by
Hung (Animeaddiction) Nguyen
Disclaimer: Why do I even bother to disclaim? The readers know that I'm not making any money from writing this.
: Thoughts
Trunks Vs. Ifurita! Place Your Bets!
"The Forbidden Island... the place where the terrible Demon-God Ifurita had been sealed away during the times of the Holy Wars. Its location is known only to the Great Priestesses of Mount Muldoon. Only we three... we three alone know of where the horror slumbers."
Shayla-Shayla gazed toward the horizon as she stood stoically at the bow of the cruiser. "How could the Bugrom have known where the Forbidden Island is?"
"Enough with the stupid monologue, Shayla. No one knows the answer to that." Afra remarked as she took a sip of tea. "You're certainly not smart enough to figure that out."
This got the Fire Priestess' temper to steaming as she turned around and glared at her colleague. "Oh is that it? Are you calling me stupid? Why don't you call me stupid to my face?" The jewel on her headband flared.
"Why don't you calm down until we get there? It isn't going to do us much good if you get mad now. You might set the ship on fire." Trunks commented as he once again thought that this trip was taking too long. Though he was not required to wear his Fatora disguise at the moment, he was still restricted from using his full powers because of his companions. For now, he would have to rely only on his strength, speed, martial arts skills and the sword that was now strapped to his back. Powers such as flying, ki blasts and especially transforming into a Super-Saiyan, were not to be used unless there was no other way.
Shayla then glared at Trunks with her temper now starting to boil. "Oh? Is that it? Do you think that I'm stupid too?"
Trunks returned her glare and restrained himself from shutting her up the same way as he did to that bully when he was eight. "No. I didn't say that you were stupid. But getting mad isn't exactly the smartest thing right now."
"What would you know you cross-dressing pervert!"
Trunks took a deep breath before giving Shayla a glare that would have melted steel. "Listen here! I've had just about enough of the pervert cracks! My name is not pervert, freak, weasel or QUEEN! It's Trunks!" The young Saiyan was just about ready to draw his sword and run the redhead through when Miz broke the tension.
"Will both of you stop fighting?! We've got more important things to worry about! Don't you realize that the awakening of Ifurita could mean the end of El Hazard?" She then gave a wink and blew a kiss at Mr. Fujisawa, who was currently imbibing a cup of wine.
The history teacher could only shrug as he agreed. "Yes... it's getting serious."
Shayla then turned her back to Trunks in a huff, while the teen decided to sit down beside Nanami, who happened to be playing with Ura.
"Say Miss Afra, I was wondering about something." Nanami said.
"Yes?"
"Remember how Mr. Fujisawa gained his super-powers when he came here? Do you think I got a special power to see through the illusions of the Phantom Tribe?"
"Yes, I think you may be right."
Nanami became excited as she gushed about her new ability. "Did you hear that? I'm a super-girl!" She then glanced at Trunks. "So what exactly is your super-ability? Was that thing you did at Arliman some kind of super-speed?"
Shayla became very uncomfortable at the memory of herself being held naked in his arms. Though she did think back to that time on Mount Muldoon and how Trunks had dispatched those Bugrom.
"Er... well..." Trunks stammered as he attempted to respond. Fortunately, Mr. Fujisawa inadvertently covered for him.
"Trunks got super-strength like I did, but I guess that whatever made us both stronger also made him faster. It may be because he doesn't drink."
"Speaking of which, I think you've had enough, sensei." Trunks said as he gestured to the bottle of wine.
"He's right. We'll need both of you and your super-powers." Allielle agreed. "You'd better stop drinking Mr. Teacher."
Fujisawa groaned after downing his final cup and put it aside. "It's not as easy as you'd think."
----------
Some time before Turnks' group had set out...
Gallus nodded after being informed of Kiria's failure and death. "Nahato, come forth."
"Yes, my lord." From out of the shadows, a small Phantom Boy appeared to kneel in front of his ruler's throne.
"I have been told that Kiria is now gone and that the Bugrom are in search of the Demon-God Ifurita."
Nahato nodded. "Yes, but since they are just bugs, I imagine that they will fail."
"Indeed. " Gallus agreed as he stood up and walked toward his servant. "However, it might be in our best interests if the Bugrom were to succeed... with a little unseen help."
The boy nodded as Gallus held his cheek in his hand.
"Such a good child." Gallus commented as he leaned toward Nahato's face.
----------
The cruiser arrived at the Forbidden Island in the late afternoon. As the priestesses, Trunks, Namai, Fujisawa and Allielle disembarked, they all looked around the area for any sign of the Bugrom. However, it seemed that the information about the giant insects coming to the island was false as there was not a soul around the dark and foreboding landscape.
"All right, so where are they?" Afra asked as she surveyed the place.
"Hmpf! Looks like we came here for nothing! There's no Bugrom here!" Shayla remarked.
Trunks' battle senses were on the alert as he scanned for any sign of his rival Jinnai, for Nanami's brother was now allied with the Bugrom. Though Jinnai and those Bugrom had very low power level ratings, the half-Saiyan was certain that he could sense a whole army of them, if he focused hard with his ability to detect the energy levels of others. However, he had to make certain. He then decided to use another device that he had brought with him from Earth besides his supply of capsules. He took out the capsule which contained his duffel bag and pressed the top of it.
The three Priestesses noticed it and Afra asked, "What is that thing that Trunks has in his hand?"
Allielle nodded as she recognized it. "Oh! It's another one of those wonderful capsules!"
"Capsules?" Miz asked.
Allielle nodded as she explained. "It's from that Earth place that they come from. They're some kind of magical devices that let them carry a lot of things or large items easily."
Nanami nodded as she added., "Oh! That's right! I forgot that Trunks' family owns the Capsule Corp."
The Saiyan tossed the capsule off to one side.
BOM!
In a puff of smoke, the capsule exploded and released its cargo, causing the three Priestess to gasp in amazement. Trunks kneeled down and unzipped his duffle bag. He then took out a small device and fitted it over his right ear. A small glass window swung over his eye as he pressed the side button, activating the device.
"Trunks, what is that thing?" Nanami asked.
Trunks shrugged as he answered without even thinking. "It's one of my Dad's old Scouters. He picked up a few when he went out in space to look for Goku. It'll let me scope out this entire island and..." He suddenly stopped as he turned to face a high ridge. A readout flashed on the visuals. "There! The Bugrom are over there!"
As if on cue, some maniacal laughter was heard as a huge, winged ship appeared from behind the ridge. The craft looked like some gigantic cockroach and flew on wasp-like wings that flapped furiously to keep it aloft. On its deck was Jinnai and his six Bugrom cronies, Groucho, Harpo, Cheeko, Zeppo, Gummo and Margaret.
"HA HA HA HA HA HA! My, my, what a wonderful guided tour!"
Trunks gritted his teeth as his body tensed up while placing one hand on the hilt of his sword.
"What are you talking about? What guided tour?!" Shayla demanded.
Jinnai sneered at the group while answering in a sarcastic and pompous tone. "Oh, and I thought that it was common knowledge that only the Priestesses of Mount Muldoon knew the whereabouts of the Forbidden Island. It was a simple matter to leak out rumors that we knew where it was. Then all I had to do was to let my network of spies keep a close watch on you. You swallowed the bait and we just followed your little tugboat to this place."
"Dear god! What have we done?!" Afra gasped.
At this point, Groucho slammed a fist into his palm in comprehension, which made Jinnai very upset.
"What?! You mean you just NOW got the plan?!"
Nanami could feel nothing but disgust for her sibling. "I guess it figures that my brother would be nothing but a rat, no matter what world he's on!"
Jinnai turned in surprise and saw his sister. "Nanami? What the...? Hey, aren't you supposed to be in school?"
"I always knew that you were a liar, a cheat and a snitch, but this time you've gone too far! You're acting like some kind of crazy, weirdo freak!"
"CRAZY WEIRDO FREAK?! YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
"I will not! Only a crazy weirdo freak with no friends would hang out with a bunch of icky bugs!"
At this point, Miz asked a question. "You know, what puzzles me is how they were ever able to communicate in the first place."
"I think I know." Allielle replied. "He came from Earth like the rest of them. Maybe the power he gained was the ability to speak with the Bugrom."
"Yeah, it figures that if my brother were to get any ability, it would be something as gross as that."
Shayla growled as she began powering up. "Even though you've found this place, that still doesn't mean that you've won!"
Jinnai gave off another laugh. "On the contrary, I am just minutes away from becoming the supreme ruler of El Hazard! Once I command the power of the Demon-God Ifurita, then nothing will be able to stop me!" He then chuckled as he gazed at Trunks. "Not even my eternal rival, Trunks!"
Trunks gave Jinnai a glare as he drew his sword. "I thought that you were just some third-rate jerk with plans of grandeur, but now you've totally lost it, Jinnai. I didn't want to hurt you, but it looks like I'm going to have POUND some sense into you."
"You think that little sword is a match for my Bugrom forces?"
"It did pretty well on Mount Muldoon."
"Not this time! This time I WILL WIN!"
"Yeah? You and WHAT ARMY?"
"Funny you should ask that. Behold!" The power-mad high school student gestured with a wave of his arm at the sea behind them. The group gasped in shock as they saw five, large ships laden with Bugrom fast approaching the island. "You and those harpies are the main reason why I invited the entire Bugrom Marine Corps. WA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
At this point, Trunks' rage hit the boiling point. All he had wanted was to go home, and this jerk just kept on annoying him like an irritating roach, no matter how many times he stomped him. Jinnai still called him his eternal rival, even though Trunks wanted nothing to do with him. Nanami's brother was like Mr. Satan; always shooting off his mouth. Just when he thought he had seen the last of him, Jinnai would pop up and cause him more headaches. Now he was going to try and release a terrible weapon and force his will over everyone, just as he did with the students of Shinnanome High.
That's it! I've had it! I don't CARE anymore! I'm going to shut Jinnai's mouth once and for all! I'm going to kick his butt into another dimension!
Jinnai continued to laugh hysterically as he jeered at his helpless rival. "I've got you now, Trunks! There's no escape and there's not a THING you can do about it!"
"Wrong." Trunks growled as he sheathed his sword.
Jinnai continued to laugh. "So are you giving up Trunks? I would say that would be the wisest strategy. At last you see that you are no match for me and are ready to bow down to my superiority!"
Trunks' gaze never left Jinnai's as he took a wide-legged stance. "Jinnai, you may think that you're some conquering general, but you made one serious mistake!"
"Oh, and what might that be?" Katushiko taunted.
"As my father had taught me, in any battle, you should always know your enemy. You've made some big assumptions about me. Very wrong assumptions. Now I'm going to let you in on a little secret." The others could only watch as Trunks tensed up.
"You're about to find out what it's like when a Saiyan gets really ticked off!"
At that instant, Trunks' aura exploded like a miniature supernova, nearly blinding all those present. He didn't transform into a Super-Saiyan, but the power he began radiating made the nearby ground shake and small rocks floated up as his energy poured out. Soon the entire island was rocking and rolling, making even the surrounding waters vibrate and ripple. Large waves radiated out, making the Burgom ships rock about like plastic tub toys.
The Three Priestesses could only back away in awe at the sight. The power he was emitting made their own seem trifling. Shayla-Shayla was especially impressed as she stared at him with new respect and something else as well.
Nanami gasped in absolute shock. This was the same quiet and gentle Trunks that she saw at school every day? Mr. Fujisawa couldn't believe what he was seeing and was certain that he was drunk.
However, this was no alcohol-induced vision. The Scouter that Trunks was wearing started registering his power level as it continued to rise. Thirty thousand... forty thousand... sixty thousand... eighty thousand... one hundred seventeen thousand... one hundred forty thousand... one hundred sixty-three thousand... At this point, Trunks could take on the entire Ginyu Force without breaking a sweat, if they were still alive today. Though he had not been training as hard as his father lately, he had enough power to destroy a city without trying or reduce mountains into mole hills. When he transformed into a Super-Saiyan, Trunks became a walking nuclear war.
Jinnai shook with fear and disbelief as he pointed at his rival. "H-H-How are you doing that?! What the HELL are you?!"
Trunks grinned as he continued to let his power level rise. "Actually, I'm just getting warmed up!"
All the others gasped in shock. Trunks was just getting warmed up?!
Soon, the Scouter was blinking its warning lights, saying that it was about to overload. When it read his power level had reached two hundred and fifty thousand, the son of Vegita relented and let his energy level off and drop. The ground shuddered to a halt and rocks dropped, as the island settled back down.
Jinnai was still trembling as he stuttered. "W-W-W-Who... what the HELL kind of monster are you?!"
Trunks snorted as he replied. "Monster? I'm no monster. The monster here is you, Jinnai. You were a monster back at school and you became an even bigger monster when you came to El Hazard! Well, I'm going to put an end to your schemes and evil, once and for all!"
There was another collective gasp as Trunks suddenly rocketed up into the sky and stopped to hover high above the island. He turned to see the Bugrom Navy coming closer to the island and cupped his hands together while bringing them down to one side of his waist.
Nanami and the others stared in amazement. Not one of them could believe it.
"What the...? Trunks can fly too?!" Jinnai's sister became even more impressed.
"How is he doing that?!" Afra couldn't understand how a person could be held aloft without any support. She had not sensed any manipulation of the wind which usually carried her into the air.
Up above, Trunks focused his energy as he decided to use his friend Goten's attack. He had learned it during their childhood sparring. Down below, the three Priestesses and the others could hear Trunk's voice as he called out the technique.
"KAME... HAME... HA!"
He thrust out his palms and let loose with a massive blue-white beam of energy that lit up the darkening sky and lanced down toward the Bugrom armada. All five ships and their crews went up in a huge explosion and a column of water when the attack struck home. The aftershocks of the impact went out for miles around and those on the island were knocked off their feet.
"Whoa!" Shayla-Shayla exclaimed as she saw what was left of the Bugrom fleet. "Afra! He just made your Big Sucker Gas Slash look like nothing!"
"I hate that name! It's my move! I want to name it!"
Trunks nodded as he flew back down to land in front of a now terrified Jinnai and his Bugrom followers.
Trunks pointed a finger at him. "Like I said before Jinnai, you and WHAT army?"
Jinnai felt as if he was about to have a heart attack. "W-W-Who are you?! WHAT ARE YOU?!"
Trunks took a deep breath, then proudly said, "I am Trunks... Son of Vegita... Prince of all Saiyans! And I'm your worst nightmare!"
"Saiyans?" Nanami repeated with confusion.
"He's a... prince?" Shayla-Shayla gasped. That pervert was royalty?
"Trunks much better than Fatora!" Ura cried out.
Trunks then held up a hand with palm facing upward. He focused his energy and a large, flat circle of light appeared above it. He then hurled it at the craft Jinnai was standing on.
"DESTRUCTO DISC!"
The deadly attack that had been created by Krillin lanced toward the huge Bugrom craft and sliced it into two halves. The top half went flying off, while the bottom half came crashing to the ground. This caused Jinnai and the Bugrom to tumble down to the ground. The now panicked Bugrom general hopped onto Groucho's back and ordered him to make a run for the shrine where the Demon-God slept. He desperately hoped that Ifurita was as powerful as the legends said. Hopefully she was more powerful than Trunks. If not, then Jinnai's ambition to become the ruler of El Hazard would come to a crashing halt.
"Soldiers! Attack!" Jinnai cried out as he and his entourage made a strategic withdrawal to find the Demon-God. In other words, they ran for their lives!
Trunks was about to blur after them, when hordes of Bugrom suddenly popped out from behind rock formations and blocked his path. Apparently, Jinnai had already landed several dozens of platoons and some had managed to swim toward the island after their ships had been blown up. They began converging on the Saiyan, hoping to overwhelm him by sheer numbers. However, they would only buy Jinnai few minutes at the most against an enraged Saiyan who wasn't holding back any more.
"Nice odds." Trunks commented. "Let me even things out!" He then held up both arms and crossed them in front of his face while focusing his power.
Nanami and the others had thought they had seen it all after seeing Trunks annihilate five ships and slice a Bugrom transport in half, but they were shocked anew as the half-Saiyan suddenly made two copies of himself, using Tien's Multi-Form Technique. Apparently, he had learned more than just the Solar Flare from the three-eyed warrior.
"What the...?!" Shayla gasped. Her sister priestesses were too stunned to even speak.
"I must have drank too much, 'cause I'm seeing triple!" Fujisawa exclaimed.
The three Trunks burst into action as they drew their swords and charged at their foes. Each Trunks started blurring in and out of the ranks of the Bugrom, slicing the giant insects to ribbons as they cut a path toward the shrine of the Demon-God.
At this point, the Priestesses found themselves feeling left out as the Saiyan warrior systematically whittled down the enemy. This feeling didn't last long as more Bugrom appeared from the other side and started attacking them. Shalya instantly had her Lamp of Fire drawn and powered up, releasing white-hot streams of flames at her at her attackers. Afra clicked the Lamp of Wind onto her belt and stirred up gusts of air around her. She then released a blast of high-pressure air at her foes, knocking them down like tenpins. Miz kissed the ring on her finger and raised it to the heavens, commanding the clouds above to rain down on her foes with hard water droplets and hail.
Near the cruiser, Nanami, Allielle, Mr. Fujisawa and Ura backed away as more Bugrom started coming closer.
"Sensei, I think it's your turn!" Nanami cried out as they found themselves surrounded by Bugrom.
"Grrrrrrrr.....!" The history teacher began psyching himself up, but then groaned in pain as he held his head that was now throbbing from the huge migraine that just came about. "Ow! I guess that was too much!"
Allielle frowned with Nanami. "Well, everyone told you to stop drinking!"
The girls screamed as the Bugrom charged, but in an instant, three blurring forms passed through the insects and several flashes of silver were seen. A moment later, the Bugrom landed in pieces as the three Trunks appeared before the group. They looked at each other and nodded before two of them merged back into the third and Trunks became one person again.
"Are you all right?" Trunks asked Nanami as he sheathed his sword.
"H-H-How did you...?!" Nanami stammered.
"No time to explain now." Trunks said as Ura decided to wrap her body around her new master and give him added protection. Though he didn't really need it, he appreciated the gesture all the same. "This battle is taking too long and Jinnai's going to awaken the Demon-God if we don't hurry!"
"He's right!" Afra called out as she dispatched another group of Bugrom and then addressed Shayla. "Shayla! We'll hold the Bugrom off here! Go with the others and stop that Jinnai person from awakening Ifurita!"
Shayla nodded as she began running toward the shrine, frying any Bugrom who got in her way. Trunks grabbed Nanami and Mr. Fujisawa in his arms and took off into the air to follow the Fire Priestess. A minute later, Trunks and his passengers landed behind Shayla as she stood before a door that was built into a mountainside. She touched a globe that was embedded into the stone. It glowed briefly, then the door slid open to allow them entry.
Time was running out...
----------
On Earth...
"Here we are." Bulma said as she handed the new Scouters to Vegita, Goten and Gohan. "According to what Dende had told me, the Dragon Balls will be active within two days. These Scouters have been adapted to seek them out, like my old Dragon Ball Radar."
"Hmmm." Vegita took the device without so much as a thank you, (but that's just the way he is), and fitted it over his right eye and ear. He switched it on and trained it on Gohan and his brother. He frowned as it read their current power levels, which were considerably less since the Cell Games and the Maja Buu incident. Hmpf! What has become of the mighty Saiyan Race? This era of peace is making them soft!
Gohan had more or less retired from fighting after marrying Videl and becoming a father. He was now wearing glasses and had become the scholar that Chi Chi had always wanted him to be. As for Gohan, like Trunks, had become less interested in fighting and was discovering the fairer sex.
Though both of Goku's kids were able to become Super-Saiyans, they weren't as strong nor as eager for battle as they were back in their younger days.
Though Vegita wasn't quite the war-mongering, planet-devastating space conqueror of the past, he still maintained a strict training regimen and constantly strived to improve himself. There was no doubt in his mind that he was now stronger than Gohan was when he beat Cell, especially since Goku's eldest boy spent more of his time reading than fighting. The only person who could give him a good challenge was of course, Kakarot.
Vegita sighed as he looked over the horizon at the setting sun. In two days he would have his son back, but then what? Trunks had been so much like him when he was younger; eager for a challenge and ready to fight. He had achieved Super-Saiyan status at age eight! However, growing up in these peaceful times had made him lean toward his mother's ways. Bulma was already grooming him to take over the Capsule Corp. His son... the warrior turned businessman. How could such enormous potential go to waste?
Though he did care for his offspring, (he just has a very hard time showing it), the Prince of the Saiyans wondered just what Trunks was going to do with his life. Was he just going to go like Kakarot's boys and consider his heritage as some kind of extra? At times, Vegita suspected that Trunks and his daughter Bra didn't care at all about their Saiyan bloodlines, or the fact that they were of the Royal Family and considered the cream of their race.
All right, the history of the Saiyans wasn't something to brag about or be very proud of. After all, the planet Vegita had been home to both the Saiyans and the Tuffles. That is, until the full moon, (which only occurred every eight years or so), appeared and transformed the Saiyans into those gigantic space-apes. It didn't take the Saiyans long to annihilate the Tuffles after that. Then the warriors took to the stars, but not as explorers, but as mercenaries and planet pirates. The technology that they had gained through their alliance to Frieza allowed them to wreak havoc throughout the cosmos, spreading fear and destruction far and wide. Very few Saiyans ever regretted their actions as their thirst for combat increased with every generation, striving to find greater challenges and laying waste to uncounted civilizations.
However, despite their great strength and powers, the Saiyans were still slaves to an even greater force... Frieza. And their pride and indomitable wills eventually led them to revolt against the yoke placed upon them by the tyrant. This had been a doomed rebellion from the start, and the Saiyans paid for their crimes when Frieza destroyed their home planet and everyone on it. Save for only a few survivors, the Saiyans were virtually extinct.
It was ironic that Frieza would eventually meet his end at the hands of a Saiyan. Correction, at the hands of TWO Saiyans. Though Vegita had been disappointed that he had not delivered the final blow, he had still been satisfied after Kakarot beat the living daylights out of him and then an alternate future version of Trunks came and tore Frieza apart. Vegita considered that version of his son as a true Saiyan warrior!
Now why couldn't his own son be like him? As soon as Vegita asked himself that question, he knew the answer. It was because Future Trunks had grown up in a world of conflict, in which just survival was a constant battle. He had to keep fighting, in order to keep on going. Not his Trunks. He grew up in a world that had very little conflict. The dangers of the Androids, Cell, the Ginyu Force, Frieza and Maja Buu were long gone. There was a bit of competition between Tunks and others who had Saiyan blood, but it was not enough to truly bring out his son's true potential. Trunks' father always had Kakarot to keep his skills up and improve, but Trunks did not have anyone. Not even sparring with Goten was sufficient, especially since Gohan's brother had become girl-crazy and spent less time with his friend.
Vegita sighed again as he wished for something to get his boy to be serious again; not only about his training, but also realize that despite his uneasiness about his heritage, it was a part of him and he should accept it.
----------
The Forbidden Island...
"Damn these blasted tunnels!" Jinnai growled as he and his Bugrom wandered about in the catacombs beneath the shrine. "I'm getting really sick of this idiotic maze!"
A few hundred yards away, Shayla led Trunks and the others through the winding passageways. "Hurry! Under no circumstances should that nut get a hold of Ifurita's Power Key Staff! Whoever awakens the Demon-God will be its master!"
"The Key Staff Power what?!" Fujisawa panted as he ran.
Shayla-Shayla then caught sight of the Bugrom and ignited her powers, which gave her a limited flight ability and an increase in speed. Jinnai and his followers stopped short and backed away in fear as they saw the Fire Priestess block their path.
"These catacombs had a lot of places to hide, but not from Shayla-Shayla!" The redhead grinned as she began advancing on them.
Jinnai eeped as he tried to get his Bugrom to fight her. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Kick her ass!"
Harpo gave a pathetic whine and shook his head.
"Come on! Harpo, attack!"
The Bugrom still didn't budge.
"Cheeko! You can do it!"
The large insect then made some sounds that sounded like French. "Excusez-moi. Apres-vous!" He then pushed Jinnai forward.
"I didn't teach you cowardice!"
Shayla-Shayla prepared to fry them all while commenting, "They only learn the hard way."
Trunks drew his sword and began advancing from behind them as Mr. Fujisawa, Allielle and Nanami stood by. Jinnai became even more panicked as he found himself between a rock and a hard place. Then, salvation came in the form of... a tidal wave?
Shayla-Shayla, Trunks and Mr. Fujisawa all looked in the direction of a side tunnel in which they suddenly heard a loud rushing noise that sounded like water. They all gasped as they saw a huge wave of water come rushing toward them. There was no time to move as they all became swamped and sunk down to the floor of the cavern. Trunks instinctively held his breath, but something didn't feel quite right. He didn't feel... wet. At that moment, he heard Nanami's voice.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?"
Trunks looked up and saw Nanami standing by as plain as day and not even noticing that she was under fifty feet of water. Then suddenly, all the water disappeared as they all found themselves in a dry and deserted cave.
"What the...?! What happened? Where'd all the water go?" Trunks asked as he, Shayla and Masamichi got up.
"What water?" Nanami asked with confusion.
At that moment, Shayla got a suspicion as she looked around and tossed a small burst of flame to another side tunnel. The cavern lit up as a small figure emerged from it.
"Oh how cute! A little Phantom Tribe boy!" Nanami exclaimed.
"There's nothing cute about him!" Shayla growled as she glared at Nahato. "A worm is still a worm!"
Nahato smirked as he sneered at the Fire Priestess. "A worm? Why Shayla..."
"So you know my name eh?" The hot-tempered priestess remarked as she powered up. "Then you must also know of my power!"
She ignited her flames and charged at him, but just as she reached him, he vanished from sight. Unable to stop her momentum in time, Shayla crashed into a nearby wall, causing the roof of the cavern to collapse.
"Nanami! Look out!" Trunks shouted as he suddenly appeared beside her and pushed her out of the way. A huge block of stone came crashing down on top of him, driving him through the floor and into the caverns below.
"Trunks!"
----------
Jinnai was still wandering around when he and his followers heard some loud crashing noises behind them. Whey they saw that the tunnel was collapsing behind them, they hightailed it to escape being crushed.
----------
Trunks groaned as he pushed aside at he huge slab that had pinned him down after causing him to fall into the lower levels of the catacombs. He then began brushing off the dust on his jacket. Miraculously, his Scouter had survived without any damage.
On his chest, Ura softened up her body after hardening to protect Trunks from the fall. "Hey Trunks! Bones okay?"
"I'm fine. Thanks Ura." The fall wouldn't have caused more than a few bruises to him, but he appreciated Ura's help all the same. Although, he began wishing that he was wearing his father's old Saiyan armor.
He then looked over to one side and saw that there was a bright light emanating from a funnel. He also sensed something else. Something that seemed... familiar.
He followed the tunnel to its end, which came to large open area. He then saw an enormous doorway and something else that was familiar. Above the portal was a large symbol that looked like an eye.
Hey! Didn't I see that image before?
The young half-Saiyan made his way cautiously toward his destiny.
----------
"Trunks! Where are you?!" Nanami cried out as she, Allielle, her history teacher and Shayla traveled through along a rocky pathway toward the Demon-God's resting place. "I can't believe that you led us into such a dangerous place!" Jinnai's sister complained.
"I'll live with it!" Shayla replied offhandedly.
"What's the matter with you?!" Nanami cried out. "Aren't you even worried about Trunks?! He maybe hurt or dying down here!"
Shayla gave Nanami an irritated look. "Are we talking about a guy who blew up five ships, sliced a Bugrom transport in half, split into triplets and who happens NOT to be your boyfriend?"
Nanami's cheeks reddened at the insinuation. "I told you! We've haven't gotten that far yet!"
"THIS ISN'T A DAMNED RECESS! GO FIND THE DEMON!!" Fujisawa shouted to end the bickering.
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Trunks gasped as he entered the Demon-God's chamber and saw something... someone resting in a shallow pit at the center of the room. The bottom of the depression glowed with an multicolored luminescence, which made it look as if the Demon-God was resting on a bed of light. However, it was not what she was sleeping on that caught Trunks' attention. It was the Demon-God herself... Ifurita.
"It's... her!" The son of Vegita gasped as he gazed upon her. Though her clothes were not tattered and her skin was a light violet, there was no mistaking her. The girl who had sent him to El Hazard was none other than the Demon-God Ifurita.
Trunks knelt down to get a closer look at her and noted that a strange staff was hovering above her. The staff was about a little over five feet in length with two crystal globes imbedded into it. The top of the Power Key Staff looked like some strange, blunt axe-head. Tentatively, Trunks reached out and grasped the Power Key Staff between the two globes. He felt a slight static shock, but ignored the sensation as he firmly took hold of the instrument and rose to his feet. As the staff became vertical, Ifurita's body also rose until it stood on its feet. However, the Demon-God continued to slumber and was as stiff as a statue as Trunks continued to gaze upon her.
It was at that moment that he heard a large roar from behind. He quickly dropped the staff and unsheathed his sword as he whirled about. From out of the main entrance, a huge, lizard that looked like an iguana came out and began spouting fire at him. Trunks immediately jumped out of the way and then charged at the beast.
----------
Jinnai was as surprised as his Bugrom when he came to the Demon-God's resting place and saw his rival battling... nothing. Trunks seemed to be swinging his sword at air, while darting about like a dragonfly. He then caught sight of Ifurita standing alone and her Power Key Staff lying nearby. Not one to miss such a grand opportunity, he ran over to her and quickly swept up the staff. He then looked over his new weapon, then lifted one of her coattails, revealing the access port at the small of her back.
"Ooh yes! And all you have to do is wind her up! Time to wake up, time to energize my deadly little bunny Demon!"
He pointed the other end of the staff, fitting it into the access port. When the mechanism clicked into place, Jinnai gleefully began counting as he turned the staff like a key.
"One... two... three... four..."
As he continued winding, electrical bolts began shooting about the room, heralding the awakening of the most terrible weapon since the Eye of God.
----------
Trunks couldn't understand it. He had delivered enough slashes to reduce the beast into cold cuts, but his sword just simply passed through it as if it was a ghost. Or maybe... because it's not real!
He then began searching around the room and his senses began to pick up a power reading. When he looked at a darkened corner, his Scouter beeped and indicated that someone was there. He then shot out with a ki blast, causing the area to explode. A small figure tumbled into sight.
"You again!?" Trunks cried out as he saw Nahato stand up and smirk at him.
The Phantom boy's grin became even more pronounced as he pointed to where Jinnai was before vanishing from view.
Trunks glanced over and gasped as he saw Jinnai, just as he finished counting...
"... nine... TEN!"
"NO!" Trunks dived down but it was too late. The Demon-God had awakened as Ifurita opened her eyes.
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Out on the shore of the island, Miz and Afra were just polishing off the last of the Bugrom forces when they suddenly felt a chill and felt the enormous surge of energy being emitted from the shrine.
"No! It can't be!" Miz exclaimed.
"They've awakened... Ifurita!" Afra gasped.
----------
Trunks landed in front of Ifurita as she began looking around.
"Ifurita! It's me! Trunks!"
The Demon-God gazed at him for a long time before replying. "I don't know you."
"What?! What do you mean? It's me, Trunks! From the high school? You're the one who sent me to El Hazard! You sent us all!"
Ifurita turned to Jinnai and said, "I obey only the master of the Power Key Staff."
Jinnai laughed as he held out the staff. "That's right Trunks! Go find your own Demon-God!"
"I obey only the master of the Power Key Staff." Ifurita repeated.
Jinnai snorted as he gave his first command. "Well, as the master of the Power Key Staff, my first order is for you to destroy him!"
Ifurita then turned to him and held out her hand. "Give me the Power Key Staff."
"What?! No, it's mine!" Jinnai grasped the staff with both hands. However, Ifurita simply pulled it out of his hands and swung it around so that the pointed end was aimed at Trunks' face.
Ura hissed as Trunks tried once again to get through to her. "Don't remember me at all? I'm Trunks!"
Energy began to spark at the end of the staff as Ifurita prepared to fire.
"That it! Right in the face!" Jinnai gloated.
At that moment, the high ceiling above them exploded as several figures dropped down to the floor.
"Look out! She's awake!" Trunks called out.
Shayla-Shayla gritted her teeth when she saw Ifurita, "Shit! We're too late!" Behind her, Mr. Fujisawa, with Nanami and Alielle in his arms, landed behind her.
Ifurita turned around to gaze at the newcomers.
"You're going back to sleep!" The Fire Priestess held up a fist and ignited her flames. "And if you give me any trouble, I've got a knockout pill that'll help!"
"I recognize your battle technique." Ifurita said coolly, "Northern Capital, isn't it?"
"Get ready to die!" Shayla shouted as she formed her fire-wings and leapt high. She used the wall behind her to rebound herself toward her foe.
"Too bad. Merely a novice." The Demon-God commented as she too formed her own fire wings and lifted off into the air.
Trunks gasped as his Scouter rated the two power levels. Currently, Shayla was emitting her energies at full strength, which was at five thousand.
Ifurita however, not only duplicated her powers, but was emitting them at twenty-two thousand. And the young Saiyan could tell that Ifurita wasn't using anywhere near her full capabilities. Shayla-Shayla was clearly outmatched!
"Shayla! Look out!"
Too late. When the two fire-users collided, it was Shayla who was knocked back as the room was lit up from the collision. The Fire Priestess screamed in pain as her flames were snuffed out like a candle's and she plummeted toward the floor.
Trunks reacted in an instant, blurring from view and reappearing high in the air, catching Shayla in his arms before blurring again into sight on the floor of the chamber.
Shayla groaned as she looked up and saw the face of her savior. She once again found herself in the same position as she was in Arliman, but this time, she wasn't at all mad.
"Trunks... I... you saved..."
"LOOK OUT!" Trunks yelled as he tossed Shayla to one side, just as Ifurita landed before them, aimed her staff at him and fired a blue-white energy bolt. The blast caught Trunks directly in the chest, or rather it caught Ura in the chest, knocking them both back.
The cat screamed in agony as she released her hold on Trunks and writhed on the floor, clutching at her burning belly.
"OW! OW! OW! OW!"
Trunks kept on flying backward until he slammed into the wall behind him, making a slight depression in the stone.
Shayla looked up from where she had landed. "No... Ura failed... oh Trunks!" She was too much in pain and her fire powers were too weak at the moment for her to be of any help.
Trunks groaned as he pulled himself out of the depression and got into a fighting stance. His chest was slightly aching. Even when Ura hardened to protect him the blast had felt as if he had been kicked by a super-powered mule. However, he was still raring to go as Jinnai laughed maniacally at his pain.
"That's it, Ifurita! Kill him!"
"Trunks!" Nanami cried out as she feared that he was about to die.
Ifutrita's eyes showed nothing but coldness as she fired off another bolt. This time however, it was she who got the surprise as Trunks focused his concentration and raised an open palm. The attack was neatly deflected off his hand to explode to his right.
The Demon-God paused for a moment as she reevaluated the situation. Obviously, her opponent was more skilled than the Fire Priestess. Therefore, more power was required to destroy him. In an instant, she began firing off a rapid volley of beams, each with more power than the last.
Trunks however, wasn't that easy to beat as he used that one hand to block each incoming shot. He noted that the intensity of the beams was steadily increasing with each shot, but he simply intercepted each one. He was soon surrounded in a thick cloud of dust as the blasts continued to ricochet off his palm.
Nanami, Mr. Fujisawa and Allielle could only gape in disbelief as Ifurita continued to shoot at her target. For one full minute, the barrage continued, but Trunks stood firm. The room however, took a serious beating as the deflected shots blasted large holes in the walls and ceilings.
Jinnai's laughter increased as he marveled at his new weapon and the destruction she was causing.
"WA HA HA HA HA HA! My new weapon is unbeatable! And my rival Trunks is now... huh?"
The self-proclaimed ruler of El Hazard was struck dumb when Ifurita ceased firing and the cloud cleared, revealing Trunks with his palm still held out. He was unharmed as he lowered his arm and continued to gaze at Ifurita. It seemed that history had repeated itself. Trunks had duplicated what Goku had done with Frieza all those years ago.
"What the...?! One hand?!" Jinnai said in total disbelief.
The Demon-God lowered her staff slightly as she took in this new development. "Impressive. You deflected all my attacks. I am not familiar with your battle technique. "
"Are you ready to listen now?" Trunks asked in a firm tone.
"I obey only the master of the staff and he has commanded me to destroy you." She said without emotion as she once again aimed her staff at him. "You are strong, but even you can't block this!" In less than a heartbeat, a huge globe of white energy appeared at end of her weapon and launched itself at Trunks. Trunks had to brace himself with his hands held out as the attack struck hard. He was driven back and slammed into the wall again, this time he was engulfed in a large explosion, causing half of the chamber to collapse in on itself.
"Oh no! Trunks!" Nanami screamed as she and the others thought that he had perished. Shayla-Shayla could only shook her head in shock as she saw the one who had saved her go up in a huge explosion.
"WA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! At last my eternal rival has been reduced to a cinder! El Hazard is mine!"
"Not quite."
Jinnai stopped in his tirade when he heard the voice and gaped at the huge hole. "N-N-NO! IT CAN'T BE! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
Allielle and the others gasped as they saw someone emerge from the rubble. A large mass of stone was tossed aside as easily as one would hurl a pebble. Trunks walked back into the chamber with a look of determination on his face. The Scouter he had been wearing, fell apart and clattered to the ground in pieces, but the Saiyan didn't need it now. He had pretty good idea of what Ifurita was capable of and it looked as if he would have to use his ace-in-the-hole.
"I had been hoping that it wouldn't come to this." Trunks said with some reluctance as he took a wide-legged stance with his arms held out and fists clenched.
Ifurita tensed as she prepared to counter whatever attack Trunks would make.
"You're very powerful, Ifurita... but let's see if a Demon-God can stand up to a Super-Saiyan!"
The son of Vegita let off a yell as he powered up his energy to the utmost degree. Mr. Fujisawa, Nanami, Allielle, Ura, Shayla-Shayla and especially Jinnai were in a state of total shock as they witnessed the transformation to the legendary warrior of the Saiyans.
Trunks' aura changed from its usual color to that of pure gold as his body became a bit more muscular and robust. His hair became more alive as it stood up on end and shifted from light purple to a brilliant blonde. However, the most intriguing change was his eyes as they shifted from a foamy blue, to a radiant emerald green. If he still had his Scouter, it would have exploded from overloading.
"Totally wild! Trunks has blonde hair!" Nanami exclaimed.
Now, Ifurita had to take this new development into account as she gazed upon the transformed Trunks and felt the raw power he was now radiating. In the distant recesses of her memory she could see an image of herself battling a person such as this who had glowed with golden fire.
Shayla-Shayla let off a choked whisper as she remembered back to the old legends of the Holy Wars. One such legend spoke of someone who had fought the dreaded Demon-God and had sealed her away. He had been heralded as the champion of El Hazard. She also recalled the prophesy that concerned the Eye of God, the Shadow Nation and...
"The Golden Champion." She said in a breathless whisper. Jinnai was the first to snap out of his stupor as he shook his head and shouted. "If you think changing your hair color is going to beat me, then think again! Ifurita! Destroy him!"
The Demon-God reacted without a second thought and fired. Trunks however, was much faster as a Super-Saiyan and easily dodged the beam. In less than an instant, he had grasped the staff and pulled it off to one side as he prepared to let loose with a blast with his other hand at point-blank range. However, Ifurita was still holding onto her end and that's when Trunks discovered that he had indeed gained a new ability when he came to El Hazard.
Both he and Ifurita suddenly became paralyzed as their minds began to mingle. A strange energy coursed between the two of them as Trunks saw images of ancient El Hazard during the Holy Wars. He observed images of mass destruction, death, suffering and pain as the warring sides fought to annihilate one another. He saw the Eye of God, still under construction like the Death Star in Return of the Jedi. And through all the chaos and madness, he saw Ifurita, battling it out with someone who had golden hair, green eyes... and a tail. He couldn't make out the face but he knew who that person was...
Was he... a Saiyan?!
Everyone else who were witnessing this wondered just what was going on as Demon-God and Super-Saiyan shared memories. Then as suddenly as it began, it stopped as Trunks released his hold on the Power Key Staff.
Ifurita leapt back and held her head. She trembled as she glared at Trunks who was looking down at his hand.
"That was weird."
"Who are you? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Ifurita then went into a rage and began firing.
Trunks took off into the air as soon as she started attacking and began returning fire with ki blasts. Ifurita dodged those shots as she too became airborne.
Mr. Fujisawa saw that the rest of the chamber was about to collapse under the combined barrages. Fortunately, he was sober enough to once again use his super-powers. He quickly swept up Nanami, Allielle, Ura and Shayla-Shayla into his arms and began running as the roof collapsed.
Jinnai was still raving as he relished in the destruction. "WA HA HA HA HA HA! My new weapon is magnificent! Kill them! Destroy them all!"
However, he too had to run for safety as a huge slab of stone crashed in front of him.
The Shrine of the Demon-God shuddered as Ifurita and Trunks continued to battle it out.
----------
Outside, Afra and Miz were still wondering what was going on, when the top of the Shrine exploded and something rocketed upward in a beam of light.
"The Demon-God has been released!" Miz exclaimed.
An instant later a second beam of light, this one of gold, also shot up after the first one.
"What is that?!" Afra asked, then noticed that a wall of the shrine was being blown out. A huge slab was moved out of the way and Mr. Fujisawa staggered out into the daylight. Miz instantly ran over to him as she sat down to rest.
"Mr. Fujisawa! Are you all right?"
The history teacher gave her a whimsical smile. "I'm... alive."
"Thank goodness." Miz sighed. "If you had died then the whole ceremony would have been ruined."
"Huh?"
Nanami and Allielle then emerged from the hole, with Allielle carrying Ura. Behind them was Shayla.
"Shayla! Just what is going on?!" Afra demanded as she ran up to her colleague.
"Ifurita has been... awakened." Shayla replied as she gazed up at the sky.
"I know that!" Afra then pointed up to the two figures in the sky as they darted about and fired at each other. "Now tell me just who or what is that! And where's Trunks?"
"That... is... Trunks." Shayla replied breathlessly.
"WHAT?!" Miz and Afra exclaimed together.
Shayla nodded as she began reciting the prophesy. "When the Eye of God Blinks, and the pathway to the sky opens up, and the shadow nation becomes one..."
Afra became pale as she stared at the golden figure that was fighting Ifurita. She then finished the rest of the prophesy. "And the Golden Champion shall return to save us all."
----------
High above, Trunks was getting quite a workout as he and Ifurita continued to mix it up. Trunks was now slashing away with his sword, but Ifurita proved to be quite proficient with handling her staff. Every stab, every swing, and every slash was blocked and countered. Energy blasts were thrown back and forth. The young Saiyan tried to get in close for some hand-to-hand, but his opponent proved to be just as good at evasion as she was at attacking.
Furthermore, though Trunks possessed enough power as a Super-Saiyan to destroy the world, he was lacking in one key element; experience. With no real reason to continue training hard, Trunks wasn't fully up to dealing with an opponent that had battled with thousands of opponents and could adapt to any attack or technique. In a way, Ifurita was El Hazard's version of Cell. The young Super-Saiyan was finding it difficult to keep up with her and a few blows were landing.
The two sped toward each other again, releasing energy bolts as they charged. However, when Trunks tried another slash, Ifurita blocked with her staff and lashed out with a kick, slamming her foot hard into his gut. This caused him to release his grip on his sword, causing it to fall toward the ground below. Before Trunks could recover, Ifurita swung her staff again, this time catching the young Saiyan in the head, stunning him. Trunks managed to stay aloft as his opponent floated back a bit and hovered.
"Very impressive. You possess great power." Ifurita commented as she continued to hover. "Only one other has been able to last this long against me. You have the same powers as he did when I was sealed up in that shrine."
"W-What?!" Trunks shook his head to clear it as the images he had received from her came back to him. "Y-Y-You mean that person I saw was a... Super-Saiyan?! Like me?"
"No." Ifurita flatly responded. "You are not like him. You are not the Golden Champion. You are merely a novice compared to him. And I had learned much from that battle since then." At that moment, Ifurita's power skyrocketed as she suddenly glowed with the same golden aura that Trunks was emitting.
The son of Vegita was caught off-guard as his adversary blurred and appeared in front of him. With one savage blow of her staff, she slammed him down and fired a huge blast after him. The huge beam hit him squarely on the back and drove him toward the ground at tremendous speed. Trunks hit the island like a falling meteor and was engulfed in the explosion of the impact. She continued to fire additional blasts after the first one and the island shook, as Shayla and the others dove for cover. When the light of the explosions had finally died down, there was nothing left but a huge, smoking crater. In its center lay Trunks... unmoving.
High above, with unfeeling eyes, Ifurita nodded at her handiwork and decided that the time had come for her to depart. She then sped off over the horizon and was soon flying over a heavily-populated area of El Hazard. With one causal blast, she obliterated the entire sector, leaving nothing but devastation as she flew onward toward Bugrom territory and her new master.
Back at the Forbidden Island, the others were running toward the spot where Trunks had fallen. Shayla and Nanami reached Trunks first.
"Trunks!" Nnami kneeled down beside the battered Saiyan and became relieved as she heard him moan, signifying that he was still alive.
"He's still alive! I never even got a chance to thank him!" Shayla said as she too knelt down.
This got Nanami a bit irritated as she glared at Shayla. The Fire Priestess glared back at her.
Behind them, Afra and the rest could only gaze at the stranger from another world with awe.
"Amazing! He survived that?!" Miz exclaimed.
Afra looked at Trunks and then noted that his hair began to revert back to its normal color. "Just like the legends say. He truly is... the Golden Champion. But, it looks like even he couldn't stop Ifurita this time."
Trunks however, heard none of this as he lay in pain. In his mind, he began recall memories of his early childhood, when he was training for the World Martial Arts Tournament. He saw himself as an eight-year-old, training hard in the Gravity Room. Then he heard Vegita's voice as he remembered something that he had told his son during that time.
Flashback...
"Even in times of peace, a true Saiyan warrior must train and be prepared. It our way to always seek out new challenges. Only by overcoming those challenges do we become masters of our future. Never forget that Saiyan blood flows through your veins and that you carry with you the pride of our race. It is your heritage!"
End of flashback...
Never had those words rung truer than now. His lack of interest in maintaining his training now came back to him with very serious consequences. Trunks then said in a sad, faltering voice to himself. "I'm... sorry, Father. I... failed."
At that moment, darkness claimed him as he slipped into unconsciousness.
End of the Fourth Night
Author's Notes
Well, I know that a lot of you were thinking that Trunks should have won hands down, but what would be the point, right? As I had mentioned in previous chapters, Trunks hadn't been training as hard since the Maja Buu incident. So of course, he wasn't prepared to go up against an opponent of Cell's caliber. I do have something special planned for the later chapters and the climax, so don't worry about this minor upset. In any case, after watching the El Hazard videos, I kind of got to thinking that Ifurita was like Cell, and you can remember how much trouble he caused for the Z fighters. Trunks is going to have work hard to win against her and you can bet that the final battle will be a doozy!
As for the other questions that were raised in this chapter, they will be answered, rest assured. Next chapter will be Trunks Vs Ifurita, Round 2 and a few more surprises. Next on Dragon Ball Hazard, the Fifth Night: The Legend of the Golden Champion.