The three Original Units, otherwise known as the Sankishin. Three beings who birthed existence. They were the basis of the Nox Nyctores Causality Weapons, and draw their power directly from the Boundary itself. They were essentially gods.
Amaterasu, also known as the Master Unit, governs time, and is arguably the most powerful of all the Sankishin. It has complete dominion over time itself, being able to observe anything and make it a reality. Its powers include rewinding time, turning an Embryo into a world, and general Phenomenon Intervention. It resides primarily within the Boundary, but can be coaxed into the world through the Nemesis Horizon. Amaterasu was responsible for the timeloop that plagued the world between 2100 - 2200.
The second was the Tsukuyomi, which protects time. It's strength lies in that it can block any attack with its impenetrable shield, being able to withstand planet destroying blows without any sign of breaking.
The third was Susano'o, which slashes time, and is the most unique of all Sankishin. It is unique because it grew a soul, and with that soul, it also grew to hate Amaterasu for being locked into the cycle of creation and destruction. That soul was Yuuki Terumi.
However… One of these Units were now in grave danger. The Amaterasu had been summoned into the material world to be destroyed. Hades: Izanami, the embodiment of death, and the Unit's Drive taken form, had used the souls of humanity to manifest the Nemesis Horizon and bring this all mighty god into our plane of reality. Izanami's goal was to r reduce the world to nothing, but the Master Unit stood in her way of doing that, as did Noel Vermillion and Rachel Alucard. Which is why she had summoned the two girls before her.
The goddess of death is pale, and her hair is a royal purple hue that reaches down to her lower back; her eyes are also a crimson red with many black circles layering them. Her attire is like that of an empress as she wears an elegant golden headdress with a golden band to keep her hair in place. Izanami dawned a white kimono with elongated sleeves, and a red and yellow skirt that reaches down to her feet. Around her waist she wears a cyan bow while also wearing a black cape over her entire body; said cape has multiple purple bands reaching around her figure, complementing the royal attire.
Being the Imperator of the NOL, she had to dress the part after all. Izanami had just finished a rather long monologue about her plans to Noel and Rachel in an attempt to discourage them. She wanted no one to stand in her way.
"Give up… This war is already over. Accept the death I will bestow upon you with open-"
"HADES: IZANAMIIIIIII!!!"
Izanami turned to her left, and in doing so, received a lightning fast, titanic punch right to her face, complete with a quick jamming of a thumb into her left eye. Noel and Rachel gasped in shock at the sudden attack, but even more so by who the attacker was.
"S-Silver?!" Noel exclaimed.
"Give him back..!" Silver growled.
Izanami pushed her head back against Silver's fist, with blood trickling down her nose and an expression of pure rage.
"How dare you strike me..! You insignificant-"
"Do you hear me?!"
Silver's muscles tensioned, even growing slightly in size too, as a result of her Saiyan genes. And with one great push, Gokuzuki rocketed Izanami to the deserted city below like a falling meteor.
"GIVE HIM BAAAAAACK!!!"
Izanami fell to the ground with such intense force that she actually caught fire while falling; flames burning her skin and melting her flesh sending unimaginable pain throughout her body. However, to Izanami, pain was obsolete. It didn't effect her in the slightest. Though, burning was the least of her problems.
She shot right through building after building like they were drywall as her decent continued. Izanami finally crashed landed into a park upon impact, leaving a huge trail of upturned earth in her wake and a huge crater from where she stopped. That would have been enough to render someone to a thin red paste, but not Izanami.
Noel and Rachel were left in complete shock from what they had witnessed.
"Did… Did she just?! Ms. Rachel, did you see that?!" Noel exclaimed.
'How on earth did she?! I knew Silver was strong but..!' Rachel thought.
Back on the ground, Izanami stood back up like nothing ever happened, except her head was almost torn off and hanging from just a bit of neck muscle, yet she was still alive. If that wasn't immortality, what was?
"Didn't see that coming." She admitted.
Izanami grabbed her head and then placed it back onto her neck. Suddenly, steam emitted from the wound and the decapitated body and head just started fusing back together like magic. Once the wound fully healed, she cracked her neck a bit to prevent stiffness.
"Good as new." She said.
But when Izanami look up, she saw Silver zooming cowards her while screaming like a madwoman. She crashed into and made an even bigger crater. When the dust settled, Silver was on top of Izanami, holding the witch by the throat. She pulled her fist back and thrusted it right at Izanami's head, totally crushing it into a bloody mess.
"GIVE HIM BACK!!!" Silver shrieked.
Such a blow could instantly kill a human, but not Izanami, because her corpse now grabbed Silver by her throat and it stood up like it was possessed, and to Silver's horror, Izanami's head began to quickly regenerate. First bone, then flesh, and finally skin and hair. What Silver had heard was true. This woman had to have been a demon.
"Give him back? Now just who is it that I have to "give back"?" She questioned.
"You know who I'm talking about, you bitch!"
Silver used her insane strength to rip Izanami's hand apart and free herself. Izanami's hand healed without issue, true, but she was open for an attack. Silver whipped out Ying and Yang and slashed Izanami in a cross pattern.
"GRIM CROSS!"
Izanami's ceremonial robe was shredded to bits, revealing a white and red backless dress that stops close to her crotch. The design of the dress is distinctly Japanese; she wears a pair of sleeves that have are white with golden rings, and a long purple section that trails from the sleeves itself. Izanami also wore a lavender headdress that has a large horn on its front. Her look is finished with purple stockings that end with golden rings and glowing blue diamonds. Her shoes were small golden pyramids. Her collar is folded in the traditional way of Japanese burial clothes.
"I do? Oh. You mean… Ragna the Bloodedge. Am I correct?" She chuckled.
"That's right! Now get out of my way so I can rip open the Embryo and get him out!"
Silver charged, thrusting her fist into Izanami's gut. The blow broke bones and ruptured organs. Unfazed, Izanami tried thrusting her own hand through Silver's head, but as soon at it her skull, the hand contorted and broke every bone in it. It was like Izanami hit iron. Her eyes widened in surprise. How could any human have bones that hard?
In retaliation, Silver jumped up and drop kicked her straight in the face, launching Izanami like a rocket. She crashed right into a shop, demolishing it on impact. Though she sprang right back up instantly and dashed towards Silver. Izanami conjured multiple damned spirits and directed them at Silver, but using her Drive, Gokuzuki cloaked her scythes with black energy and slashed through them while charging herself. Silver then jumped and raised her scythes up, then dove down while bringing her hooked blades down on Izanami's arms.
"BLACK MANTIS!!!"
The arms were sliced clean off, Izanami didn't care, because they just grew right back. The sadistic woman grinned evilly in delight. She was clearly enjoying this. With a motion of her arms, she summoned a huge ghost from the ground with jaws like a savage beast and aimed it at Silver.
"GHOST PEAK STRIKE!!!"
That ghost could swallow her whole. Silver had to stop it. She used her Drive to energize her hands with spiritual energy, that way she can touch the ghost. She grabbed the ghost's jaws and held them open to stop it from eating her. A close call, but now she was wide open. Izanami snuck up behind Silver and brought her hand down on Silver's right shoulder, dislocating it from her torso. It would seem she now knows how much force she needs to damage her now. The ghost may have just been a distraction.
Silver cried in pain and fell to her knees, holding her arm in pain. Izanami started to circle Silver while smirking.
"Rip open the Embryo? Mhmhmhm. Ahahahaha! How humerus! How foolish can one be?" Hades laughed.
She stopped in front of Silver, looking down at the girl with dead eyes and a cold grin.
"Even if it were a possibility, what makes you believe you can do that with your power alone, Beastkin girl?" Izanami asked amusingly.
Silver glared up at her angrily. With a swift movement, she popped her shoulder back into place, wincing from the pain.
"Why don't I show you, you miserable human!"
She leapt backwards and swung her foot into Izanami's jaw; her foot energized by her drive.
"ECLIPSE FLASH!!!"
Izanami's head flew clean off her body into the sky above. Silver then flipped back onto her feet and smirked.
'I doubt even a monster like you can survive without a head!' She thought.
Hades's head landed perfectly back onto her neck, and instantly started to fuse back onto her body.
'Huh. Guess she can…'
Izanami started laughed hard, clenching her gut from the sheer humor of it all.
"AHAHAHAHA! Never have I met a woman who can make me laugh this much before! You- HAHAHAHA! You actually believe you can defeat me! That's adorable!" She cackled.
Soon the laughter faded and her a Izanami gave Silver a death glance.
"Though, call me a human again, and I shall peel the skin of your flailing body piece by piece."
Silver grunted in frustration. She's fought some powerful opponents during her years training with Ragna, but this woman was something different. It would appear that raw power wouldn't be enough to beat someone like Izanami.
"Tell me. Why do you seek to free Ragna the Bloodedge?" Izanami asked curiously.
"Even if I explained, a monster like you would never understand! Ragna's not your puppet. I'm not going to let you do as you please with him!" Silver answered.
Izanami tilted her head.
"Not a puppet? That is exactly what Ragna the Bloodedge is, girl. He has no "choice". His fate is already set for him. Nothing you do will change that." She replied.
"I don't believe that! You think Ragna is just a toy to be used whenever you please but you're wrong! I won't let you hurt the no man I love anymore-"
"Love? Love?! PFFFT- AHAHAHAHAHA!"
Just the mere mention of the word was enough to make Izanami burst into laughter. This just irritated Silver.
"Hahahaha! Ahh. So that is your reason? I should have believed it was something as absurd as love. Human emotions never cease to strike my funny bone." Izanami giggled.
"Absurd?!" Silver snapped.
"Human emotions are like mice. Sure, they seem cute, but does one really want them everywhere? So, like mice, they must be exterminated. The Day of Reckoning will ensure that."
With a snap of her fingers, Izanami summoned a strange weapon behind her it looked like a large golden ring with three spikes protruding from his. Izanami also conjured a purple horn ornament onto her forehead in place of her regal adornment. She also started to levitate off the ground slightly. She was ready for a fight now.
"The only things standing in my way are Rachel Alucard, Noel Vermillion… and you, my dear." Izanami chuckled.
Silver clenched her fist.
"You're just as twisted and black hearted as my people! Well, no more! I'm gonna take you down right here and free Ragna from your precious Embryo! No matter what it takes!" She stoically declared.
"Hahahaha! How you humor me. Very well, girl. Come, I'll carve upon your flesh just as hopelessly as the thought of defeating me really is."
Suddenly, Izanami's hand started to radiate a purple energy and she dashed towards Silver with blinding speed.
"THUNDERBOLT LANCE!!!"
She thrusted her arm forward, but Silver caught it once again. But this time it was different. Very different.
"What?"
Izanami looked directly at the girl and saw that she had changed. Silver's hair was now golden and her eyes green. Golden light surrounded her as the ground beneath her feet quaked. Izanami was left speechless by this sudden transformation and as a result, was left wide open.
Silver released Izanami's hand and swarmed her with a lightning fast barrage of punches and kicks. The last kick sent Izanami flying back, but she quickly recovered and the damage she sustained instantly healed.
"Agh! What power..! Ok Blonde, what's going on?!" Izanami questioned.
Silver just stared at Izanami with those heroic emerald eyes. Her fists tightening and breathing steady.
'This past month I've been secretly training to control this strange power of mine, and trying to understand what it is. I looked through my people's records from my old pod and searched for myths and legends involving a power like this to get at least an idea on what it is. But now… Now that I'm here, facing such an opponent like Hades: Izanami… I… I think I finally know what this power is.' She thought deeply.
"I think I finally understand now!"
Silver sheathed her scythes and charged. She then vanished from sight and reappeared behind Izanami. Hades turned to try and strike but Silver beat her to it by clocking her in the jaw.
"GAH!"
"Karrotta is gone. She died when she came to this planet. I am Silver Gokuzuki…"
Following that up with an uppercut so powerful that Izanami was sent flying into the air.
"And I..!"
Silver disappeared and reappeared above Izanami.
"AM A SUPER SAIYAN!!!"
Then she axe kicked Izanami right in the head, making her shoot right back down to earth. She crashed on the roof of a building, coughing blood from hitting it so hard. Silver followed up by diving down and striking Izanami in the gut with her fist.
"AND YOU CAN BURN IN HELL!!!"
The force caused them both to smash through the building's roof and plummet downward, crashing through floor after floor on the way. Along the way, Silver pulled out one of her scythes and it erupted with black energy.
"OBSIDIAN NIGHTMARE!!!"
But before Silver's attack made contact, Izanami summoned a spectral rib cage around her body, appearing to be a defensive move.
"SHIELD OF DREAMS!!!"
Silver slashed Izanami's shield with her blade and it caused a n explosion so intense that it leveled the entire building. Hundreds of runs of rubble rained down on the two girls, burying them in a concrete tomb. Noel and Rachel looked on from above, both in total amazement and fear.
"Silver!" Noel exclaimed.
Luckily, two figures shot up from the rubble and zoomed throughout the abandoned city clashing while knocking down everything in their path. One was black and white, the other was black and purple, indicating who was who. They soon slowed down, clearly showing Silver pummeling Izanami like a sack of meat with her fists.
"You're outmatched! Give up!" Silver shouted as she punched Izanami in the face.
Hades backed away and began to make strange hand signs while her eyes went pitch black.
"MOMENT OF BENEVOLENCE!!!"
"Moment of wha-"
Suddenly, everything just stopped. Not frozen or immobile, just stopped. No wind, no sound, nothing. It's as if time itself stopped… because it did. Izanami stopped time!
"Works every time." She chuckled.
Izanami flew up close to Silver, merely taking in her powerlessness. This made her grin in delight.
"Not so tough now, are we, "Super Saiyan"?" Hades laughed.
And with a snap of her fingers, multiple big balls of blue fire appeared out of thin air, pointing right at Silver.
"Let us see if you can withstand my FLAMING DOME!!!"
The fireballs then homed in on Silver and together, made a colossal explosion in the sky. Anything inside was burned to ash, and possibly even Silver. Izanami laughed victoriously at the explosion. One less human to exterminate.
"Foolish girl. She truly believed she could defeat death itself?" She cackled.
"Not defeat. PULVERIZE!"
Izanami stopped laughing and looked up in the sky. Silver emerged from the smoke covered in an aura of golden light, totally scratch free.
"What?! That was enough power to reduce a mountain to cinders! How could she have survived?!"
Gokuzuki landed near Izanami, staring the witch dead in the eyes.
"That all ya got?" She asked while smirking.
"Hmm… I see. Then it seems I may have to, how you say, step it up." Izanami plainly said.
And so, her weapon, Exodus Arc, split into three separate petals and then magnetized together while spinning like a saw blade.
"ORCHID!!!"
The petals then spun at Silver a break neck speeds, though she was left unimpressed.
"Really? I thought you said you were stepping it up!"
She swung her scythes down at the petals, breaking them apart, but they started to circle around her like birds of prey.
"Huh? What's this?" Silver wondered.
"DROPLET!!!"
The petals then fired beams of energy at Silver. She screamed in pain from the energy surging through her body. Izanami merely watched in satisfaction.
"How was that? Better?" Izanami giggled.
Once the attack stopped, Silver fell to her knees, panting from the pain. Once she caught her breath, she stared at Izanami.
"That's more like it."
She then dove towards Izanami, but was zapped by another Droplet attack, and fell to the ground. Silver got back up, but was shot down yet again.
"What's wrong, child? Is this getting to hard for you now?"
The petals were about to fire again, but before they could, Silver vanished as soon as they attacked. She quickly reappeared behind Izanami hooked her scythe into Hades' back.
"Give me a break! I'm just warming up myself!" Silver cockily said.
The two disappeared then reappeared in the sky, flying through the air like birds. Izanami tried using Droplet again to shoot Silver out of the sky, but now Silver was use to the attack and figured out how to dodge it. One petal zoomed up right next to her and Silver swatted away like a bug. She spun around and fired a projectile of her own.
"DARK STAR SHURIKEN!!!"
Silver generated a large shuriken of black energy which she then shot at Izanami. Sadly, the attack fail to hit its mark as Hades dodged easily. The Imperator then flew high above Silver, then dove downwards, cloaked an ethereal skull.
"ARMS OF SYMPATHY!!!"
The attack hit Silver successfully and the two plummeted to the ground at an unbelievable speed. The impact created an enormous cloud of dust that covered the area. Sounds of explosions could be heard from within the dust as Silver and Izanami switched to close combat.
Izanami deflecting Silver's scythes with her Exodus Arc's petals, though Silver still managed to get some good slices in. They would be damaging if not for Izanami's healing. Despite all of Gokuzuki's immense strength, her opponent's immortality proved superior, yet the woman refused to let up. She wouldn't stop until this she-devil was reduced to nothing.
"How is this possible? I knew Silver was a capable fighter, but to hold her own against Izanami so easily? This defies all explanation!" Rachel spoke in astonishment.
Noel was just as amazed. Silver was incredible, almost inhuman.
'So this is the power of Silver. The ferocious outsider who rose through the ranks of the Gokuzuki family and claimed the position of Head as her own.' Noel thought to herself.
Back with the fight, Silver leaped into the air above and drove her energy-engulfed scythes down on Izanami.
"BLACK MANTIS!!!"
The blades sliced off Izanami's arms like carrots on a cutting block, but they grew right back instantly, to the Imperator's sadistic joy.
'I've heard stories about her capabilities in the past, but I thought they were just exaggerations… Apparently, this beast of a woman trains three hundred days a year in the wilderness by herself because the cities are too stuffy, and prefers the taste of wild game over store food. Rumor has it she once took down a Dragon-Type Seither Beast while both of her arms were broken, using only her teeth… and that a black mamba once bit her, and the snake ended up dying ten days later…'
"DROPLET!!!"
Izanami's perked fire a laser again, Silver quickly grabbed the ground beneath her and pulled up a massive slab of earth from the ground to use like a shield. It managed to block the attack, destroying her makeshift defense. When the dust from the rock scattered , Silver saw Izanami's petals still aiming at her. They fired Droplet consecutively, working like machine guns. Silver countered with her scythes, slashing and deflecting the energy shots before they could hit her. The petals didn't seem to let up, so she moved at lightning speed and tossed her scythes at them, knocking them out of the air. No more of that.
'But still, to think she could be THIS powerful? Is this how powerful aliens are?' Noel wondered.
"GRIMM CROSS!!!"
"STEAK OF SUPREMACY!!!"
Both ladies clashed cross attacks, shaking the earth beneath them. Neither side would back down. Both driven by their goals, ready to risk everything they've worked for in this fight. A true battle between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. Silver's iron-like Saiyan flesh lessened the damage from the attack, while Izanami was cut into slices of four, but she merely regenerated her limbs and lower half, so she wasn't effected at all.
Silver charged her for, readying an attack.
"OBSIDIAN NIGHTMARE!!!"
A single slash of dark energy tore open Izanami's throat, spraying blood like a kitchen sink. It healed in no time, but that didn't discourage Gokuzuki in the slightest.
"ECLIPSE FLASH!!!"
Head launched off her body, she grew it back.
"BLACK MANTIS!!!"
Arms sliced off, regenerated.
"DARK STAR SHURIKEN!!!"
Numerous shurikens of energy digging into her body, the wounds healed. Nothing Silver used on Izanami was working!
"FUCKING DAMNIT!"
Frustrated, Silver threw her scythes into the air and they began to radiate black energy. They quickly began taking on a new form. A massive black death scythe with a white blade. Silver caught the weapon and readied herself. This technique made Izanami raise an eyebrow in interest.
"Oh?" Said Hades.
"I'll destroy you until nothing can remain! You're space-dust! SOUL EXODUS!!!"
And with a mighty swing, Silver tore through Izanami's body with a gargantuan energy blast. It ripped through her and even the mountains behind the witch. The whole earth shook at this single strike generated by this one woman.
Afterwards, Silver panted in exhaustion. She put everything she had into that final attack. This had to have done something.
"Aaahahahahahaha!"
Guess not.
Izanami was perfectly fine, laughing through the chaos. Silver only stared in terror at her unstoppable opponent. How can this be? That was her Astral Heat, and she survived it?!
"Quite the finisher you have there, Silver Gokuzuki. That would erase any opponent with ease. However, mere games to me." Izanami chuckled.
To survive that and call it 'games'? Truly, Izanami is indeed monstrous. Silver stepped back in disbelief and fear."
"This can't be… Nothing is working..! Why can't I kill this freak..?" She said under her breath.
Before she could even blink, Izanami appeared right in front of Silver and reached for her throat. Silver managed to grab her arm thanks to her reflexes and now the two were locked together in a struggle for dominance.
"What's this? Is the "Super Saiyan" feeling discouraged all of a sudden? We've only just gotten started with our little routine, girl." Izanami mocked.
"Shut up! I'm not discouraged! I haven't even begun to play!" Silver snapped back.
Izanami only grinned.
"And yet, what is this feeling of uncertainty I see in your eyes? It looks to me as of you've finally realized that you have no hope of winning."
"Zip it!"
"Hmhmhm. Enough with the act, girl. Despite your threatening facade, the doubt I feel bubbling writhing your heart is begging to spread.
No matter how many times you fatally wound me, no matter how great the difference between your level of power is from my own, nothing you do will matter in the end.
One cannot vanquish death. It comes for you all. A fact of life that is inevitable and unavoidable. All living things must die in the end. That is how it goes, how it will always be.
I am death. I am immortal. I am infinite. I am Hades: Izanami."
Izanami leaned in dangerously close to Silver's anger riddled face, red eyes locking with red eyes.
"And the only ones who will be burning in Hell, will be you, Ragna the Bloodedge, and all humans in the world. Such is my will. The will of DEATH."
Monster. That's all Silver's mind could tell her. Monster. That's what this… thing in front of her was. A monster greater than Saiyans. A monster that needed to be destroyed. Silver's rage grew hotter and hotter, her hatred skyrocketed, every hair on her body stood up and clenched her teeth so hard that she broke a tooth right off.
"THAT FUCKING DOES IIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!"
Silver exploded in a burst of golden light, sending Izanami flying. She crashed into a hillside park, vaporizing it upon contact. Izanami stood back up effortlessly, suffering no damage whatsoever as she healed instantly. The goddess chuckled.
"Succumbing to rage? How foolish. Don't you know anger only make a warrior slopp-"
Silver shut Izanami up with a roundhouse kick to her head, knocking it off like a soccer ball on the field. Her head grew back instantly, however Izanami was surprised. Something was different about Silver now.
'Did her attack just get stronger?'
It always said that anger makes a Saiyan stronger. Which was bad news for Hades.
Silver followed up with an axe kick right on top of Izanami's head. Her eardrums exploded, blood spewed from her nose, and her eyes shot out of her head. She continued the onslaught with a scythe being driving up through Izanami's jaw, puncturing her brain, and then Silver yanked it out of her head, tearing open Izanami's face in a bloody spray.
This was only the beginning of the carnage. Silver kept hacking and slashing, pummeling and pounding, blasting and shooting at Izanami. Every strike, every blast, her anger fueled every attack she used. As she kept up the assault, tears ran down her face as each hit made her experience memories from her past. Memories of him.
"Morning Silver. Master Jubei and I just got back from hunting. Got us some serious breakfast, so I hope your monstrous appetite can handle it."
"GAH! What the hell, Silver?! You don't just pop out in front of people! You trying to scare the shit outta me?!"
"Wow. Uhh… You look pretty good in that, Sil."
His words just kept echoing through her mind, quelling her rage until it was reduced to sorrow. Silver finally stopped. She dropped her scythes and just broke down. Izanami, who was now practically a mauled carcass, stood back up and quickly healed her injuries. She merely stared at the crying Silver with her dead eyes.
"I assume you're done? Good."
With a snap of her fingers, Silver was instantly encased in a prison of bones and broken puppet parts. The Saiyan girl tried to break free from the trap, but her strength had been depleted a great deal from her moment of rage. It was taking all her remaining power to maintain Super Saiyan Transformation. Izanami chuckled darkly. She enjoyed seeing her opponents struggle like worms.
"As powerful and fearsome as you are, Silver Gokuzuki, you still possess limits, such as your stamina. I do not grow weary at all. I can fight as long as I desire. You lost this battle the moment you stepped before me." Izanami pointed out.
"F-fuck you..! I'm not done!" Silver spat, still teary eyed.
"Oh, what is wrong? Did speaking the truth of Ragna the Bloodedge stoke your anger too much?"
"Shut up!"
She wasn't done. Silver wasn't beaten yet. She attempted to charge her energy, building up as much as she could to break free. This was difficult because she was already so depleted, but she wasn't about to give up. She couldn't. Ragna needed her.
"I..! I won't give up..! Never! Not now, not in a million years! I'm going to stop you here! Do you hear me?!"
"Why do you think you can, my dear?" Izanami questioned.
"Isn't that obvious?!"
Golden energy enveloped Silver's whole body, her power was rising again.
"Because I understand how precious life is. All my people knew how to do was kill, and now there's someone on this beautiful planet just like them! You! I will stop you! For once in my life, I have the power to do something about people like you! So bring it on! Because in the end, the one who will be left standing will be me-"
Before Silver could finish, Izanami landed a swift chop to the back of her neck, rendering Silver unconscious. Her hair returned to its normal white and she went totally limp.
"Apologies. It's just that I've heard enough of your rambling. Are all Saiyans this loud?"
Death closed in on the incapacitated girl and giggled sadistically. She caressed Silver's face slightly, intrigued by her Saiyan features. Her skin was a tad tougher than a normal humans, and Izanami could feel her bones were much harder as well. It was strange to her.
"Such an unusual creature you are, Silver Gokuzuki. I never would have thought life existed beyond our feeble world. But fear no more. Once I bring the Day of Reckoning to this Earth, perhaps I will move on to your home planet… and welcome reckoning to these Saiyans as well." Izanami cooed.
She backed away a few feet before turning around once more. Izanami's eye began to turn black and a strange dark substance began discharging from her eyes and mouth, her mouth curving into a demonic grin.
"But I must first remove the obstacles blocking the path I take. Starting with you. I commend you for putting up such a fight against me. 'Twas enjoyable. Never the less, this is where our battle come to a gratifying close."
Her hand twisted into a cone shape and she locked onto her target.
"Die, Silver Gokuzuki."
Izanami charged.
"Melancholy Death."
But before she could impale the Saiyan, a lightening-fast laser sliced off her hand like butter. This caught the goddess of guard. She turned to the direction where the laser came from and saw Noel closing in on her. She was in her Mu state with her laser drones armed to fire.
"Sword of Kusanagi?"
"Get away from her!"
Mu's petal blades all lined up together and begun to glow in blue light.
"SWORD OF DECIMATION!!!"
Izanami leaped backwards to avoid the slash attack. The blades cleaved through the earth and left behind a fissure that could rival the Grand Canyon in size. The petals returned to their original positions. Mu glared at Izanami with blue eyes burning with anger.
"You leave my friend alone, you witch!" Mu threatened.
"Hahahaha. So now the Azure girl is desiring her end as well. As much as I would like to render the skin from your body, you are too valuable to loose. However, that does not mean I can't have my fun with you."
Izanami's Exodus Arc split apart and fire a lightning fast laser at Mu.
"DROPLET!!!"
"TOTSUKA BLADE!!!"
One of Mu's drones got in front and blocked the laser, reflecting of itself and towards another drone, then began to repeat the process over and over. Izanami couldn't keep track of where the laser was going, which was the point of this attack.
'Following the beam won't get me anywhere. It's a distraction anyway. The real attack is from behind.' Izanami thought to herself.
And she was dead on the mark. Mu appears out of nowhere from behind and performed an upward slash with her petal blades.
"IKUTACHI BLADE!!!"
The attack was met by a skeletal rib cage. Izanami's Shield of Dreams blocked the attach without effort. Mu grunted in frustration. That attack was perfect! Izanami smiled sadistically at the girl.
"I need you alive, though one without arms and legs can still be considered alive." She laughed.
"Noel, get out of the way!"
That voice came from Rachel. Mu heeded and retreated from her opponent and three strange rods shot up from the ground. They each had a red bat ornament atop them with glowing yellow eyes. Izanami looked above her and saw Rachel making hand signs and chanting something under her breath. Izanami could only cackle.
"Rachel Alucard, you foolish girl. Stepping into our fight now is meaningless. You think you will succeed where your outworlder friend could not?" Laughed the goddess.
"SWORD IRIS!!!"
The rods lit up with electricity, consuming Izanami whole in a powerful electric flash, yet she wasn't the slightest bit effected.
"If this is to be our last dance, Izanami. Then I will perform to my heart's content. Now then, let us begin." Rachel stoically declared.
"Last dance? Very well… I will lead.
Back with Mu, she had rushed over to the unconscious Silver. She sliced off the bones and puppet parts that held the Saiyan in place and freed her. Once Silver was freed, Mu grabbed on to her and desperately tried to restore her consciousness.
"Silver, wake up! Please, you have to wake up! Silver!" Mu called out in a panic.
No response came from Silver. She was breathing, but she wasn't reacting to Mu's calls.
"Ms. Rachel's in trouble! She can't fight Izanami by herself so you have to snap out of it! Please Silver!"
Still nothing.
"Don't you dare to this to us! To Ragna! He needs you! I need you! You helped me when I needed it when we first met, remember?!"
…
*Flashback*
…
*SMACK*
"AGH!"
"You fucking cow! How the hell did YOU beat me in the Ars Magus aptitude test?! You had to have cheated somehow!"
"I-I didn't cheat! Please stop, I don't even know who you are!"
"Then maybe I should educate you!"
"Hey stop! What do you think you're doing?! Let that girl go, you perv!"
"Fuck off, lady! I'm trying to teach a lesson here!"
"Teach a lesson?! You're attacking a girl out of the blue!"
"Yeah? My dad taught me that but he's need to learn their place! Now get out of here or you next- Huh? WHAT THE- AHHHH!"
…
*Present*
…
That was back before Noel was enrolling in the NOL's prestigious military academy. Noel had scored the highest marks ever recorded on the Ars Magus aptitude test, meaning she outshined every other applicant there. But that caused one of the applicants to fly into a rage about it. After the exam, he waited until Noel was alone in a park and viciously attacked her. He would have even killed her if not for the arrival of a third party.
Silver was still in the midst of her training with Jubei when she wandered off too far from the forest and wound up in that very park. She noticed the man attacking defenseless Noel and that in turn triggered something within her. A flash of her memories back on Vegeta. How her parents would beat her, call her 'evil' and 'disgusting'. Silver just snapped and lunged.
…
"Ugh… Uhh…"
"Be glad I didn't kill you! You asshole!
"Fucking… *thud*"
"Are you ok?"
"Y-y-yes… Th-thank you. I-I'm sorry that I got you involved."
"Huh? What the heck are you apologizing for? He was gonna kill you, you shouldn't have to be sorry for someone choosing to help you."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"Again!
"…"
"Look, I don't know you, but here's some advice. There isn't always gonna be someone to save you. You need to fight your own battles. I just saw someone who needed help, so I stepped in, but I'm not gonna be there a second time. So if you wanna save your own skin, then get stronger. Got it?"
"Um… Yes..?"
"Good. Gotta jet. See ya!"
…
"At first I wasn't sure, but when I saw your face at the branch, I knew that you were the sane girl from that day! You inspired me, Silver! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had the courage to fight for my loved ones. So please, don't give in! Get up, soldier! Get up and fight back!"
Tears streamed down from Mu's deep blue eyes, falling onto Silver's face. Gokuzuki's eyes winced slightly and began to slowly open once more.
Her head pounded like it was used like a drum. Silver groaned in pain as she opened her eyes. She gazed upon the night sky above. The empty void of space, the infinite stars, the moon… The…
Full moon.
Her eyes shot open in horror.
'No! Don't look at it! Turn away!'
But it was too late.
"Silver? Silver! You're ok! That's it! Get up-"
Mu was pushed into her behind rather roughly. Sliver slowly rose up onto her feet, her back arched, arms dangling from her sides and her head down. Mu looked at face. She appeared as if she was in pain.
"Silver?"
"Noel, stay back..! Don't come near me..!"
Silver's voice sounded wrong. More animalistic, like a wild beast. Her tail was flailing out of control behind her and her eyes flashing red. It was like when Ragna lost control of the Azure Grimoire and turned into a pseudo Black Beast.
"No..! Not now..! ThERe's a fuLl MooN nOw?!"
"Full moon?" Mu said in confusion.
The PFD looked up in the sky and gazed at the moon. She wasn't sure what Silver was talking about.
"When there's a… full moon… I- AGH! Something happens to me..! It's like a… werewolf transformation. Noel, gEt AWaY!"
Within seconds, Silver started growing white fur all across her body and her muscles began to enlarge at an alarming rate. This was the Great Ape transformation. A common occurrence with Saiyans when a full moon strikes. A special gland exists within a Saiyan's tail that is activated when they come into contact with a large amount of Blutz Waves, which moonlight is rich in. Once triggered, the Saiyan begins a transformation into a colossal ape-like creature. Powerful and nearly unstoppable.
Silver's eye began to go completely red and her facial bone started cracking and reshaping her entire skull. Fangs protruding out of her mouth like daggers and she was growing in size every second.
Despite this horrifying process, Mu didn't retreat. Instead, she grabbed Silver's furry and muscular arm and looked her dead in the eyes.
"No! I'm not going anywhere. You need help, Silver, and that's what I'm doing!" Mu insisted on a determined tone.
"Are you crazy?! Get out of here, Noel! I don't want to hurt you once I change!" Silver demanded, her voice getting deeper.
"Silver, you can't hurt me, even if you wanted to. I'm not that weak."
Those words. Ragna once told her those exact words the first time she changed. She remembered.
…
*Flashback*
…
"No! Stay back! Run away!"
"Silver, it's ok! I've got you!"
"No Ragna! You have to get away! You'll die!
I already told you that I'm not going anywhere! Especially when you're turning into… whatever this is!"
"Please! Please Ragna, I don't wanna hurt you..!"
"Silver, you can't hurt me, even if you wanted to. I'm not that weak."
…
*Present*
…
Ragna stayed with her the whole time. And somehow, he stopped her from transforming at all. She had no idea how, but she stayed herself thanks to him. And she fell asleep in his arms after.
"Silver, if this is something that happens to you during a full moon, then that's means it's YOUR power, and YOU control it." Mu stated.
Silver turned her glowing gaze to Mu.
"Listen to me, ok? When I first acquired the Power of the Eye, I was scared and confused, just like you. I didn't want anything to do with this power. I tried to reject it, but in only drove me crazy and I attacked the people I cared about. But thanks to Ms. Rachel, I realized that this, the Sword of Kusanagi, Mu No. 12, was a part of me. She was always apart of me. And that's when I realized. Those feeling of dread, hatred, and anger. The desire to destroy the world. They weren't because of what Terumi did to me. They were my true feeling. And… I was ok with that."
…
…
…
"What the fuck is point of that story?!" Silver shouted out.
"I'm not done yet!" Mu interrupted.
"The point is, when I accepted those feelings, I finally gain control of my power and I decided that I would instead use it to protect, instead of destroy. And whatever this is, Silver. It's a part of you. Which mean you're in control of it."
Mu got in front of Silver, both arms firmly on her shoulders.
"So look deep inside yourself, and find this power at its center. Don't be afraid of it. Get in its face and tell it you're in control. Accept it, because it's who you are!"
Mu's words cut into Silver's mind like blades. Accept and gain control. Was it that easy? Was that how she gained control last time?
"Please leave, Ragna… I'm a monster."
"So what?! I'm just like you! And I'm fine with that!"
During that incident, Ragna explained how he was a monster himself, and he didn't care. Silver admired that courage. To love yourself despite what you are. That was when Silver stopped transforming and returned to her normal state. Could this really have been the key?
"But Noel, I've spent my whole life rejecting what I am. How could I accept myself after that..?" Silver questioned.
"Well, that outcome is entirely up to you, Silver. It's your choice."
Accept who you are and gain control. Silver liked the idea, but she was still afraid of what could happen. What if she still couldn't control herself afterwards. It seemed there was only one way to find out. Silver heeded Mu and closed her eyes. She started by getting her breathing under control, then her energy output. Now she focused hard, pushing all distractions out of her mind to focus on her transformation.
"You can do it, Silver. Don't be afraid. I believe in you."
She pictured in her mind her Great Ape form, and her humanoid form, both staring each other down in an empty void.
The ape before Silver was humongous. At least thirty feet tall. It's fur was white as snow, just like her hair, running down from its head to the tip of its tail. It possessed a beastly maw, beady red eyes, arms and legs covered with powerful muscles, and breasts concealed by the albino fur.
"Hey. It's been a while. You haven't changed, I see." Silver spoke firmly.
"Why have you come here? Are you here to reject me again?" The Great Ape asked. It's voice was Silver's, but much deeper.
"No, I'm here to tell you that I'm done running away."
The ape raised an eyebrow.
"What's that suppose to mean?" It questioned.
"I'm not going to reject who I am anymore. I'm here to face you, embrace what I am. Embrace you." Silver replied.
Upon hearing, the ape laughed loudly.
"HAHAHAHAHA! What? Am I hearing you right? You just waltz in here and tell me you wanna be me again? After all this time and saying. "Saiyans are evil! I'm not one of you!" How stupid do you think I am?" Roared Great Ape Silver.
"It's not a rouse. It's the truth. I'm not running from you anymore. Besides… A rampage is t going to help me with the situation on the outside right now."
Silver tightened her fist and bit her lip.
"Listen. There's an opponent out there. Her name is Izanami. She's stronger than any opponent I've faced before. No matter how many times I deal a fatal blow, she gets right back up."
"Really? Hmm… Sounds interesting." Said the ape, intrigued.
"I acquired the power of a Super Saiyan, and even that wasn't enough to beat her. I'm not sure what else to do. So… Maybe the key is to stop being so ignorant with my true self and start acting like a real Saiyan again. That's why I'm here. I'm here to accept you, so that way, we can work together and stop her."
The Great Ape was listening well to Silver's words. The thought of battling such a strong individual was tempting.
"Well, you have a point on that, at least. This Izanami sounds sexy, but what's makes you think I want to help you? Especially when you keep me locked up in here after all this time?" It questioned the small woman.
Silver should have figured it wouldn't be that easy. She was negotiating with a giant stubborn gorilla.
"I could care less about how strong my opponent is. That's your thing. The reason I want to beat her is because she's threatening the world I live in. If I don't."
"I'm gonna stick up my hand and stop you right there. Why do you care about what happens to this giant mud ball? Planet Vegeta is our home. We cleanse planets like these for the dough, remember?"
That was true. Saiyans are like pirates. They pillage planets and wipe out their inhabitants to sell for profit. It's what makes them so despicable, and why she wanted nothing to do with them.
"Maybe the rest of my kind, but not me. I've grown to love this planet, so I need to do what I have to in order to protect it. Even if it means becoming you."
Silver pointed her finger at the smirking Great Ape.
"I'm accepting you wether you like it or not, and from here on out, I'm in charge! So get that through your head, Karrotta!" She declared.
Suddenly, Silver was grabbed by the ape known as Karrotta. It squeezed her tightly in its grasp and brought her up to its face. Karrotta looked directly at the struggling Silver with eyes burning with hate.
"Who in the galaxy do you think you are?! Coming in here, demanding I relinquish myself to you?! A weak little girl who can't even blow up one puny planet?! You're in no position to demand ANYTHING from me, 'Silver'." Karrotta growled.
She tightened her grip even more, making Silver cry out in pain from the added pressure. Karrotta brought up her free hand and, with great force, smashed Silver between her palms.
"You're just a weak shadow of me. That's all you'll ever be. Now then, just relax and give in to me. Your last moments of humanity will be end with pure bliss once I'm in control and wiping this planet clean of both this Izanami AND these human worms."
Karrotta laughed manically.
"Just let go… Give up…"
…
"Give up? Give up?!"
Karrotta opened her hands and to her complete shock, Silver was gone! The Great Ape looked around to find her and saw nothing.
"Over here, bitch!"
Karrotta looked forward and saw another Great Ape before her. Excepts this one's for was a brilliant gold.
"S-Silver?!" Karrotta stuttered.
"There was a time in my life where I thought about giving up, but that's all behind me now! Now I refuse to be the damsel any longer!" Great Ape Silver declared.
She ran up to Karrotta and pinned her against an invisible object. Her body pressing hard against her reflection, determined eyes staring deep into the hateful ones of Karrotta.
"Besides, if I die, you're coming with me, remember? So like it or not, we're in this together!" Silver pointed out.
"Even if you accept me, and take control of my power, what makes you think you can handle it? You've never become a Great Ape even once in your life. You always hide from the moon when it's out. You have no experience with this primality at all." Karrotta argued.
"Well… You have a point there…"
Silver released Karrotta from her grasp and placed her massive arm on her reflection's shoulder.
"That's why your here. You can be my co-pilot. Show me the ropes on being a Saiyan. Accepting you means we're gonna have to work together after all." She answered.
Karrotta was at a loss. Silver was now speaking to her with such kindness, after so many years she spent keeping the real her contained. Was this some cosmic joke? Karrotta knocked off Silver arm defensively.
"What, now you decide to accept me? After all the shit you did to me?! Why don't you give me a fucking reason why I should take your word that you'll be who you are!" The ape boomed.
"You we're always a stubborn ape… Alright, let me show you."
Silver closed her eyes and the space around them began to change. The void being replaced by white. Karrotta shielded her eyes and was consumed by the light.
…
Next time
Silver attempts to come to terms with Karrotta in hopes of them coming together to stop Izanami. Will she make piece with her inner beast and save Ragna?