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

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

about [/I]doing your part? That's the only thing that's ever been on your mind! You...reckless child~!!!"

Resetting himself with a breath, Zaofan's stance loosened, the spiritual particles softened, and the Threshling Genki mobilized in a thin trickle once more.


"Did you know the nature of her malady or did you presume to know her pain as if it was your own? Zaofan was the only one that bothered to hear what she'd asked."

<snip>

"The foundation of Kizuna is what you choose to take upon yourself. Certainly it has its uses...if the the goal is sequester power where bonds are set for true. Did you ask Inanna what she needed? Did she answer you before you'd offered it to her?"

Reckless Child.

Totoma's initial urge was to protest, but he quickly caught himself, realizing that this was neither the time, nor the place. Never mind that it was, even with a cursory bit of thought, an accurate assessment of his behavior the past year or so. Setting aside his, erm, battle-boner during these invasions, he'd actually been...

Huh.

When he has first ascended to Super Saiyan, he'd gone berserk, hadn't he? Yes, he'd gotten that under control enough to use it... good enough, but he'd done a lot of risky **** after that. Taking on the Daroga guy with Super Hitozaru, and when he'd gone Super Saiyan 2, even the control he'd developed for the first Super Saiyan form faltered somewhat. Super Saiyan 3 hadn't had the same issues... or did it? He'd never really bothered to use it in an actual fight, outside of a few spars with Vocado.

Could his new form be having the same sort of effect on him, albeit more... subtle? Making him more saiyan-like, in the worst, more stereotypical ways?

A possibility--a strong possibility--but he couldn't lay the bulk of the blame on his transformations. No, he'd made the choice to neglect parts of himself in favor of pursuing greater and greater power. He'd lost discipline.

Not that he'd ever been a particularly disciplined fighter, especially compared to, say, his mother or Mr. Ochazuke, but he'd at least had enough to compensate for many of his... idiosyncracies. But once he started delving into and exploring his Saiyan Power, that disipline had been ejected straight from the building. Though he could at least still focus and clear his mind, if push came to shove, and that took some measure of discipline, right?

Then again, one could add 'thoughtless' to that accusation of 'reckless child', too, so maybe he had a natural ability for blanking his mind.

...bah, whatever. It's pretty clear that I've still got issues to work on.

Totoma remained silent for a moment, then sighed. "Tch... I was gonna argue, but you're completely right. I..." The Just Saiyan paused for a moment. "...have been so busy reveling in my Saiyan nature and power that I forgot that I'm half-human, too. I've let myself become, hm, unbalanced? I guess I rejected it for so long that once I felt it was OK to actually embrace it, I... really really embraced it."

Leaving Zaofan to his task, he turned to Ochazuke, who spoke of Kizuna. While he was technically correct about the way he used it, the true nature of the ability was...

"Connection. That's its basis. I'm not really all that good at using it, but that excess power and second wind you get when I activate it, that's not coming from me, it's... you being temporarily more deeply connected to hidden reserves that you already have. True masters can unleash a person's hidden potential fully and permanently... supposedly. There hasn't really been anyone that could do that in centuries, though. And I..."

He paused to consider his usage of Kizuna, and his... mindset in regards to it. "...I form connections easily, but they're shallow, mostly, and that means I can only connect a little for a little while. Not that it would really matter if I could just up and turn all of you into... Ultimate versions of yourselves right now. Even I understand that even if we won with sheer power, it'd be a, hm, hollow victory?'

Privately, he had an inkling of why his Kizuna was so... shallow. He had a natural aptitude for the ability, but his early experiences had made him so guarded with others--even non-saiyans to an extent--that most of his connections, Kizuna and otherwise, were actually quite shallow, hence 'not very good at using it'. There were a few exceptions, like Karine and, to a lesser extent, his parents, but he found it hard to open up even to friends.


"I did try to ask her, by making mental contact, and it was rebuffed, and a bit of my energy taken, too," he said. "My mother pointed out that I should've just, ya know, physically asked her instead of going for such a showy, grandiose way of talking." And she'd been absolute right about that. Not that it was likely he could've changed the course of things.

Zaofan looked up at Etrina. He locked eyes with her as she passed and for an instant everything seemed to melt away.

Oh...she has my staff...how'd that get there...?

In fact, he'd become so entranced by the grace of her strange temporal veil, to say he'd been lost in the moment would be quite the understatement. As they lingered in the present moment, time turned backward...he his eyes swell shut and his nose break and unbreak again, seeing stars for a moment, then with a clarity he'd lost.

What are we doing here...?

Then it dawned on him that she was headed off to confront Inanna.

"Darling wait- WAIT!"

However one measures the length of a moment, even for a Time Mage and those close to her, they would never be long enough.



"...White. What a fortunate turn,"

Ochazuke glowered humourlessly, his tone nearing the edge of sarcasm. For him, though the wounds mended and the torn seams reversed their broken stitches, there had already been something lost he would not recover.

Nevertheless, he continued to address both the magical proxy and the Just Saiyan.

"You might consider what it would mean to offer violence and power to one called Destroyer. Why would a threat sway her judgment any more than it had She Who Stalks? Yet between her barbs, the abandon, Inanna asked why should she let us live. Sakin has had little part in this, despite all appearances. The heart of the issue is precisely that she stands outside of it."

And so Ochazuke posed this question to any gathered here or across the communication band.

"It is not enough merely to survive if nothing will change and godhead seized by different hands. What is the better universe you are fighting for? Can you give it to her?"

The better universe. This was actually something Totoma had thought of quite a bit. But he'd never really arrived to a completely satisfactory answer.

"...I've become a, ahem, bit arrogant and prideful--Zao-san will attest to that--but not to the extent that I believe I can change the universe on my lonesome. Sure, I can fly around, stopping criminals or punching monsters to save a village or town or even the world, on some occasions, but even I have to have downtime. And I can't be everywhere, even when I'm 'on-duty', so..." Totoma paused for a moment. "...I suppose the universe I'd like to create is one where, instead of saving people, I inspire people to save themselves and others, and they inspire others to do the same, and so on. So that it doesn't matter if I'm around, active or retired, or even alive... that if something happens that needs a hero, one or two or even more will step out of the crowd and be that hero."

Sort of like what he'd managed to inspire Pinach and Rutaba to do, but on a way larger scale.

"...ideally, those heroes would be a bit less thoughtless than me, or at least how I've been lately." Battle-boners were a hell of a... thing. "It's probably way too idealistic, and I'm not sure where gods fit into all this. Like, Sihn and his... allies... seem OK and at least trying to make the best of a bad situation, but a lot of them seem to be, well... assholes. Or monsters. I don't like the idea of unaccountable, inscrutable immortals lording over everyone and treating people like pawns or... sources of amusement."

Totoma sighed. "...I'm rambling again. Sorry."

[grampagen]

Totoma remained silent for a moment, then sighed. "Tch... I was gonna argue, but you're completely right. I..." The Just Saiyan paused for a moment. "...have been so busy reveling in my Saiyan nature and power that I forgot that I'm half-human, too. I've let myself become, hm, unbalanced? I guess I rejected it for so long that once I felt it was OK to actually embrace it, I... really really embraced it."

Leaving Zaofan to his task, he turned to Ochazuke, who spoke of Kizuna. While he was technically correct about the way he used it, the true nature of the ability was...

"Connection. That's its basis. I'm not really all that good at using it, but that excess power and second wind you get when I activate it, that's not coming from me, it's... you being temporarily more deeply connected to hidden reserves that you already have. True masters can unleash a person's hidden potential fully and permanently... supposedly. There hasn't really been anyone that could do that in centuries, though. And I..."

He paused to consider his usage of Kizuna, and his... mindset in regards to it. "...I form connections easily, but they're shallow, mostly, and that means I can only connect a little for a little while. Not that it would really matter if I could just up and turn all of you into... Ultimate versions of yourselves right now. Even I understand that even if we won with sheer power, it'd be a, hm, hollow victory?'

Privately, he had an inkling of why his Kizuna was so... shallow. He had a natural aptitude for the ability, but his early experiences had made him so guarded with others--even non-saiyans to an extent--that most of his connections, Kizuna and otherwise, were actually quite shallow, hence 'not very good at using it'. There were a few exceptions, like Karine and, to a lesser extent, his parents, but he found it hard to open up even to friends.

"I did try to ask her, by making mental contact, and it was rebuffed, and a bit of my energy taken, too," he said. "My mother pointed out that I should've just, ya know, physically asked her instead of going for such a showy, grandiose way of talking." And she'd been absolute right about that. Not that it was likely he could've changed the course of things.

"Yeah, well get over yourself," Zaofan replied. The last vestiges of Reshlan's fighting strength, the whisps of Genki gathered represents the last hopes of the Threshling people. Balanced upon his head, it was a paltry sphere, perhaps no larger in diameter than his armspan, and yet it weighed less upon him than when the earlier vitriol had shaken his heart. "In case you haven't noticed, this isn't about you. You're acting as if you're the only one that's got a handle in these fights, quit writing everyone off...!"

Ochazuke in the meantime, had expanded his Meditation Field through the genius loci of the planet, their battleground that had but stripped all but one Threshling from their homeworld. Connected with Zaofan in this manner, they began to read the change in the planet, the space beyond the veil, and the battle unfolding before them.

"Offering a half-hearted connection with yourself as the focal point is not a bond. That is merely tethering others to yourself, an egotistical act begging for acknowledgement. If you know this, why do you persist in such a shallow course? Much less with a stranger?"

With the mention of mental contact, Ochazuke's expression merely darkened.

"Listening to the quiet whispers of those you rescued must have been euphoric. Did you enjoy playing savior? That facade must have dulled the pain of the lie considerably. If you could not help yourself, you would help others...but not for their sake. Those who would trust in your power loaned you a portion of their faith, and in exchange for that strength you never knew you had, you imparted to them the will to watch, all for their thoughts of elation and thanks...what matter of a bond is that? What matter of wit would lead you to die for-"

Ochazuke grimaced as fate and time coalesced, twisting in the nexus where Etrina stood with Inanna and the Fusion that rose to meet her. One storm had departed, and this macabre tempest pretending to the godly had taken its place.

"Hidden potential. What a thing to master for those who see none of it in anybody else. But you are far afield from your sequestered island now, and it would not bode well for you to depart for some Saiyan world."

The better universe. This was actually something Totoma had thought of quite a bit. But he'd never really arrived to a completely satisfactory answer.

"...I've become a, ahem, bit arrogant and prideful--Zao-san will attest to that--but not to the extent that I believe I can change the universe on my lonesome. Sure, I can fly around, stopping criminals or punching monsters to save a village or town or even the world, on some occasions, but even I have to have downtime. And I can't be everywhere, even when I'm 'on-duty', so..." Totoma paused for a moment. "...I suppose the universe I'd like to create is one where, instead of saving people, I inspire people to save themselves and others, and they inspire others to do the same, and so on. So that it doesn't matter if I'm around, active or retired, or even alive... that if something happens that needs a hero, one or two or even more will step out of the crowd and be that hero."

Sort of like what he'd managed to inspire Pinach and Rutaba to do, but on a way larger scale.

"...ideally, those heroes would be a bit less thoughtless than me, or at least how I've been lately." Battle-boners were a hell of a... thing. "It's probably way too idealistic, and I'm not sure where gods fit into all this. Like, Sihn and his... allies... seem OK and at least trying to make the best of a bad situation, but a lot of them seem to be, well... assholes. Or monsters. I don't like the idea of unaccountable, inscrutable immortals lording over everyone and treating people like pawns or... sources of amusement."

Totoma sighed. "...I'm rambling again. Sorry."

"And what have you done to see this through? Moreover, you didn't answer the question. It will require more than force of arms or a reckless death."

Ochazuke peered to the sky, his tone guarded as he sought the moment to reenter the fray. It will not be executed at range...

"If you wish to save Inanna, what do you have to offer her besides ki for fodder and strength to clash? She'd already died, clawed her way through Hell, and feels herself unmourned. Whatever happens, she will find more than enough blood and power from whomever she regards as an enemy. Whether it's Sakin or us, it doesn't matter, for she sees little future in this or any universe...yet she hasn't destroyed this world or us uponit. This is not from a lack of ability, though the moment is closing."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Paraxt in Overclock continues pushing her electroreception as blood continuously drips from her nostrils. ( I know I told myself before that I would stop if I noticed I was getting a migraine. Screw that. I will try my hardest to push past this massive energy disturbance to hell if I get a migraine,) Praxat thought.

( Despite blood dripping from my nostrils I will push my electroreception until I breakthrough that massive energy disturbance or pass out trying, ) Praxat thought.

[KingofPie]

Inanna doesn't respond, only grunting in annoyance, as she's punched in the eye.

"... from the Dem-"

Be it calculated, or sheer dumb luck, the horn that pierced Vaikuntha was well-placed. As Inanna charged an attack that would certainly spell the end of everything; there was a sharp crack, as the Divine Spear pierced the veil, and bit deep.

"HRK-"

Attack sputtering as quickly as she summoned it, Inanna hissed in pain and clutched at the Heavenly Spear now embedded in her side.

"Hmm, better now than never to start taking this a bit more seriously..." Blizzar stated, appearing before Inanna briefly before darting away, disappearing once again. ""You obviously know of the Death Ball, yes? A trademark of my people. I find it rather uncouth, to be honest. I could master it, but I've never cared for it. Fortunately now, I've found a better way for it to suit my style..."

"Two Death Balls, summoned in tandem, encased in a psychic barrier by my telekinesis," With each of my fists, one is controlled and with each impact, their barrier is released, breifely releasing the Death Ball as it is set off...before being swiftly contained by the barrier yet again. "I call it Death Boxing. If not for this golden form, I doubt it would be enough. But Now..."

Blizzar appeared once more the two aforementioned Death Boxing gloves lifted with him, both pummeling into Inanna.

[MrSandman]

"Yeah, well get over yourself," Zaofan replied. The last vestiges of Reshlan's fighting strength, the whisps of Genki gathered represents the last hopes of the Threshling people. Balanced upon his head, it was a paltry sphere, perhaps no larger in diameter than his armspan, and yet it weighed less upon him than when the earlier vitriol had shaken his heart. "In case you haven't noticed, this isn't about you. You're acting as if you're the only one that's got a handle in these fights, quit writing everyone off...!"

Ochazuke in the meantime, had expanded his Meditation Field through the genius loci of the planet, their battleground that had but stripped all but one Threshling from their homeworld. Connected with Zaofan in this manner, they began to read the change in the planet, the space beyond the veil, and the battle unfolding before them.

"Offering a half-hearted connection with yourself as the focal point is not a bond. That is merely tethering others to yourself, an egotistical act begging for acknowledgement. If you know this, why do you persist in such a shallow course? Much less with a stranger?"

With the mention of mental contact, Ochazuke's expression merely darkened.

"Listening to the quiet whispers of those you rescued must have been euphoric. Did you enjoy playing savior? That facade must have dulled the pain of the lie considerably. If you could not help yourself, you would help others...but not for their sake. Those who would trust in your power loaned you a portion of their faith, and in exchange for that strength you never knew you had, you imparted to them the will to watch, all for their thoughts of elation and thanks...what matter of a bond is that? What matter of wit would lead you to die for-"

Ochazuke grimaced as fate and time coalesced, twisting in the nexus where Etrina stood with Inanna and the Fusion that rose to meet her. One storm had departed, and this macabre tempest pretending to the godly had taken its place.

"Hidden potential. What a thing to master for those who see none of it in anybody else. But you are far afield from your sequestered island now, and it would not bode well for you to depart for some Saiyan world."



"And what have you done to see this through? Moreover, you didn't answer the question. It will require more than force of arms or a reckless death."

Ochazuke peered to the sky, his tone guarded as he sought the moment to reenter the fray. It will not be executed at range...

"If you wish to save Inanna, what do you have to offer her besides ki for fodder and strength to clash? She'd already died, clawed her way through Hell, and feels herself unmourned. Whatever happens, she will find more than enough blood and power from whomever she regards as an enemy. Whether it's Sakin or us, it doesn't matter, for she sees little future in this or any universe...yet she hasn't destroyed this world or us uponit. This is not from a lack of ability, though the moment is closing."

"....It is a moment of our own creation. Born of paranoia and fear." The foci finally spoke, after floating silently amidst the threes clash of word. Her words did not carry the usual playful attitude of the foci or the tone, if anything it sounded more like Etrina herself then they ever did before. "Just as she cannot help but fight, we cannot help but to lash out in opposition. We fear death so we throw reason to the wind and fight, she fears death so she has no choice but to fight back....when the reality is more then death, she fears being right about us. That every horrible thought she had about us since the moment we cast her out were correct.....and isn't it? Looking around....there isn't much to the contrary."

Slowly turning in the air, the focis white eyes shift between Ochazuke, Zaofan and Totoma. ".....What is the better universe we are fighting for? Who am I to decide what is that better universe? Or you? Or her? Or anyone? I wouldn't be able to answer if even I could......because....." The focis gaze stopped on Zaofan. "I'm selfish. I want my happiness...but I don't deserve to decide the universe we live in, so I'll fight for my little piece of it instead....and it my little piece of the universe not one of you gets to die today."

".....Zaofan....If there was ever a moment to trust me....please, I ask of it now......time redux."

The foci raised its tiny hand forward, and a flash of temporal energy washed over the three....not dissimilar to the healing she had done before.

It was only when the tide subsided that Zaofan felt it....or rather, the lack of it.

The orb he had so painstakingly gathered...had ceased to be.

----

Parlada blinked once, then twice. Her eyes fell on the familiar spear that had, quite literally, come out of the ether and punched itself into Inanna's hide. Dumb luck? Possibly. She was prepared to deal with the blast that surely would have destroyed the planet, but with Held's timely interference, she could shift her focus. Specifically to the opening that the Nevadian just so happened to give her.

Her shadow flickered and she sunk through it. An instant later, she emerged through Inanna's shadow and extended her hand. A mass of yellow tendrils extended from her fingers and wormed into the wound made by Held's spear.

Endless Suffering

"Sakin's been watching us the entire time," she said as she retreated back a safe distance and recommenced charging the white ball of ki from before. "I'm sure he's quite thrilled with your assistance. Thrilled and using the distraction to expand his plans even more. All you've done this entire time, since the moment you showed up, was help him!"

It had been explained to her what the situation was. She knew exactly what was going on. She even knew her own niece had been taken hostage. Parlada felt her teeth start grinding. "You're keeping me from saving my daughter."

"And all you've done in return is put on a show for him."

Time around Parlada seized, the ki in her hands bound within frozen time.

"Every moment wasted on this pointless battle is a farce for his enjoyment...So forgive me if this is a sufficiently boring turn of events."

The glowing white form of Etrina floated down from above, and with a slow methodical motion she raised her arm to the sky and snapped. Time jerked, distorted and tore.....for a moment even cracking around Parladas body, then shattered.

*Time Redux"

*Parlada remaining Fusion time reduced to 0 turns*

"Hmm, better now than never to start taking this a bit more seriously..." Blizzar stated, appearing before Inanna briefly before darting away, disappearing once again. ""You obviously know of the Death Ball, yes? A trademark of my people. I find it rather uncouth, to be honest. I could master it, but I've never cared for it. Fortunately now, I've found a better way for it to suit my style..."

"Two Death Balls, summoned in tandem, encased in a psychic barrier by my telekinesis," With each of my fists, one is controlled and with each impact, their barrier is released, breifely releasing the Death Ball as it is set off...before being swiftly contained by the barrier yet again. "I call it Death Boxing. If not for this golden form, I doubt it would be enough. But Now..."

Blizzar appeared once more the two aforementioned Death Boxing gloves lifted with him, both pummeling into Inanna.

Blizzars hands locked in place as soon as he made the first attempt at a swing.

"If you'd started taking it seriously you would have punched immediately and not spent a whole minute explaining how you were going to do it." Etrina tapped her forehead in temporal annoyance.

[KingofPie]

Blizzars hands locked in place as soon as he made the first attempt at a swing.

"If you'd started taking it seriously you would have punched immediately and not spent a whole minute explaining how you were going to do it." Etrina tapped her forehead in temporal annoyance.

Blizzar now stood frozen in time.

Blizzar's continued to swing at Inanna's chin and made several follow-up jabs to her side.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"And all you've done in return is put on a show for him."

Time around Parlada seized, the ki in her hands bound within frozen time.

"Every moment wasted on this pointless battle is a farce for his enjoyment...So forgive me if this is a sufficiently boring turn of events."

The glowing white form of Etrina floated down from above, and with a slow methodical motion she raised her arm to the sky and snapped. Time jerked, distorted and tore.....for a moment even cracking around Parladas body, then shattered.

*Time Redux"

*Parlada remaining Fusion time reduced to 0 turns*

"I'm aware of that," Parlada replied to the time mage. "I'm trying to... Time Re-?"

She felt it before anything happening, the time magic permeating over her body. Confusion settled within her as she struggled to figure out why Etrina was casting a spell on her. She knew that Inanna could eat magic, which was why she hadn't cast any spells to that point. Last she checked, she and Etrina were on the same side. And Time Redux wasn't a buff, as Parsley found out during her training with Etrina and Caliban. It was a... "You bit-"

Suddenly, a brilliant white light overtook Parlada. One became two, then the light fade. Sarada and Parsley were standing where Parlada had once stood.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" Parsley demanded, eyes wide with fury as she immediately powered up to Super Saiyan 3, for as much good as that would do.

Sarada hazarded to glance at Etrina. "That was really, really fucking stupid." She said nothing more and returned her attention to Inanna. She knew she didn't stand a chance, not against her. Not with how powerful she was at that moment. The fusion paled in comparison, let alone just the two of them. Unless someone had a miracle up their sleeve...

No! They were going to find a way to get past this. Matching up to her power for power wasn't possible. The only recourse was to try and talk her down. An impossible task. Sarada, as had been painfully proven earlier, sucked at diplomacy. Worse, Parsley wasn't in her right mind. She really regretted agreeing to kill her own wife. She knew that the Fusion was needed and that Parsley's mind wasn't going to be changed. Even still, she should have put up more of an argument... or any argument.

The worst part was that Inanna didn't even want any of it to happen. She just came for help. Sarada knew that once even the chance of a fight starting presented itself, her Saiyan blood would take over.

"You came looking for help," she said. "Why didn't you just ask?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Endless Suffering

"Sakin's been watching us the entire time," she said as she retreated back a safe distance and recommenced charging the white ball of ki from before. "I'm sure he's quite thrilled with your assistance. Thrilled and using the distraction to expand his plans even more. All you've done this entire time, since the moment you showed up, was help him!"

It had been explained to her what the situation was. She knew exactly what was going on. She even knew her own niece had been taken hostage. Parlada felt her teeth start grinding. "You're keeping me from saving my daughter."

"Hmm, better now than never to start taking this a bit more seriously..." Blizzar stated, appearing before Inanna briefly before darting away, disappearing once again. ""You obviously know of the Death Ball, yes? A trademark of my people. I find it rather uncouth, to be honest. I could master it, but I've never cared for it. Fortunately now, I've found a better way for it to suit my style..."

"Two Death Balls, summoned in tandem, encased in a psychic barrier by my telekinesis," With each of my fists, one is controlled and with each impact, their barrier is released, breifely releasing the Death Ball as it is set off...before being swiftly contained by the barrier yet again. "I call it Death Boxing. If not for this golden form, I doubt it would be enough. But Now..."

Blizzar appeared once more the two aforementioned Death Boxing gloves lifted with him, both pummeling into Inanna.

The two attacking her as the spear remained imbedded in her side certainly had an effect, the former Oni gritting her teeth and widening her eyes as the pain of both the internal attack- made easier by Held's Spear- and Death Ball enhanced blows registered in full. Unfortunately, more pain would do little else but anger her further, and serve to solidify what had served as one of several nails in a coffin:

To kill, or be killed.

Her eyes began to glow, as Hakai welled up and began to seep out. The energy she'd deconstructed moments before, announcing itself ready to be used.

The Nevadian pulled back his spear, retracting it from the wound as he began to descend, a bit faster than he would normally---more a confused retreat than the natural consequence of gravity.

It was the spear being wrenched free from her side that caused the energy to dissipate in a burst of light however, and with an pained groan her focus returned to the hole in her side, hands covering over the wound as she began to bleed profusely. Angelic Energy stymieing her healing. Then, the Time Witch manifested...

"And all you've done in return is put on a show for him."

Time around Parlada seized, the ki in her hands bound within frozen time.

"Every moment wasted on this pointless battle is a farce for his enjoyment...So forgive me if this is a sufficiently boring turn of events."

The glowing white form of Etrina floated down from above, and with a slow methodical motion she raised her arm to the sky and snapped. Time jerked, distorted and tore.....for a moment even cracking around Parladas body, then shattered.

*Time Redux"

*Parlada remaining Fusion time reduced to 0 turns*

... and gave her pause. "..."

Blizzar now stood frozen in time.

Blizzar's continued to swing at Inanna's chin and made several follow-up jabs to her side.

One that didn't last very long, thanks to Blizzar. When the phantom blows connected, Inanna- badly bleeding at this point- blinked away from the group in front of her; disappearing in burst of Cryomantic Chaff that obscured both her signature- what little of it could be sensed- and began to rapidly freeze those (Parsley, Sarada, Etrina) caught up in it. But the presence in the back of everyone's mind remained; and everyone would hear the answer to Sarada's question.

"Because you weren't listening."

Then... Inanna appeared in front of Sarada, and drove her knee into the Saiyan's gut. "You are now."

[KingofPie]

The two attacking her as the spear remained imbedded in her side certainly had an effect, the former Oni gritting her teeth and widening her eyes as the pain of both the internal attack- made easier by Held's Spear- and Death Ball enhanced blows registered in full. Unfortunately, more pain would do little else but anger her further, and serve to solidify what had served as one of several nails in a coffin:

To kill, or be killed.

Her eyes began to glow, as Hakai welled up and began to seep out. The energy she'd deconstructed moments before, announcing itself ready to be used.



It was the spear being wrenched free from her side that caused the energy to dissipate in a burst of light however, and with an pained groan her focus returned to the hole in her side, hands covering over the wound as she began to bleed profusely. Angelic Energy stymieing her healing. Then, the Time Witch manifested...



... and gave her pause. "..."



One that didn't last very long, thanks to Blizzar. When the phantom blows connected, Inanna- badly bleeding at this point- blinked away from the group in front of her; disappearing in burst of Cryomantic Chaff that obscured both her signature- what little of it could be sensed- and began to rapidly freeze those (Parsley, Sarada, Etrina) caught up in it. But the presence in the back of everyone's mind remained; and everyone would hear the answer to Sarada's question.

"Because you weren't listening."

Then... Inanna appeared in front of Sarada, and drove her knee into the Saiyan's gut. "You are now."

Blizzar, still motionless but conscious in reality, began to speak. Though his voice emerged not form him, but from the projected form that was still engaging with Inanna. "As I'm sure you may have well guessed, this is something of an illusion," he began, his attacks stopping for now. "Never was one much for projecting psychic power for anything else other than telekinesis, but the past few years, I've been doing a lot of intense Image Training and thought to myself...the illusion of pain could be just as impactful as the real thing. And thus I thought of this technique. To bring an image of yours truly to reality somewhat as a sparring partner..."

The illusionary Blizzar floated around Inanna's left as he continued, "Of course, I couldn't quite maximize the power I wanted this technique to utilise until I achieved this golden state. But right now, I don't much imagine you care, do you?" he went on. "But consider this...In achieving this ability my replica is able to...well, replicate any ability I am capable of-,"

"-which, I might as well explain, includes this exact ability," the voice of Blizzar continued, this time coming from Inanna's right. There were now two illusionary Blizzars. "Why not simply learn multi-form, you may ask?"

"Is this not less efficient, being an illusion?" a third fake Blizzar questioned with a shrug, hanging upside down in front of Inanna's face to block her view of Sarada.

"Yes and no, is the proper answer!" Blizzar 4 pointed out raising a finger. "Of course none of these can physically attack you."

"But they can distract you. Well, hopefully of course," the twelth added.

"Because I can just have them utilize the technique over and over, stacking the illusion..." spoke the forty-seventh as each of the illusions sunk into a battle stance

"And if all attack at once well...the pain will be false but perhaps it will be enough-"

"-To draw your attention away from harming my allies, yes?"

"I do have to wonder, however..." number one hundred and ninety eight posited.

"Do you get tired, as a God of Destruction?"

"I certainly hope so!"

"As would I!"

"And I!"

"I as well!" Hundreds of Blizzars chimed in with the hopes of drawing Inanna's attention away from the others to some extent.

"I know I can't keep this up forever..."

"But just for now, it may be enough."

"Perhaps, enough to get you to stop wasting time with all this wanton destruction and come to some sort of accord."

"An agreement!"

"A parley!"

"A treaty!"

"A settlement, perhaps?"

"I'd be happy to mediate any and all negotiations between inflicted parties."

"Provided we quell the unbridled rage and come to some sort of sense, yes?"

[MrSandman]

Suddenly, a brilliant white light overtook Parlada. One became two, then the light fade. Sarada and Parsley were standing where Parlada had once stood.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" Parsley demanded, eyes wide with fury as she immediately powered up to Super Saiyan 3, for as much good as that would do.

Sarada hazarded to glance at Etrina. "That was really, really fucking stupid." She said nothing more and returned her attention to Inanna. She knew she didn't stand a chance, not against her. Not with how powerful she was at that moment. The fusion paled in comparison, let alone just the two of them. Unless someone had a miracle up their sleeve...

"If I had time to explain everything wrong with the current situations I'd be more then happy to lecture you you on the finer details, for now pick your actions a bit more carefully and a lot less....Saiyan." Etrina responded without dropping her gaze from Inanna. "This isn't a fight to the death unless we make it one...."

"...or a fight at all for that matter..." Etrina directed this to Inanna. "...Never would have gotten this far if it was serious. Even if I didn't see that before I do now...I see a lot of things I should have seen a long time coming....." The Time Mage didn't blink, but her gaze softened if only a touch. "And now that we've reached the culmination of our poor choices....I wouldn't see all our time squandered because we would rather fight then listen, as every fight before now. This time...I..."

Blizzar now stood frozen in time.

Blizzar's continued to swing at Inanna's chin and made several follow-up jabs to her side.

One that didn't last very long, thanks to Blizzar. When the phantom blows connected, Inanna- badly bleeding at this point- blinked away from the group in front of her

"...I....'m going to murder you." Etrina flashed an eyes wide stare in the frost demons direction. "...later."

disappearing in burst of Cryomantic Chaff that obscured both her signature- what little of it could be sensed- and began to rapidly freeze those (Parsley, Sarada, Etrina) caught up in it. But the presence in the back of everyone's mind remained; and everyone would hear the answer to Sarada's question.

"Because you weren't listening."

Quickly channeling magic, Etrina countered Cyro with Cyro to lessen the effect on the group closest to the chaff. It was limited, and they would have to deal with some cold...but she could not put her full attention into it while Inanna was making her move. Though she couldn't sense her at that moment, in her current state it was of little consequence...It was only a matter of time.

Etrina looked to the near immediate future for the answer, reaching towards where Inanna would attack so she could....

....

Etrinas jaw dropped.
There was no way he would do something so...

Then... Inanna appeared in front of Sarada, and drove her knee into the Saiyan's gut. "You are now."

Oh right, Inanna.
Etrina had only a moment to mutter an apology Saradas way before her vision of the future came to pass.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

At this point in time, Praxat had already decided upon herself that this fight was pointless. That this fight had no purpose other than a superficial one. At this moment, she stops supporting her allies with her bio-electromagnokinesis and focuses her effort on pushing her electroreception.

[grampagen]

"....It is a moment of our own creation. Born of paranoia and fear." The foci finally spoke, after floating silently amidst the threes clash of word. Her words did not carry the usual playful attitude of the foci or the tone, if anything it sounded more like Etrina herself then they ever did before. "Just as she cannot help but fight, we cannot help but to lash out in opposition. We fear death so we throw reason to the wind and fight, she fears death so she has no choice but to fight back....when the reality is more then death, she fears being right about us. That every horrible thought she had about us since the moment we cast her out were correct.....and isn't it? Looking around....there isn't much to the contrary."

Slowly turning in the air, the focis white eyes shift between Ochazuke, Zaofan and Totoma. ".....What is the better universe we are fighting for? Who am I to decide what is that better universe? Or you? Or her? Or anyone? I wouldn't be able to answer if even I could......because....." The focis gaze stopped on Zaofan. "I'm selfish. I want my happiness...but I don't deserve to decide the universe we live in, so I'll fight for my little piece of it instead....and it my little piece of the universe not one of you gets to die today."

"If fighting to survive would be sufficient cause, then she would have been swayed," came Ochazuke's rebuttal, "But if you fear her judgement, that we are no more than any other cretin come into ancient powers with divine ambitions, that is because you have no response to prove yourself to the contrary."

Looking upon the little piece of Etrina's ego that spoke before them, he regarded her with a fiery intensity, for he'd glimpsed upon something earlier before the spell had been enacted. Peering into the area affected by it, he sought to glean some measure to understand how best to pass through this new escalation.

"Do what you must. All I require is a moment."

".....Zaofan....If there was ever a moment to trust me....please, I ask of it now......time redux."

The foci raised its tiny hand forward, and a flash of temporal energy washed over the three....not dissimilar to the healing she had done before.

It was only when the tide subsided that Zaofan felt it....or rather, the lack of it.

The orb he had so painstakingly gathered...had ceased to be.

Hands raised to Illargi above, the energy of the Threshling refugees there, the last of the civilians who had no strength of arms to join the knights granted him their hopes, and suspended upon that manifestation, their gathered ki that had fallen in harmonization had lifted his spirits.

"I won't fail you guys, not ever again. The Genki Dama..."

Then just as suddenly as the sphere had coalesced, he felt the elation fall and the weight return to his limbs.

"...it's gone! But it was just here- IT'S GONE!"

Breathing out slowly, the colour drained from Zaofan's face. It seemed the only thing preventing dejection from pulling him to the ground was the way he'd planted his feet, and hands limp at his side he sunk into his stance.

"...Etrina..."

Lifting his face forward, sadness and desperation filled his eyes and stretched a troubled brow as tears mixed with perspiration.

"...what did you do?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"If I had time to explain everything wrong with the current situations I'd be more then happy to lecture you you on the finer details, for now pick your actions a bit more carefully and a lot less....Saiyan." Etrina responded without dropping her gaze from Inanna. "This isn't a fight to the death unless we make it one...."

"...or a fight at all for that matter..." Etrina directed this to Inanna. "...Never would have gotten this far if it was serious. Even if I didn't see that before I do now...I see a lot of things I should have seen a long time coming....." The Time Mage didn't blink, but her gaze softened if only a touch. "And now that we've reached the culmination of our poor choices....I wouldn't see all our time squandered because we would rather fight then listen, as every fight before now. This time...I..."

Deep down, Parsley knew Etrina was right. Things had gone off the rails at some point. She would have been lying to herself if she claimed she hadn’t played a role in that. It was a dangerous mixture of many factors: shame, her pride, her own inaction being thrown back in her face, her mind and thinking being clouded by Garnish being in danger. Everything combined to create the Parsley that was currently glaring daggers at her fellow mage.

In the end, all she could do was remain silent. That was the best response. Any word given in reply would have been drenched with vitriol.

"Because I can just have them utilize the technique over and over, stacking the illusion..." spoke the forty-seventh as each of the illusions sunk into a battle stance

"And if all attack at once well...the pain will be false but perhaps it will be enough-"

"-To draw your attention away from harming my allies, yes?"

"I do have to wonder, however..." number one hundred and ninety eight posited.

"Do you get tired, as a God of Destruction?"

"I certainly hope so!"

"As would I!"

"And I!"

"I as well!" Hundreds of Blizzars chimed in with the hopes of drawing Inanna's attention away from the others to some extent.

"I know I can't keep this up forever..."

"But just for now, it may be enough."

"Perhaps, enough to get you to stop wasting time with all this wanton destruction and come to some sort of accord."

"An agreement!"

"A parley!"

"A treaty!"

"A settlement, perhaps?"

"I'd be happy to mediate any and all negotiations between inflicted parties."

"Provided we quell the unbridled rage and come to some sort of sense, yes?"

“...What the **** is going on?” Avoca asked.

"...I....'m going to murder you." Etrina flashed an eyes wide stare in the frost demons direction. "...later."

One that didn't last very long, thanks to Blizzar. When the phantom blows connected, Inanna- badly bleeding at this point- blinked away from the group in front of her; disappearing in burst of Cryomantic Chaff that obscured both her signature- what little of it could be sensed- and began to rapidly freeze those (Parsley, Sarada, Etrina) caught up in it. But the presence in the back of everyone's mind remained; and everyone would hear the answer to Sarada's question.

Quickly channeling magic, Etrina countered Cyro with Cyro to lessen the effect on the group closest to the chaff. It was limited, and they would have to deal with some cold...but she could not put her full attention into it while Inanna was making her move. Though she couldn't sense her at that moment, in her current state it was of little consequence...It was only a matter of time.

Parsley could taste the magic in the air just before the Cryomancy began to freeze her, Sarada, and Etrina. Inwardly, she sighed. She wasn’t sure if rage was clouding her judgement, but she would have thought Inanna would have known by then that using magic against her was as effective as the vice versa.

That she either didn’t know or forgot was irrelevant. It really worked to her benefit. Sorcerer’s Folly activated the moment she sensed the magic in the air. As quickly as the ice from Inanna’s cryomantic spell creeped up her legs to engulf her in a block of ice, the magical energy was absorbed from the spell and into Parsley. Along with Etrina’s own control over that very affinity, they were spared a frozen fate. She added the pilfered energy to her own ki reserves to be used later.

Etrina looked to the near immediate future for the answer, reaching towards where Inanna would attack so she could....

....

Etrinas jaw dropped.
There was no way he would do something so...

Oh right, Inanna.
Etrina had only a moment to mutter an apology Saradas way before her vision of the future came to pass.

"Because you weren't listening."

Then... Inanna appeared in front of Sarada, and drove her knee into the Saiyan's gut. "You are now."

The knee was driven into her midsection, driving the wind out of her lungs. Along with air, a torrent of blood was ejected from her mouth and splashed across Inanna’s face. She flew back as pain radiated through her entire torso and landed hard on her shoulder.

She let out a gurgling, breathless wheeze and rolled over onto her front so she could rise to her knees. Her eyes squeezed shut as she struggled to catch her breath. Even then, she tried to respond. “Tha... that’s my problem. I don... don’t listen.” She had been told too many times it would get her into serious trouble one day. One day became that day and she couldn’t say she was surprised that it came to pass. It had, and the culmination of her poor decisions and personality flaws was staring her in the face.

She let out a grunt and rose to her feet. “I know you felt it, when I decided to kill you.” She swallowed raggedly and recoiled when she tasted her own blood. Regret washed over her in waves. She had made a lot of bad decisions in the last fifteen minutes. “I don’t want to,” she said honestly. “It doesn’t have to end that way.” To show she was serious, she powered down. “I don’t want to fight you anymore.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Remnant, arms crossed, grunts as he watches Sakin watch through his butterflies. The duel voices ring out, form shifting, as the two who are one speak for Alakazah to hear.

“I grow weary of this. The plan has failed. The universe, most of it, has sided with those that stand against Sakin. What are we doing, watching him watch them?”

The Dragon quirks an eyebrow, smoke curling from his mouth but before he can speak, Sakin himself steps back and shakes his head.

“Impatience, my friend, has killed more than nearly anything. I had hoped the universe would follow us out of appreciation, love even for freeing them. It seems instead they will know us by fear instead.”

He glanced and nods to Ishtar and an image of Cancer, projected from the moon circling the Forsworn World.

“The Meisters and Hunters have all nearly arrived, and Lady Binder has shown us the sympathetic magics needed for the task. She has opted to not stay, but her request in turn for showing us these magics is that you make sure the Time Mage, Etrina, is spared and given to the Fae Host. I presume this is acceptable, Sakin?”

He nods to Cancer, who smirks knowingly. Ishtar meanwhile crosses her arms and hisses, Ruination seeping from her body in yellow and black swirls.

“Is it time than? Plan B, Sakin?” She mocks, fangs dripping a strange poison that hisses where it touches the ground. He quirks an eye and nods, gesturing to a furnace created by Eldfen upon his arrival to dismantle magical items back into True Magic.

“We’ll not await any others’ arrival. They are most likely found and slain at this point. A pity, all this, but needs must when the situation requires it. Tell Genesis we’re ready. The Nightfall Device should have enough to get the idea across.”





Inside the furnace, the slag and ruination of hundreds of magical and sacred items lay about a meditating and floating Genesis. One of the rods on her back is popped out and absorbing all the magic inside ethe furnace, purifying it and making it more akin to True Magic once more. Ishtar pauses, raises a hand to block out the heat with cryomancy and calls out.

“Time to go, girl. It’s time.”

The woman? Goddess? Beginning and End opens her eyes and simply gestures, the furnace melting away into slag before transforming into a beautiful bronze heliospheric telescope instead. Sakin, Ishtar, Remnant, Cancer’s image, Grinthorn, and a host of Soul Meisters and Hunters watch on as Genesis places her hands on the device and teleports it to the moon. There, with the sympathetic magic runes and sigils and glyphs given to Cancer by Lady Binder already laid out across miles of the surface, Genesis concentrates. Nearby, the last egg of a Creation Goddess thrums in horror, even as Genesis absorbs some of its own power for the task at hand.

No emotion crosses her face as the first burst of True Magic, blended with Destruction and Creation and Ruination and time itself, and other strange powers, slips from her fingers and into the telescope, each of her rods on her back hissing and sliding into her further as if injecting the power. The air ripples and an image forms on the telescope, one of a bright green planet. Genesis looks at it, then reaches a finger out and touches the image.

——————————

Far, far away, a planet, a blazing emerald jewel in its solar system, goes dark. Like flipping a light switch, an entire planet simply….vanishes, and a solar system is plunged into confusion.

——————————

Genesis pours another dose of the powers she has subsumed into the device, and another planet appears as an image. This one is actually two, beautiful white and blue. With the same gesture, both are snuffed out.

Again, and again, and again, a dozen times a dozen times or more this happens until the magic she has purified is gone, her body slumping as Alakazah teleports to the moon and takes her back to the Forsworn World to rest and recover. Sakin, staring at the sky, shakes his head.

“Your move next.”


—————————————


On lone and distant Reshlan, a terrible…..tremor in the soul to those spiritually sensitive rolls across the planet. A horrific jerk that quickly fades, but leaves behind a terrible sense of dread.

Something terrible has happened.


—————————————

On Earth, the Hunter dealt with by Nunlil, Eva’s and Kai’s eyes open wide and a scream rips from their throat as they both feel the tremor and know. They scream and scream and scream, mentally calling out and finding nothing.

Across the entire universe, so many minds suddenly go dark that the backlash is enough to cause the rest of the Guardians to scream in pain and terror, Maiz included as the dreadful knowledge fills their head of what has occurred.

100 planets gone in a moment.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Gonna edit that last post a bit.

There. Makes more sense now.