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

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The victory their tandem offensive mounted against Sakin was both hollow and short-lived. With a snap of his fingers, he changed the entire playing field. The board was in his favor. Up above, hovering around this new and strange fusion, shards of broken reality hovered ominously. Parsley eyed them cautiously. She didn’t know what they were just yet, but just looking at them filled her with a dread.

Those earrings... she had seen them before, in Ruination Ishtar’s native timeline. Marduk and another used them to fuse into one. Sakin used them to forcibly fuse with Grinthorn. The Fusion Ritual she and Sarada had been taught required perfect harmony between all aspects of their individual beings. What she had just witnessed was the exact antithesis. There was no harmony, no consent, no choice. Where were had been two god-like beings, there was only one all-powerful entity.

She was at a loss. With two words and a mere gesture, he broke reality itself. With that level of power at his disposal, was there anything at all he could not accomplish? He could blink them all out of existence with ease. He could easily rewrite the entire universe on a whim within a fraction of a fraction of an instant.

Yet, he didn’t. They were still alive, for the time being, meaning they had a chance to fight.



Ochazuke’s sublime senses gained them insight into their new surroundings. The shards were chaotic. They engendered some manner of reality warping within someone, perhaps by simply coming into contact with them. Her dread and wariness were both tenable.

Their time was short and the window by means they could find victory had nearly closed. Certain death could have come at literally any moment. That moment hadn’t come yet. Sakin had spared them for the time being. That was a lapse in divine judgment that needed to be exploited.

Her senses had been disoriented once reality shattered, but she had regained enough of her wits to at least try and find some avenue for them to worm their way to survival. Her gaze cast upward toward the fusion. Her eyes narrowed to focus in on his earrings. Those were the catalyst to his creation; perhaps they held the key to his dissolution.

Muda + Observational Focus

Oh, even as you watch you can see them dangling there. They are clearly the means by which he has performed this ritual. However, as if detecting your gaze, the earrings are slowly enveloped in small barriers and the God’s head turns toward you.

Of course, this clearly seems to indicate the earrings are his weak point.

“Reality: Scatter and Make Anew.”

Multiple shards ripple from around him and fly towards Sarada and Parsley at breakneck speeds.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Whatever the means by which this entity stood before them, the truth of its nature was displayed quite plainly. That, in of itself, was cause for alarm; end enough to ground Ochazuke's faculties to the faint trill in his communicator.

All this time, the channel remained open, and he spoke his findings into it.

"...decrepit angel, sealed dragon...because this creature is both and neither, it is far stronger than either alone, and it seems nothing will be beyond its grasp," he said, "Be wary of the shards...they are the catalyst...for uncontrolled change..."

Realizing the altered possibility contained in these broken pieces of reality, however, had seemed to only quieted the thoughts he spoke aloud. The Forger's Hammer faded from his grasp, its weight eased, and upon the shattered surface of the planet, he found his footing certain.

The fracturing of reality had near deafened him to what had brought them to this moment. Struggling to escape the shadow of gods, this emergent Master of Reality sought to eclipse all to its wishes.

Yet as if compelled by something, perhaps recklessly Ochazuke then began to walk towards it.

After sends shards toward Parsley and Sarada, the God looks at Ochazuke and a smile seems to pull across his face.

“Ochazuke……….”

He points.

“Reality: Scatter and Make Anew.”

Several shards fly towards Ocahzuke.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

(I know that. That's why I'm observing. To figure out how to best apply my Bio- Electromagnokinesis I have control over electrons and protons) Praxat said electricpathically

" (I been honing my control over them, and improving my electroreception. While observing with my electroreception I will remain in my upgrade electromagnetic energy form and wait for an opening or, a cue from Ochazuke.) Praxat said electricpathically.

( Dash before when I ask you if Jinzi managed to get in contact with my great great uncle Bulllick and the rest of the Intoadians. It's because I wanted and hoped my great great uncle Bulllick would be here to guide me,) Praxat said electricpathically

“I understand. I wish some others were here too to help.”

Her eyes widen a bit.


“Get ready. I think something is about ta happen.”

[bruceleegreyhulk]

“I understand. I wish some others were here too to help.”

Her eyes widen a bit.


“Get ready. I think something is about ta happen.”

Praxat goes straight into Overclock. Reverting to her physical form. This time however her left eye is glowing orange and her right eye is glowing blue. Praxat starts manipulating electrons and protons in the surrounding area to form defenses.

[grampagen]

After sends shards toward Parsley and Sarada, the God looks at Ochazuke and a smile seems to pull across his face.

“Ochazuke……….”

He points.

“Reality: Scatter and Make Anew.”

Several shards fly towards Ocahzuke.

The great enemy affixed a cruel smile upon his face. That he'd still recognized him after the upheaval of its very being was of no consequence for Ochazuke, for as the fabric of this reality ruptured, his thoughts had sunk within himself to a harrowing place he'd been before.

For him, the edge between life and death had not come with a deluge of memories. To the contrary, his mind had never been so sobered when faced with the end, with only the fullest knowledge of regret clinging to counsciousness to realize it fully. Even with sixty-six generations of Cranes and seventy-two of Tigers grafted upon his soul, there was no comfort when faced with the truth of this, only a memory-echo that rendered it in stark clarity among several lifetimes up to this moment.

But when the fear had passed through him, only their accumiulated knowledge remained: The maxim that a warrior's choice must be made when there remains no choice at all. They guided him flawlessly through the technique had passed to him, come what may. Now he would stake the time he had left to stand here in the moment to fight for the future yet to come.

Touching his fingertips together, he lift his hands before him and pointed them to where the creature loomed in the sky, and shouted defiance where he stood.

新気功砲
Shin Kikoho

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Oh, even as you watch you can see them dangling there. They are clearly the means by which he has performed this ritual. However, as if detecting your gaze, the earrings are slowly enveloped in small barriers and the God’s head turns toward you.

Of course, this clearly seems to indicate the earrings are his weak point.

“Reality: Scatter and Make Anew.”

Multiple shards ripple from around him and fly towards Sarada and Parsley at breakneck speeds.

Parsley looked upward toward the earrings in search of something. And she found it, just not in the way she intended.

The look, the barrier enveloping them, the retaliatory wave of reality warping shards sent her and Sarada’s way... the Fusion foolishly gave himself away. By protecting them, he showed Parsley beyond doubt that the earrings were his weakness. Perhaps destroying them would result in his dissolution, perhaps not. But she knew that he couldn’t afford to lose them. To that end, they had a goal that was within reach.

As the shards rapidly descended, moments away from raining down on them, she gathered every available shadow she could. And as she did that, she spoke into the comms. “His earrings are his weak spot. Destroying them may dissolve his fusion, it may not. But it’s obvious he can’t afford for them to be damaged.”

With that said, she scattered the shadows throughout the air separating her from him. The ones closest to her coalesced to form a portal for the shards to fly into. It led to the shadows closest to the Fused God. She aimed to send the incoming shards not at the him, but at the remaining shards orbiting around him.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

"Your friends seemed to have forgotten you," said the Dark King.

Totoma blinked. He was back in his... subconscious or whatever. The last thing he remembered was going after those 100 dudes, an explosion and then...

"Mmm, yes, a miscalculation, on my part. You--we--are quite injured, floating, slowly dying in space. As I said, your friends seem to have overlooked you."

Totoma shook his head. A moon exploding was nothing to him... even in base. "You're lying. Like always, you're lying."

"Am I? It has been quite some time since then. Do you not think they would have retrieved you by now, if you were at all on their mind?"

That was true, but...

Wait, no, what was he doing? He was taking this lying **** at his word. Why was he doing that? The Dark King was a part of him, but...

"Yes. you are. Maybe... not entirely, but I'm not stupid. Well, not that stupid. You really think I'm gonna take some mind-reading, manipulative, clearly demonic guy in my head at his word?"

He was met by silence and a glare.

"Ya know, I bet if I asked, you'd go on some villainous rant about, I dunno, your evil plan to rule the universe or whatever, but I'm honestly getting tired of dealing with you," said Totoma, returning the glare. "I... I know you're some sort of past life of mine, and that something must be seriously wrong for you to be, like, semi-independent of me. And for everything else surrounding you and that hanuman guy to feel important to me, but..."

"But...?"

"...yeah, at this point, I don't care. You're just joyriding in my head, stealin' my techniques, my power, and I bet if you let me, you'll steal my muffins, too. And Karine."

The Dark King sighed. "Always with that inane obsession with muffins and that vampiric trophy wife of yours. Regardless, what can you do? I came before you--far before you--and thus am more... foundational, if you will. I am, and always will be, more than you. I have been magnaminous and tried to coax you into the path of least resistance and pain, but whether or not you allow it, I will come to the fore, eventually."

"Nah."

"...you dare treat me so flippantly? I, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Dairokuten no Ma--"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you say you've got supremacy and will overcome me eventually, but all you can do is talk a big game, steal my stuff, and annoy me. And hey, maybe you're right and you will do all that crap and I'll be the annoying voice in your head someday, but ya know what... nah. I'm done with this."

"And who decided that?"

"I did, you blovi--...talkative idiot. I've figured out how to beat you. Of course, you know that, don't you? You were reading my mind earlier."

Once again, he was met with silence.

"Oh... huh, guess you aren't doing that anymore? Or can't do that? Did you think I'd gone completely thoughtless? Or maybe when I assert myself against you, you get weaker in comparison? But I'm not just going to assert myself against you. I'm done with you. And Hanuman. Like, I'm sure he was important--"

"More than that. Hanuman is our Origin, our founda--"

"Nah. Not anymore. Hanuman doesn't matter, and neither. do. you."

"Wh--"

With a sudden focusing of his will, Totoma reached out with Kizuna, for the... connection between himself and the Dark King. No, not just the Dark King, but himself and almost everything that came before him. And then, he used an ability that he had sworn never to use ever again.

Kizuna... Nashi!

Kizuna was the ability to form, manipulate, and, if one was so inclined... sever connections. As a child, he had unknowingly been using it to sever (or more likely, weaken) the connection between an individual and their ki, thus 'sealing' their power. And E Bekon had used it to force Sarada to awaken as a Super Saiyan. He had sworn it off as a forbidden technique--something only a spiteful, angry child would use.

And, ya know, he was feeling pretty spiteful and angry against the Dork King right now.

The moment he used Kizuna Nashi on those connections between himself, the Dark King, and... others, further back, all that way to some massive 'presence' deep within him--Hanuman, he figured--those connections shattered, and with it, this 'inner world' he and the Dark King had been conversing in. Cracks of light spread across the darkness of this world, and a rumble sounded, distant at first, but growing louder and closer. Totoma smiled.

The Dark King did not. Yes, he had gotten mad before, but he was furious. Furious and clearly panicked. "You... you ignorant, reckless moron! Do you realize what you have done!?"

"Yeah, made it so you're no longer part of me."

"Ignoramus. What you just did is like... like removing the foundation of a building without tearing it down first. If you do not re-establish that connection immediately, then not only I will disappear, but you as well. You will cease to exist, completely and utterly."

"...nah."

"If you believe you can simply brute force your way through this idiocy, then you are sorely mistaken. Re-establish those connections now, while you still can!"

He could. Or, heck, he could just re-connect with everything except the Dark King, then laugh at him because he'd been kicked out of Club Totoma, but given that earlier obsession with Hanuman that had driven him to stay behind while the universe was in danger... yeah, no. Time for a clean break from the distant past.

The Dark King roared at him, lunged, and launched a desperate, savage assault at him. Kicks, punches... even scratches and bites. However, Totoma stood, resoluted, unmoved, and unafraid of the barrage of attacks. It seemed that the Dork King's power had been... parasitical in nature or something? Without the connection between them, he was nothing--just a shade of the distant past, ranting and raving and fading. The assault slowed, and soon enough the King was fallen, on his knees before Totoma, shivering... almost cowering.

"Please... please... I don't want to die. I... listen, you win... you win! Re-establish our connection and I will retreat to your metempsychotic memory, just a small part of you--the complete you!"

"Nah. There's no guarantee you won't cause some stupid bullshit in the future, and I don't have the time to have some epic inner struggle with you right now, so I'm just... uh..." Totoma paused, trying to think of a way to put it. He vaguely recalled some Saiyan legend about a guy named Gourd who just cut through a knot that was supposed to be impossible to untangle. "...Gourdian Knotting this stupidity."

The Fallen King blinked and stared at him, not getting the reference. After a moment, he sighed in resignation. "...undone in an instant by an ignoramus. How nostalgic. Standing up, the Fallen King looked at his now almost completely-faded body, then at Totoma, wearing an expression that was one-half contempt and one-half... something resembling respect. "Fine. You've won, boy. Enjoy what little time you have left."

And with that, the King became just a distant memory, fading into nothingness, leaving Totoma alone in his... thoughts? Or wherever this was.

"Well, that was... not how I expected this to end," said a voice behind him that Totoma recognized as being the voice of that realm he'd accidentally killed just a few hours ago. Vaikuntha? Wait, no, it had called itself Narayana. Totoma turned to face it.



"Yeah, well, I was getting sick of his crap, and the universe is in danger, so as I said, I didn't have time to do things... properly?"

Narayana smiled and chuckled. "You won, did you not? Not without... issues left to resolve, but that's one less thing weighing you down unnecessarily."

"I guess. So, anyway, was all his talk about ceasing to exist just more lies or actually true?"

Silence for a moment, then a response. "That, I'm afraid, was true."

Totoma's heart fell and he sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Ya know, I know I do some pretty risky ****, but I really... really can't recall ever doing anything that was cause spontaneous existence failure?"

"Besides metaphorically ripping away the foundation to the house that is 'Totoma' just now?"

"Er..."

"Make no mistake, it was an issue before, but it was gradual, over the course of several lives. That... merely accelerated it."

"Ah, so something a past me did that's coming back to bite me in the tail."

"Yes. A recurring pattern with you, I'm afraid."

He wasn't wrong. Of course, Totoma thought that was just something that applied to his current life, not crap from the distant past that he didn't even consciously know about. And... would never know about because he'd just completely disconnected himself from all of his past lives. So he didn't even have a chance of figuring out what was causing it and where to begin fixing it.

Ha ha. Whoops.

"...a wish dragon of sufficient power could fix the issue, and if you hadn't done what you did, you could eventually use the power I gave you to stabilize yourself, but as things stand... the only avenue open to you is rather extreme."

"Will it get me back in the action?"

"I... yes, but as I said, it's rather extr--"

"Then I'll do it. I'm nothing if not extreme."

Narayana stared at him for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head. "Very well..."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Many things happen at once. For the reality shards that rain down upon them, the effects of them are unknown even to the newly born God of Reality.

When the one targeting the sisters strike Parsley’s shadow portal, instead of teleporting back behind the entity, the reality shards instead melt against the portal and alter it. Instead, the entire world grows dark as shadow subsumes it all. A planetary eclipse bathed only in the light of their auras, the inner glow from the new God, and Ochazuke’s powerfully bright attack.

When the first pulse of the Shin Kihoko strikes the shards flying towards Ochazuke, they upon contact alter the attack. A brilliant prism of light erupts from the contact point, breaking the attack into eight smaller beams that lance all around, striking the surface of the darkened planet and shooting into the sky. Where the four that strike the planet make contact, ethereal light in hues of pink and blue and green remain as constant glows, bathing the areas in a rainbow of colors. Where the four strike the sky, the darkness brought upon by Parsley’s altered portal instead now bears volumes of red and orange and yellow splitting the sky in a myriad of those lights.

The next pulses of the attack remain true but the God merely holds a hand up and seems to repel each one, the other shards floating behind and around him still at his will.

In the opening gambit, the world is plunged in an odd shadowed night punctuated only by their auras and the eight beams of permanent light that Ochazuke has created. It paints the landscape in a brilliant, yet terrifyingly stark contrast of dark and light.

He holds his non occupied hand up and snaps his fingers again, more shards flying towards the fighters. This time they take unpredictable routes and target not just the Saiyans and human, but all the fighters present on the field and at the three downed ships.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Many things happen at once. For the reality shards that rain down upon them, the effects of them are unknown even to the newly born God of Reality.

When the one targeting the sisters strike Parsley’s shadow portal, instead of teleporting back behind the entity, the reality shards instead melt against the portal and alter it. Instead, the entire world grows dark as shadow subsumes it all. A planetary eclipse bathed only in the light of their auras, the inner glow from the new God, and Ochazuke’s powerfully bright attack.

When the first pulse of the Shin Kihoko strikes the shards flying towards Ochazuke, they upon contact alter the attack. A brilliant prism of light erupts from the contact point, breaking the attack into eight smaller beams that lance all around, striking the surface of the darkened planet and shooting into the sky. Where the four that strike the planet make contact, ethereal light in hues of pink and blue and green remain as constant glows, bathing the areas in a rainbow of colors. Where the four strike the sky, the darkness brought upon by Parsley’s altered portal instead now bears volumes of red and orange and yellow splitting the sky in a myriad of those lights.

The next pulses of the attack remain true but the God merely holds a hand up and seems to repel each one, the other shards floating behind and around him still at his will.

In the opening gambit, the world is plunged in an odd shadowed night punctuated only by their auras and the eight beams of permanent light that Ochazuke has created. It paints the landscape in a brilliant, yet terrifyingly stark contrast of dark and light.

He holds his non occupied hand up and snaps his fingers again, more shards flying towards the fighters. This time they take unpredictable routes and target not just the Saiyans and human, but all the fighters present on the field and at the three downed ships.

While manipulating electrons and protons in the surrounding area to form defenses. Praxat does on-the-fly calculations to make a variety of defenses. ( Dash, we both know the earrings have to be taken out. However, I also have a feeling we can't let those floating shards touch us,) Praxat said Electricalpathically.

( So I'm using my Bio-Electromagnokinesis to manipulate electrons and protons and making on the fly calculations to make a variety of defenses. Thanks to being in Overclock, I can make calculations extremely fast,) Praxat said Electricalpathically.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

While manipulating electrons and protons in the surrounding area to form defenses. Praxat does on-the-fly calculations to make a variety of defenses. ( Dash, we both know the earrings have to be taken out. However, I also have a feeling we can't let those floating shards touch us,) Praxat said Electricalpathically.

( So I'm using my Bio-Electromagnokinesis to manipulate electrons and protons and making on the fly calculations to make a variety of defenses. Thanks to being in Overclock, I can make calculations extremely fast,) Praxat said Electricalpathically.

The first shard strikes your defenses and it causes a brief flash of sparks as a shadower of TV like static suddenly appears and takes on the form of a humanoid standing beside you. The next shard strikes Dash and where once stood an armored human, now stands a horse in armor. Another strikes the Coldlight which instantly turns the ship into a a large land vehicle instead, the engines gone replaced with tank treads and massive gunports where once the blasters ports lay.

The static figure turns (it has no discernible face) and raises a hand at you, your electric power draining into it. The Dash Horse neighs and tears up to strike the thing, but her hooves go through it with no effect.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

The first shard strikes your defenses and it causes a brief flash of sparks as a shadower of TV like static suddenly appears and takes on the form of a humanoid standing beside you. The next shard strikes Dash and where once stood an armored human, now stands a horse in armor. Another strikes the Coldlight which instantly turns the ship into a a large land vehicle instead, the engines gone replaced with tank treads and massive gunports where once the blasters ports lay.

The static figure turns (it has no discernible face) and raises a hand at you, your electric power draining into it. The Dash Horse neighs and tears up to strike the thing, but her hooves go through it with no effect.

( Okay, the defenses didn't work. I have to think of another solution and stop my electromagnetic energy from further being drained by that thing,) Praxat thought.

Praxat does on-the-fly calculations to come up with a solution. ( Hmm, my only option might be to reverse the tables and try to siphon this thing into me. Fight fire with fire. That's if I can't find another option,) Praxat thought.

While coming up with a solution, Praxat controls the protons and electrons in Dash's body to attempt to change her back into a human. ( I don't know if I'll be successful. This is my first time attempting this on organic and with using both electrons and protons to do it.) Praxat thought.

( Electrons bound atoms together to form molecules, and the number of protons in atom determines it's element.) Praxat thought.

[grampagen]

Many things happen at once. For the reality shards that rain down upon them, the effects of them are unknown even to the newly born God of Reality.

When the one targeting the sisters strike ParsleyÂ’s shadow portal, instead of teleporting back behind the entity, the reality shards instead melt against the portal and alter it. Instead, the entire world grows dark as shadow subsumes it all. A planetary eclipse bathed only in the light of their auras, the inner glow from the new God, and OchazukeÂ’s powerfully bright attack.

When the first pulse of the Shin Kihoko strikes the shards flying towards Ochazuke, they upon contact alter the attack. A brilliant prism of light erupts from the contact point, breaking the attack into eight smaller beams that lance all around, striking the surface of the darkened planet and shooting into the sky. Where the four that strike the planet make contact, ethereal light in hues of pink and blue and green remain as constant glows, bathing the areas in a rainbow of colors. Where the four strike the sky, the darkness brought upon by ParsleyÂ’s altered portal instead now bears volumes of red and orange and yellow splitting the sky in a myriad of those lights.

The next pulses of the attack remain true but the God merely holds a hand up and seems to repel each one, the other shards floating behind and around him still at his will.

In the opening gambit, the world is plunged in an odd shadowed night punctuated only by their auras and the eight beams of permanent light that Ochazuke has created. It paints the landscape in a brilliant, yet terrifyingly stark contrast of dark and light.

He holds his non occupied hand up and snaps his fingers again, more shards flying towards the fighters. This time they take unpredictable routes and target not just the Saiyans and human, but all the fighters present on the field and at the three downed ships.

The shadow passed over the world so swiftly, the eclipse could hardly have been registered at all, but when Ochazuke threw his very soul into his attack, where the Kikoho had intersected with the shard, the unnatural transmogrification into fractured columns of light remained, unnatural, jagged lances jutting across the Forsworn World.

Undeterred, the form and posture of his fingers remained as he fired again, burning light flooding the cratered plateau and climbing upwards towards the creature wreathed in shadow, but when it reached him, it shattered against his palm, again and again.

The triangle formed of his hands began to fray at the corners, trembling as he drew deep breaths as he at last let his hands fall. His lungs burned, and a blistering pain shocked through from wrist to shoulder as his knees buckled, staring upward at the New God in the centre of this chaos.

"...not...yet...!"

His fingers could not hold their precision, so as the next salvo of shards began to fall, Ochazuke rolled them into fists within the Gauntlets of Zxu'ro.

"Is that how you affix your reign, through fickle whim," he gnashed through pressed teeth, one heavy footfall set after the other as he continued to stride forward, "Is that how you realize your wish...your freedom?!"

The techniques that had been formed through by the Master who once wore them would not serve him in this place, for separated from the cosmos there were no Leylines. Yet the focus set into these artifacts cut with the pain to sharpen his awareness.

As the shards rapidly descended, moments away from raining down on them, she gathered every available shadow she could. And as she did that, she spoke into the comms. “His earrings are his weak spot. Destroying them may dissolve his fusion, it may not. But it’s obvious he can’t afford for them to be damaged.”

"Acknowledged."

Bristling silently as he paced forward, Ochazuke began to silently draw upon the Heka Flow he'd gathered across the universe.

"That being said...to reach him we must first move to him..."

Satori!

"...and in that...even if there is little chance to change the outcome...to render some effect."

Kenpo Gokiu: Kaigan!

Beyond hope, beyond mortal fear, as the shards approached, Ochazuke continued to move forward.

___

"Gonna be easier said than done! Then again, I've been hearing that a lot all day!"

Zaofan took to the air, rocketing forward surrounded in a scarlet ruby quartz aura, a man become a Crimson Dynamite Comet as the Optic Blast poured from his face, over the Circlet of Zxu'ro as he accelerated forward at speeds exceeding the threshold of light itself as he rocketed toward the scattering of shards.

Kensho!

His hands hung loosely at his sides.

Let's see who's quicker on the draw!

___

"Fuh fuh fuh...so even you have reached a limit beyond your wishes."

Koorimaru floated forward, his six Capsule Drones in formation about him.

Phantom Phase!

"Come on then! Attack me if you dare!"

___

Aboard the Gotengo by Evangeline's side, Jack thumbed the Capsule Zaofan had left in his keeping, containing the silent god inside.

"Another fine mess you've gotten us into," he moaned, eyes rolling under heavy, lazy lids, "Still, this thing is likely our only way out of here."

The visual of the battle reached even this landing spot, but for a creature that could be across the universe with a thought, there was no distance that was any true comfort.

"I have no idea if this'll work, but Nunlil did teach me a thing or two about not wanting to be found. And using a bit of Grave Magic..."

The gambler took a hard drag, and what could very well be his last cigarette glowed to the tip as it broke off in his mouth. Hand-rolled...hurts so good...

The last cinder went out. His hand flit to Excalibur, and as he crouched before Evangeline, he exhaled a curtain of magical smoke that seemed to flood into and through the Gotengo, thinning an intersection with the Afterlife.

"...being here in spirit might well mean we're not here at all..."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

With Jack having masked them, he and Evangeline are, for now, not targets. Interestingly, the shards aimed towards the Gotengo veer off and slide towards other r targets instead.

Evangeline nods to Jack and clasps his upper arm.

“Well done. I think I have an idea……can we release Asha’rah again, but make sure she’s like us so that….thing….out there can’t target her?”

———————

For Koorimaru, his Phantom Phase works oddly on the shards. Several dissolve upon touching that power and portions of the sky become…..destabilized. Thin. Like a mirror of water rippling about, at the other end an unknown certainty.

Forms seem to start pushing out of those mirrors, watery phased hands stretching towards Koorimaru in hunger.

——————

Zaofan, you weave around the shards with your speed and keen senses. One or two trace by your aura, turning Crimson into Maroon, then Vermillion, then a near royal purple but none actually touch you.

You have a free avenue towards the God of Reality.

——————

Ochazuke, your enhanced senses and martial awareness go beyond the norm. Preternaturally, you realize you even have started sensing the patterns within the chaotic shards. What they do, which can do harm and which will do minor changes. Your speed cannot dodge them all (as many come from behind now, having circled away from the Gotengo towards you), but you instinctively know which to dodge and which to accept as you march onward.

The first shard lengthens your hair and turns it red like Zaofan’s crimson aura. The second changes your gender, where once a broad shouldered man stood a tall and equally imposing woman strides toward the new god. Another grazes your hands, and the gauntlets disappear, replaced with similar boots on your feet instead. Your mind and soul remain, despite the changes, though you now recall being a woman and a man in your memories. How passing strange, like two different sets of memories, identical, save for your gender and Kenshiko’s being different.

The God of Reality watches you move, watches you see the patterns, and a frown graces his face as he realizes you have mastered this threat. A hand tightens on his scythe, and he no longer looks quite so……arrogant.

——————

Praxat, you do not have the time to attempt splitting g your attention to Held’s Dash as the static creatures attacks, continuing draining you as it state it’s to surround you and subsume your power and self entirely in a cloud of charger static.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

With Jack having masked them, he and Evangeline are, for now, not targets. Interestingly, the shards aimed towards the Gotengo veer off and slide towards other r targets instead.

Evangeline nods to Jack and clasps his upper arm.

“Well done. I think I have an idea……can we release Asha’rah again, but make sure she’s like us so that….thing….out there can’t target her?”

———————

For Koorimaru, his Phantom Phase works oddly on the shards. Several dissolve upon touching that power and portions of the sky become…..destabilized. Thin. Like a mirror of water rippling about, at the other end an unknown certainty.

Forms seem to start pushing out of those mirrors, watery phased hands stretching towards Koorimaru in hunger.

——————

Zaofan, you weave around the shards with your speed and keen senses. One or two trace by your aura, turning Crimson into Maroon, then Vermillion, then a near royal purple but none actually touch you.

You have a free avenue towards the God of Reality.

——————

Ochazuke, your enhanced senses and martial awareness go beyond the norm. Preternaturally, you realize you even have started sensing the patterns within the chaotic shards. What they do, which can do harm and which will do minor changes. Your speed cannot dodge them all (as many come from behind now, having circled away from the Gotengo towards you), but you instinctively know which to dodge and which to accept as you march onward.

The first shard lengthens your hair and turns it red like Zaofan’s crimson aura. The second changes your gender, where once a broad shouldered man stood a tall and equally imposing woman strides toward the new god. Another grazes your hands, and the gauntlets disappear, replaced with similar boots on your feet instead. Your mind and soul remain, despite the changes, though you now recall being a woman and a man in your memories. How passing strange, like two different sets of memories, identical, save for your gender and Kenshiko’s being different.

The God of Reality watches you move, watches you see the patterns, and a frown graces his face as he realizes you have mastered this threat. A hand tightens on his scythe, and he no longer looks quite so……arrogant.

——————

Praxat, you do not have the time to attempt splitting g your attention to Held’s Dash as the static creatures attacks, continuing draining you as it state it’s to surround you and subsume your power and self entirely in a cloud of charger static.

( So that's how it is, huh? Well, you have my full attention. Sorry, Dash, I have to take care of this problem first. You want to drain me, huh, well two can play at that game,) Praxat thought.

Praxat focuses all her attention on the thing draining her and attempts to siphon it into herself as she sees that it's her only option.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Many things happen at once. For the reality shards that rain down upon them, the effects of them are unknown even to the newly born God of Reality.

When the one targeting the sisters strike Parsley’s shadow portal, instead of teleporting back behind the entity, the reality shards instead melt against the portal and alter it. Instead, the entire world grows dark as shadow subsumes it all. A planetary eclipse bathed only in the light of their auras, the inner glow from the new God, and Ochazuke’s powerfully bright attack.

When the first pulse of the Shin Kihoko strikes the shards flying towards Ochazuke, they upon contact alter the attack. A brilliant prism of light erupts from the contact point, breaking the attack into eight smaller beams that lance all around, striking the surface of the darkened planet and shooting into the sky. Where the four that strike the planet make contact, ethereal light in hues of pink and blue and green remain as constant glows, bathing the areas in a rainbow of colors. Where the four strike the sky, the darkness brought upon by Parsley’s altered portal instead now bears volumes of red and orange and yellow splitting the sky in a myriad of those lights.

The next pulses of the attack remain true but the God merely holds a hand up and seems to repel each one, the other shards floating behind and around him still at his will.

In the opening gambit, the world is plunged in an odd shadowed night punctuated only by their auras and the eight beams of permanent light that Ochazuke has created. It paints the landscape in a brilliant, yet terrifyingly stark contrast of dark and light.

He holds his non occupied hand up and snaps his fingers again, more shards flying towards the fighters. This time they take unpredictable routes and target not just the Saiyans and human, but all the fighters present on the field and at the three downed ships.

The shards of reality altering power struck Parsley’s portals. Surprisingly, and yet not so surprisingly, the result wasn’t what she had been looking for. Parsley and Sarada found themselves enshrouded in darkness. Sakin’s world had been turned into a realm of shadows, highlighted by technicolor streaks resulting from Ochazuke’s Shin Kikoho. The playing field had been aesthetically altered, but had proven to be even more annoying than she originally presumed.

“Seems redirecting them is out of the question,” she said to Sarada. She looked upward and witnessed the Reality God sending more shards their way. If redirecting them was no good, then avoiding them was the only way.

“Then we dodge them,” Sarada answered, as if reading her mind. When the shards flew their way, Sarada flew to meet them. Her burning Instinct was punctuated by the burning aura of her god form. Preternaturally, she knew when to move. Whether she was fast enough to actually do so remained to be seen. She didn’t understand how that reality warping crap worked; was it magic or something else? With the end so closely within reach and only one final - albeit massive - obstacle left, the nature of whatever tricks this new Reality God had up his sleeve didn’t matter beyond “how to avoid them”.

Parsley was right behind her. The few shadows that remained from her initial plan flew behind her, empowered to persist from the eight streaks of light. All but one scattered to offer her escape routes to avoid the fate of those down below.

"Acknowledged."

Bristling silently as he paced forward, Ochazuke began to silently draw upon the Heka Flow he'd gathered across the universe.

"That being said...to reach him we must first move to him..."

Satori!

"...and in that...even if there is little chance to change the outcome...to render some effect."

Kenpo Gokiu: Kaigan!

Beyond hope, beyond mortal fear, as the shards approached, Ochazuke continued to move forward.

“And even the smallest chance is greater than zero,” Parsley responded. That small chance was protect behind a pair of barriers of some form of energy. As she joined the others in their race to reach the Reality God, darting in and out of the shadows scattered about to avoid the chaotic flight patterns of the shards, her focus returned onto the earrings. Or rather, the barrier surrounding them.

Muda + Observational Focus

The first shard strikes your defenses and it causes a brief flash of sparks as a shadower of TV like static suddenly appears and takes on the form of a humanoid standing beside you. The next shard strikes Dash and where once stood an armored human, now stands a horse in armor. Another strikes the Coldlight which instantly turns the ship into a a large land vehicle instead, the engines gone replaced with tank treads and massive gunports where once the blasters ports lay.

The static figure turns (it has no discernible face) and raises a hand at you, your electric power draining into it. The Dash Horse neighs and tears up to strike the thing, but her hooves go through it with no effect.

“Ugh.” Avoca climbed out of the cramped land vehicle that was once a battleship. “What the hell?” The sky was shadowy and streaked with rainbows? She was watching everything go down inside the transport. She honestly figured she was so useless once Sakin and Grinthorn fused together that there was no point in even getting out of the ship. She would have just gotten out of the way.

She still felt that way, but the time for understanding simple truths was over. And even though she didn’t really understand what was going on or how, she needed to do something.

She looked upward and some of the others making a beeline for the new God. She looked off to the side and saw Praxat and Dash - who was then a horse - fighting a static creature. It looked like it could absorb energy. She frowned. She wasn’t sure what good she could do in either the battle or the race to the God, but she had to make a decision.

More than one enemy was a problem. Take one out so they could fully focus on the other was the way to go. “Okay. Here we go.”

She powered up to SSJ2 and turned to face the static thing. She wasn’t sure if it could actually absorb all energy or just the bio-electric power that the Frog kept yammering on about to anyone who would listen. So... maybe a ki blast could do some good.

To make sure, she fired a simple blast at the static creature.