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

[Yun Lao]

A moment, and the butterfly form shifts and a slightly staticy vision of a balding, blue skinned man with a strange staff appeared. His form shimmer a bit, the image straining.

He eyes her, before bowing his head in acknowledgement of who and what she is.

“I intend on ruling, and making these universes….better. Fixing all the mistakes that other celestials have made, and it has been shown to me, now more than ever, that you cannot fix what’s broken. It needs to be replaced entirely, a fresh start. A new….heh, Genesis.”

He leans on his staff and watches her.

“You…..are quite a sight. A truly, in totality, unique being. How….fascinating.”

“Is it though?”

A smoke cloud puffs into existence next to the image of Sakin, and a miniature wish dragon appears made of smoke before forming into Grinthorn.

The oldest dragon looks at her and smoke curls around him.

“Heh, a non divine mortal making a wannabe Wish Goddess. How profane.”

His eyes flick towards Ochazuke.

“I want my full freedom. Your…ally’s here have hidden my Dragonballs. Until I get them back, I’ll help Sakin tear the place down and build it back up.”

"...fuckin' finally..."

Like the first grasp of air taken upon emergence, the words were abrupt and sharp, trailed by a beastly growl. Deep, meaty cracking came from stiff vertebra; how long had he been idle? It felt as if he had been in a daze for some time, although he was certain he played some part in getting to this point of the story. Perhaps it was the sudden sense of comfort that had aroused him from his reverie? The shades of gray, the growing number of little details that distracted, all of it had put things out of focus... but now...

There was the certainty with this, a clear black and white that left no room for confusion. He had always preferred the simplistic and what could be any more simple than the appearance of prey?

Besides, by saying that, he had realized just how long he had been clenching his jaw.

"Recreating in the shape of your vision? Gimme a break, so damn predictable with you assholes."

Then again, who better to know an asshole like that than someone who was such an asshole? The hypocrisy was not lost on him; still, there was a difference - he was... and always would be the Strongest. Extending an arm forth, Ogatan Rex, also known as Charco, made his intentions quite known with just one finger.

"Spare us the theatrics and let's just get to the part where we fight."

[grampagen]

There is a long pause, and for a moment, the butterfly seems so, very, fragile.

‘I…..I will try…….’

The butterfly goes dangerously translucent for a moment, and then Zaofan feels a chord being struck. Feels a thrumming in his bones as the butterfly starts to glow.

And then a dozen more appear around it.

A silvery trail of butterfly seems to shoot up from Zaofan, glimmers of Heka flying from the axis Ochazuke has gathered. Each wisp makes the butterfly fly faster, taking a faint golden hue. Power gathers, the likes of which has only been touched twice before, and with the Heka available, with the hope in Zaofan, Eva responds.

———————-

On Earth, Kai and Nunlil fall back a step as Eva floats into the sky. Her face is tear streaked, her eyes blazing with silver and gold energy, and an aura of possibility surrounds her. Her body, to Kai’s eyes, resonate with a harmonic chord.

———————-

Maiz, you hear Eva’s voice and can feel that power starting to build in Eva. It’s a strange power, that odd harmonic chord that resounds in your head. Something……..unique, divine.

———————-

The image of Sakin narrows his eyes and his head turns towards where Zaofan and the butterflies are.

“What is that Kami doing?” He hisses out, staff gripped tightly.

———————-

Across the universe, hundreds of butterflies on hundreds of worlds appear, they flutter and float and from each butterfly, Eva’s voice rings out. It is the voice of fate, of resistance, of hope.

“I Remain.”

The butterflies fly out, the voice ringing clearer.

“I REMAIN. I RESIST. I WILL…..NEVER……SURRENDER. I AM GUARDIAN OF EARTH, AND TO THE UNIVERSE……I SAY…..FIGHT! RESIST! WE ARE NOT THE PLAYTHINGS OF FALSE IMMORTALS! EARTH WILL NEVER FALL UNDER THAT TYRANTS SHADOW EVER AGAIN.”

On Earth, as her message spreads across the universe, with a shudder, Eva vanishes into a flurry of ephemeral butterflies, leaving Kai and Nunlil alone on the Lookout.

———————-

Manifesting in a swirl of glowing butterflies, a tired and staggering Eva appears next to Zaofan.

With a hopeful nod, Zaofan at last loosened his grip and let the butterfly free into the spiritual axis...yet strangely once he'd let it go, therein he felt something fasten between them.

Seeing the lone pair of wings rise into the gathered voices from across the universe, he'd only hoped she would remember her own resolve. However, when the winds around them bloomed into a host of butterflies coursing upwards into the current, the power that had swept through him from the multitude brought him strength, but his thoughts were far away from that.

Immediately, he regarded this intersection of life and divinity with the same quiet awe that had been at the root of it since the first time she'd heard her speak there on the lifeboat with Held and Jinzi. At that time, the only thing they could offer each other was the best of intentions. In the midst of all the destruction, the death, and the uncertainty in these end-times that seized his heart as if it would burst screaming through him, he realized it now more than ever.

With every shred of doubt were set the foundations of wonder. Was a shattered firmament inherently broken, or only discarded?

Long ago, when Evangeline said she was changing fate, I thought it was like cutting a thread, when it was far more complex, like restringing an instrument.

But as the strange chord was struck, perhaps there was some harmony there. Within crisis to find opportunity. The awe and mystery of life itself moment to moment, that was the path of Kensho.

The moment Evangeline appeared from the butterfly, however, Zaofan immediately forgot his own plight and lunged forward to support her.

"Whoa, easy there! What did you do? Looks like they heard you loud and clear-"

It was at this moment that he'd realized that those that believed in them were not the only ones watching. Standing across the way, the scrying projections of the enemy. Alakazah still wore the guise of President Grinthrorn, and even though they changed the run of things on Earth, seeing him froze him still, but next to him there was another figure. He hadn't known his face until now, but the essence was ravenous, dreadful.

Silently, Ochazuke took a step before them, on guard before the visage of their enemy. Spotting him across the Clarion Call, he'd had an image, a reverb. Now, witnessing a portion of Sakin in full, there could be no doubt.

This was the one who had stolen the Guardian Fife from the apprentice they stood beside now.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Everything from then happened so fast that Totoma was unable to really formulate a reply, let alone a genuine, satisfying answer to Ochazuke. Etrina had done some... time stuff, running down the fusion's time limit, Sarada had powered down and given up. And then Inanna had come seeking Zaofan--the only person here that had tried to speak directly to her, rather than at her--only to get stabbed in the back by Jack, of all people.

Given what he knew of the dynamics between Jack, Ishtar/Inanna, and Sarada, the irony of this was not lost even on him. What happened next was nothing short of wonderous.

Or at least that's the impression he got. Magic was mostly beyond his ken--it was nerd stuff--but even he could tell that this was an event that went beyond normal magic. Or... normal anything.

And then, it was over? Or...

No, it wasn't over. Really, this battle with Sakin, despite SWS' death, had really only just begun, hadn't it?

Ugh, already, he felt unrelentingly tired. Not physically--physically, he felt great--but mentally... hoo boy. Right about now, he just wanted to curl up on, uh, something soft--maybe a Miburo-brand bed from nevada, and have a miburosleep. That'd be nice, but now was probably not the time.

Word came through that Sakin had begun destroying worlds. Langal was gone, as was the Kitani homeworld, the Promethean one... namek.

Lobatus...

He was sad at this, but the toll of the day's events had left him... numbed at the moment.

And yet, even more happened. Somehow... Sakin contacted them. Or they contacted Sakin? Bah, didn't matter.

Sakin's appearance was... not as expected. Totoma thought he'd be suave and lean, or... big and intimidating. And have awesome hair. Instead, he got some blue middle-aged... guy you'd see on the street anywhere. With not-awesome hair. A surprise, to be sure... and an unwelcome one.

Sakin talked about his aims, and it was... yeah, no surprises there. God complex, remaking the universe(s?), blah blah blah. Typical shit for a villain, if way more high stakes than before. At least Alibaba the magic dragon or whatever his name was had a completely understandable desire--freedom. Not that the Just Saiyan expected he'd use said freedom responsibly, but... it was understandable. Every conscious being desired freedom, to some extent.

Totoma approached the projection. "...you know, normally, I'd just start talking about how it's a hero's duty to kick the asses of villains like you, but... no, not today. Not after you made this personal for me. I didn't even care enough about you to learn your name--I legitimately thought you were called Snackin'--but you just had to take Karine, my children, Cado, Pinach, Rutaba. And dad, too. Hope you enjoyed watching me flay the skin She-Who-Dies skin off a bit ago, because that's what I'm going to start with when I get to you."

Totoma turned his attention to Alakazam, his eyes narrowing. "And you. I recognize you, mr ex-president. Don't think I've forgotten about your unpaid tab at dad's restaurant--Nine thousand and one zenny. Dad may have overlooked it, but I'm coming to collect... ya freakin' cheapskate."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

A moment, and the butterfly form shifts and a slightly staticy vision of a balding, blue skinned man with a strange staff appeared. His form shimmer a bit, the image straining.

He eyes her, before bowing his head in acknowledgement of who and what she is.

“I intend on ruling, and making these universes….better. Fixing all the mistakes that other celestials have made, and it has been shown to me, now more than ever, that you cannot fix what’s broken. It needs to be replaced entirely, a fresh start. A new….heh, Genesis.”

He leans on his staff and watches her.

“You…..are quite a sight. A truly, in totality, unique being. How….fascinating.”

“Is it though?”

A smoke cloud puffs into existence next to the image of Sakin, and a miniature wish dragon appears made of smoke before forming into Grinthorn.

The oldest dragon looks at her and smoke curls around him.

“Heh, a non divine mortal making a wannabe Wish Goddess. How profane.”

His eyes flick towards Ochazuke.

“I want my full freedom. Your…ally’s here have hidden my Dragonballs. Until I get them back, I’ll help Sakin tear the place down and build it back up.”

Sarada's attention turned from Held to the two figures. Her eyes narrowed as she beheld Sakin's static-ridden form. Even as unimpressive as his appearance was, she didn't dare underestimate him. "Destroy the universe, huh?" she said while rubbing her chin. "Yeah, I guess I'd be mad too if literally everyone everywhere told me to go fuck myself." Despite staring their worst enemy in the face, she found herself smile. "It's the same tired shit with you people. You really are scared to death of us, aren't you? An entire universe of ants united against you has just got to have your asshole good and tight, am I right?"

Sakin's mistake, beyond underestimating them that entire time up until he got a good look at them himself, was making it personal. Taking their families, destroying their homes, trying to set all of Universe 15 against them, all it did was expose how desperate he truly was. She figured this was his one shot to get what he wanted. She couldn't imagine the anxiety that he was feeling. Plans that had been in the works for a hundred thousand years. He betrayed nearly all of his contemporaries and deceived those that were left. He laid in hiding for millennia for this moment. And it was all about to unravel.

"Tragic. All that planning, undone by a bunch of mortals. Heh, it's kinda funny if you really think about it."

Her attention turned to the dragon, the former President of Earth. "As for you, how quickly you forget history. Or did you not get your ass beat by a group of mortals just like this one? We even have a Saiyan monarch just like they did. How about that?" She grinned at the smoky visage and balled her fist. "I've waited a long ass time to get my hands on the both of you. I'm gonna make you wish you had never even met Asha'rah!"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Paraxt turns towards Sakin's projection, and flips him off." So you're Sakin I presume. Well I don't give a damn about your rant. The only thing I care about at the moment is making you pay for pissing me off," Praxat said.

[Miburo]

When Held began responding to Sarada's beckon as she approached him, she noticed that he was... taking things remarkably well. Confused, but not overly emotional. At least not nearly as much as she would have assumed someone who had just lost his planet and most of his race. Her footsteps were heavy and thudding until she was a short distance from him, at which point she stopped.

"Far from it," she said in answer. There was more she could say - a lot more - but none of it was as important as what she intended on saying to him. It appeared he didn't know, so it suddenly became of even greater import.

Her features softened considerable, a far cry from the usually hardened but neutral expression Held would have usually seen her carrying. "I'm... I don't know how to tell you this, so I'll just say it," she began. "I just heard from Maiz. Sakin has been destroying planets left and right for the last few minutes. ...Nevada Prime was one of them." She swallowed and offered an empathetic frown. "I'm sorry."

The Nevadian let out a laugh in response. It wasn't a conscious, considered response. It was a biological--no, perhaps psychological---response that escaped from him when confronted with the absurd.

"Impossible." Held replied simply. Of course, he knew full well that nothing was impossible in this day and age. Destroying Nevada was hardly a trivial task, but these were hardly trivial times. In another time Held would have denied the possibility of such a thing entirely, brushing off the words of the Saiyan Queen to a particularly distasteful joke. Of course, even if he had considered such a possibility, if either Maiz or Sarada had given them reason to doubt them--which they had not-- a casual glance at Sarada told him the truth of her statement.

The Shingan revealed all, as they say.


The strength of their enemy, the absolute pandemonium cascading throughout the universe at large....It was not impossible. It was hardly even improbable. It made sense from a strategic standpoint.

Nevada. Gone. In the space of minutes. Those assembled on Reshlan were distracted for mere moments, and Sakin managed to strike at the heart of the Nevadian Empire.

The Nevadian continued to laugh, the absolute absurdity of the situation coming to a crescendo. Had the destruction of Nevada not been so absolutely bewildering in the moment, the shame he felt would have been neigh unbearable. The friends and family lost, and he had failed his duty--as burdensome as it was--to his people. How many----

No. Held felt himself on the very precipice. Lingering on the very edge of going down the rabbit hole. It was not proper for a warrior, nor was it productive. Nothing could be done for Nevada at this moment, and allowing despair to blind his judgement would only be detrimental to the grand strategy. The true goal.

Hilda had told him that this was a battle to stop the end of times. It was nothing more than hubris to assume that any blow struck by Sakin would be glancing. It was a deep blow to be sure. But not yet fatal, unable to be undone in its entirety.

The laughter of the Nevadian ceased as he regained his composure. Even now, that was hardly beyond him. It was the result of years of training, embedding the grace of the Unicorn into his very being.

"....I see." Held replied curtly, his attention drifting back to the Saiyan Princess. "Thank you, Sarada. I suppose it's best I learned sooner rather than later."


He activated his communicator, summoning forth a trusted ally.

"Ulysses." Held inquired, "Who exactly is in charge of the defense effort---"

A moment, and the butterfly form shifts and a slightly staticy vision of a balding, blue skinned man with a strange staff appeared. His form shimmer a bit, the image straining.

He eyes her, before bowing his head in acknowledgement of who and what she is.

“I intend on ruling, and making these universes….better. Fixing all the mistakes that other celestials have made, and it has been shown to me, now more than ever, that you cannot fix what’s broken. It needs to be replaced entirely, a fresh start. A new….heh, Genesis.”

He leans on his staff and watches her.

“You…..are quite a sight. A truly, in totality, unique being. How….fascinating.”

“Is it though?”

A smoke cloud puffs into existence next to the image of Sakin, and a miniature wish dragon appears made of smoke before forming into Grinthorn.

The oldest dragon looks at her and smoke curls around him.

“Heh, a non divine mortal making a wannabe Wish Goddess. How profane.”

His eyes flick towards Ochazuke.

“I want my full freedom. Your…ally’s here have hidden my Dragonballs. Until I get them back, I’ll help Sakin tear the place down and build it back up.”

The Nevadians focus shifted as the two forces that had earned his utmost ire came into being, an illusion of some sort. Of the two, Grinthorn was the more familiar to Held, well known as a perpetual plague on earth.

Sakin... Was not at all what Held expected. He had never met the angel until now, and had always wondered what he would look like. He had presumed some similarity towards Whis.

If nothing else, Sakin was not blessed with the lengthy, luxurious hair of Whis or Vados. Had Held been in a joking mood, he would have theorized that Sakin's entire motive for remaking the universe stemmed from envy.

He certainly lacked the casual joy of either. Nevertheless, the face of the angel was burned into the Nevadians mind.

So, this is the guy...

Held was vaguely aware Grinthorns crying--as per usual, he was upset about being denied access to his precious balls--and found it far more grating than it had been in the past. On and on, his winged and whined endlessly about the dragon balls.

"Come and make us tell you where they are then." The Nevadian replied simply, "It seems like much less work than acting like a child throwing stuff across his room in a tantrum."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sakin, and Eldfen both appeared, their reasons for this crusade separate and yet... convergent.

One wished to birth a new Universe, free from the stagnation and strife of the Universe before. The other... simply wished to be made whole again, and the consequences to achieve such were of little concern. Things she both could understand, and sympathize with, yet... the burden that had laid heavy upon her shoulders, and a destiny that had all but suffocated her no longer held their sway. Looking at these goals from the outside now, there was no mistaking the flaws in the former, and the naivete in the latter.

So She addressed Eldfen, first.

"Even were Ochazuke willing to return the Dragonballs to you, the location of at least one- information known only to Inanna- was never revealed to him. Should Sakin attain his ends, that knowledge will die with me; and if you believe Sakin will not capitalize on your weakened state to enslave you... you are a bigger fool than Inanna. I do sympathize with your desire to be returned to who you were- and were meant to be, however. It was after all, what drove Ishtar insane; and contributed to the death of Inanna." There was a pause, as She let her statement hang in the air, before she turned to address Sakin.

"You, however... are your dreams truly so... banal?" There was a lull, as she considered how best to properly express her thoughts; and when she had it was in the end quite simple. "By shaping the Universes you wish to rule, do you truly think there will be satisfaction in it? In my eyes... ruling over a Universe known down to the atom, seems a hollow thing. Or do I not see the bigger picture? Your bigger picture?"

Eldfen pauses and looks at her, questioningly, though his gaze also switches to Sakin. The Angel simply shakes his head, saying nothing.

“Where is the one Inanna knows of? If Ochazuke returns the others, and you yours………….”

Smoke curls up from his mouth.

“Perhaps I may yet leave the partnership: though I’ll be honest, Sakin has kept his word so far. He has released me as much as he can. I owe him something for that.”

Sakin, meanwhile, taps the staff and leans against it a bit more. He looks more fragile than expected, far older than other Angels some had met or seen.

“I have seen what randomness, what chaos has wrought already, Goddess. What spontaneity and creativity has lead too: Less than a dozen things have I seen that merit this pattern in my eyes. Instead, a more intelligent and methodical building should be tried. Order, not chaos. Predictability, not sheer chance. There will be some protected from the change, a few ally’s and propels who have sworn to me. But cancer needs to be cut out, not incubated.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

It didn't take long for Parsley to find what she was looking for. The pitch black butterfly, the perversion of Eva's scrying and communication technique she learned from her predecessor, shifted forms into a holographic figure.

Sakin.

He... was much uglier and pathetic looking than she would have thought an Angel would have looked. He certainly looked non-threatening with his hairline in constant retreat from his forehead. With a bow, he explained his plan to the being formerly known as Inanna. To rule, to correct the mistakes of his contemporaries - undoubtedly with Asha'rah at the top of that list - and improve the universes as he saw fit. Things as broken as their universes couldn't be fixed, so he intended on shredding them down to their last atoms and building news, teeming with life that knew not what came before, but only what lay ahead.

Grateful creation.

She knew that Sakin had escalated his intentions while they dallied on Reshlan, but to that degree... it was unfathomable.

"...no..."

To die... to have to watch everything she had fought so hard to build for herself and everyone she cared about be stripped away by a mad tyrant. It was a horrible nightmare come to life.

"No."

Then the Eldfen pitched in, declaring his intentions to aid in burning everything to the ground until he got what he wanted: his hidden dragonballs so he could regain his full freedom.

"NOOOOOOO!!" Her scream of defiance echoed through the flattened ruins that had once been Reshlan's capital. "A delusional god didn't get what he wanted and now he wants to destroy everything. Straight out of Cancer's and She Who Stalks' playbook, and every other tyrant that tried their hand at oppression and was soundly rebuffed. How many times will we see this pathetic and petulant strategy played out?" It would be the last time. Even if she had to die to ensure it, she was going to make sure Sakin and the rest of his petty Cabal were wiped from face of the universe.

The pinprick of ki that had been forming on the tip of her finger quickly expanded until it filled the palm of her hand. "I don't know how, but I will make sure you die."

Sakin shakes his head.

“I tried a less violent path, but you all resisted, threw my offer back in my face and led the universe to do the same. I would have been merciful, let the innocents remain ignorant of their fates. Let Night and Eldfen put it all to sleep before the reset button was pushed, a grateful universe vanishing in one moment into peaceful sleep and oblivion. This reaction, what has happened now, is a result of your unwillingness to acknowledge and face the fact that Universe 15 and the other sealed universes cannot remain as they are. It needs cleansing, and who better than one who saw it birth to see it out as well and fix things for the better?”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"...fuckin' finally..."

Like the first grasp of air taken upon emergence, the words were abrupt and sharp, trailed by a beastly growl. Deep, meaty cracking came from stiff vertebra; how long had he been idle? It felt as if he had been in a daze for some time, although he was certain he played some part in getting to this point of the story. Perhaps it was the sudden sense of comfort that had aroused him from his reverie? The shades of gray, the growing number of little details that distracted, all of it had put things out of focus... but now...

There was the certainty with this, a clear black and white that left no room for confusion. He had always preferred the simplistic and what could be any more simple than the appearance of prey?

Besides, by saying that, he had realized just how long he had been clenching his jaw.

"Recreating in the shape of your vision? Gimme a break, so damn predictable with you assholes."

Then again, who better to know an asshole like that than someone who was such an asshole? The hypocrisy was not lost on him; still, there was a difference - he was... and always would be the Strongest. Extending an arm forth, Ogatan Rex, also known as Charco, made his intentions quite known with just one finger.

"Spare us the theatrics and let's just get to the part where we fight."

Sakin glances at him, lip curling.

“A prime example of one abomination right there, one reason this universe is tainted. Ghost Hakai, a perverted godly energy used by a soul that refuses to recycle or move on, denying the natural moral and mortal order. His mere existence leaks perversion and chaos, tainting the universe.”

His form shimmers a bit.

“Come to me than, lizard. Come to my world and die.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

With a hopeful nod, Zaofan at last loosened his grip and let the butterfly free into the spiritual axis...yet strangely once he'd let it go, therein he felt something fasten between them.

Seeing the lone pair of wings rise into the gathered voices from across the universe, he'd only hoped she would remember her own resolve. However, when the winds around them bloomed into a host of butterflies coursing upwards into the current, the power that had swept through him from the multitude brought him strength, but his thoughts were far away from that.

Immediately, he regarded this intersection of life and divinity with the same quiet awe that had been at the root of it since the first time she'd heard her speak there on the lifeboat with Held and Jinzi. At that time, the only thing they could offer each other was the best of intentions. In the midst of all the destruction, the death, and the uncertainty in these end-times that seized his heart as if it would burst screaming through him, he realized it now more than ever.

With every shred of doubt were set the foundations of wonder. Was a shattered firmament inherently broken, or only discarded?

Long ago, when Evangeline said she was changing fate, I thought it was like cutting a thread, when it was far more complex, like restringing an instrument.

But as the strange chord was struck, perhaps there was some harmony there. Within crisis to find opportunity. The awe and mystery of life itself moment to moment, that was the path of Kensho.

The moment Evangeline appeared from the butterfly, however, Zaofan immediately forgot his own plight and lunged forward to support her.

"Whoa, easy there! What did you do? Looks like they heard you loud and clear-"

It was at this moment that he'd realized that those that believed in them were not the only ones watching. Standing across the way, the scrying projections of the enemy. Alakazah still wore the guise of President Grinthrorn, and even though they changed the run of things on Earth, seeing him froze him still, but next to him there was another figure. He hadn't known his face until now, but the essence was ravenous, dreadful.

Silently, Ochazuke took a step before them, on guard before the visage of their enemy. Spotting him across the Clarion Call, he'd had an image, a reverb. Now, witnessing a portion of Sakin in full, there could be no doubt.

This was the one who had stolen the Guardian Fife from the apprentice they stood beside now.

Eva nods.

“I wanted…..I wanted to help….to be with you…all.”

She looks up and sees Sakin and Grinthorn, and her form straightens. Energy, silver and gold start to swirl around her and that faint chord is heard once more to both Zaofan and Ochazuke.

“Those two……animals……”

She grits her teeth.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Eldfen pauses and looks at her, questioningly, though his gaze also switches to Sakin. The Angel simply shakes his head, saying nothing.

“Where is the one Inanna knows of? If Ochazuke returns the others, and you yours………….”

Smoke curls up from his mouth.

“Perhaps I may yet leave the partnership: though I’ll be honest, Sakin has kept his word so far. He has released me as much as he can. I owe him something for that.”

Sakin, meanwhile, taps the staff and leans against it a bit more. He looks more fragile than expected, far older than other Angels some had met or seen.

“I have seen what randomness, what chaos has wrought already, Goddess. What spontaneity and creativity has lead too: Less than a dozen things have I seen that merit this pattern in my eyes. Instead, a more intelligent and methodical building should be tried. Order, not chaos. Predictability, not sheer chance. There will be some protected from the change, a few ally’s and propels who have sworn to me. But cancer needs to be cut out, not incubated.”

She returned her gaze to Eldfen, a twinkle in her eye.

"You know as well as I do, they'll never return them to you willingly. As for the one I know of, why would I freely offer up such a valuable bargaining chip before I've decided who to cast my lot with?" She glanced at the others- Saiyans, Nevadians, Earthlings- who had begun to bark, and balk over the top of what had been, so-far, a calm conversation.

"And from what I can recall of Inanna's final moments, and what I have seen- and heard- so far; that is by no means certain." That said, she returned her attention to Sakin, and considered carefully what he had to say on the nature of chaos, order, and his grand designs.

"There is certainly merit to your words. Though... I am not wholly convinced. Perhaps it is my recent freedom from the cycle, but I find myself wondering why it matters why mortals live, and mortals die. Theirs is not my struggle, certainly; and time and again it has been proven that any attempts to aid- or guide- them lead to not their ruin but ours."

Inanna. Ishtar. Shek'Hinah. Indar'en. So many other r Gods, and Goddesses, inevitably brought to ruin as a result of attempts by others to influence fate, and reshape the fabric Universe. So much suffering...

And for what?

"If anything, Sakin, it seems to me that the cancer is not chaos. It is the idea that chaos, and creativity need be excised. Or am I wrong, in thinking that the current stagnation, and ruin is not the result of the Mad God, Asha'rah... and you, her Guardian Angel?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Everything from then happened so fast that Totoma was unable to really formulate a reply, let alone a genuine, satisfying answer to Ochazuke. Etrina had done some... time stuff, running down the fusion's time limit, Sarada had powered down and given up. And then Inanna had come seeking Zaofan--the only person here that had tried to speak directly to her, rather than at her--only to get stabbed in the back by Jack, of all people.

Given what he knew of the dynamics between Jack, Ishtar/Inanna, and Sarada, the irony of this was not lost even on him. What happened next was nothing short of wonderous.

Or at least that's the impression he got. Magic was mostly beyond his ken--it was nerd stuff--but even he could tell that this was an event that went beyond normal magic. Or... normal anything.

And then, it was over? Or...

No, it wasn't over. Really, this battle with Sakin, despite SWS' death, had really only just begun, hadn't it?

Ugh, already, he felt unrelentingly tired. Not physically--physically, he felt great--but mentally... hoo boy. Right about now, he just wanted to curl up on, uh, something soft--maybe a Miburo-brand bed from nevada, and have a miburosleep. That'd be nice, but now was probably not the time.

Word came through that Sakin had begun destroying worlds. Langal was gone, as was the Kitani homeworld, the Promethean one... namek.

Lobatus...

He was sad at this, but the toll of the day's events had left him... numbed at the moment.

And yet, even more happened. Somehow... Sakin contacted them. Or they contacted Sakin? Bah, didn't matter.

Sakin's appearance was... not as expected. Totoma thought he'd be suave and lean, or... big and intimidating. And have awesome hair. Instead, he got some blue middle-aged... guy you'd see on the street anywhere. With not-awesome hair. A surprise, to be sure... and an unwelcome one.

Sakin talked about his aims, and it was... yeah, no surprises there. God complex, remaking the universe(s?), blah blah blah. Typical shit for a villain, if way more high stakes than before. At least Alibaba the magic dragon or whatever his name was had a completely understandable desire--freedom. Not that the Just Saiyan expected he'd use said freedom responsibly, but... it was understandable. Every conscious being desired freedom, to some extent.

Totoma approached the projection. "...you know, normally, I'd just start talking about how it's a hero's duty to kick the asses of villains like you, but... no, not today. Not after you made this personal for me. I didn't even care enough about you to learn your name--I legitimately thought you were called Snackin'--but you just had to take Karine, my children, Cado, Pinach, Rutaba. And dad, too. Hope you enjoyed watching me flay the skin She-Who-Dies skin off a bit ago, because that's what I'm going to start with when I get to you."

Totoma turned his attention to Alakazam, his eyes narrowing. "And you. I recognize you, mr ex-president. Don't think I've forgotten about your unpaid tab at dad's restaurant--Nine thousand and one zenny. Dad may have overlooked it, but I'm coming to collect... ya freakin' cheapskate."

“You’ll fail, Totoma. That is all you ever do, fail. Your mother, your wife, and your children. Their fates will be kinder with me than you, boy.”

Grinthorn meanwhile actually cracks a grin and tips his hat at Totoma.

“Best food on Earth.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sarada's attention turned from Held to the two figures. Her eyes narrowed as she beheld Sakin's static-ridden form. Even as unimpressive as his appearance was, she didn't dare underestimate him. "Destroy the universe, huh?" she said while rubbing her chin. "Yeah, I guess I'd be mad too if literally everyone everywhere told me to go fuck myself." Despite staring their worst enemy in the face, she found herself smile. "It's the same tired shit with you people. You really are scared to death of us, aren't you? An entire universe of ants united against you has just got to have your asshole good and tight, am I right?"

Sakin's mistake, beyond underestimating them that entire time up until he got a good look at them himself, was making it personal. Taking their families, destroying their homes, trying to set all of Universe 15 against them, all it did was expose how desperate he truly was. She figured this was his one shot to get what he wanted. She couldn't imagine the anxiety that he was feeling. Plans that had been in the works for a hundred thousand years. He betrayed nearly all of his contemporaries and deceived those that were left. He laid in hiding for millennia for this moment. And it was all about to unravel.

"Tragic. All that planning, undone by a bunch of mortals. Heh, it's kinda funny if you really think about it."

Her attention turned to the dragon, the former President of Earth. "As for you, how quickly you forget history. Or did you not get your ass beat by a group of mortals just like this one? We even have a Saiyan monarch just like they did. How about that?" She grinned at the smoky visage and balled her fist. "I've waited a long ass time to get my hands on the both of you. I'm gonna make you wish you had never even met Asha'rah!"

“Only a fool plans victory before the match is over, Highness. You’ve not won yet.”

Sakin smiles.

“I still have several aces up my sleeve.”

As for Grinthorn , he shrugs.

“You are not your ancestor. And I don’t tend to make the same mistake twice.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Paraxt turns towards Sakin's projection, and flips him off." So you're Sakin I presume. Well I don't give a damn about your rant. The only thing I care about at the moment is making you pay for pissing me off," Praxat said.

Sakin seems less than impressed. He quirks an eyebrow but says nothing, almost dismissing your threat.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The Nevadian let out a laugh in response. It wasn't a conscious, considered response. It was a biological--no, perhaps psychological---response that escaped from him when confronted with the absurd.

"Impossible." Held replied simply. Of course, he knew full well that nothing was impossible in this day and age. Destroying Nevada was hardly a trivial task, but these were hardly trivial times. In another time Held would have denied the possibility of such a thing entirely, brushing off the words of the Saiyan Queen to a particularly distasteful joke. Of course, even if he had considered such a possibility, if either Maiz or Sarada had given them reason to doubt them--which they had not-- a casual glance at Sarada told him the truth of her statement.

The Shingan revealed all, as they say.


The strength of their enemy, the absolute pandemonium cascading throughout the universe at large....It was not impossible. It was hardly even improbable. It made sense from a strategic standpoint.

Nevada. Gone. In the space of minutes. Those assembled on Reshlan were distracted for mere moments, and Sakin managed to strike at the heart of the Nevadian Empire.

The Nevadian continued to laugh, the absolute absurdity of the situation coming to a crescendo. Had the destruction of Nevada not been so absolutely bewildering in the moment, the shame he felt would have been neigh unbearable. The friends and family lost, and he had failed his duty--as burdensome as it was--to his people. How many----

No. Held felt himself on the very precipice. Lingering on the very edge of going down the rabbit hole. It was not proper for a warrior, nor was it productive. Nothing could be done for Nevada at this moment, and allowing despair to blind his judgement would only be detrimental to the grand strategy. The true goal.

Hilda had told him that this was a battle to stop the end of times. It was nothing more than hubris to assume that any blow struck by Sakin would be glancing. It was a deep blow to be sure. But not yet fatal, unable to be undone in its entirety.

The laughter of the Nevadian ceased as he regained his composure. Even now, that was hardly beyond him. It was the result of years of training, embedding the grace of the Unicorn into his very being.

"....I see." Held replied curtly, his attention drifting back to the Saiyan Princess. "Thank you, Sarada. I suppose it's best I learned sooner rather than later."


He activated his communicator, summoning forth a trusted ally.

"Ulysses." Held inquired, "Who exactly is in charge of the defense effort---"



The Nevadians focus shifted as the two forces that had earned his utmost ire came into being, an illusion of some sort. Of the two, Grinthorn was the more familiar to Held, well known as a perpetual plague on earth.

Sakin... Was not at all what Held expected. He had never met the angel until now, and had always wondered what he would look like. He had presumed some similarity towards Whis.

If nothing else, Sakin was not blessed with the lengthy, luxurious hair of Whis or Vados. Had Held been in a joking mood, he would have theorized that Sakin's entire motive for remaking the universe stemmed from envy.

He certainly lacked the casual joy of either. Nevertheless, the face of the angel was burned into the Nevadians mind.

So, this is the guy...

Held was vaguely aware Grinthorns crying--as per usual, he was upset about being denied access to his precious balls--and found it far more grating than it had been in the past. On and on, his winged and whined endlessly about the dragon balls.

"Come and make us tell you where they are then." The Nevadian replied simply, "It seems like much less work than acting like a child throwing stuff across his room in a tantrum."

Grinthorn eyes Held, smoke almost….almost too imperceptible to see…curling away from Held’s presence.

“Can’t. Not while Eva so finely banished me from Earth, nor when…..Ochazuke actually managed to injure me.”

He turns and stares at where Eva and Ochazuke are with Zaofan.

“I said I don’t make the same mistake twice. Underestimating people, especially your group, is a death sentence.”

He side eyes Sakin when he says this.

“You seem diametrically opposed to me being unsealed completely, and thus I am left with no option but to aside with Sakin. I help him, he helps me.”

He blows some smoke and his eyes glimmer a moment under his hat.

“Give them to me and I’ll leave this conflict. Don’t, and you leave me no choice. I refuse to be limited any longer.”