Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ, I guess I do own Kira though. And the story's content, obviously.

CHAPTER 10: THE DEMON LORD OF DEATH RETURNS

"What? I… would be this… 'General of Death'?"

"You are…"

"But… how could that be? I'm just… well… a low-class Saiyan… I'm nothing special."

"This hasn't got anything to do with what they call you or what they would have made of you… You are this by your birth. No one can change that. But maybe you should let me continue the story and then you might understand it a bit more."

"Maybe… Alright, continue then."

"Well… so the war ended, in our obvious disadvantage. The Gods took over the rule of the universe and banished us to this…" She looked outside "… hellish dimension."

"So you Demons are stuck here?"

"Yes… but a time after the war, I discovered a passage… it leads to the lowest depths of Hell in the universe's dimension."

"But… that transformation spell you used…"

"Only works one way; you see, we are also bound here by the Gods' magic. You can get in, but not out."

"Except for through that passage."

"Yes."

"And what happened after that?"

"I went for a short scouting mission… when I returned, we prepared."

"For an attack?"

Kira nodded. "Daimoon was dead… but his son wasn't. The Prince of Chaos wanted to avenge the death of his father, together with the Four Horsemen. I led them through the passage and…" She looked down, letting out a soft sigh "I first didn't agree… I found it too soon, we weren't strong enough yet, but the Prince wouldn't listen and his knights just followed him… it was the last time I saw my love…"

"… What happened?"

"They were ambushed… we were betrayed, somehow the Gods knew… and prepared. The traitor and the Gods' hero were killed in the fight… but the Four Horsemen were slaughtered and the Prince captured. He was tortured to death… it took several hundreds of years before he finally drew his last breath…"

Bardock remained silent after these last words.

Kira looked back up, chuckling slightly "But this time, the Gods made a mistake. They only destroyed the Prince's body, and not his soul…"

She looked to Bardock "And that's the only chance we still got…"

"… The Reincarnation?"

Kira nodded "Once every thousand years, the Prince and the Four Horsemen return… and we're putting everything on this time."

"So… that's why you saved me from Frieza?"

"Yes… sort of. And I'm training you now so you would be ready to awaken the true essence and power of your soul."

Bardock looked with a sort of dreamily look in his eyes"… The power of the Fourth Horsemen… Death…"

Kira nodded. She turned around and beckoned him to follow her "It is time. Come… I have to show you something…"

"… Like what?" He followed her into the dark corridor she disappeared in.

"You'll see…"


After going through several corridors, Kira stopped at a heavy, wooden door. The door swayed open before her and she walked inside. Bardock looked amazed around in the huge chamber. It looked like some kind of … throne room, at least, how he imagined one to be. As a low-class, he never was able to see the throne room of the Royal Palace of Vegeta-sei.

It had a rich, majestic impression, but it seemed no one has been in here for ages. On the heavy chests that stood against the wall lay a finger-thick layer of dust, the air was rather stuffy and the chamber was only lighted by the moonlight falling through a few high windows, casting an eerie dark blue shine on everything in the room. But strangely, there was no trace of dust or decay on the large tapestries, the blood red carpet leading to the other side of the chamber or on the throne.

The clicking of Kira's hooves on the stone floor was muffled as she walked onto the thick fabric of the carpet. Bardock followed her till they stopped in front of the throne. The throne was made out of a black material, like onyx, the cushions in the seat and back were of the same blood red colour; the arm rests were shaped in two sitting dragons, scowling menacingly to whoever faced them. The Saiyan watched surprised as Kira bowed in front of the throne, reached her claw out to the right dragon and pressed on one of its eyes. Something clicked and Bardock's mouth fell open as an entire part of the sidewall shoved aside.

Kira stood up and walked to the newly appeared room. Bardock followed and looked around rather amazed to the contents of the chamber: all kinds of weapons, swords, bows, crossbows, axes, daggers, etc; beautifully decorated armours filled the rest of the room, heavy and light, in black, green, red, blue, … from dark to light, etc. But one in particular attracted his attention.

Bardock strode over and gazed mesmerized to the armour, which was of a hellish black hue, darker and deeper than the night itself; it consisted of boots, spiked with a silvery metal, heavy gloves shaped in sharp claws, legs, arms, and a chest armour, decorated with beautiful signs in the same silver colour, which lit up in a dark shine when his hand came near it. He didn't really dare to touch it however. A long black cape hung over the armour's shoulders.

As fascinating at the armour was, it didn't cope with the last part: the helmet. It was shaped in the form of a ferociously snarling wolf's head, as black, intimidating and menacing as a hellhound, and of such craftsmanship that it seemed so real, that Bardock swore he could feel the wolf's hot breath and almost expected it to pounce onto him any second.

"I see you found your armour…"

"… M-my armour?"

"Yes… the armour of the Demon Lord of Death. As invisible, stealthy and predatory as a wolf in the night…"

Bardock nodded with his eyes still wide and looked to the armour again. The wolf's eyes, deep voids of total oblivion, hypnotised him as he reached his hand irresistibly out to lay it upon the armour's surface. At the moment of his touch, the armour emitted a strong, dark glow and melted through his fingers, the black substance seeping over his hand and up his arm, as if it was going to absorb his body. Bardock panicked but couldn't move at all, as if strong bounds kept him at place. The flow of darkness soon ran across his chest, devouring his other arm, down over his legs and finally, his head.

The warrior expected to be strangled and pulled into oblivion, but none of that happened. When his entire body was covered in the black 'liquid', a stream of raw power rushed through his veins, every muscle of his body seemed to stand under electricity, but it felt damn good! Waves of pure energy washed over his body, empowering him more and more, building up into a wonderful ecstasy. He'd never felt such an incredible power in his entire life!

The dark liquid started to change, forming perfectly around every curve and shape of his muscles and flesh. The boots, gloves and armour reappeared; a long cape flowed behind him. The lupine helmet reformed and covered his head. The strong waves subsided but the power didn't disappear at all.

The power dormant within him for all his life was his at last! His true soul had awoken… he remembered everything of his past, the war, victory almost within their hands, the sudden death of Daimoon, the escape from the hell-dimension, the sudden betrayal… this last thought angered him. Bardock looked to himself, the black armour reflecting in the pale moonlight. He was slightly surprised to see that even his tail was covered by the armour, but it had the form of a wolf's tail now. It was incredible… magnificent… the power of the Fourth Horseman, after millions of years… all his! He looked to Kira, who had a sort of triumphant smile on her face.

"I suppose it is to your liking, warrior?"

"What do you think…" Bardock flexed his arm some. It was incredible how light the armour was… "Like a second skin…" he mumbled.

"And what do you expect… it's a magical armour, of course. Now that it has recognised and accepted you as its master, it has become part of you, like it once was, all those years ago."

"… Interesting… actually, and what if I wasn't… well, 'me'?"

"Then the armour would have destroyed you… using your soul to add in its power. Many have tried already… who wouldn't want to have your power?"

"I can imagine they would…"

"Now, try to think the armour away…"

"Huh?…" Bardock blinked some, a thought of what she could mean with that nagged at the corner of his mind, a faint memory… So he did. The armour suddenly just seeped away into his skin. In a few seconds, Bardock stood there again just as before. "… Wow…"

"You can just summon it again at will. Try."

Bardock nodded and called upon the armour again. Once more, the dark liquid covered his skin fully, his head became the ferocious wolf again.

"I have one last thing to show… and then you should be getting back to the universe's dimension."

"Then show me."

Kira walked past him to a rather large chest next to the stand on which the armour was on previously. Using another of her rune spells, she opened the lock and the chest slid open. Bardock went to stand next to her. She took a strange kind of weapon out. It appeared to be the blade of a scythe, but then used and shaped as a sword. Kira held the sword up to him. When he touched it, the cold metal of the blade seemed to come to life. It hummed in a low tune and gained an eerie dark blue aura, pulsating sort of.

"… What magic is this?"

"The sword of the Fourth Horseman… It has waited for you to return all that time… it's hungry for the souls of your enemies."

Bardock "Yes… I remember now…" He took the handle of the blade and slashed it through the air. The blade made a higher-pitched sound, as if joyous to be once again wielded by its master, and left a dark blue streak where it cut through the air.

Bardock smirked.

After an eternity, the Demon Lord of Death has returned.