suddenly pulls a glowing blade out of nowhere and disappears in a puff of smoke and Charco roars as a burning sun like Ghost Hakai aura erupts around him and he charges up a burning attack in his hands.

Getting stomped on was not how Sarada saw the battle going when she managed to break through the creature’s attack. No knowing what it could do and having zero intel on its abilities wasn’t out of line with how most of her fights went, but with something that dangerous, at a time as critical as the one they were currently in, the need to finish the fights on Reshaln as quickly as possible was a top priority.

As the creature raised its foot to stomp on her again, a green shield materialized between herself and the beast. She expanded it rapidly to knock it off-balance and give herself some space to escape from under it. Okay. Got an idea, she thought to herself when she noticed the others beginning to form their counterattacks.

She flew a short distance away and let out a roar. Her aura screamed to life, igniting like an inferno in the nighttime sky. Her allies in the nearby area would feel her power wash over them. It was like the soothing warmth of a campfire on a bitterly cold night. If they chose to accept, they would find themselves like her, their normal ki temporarily and seamlessly replaced by God Ki. Whatever they did with it would be more powerful, cleaner, and more efficient than it would have been with normal ki.

Queen’s Blessing targets: Jack, Charco, Avoca, Parsley, and Praxat. God Ki boost good for 1 post.

---

Avoca had been struggling to free herself when Sarada’s gift washed over her. The transition was jarring from how sudden it was. Her power sky-rocketed to heights she previously thought would have been impossible for her to ever reach in her life. Her spiky golden hair faded, replaced by the crimson locks of this Saiyan God form Sarada had earned. The power was fleeting, that much she knew already. There was, sadly, no time for her to bask in the elation of having finally caught up and being able to once again stand shoulder to shoulder with Sarada as an equal. Guess this will spur me on to train even harder when this is over!

The creature’s tongue, wrapped around her thought like a otherworldly anaconda, continued to pull her ever-closer to its mouth unabated. Her reached forward and extended three fingers. Her armor flashed as it released the energy stolen from SWS into the attack. “Want something to eat, you ugly ****? Eat this!” The beam exploded forward from her fingers, aimed directly for the creature’s mouth.

Godly Impact: Final Impact empowered by Queen’s Blessing + 1 SWS lightning bolt

"Reshlan! Lend me your ears!"

The air seemed to carry Zaofan's voice startlingly near despite the vast distance from the capital, as if he stood among them.*

"Sakin decided it your time was over, but look! You called out and we answered!"

The darkness of the Stalker loomed, and yet the defiant figure astride the starship stood firm as he addressed the people. The nearer she drew, the warmer the golden glow surrounding them seemed to grow.

"She Who Stalks was going to choke this world beneath her tempests and bring an end to your days, what've you got to say about that?!"**

* Spirit Bomb: the call for energy gathered from the planet and its people has begun.
** Heka Flow: Zaofan's rallying call to the M-Fighters and the Threshling host seeks to reinvigorate a power they have never beheld before.

Zaofan’s cry stretched the far reaches of Reshlan. For Sarada, it didn’t have far to travel. She reached her hand upward and let fly some of her energy. “Take it!”

Avoca did the same after releasing her attack on the creature, as did Parsley just before she accepted Sarada’s gift.

[Miburo]

He would find Totoma on board with him, just as eager to see this done.

The Nevadian quirked an eyebrow at his ally. Totoma wasn't a mage by trade as far as Held was aware, but he was certainly quite resourceful, and exceedingly powerful. Besides, there was no telling what they would encounter on the field.

"I take it you're not a fan either?" Held inquired with a wry smile as the Galloping cleaved through the air on a blistering path towards the Royal Capital.

The Galloping is ready whenever Held is.

The demons presence grates on Helds’ senses the entire time, a blight against the universe.

"

So as it was said, the passage for the Galloping was set. Time was of the essence, but though Ochazuke's manner was curt, no further wellwishing or sentimental pleas for luck were exchanged between them.

His trust in Held would be sufficient, and with everything at stake, there would be no relying on chance, but for their means to seize it.




The nose of the ship spun, the bow leaned upward, nearly parallel to the planet as Ochazuke took aim.



Brittle static filled the ship communicators for a moment. Interference from the cascade of energies pooling behind as the Galloping took off at its brisk clip towards the horizon.

"...then let me make it easier for you." The response was flat, and pressing as if some decision had been already been settled in quiet.

No sooner had the message passed when a ray of icy white shot forward, and a rush of force shot outward noiselessly in the space vaccuum. Burning bright from the south of the planet, just below the equator, a beam of gestalt energy issued from the Wave Motion Engine from all those who offered their energies to it, carrying the spiraling payload wrought of Ki, Creation and Magic skimming across the surface of the globe and punching toward the fell atmosphere.

"We'll draw her attention, and test the mettle of her chosen form."

Aimed parallel to the land masses and oceans, the Gotengo aumed to cut a trench through the planetary storm from south of the equator over the barrens to a bit beyond the Royal Capital.

The Nevadian could sense the overwhelming power unleashed by the Gotengo, moments before the visable display of it's power revealed itself in a beam of blinding white light, irradating the infinite darkness of space--if only for a moment--as it began to cascade across the planet.

Held was silent for a moment, clearly awed by the battleships display.

Just what the HFIL had earth gotten into while he was away? This was hardly what Held expected by 'drawing attention'. If nothing else, Ochazuke's penchant for understatement was almost as inspiring as his battle prowess.

Still, there was little time for such sentiments. The Gotengo's display likely drew the attention of that monster, and the storm herself. After hiding beneath the beam for a moment, following its path, The Galloping made a sharp left, veering away from the Gotengo. The Galloping would dash towards the heart of the array, sneaking through the opening Ochazuke had so graciously provided.

"Hold on." Held informed his guests, the true speed of the Galloping manifesting itself as it's speed increased tenfold, the keen eyes of the Nevadian focusing on the path ahead. They flew close to the ground, rising when necessary to avoid waisting the distraction made for their mission.

"Let's get this done as soon as possible." Held mumbled glumy, the noxious essence of the monster summoned intensifying as Held proceeded. "...I really should have had a drink before this."