Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

OT: Waiting for tonight to post after I get back from work. Need to be have longer replies then what I can type out on my phone.

[IGee]

The wizard shrugs.

“I’ve drained enough power to deal with filth like you. Now, Grav commands. DROP!”

Gravity suddenly increases, dragging them down to their knees.

Ajna hadn't been caught unaware this time, though he hadn't expected an attack of this sort so it took a moment to adjust. His knees almost hit the ground before he he surged back straight, and he was grateful for the time he'd spent restoring his reserves as ki held him aloft where a normal body would not have.

Those reserves wouldn't last forever. He was out of practice, and out of shape. Never had he regretted neglecting his training so much. After this, Ajna promised himself he'd change that.

Having watched Ishtar recover quickly from being wall splatted, Ajna waited for an opportunity to attack in synch with the others from multiple different angles. That should increase the likelihood of at least one landing an effective hit.

That, and it would hopefully keep him from getting hit by any friendly fire as every one reacted to the gravity based attack in their own way.

Such callous indifference! Hearing those words sparked a rage of defiance from the teenage, his teeth clenched in a hateful grin as he fought against the sudden increase of gravity. There was no way he was going to bow to such a malicious bastard! Even if gravity turned against him, he would fight it as long as he could, so not to give the wizard the satisfaction of an easy victory. His muscles strained, legs faltering as they held on desperately to their extended positions, and all the while, Charco's gaze had risen to the roof of the cave.


Although he had practiced it, Charco had yet to master the technique, but as the old saying went, desperate times called for desperate measures. Slamming down onto his knees, he would sacrifice his pride in order to focus on his chi, gathering it into his palms. Sparks of green energy crackled audibly and ember-like wisps began to gather into his upward palms.

"TYRANNO..."

Thrusting his hands as far up as he could, he smashed both handfuls of energy together, creating a turbulent mass of destructive ki.

"BLAST!!!"

It erupted with a thunderous roar, much the King itself, sending a swirling bolt of jade energy forth. It bypassed the wizard and his shields, not by unfortunate aim, but rather by choice as the blast smashed into the cavern's roof above him and the artifact he held so dear, punching through earth and rock and raining the uprooted pieces down on the dark magic user.

Now! Taking advantage of such an eye drawing attack, Ajna moved.

The floor cracked beneath his feet for the first few steps as he again was forced to adjust the flow of ki. Circling the room, snaking in from the side and increasing the difficulty for their opponent to keep them all within his sights and thus create openings. If that was possible, any way.

This was, after all, no normal man.

A large piece of stone slammed down right next to him and shattered with a crash, razor sharp shrapnel exploding out in a spray that Ajna was forced to swerve to avoid. It served as a reminder him to keep an eye out for environmental hazards created by the fight and not just the flashy energy attacks. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ishtar begin mounting an attack of her own.

Forced to her knees, by the increase of gravity forced upon her; Ishtar found the memories returning. Of a lesson taught early on, about the second son and its sparks; and with a sigh, the gift of the Armaiti was ended and the chi receded.

"I see."

She started channeling then; to embrace the gift of the second son so that it might be used for a purpose... But Charco shattered her focus. With a roar reminiscent with that of a dinosaur, the young man blasted a hole through the ceiling; and as the stones began to fall she realized there was wisdom in this. To distract that wizened old wizard, and potentially bring the roof down upon all of them.

It also gave her time to refocus and focus her chi for another purpose. Pooling her chi into her legs, and her horns, she dug her toes into the earth beneath her. It was as before, a headbutt, but the force of her motion, might be enough to catapult her forward- and with hope, carry her horn-first into the urn.

An idea blooming in his head all of a sudden, Ajna began to watch the damaged ceiling critically for a moment.

At first he had planned to use his armored forearms as a shield to close the distance in what he had named his "Batteringshell" as a child. But now..

The plan was simple: Ajna would wait for a larger chunk of stone to fall. He would jump above it, and follow in the blind spot it created to get near enough to engage.

And once he was within arms reach, well..

Even rusty, up close and personal was where both Genbudo and Ajna himself were at their most effective. Or, at least, the techniques Ajna was practiced with were all of that sort. Another thing he would have to do something about. He'd just have to make due with what he knew well for now.

A piece of rubble large enough for his purposes fell, and Ajna left the ground in a high, arcing leaping arc that took him to the ceiling. During his flight, Ajna reoriented himself so his feet would strike first, and boy did they. Hitting the wall almost numbed them, but he ignored it and kicked off, catching up with piece of falling earth.

Ajna plummeted the ten feet just above the Wizard just behind his mountainous camouflage, invisible to any viewing him from the opposite perspective.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

It was unreal. The voice speaking did not belong to the body; it was far too young. But, that, unbelievably, wasn't what startled Sarada. It was the power the woman was putting out. The scouter was glitching, so she couldn't get an accurate reading; not that she needed it. She could feel the power beating off of her. It was beyond anything she had ever been around -- even more than King Mato, the most powerful Saiyan alive.

She swallowed nervously, then masked it behind a low growl. "Talk to us about what? Get to the point."

"Very well. I am Earth's guardian, Kami, and I wish to have you in my employ. You are all seeking something, and I have the mans to help you acquire it. But in return, I need your assistance."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Got yo- oh, ****

It was nearly all he could do to avoid a debilitating- or perhaps even fatal- wounding as the thankfully now apparent man chose him as his first target. Not liking the look- and feel- of the man's claws one bit, Kai immediately went on the defensive (i.e. barriers) as he attempted to heal himself.





Noting the ease with which the man was avoiding the barrage of attacks heading toward him, Kai focused his attention on trying to telekinetically restrain- or, at the very least, slow- the man, to assist the others attempts to get a hit (or several) in-



-or at least, he begins to, before the man's subsequent actions changes Kai's priorities back to full defense, this time to create a one-way barrier between the array of energy flung at them and the group.

Healing takes a bit away from your barrier's strengths, and while most of the attacks are blocked, a few do pass through and cause some minor wounds.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Why do you feel like a Namekian?

He does not speak or shout the words. Slak broadcasts them straight into the man's mind hoping it will distract him as he jumps back to avoid the attack.

His eyes then glow as he shoots twin beams from them at the man.

Telepathically back, he hears this in an older male's voice:

'Perhaps because, brother, you and I are the same.'

It doesn't come from the man, but comes from somewhere else.

Your eye beams land and scorch the man's shoulder.

[Sion Reaver]

"Very well. I am Earth's guardian, Kami, and I wish to have you in my employ. You are all seeking something, and I have the mans to help you acquire it. But in return, I need your assistance."

It was the last part that made Karine mentally freeze. Kami? As in the Japanese word for god? She was God or just a deity? How did she know this woman was for real? Multitude of questions plagued the young woman's mind with more questions then answers. "An guardian of earth? This..is..I'm not sure how to take it. What do you need our help with? And further, what would get in return since you mentioned mentioned we all are seeking something."

She didn't know what to make of this entity possessing the girl's body but even if she couldn't properly sense them, on a primal level she understood they were powerful. "...And on another note, is your name truly Kami? That's another word for God if I'm not mistaken.."

[KamenRaida]

"Very well. I am Earth's guardian, Kami, and I wish to have you in my employ. You are all seeking something, and I have the mans to help you acquire it. But in return, I need your assistance."

Of course. Always a trade to be had, isn't there.

"And what would you need our assistance for?" Koorimaru inquired, "Surely, if you claim guardianship over this entire planet, anything that three of your people and four out-wolders could provide should mean little and less."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Very well. I am Earth's guardian, Kami, and I wish to have you in my employ. You are all seeking something, and I have the mans to help you acquire it. But in return, I need your assistance."

Sarada had literally never heard of a Kami before. But, given how her power was messing with her scouter, she wasn't someone to take lightly.

"You know what I'm looking for?" Power. Acceptance. Freedom. Each one led directly to the one following it. Her entire life would turn around in a heartbeat the moment she got stronger. She would be welcomed home with open arms, hailed as the Saiyan Elite she was destined to be.

If this Kami person had the means to help her, she supposed she could help her in return.

"I want power and strength. If you have the means to help me train, then I'm in."

Wait, God?

She heard that one woman who nearly lost her **** because she called out the half-breed a little while ago say that Kami meant 'god'. Sarada -- like all Saiyans -- didn't believe in gods. They were all fairy tales made up by lesser beings to help them become complacent with their own mediocrity. The only thing worth deifying was strength.

"I thought gods we're supposed to be all-powerful," she stated bluntly. "What kind of deity needs help from 'lowly' mortals?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Shiro threw up a barrier around her and Midori, protecting them from the attack. Midori growls, channeling energy into her hand until it was covered in a green beach ball-sized sphere. Looking to Shiro from the corner of her eye, she saw her give the smallest of nods before dropping their shield.

"MIDORI RAIOTTO JABERIN!" Midori yelled as she threw the energy attack at their opponent. As soon as it was flying toward him, Shiro brought their defensive barrier back up.

The man, staggered by Slak's eye beams, takes the blast and is thrown into the back wall. However, he appears only minimally damaged.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Well, this was weird. The elder's body had been jacked by... something... really powerful. Given that he wasn't dead yet, it probably did just want to speak. Though, what some random super-powerful bodyjacker would want with him or the others was a bit beyond him.

He leaned back in his chair, balancing on the rear legs, and propped his feet up on the table. "Alright. Before you even say anything else: will this involve fighting strong guys? Yes or no."

It wasn't that he lacked any interest in the identity of this being, but he figured that would be revealed as a matter of course. Beyond that, he sort of found playing the role of a simple-minded battle-hobo to be... amusing. Certainly kept his mind off darker thoughts.

"Yes. Very strong."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Jack immediately stood up and backed away from the strange possessed woman, "Man, this day has just been full of surprises." All he had been planning on doing when he came into town was to trade a few pelts. And then what? Drift from town to town until I died? Is that what I want out of life? Boring, predictable little life?

A wide grin split Jack's face. He had no idea what was going on, and frankly, the fact that the village elder could be so easily possessed frightened him a good deal more than he cared to admit. But, despite all that, despite the fear, the doubt, there was something else. Ochazuke could sense energy, Sarada could see it with her little monocle thing. Jack could not sense any such thing.

But he did have a sense of his own.

He could hear the cards being shuffled, feel the weight of the dice in his hands. Today was a turning point, the kind that sets a man down the road he will follow the rest of his life. Jack could run off back into the woods and live the rest of his days in solitude and peace. Or he could throw his ante in, and play the hand he was about to be dealt.

Jack chuckled, "Alright M'am, what's your game?"

"I need assistance, and have chosen you all for the role. It is why you all met here."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sasheem sunk beneath the ground using as of it were water to dodge the energy attack. Once he was certain the attack was over, he poked the top of his head above ground slightly.

Once again, he attempted to grab the man's ankles in an attempt to slam him on the ground.

Sasheem succeeds in grappling his ankles and slamming the man to the ground.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Karine felt more then a bit ill at ease around the possession, the times she did run into them had never been good and the entities behind them never pleasant. The energy didn't feel 'evil' at the least from what she could tell, but such entities espeically the older ones could mask what they were.

They had to deal with this intelligently and think before just leaping. "..Very well. May I ask who we currently are speaking to?"

"As I said, my name is Kami."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Such callous indifference! Hearing those words sparked a rage of defiance from the teenage, his teeth clenched in a hateful grin as he fought against the sudden increase of gravity. There was no way he was going to bow to such a malicious bastard! Even if gravity turned against him, he would fight it as long as he could, so not to give the wizard the satisfaction of an easy victory. His muscles strained, legs faltering as they held on desperately to their extended positions, and all the while, Charco's gaze had risen to the roof of the cave.



Although he had practiced it, Charco had yet to master the technique, but as the old saying went, desperate times called for desperate measures. Slamming down onto his knees, he would sacrifice his pride in order to focus on his chi, gathering it into his palms. Sparks of green energy crackled audibly and ember-like wisps began to gather into his upward palms.

"TYRANNO..."

Thrusting his hands as far up as he could, he smashed both handfuls of energy together, creating a turbulent mass of destructive ki.

"BLAST!!!"

It erupted with a thunderous roar, much the King itself, sending a swirling bolt of jade energy forth. It bypassed the wizard and his shields, not by unfortunate aim, but rather by choice as the blast smashed into the cavern's roof above him and the artifact he held so dear, punching through earth and rock and raining the uprooted pieces down on the dark magic user.

The mage screamed in rage as chunks of rock and debris rained down on him and the urn. Only have released properly, being buried would only hinder his full release. With a gesture, it dropped the barrier and instead began using his barrier magic to deflect huge chunks of the falling ceiling away from the urn.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The people in the pit were already drained in a way the children above had not been. Deep in their melancholy as they were, Asha'rah could not reach them with casual methods and had not the time for more intense ones. They would just have to confine any battle to the mine shaft below as far as possible. Together with Etrina, Asha'rah descended to face the entity below. Down they travelled, deeper and deeper into the bowels of the Earth, until the group found a broken urn and a shredded talisman lying atop it. Their occult purpose was apparent to all. Attempts to destroy it were met with an energy shield, and their foe revealed himself. He was an old man, a mystic of sorts with infernal flame in his eyes. He was the tyrant who had cultivated foul magics for fouler purposes, and now stood ready to suck a city dry for personal gain. No one should hold that much power over others. Nobody should be able to kill hundreds of thousands of people on a whim, even without a single supporter of their own. There was something inherently wrong about a universe that allowed such people to rise so high, something inherently wrong with how things worked. But Asha'rah could not fix that problem now, so for now she would have to settle for bringing justice through her own ability to exert her power over others.

Etrina spoke up, and surprised Asha'rah with a good round of taunting directed at their foe, insulting his professional skills, his efficiency or lack thereof and her disappointment in his meagerness in one succinct sentence. Etrina then leaned over and asked how she had done.

"Brilliantly savage wordplay, Etrina," Asha'rah reassured her as she whispered back, "I have a feeling we'll get along."






The blue oni launched an assault, but was battered into a wall by some telekinetic force. Their foe then turned his force on the rest of the group, attempting to crush them into the dirt itself. Asha'rah was already floating above the ground, so her landing was cushioned somewhat by the existing force she had been unconsciously exerting in the opposite direction, and she descended to the ground as if she had chosen to sit there by choice. The pale-haired man mused on the identity of the sorcerer, and what it said about humanity.

"From imperfection we were molded, imperfect so we are," Asha'rah said, not sure how she was so certain of that notion. It felt right though. She kept her posture, knowing that if she bent overly-much the pressure was likely to plant her head into the dirt, "it is our great adventure to seek to surpass those who came before, to be greater than them, wiser than them, to achieve things they would never consider."

She raised her head slowly to face her enemy, "yet some of us choose to do nothing but climb upon the corpses of others, to pillage the achievements of their betters. Behold, I present to you an elder leech."

The solidly built Asian man had managed to stand...scratch that, kneel defiantly against the crushing force, and with sweeping movements of his upper body summoned forth a great energy attack that resembled the gaping jaws of a great raptor. The energy slammed into the cave walls, seeking to bring rubble down upon the wizard.

Visions in the Desert.

Amid all the chaos, it was easy to disguise her orbs as more pieces of rubble, jostled by the shockwaves. In reality, she rolled thre disguised orbs through the rubble, conserving energy by refraining from trying to break the telekinetic force through brute force flight. With them, she scooped up the phylactery, creating another illusion to make it seem like the jar and talisman yet to be touched within their energy shield. She then brought the energy shield, and all the contents within, rolling back to her.

OT: Well played.

IC:

And so she does. The mage is too busy deflecting debris from the blast to notice the swap. You now have the urn and the mostly broken sealing talisman.