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Post by Riki on Mar 10, 2024 12:14:33 GMT -5
It seemed all three fighters had their hands full. While these enemies were on the weaker side of things, their numbers made up for it and Riki’s two companions were a little too focused on having a bit of a one on one instead of trying to barrel through them all as Riki had. The original monsters to charge them seemed to be the most powerful though from her estimation, so she couldn’t blame them too much, that just meant she had to take out as many as she could now.
Hers of that nature lunged at her dishing out three sharped strikes before she could step back and swing her statue back down on it like a weasel in one of those arcade games. Her muscles bulked and she jumped into the air to slam herself and her weapon down on the golem as hard as she possibility could, which was very, very hard with her strength, and aimed to completely flatten it back into the earth where it belong.
Somehow, the statue held, but it was beginning to crumble. She’d need to find a new weapon but before she could think on that too heavily she felt the presence coming up behind her. She spun, using the corpse like a stave to block the stab, then pulled back as it moved to strike again, dodging the clumsy stab to set herself in the perfect position to get another home run.
She spun all the way around this time, using her massive speed to gain velocity then slammed the corpse into the golem with the might of a truck. The corpse shattered on this impact, sending out a shockwave that expanded to the remaining golems, before the one actually hit when flying towards the one still fixated on Lemon hoping the combined shockwave and physical attack would help out the little cat demon.
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Nelgae
Story Teller
Posts: 1,159
Organization: Planet Trade Organization
Race: Alien
Status: Contact Me
Soul: Major Second
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Post by Nelgae on Mar 10, 2024 14:28:14 GMT -5
With all of the attacks against the homunculus, or what he assumed that thing was, the giant stone thing crumbled away. The bug man narrowed his eyes, Well, at least the thing wasn’t that hard to put down. At least this first one. With all of these people here, on the surface, Nelgae assumed that this area would be swarmed by the creatures that seemed to fall down. His gaze swung around as many others had already left the area. With a little sigh, the insectoid crouched before he bounded off with little fanfare as he looked at his queen once. He was happy that she had taken a liking to his movements.
The bug was off, but to where? Well, he wanted to find any group of Saiyans that they could still consume, but he guessed that his queen was worried about that Anna girl, so he decided to go after her trail. He would take a bit longer to get there than the others that had went that way, so he decided that it should at least be a moment to try and reach there. He had the speed normally to get there, but since he was still slightly suppressed, he wouldn’t really get there right away.
So, in the mean time, the bug decided that he would search for anything that could be useful. The crimson haired one - had he heard his name? - he didn't seem to get to where he first headed. The insectoid tilted his head as he slowed down and hid for a moment as his red eyes searched around. Was the boy just looking for something useful? What a cautious one. Nelgae could usually afford to be less cautious, especially in a time line with this many meals, but he supposed some extra exertion to find a useful clue, or item, wouldn't be a bad thing.
"My Queen, you should be careful," he cautioned. He glanced at the red haired man, and then stood in the clear as he used his long arms to search about for something that he could either use in combat. Weapons were useless to the former gladiator, so what he might use were even dirtier tricks. Sand so the face, dust in the eyes, blinding powder, and even nastier tricks that he had up his proverbial sleeve. That even included his special tongue to poison his foes.
As the bug searched, he pulled away rubble as quietly as possible. Not to hide his movements from the crimson haired one and the robot with the delicious cow, but to mask what he could from anyone or anything that might be their foes. It might have looked mindless in the brute force of his search, but his mind worked quickly. Not that he guessed too much information would be left after that blast, but he wondered if this was just an attack on the planet of humans. He guessed that it was more about the other Saiyans in truth.
511 / 1,242
Actions: 1. Saiyan Congregation (1/5) 2. Saiyan Congregation (2/5) 3. Search for something useful 4. Search for something useful
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Lemon
Veteran Member
Star Wolves Roleplay Guide
Posts: 382
Organization: Planet Trade Organization
Race: Hybrid
Status: Contact Me
Soul: Tri
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Post by Lemon on Mar 10, 2024 15:04:50 GMT -5
Freed from the grapple against the zombie thing, the demon was proud that she had managed the fight alright, though the attempts to tear out more of the creature turned out less than stellar in her suppressed state. She supposed that that was fair enough, after all, she was just about the same in terms of power level as the people of this time period. As the creature took a moment, or was stunned by her attacks, the demoness snarled as she would just have to defend and evade as it attacked back. Her animal instincts kicked into gear as she watched it with singular purpose, that being to kill this foe, this one in particular. The creature swung at her, and this time she was faster than before, faster than she normally was. It attempted to attack her in an arc, so she brought forward the shield attached to her arm as it flared to life with a vrrrm sound.
The metal shield slammed against the attack as she shoved the creature at the same time, as she supposed that it would go for another strike, mindless like a true undead. The hot contact made her back off from the shove, so as the second attack came at her, Lemon slammed her wrist down, the one with the shield on it to make sure that she kept her body away from it’s blows as much as possible. This thing was after something, and she guessed that it was life force, maybe ki.
With a snarl, the demoness jumped forward, but this time she swung the rifle forward that she had brought with her, the barrel of it shoved forward like a makeshift sword or spear as she sought to pierce into the creature’s stomach to pin it again the ground, and try to keep it’s limbs out of reach as she twisted the rifle as she shoved. This made it harder to simply pull up, now twisted up and the tip likely messed up. She could get another one, or get this one fixed.
“Die,” Lomon growled as her eyes flashed crimson, as the demoness pointed twin fingers down at the creature. If slashes weren’t as effective, then how about pure, blunt force trauma? Lemon used gravity as her hammer as she poured ki from her fingers and focused the force of that invisible hammer to smash against the upper body of the creature, as her animalistic instincts kicked in. She slammed the force of the gravity against the creature, aimed for it’s middle most area, maybe a bit up towards the upper body. She sought with this technique to smash it’s collar bone, spine, ribs, anything in the upper body that could move it’s body properly.
She growled again, as the demoness glared down at her opponent, hopefully it couldn’t do anything beyond this. Cauli and Riki battled more than her one, and she hoped that they were okay. Lemon simply had issues with one, and that was not a great thing for her chances to survive this timeline. She wondered, only briefly, if this had been a mistake.
WC: 529 / 1044
Actions: 1. Block Golem 4 A2 2. Dodge Golem 4 A3 Free. Target Golem 4 with Special ability Animal Instinct (+20% dmg) 3. SA (Attempt to pin with Long rifle) 4. Signature Mastered Demiton Bomb (DR 7, -10% ki)
Ki used: 10% Ki remaining: 87%
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Tarble
Grizzled Veteran
Posts: 587
Organization: Saiyan Empire
Race: Saiyan
Status: Contact Me
Soul: Main
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Post by Tarble on Mar 10, 2024 15:54:31 GMT -5
The Lost Prince 662/1,335 Tarble's hands descended slowly as he launched his attack, only to be met with a chilling sight: a single, red eye peering back at him from afar. The sheer enormity of the eye dawned upon Tarble, triggering a realization that his adversary was anything but small. With his hands inching towards his sides, he found himself grappling with the challenge that lay ahead. “I do not think this is thing is small in stature. Most of my attacks that I have learned are up close frontal attacks. I do not have anything in my arsenal that can attack from a distance. Should I close the gap and go in, or should I just use my weaker ki attacks until I see an opening”
As Tarble poised for his next action, he observed the gradual fracturing of the buildings and earth in the distance. With each widening crack edging closer, a foreboding tension gripped the air, signaling an imminent threat. Yet, the nature of this impending danger remained obscured from view. Suddenly, as if summoned by the rupturing ground, tentacles burst forth, poised to assail the warrior. Bracing himself, the lost prince seized one of the writhing appendages with both hands, planting his right foot backward in a desperate bid to withstand the forceful onslaught. “What power this beast has”
Tarble's arms trembled under the relentless pressure exerted by the tentacle, straining against his resolve. A surge of energy pulsed within him, his aura blossoming as he summoned every ounce of strength to fortify his resistance. Beads of sweat cascaded down his furrowed brow, testament to the fierce struggle he endured to keep the tentacle at bay. With a determined effort, he pushed back with all his might, channeling his power into his arms. Yet, despite his resolve, exhaustion began to take its toll. In a harrowing moment, his left arm faltered under the strain, causing him to be violently hurled backward. The force of impact sent him crashing through the solid wall of a nearby building, engulfed in a cascade of debris as the structure collapsed around him, shrouding the lost prince in darkness. “DAMNIT… every fight I am in lately, my opponent has the upper hand on me when it comes to pure strength”
Struggling against the weight of debris, the lost prince fought to free himself, determination etched on his face. Brushing off remnants of rubble from his armor, he steadied his stance, preparing for what lay ahead. As the settling dust obscured his surroundings, Tarble found himself caught amidst a series of explosions, the concussive force propelling him backward. With each blast, he staggered, eventually dropping to one knee under the relentless onslaught. Summoning his inner strength, he rose once more, only to be sent hurtling through the air by another detonation, his body careening across the ground in a series of jarring skips until momentum finally subsided, leaving him sprawled on his stomach, arm outstretched. Waves of pain washed over him, a stark reminder of the punishing toll exacted upon him in this relentless battle. “I need to get up and get focused in this fight. This monster is making me look like a clown”
Tarble flexed his fingers, gradually coaxing life back into his weary limbs. With a determined effort, he pushed himself upright, his gaze sweeping down the alley where his adversary awaited. Intent on making a statement, he conjured four luminous beam balls, launching them forth with a flick of his wrist. Meanwhile, his right hand crackled with energy as he concentrated, forming a compact orb of power within his palm, which he unleashed toward his foe with focused intensity. “I need to see how he reacts to these attacks so I can learn and adjust my battle style”
As agony seeped into his senses, the lost prince felt his vision blur slightly. Staggering backward, he recognized the need to pause and gather himself, opting to lean against a nearby bollard to regain his breath. Actions MS. Elevated Super Saiyan (10% Physical Combo Dmg) 1. Beam Ball x4 - DR 1 [2% ki] 2. Sokidan - DR 2 [3% ki] 3. Rest 4. Rest
Attacks Taken Since Damage Report-Double Big Bang Attack, Tentacle Slap, Dark Fireworks, Mini Ion Beam -Damage Taken: 11% -Ki usage: 26% -Ki remaining 74% Battle Stats
Prepped Items1. Senzu Bean 2. Sunstone Shard 3. Energizer 4. Potion Battle EquipmentHead: Mark II Scouter of Wind and Rage -Interlock w/ Ugly Sunglasses -Bio Scanner -Martial Arts Database Body: Full Body Saiyan Armor of Wind and Constitution -(Level 3) Spiked Mantle -Armor Gem Arms: Leather Gloves -Interlocks -Saiyan Gauntlets Legs: Super Weighted Pants of Spirit -Interlocks -Saiyan Boots Accessory: Dragon Amulet of Fire -Intelligence Belt of Wind Accessory: Necklace of Wind -Defano Gem of Wind -Ataci Gem of Grace
Special Techs
Speed Teleport 7/7 Instant Transmission 1/1 Rage 1/1 Retaliation 2/2 Sudden Strike 2/2 (Physical Combos) Composure 1/1 Invisible Jump 3/3 Time Skip 2/2 Wolf Fang Fist 3/3 Illusion Wolf 2/2 Shiyoken 4/4 Hassuken 4/4 Lightning Strike Second Wind Ferocity Resolved Death Pact Last Ditch Effort
Counters
Rock Crusher 1/1 Martial Arts Database 1/1 Counter 4/4 Notes:
DMG Reduction: 19% Physical DMG Increase: 18% Armor Gem 1/1 Sunstone Shard 1/1 Training Amplifier Fistcuffs Advanced Fistcuffs The Hidden Style Ki Mastery 3 Sense Hardiness Zenkai
Passives
Hot Head Level 3 (not being used) Pure Power Level 1
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Post by Yua on Mar 10, 2024 16:13:24 GMT -5
Things might have been okay. Things might have been more than okay, in fact, if Yua had not attempted to take over one of the light’s minds. She didn’t really have the time to regret her actions, of course, as she found that the lights were a source of pain. Unimaginable pain. She was not so blind that to attempt to hijack one was likely not the best idea that she ever had. That, and the Saiyan behind her, made her almost trash against the idea, but it was too late.
Emotions didn’t just bleed into the android, they expoloded into her like a mortal struck from behind by a weapon. White light flared up behind her eyes as the android was assaulted, her conciousness threatened to be taken over by sheer force of will. She was not helpless against this attack on her mind, but the android was unprepared for the attack. Just like a sneak attack, it caught her unawares. As the android gripped at her head, and the Saiyan with her started to panic, a new group quickly arrived on scene. She didn’t have the time to see them, as the Saiyan sprang up and to his feet. She wasn’t sure if she could do anything, and the same went for the Saiyan.
Two people went to battle against the golems. The third one decided that it would be an opportunity for a snack. Yua was not in the mood, and she already struggled with one light. Eleven for one person was likely too much. Yua opened her mouth, as she shouted as she placed her hand out, a wild gesture as the android used her full psychic focus on her self, to draw the self away from the lights that had attacked her mind. She savagely ripped at the spark that had entered her as she didn’t draw it out slowly like a poison, but ripped it off and into shreds like some animal that had latched onto her. It would have perhaps resembled shredded brown paper bags if anyone could have seen it.
The once pristine blond hair spilled out of the hide of her mask on all ends in a mess as the android glared up at the lights that Mira attempted to suck up as she howled in fury. Shell had likely never seen Yua in this state of… well, a state where she was not composed. She rarely lost her cool, and even though she didn’t know this other being with Shell, she could see what he was doing. If one light almost took her over, and caused her so much mental anguish, then what would this other be? Could they live through this insane plan?
Yua didn’t plan to let that happen. As Mira attempted to consume the remainder of the lights, Yua attacked with ferocity. She lashed out with psychic energy, no finesse or the grace of her sword skills in this. Yua simply struck at the raw pain and negative emotions that were inside the lights as they flew towards Shell, her hair flew up with the flare of the energy as she attempted to shut one or two down, whatever she could manage. “Don’t-” It was likely too late to stop them all.
Yua did the only other thing that she could think to do, as she lashed out again like a psychic spear as she aimed to try and catch more than one with the spear, to pin the light against the wall with the energy. “Shell,” she gasped out. As a Namekian, she hoped that he heard her. If they could stop this insane plan, then hopefully they could save this mad lad. She focused the lance of psychic energy, which was either a good or bad thing. Whatever had tugged at her robotic mind, tried to force it to join the others in pain around them…
She shivered at the thought. The sheer willpower that she might have had to use was beyond her normal limits. It was just the cold computer logic to shred what was in her mind to pieces that had saved her from one. The Saiyan that was with the whole group was unsure what had just happened. He wasn’t a psychic, but he could tell that something was off. His teeth ground as he stepped towards the fray with the golems, perhaps he could help them, or he’d get in the way.
The slots for her eyes glowed as she huffed with the effort. Yua was not the strongest user of telekinesis, but she had honed herself on Kanassa for a time. These wild attacks were desperate, but focused on their targets.
As for her reluctant ally, the Saiyan drew his hand forward and grabbed for Yua. He didn't know what to do, but he would shield her from something that came towards them. He had a bad feeling, and he could tell how stubborn Yua was.
WC: 838 / 1551
Actions: 1-2. Escape Light domination (Android, INT above 4k) 3. Telekinesis (Attack closest light to Mira with psychic knife blades) 4. Telekinesis (Attack second closest light to Mira with psychic blades) Saiyan Ally. Cover Yua from any golem attacks
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Post by Goten on Mar 10, 2024 16:56:22 GMT -5
"] | Gotenks Word Count: 548 / 1,103 Goten Passive: Adv II, 4k Cha Trunks Passive: Adv II
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Gotenks grinned fiercely as the thunderous echoes of his attack faded, surveying the smouldering aftermath of his devastating attack with unbridled satisfaction. His volley of blasts had, at the very least, cleared away much of the lingering haze shrouding the battlefield.
"Hah! Let that be a lesson to ya, creepazoid!" The fused warrior cupped his hands around his mouth to shout a mocking jeer towards the newly revealed silhouette.
His puerile bravado fell away in an instant as the dust finally settled enough for Gotenks to discern their foe's terrifying form. A gnawing sense of dread coiled in his gut like a viper poised to strike, that same cold sliver of instinctive fear that had gripped his component selves moments earlier.
Whatever this... thing was, it seemed less a physical entity and more an eldritch abomination hewn from the very void itself. Its shape constantly writhed and undulated as if crafted from billowing smoke or flowing shadows given incomprehensible sentience.
Yet despite its indistinct, shifting visage, the colossal scale of the being was shockingly apparent now, utterly dwarfing the ruined skyscrapers around them by multiple orders of magnitude. Gotenks felt an involuntary shudder wrack his muscular body as his defiant gaze traced along the ever-shifting colossus, searching for any discernible features amidst the enveloping murk.
At first, he could perceive nothing in the creature's roiling, incorporeal mass save for those two pinpricks of crimson malice glaring back at him. Lambent embers of hatred that bored straight through him from the shroud of darkness.
But then, something unexpected happened. A darkness swirled, within a split second an abyssal energy erupted from the creature, firing ceaselessly towards its prey. It was as if the creature had learned from the fused youngster, firing blast after blast towards its targets.
Gotenks found himself forced to block the barrage, his aura flaring brilliantly as he deflected and batted away the oncoming projectiles in a whirling dervish of blocks and parries. Dr. Ghast stepped in to shield Gotenks from a powerful beam with a technique he’d never seen before. The fused Saiyan wasn’t even sure if it had been on purpose, or just a happy accident.
Chest heaving, the fused warrior took a moment to collect himself amidst the settling rubble. He spotted a half-buried vending machine nearby and sauntered over, wrenching it free with a burst of strength.
"Mmm...jumbo ice rocket, jumbo ice rocket..." he mused, rummaging through until he found the desired treat. With the poise of a king, Gotenks hopped atop a low wall and popped open the freeze-ray blue pop, savouring its chill as he rehydrated.
"Whew..." He nodded, working on the dripping ice pop while surveying the churning, shadowy form of their gargantuan foe. "Not bad, ugly. But I'd watch yourself if I were you."
Gotenks' cool gaze roamed over the shifting monstrosity, his fusion senses scrutinising every subtle undulation and motion as he assessed the creature from this vantage point. His sharp eyes searched for weaknesses, exploitable blind spots, or any other advantages to press against such a formidable and seemingly intangible enemy.
For now, the fused Saiyan was content to observe, recharge, and formulate his next strategic move, all while audaciously sipping his jumbo ice pop in brazen defiance of the apocalyptic threat looming before them.
A1 - Deflect Shadow Beam A2 - Block Shadow Energy Dan A3 - Drink Potion [+15%] A4 - Assess Monster for signs of weaknesses
Stats to be completed shortly
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Post by Vlad on Mar 10, 2024 17:17:53 GMT -5
The self endangerment tactic did not have its intended impact, but with the counter offensive he has become part of the foe’s itinerary of foes.
The monstrous being warped in such a way to make it quite hard to tell what manner of weak point this creature had to target, so the synthetic could only suspect this thing's alien physiology took little damage, even with the scalpel like precision of the optics and his allies laying into it a bit.
An attack jet out to let them know they were on the targeting list now of the thing, good thing Vlad’s mind for the moment resolved the paradox if only for a moment of mental clarity, again thank Jack’s analogue neuro - mimetic designs to still function stably in this paradox state. Vlad saw the nerve patterns of the appendage and the transmitters light up of the nerves using predictive patterns of the entity’s currents through the nerves Vlad opened his hands allowing him to gauge the currents of the foes energies in relation to his own form predictive models running on the data he evaded the appendage using his flight systems in mid jump to send him in a fly’s evasive pattern devoid of predictability outside of where the mass of energy was not nor the path guiding the mas was heading to evade it.
EP3 sadly lacked the sheer speed and reaction time of her mentor her processors humming as the gross mass headed her way, roshi had enough comics to show she did not want any of what that thing could do so she hoped the beast had some measure of damage avoidance to relent and pull back when her blade went into it in counter.
Every tentacle heading her way would be meeting her shield in a bash to prohibit the intended smack and possible ensnaring before receiving a thrust from her blade <shifting writhing mass of this thing, even a deep puncture would likely not be sufficient for any major blood supply.>
as one may anticipate this was but the first gear of the offensive and quickly began picking up
A festive rain of fireworks would then come, only more like a rain of cluster bombs from a game of Worms he would see a few of his soldiers play competitively together.
Vlad tried to snatch up as many as he could around him and EP3 as well as tarble if he could make it in time, pulling a good sum of the bombs into his hands, attempting to drain them before the rapid ticking lights went boom.
EP3 was grateful for her mentors efforts as all she knew how to do for that rain of the deadliest toss poppers was luck into seeing a glint of light and being out of the explosive range or raising the shield to the explosive’s level and hoping for the least damage. “Thanks sir!” she exclaimed, having far greater range off relocation when she saw a glint.
Vlad was unsure his theoretically most stable/executable augmented functionality form in this timeline was operating in this moment and the foe was not in a mood to give a chance for system diagnostics to run.
A streak of pain headed their way.
Timing was essential, but Vlad did not have the power to protect everyone even tho he wished to, he drew close to EP3 and unleashed a powerful scream to meet the oncoming attack hopeful to nullify it for both he and EP3 at least.
EP3 looked worried to Tarble someone they considered a friend or at least did not wish to see harmed by the inevitable her eyes communicated an apology as her shield was a one person shield she wished she could some how replicate it and animate it to try and protect an ally as well but such was beyond her ability to even know where to start. She tried to pull her shield to her and vlad’s right flank to add to his effort, in case this blast would be too powerful for the protective attempt to shield them both.
A devastating flash ate up visuals and sensors.
Devastation across the field was horrific as always with such powers, EP3 was dumbstruck with horror but not as much as she likely should been, she was getting a lot more used to such devastation than she ever wished to be. Vlad? Vlad was far more numb to it than he ever wished to become. He still frowned and shook his head at the pointless devastation that seemed quite common for entities to visit on each-other, only this time it was seemingly a fair bit less sapient and intentional, try to figure how to feel about that vs such devastation being the product of a mind that grasped the devastation it wrought.
A window for counter measures, even if his defensive efforts and EP3s were less than either were going for, he would take advantage. With a thought he engaged his right faithless gauntlet inscribed with the paladin upgrade to send the cleaving wave to the foes mid section as it was the most breastplate to land a blow on and who knew, perhaps it hid some warped organs that would do more damage to cleave and burn into.
He set out his scalpel wave and brought it diagonal from the lower right side of where the pelvis would be and carved up to the left shoulder if all went as planned the land was shifting, but his boots seemed to hold strong, and he had enough time for his arm to become a buster and charge up rapidly “Go to hell… in a flash!” he exclaimed firing his weapon, but in the excitement after the burst escaped him, the landscape was bending quite a bit and EP3 was in a pit.
Seconds before EP3 was attempting to get her footing strong effort as the land shifted, unfortunately the traction in her saiyan boots came up short, perhaps she had been doing too much par-core to make up for her lack of flight perhaps she should have plump for the mountain climber saiyan boots, but point was she was wobbling a fair deal as her vision alerted her she was rapidly losing balance, but she had enough time to sheath her sword and use her hand against the sharp dip angle of the slope to slide down with her fingers.
She sighed, it was going to be a long day, wasn’t it?
As she gradually plucked her feet out of the sands continuously rising around her, that blast was devastating, her capacity to stand after it was about as much as she could ask for, the duo synthetics did decent working together.
She still felt bad about failing to assist tarble, as was the intent. She and Vlad would have to think of something they all could do to make up for it after this, assuming any of them made it out.
1,165
free precog tentacle whip
1 TK + attempt to energy Kyushu dark fireworks for self and EP3
2 Kiai mini ion beam
3 faithless claws Daichiretsuzan says free use but in case that means just the capacity to have it used 6%
4 hell flash 2% ki use
EP3
1 Counter tentical whips with weapon attack
free assisted by Vlad repositioning to evade fireworks
2 raise shield to Vlad’s flank to attempt to shield both self and vlad in case the paradox left the kiai badly timed to mini ion beam
free sloping land makes EP3 slide around.
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Post by Sitka on Mar 10, 2024 19:43:35 GMT -5
The lights were definitely demonic in nature. They were an old, old demon magic--a blood bound sacrificial art but not of one she had ever experienced before. These lights were part of the barrier that had overtaken the city. Using demon magic it had used all the life and power from those lives to form this barrier, sealing the souls inside it. These little lights were souls, connected by magic to the barrier itself, which was why Yua’s attempts to connect with it bonded her to the barrier itself. It wasn’t psychic. It was magic, and these lights were one with the force of the barrier.
They did not have strong corporeal forms, which was their weakness, and why they searched for bodies among the dead. Even then, they were bound by that physical presence in what destruction they could actually do. By themselves they were simply tools to create these golem monsters, taking various amounts of physical strength that could still be bested. By themselves they were easily managed--unless you tried to eat them.
Mira didn’t have the same level of knowledge Towa did about demonic things. To him, the lights were as he had felt on entering, ominous powers that were very foreboding. When he attempted to use his psychic powers against the lights, it had a similar effect to Yua trying to subjugate them. The surface level of sentience was stunned, broken by his attack leaving the greater far less sentient force of the barrier behind. The lights pulsed brighter, establishing an even greater connection to the barrier and its power.
Yua broke out of her stupor and tried to attack the lights, she succeeded vanquishing a few from the physical world, but Mira had invoked a passive ability, and he had done it in order to eat up the lights as quickly as he could, which, sadly, was much quicker than Yua could move. But even she didn’t know the full extent of what was about to happen. She felt it in that insurmountable pain and the power inside it, seemingly endless, and now, Mira had eaten it. He had eaten something magically connected to the barrier’s power, and the barrier gave all that power to him.
Central City was the largest city on the planet Earth. The barrier was fueled by the lives of every single person who had been killed in the original attack.. That was millions of people. The average power level on earth was 5. If each life offered the barrier 5 power level, then it did not need a monster to jump up in front of Mira’s attack to save it. It was far more powerful than him. In the past no one had managed to so much as put a crack in the barrier until it fell on its own. Even with the massive powers time had sent back to it, there was still not a force powerful enough to touch it.
And he had eaten it. He had eaten multiple things connected to the power, and it all flowed through him. His body immediately began to bulge and glow.
One might be able to say that time was Towa’s greatest enemy. The Time Patrol hindered her, and now she did not have the time to warn her partner against his recklessness, but that probably wasn’t correct in this instance. She had known he was going to try something crazy, and she said ‘so be it.’ She had known these lights could be a source of demonic power and rather than waiting for her knowledge to bear fruit to act reasonably, this had happened.
Yua’s “Don’t,” fell on deaf ears. Her cry to Shell was a warning, though even with the underground’s dampening powers, there was no denying the massive energy that was growing in the room with them. There was no mistaking what was happening to Mira, and what was about to happen to them. The golems were now the least of their concerns.
The android exploded.
A great deal of the energy burst skyward, breaking through the tunnel's ceiling and out to the world above, seemingly pulled by the barrier that fueled it, but that did not mean the destruction of such a powerful being, fueled by an even more powerful force, didn’t have a very wide circumference. Yua, Shell, Towa, and the Saiyan would have to escape as far as they could, either deeper into the tunnels or back to the world above, assuming they could escape at all.
The first swipe nicked Cauli good, but her defenses were quick acting, and soon she had the advantage again. The countered golem was shattered by her final attack, and the half dead one finally stopped moving as her knee crushed through and completely ruined it.
Riki’s attacks were equally effective, though she took a bit more damage in her recklessness. Her golem was mostly crushed into the earth, wiggling a little on the ground like the zombie it was until her impact finished it off. It finished the golem she attacked head on too, though Lemon’s golem held on, at least until the cat demon could finish it off as well.
The danger was not through however.
At first it seemed like Lemon had done more to damage the world than she intended. Her gravity crushed the golem under its massive might and the result seemingly caused the ground to violently shake as if the girl had triggered a massive earthquake. The tremors were enough to throw even the super powered trio, but very close by the true trigger was revealed.
It was not at Lemon’s point of impact where the earth began to crack open. A blinding light shot out from it first, and a huge power level could be felt expanding from below. Rapidly expanding. It wasn’t directly beneath them, but a bomb was going off and they were definitely in the radius.
The world exploded with terrible explosive power shooting up into the barrier itself as shock waves poured out in all directions threatening to crush anyone who wasn’t obliterated in the blast. It seemed Central City was not done exploding.
The scariest part however was the fact that while the explosion crashed into the barrier above, it only seemed to give it more power. Cauli would feel one more soul added to the pool, and once more the entirety of them would scream at her in massive protest as if Mira’s addition had crushed them. It wasn’t long lasting, simmering down to its former pulse, but definitely overwhelming in the moment.
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Post by Sitka on Mar 10, 2024 19:44:31 GMT -5
As the cow trotted through the open city, the small group could take in the sights a little, or the lack thereof. The destruction the initial explosion caused was absolutely catastrophic. Some building managed to stay semi-intact but most were turned to mountains of rubble. Dead bodies poked out in them, the ones who had not been obliterated by the explosion--or at least one assumed they were the bodies. They were all shades of gray most likely from the dust. Probably. Regardless, it was really of a show of wanton destruction and put into perspective just how powerful the barrier actually was. Anna had managed to save a small population with her barrier, but if her hope was to weaken it, she’d find that her group was a drop of water in a bucket of the largest city on Earth, and far too many lives were lost to truly make what she saved matter--at least in the scheme of this barrier. If those people did survive in this time line whereas they hadn’t before, the ripples across time could be massive, but such things would not be felt any time soon. With Yan, the Saiyans, and Anna on high alert, they were able to spot the next problem with some distance between them and it. A ways ahead a little off their beaten path raged a small battle. The congregation Yan had sensed was larger, but here were five Saiyans fighting for their lives against a mess of golems. Yan hadn’t been specific in his destination plans, so Anna might falsely assume they had actually arrived where they intended. Even if they hadn’t this was a chance to see the anomaly in action. Yan did manage to find something shiny in the rubble, as he was good at doing: a tiny little golem shard pulsing with a quiet energy. Nelgae however was not so lucky. He had kept a small distance from Anna's group, not really engaging in his rush. He also didn't take the time to analyze his surroundings like the other group. He did his best to keep himself from being noticed but his massive form rummaging around could not be so easily hidden and without realizing how close the enemies were, he reached down for something shiny on his own. Unfortunately this piece caused an entire wall to crumble, the rumble pouring down the road loud enough to catch the attention of the Saiyans. This got one killed by the golems, its large claws ripping into its flesh while the woman bawked in surprise at Nelgae's appearance. When it pulled out the apendage it was not only dripping with blood but glowing a fierce blue as the creature absorbed the life force of the once vital woman. In his black form, while he had no hot magma pouring through his shell, he definitely looked like an enemy, another monster in this mess of monsters. As Yan had uncovered, the Saiyan cultists were not expecting the golem monsters. They were not part of the original plan, so now, seeing anything so unsuspecting after seeing their friends be mowed down by these creatures put them on high alert. It was possible they had also faced a fused golem as they had. At the end of the day, racist profiling won the day and three of the remaining Saiyans broke in a charge hoping to take Nelgae down before he became a bigger threat.
Despite Nelgae’s misstep, the cow somehow had not yet been seen, granting Anna’s group an easy chance to escape if they wished to abandon their bug friends. The actual congregation wasn’t too far ahead, and answers might lay there. Though, gaining a few more stooges might help their case when they got there, assuming they could deescalate things. Yan’s charisma could surely only get him so far when confronted with Saiyans with actual brains as they might imagine the leader of a congregation might have. Of course, Yan's charisma could surely only get them so far in dealing with panicked Saiyans. Such things were short considered because just as the Saiyans were about to reach the killer bug, the entire city rocked under the weight of the explosion. A huge energy spike shot up into the sky in the direction only a little south of where that they were heading moments before. Energy poured out sending shockwaves through the city that tore apart what was left of the place with enough force to send the golems toppling over each other. The explosion itself could be clearly seen from where they were, as could its impact with the massive barrier. If they expected that to be the end of things, they were very wrong. Instead the barrier seemed to absorb the explosion and become even more powerful, the red haze becoming a darker red over the city as the barrier seemed to turn bloodier, the anguished souls screaming with more vigor and a sense of wrongness spread across one's six sense like an ice cold hand on unsuspecting skin.
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Post by Sitka on Mar 10, 2024 19:45:07 GMT -5
Ghast did well to deflect the first beam but did so with little care to his could be allies, deflecting the beam unceremoniously so that it still targeted Gotenks. The fused Saiyan however adeptly managed to push the beam further off target as well. He did better to block the storm of of blasts that followed but Ghast’s second defense was, if only accidentally, more beneficial to his skyward companion.
The blade licked up the energy easily, but could only reach the tail end of the power. Light as Ghast described it, it did not seem to wish to be absorbed, and the impact below only lessened in power versus being completely undone. Maybe if he risked diving into the greater blast he would have had better results, but his goal was his safety, and he did manage to siphon some ki from the attack, though it bubbled in his blade almost like a toxin.
As the tentacles ripped towards the grounded fighters, Tarble tried to fight strength with strength, a gamble that sent him flying while Vlad managed to avoid the strike and EP-3 managed a counter offensive. The two androids started out strong to be sure, and it seemed Vlad was not interested in playing things out as he had in the past. Saving himself and his student from destruction, Tarble still seemed to be a glutton for punishment, flying back in a mess of explosions, but some of the ki was absorbed.
The brain dulling scream also managed to cut through the mini blast, creating a greater shield for him and EP-3, and they were definitely starting this encounter out strong!
Would that be enough though? The beast did not seem to tire at all, and any damage they had dealt seemed miniscule.
Despite this, the mad doctor dove into the biological mist and swung his weapons with more calculated strikes, but they hit the monster like dull blades, doing little to actually harm the creature, merely damaging the tendrils that seemed to reform as soon as the edge was pulled back.
As Ghast finished the monster was met with a volley of blasts as Tarble managed to recover enough to get in a counter attack, even as that much effort seemed to stagger him, and Vlad struck out too. His attack still seemed to do limited damage as the party continued to chip away slowly at what could truly be a very dangerous foe. It seemed to reform itself from any attack, and while it was not quite healing, it was clear they were not making as big of a dent as they should be considering the massive power the creature had shown himself able to dish out.
This was something Gotenks became keely aware of as he studied the creature. It was not one meant to be taken out so easily, and was going to be serious trouble for the group if they didn’t amass a larger scaled attack.
Before the monster could unleash its full counter attack however, the ground suddenly began to shake. The entire city seemed to turn into a rumble as the destroyed city was further disrupted, sending anyone with loose footing tumbling to the ground, the remaining wreckage toppling over on itself.
The cause became apparent as a brilliant explosion lit up the red tinged city. Vlad would recognize it was close to the summit but the massive explosion seemed to shoot more up than around, thankfully, but the shockwaves expanded from it still rocketed out all the way to them pushing even the monster a little forward.
The most terrifying part of this massive power spike and destruction however, was it did scale into the sky, crashing into that thick red barrier that seemed to scream in new anguish…only to completely absorb the explosion's power into itself. Dark energy poured over the city from this absorption as the massive power spike seemed to invoke a greater power than even the monster they faced and a feeling of unease spread with it. If this monster created a sense of unnatural fear, the barrier now released something even more terrifying.
While this monster was specifically triggered by the royal Saiyan blood, even it could not completely ignore the barrier’s call. It reached for it like it was reaching for its master, giving the warriors a momentary reprieve.
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Post by Sitka on Mar 10, 2024 19:46:58 GMT -5
It did not take long for Gohan and Kale to dig through to the tunnels below, though it was a small bit tricky due to how disturbed the fused chimera combined with the multiple explosions had made the earth. Holes made were filled again, and if it weren’t for their super human strength and speed, the task would have been impossible to do. Gohan literally drilled down using his whole body, and Kale was able to follow after with some quickness.
While Kale’s entrance was more discrete, her new partner’s was not, as the drill that was Gohan crunched into the tunnels like…well, a drill.
The tunnels weren’t very deep below. Deeper than one might imagine when simply tunneling to a subway track, but the ground here was only thirty feet below the crater the original attack had created and the ceiling was high enough for a basketball player to not feel terribly claustrophobic. He wouldn’t want to jump though.
Despite this small barrier between above and below, there seemed to be some greater interference at work. As soon as they dipped below the ceiling line they would notice both their ki sensing abilities and scouters seemed to jumble. Scouter numbers blipped in and out of existence providing more of a distraction than a valid information source, and while it was possible to sense a ki signature billions of miles across the universe onto another planet, it seemed they had entered into some type of fog. It silenced those senses to feeling out anything down in these tunnels, or even above where they had just left.
A look around the tunnels showed that they were not hastily dug out, and were definitely man made. Central City was the largest city on Earth, and one of the oldest with the king’s castle being originally created hundreds of years ago, even if it was recreated every other week since. These tunnels had that feeling of being very old and abandoned. Perhaps they had been used for something like smuggling, or paths once upon a time, but it was apparent they had not been maintained.
There was no working lights, and without their senses they were quickly shrouded in darkness as the hole they dug to get in filled behind them with loose soil.
With two senses out of commission, they could still hear, and there was definitely movement happening around them. Gohan’s original trek down here had exposed some questionable people, as well as some strange sigils, and a potential end to the barrier. Based on where they had been, while the golem had yeeted Gohan a bit away from the barrier edge, he could still factor in which way to go back towards it, though the creepy glow from the barrier didn’t show, suggesting there were some turns in the way.
The sounds weren’t just coming from that direction however. There was scurrying happening on both sides, with crunching footsteps moving away from them in the direction of the barrier and its opposite, while a sliding creepy noise seemed to be approaching them from the side. It was like a group of people dragging broken limbs, or maybe more of those golems dragging their claws.
Heading away from the barrier the scurrying began to feel more stompy, like boots crushing against the ground in uniformed steps. There was less rush than first imagined in the pressurized situation they had arrived into. The darkness, assuming they hadn’t created their own light gave way to the soft glow of moving torches. As they approached they’d see a few Saiyans, all without any tails, heading further to the north.
They seem fixed on their paths, but this changes as the entire city seems to shake. The Saiyans are brought immediately on a stronger guard. The tunnels aren’t that stable and the earthquake unsettles things quite easily. The path behind Gohan and the path behind the Saiyans caves in causing a good number of shouting as apparently some Saiyans were still back there. There’s a large amount of chaos, and the world keep shaking as something massive must have disturbed things.
In the chaos, one seems to stop and notice something on your path. This group of Saiyans seems very organized and will not take long to reorder themselves after the quake. You only have a moment to decide what to do.
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Post by Cauli on Mar 11, 2024 6:29:54 GMT -5
As it turned out, both girls were perfectly capable of handling their freaks nearby, though Lemon perhaps went a little far. The crushing weight of the gravity that dispatched her monster seemed to transmit through its body into the ground, resulting in tremors deep within the Earth. Cauli was about to suggest that the girl knock it off when she sensed that something was incredibly, dangerously wrong. The tremors increased dramatically, refuted Cauli's earlier assumption that Lemon had caused them. Something below them had done this - perhaps the thing that the lovesick Saiyan with the hole in his throat had tried to warn her about.
Power erupted beneath them like a cresting wave, thrusting its ugly magnificence through the ground nearby and expanding to encompass everything in its path. Cauli reached out her hands to try and slow the energy rushing towards them. It proved to be futile, but granted her the precious moments that she needed to call upon her demonic majicks to change the nature of the energy that threatened to engulf her. Dark flames erupted over her body, their core the deep red of hellfire while at their extremity they blended perfectly into shadow. These flames didn't not emit light - they absorbed it. Cauli was wreathed in glowing shadow, the edges of her body appearing ghostly and transparent with the flickering of the flames.
But demonic majicks came with a price, and one that Cauli had only just become used to paying. Another soul shot out of the ground from below, taking the express route through the energy beam to the barrier and increasing its power. That on its own would have been problematic for Cauli but what happened next drove her to her knees and threatened to snuff out her consciousness completely. The suffering of the souls was magnified by several orders of magnitude following this latest addition, like an infection had been introduced to their ecosystem. Pressure, pain and suffering that she would never be able to put into words overwhelmed Cauli's nervous system completely and drove her from her knees to the ground, holding her head as the hellfire surrounding her flickered and flared with the effort that it was taking to keep her head from splitting in two.
Actions 1. Transmute Energy Free. Collapse
Items: Ancient Jellyfish, Potion (Bottle of Sake), Stun Grenade, Stasis Grenade
Physical Condition: >90% health, mostly superficial scratches and cuts to left leg and calf
377/1569 Stats:
PL: 472,153 / 629,538 Ki: 236,077 / 314,769 Strength: 91,855 Speed: 92,714 Toughness: 90,002 Stamina: 77,503 Vitality: 78,931
Int: 6238 Cha: 2561 Det: 4361
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Post by Puar on Mar 12, 2024 5:56:57 GMT -5
“Is that it,” Anna asked for a moment as she could sense the saiyans off to the distance. It was a bit of distance from the path they were on and she’d have to assume Yan was leading them in the wrong direction -- which she didn’t.
“Or maybe not. Doesn’t matter, those are more saiyans. More Saiyan comrades that we should save. I think I can feel about eight golems-- no that is 6 and 2 other saiyans out there.”
Before Anna could do anything, however, the saiyans turned to a crumbling wall and there stood Nelgae and the saiyan woman sighed at his clumsiness. What was worse would be the saiyan that was slain from being distracted from it. That was more the saiyan’s fault that Nel’s though, what a clumsy warrior.
Wriggle’s eyes opened, her being sleep the entire time and she looked to the angry saiyans coming their way and she sighed. “More of them? Saiyans are more like roaches aren’t they?”
She stretched her tiny feet and was about ready to jump off of Nel’s soldier for an aid, but before that Wriggle had to cling to him as the earthquake boomed and an explosion shot up toward the barrier, dying it a bloody red. Anna didn’t lose her balance, toughening her stance.
What in the world was that, Anna thought for a moment. She could take advantage of this though. She turned to Yan, Hertz and the saiyan stooges. “Yan I’m going to need you to convince our comrades to stand down -- after I show them what these have already seen.”
The saiyan stooges would know what she meant. To them she was Yan’s top soldier, and she was going to continue to prove to them the strength of Yan through her. That was how saiyan’s spoke. They spoke with strength and intimidation. “Hang back, keep everyone clear until the explosion ends.”
Anna dashed to the battlefield, sending flurries of pressure and wind behind her. She would stop right next to Nel, facing the saiyans with her eyes shimmering a teal color. “Stand down warriors. He isn’t one of those things, but we still have the real threats to deal with. My commander will be here to explain things further,” she stated.
Anna realized as she was gathering potent power around Nel and the three saiyans that one saiyan still remained on the outside. Maybe he was strong enough to survive. If not, well that was just one more casualty against six. The point across would be that this woman was not to be fucked with, and a little intimidation went a long way.
“I hope your comrade knows how to survive,” she stated while raising a clawed hand slowly. Her power built like a crescendo to their senses and they could feel her all around them, as if her power started in a full circle around her, the two bugs, and the three saiyans. Anna did not need to warn them to stay in this perfect pocket, it should have been obvious with how high her power level had gotten around them.
She had finally finished feeling out the size of the battlefield when she dropped her hand and a nuke sized explosion overwhelmed the entire area with the golems and the saiyan that was fighting them. The size of the explosion did not reach outside the area she defined, the heat able to tickle Yan, Hertz, and the other stooges' noses. The explosion would cause yet another earthquake and everything within the battlefield that wasn’t near Anna would begin to break apart or turn into dust.
604 / 1,993
A1. Earthquake Stun Free. Enter Battle Free. Berserker [2/3] [+30% str] Free. Hot Head [2/2] [+15% str] A2-4. Charged Bakuhatsuha [DR10.5][3.8m PL][+5% energy dmg][11% ki]
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Post by Shell on Mar 12, 2024 10:41:10 GMT -5
Desire for power… It was always Mira’s weakness. The one flaw in her greatest creation. Mira was designed to be the very best, but that belief led him to oftentimes take on situations that were far beyond what he could really handle. The power of the lights had called to him, he wanted that power and he felt it was going to change him into a far greater being.
That was not the case here. He quickly began to expand, overfilled with the energy of the lights. Towa knew what was about to happen. She had confidence in his core, it had survived being destroyed by Lord Beerus in another timeline and it had survived the power of an entire timeline in another. She did however need that core to allow him to rebuild once more. Her eyes flashed quickly, a telekinetic safety switch activated as one of Mira’s eyes shot out of his body quickly and came to her hand. The immortal Eye of the Titan, the core of Mira, now in her hand, no matter what happened to his body here, she would know that he would be safe as long as she had that. The lab would get some work rebuilding him and maybe she could do something about that arrogance and desire to become the ultimate lifeform.
Speaking of safety, Shell realized what was going on as well as he took on some of the golems. Yua was attacking the light and Towa had unloaded on the golems likely having finished them off before the explosion of Mira, but that wasn’t important. They were in trouble. Mira was now a risk to everyone in the area.
They needed to move quickly, but the sensory distortions would make looking on to someone with Instant Transmission nearly impossible. That was unless they had something to focus on. Luckily Shell had an alternative solution, ”Try to lock on my power or AURORA.” Trying to give them a way out, he dematerialized, shifting himself to a previously known location. Right back up on the surface, where they were standing when the explosion happened that started this day.
Hoping that they would listen, Shell, knew they did not have much time and all the problems around them. If it was something he could instant transmission he would have grabbed them both and left, but that wasn’t an option here. AURORA realized the problem here as well and began to process, she knew Yua and the program working within the Android. She would also recall previous experiences this time not aggressively establishing connection, but instead requesting emergency access for location purposes as Shell had shifted away, hoping Yua could follow that way if the sensory issues bother the paladin like it had the unlikely trio.
Meanwhile, Towa did not have time to really focus on Shell. She was bothered by the flaw that Mira had shown once again. He was intelligent but did not show that intelligence when chances at extreme power became possible. It had caused him to do many reckless and even harmful things that impacted her before. She was unsure if that was a flaw she could fix, but her mind wondering on that, did not give her the chance to properly lock on Shell’s power before he vanished away.
That meant she was going to have to go about getting out of here on her own accord. Luckily, she brought something for that. Flicking her hand some purple-colored dust appeared in her grasp. Not wanting to delay she tossed it to the ground, sending herself, holding the core of her Android, back to the surface, where they had started this entire thing. Luckily for her, that is where Shell had chosen to go as well, so she would have seemed to have followed instructions, That was not the case, but the demon goddess was a master at deception and was not going to let it be known that she was worried at this point about what Mira’s energy might have meant to this entire timeline. Clearly no one that was here all this time ago during the post Galactic War would have been nearly as strong as her. That was unless the destroyer and his attendant were around. They had certainly seemed to be around during these events if everything made sense to her.
Gathering herself quickly, she shifted her attention to the barrier, not even taking the time to speak to Shell at this point, instead focusing on the barrier to see if they had accidently unleashed the monster by not controlling Mira’s desire for power. Her focus was directed right at that, trying to decide if they had truly taken this entire situation too lightly. Was she worried, not really. If the timelines got screwed up that didn’t really impact her ultimate plans. She also knew that she had a way out with the time patrol scroll that brought them here if they did fail horribly. She only wanted what she had come here for in the first place, answers. Mira could be rebuilt from the core as she had done so many times before, but their plans and maybe finding an ally or rival was something she was not going to ignore. Her creation had made a mistake that eliminated him from helping, but she was still very capable. Maybe it was time that she proved that if they got into another dangerous situation. She took the core and slid it into her lab coat’s pocket in her alternative wardrobe. For now, that would be enough.
Shell did not say anything as Towa arrived at his location. He simply assumed she had listened to his suggestion and tracked his power and did not just simply get lucky on where to exit the explosion to. He knew that Mira and Towa were always together though and so losing an ally would not be easy for her in his mind. That did not seem the case as she seemed focused more on the barrier at this point than mourning the loss of her creation. Maybe it was the item in her hand that suddenly vanished, but she did not even seem that upset from what he could see.
Not wanting to interject in whatever it was that was going on with the scholar, he focused his attention back to his AI. AURORA had tried to reverse hack the systems that messed up her locations earlier, but it was all lost in the stories narrative of eliminating Mira for acting rashly. Shell looked once again to see if AURORA was making any progress at all. Maybe they would need to find out what was causing that hack to find out what was going on here. At this point, nothing was really known outside of the lights had the ability to destroy Mira.
In the meantime the Paladin waited, hoping that Yua was able to utilize the connection with AURORA to escape the blast. He took in all that he could see and sense trying to figure out what the next course of action would be for him. The Guardian needed to figure out his next move and quickly.
WC: 1,200 (4800 Total) (1800 Shell, 1800 Towa, 1200 Mira)
Shell: Ki 90% A1: Bunkai Teleport all that allow the grab to Surface. (Ki 10%) A2: AURORA try to connect with Yua for Help A3: AURORA Counter Hack A4: Assess situation post Mira going boom
Mira: WC: 1200 (Nanobug, Cha 4k+)
Towa: A1: Telekinesis Eye of Titan out of Mira (Mira’s Core) A2: Fairie Dust to Surface A3: Demonic Knowledge the Barrier where Mira’s Power went. A4: Pocket Dimension Mira’s Core
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Post by Gohan on Mar 12, 2024 12:15:47 GMT -5
| Into Darkness Son Gohan
759 | 1608 |
Deprived of his senses, the boy took a moment to track his surroundings. The moisture settling on his skin, the stillness of the air, and the subtle dripping sounds filled his attention as he poked his head out into an impenetrable void. Even his ability to sense energy was disrupted - the sensation of squirming energy in flux around him overrode his ability to distinguish anything else. That also meant his Instant Transmission was useless, and escape impossible. It was a good thing he had been feeling confident...
As Gohan slipped out of his self-made mole-hole, rocks tumbled behind him. It occurred to him a little too late that stealth may have been valuable, as he did not end up back in the exact same place he was before. Kale, a meek Saiyan woman he had met in the Astral Realm just recently, also followed him down. He could hear her emerge as well, though she moved with more grace and care than he had. Before he had the opportunity to say anything to her, a dragging sound caught his attention. It had the same eerie whine as nails on a chalkboard which rose goosebumps across Gohan's arms. Without a strong source of light, he couldn't tell how many tunnel branches there were, but the faint echoes of clawed limbs on the tunnel floor were everywhere.
The sound unnerved him, and in response he floated upwards until his back was nearly flat against the tunnel ceiling. He flew slowly in the direction of the faintest of the sounds. "This way," he whispered to Kale, unsure what she was doing in the dark. He figured that at the very least, it may be better to stick together.
As Gohan and the source of the sounds grew closer, he realized that the path he chose rang out mostly with the sounds of boots, and a faint glow was beginning to glimmer from around an apparent fork in the tunnel. Compared to the pitch black he was faced with before, the contrast from the torches clearly illuminated a squad of Saiyans. Just then, another massive quake rattled the underground, not unlike the one which rattled his aim on his first excursion to the underground.
Sediment caressed his back and shoulders from the ceiling above, warning him that a cave-in was imminent. There were only two choices - forward or backward. He didn't have to think, propelling himself quietly forward slightly below the ceiling's height as soil and stone filled the tunnel hallway behind him. Saiyan shouting filled the tunnel as it seemed they were also collapsed on, and four of the squad were separated from their allies.
To Gohan's dismay, they were disciplined enough to pick back up and keep moving nearly right after the cave-in. Worse still, one of them became interested in the short corridor that Gohan was hidden down. If they came any closer than the intersection, they would certainly see him. With such a limited window of opportunity, he sprang into action.
Invisibly thin strands of ki shot out from his finger tips toward the tunnel's junction as Gohan cast a net. With a jerk of his wrists, he pulled the ends of that net back toward the Saiyan's tunnel, turning the thin cords into taut lines that crossed the cave. He repeated the motions once more to complete the mesh.
The boy's skin grew hot as he partitioned his remaining energy into two equal halves. Swirling masses of energy filled his stomach, each pushing against one another as well as the immature container which held them until they could exist independently without Gohan's intentional control. His belly lurched as one of the two halves emerged from him like a mitotic cell, a carbon copy of the young Super Saiyan.
Gohan's clone nodded knowingly at his original body in the dark, knowing already what the plan was. Leaving the original quietly lurking in the collapsed side-corridor, the clone flew out into the plain view of the light. Gohan Prime wasn't sure if the cultists had the ability to detect energy through whatever strange interference they'd created, but he suppressed his own Ki to the bare minimum.
"You'll pay for what you've done today!" The clone shouted brazenly, turning to face the small squad of Saiyans in the hallway through the invisible Ki tripwire. Its aura flared brilliant yellow to saturate the hallway with light, hopefully further distracting from Gohan's other body. If they could draw the cultists through their trap, they'd have an effective killzone set up at the intersection.
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