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

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Is that so? How swiftly the Royal Prodigy changes her tune, Par-sley-san. Oh ho ho ho.../"

The six drones sped off to the corners of the battlefield. Though an electric eye was somewhat crude, the Capsule Drones acted as remote cameras that widened his field of view; and everywhere he could see there, with but a thought he could move or reach.

"Perhaps that's why our acquaintance had broken with...Saiyan...diplomacy, hmm? There is need for material behind the words than the threat of violence."

For miles round, burning ki filled the clouds. Koorimaru scanned and surveyed this, yet he merely lift his head up, hands idle at his sides as he did...nothing.

"Rest assured, however you've let the Oni down, my faith in your lot remains completely unblemished."

Rather than waste time engaging him, Parsley merely regarded Koorimaru briefly with a simple, “I’ll keep that in mind,” then bolted upward to join her wife’s efforts to keep Reshlan’s skies, and possibly Reshlan itself, from being burned to ash.

"In other words, nothing has changed," Ochazuke said. "She'd left a year ago to find her answers and has nothing. No greater insight to the nature of the universe, nor any structure to the nature of her existence."

"One hundred thousand years without any shred of meaning. That would drive any to madness. But though her trust may have been misplaced, still it was our trail she'd found. So we'll have to give her something worth returning to."

One hundred thousand years and no meaning to her life... It was a wonder she hadn’t snapped sooner. Sarada had always felt that Inanna’s life, and Ishtar’s before her, was hers to lead how she saw fit, if she just decided to take the reigns over for herself. She supposed the lack of meaning, of a greater purpose than being the universe’s custodian made taking her own life by the horns impossible. A shame she couldn't.

Whatever.

The past was set in stone; all she could do was look forward and try to make sure the future that happened still had her and her friends in it. Regardless of what Inanna thought to be true, they were the only ones standing between Sakin and his ultimate goal. They weren’t the same as they were on Darkle. Things had changed, things she wasn’t privy to. There was no other recourse than to just show her. Actions spoke louder than words.

“One more thing,” she said. “She came to be heard. She’s angry we refused to acknowledge her for her.” She frowned. “I don’t get how when even she didn’t doesn’t know what she is or what her meaning in life is.”

Sarada felt she didn’t know either. Like Ochazuke said, even though she know longer trusted them, she still came to them for answers. There was something in them that made her feel she could depend on them for that much. But there was some give and take with that sort of thing. Acknowledgement couldn’t come without something to acknowledge.

She sighed heavily. She hadn’t wanted it to come to this. Despite things that had been said when her anger almost got the better of her, she wanted to avoid it. That was why she stepped back and let Zaofan do most of the talking. He had managed to reach her, but she hadn’t listened... There was only one way left.

She looked the Martial Master and nodded. “This... is one battle I don’t want to fight,” she admitted. The words sounded foreign coming out of her mouth; they felt even more alien. “But I will. We’re too close to the end to let anyone stop us. As long as I’m alive, I’m going to make sure we all make it to the end.”

"...Avoca, stuff it."

That was all Zaofan said as he turned and began to walk in the opposite direction. A strange, melancholic whine filled the air about him as the pitched ringing of of metal cutting through air sounded out as he threw the katchin staff Bojack about his person. Hands, shoulder, past the head, back to the hands...

"I've already said my piece, she heard it, I'm not about to say it again, that'd be disrespectful." The staff spun about him so swiftly the after-image stilled in its vorpal trail. "What's the point? It's like asking a question without getting an answer, you think that'd get her to calm down?"

The tatters of his white cloak flapped unevenly. He looked to the sky and saw the dozens of burning beams falling. I'd made a promise.

"Plowing head-first is most direct way to confronting a problem. Control the pace and your foe can't get started, sure. But there's a reason why people who can't stop winning are never satisfied."

"Its because they'll never learn to appreciate the moment! There's no satisfaction in changing the way it goes because to them, there is no other way! VALIANTIUM STAFF EXTEND!"

The black staff shone alight with piercing blue as Zaofan put his ki into it, sending a column shooting upwards into the clouds and dragging across the skyline.

"And I for one, am through with nobody ever listening to me! It gets me so FRIGGIN' NETTLED, GRAAAAAARRRGH!!!!"

With all the kinetic energy he'd foist into the weapon, as he reached to strike the first of the series of beams, he'd hoped to curve their trajectory with Kaiten in an attempt to spool them together...like a clump of noodles.

She felt Zaofan’s passion, his frustration, his anger. It was tangible; it all poured off of him in waves. She hadn’t seen him that angry since Alt-Zaofan disrespected him years ago. In the end, that was what she determined to be the one thing that could piss him off the most.

She frowned. “Okay.” That hadn’t been what she wanted to hear, but she knew he was right. He had said his piece, they all had. Inanna didn’t really listen, only humored him. A second conversation at that juncture would only be more of the same. No... it’d be even worse. The time for talking was over. “Okay.”

Even if I had read her sooner, would it have made a difference? Given some of the personalities involved, likely not. Plowing head-first, Zaofan? I guess I've had some kind of influence.

Zaofan, Parsley, and Avoca had moved to intercept or redirect the incoming beams. Sarada stayed put, her eyes focused upward. Her godly senses spread through the planet and skyward to pinpoint where Inanna was amongst the absolute chaos. The others could feel her pressure, but they couldn’t sense her. By the time they felt the former, it would have been too late. Sarada could and was fast enough to intercept her if she decided to engage any of those three. With that in mind, she began to float upward, ready to spring into motion at half a moment’s notice.

From within the burning pyre that had engulfed her, Ochazuke would sense movement; as Inanna moved to confront the man directly, claws seeking to rip his throat out, as his allies attempted to deal with the torrent of burning projectiles.

That was what Sarada had been afraid of. Inanna was faster than any of them but Sarada trusted that the gap between the two of them specifically wasn’t so large that she couldn’t at least move to intercept and save Ochazuke’s life. It helped that she wasn’t standing that far from him.

Sarada moved, a burst of motion rendering her movements almost invisible to most of the battlefield as she darted to interpose herself between the mad god and the human fighter. Her hand swept to the side in an attempt to parry the claws that sought crimson blood. For the human behind her, she sought to buy him a single moment where he could do something definitive.

[grampagen]

From within the burning pyre that had engulfed her, Ochazuke would sense movement; as Inanna moved to confront the man directly, claws seeking to rip his throat out, as his allies attempted to deal with the torrent of burning projectiles.

Zaofan would manage, with effort, to bend and clump the beams together, which while beneficial in concentrating the energies into a singular point... also concentrated the energies into a singular point. A massive burning projectile moving swiftly to intercept Parsley.

The Martial Chef would also catch the blurry silhouette of Inanna, as she began her attack on his brother in arms.

From within the burning pyre that had engulfed her, Ochazuke would sense movement; as Inanna moved to confront the man directly, claws seeking to rip his throat out, as his allies attempted to deal with the torrent of burning projectiles.

"Cheh."

By affixing his meditation field to the genius loci of Reshlan itself, the breath of the planet itself gathered with Muhen Sekai Keihatsu made physical presence tangible where the God Ki might obfuscate. Raising his hands partway, Ochazuke's guard was raised.

Within crisis, glimpse the moment...

The fixed path of the divergent Destroyer had led to this, and so it fell to them to demonstrate, even in the face of impossibility, there was something else there.

That was what Sarada had been afraid of. Inanna was faster than any of them but Sarada trusted that the gap between the two of them specifically wasn’t so large that she couldn’t at least move to intercept and save Ochazuke’s life. It helped that she wasn’t standing that far from him.

Sarada moved, a burst of motion rendering her movements almost invisible to most of the battlefield as she darted to interpose herself between the mad god and the human fighter. Her hand swept to the side in an attempt to parry the claws that sought crimson blood. For the human behind her, she sought to buy him a single moment where he could do something definitive.

Inanna's claws, like iron, bit into his shoulder as he turned; and as he rode the strike Sarada parried, even as he felt the blood flow, it was like driving spikes into cotton; the mark was made, but the grasp was tenuous.

Elusive like the coils of the Snake, diverting like the shell of the Turtle, Kokaku Sanchin diffused the force as Ochazuke's hands shot up and seized Inanna's arm.

Between the Rock and the River...

Then shifting the momentum, Ochazuke pivot at the waist.

...which shall yield?

Applying Seisui Tensho, he used her own force against her and attempted to throw her across the skyline...

...straight into the centralized inferno Zaofan had spooled.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Sarada moved, a burst of motion rendering her movements almost invisible to most of the battlefield as she darted to interpose herself between the mad god and the human fighter. Her hand swept to the side in an attempt to parry the claws that sought crimson blood. For the human behind her, she sought to buy him a single moment where he could do something definitive.

For her efforts, Inanna's tail blur into focus and uppercut the Saiyan, the glancing blow more than enough to rattle her and knock her out of the path of her intended target... but this act had done enough to allow Ochazuke to act.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Inanna's claws, like iron, bit into his shoulder as he turned; and as he rode the strike Sarada parried, even as he felt the blood flow, it was like driving spikes into cotton; the mark was made, but the grasp was tenuous.

Elusive like the coils of the Snake, diverting like the shell of the Turtle, Kokaku Sanchin diffused the force as Ochazuke's hands shot up and seized Inanna's arm.

Between the Rock and the River...

Then shifting the momentum, Ochazuke pivot at the waist.

...which shall yield?

Applying Seisui Tensho, he used her own force against her and attempted to throw her across the skyline...

...straight into the centralized inferno Zaofan had spooled.

'

Much as with Zaofan, and Avoca, Ochazuke is only just able to redirect Inanna's aggression; using the force from the lunge to redirect and toss her into the spooled energies. The explosion that results, a testament to just how dangerous she was, as the pressure wave alone is enough to all but flatten the remains of the city that was their backdrop. Though in coming into contact with the woman, Ochazuke found himself at the receiving end of far more than her claws. He had been able to sense the rage that and power that bled from her scarred soul, after a year of nothing but fighting to survive, by simply focusing on her and seeing through the façade she held up; but to actually feel what it had done, and how it had changed her? Whatever had been realized down there, alone, and desperate...

To find a way forward, would be no small thing; and the time they had remaining to do so decreased with every blow she sustained.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

" Jack and Neva, it's time to act now!" Praxat said while holding her plasma shield. Praxat then points at Caliban ( and you there, get off your ass and do something!) Praxat said.

Praxat uses electrocommunication to communicate with Jack, Neva, Charco, Sarada, Ochazuke, Avoca, Koorimaru, and Parsley's coms ( Guys, I'm going to increase the air friction enough to act as a barrier to stop the beams,) Praxat said Electricalpathicaly.

( At least I hope I can make the air friction strong enough to prevent the beams from hitting the planet. might take effort. it's possible for me to do this because at its core friction is just an electromagnetic interaction,) Praxat said Electricalpathicaly.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

As soon as she swallows the first projectile, Avoca finds herself struggling to keep it down.

Inanna's very nature* made the manipulation of her Ki no easy task, and Avoca would find herself having to concentrate fully on the single projectile in order to successfully make it her own. Meaning that several of the projectiles she'd planned on consuming shot past her; bearing down on both Sarada, and Parsley.

*Adamantine Soul (Passive)- Unwilling to allow herself to become another's puppet, Inanna's energy is not easily tampered with. Making it impossible, under normal circumstances, to drain, or manipulate her Ki. Given that her body is laced with this same energy, it also means it is quite difficult to change her physical form as well (think transmutation resistance).

Sweat poured down Avoca’s face. Ever since she had learned Unlimited Eat Works, she hadn’t struggled as much as she did trying to devour that single energy blast. She knew that Inanna’s energy was different than anyone else’s due to the simple fact that it was impossible to manipulate it. She knew that, but didn’t think that trying to eat it would count. It did and trying to do just one was more than a struggle than it was worth.

Several beams shot past her. Recent experience showed her beyond the shadow of a doubt that there was nothing she could have done to stop them. Damn it, fuck that. She had to at least try. She exploded into motion, trying desperately to overtake the beams headed for Parsley.

Zaofan acted at the same time, gathering the rest of the first-wave into a single clump. Her first instinct was to try and swallow it again, but she resisted.

Zaofan would manage, with effort, to bend and clump the beams together, which while beneficial in concentrating the energies into a singular point... also concentrated the energies into a singular point. A massive burning projectile moving swiftly to intercept Parsley.

The Martial Chef would also catch the blurry silhouette of Inanna, as she began her attack on his brother in arms.

When Parsley reached the apex of the madness that was consuming the sky, Avoca had already swallowed one of the projectiles. Further, Zaofan had managed to clump the remainder of the first wave into a single point. That should have been encouraging, and would have been if it wasn’t still burning a trail through the air directly for her.

She sighed silently. She would have had a fair many options to dispatch of it, but with her Blood Magic now lost to her, those options were things of the past. Regardless, there was precious little time to figure something out. Moving out of the way wasn’t viable for at least two reasons: it would have left the planet as the only possible target or the blast was keyed in on her and would just followed her. With that in mind, she spread her arms out. Because sometimes, the only way to engage an attack was to meet it head on.

For her efforts, Inanna's tail blur into focus and uppercut the Saiyan, the glancing blow more than enough to rattle her and knock her out of the path of her intended target... but this act had done enough to allow Ochazuke to act.

Just a glancing blow from Inanna’s tail was enough to lift Sarada off her feet. She flew back and would have landed on her back had she not caught herself and corrected so she would land on her feet. “Damn it,” she said. In the time that elapsed during those spoken words, Ochazuke acted.

Inanna's claws, like iron, bit into his shoulder as he turned; and as he rode the strike Sarada parried, even as he felt the blood flow, it was like driving spikes into cotton; the mark was made, but the grasp was tenuous.

Elusive like the coils of the Snake, diverting like the shell of the Turtle, Kokaku Sanchin diffused the force as Ochazuke's hands shot up and seized Inanna's arm.

Between the Rock and the River...

Then shifting the momentum, Ochazuke pivot at the waist.

...which shall yield?

Applying Seisui Tensho, he used her own force against her and attempted to throw her across the skyline...

...straight into the centralized inferno Zaofan had spooled.

With swift, decisive movements forged through years of dedicated practice, he grabbed hold of the god and hurled up skyward toward the spool of blasts of her own creation. As Sarada’s eyes followed her former wife’s trajectory, she noticed that Parsley was in the way.

Yet, at the last possible moment, Parsley dipped downward and out of the way of the incoming woman.

'

Much as with Zaofan, and Avoca, Ochazuke is only just able to redirect Inanna's aggression; using the force from the lunge to redirect and toss her into the spooled energies. The explosion that results, a testament to just how dangerous she was, as the pressure wave alone is enough to all but flatten the remains of the city that was their backdrop.

Beam and person collided, resulting in an explosion of tremendous proportions. Undoubtedly, it was a testament of the god’s immense power that the pressure shockwave that resulted from the explosion destroyed whatever was left of the capital city of Reshlan. Parsley, being the closest to it, was knocked out of the air and slammed into the ground with enough force to leave a small crater under her.

She groaned and cracked her eyes open. Pain jolted through her back and shoulders. More than that was the awe at how powerful those Gods of Destruction were. Those blasts were undoubtedly very low on the totem pole as far as what she was capable of was concerned. She very much knew, right then and there, that was precious little her Super Saiyan 3 form would be able to accomplish on its own. Sarada and Ochazuke had the right idea, it seemed, if them being near each other was any indication.

She quickly rose to her feet. The energy she had quickly gathered just before moving and being blown away was still there. Even if she was much weaker, that didn’t mean she would just roll over and accept the posited outcome!

Thrusting her hands outward, she threw every ounce of power she had gathered into a dual-colored glowing ball of swirling ki that had crackled to life between them.

SPIRAL FLASH!!

The spiraling dual-colored ball, created from discordant energies perfectly melded together into one sphere of chaotic energy, exploded forward into a thin, concentrated beam. It tore through the sky, turning one half of the sky a deep red and the other half a vibrant blue, toward where Inanna had collided with her own attack.

[grampagen]

'

Much as with Zaofan, and Avoca, Ochazuke is only just able to redirect Inanna's aggression; using the force from the lunge to redirect and toss her into the spooled energies. The explosion that results, a testament to just how dangerous she was, as the pressure wave alone is enough to all but flatten the remains of the city that was their backdrop.

Spinning the bundled energy rays, sweat fell down Zaofan's brow as he steered them away from the Threshling capital, and with a desperate cry he pulled the energy projection with such force it snapped from the distal end of his katchin staff.

For a moment, he took a moment to glimpse at the burning coil suspended above, the city.

Is it safe...? Come on, come on...!

With great effort, they'd stopped her for a moment, and with the coordinated attack that followed, Inanna was thrown into the destruction raining from the heavens-

...then the sky flashed white as Zaofan found himself blown back off of his feet. Clutching his staff, he braced himself as he fell backwards into the dirt.

Choking on dust, when he came to he found his footing. Got to make sure...I promised...to...to..!

He bolt upwards, sinking in his steps, softened by the ash and dust surrounding him.

"Oh...oh...no...that's..."

But it was. No matter how wide he opened his eyes and scanned the horizon, there it lay. Flattened to the foundations, much of the Threshling Capital was gone. Everything, from the township with its royal walkways to the palatial grounds of the Royal Family, the aftermath of that clash in an instant had wiped it out.

"It's...it's..."

His breath slowed, his frame trembled under the weight of a heavy heart. Though he'd taken the White Cloak for ceremony, he'd taken the oath just the same as the rest of the Knights of Reshlan to protect this world. To take sight of this and to know his part in it left him hollow.

His cries of pain and anguish at his failure to keep his word pierced the haze beneath the clearing sky.

Though in coming into contact with the woman, Ochazuke found himself at the receiving end of far more than her claws. He had been able to sense the rage that and power that bled from her scarred soul, after a year of nothing but fighting to survive, by simply focusing on her and seeing through the façade she held up; but to actually feel what it had done, and how it had changed her? Whatever had been realized down there, alone, and desperate...

To find a way forward, would be no small thing; and the time they had remaining to do so decreased with every blow she sustained.

The cacophony resulting in turning Inanna's own innate power against her had likewise struck Ochazuke even from this distance, and riding the current to maintain his position had carried him to flight. The laceration over his left shoulder wept, then was swiftly dammed by a palm that carried the Dragon's Fire.

Moreover, the up-close analysis of Inanna had given him some deeper knowledge of the true depths of her power. This knowledge swiftly went over the comms.

"I see it now," Ochazuke said, "Surviving Hell required her to kill herself as much as the damned company surrounding her. She turns her own pain into desperate strength, the longer this goes on, the more damage she takes, the stronger she'll become. When that happens, with only violence for her sustenance, that will be the last of her reason."

Every moment was precious, and whichever ones they could seize were increasingly few.

"Even so...we'll have to pull it out of Inanna, for this planet cannot sustain a battle at range, that will only invoke more catastrophe."

So put upon to the task at hand, he pushed off to flight toward the epicentre of the pressure wave; gradually at first, then as he drew upon the Bear's Strength and the Wolf's Prowl, his efforts tripled in their efficacy.

Furthermore, as he moved closer, the faint aura of True Magic trailed from his right hand.

If that is what is required, perhaps we will have to give you what you want...

[bruceleegreyhulk]

With effort and focus, Praxat uses her Bio-Electromagnokinesis to control the electrons in the air to increase the air friction. ( Hopefully, I can make the air friction strong enough to prevent those beams from hitting the planet,) Praxat thought.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

With effort and focus, Praxat uses her Bio-Electromagnokinesis to control the electrons in the air to increase the air friction. ( Hopefully, I can make the air friction strong enough to prevent those beams from hitting the planet,) Praxat thought.

Totoma, Tasure, Neva and Jack help defend against the incoming attacks, protecting the planet alongside Praxat.

Meanwhile, Caliban seems….occupied. Smoke from his cigar drifts slowly around him and swirls in strange, arcane patterns.

[KingofPie]

Floating high above the conflict the presently orb-shaped Sasheem attempted to fold his arms (to no avail) and observe the situation below until he formulated a plan of his own.

'

Much as with Zaofan, and Avoca, Ochazuke is only just able to redirect Inanna's aggression; using the force from the lunge to redirect and toss her into the spooled energies. The explosion that results, a testament to just how dangerous she was, as the pressure wave alone is enough to all but flatten the remains of the city that was their backdrop. Though in coming into contact with the woman, Ochazuke found himself at the receiving end of far more than her claws. He had been able to sense the rage that and power that bled from her scarred soul, after a year of nothing but fighting to survive, by simply focusing on her and seeing through the façade she held up; but to actually feel what it had done, and how it had changed her? Whatever had been realized down there, alone, and desperate...

To find a way forward, would be no small thing; and the time they had remaining to do so decreased with every blow she sustained.

"I see it now," Ochazuke said, "Surviving Hell required her to kill herself as much as the damned company surrounding her. She turns her own pain into desperate strength, the longer this goes on, the more damage she takes, the stronger she'll become. When that happens, with only violence for her sustenance, that will be the last of her reason."

Every moment was precious, and whichever ones they could seize were increasingly few.

"Even so...we'll have to pull it out of Inanna, for this planet cannot sustain a battle at range, that will only invoke more catastrophe."

This presented an issue for him. He had no idea what the effect his venomous ki would have on a god of destruction. It could be useful, but it may only serve to escalate the situation. Which, he wouldn't normally care about but Reshlan was right there after they all just saved the damn place. He was in a dangerous train of thought where most of his ideas teetered upon the experimental with no idea if they would be successful or make things worse. Better to try than to sit there meandeering however.

His idea was to call upon the Resounding Roar: Lion's Call. The shifting of dimensions potentially serving as a way to throw Inanna's senses off balance. Or something. He wasn't entirely sure what would happen but it was well worth a sho-

"This is it, we're here. At the playoffs. This is no time to be slacking off, I've got to bring my A-Game. Put into practice what I've....practiced," Lantro, who floated not too far from Sasheem, monologued to himself. Behind him sat the floating fortress of what remained of the Time Patrol only a few officers inside including the Time Patrol Chief Durive (the second, smaller one). Lantro's hair began to glow a brighter blonde and a crackle of electricity surrounded his body. "Just like I've practiced with the Saiyans. The Golden State Warrior 2. Never squared off on a team of this magnitude before but COME ON Lantro....you gotta get your head i nthe game."

Sasheem narrowed his eyes, which briefly drifted over to Durive 2, who could only offer a shrug, for once speechless that a level of stupidity could match his. Eventually enough was enough and he shouted out, "HEY! B-PLAYER! YA WANNA SHUT UP FOR A SECOND?!"

Lantro snapped out of the zone he was in and glanced over to Sasheem. "Sorry, I was in the middle of giving myself a pep ta-...." he trailed off, squinting a bit. "Wait, aren't you the Majin? What made you all round. You look kinda like a bask..."Lantro trailed off, his expression unreadable.

"IT DOESHN'T MATTER! THIS AIN'T NO TIME FOR A PEP TALK!" Sasheem retorted. "WE'RE FASHING A GOD OF DESTRUCTION HERE! LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!"

It was then Lantro knew what he had to do as he dashed towards Sasheem.

"Hey, what the hell are....aw, shit," Sasheem muttered as Lantro's hand grabbed his face and began to dribble him. Sasheem was confused as to what surface he was hitting exactly, only to realize that the larger Durive (The GP one) had apparently decided this was a good time to kick back and relax in the void of space.

"It was powerful enough the first time I attempted it. Powerful but dangerous..." Lantro spoke ominously.

"What is...?!" Sasheem asked.

"And this was before I even became a Golden State Warrior, before I was drafted to the Saiyans..."

"WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Sasheem demanded to know.

"And now as a Golden State Warrior 2, I don't know by how many magnitudes it's power has increased..." Lantro went on, as he gathered all of his ki in the palm of his hand. It was...a dangerous amount of ki to say the least. Enough that Sasheem thought it'd be better to armor himself up with his Katchin Mode. "But if my aim holds true it should be fine. Even if it triggers...the shattering."

"Here goes! It's all or nothing! OMEGA........DUNK!!!!!"



Lantro shouted, locking onto where Inanna was located. Sasheem felt the bounds of reality shift as they would had he done the Resounding Roar, but they shifted in a different direction. Almost as if they were shattering around him as Lantro said. Well there was a chance that this could all work out, as he was being smacked into the back of Inanna's head he activated the Resounding Roar: Lion's Call to shatter the reality around him even further upon hitting the blue annihilator.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The cacophony resulting in turning Inanna's own innate power against her had likewise struck Ochazuke even from this distance, and riding the current to maintain his position had carried him to flight. The laceration over his left shoulder wept, then was swiftly dammed by a palm that carried the Dragon's Fire.

Moreover, the up-close analysis of Inanna had given him some deeper knowledge of the true depths of her power. This knowledge swiftly went over the comms.

"I see it now," Ochazuke said, "Surviving Hell required her to kill herself as much as the damned company surrounding her. She turns her own pain into desperate strength, the longer this goes on, the more damage she takes, the stronger she'll become. When that happens, with only violence for her sustenance, that will be the last of her reason."

Every moment was precious, and whichever ones they could seize were increasingly few.

"Even so...we'll have to pull it out of Inanna, for this planet cannot sustain a battle at range, that will only invoke more catastrophe."

So put upon to the task at hand, he pushed off to flight toward the epicentre of the pressure wave; gradually at first, then as he drew upon the Bear's Strength and the Wolf's Prowl, his efforts tripled in their efficacy.

Furthermore, as he moved closer, the faint aura of True Magic trailed from his right hand.

If that is what is required, perhaps we will have to give you what you want...

Sarada’s face dropped when Ochazuke revealed the nature of Inanna’s time in Hell. She... had to keep killing herself? Her eyes drifted upward to the spot where she saw her collide with her own energy. With every tidbit that was revealed, things became a little clearer. It was easy to see why she was so embittered, spiteful, and angry. More worrying, though, was what he revealed right after that.

“The more she gets hurt, the stronger she becomes. Hmph.” Seemed Inanna had taken a page out of the much maligned Saiyans’ playbook, even if it originated from her desperate struggle to survive and escape Hell rather than a genetic evolutionary quirk. Regardless, the more the fight went on, the more the already mountainous odds would continue to stack against them. As the two sides inflicted heavy blows on each other, she would continue to get stronger while they would only naturally get weaker. Even Sarada’s best efforts to keep them fresh as far as stamina and energy went would only carry them so far without proper and constant healing.

“In other words, we need to end this as quickly as possible.” As monumental a task as they had ever had thus far. Facing a more powerful opponent was one thing; adding in all the immunities that Inanna had on top of that made it seem impossible.

Good.

She hoped Sakin was paying close attention.

“We need to press every advantage we have,” she said over the comms. Her aura flared like an explosion as she lifted off no toward Inanna, but Parsley. As she flew, beams broke out of her aura and shot toward her friends. “And when we can’t find one, we make one.” With all of them having a temporary God Ki boost, they could make something substantial happen. If nothing else, they could show her that they actually stood a chance against the most powerful beings in the universe. Not because they were powerful enough individually, but because they were together.

OT: Queen's Blessing - M-Fighters have received a portion of God Ki good for 1 post.

[MrSandman]

Perhaps it was the utter idiocy that was unfolding in front of her, or the unexpected source of said idiocy...or that it was even happening at all.

Perhaps it would her own idiocy in not accept this was the pre determined outcome that all of their interactions were leading towards, that reason would prevail even when pitted against the experience of hell itself. That she had some magic words that would fix the last year or so.

Perhaps simply being called out for her own proclaimed BS had slowed a thoughts. Either way....she reacted too late to be of any real use, not before the hammer fell.

Much as with Zaofan, and Avoca, Ochazuke is only just able to redirect Inanna's aggression; using the force from the lunge to redirect and toss her into the spooled energies. The explosion that results, a testament to just how dangerous she was, as the pressure wave alone is enough to all but flatten the remains of the city that was their backdrop.

Inannas anger made manifest exploded with cataclysmic force, not even at her distance was the mage spared getting slammed on her back by the concussive force. Only after a moment of steadying herself and attempting to stop the rininging in her ears did Etrina take in the full scope of the devastation around her. The city scape had been utterly flattened, There was no telling how many lay dead among its ruins.....and all from what amounted to a stray shot.

Such was the fate of those caught in between a battle with gods, a fate that could just as easily happen on her world or any other.

Choking on dust, when he came to he found his footing. Got to make sure...I promised...to...to..!

He bolt upwards, sinking in his steps, softened by the ash and dust surrounding him.

"Oh...oh...no...that's..."

But it was. No matter how wide he opened his eyes and scanned the horizon, there it lay. Flattened to the foundations, much of the Threshling Capital was gone. Everything, from the township with its royal walkways to the palatial grounds of the Royal Family, the aftermath of that clash in an instant had wiped it out.

"It's...it's..."

His breath slowed, his frame trembled under the weight of a heavy heart. Though he'd taken the White Cloak for ceremony, he'd taken the oath just the same as the rest of the Knights of Reshlan to protect this world. To take sight of this and to know his part in it left him hollow.

His cries of pain and anguish at his failure to keep his word pierced the haze beneath the clearing sky.

The ringing slowly faded, replaced with a much less welcomed sound. With it...blood chilling, guy sickening feeling descended on the recovering time mage.

It was wrong.

It felt wrong to hear him him wail like that. That man with a will of iron and a bottomless fount of enthusiasm. Though she had a rather unique way of showing it, her love for him was genuine...sometimes she even wondering if he humored her habits with him. Even when she bullied him, stepped on him, joked over him...he took it with a smile and a witty retort. A crack of pain was nothing more to him then the singe of his oven.

But this cry....this was true pain. The kind she'd never visit on him even in her darkest mind.

He was the least deserving of what was happening, and yet it hit him all the same. He was the most willing to talk, the most willing to accept, the most understanding, the one who had the most chance of getting through.....and this is what he received in return for it.

The gut rending feeling Etrina felt at her cries began to quickly twist in her stomach until a new emotion began to rear its ugly head. One she was all too familiar with.

Clutching her staff, she began to focus....even as Saradas god ki descended upon her, her mind drifted to places unknown. The spell she weaved now would not be easy, but there was no choice but to push on.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

The temporary god Ki boost helps Praxat increase the air friction even further. Making it less of an effort. Praxat then jumps in the air. By the time she falls.

The air friction has increased to the point where the air itself is like Super Katchin, and one can stand on it as if it were solid ground.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Thrusting her hands outward, she threw every ounce of power she had gathered into a dual-colored glowing ball of swirling ki that had crackled to life between them.

SPIRAL FLASH!!

The spiraling dual-colored ball, created from discordant energies perfectly melded together into one sphere of chaotic energy, exploded forward into a thin, concentrated beam. It tore through the sky, turning one half of the sky a deep red and the other half a vibrant blue, toward where Inanna had collided with her own attack.

The beam was on target, cutting through the mushroom cloud as it closed in on Inanna; but true to Ochazuke's revelation... what had thrown the woman for a loop before, had managed less the second time and with a motion Inanna batted the Spiral Flash away. Beam quickly leaving Reshlan's atmosphere to harmlessly detonate in the Heavens above.

Though to say Parsley's attack had no impact, would be inaccurate. It did two things.

One, Inanna's movement had been swift, but telling. The hand that batted the beam away, had been artifical... The arm she'd made from the Maven's forge; and two:

It bought Lantro, and Sasheem time.

"Here goes! It's all or nothing! OMEGA........DUNK!!!!!"



Lantro shouted, locking onto where Inanna was located. Sasheem felt the bounds of reality shift as they would had he done the Resounding Roar, but they shifted in a different direction. Almost as if they were shattering around him as Lantro said. Well there was a chance that this could all work out, as he was being smacked into the back of Inanna's head he activated the Resounding Roar: Lion's Call to shatter the reality around him even further upon hitting the blue annihilator.

Inanna had turned at the roar, which meant she to took the Roaring Lion's Resounding Omega Dunk to the jaw; and where the two attacks before- her own- had merely done ephemeral damage... for the first time Inanna felt pain... only for her howl of pain to be drowned out by The Shattering.

And with the laws that governed Universe 15, now null and void, the energy released by the desperation play had no where to go but forward; into Inanna.

When reality picked back up again Lantro, and Sasheem would find themselves standing tall. Only for a metallic fist to catch the Golden State Warrior in the jaw, shattering it and launching him out of the ruined Reshlan Cityscape. Leaving Sasheem alone with the Blue Annihilator.

Who was, when he saw her fully, not doing well.

The dual tech had certainly done a number on her, the lower half of her face a regenerating patchwork of bone, and viscera, along with the half of her body that had taken the attack full on... but she was already regenerating; and from the way the space around them began to distort in a manner similar to the Shattering however, it was clear she was also, finally, beginning to power up.

... but at least they knew she could bleed.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The cacophony resulting in turning Inanna's own innate power against her had likewise struck Ochazuke even from this distance, and riding the current to maintain his position had carried him to flight. The laceration over his left shoulder wept, then was swiftly dammed by a palm that carried the Dragon's Fire.

Moreover, the up-close analysis of Inanna had given him some deeper knowledge of the true depths of her power. This knowledge swiftly went over the comms.

"I see it now," Ochazuke said, "Surviving Hell required her to kill herself as much as the damned company surrounding her. She turns her own pain into desperate strength, the longer this goes on, the more damage she takes, the stronger she'll become. When that happens, with only violence for her sustenance, that will be the last of her reason."

Every moment was precious, and whichever ones they could seize were increasingly few.

"Even so...we'll have to pull it out of Inanna, for this planet cannot sustain a battle at range, that will only invoke more catastrophe."

So put upon to the task at hand, he pushed off to flight toward the epicentre of the pressure wave; gradually at first, then as he drew upon the Bear's Strength and the Wolf's Prowl, his efforts tripled in their efficacy.

Furthermore, as he moved closer, the faint aura of True Magic trailed from his right hand.

If that is what is required, perhaps we will have to give you what you want...

There was no mistaking the energy that pooled and emanated from Ochazuke's right hand, and though Inanna's focus was for the moment set squarely on the rotund Majin, the mounting pressure in the space around Ochazuke would speak to a slow shifting of that focus.

The unmistakable taint of magic permeating the space around him, as she began to crush the life out of him.