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

[KingofPie]

Ochazuke, and anyone onboard the Gotengo or on Reshlan, your senses suddenly ping as a new power arrives on Reshlan. A massive shift of demonic energy ripples across the planet as from the storm a mighty beast emerges in the capital ruins.



Standing fifty feet tall, it oozes energy like the Nuckaleeve demon they once fought. Rot and ruin and death fills the air as it roars, the sound actually reverberating against the thunderous clash of SWS’s perpetual lightning barrage.

Sasheem, haven snuck himself and his followers aboard the Gotengo at the last minute, had not bothered to interact with everyone else for quite some time, for reasons only known to Sasheem. Perhaps to show off the highly touted stealth of the Snake School, masters of subterfuge as they-Alright, no okay, Sasheem was raiding the cafeteria, eating as much as he could. Saving the world was tiresome and why energize yourself with one snack, when you could have several dozen.

The Majin assured himself that it would be alright, after all the chefs would have to earn their money's worth by making more. To those unaware of his presence, it would soon be made apparent as Sasheem made his way towards the bridge. Or to be more accurate, his Snake School Students pushed him there as he had consumed so much food in such a short span of time that his body had ballooned into more or less an orb for the time being. The Snake Mistress, looking some mixed between annoyed and distressed stood ready with a pin to pop him if need be.

"Thish energy....reminds me of that rot monster," Sasheem commented, rolling into a command console once his students finally grew tired of holding him in place. "But a lot tougher...not gonna be easy to just approach it and punch whatever this is in the face, Sasheem figures." he nodded sagely, or did the closest equivalent to it he could manage, given how half-asleep he was from gorging himself earlier.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

It….works. But it is incredibly painful, her mouth charing as she eats the lightning.

It feels…….euphoric in a way. Painful, burning, but a rush.

That’s only one bolt though, and more descend, faster and faster, blocking out the sky above as Scarlet and black light fills everyone’s eyes and rips the battlefield asunder.

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

Probably - hopefully - not.

"Avoca?"

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

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

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

Ochazuke, and anyone onboard the Gotengo or on Reshlan, your senses suddenly ping as a new power arrives on Reshlan. A massive shift of demonic energy ripples across the planet as from the storm a mighty beast emerges in the capital ruins.



Standing fifty feet tall, it oozes energy like the Nuckaleeve demon they once fought. Rot and ruin and death fills the air as it roars, the sound actually reverberating against the thunderous clash of SWS’s perpetual lightning barrage.

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

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

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

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

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

[grampagen]

Ochazuke, and anyone onboard the Gotengo or on Reshlan, your senses suddenly ping as a new power arrives on Reshlan. A massive shift of demonic energy ripples across the planet as from the storm a mighty beast emerges in the capital ruins.



Standing fifty feet tall, it oozes energy like the Nuckaleeve demon they once fought. Rot and ruin and death fills the air as it roars, the sound actually reverberating against the thunderous clash of SWS’s perpetual lightning barrage.

Though the separation from space remained past the very atmosphere of the planet and the maelstrom bottled beneath it, the demon that issued forth from the mire in the wake of the Destroyer's passage carried its piercing presence starkly where it screamed.

"Okay, yeah, whatever's going on down there, I felt that one," Zaofan said, "The Threshling Knights seem to be able to push back the smaller ones, but this demon, it's big. We've got to help them out!"

Ochazuke remained in his seat, head bowed as if silent in prayer. No motion came from him. Then his arms unfolded and he touched his fingertips together.

Sasheem, haven snuck himself and his followers aboard the Gotengo at the last minute, had not bothered to interact with everyone else for quite some time, for reasons only known to Sasheem. Perhaps to show off the highly touted stealth of the Snake School, masters of subterfuge as they-Alright, no okay, Sasheem was raiding the cafeteria, eating as much as he could. Saving the world was tiresome and why energize yourself with one snack, when you could have several dozen.

The Majin assured himself that it would be alright, after all the chefs would have to earn their money's worth by making more. To those unaware of his presence, it would soon be made apparent as Sasheem made his way towards the bridge. Or to be more accurate, his Snake School Students pushed him there as he had consumed so much food in such a short span of time that his body had ballooned into more or less an orb for the time being. The Snake Mistress, looking some mixed between annoyed and distressed stood ready with a pin to pop him if need be.

"Thish energy....reminds me of that rot monster," Sasheem commented, rolling into a command console once his students finally grew tired of holding him in place. "But a lot tougher...not gonna be easy to just approach it and punch whatever this is in the face, Sasheem figures." he nodded sagely, or did the closest equivalent to it he could manage, given how half-asleep he was from gorging himself earlier.

"You're late."

The way Ochazuke's thoughts carried across the bridge, so pointed as they fell upon the new and recently revived members of the Snake School behind their generously rotund master, it was as if the very air in the ship stalled for a second.

"Attempting to cling beneath notice...more befitting worms than Snakes," he continued, "Though, a fattened viper makes its own coils useless."

As he turned to the door, Zaofan's already weary face held a hollow darkness upon it. Though no visible aura issued from him, a terrible air of brooding violence shrouding the martial chef.

"...that food...was supposed to be for everybody..." His voice was eerily calm as he hastily palmed the rest of the Senzu Pastry he'd just rolled out.

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

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

He felt something shift at the bottom of his stomach.

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

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

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

Gauging Sasheem's remarks and Held's reactions, Ochazuke could only speculate about this foe, for the last one of its ilk he hadn't had the dubious pleasure of encountering. Zaofan felt the bile welling up inside of him, churning up memories from years ago he'd rather keep suppressed.

"It's all you then," Zaofan muttered darkly, "the last one tried to eat you after pulling you through the floor. Demon or not, I have a feeling this guy won't be so tedious about it."

"Moreover, it's near the old palatial grounds at the centre of the runic spell. If you're going to rework that magic, well..." Ochazuke trailed off for a moment, "between a demon of our own, and if your time training had been worth anything, circumstances may be more favourable than they first appear."

Though, there was the matter of the stowaways. For Ochazuke who'd been operating the ship through his mind like an extension of his own body, this presented its own issues.

"Perhaps your students should remain aboard. No doubt they are adept, but we cannot afford to lose them so soon after their training," he said, "that does not mean, however, that they will not fight."

[grampagen]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tasure accepted the... senzu bean? It looked very different from what she recalled, but that could be chalked up to being prepared, rather than raw. She was still starving and a bit drained, so she popped it into her mouth immediately. While most used these beans for the healing effect, they did provide about a weeks' worth of nutrition, at the cost of tasting... bad. Even for a Saiyan. Something like a cross between an unripened bean, celery stalk, and slightly old fish.

This, however, did not taste 'bad' in the least. Yeah, sure, it wasn't the tastiest snack ever, but it certainly wasn't a fishy celery bean. Almost immediately, her hunger disappeared and her energy returned. Tasure let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "I--"

She stopped as she felt that unnerving demonic presence. "Tch... another demon? Great."

Tasure enjoyed fighting--she was a saiyan, after all--but today was just one thing after another... at this point, she just wanted to rescue her family, go home, and relax. She sighed again, this time in exasperation.

"Alright, anyone that wants to get right into the thick of things, touch me," she said. She couldn't help with the transmutation business--she had about as much talent for magic as most other saiyans... that is, none--so the best she could do was get everyone where they needed to go, then start stabbing and slicing anything that needed it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[KingofPie]

"You're late."

The way Ochazuke's thoughts carried across the bridge, so pointed as they fell upon the new and recently revived members of the Snake School behind their generously rotund master, it was as if the very air in the ship stalled for a second.

"Attempting to cling beneath notice...more befitting worms than Snakes," he continued, "Though, a fattened viper makes its own coils useless."

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up, ya grimaching goofus," the orb shaped Sasheem commented. "It'sh all fun and inshults untull ya need a group specializing in guerilla tactics."

As he turned to the door, Zaofan's already weary face held a hollow darkness upon it. Though no visible aura issued from him, a terrible air of brooding violence shrouding the martial chef.

"...that food...was supposed to be for everybody..." His voice was eerily calm as he hastily palmed the rest of the Senzu Pastry he'd just rolled out.

"Good thinyer an exshpert chef, right?" Sasheem replied smugly, attempting to give a thumbs up....but alas it only lasted for a split second, before the Majin decided it was too much effort exerted. "I leffft all the raw shtuff anyway....'cept fer the sushi of course. Heh heh..."

Gauging Sasheem's remarks and Held's reactions, Ochazuke could only speculate about this foe, for the last one of its ilk he hadn't had the dubious pleasure of encountering. Zaofan felt the bile welling up inside of him, churning up memories from years ago he'd rather keep suppressed.

"It's all you then," Zaofan muttered darkly, "the last one tried to eat you after pulling you through the floor. Demon or not, I have a feeling this guy won't be so tedious about it."

"Moreover, it's near the old palatial grounds at the centre of the runic spell. If you're going to rework that magic, well..." Ochazuke trailed off for a moment, "between a demon of our own, and if your time training had been worth anything, circumstances may be more favourable than they first appear."

Though, there was the matter of the stowaways. For Ochazuke who'd been operating the ship through his mind like an extension of his own body, this presented its own issues.

"Perhaps your students should remain aboard. No doubt they are adept, but we cannot afford to lose them so soon after their training," he said, "that does not mean, however, that they will not fight."

"Yeah, Sasheem could try and work shomethin' out...thishhh thing ruins a good appetite after all," the rotund Majin commented. "As fer my shtuddents....yeah, yer probably right. Not quite ready for thishhh.....but," Sasheem began, a glint in his black eyes. "Gotta buncha other mooks. Criminalshh who tried ta kill Sasheem. Shum demons too. A lotta old enemies h that just needed some "convinshing" to shee the light. Long story but....we gotta whole bunsha cannon fodd-....infantry now if we need it."

He contemplated to himself for a bit, attempting to put a hand to his chin, but it just wasn't happening. "Speaking of whish....got some secret weasponsh on my shiiide. Sasheem guesses everybody should know about 'em. Ya already know 'bout the Mafuba. Gotta 'nother master of the technique hangin' there. ..." the Majin looked notably discomforted for a moment. "Shpecializes in...toilets..." he sighed derisively once he was able to get the words out. "The other thing, ya might not know. Ever heard uff the Devilmite Beam?"

[grampagen]

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up, ya grimaching goofus," the orb shaped Sasheem commented. "It'sh all fun and inshults untull ya need a group specializing in guerilla tactics."


"Good thinyer an exshpert chef, right?" Sasheem replied smugly, attempting to give a thumbs up....but alas it only lasted for a split second, before the Majin decided it was too much effort exerted. "I leffft all the raw shtuff anyway....'cept fer the sushi of course. Heh heh..."


"Yeah, Sasheem could try and work shomethin' out...thishhh thing ruins a good appetite after all," the rotund Majin commented. "As fer my shtuddents....yeah, yer probably right. Not quite ready for thishhh.....but," Sasheem began, a glint in his black eyes. "Gotta buncha other mooks. Criminalshh who tried ta kill Sasheem. Shum demons too. A lotta old enemies h that just needed some "convinshing" to shee the light. Long story but....we gotta whole bunsha cannon fodd-....infantry now if we need it."

He contemplated to himself for a bit, attempting to put a hand to his chin, but it just wasn't happening. "Speaking of whish....got some secret weasponsh on my shiiide. Sasheem guesses everybody should know about 'em. Ya already know 'bout the Mafuba. Gotta 'nother master of the technique hangin' there. ..." the Majin looked notably discomforted for a moment. "Shpecializes in...toilets..." he sighed derisively once he was able to get the words out. "The other thing, ya might not know. Ever heard uff the Devilmite Beam?"

"The Devilmite Beam," Ochazuke repeated, "The Devil's Judgment, it swells the evils that fill an impure heart until it destroys itself."

Indeed, as the Zero System had provided the means for Ochazuke to pilot the Gotengo as if it were an extension of his body, so did the most intricate inner workings feed back into his mind. Even through the shroud of the Snake stowaways, there was a certain, inhuman presence among their number.

"If it is the very same, then listen well. Each person that stands aboard this ship may add their power to the collective. It's superstructure is designed not just to divert and carry energies, but bear and synthesize the essence of their techniques as well. However, if we're going to make this work, these fighters you've brought along will have to convince themselves they are worth more than their fragmented ambitions. Send them forward."

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

~10 characters~

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

~10 Characters~

[grampagen]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That depended on all those gathered aboard.

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

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

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

"Prepare to fire the maser on my mark."

[KingofPie]

"The Devilmite Beam," Ochazuke repeated, "The Devil's Judgment, it swells the evils that fill an impure heart until it destroys itself."

Indeed, as the Zero System had provided the means for Ochazuke to pilot the Gotengo as if it were an extension of his body, so did the most intricate inner workings feed back into his mind. Even through the shroud of the Snake stowaways, there was a certain, inhuman presence among their number.

"If it is the very same, then listen well. Each person that stands aboard this ship may add their power to the collective. It's superstructure is designed not just to divert and carry energies, but bear and synthesize the essence of their techniques as well. However, if we're going to make this work, these fighters you've brought along will have to convince themselves they are worth more than their fragmented ambitions. Send them forward."

Sasheem looked off to the side and nodded...or the closest equivalent to it. It took a moment, but once the gesture was registered, after multiple attempts, the two figures stepped forward. One an old man, sporting robes befitting of some kind of sage or druid and a young demon, who spoke up first.

"Ma Yusha, heir to the Yusha clan of the Makai Kingdom," he spoke up. "There are sparse few of my people who would ally alongside mortals, but I have no such quarrels. Once I took up leadership of my people I vow we'd stand together against this long rooted evil that poisons our existence."

The old man nodded next, speaking far less formally. "Yo. Name's Bensho-Sennin. Stuck this one here in a toilet some time ago," he pointed a thumb back to Sasheem, who began to fidget in irritation. "Proud to be of service."

[Miburo]

"Moreover, it's near the old palatial grounds at the centre of the runic spell. If you're going to rework that magic, well..." Ochazuke trailed off for a moment, "between a demon of our own, and if your time training had been worth anything, circumstances may be more favourable than they first appear."

Though, there was the matter of the stowaways. For Ochazuke who'd been operating the ship through his mind like an extension of his own body, this presented its own issues.

"Perhaps your students should remain aboard. No doubt they are adept, but we cannot afford to lose them so soon after their training," he said, "that does not mean, however, that they will not fight."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[grampagen]

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

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

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

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

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

Sasheem looked off to the side and nodded...or the closest equivalent to it. It took a moment, but once the gesture was registered, after multiple attempts, the two figures stepped forward. One an old man, sporting robes befitting of some kind of sage or druid and a young demon, who spoke up first.

"Ma Yusha, heir to the Yusha clan of the Makai Kingdom," he spoke up. "There are sparse few of my people who would ally alongside mortals, but I have no such quarrels. Once I took up leadership of my people I vow we'd stand together against this long rooted evil that poisons our existence."

The old man nodded next, speaking far less formally. "Yo. Name's Bensho-Sennin. Stuck this one here in a toilet some time ago," he pointed a thumb back to Sasheem, who began to fidget in irritation. "Proud to be of service."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[bruceleegreyhulk]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That depended on all those gathered aboard.

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

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

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

"Prepare to fire the maser on my mark."

Praxat pools her electromagnetic energy towards the superstructure. Offering her electromagnetic energy to the Wave Motion Engine.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

" Jack, are you sensing what I'm sensing?" Praxat said.

He nods.

“Get ready.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Tasure accepted the... senzu bean? It looked very different from what she recalled, but that could be chalked up to being prepared, rather than raw. She was still starving and a bit drained, so she popped it into her mouth immediately. While most used these beans for the healing effect, they did provide about a weeks' worth of nutrition, at the cost of tasting... bad. Even for a Saiyan. Something like a cross between an unripened bean, celery stalk, and slightly old fish.

This, however, did not taste 'bad' in the least. Yeah, sure, it wasn't the tastiest snack ever, but it certainly wasn't a fishy celery bean. Almost immediately, her hunger disappeared and her energy returned. Tasure let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "I--"

She stopped as she felt that unnerving demonic presence. "Tch... another demon? Great."

Tasure enjoyed fighting--she was a saiyan, after all--but today was just one thing after another... at this point, she just wanted to rescue her family, go home, and relax. She sighed again, this time in exasperation.

"Alright, anyone that wants to get right into the thick of things, touch me," she said. She couldn't help with the transmutation business--she had about as much talent for magic as most other saiyans... that is, none--so the best she could do was get everyone where they needed to go, then start stabbing and slicing anything that needed it.

Charco and Jack lay their hands on her shoulders.