I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. I also don't own the rights to any of the music pieces you see selected, just copies of merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.
Chapter 109: Rift Battle 1: Shadow Horde
The Earth trembled as cracks erupted over its entire surface. The majority of these cracks formed within a few miles of the disturbance that was creating them, which had taken the form of a huge, unstable ball of blue and white energy. Nearby this great ball of destruction several figures floated in mid air, all facing off with the newcomer directly responsible for the turn of events. Vang folded his arms and chuckled as his opponents began to fully grasp what had just happened.
"Leira did warn you, didn't she? You should not trifle with that which you do not understand," Vang reminded them.
Verto was incensed, "You're the one that did this, so don't lecture us. We'll kill you and then find a way out of this mess."
Vang laughed, "Will you now, that's funny. There are a few things you clearly don't seem to comprehend boy. One of which is that this rift isn't something you can just blow away with a power beam. It is a link between two nearly parallel realms. Granted, one timeline was created by tampering with the other, which I understand is commonplace around these parts. But if you think you can just blow it up and be done with it, you would be very, very wrong. Then again, not acting will result in both worlds being destroyed."
Verto's eyebrow twitched slightly, "Oh I'm gonna blow something up, but it'll be you that gets it first."
Piccolo grabbed onto Verto's shoulder from behind, "Enough, we have to be cautious. We have no idea what kind of powers he possesses this time."
Krillin glanced at him in slight panic, "I don't think we have time for strategy. You heard him, that rift thing is going to annihilate everything!"
"Either way, we have to deal with Vang first. I don't think he's just going to let us solve this problem," Gohan remarked.
Vang's eyes shifted towards him, "I could let you try and fix this, but I don't think you'll come up with the solution fast enough. Suffice it to say, I don't feel like letting you try. This planet will be gone within the hour, and all of you with it."
Gohan's eyes lit up with surprise, "You'll be killed along with the rest of us!"
"Please, use your brain. I don't intend to be anywhere near this rock when it finally goes up in flames. I can escape this fate at anytime I choose, but first I think I'll play with the lot of you. After all, I owe most of you some sort of receipt for my previous defeats," Vang declared.
Vegeta's remaining patience quickly faded, "Tch, we'll see if you even last one minute!" Vegeta's aura pulsed with bright gold before he charged in like a madman. Vang's grin didn't falter as he waited for Vegeta to close the gap. Just as Vegeta threw a powerful punch at his face, Vang's body faded from view. Vegeta managed to reverse his momentum and stop in mid air, frantically searching for Vang's new position. He was above with his arms still folded and his mood had yet to change either.
"Still such an overrated hothead. I suppose it has its uses, but not very many," Vang muttered.
Vegeta's forehead filled with veins, "What was that?!"
"You heard me," Vang replied without looking. Vegeta's response was a rapid volley of Ki blasts numbering close to a hundred easily. Vang didn't appear to do much of anything to avoid them, but they all missed. Below, the other fighters watched on in dismay.
"I still can't sense his power level," Goku said.
"I can't sense much either Dad, but I can tell that he's not even trying. It's as if his power is so great that he doesn't even need to use it on us," Gohan said as a cold shiver went up his back. Verto's aura pulsed to life briefly before it filled his hair with its silver tone. Once his energy had fully converted to Chi waves, Verto took another scan of Vang. There was almost no change in what he had sensed before, but there was a distinct feeling that the Vang before them was hiding something that felt like a tidal wave ready to swallow them all.
I won't let him, Verto thought as he floated forward.
"Wait Verto, you don't know what he's capable of yet!" Piccolo urged as he held onto Verto's arm.
Verto yanked away from Piccolo's grasp, "You guys can wait here if you want. I'm not going to let that bastard get his way anymore!" Verto powered up quickly before blasted off towards Vang's position, despite the storm of Ki blasts in the air from Vegeta. Verto's green sword formed in his hands as he locked onto Vang and prepared to attack head-on.
Vang looked at him briefly, "Pointless."
"We'll see about that!" Verto shouted as he swung his blade right through Vang's neck. Just as his sword passed through, Vang vanished from view again. Verto barely sensed the energy signal nearby, but found it on the darkened ground near the ever-growing crater.
Vang glanced up at him in question, "Really, why do you bother? If you can sense my power, you should just give it up kid!"
Verto grinned wickedly, "Now who's making the jokes?" Vang didn't respond, but did finally bother to move his arms, aiming one of them towards the sky. It lit up with purple energy and formed a dense ball before he promptly fired it. Verto recognized the Shadow Bolt technique and swung his sword to bat it back towards its owner. Vang sidestepped the counterattack and it crashed into the ground, kicking up a slight amount of dust and dirt.
"Honestly, I'm not going to even give this any effort if you won't," Vang claimed.
Verto turned his head slightly, "Who said I was the only one you are fighting?" Vang frowned as a bright flash came from behind him, precluding the huge ball of blue energy courtesy of Vegeta. The resulting explosion rivaled the unstable rift's light, but dissipated quickly, leaving behind a nuclear cloud. Vegeta cautiously lowered his palm from firing his Big Bang Attack, unsure of what damage he might have done. When the smoke cleared, a pink and purple shimmer showed that Vang was still there. Around him, a dim energy shield shown around his position, whereas the rest of the area was flattened.
"You're kidding, how could he survive that like nothing happened? Vegeta's aim was perfect!" Krillin claimed.
"When it comes to this demon, even the best aim isn't enough," Piccolo said. Vang's demeanor changed into a distinct laugh, which echoed around the lands.
"Now what could he be so happy about?" Goten asked.
"We're about to find out. Get ready," Gohan ordered. Verto lowered to the ground as Vang's laughter continued unabated.
"I don't know if shaking that off was all that funny. You still have all of us to deal with, and I seem to recall that the mere thought of that made you a bit nervous in the other timeline," Verto reminded.
Vang's eyes locked onto Verto, "Do you know why you can't clearly sense my power right now boy?"
"You're holding it back, duh," Verto mocked.
"Partially, but there's another reason. Leira most likely explained to you that once someone acquires a certain amount of energy, it can evolve to the next level, if properly handled. The potency increases exponentially, and only those that are able to wield it can sense it fully. This is why most of your friends cannot sense your Psionic energy as fully as the more common life-based Ki energy, whereas they can sense the combination of the two much easier," Vang explained.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. Both energies can be converted to Chi waves if enough power and concentration are applied, as I understood it," Verto said carefully.
Vang's grin grew larger, "Now imagine what happens if the same theory is applied to Chi waves, but is taken to the next level."
Verto's eyes widened, "What?"
Vang's answer came in the form of a sudden rush of energy that forced Verto backwards by quite a distance. Around Vang, dark surges of energy swirled around him, giving off frequent lightning bursts and causing the ground to shake even more. Verto was able to gain control of his flight after being pushed a few hundred yards, and let a gasp slip when he felt the energy in the air. He felt Vang's energy level skyrocket past his own and quite literally break down any ceiling it may have had. The concentration of this energy was also past anything he had ever done or sensed before.
It's like some sort of super concentrated Chi, but it's also different entirely. What does this mean? Vang's body also began to change during the power up. His skin grew darker and grayer while his muscles bulged up suddenly. His gray hair turned black and lengthened along the sides, spiking out and down across his neckline as well as the side of his temples. Vang's already reddened pupils brightened briefly before shifting to a very dark gray while the rest of his eyes turned pure black. His body grew slightly in size, enough to shred the top of his tunic completely. His arms increased in size at least two fold while his fingers became sharp and pointed like claws. The light armor boots he was wearing splintered apart, revealing dark gray feet with sharpened toes that looked more like talons. Towards the top of his head, a thick set of horns grew out of his hair, matching their black color as they bent upwards. Behind him, a thin but long tail protruded from his backside, wagging slightly like a dying fish out of water. It eventually stopped growing and resembled a shark fin at its very tip. His breath became a bit heavy as his transformation finished, but it wasn't from exhaustion. Verto's legs trembled as he got a good look at Vang's new form, and he felt real fear creeping into his whole body.
This must be his true demon form, the one that Leira had mentioned before. He's even stronger than Ranot and Frost. How in the hell are we going to beat that? Verto glanced at the others, most of whom didn't appear to react at this new development.
"He looks scary Trunks," Goten said.
"Y-yeah," Trunks stuttered.
"Hmmm, I still can't sense that much of a change," Piccolo said.
Goku nodded, "I can't either." Gohan was the only one that appeared to be able to sense what Verto sensed, and his knees were shaking quite severely.
Vegeta scoffed slightly, "Well well, is this the real you? Such an ugly cretin!"
Verto's head turned towards Vegeta slightly, He can't sense his power, none of them besides me and Gohan can. It must be because they're not able to fully sense Chi waves, never mind whatever this energy is called. This is bad. A dark laugh filled the lands again, coming from Vang, whose voice had deepened into a truly demonic tone.
"Dear Saiyan prince, it is you that is the cretin. You, who can't comprehend what greatness stands before you. Well, you'll know soon enough," Vang cackled.
Vegeta scowled, "Hiding behind your pathetic shield doesn't prove anything demon. Fight like a man!"
Vang chuckled, "Do you see a man around here, monkey?"
"You know what I see, a turd that I recently flushed down the toilet!" The two continued to stare each other down while the other parties quickly weighed their options.
Gohan glanced towards Verto, "I hope you can sense that. He's beyond anything we've ever faced before!"
Verto gulped, "Yeah, I noticed. We're the only ones that can sense it fully."
Gohan nodded grimly, "Which means we're the only two that can truly fight him at this level. The others can help but they'll only get in the way at best. As much as I hate to admit this, not even my dad will be able to stand up against this foe. We have to work together and fight him at the same time."
Verto's face switched to serious, "You're right. I don't like our chances, but it's better than doing nothing. Let's do this." Gohan tensed up a bit as he transformed to Super Mystic suddenly, surprising the others around him.
"Gohan, can you sense his power?" Goku asked.
"Yes, and it's beyond all of us. Only me and Verto can sense it," Gohan said.
"The two of you can't fight him alone, we'll help you!" Krillin claimed.
"And we can fight once we can do fusion again!" Trunks claimed.
"Yeah!" Goten added.
"It won't do any good. If Vang is as powerful as Gohan says he is, then there's no point in having Gotenks fight at all. We need a better plan," Piccolo suggested.
Gohan shook his head, "We don't have time for one, you heard him. The Earth is history if we don't stop this now. Don't worry, we won't be alone, not when we have all of you behind us."
Krillin looked thoughtful, "Maybe we can do more than that. Can't the eternal dragon help us at a time like this?"
"Yeah, a wish to Shenron should be able to fix this in a snap!" Goku claimed excitedly.
"It's worth a try, but we have to prepare for the possibility that this may be more than the dragon can handle. It's possible that this wish would exceed his power," Piccolo warned.
"Maybe, but remember that time before the Zerg showed up? We were in the past with Bardock and those other guys. That whole timeline got messed up, but the Namekian dragon was still able to send us back," Trunks pointed out.
"That's a good point. I vote that we go try it," Krillin said.
"Good idea. Trunks, I want you to fly to Capsule Corp as fast as you can and tell Bulma what's going on. Then get the Dragon Balls and summon the dragon," Goku ordered.
Trunks saluted him, "Yes sir! We've already got all the Dragon Balls at home!"
Goku nodded, "Good, Goten go with him!" Goten mimicked Trunks as they both turned Super Saiyan.
Gohan looked on and smiled, "Alright, let's do this before he figures out what we're up to."
"Good luck, kid," Piccolo said as he grasped Gohan's shoulder.
Gohan glanced at him briefly, "To all of us."
A little further away, Vang and Vegeta were still trading insults, though the former had taken notice of movement behind him. Vang turned and saw Goten and Trunks in the process of leaving.
He laughed, "Oh, it's too soon to leave little boys. You need a proper spanking before you go home to your mothers!" A dark purple aura erupted around him just as Goten and Trunks blasted off. They didn't get far before they suddenly ran into a dim but solid purple barrier.
"What the?" Vegeta gasped as he looked on. The barrier faded into view all around them, blocking out the already dark skies, but also eliminating any view of the horizon. It appeared to extend to nearly a mile in diameter and half of that into the air. The bright flashes of the unstable rift were also dimmed out considerably, as if someone were trying to shine a flashlight through a heavily tinted window.
"He's trapped all of us inside," Piccolo exclaimed.
"Impossible," Tien claimed. The boys were just as stunned and attempted to punch through, but were unable to make a dent. A black shadow from below suddenly shot upwards and latched onto their legs, pulling them down to the ground just as quickly. Both of them landed painfully and were dazed as they tried to figure out what had happened.
"No one leaves, not after I went through so much trouble to call you all here," Vang declared.
Gohan quickly looked towards his father, "Dad, use your instant transmission to escape!" Goku nodded quickly as he placed two fingers to his forehead. After several seconds though, he gritted his teeth as if under severe strain.
"I can't sense anything outside of his barrier," Goku claimed.
"That means you can't teleport either?!" Krillin gasped in surprise.
"Nope, we're stuck alright," Goku admitted.
"I was afraid you were going to say that."
After seeing all this, Vang's laughter echoed even louder with a dome to catch his sound, "I told you didn't I?"
"I'm gonna turn you inside out demon!" Vegeta roared behind him. Vegeta's powerful aura burst to life again as his rage took over and he charged in again. Vang turned in time to see this, but didn't react right away. Vegeta stormed in at full speed and landed a crushing blow to Vang's face, kicking up large amounts of dust and debris when he stopped. Vegeta's thick smirk ran true for the moment, but was quickly replaced by fear when Vang had barely twitched at his strong attack. The demon shrugged off Vegeta's fist like nothing had happened, but it had left a slight blemish on his dark skin.
Vang frowned slightly, "And to think you're a Super Saiyan Three. So pitiful." Vegeta didn't have time to react before Vang had shoved a fist into Vegeta's stomach. The armor plating covering it snapped apart easily as Vegeta went flying all the way into the barrier. Upon impact, the barrier lit up with a bright light and a large burst of purple lightning struck him over and over again for several seconds. His screams were quickly followed by deafening silence when he fell to the ground and out of Super Saiyan form.
"Vegeta!" Goku called out, to no response.
Verto's eyes remained wide as he allowed everything he had just witnessed to replay in his mind, It isn't just his energy level that's increased. Pure strength and power that surpasses anything we can dish out. It's the total package, any of his previous weaknesses are gone.
Vang glanced at his fist, noting the trace of blood that had managed to land there, "One down."
"So who is next to fall, you should probably decide quickly," Vang stated as he observed the Z fighters. Among them, only Verto and Gohan were powered up, but neither looked eager to charge in at him. Vegeta was still down on the far side of the barrier's extent. On the other side, Trunks and Goten were still trying to figure out how they had been stopped, tapping on the barrier's solid, dark surface just to be sure they hadn't imagined it. Goku, Krillin, Tien and Piccolo stood by behind Gohan, ready to act if needed.
Vang's dark eyes shifted between them all, "No volunteers? I suppose I can't blame you, but none of you are going to be left out of the action. I'll see to it personally."
Verto's lip twitched angrily, "The only thing you'll see is your own grave!"
Vang turned to Verto, "Then come bury me boy, if you can!" Verto's silver aura burst to life just before he charged at Vang with his right fist drawn back and full of green energy.
Vang's expression shifted into a toothy grin, "Now we're talking. Give it all you have, don't hold back!" Verto's fist powered up even more as he closed in, though his advance was slower than normal. On the side of the battlefield, the others looked on with concern.
"What's he doing, we have to help him!" Krillin claimed.
Goku glanced at his son, "Gohan, are you about to…"
"Quiet Dad!" Goku stopped speaking at his son's sudden outburst, noting that Gohan seemed extremely focused on the moment. Ahead of them, Verto had closed the gap between him and the waiting Vang. Just as he would have hit, Verto's green fist only hit air when Vang suddenly phased out, appearing above him. Vang quickly dove at Verto, who was unable to avoid the attack from above at such close range even as he flew forward.
Vang grin wickedly as he held out his claw, "Now you're history!" Just before Vang could swing down, a pair of boots belonging to Gohan suddenly smashed into him, driving Vang into the ground. Gohan's sudden pounce allowed Verto time to recover, which he used to suddenly phase out and reappear just above Vang as Gohan moved out of the way.
"Super Galic Fist!" Verto's attack exploded into a bright burst of green light that blinded all that saw it for a moment. When it cleared, Verto realized that he was only touching dirt that had formed a small crater around it. He glanced up and saw Vang hovering a few feet off the ground nearby, unharmed.
"Nice try, that might have even hurt me if it had landed. That isn't an attack I would care to get hit by again," Vang admitted.
Verto stood up as Gohan stepped up next to him, "Well he saw through that one. What's next?"
"I'll fight him in close range while you try to hit him with energy attacks. We both know that you're better with ranged attacks and I'm better at melee combat. This way we both utilize our strengths," Gohan suggested.
Verto shook his head grimly, "That's fine, but he's going to expect that. We need to attack him at the same time, even if we have to use tactics that we're both weaker with."
Gohan nodded, "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll go in on the left and cover you."
Verto's green Chi sword emerged in his right hand, "Got it, I'll go first."
Vang tensed up slightly as Verto flew towards him quickly, "Do your worst boy!"
Verto held his sword with both hands, slashing towards Vang's head. Vang ducked out of the way fairly easily and reached for Verto's boot with his claws. Gohan suddenly phased in and stopped him by grabbing his wrist. Vang twisted out of the grip and attempted to attack Gohan instead. Vang changed directions when Verto's sword nearly took his arm off, forcing him to fly backwards. Gohan kicked him in the back from behind, and the forward momentum made him a prime target for Verto's next sword swing. Vang was gone well before Verto's blade got close, reappearing behind him and aiming an open claw strike at the back of Verto's head. Gohan teleported in and kicked Vang's hand away, giving Verto time to turn around. He quickly refocused the energy in his hand into a bright green swirling charge that continued to build as he waited for the opening. Gohan's next two punch attempts were caught fairly easily, and Vang grinned slightly in confidence. Gohan lurched forward and slammed his own head into Vang's face. Vang painfully held his bruised head and took his eyes off his opponents just as Gohan phased out.
"Final Shine!" Verto shouted as he fired. The massive beam shot out of Verto's right hand and bore down on Vang, who could only stare at it. The beam's size was dwarfed by the explosion it caused, which shook every inch of the isolated area. When the blast cleared, Vang stood at its center with only his arms up to guard himself. The ground however was indented in a large circle nearly ten feet around Vang, and it shimmered slightly in the air above it. Once the smoke was completely gone, Verto could see a dim energy shield fading from around Vang's position. Damn, his shield technique is even stronger than before too.
Vang's shield completely faded as he lowered his arms, "That wasn't a bad try, but you're still lacking in power." Gohan suddenly phased in behind him, aiming another kick to his backside. Vang rolled forward to avoid it, but stood up just in time to see Verto's sword coming at him from above. Vang phased out just in time again, leaving his opponents staring at each other. Along the edge of his bare shoulder, a dark and very slight nick revealed just how close Verto's sword swing had come.
Vang examined the minor injury without too much concern, "I'll admit, fighting the two of you at the same time is going to be troublesome, even for me. My power is far beyond both of you, but my physical body hasn't caught up in a way that I would prefer. It seems as though my plans are in jeopardy."
Verto's eyes narrowed, "Then why are you so calm about it?"
Vang's toothy grin reappeared, "One always saves his trump card for situations such as this. But don't worry, I'll make sure you all get to enjoy it before the end." His arms suddenly spread apart in a wide angle, which caused his barrier to start glowing again. Near the top of the dome, a large black circle formed in mid air just below the barrier and slightly off-center. Soon after, multiple clouds of black smoke seemed to drop of it at a fast rate, as if smoke bombs were being dropped. Upon contact with the ground, the black smoke dissipated just as fast, but each one left something behind. Verto suddenly sensed a scattered energy coming from the ground around him, as if the smoke bombs were alive. A small, dark creature leapt out from the smoky grounds, bearing black claws and teeth that matched its body. Many more creatures of the same type followed, each identical to the last. Each were completely black from head to toe and besides the sharp claws and teeth, they had no other obvious distinguishing marks. To Verto, they looked like Zerglings, but they were smaller and obviously not the same color. He noticed that a few of them were imp-like and could stand on two feet rather easily.
"What are they?" Gohan exclaimed.
Vang dropped his arms as more of the shadowy beasts dropped out of the hole in the sky, "They are mine."
"What are they, some sort of Zerg hybrid?" Verto asked.
Vang chuckled, "I suppose they are similar, but they are not the same. They are called 'Bikou-Souzou' or just 'Bikou' for short. Its rough translation is Shadow Creature, how terribly accurate. These are the lowest rank of shadow realm demons, far below my stature. If I am a ten, they could be considered a one. Instinctual-based cretins, the lot of them. Easily influenced by their betters, but not so easily turned away by the enemy. Like the Zerg however, it is unwise to underestimate them, especially in such high numbers. Now my minions, surround them all!" The mass of shadow creatures suddenly rushed out in all directions, with most of them moving straight for the other Z fighters nearby. The Bikou split apart in various directions, each focusing on at least one Z fighter. Goku turned Super Saiyan immediately as a group of Bikou closed in on him and his friends. Goten and Trunks both powered up as a large group moved towards them. In the middle, another group surrounded Verto and Gohan, leaving about a dozen feet of nothing between them.
"Well, this is just fucking great. I thought I was done with this kind of crap," Verto muttered as he turned his head left and right.
Gohan remained tense, "Apparently not."
On the far side, several of the Bikou moved towards the fallen Vegeta, who had yet to visible recover from Vang's counter attack a few minutes prior.
Trunks realized that his father was in danger quickly enough, "C'mon Goten, we have to help my Dad!" Goten nodded and the pair blasted off into the air, narrowly avoiding the jumping Bikou just below them. This particular group of Bikou chased after them, nearly running each other over while following their targets. Goten and Trunks landed next to Vegeta and took a defensive position. Everyone was surrounded by the new shadow demons at this point, but the Bikou had yet to attack. Vang grinned evilly as the black portal above suddenly shrank away and closed completely.
"I suppose that a few hundred is good enough for now," Vang claimed.
"You make it sound like this will actually work, I wouldn't bet on it," Verto retorted.
"Oh you'll see soon enough. I'll let you witness the horror of watching your friends get slaughtered first. Bikou, attack!" Vang ordered. All at once, the mass of creatures rushed in on the Z fighters, with the exception of the group surrounding Verto and Gohan. Goku was first to be attacked, to which he was quickly scratched on his arm by one of the beasts. Goku winced slightly before he punched it away, noting the trail of blood that had been left behind with the claw mark. Krillin was also hit quickly as he punched and kicked at the attackers, taking several hits on his back and arms. Piccolo lengthened his arms and grabbed two Bikou before swinging them around in a circle, causing them to collide with their brethren. Tien's arms became nearly invisible as he counter attacked the Bikou with ferocious punches. Several were knocked away easily, but one managed to jump on his back and dig into the side of his head, leaving a gaping bloody wound. On the far side, Goten and Trunks were struggling to keep the demons off of Vegeta. Each of them had received several scrapes and bruises in a relatively short time. For each Bikou they knocked away, two would take its place. Goku and Krillin were in the same dilemma as they stood back to back and fended off several Bikou at once.
"So, what do you think?" Vang asked as the Bikou continued attacking the others.
Verto turned his head as he observed the battles taking place, "I think you're an idiot."
Vang's black eyebrow raised up, "Oh? How is isolating each of you an idiotic thing to do?"
Gohan folded his arms, "We've faced and beaten the Zerg before, don't think we can't do the same again!"
All at once, the area lit up in a dazzling display of energy blasts going off. Goku and Krillin rapidly fired a barrage of blasts that wiped out every single Bikou that they hit, causing them to suddenly vanish in a puff of smoke. Piccolo's eyes lit up with energy before he fired twin laser beams that cut down too many Bikou to count, killing them instantly. Tien did the same with his third eye, destroying anything that was close. Goten and Trunks had each fired a Kamehameha, which they moved to blast through anything that was on the ground in front of them. Vang cringed slightly and waved his hand slightly, causing the hundred of so Bikou around Verto and Gohan to veer off and chase down the younger demi-Saiyans. Goten and Trunks lined up to join attack beams, but before they could fire, a larger golden beam shot out from behind them. The Bikou caught in the blast evaporated, leaving almost none left alive.
Super Saiyan Vegeta spat as he lowered his palm, "Pathetic!"
"Dad, you're all right!" Trunks shouted happily.
"Of course I am, those pitiful excuses for scum won't be able to touch me!" Vegeta bellowed.
Vang scowled as he became the focal point once again, "So that's how it is."
"Looks like your little Shadow Horde is gone, what's your next plan?" Verto asked.
Vang seemed undeterred, "Don't underestimate the Bikou. Unlike the Zerg, they will keep coming if I want them too!" In the skies, the black portal emerged again, and numerous black shadows dropped out of it.
"A few more won't make any difference," Gohan said.
"A few, no. But what about an endless stream of them? The Zerg's potential numbers are impressive, but they are limited to a finite amount of forces based on how many they can currently control. The Bikou do not have that weakness, and by the time you could eliminate them all, you would find that it's far too late. So tell me, how long do you think you can hold out before you grow tired and weak?" Vang asked.
"I don't think that'll be much of a problem," Gohan said. His aura sprang to life and intensified, spreading into a wide area around them. The Bikou stopped momentarily at this, but then drew closer anyway. Nothing seemed to happen when they crossed into this silver lit area, and they continued to approach.
Gohan grimaced slightly, "So much for that idea."
Vang chuckled, "I told you, they are not the Zerg. Increasing your energy output won't affect them in the same way. You will have to attack them first."
Verto grew serious as the Bikou began to surround them again, "Then the answer is that we have to seal the gateway that led them here, which is your doing. That makes me think that killing you will make the gateway disappear."
Vang closed his eyes momentarily, "Yes, that could work. If you can do it."
Verto stepped forward to begin again, but Gohan grabbed him by the shoulder, "Hold on."
Verto's eyes shifted to Gohan, "What?"
Gohan chose to answer quietly, "He's up to something here, we shouldn't just charge in."
"But we can't sit back and do nothing either! We clearly have an advantage fighting him two on one, we should use it." Verto claimed. Gohan gave Vang a stern glare as the area behind him lit up randomly with Ki blast explosions from the other Z fighters.
"What is it?" Verto asked aloud.
"I don't think we have that much of an edge. You've sensed his power and at this point, he could easily wipe us out at any time. Instead he's summoning these creatures to wear us down. I think he's waiting for something. His physical ability should be much more than he's putting out now," Gohan explained.
Verto also gave Vang a hard stare down, "I suppose that's possible."
Vang's grin held firm, "I hope this isn't a private conversation. I would hate to hear how you're going to destroy little old me. But you are partially right in your assessment, I am capable of much more."
Gohan's eyes widened, "You can hear our thoughts?"
Verto scowled, "Stay the hell out of our heads!"
Vang shrugged, "I can't help it when you project your thoughts so close to me. You should have noticed it with the Namek, but I suppose you were too surprised by my appearance to think rationally. Don't be concerned, I can only hear your telepathic communication, not your direct thinking. I'm afraid that's what happens when you achieve an ultimate power, you gain abilities that you may not need or want."
"For an ultimate power, yours seems a little puny. You haven't shown that you can defeat us as easily as you boast. Maybe all that time hiding in the dark has blinded you," Verto said in a mocking tone.
"Heh, for a brat, you are amusing. But your current skills will not suffice, especially when you are clearly not reading my energy correctly. There's a reason that it seems like I'm weaker than I'm projecting. I'll allow you to figure that out on your own," Vang remarked.
The Bikou around Verto and Gohan suddenly rushed in, overrunning them in an instant. A bright silver flash from both of them forced most of the Bikou away, with a few being too close to the energy burst and simply burning up on the spot. Verto's Chi sword snapped back to life and he slashed several Bikou apart when they closed in again. Vang grinned and charged at Gohan, attempting to claw at his face. Gohan deflected Vang's wrist and glided backwards, straight into a Bikou pack. One of the creatures managed to jump on his back, only to be thrown off. Vang took the opportunity and slammed his elbow into Gohan's head, knocking him down. Verto saw this and flew towards them, only to have a dozen Bikou block his path. Verto leapt over them and charged in towards Vang with his sword held high. Vang smirked and phased out, reappearing dozens of feet away. Verto scowled as the Bikou encircled them again, blocking any path on the ground with their massive swarm.
"He's trying to isolate us with these things. That way he can pick us off one by one," Gohan suggested.
Verto nodded grimly as his sword faded for the moment, "Then we'll have to do something about that."
Gohan glanced up at the endless funnel of Bikou coming through the black portal, "How is he doing it?"
"What?"
"Keeping this portal open? It seems like it would take a lot of energy to do something like that," Gohan noted.
Verto grimaced, "Well Majin Buu managed to do the same thing."
"With a lot of effort, Vang barely looks winded. And the barrier, how is that still up?" Gohan pondered.
Verto stared at the dark purple shroud that covered the skies, "That's a good point. He must be continuing to channel energy into both techniques to keep them going."
"But why, he could have done either to keep us bottled up from the start. Think about it, he went to the trouble of blocking out the sun and then calling us here. He's trapped us inside with him and instead of fighting us directly, he's bringing in all these minions instead. It's possible that both the barriers and the portal are keeping his power level lower and we just can't tell yet. But why would he do all that when he could just defeat us and be done with it?" Gohan pointed out.
Verto snorted, "Because he's an asshole that likes to toy with us."
Gohan shook his head, "No, there has to be a reason for this. Each time we've faced him, he's tried to rush the fight, right? The first time he fought us, he used his potent techniques despite having an immortal body. Obviously he wasn't completely prepared for your Berserker power, but it seemed like he might have known that he was in trouble. You said he also quit playing around when he realized what you were doing in the other timeline too, before the alternate me and the others got involved again. This time he could have avoided Vegeta's beam, but he went through the trouble of purposely redirecting it into the rift cave to blow it up. Then he traps us inside with him and these Bikou things. Other than preventing Instant Transmission, what would be the point? He could easily hunt us all down with his Shadow Teleportation, but he's barely making any effort here."
Verto looked thoughtful as he looked around, specifically at Vang and the purple swirl around them, "Maybe the barrier wasn't to keep us in. Maybe it's to keep others out."
Gohan's eyes narrowed slightly, "Like who?"
Verto didn't even have to guess, "Like Leira for one. She's been directly involved with Vang before and she's been around during our encounters. She wasn't in the other timeline, but she approached me about it before and after that battle. I suppose Kibito wouldn't be able to intervene here either. If we can't sense anything through the barrier, I doubt they could either. And if they don't know what's going on, then they wouldn't know to take action either."
"Then we have to find a way to take him or the barrier down before the rift explodes," Gohan said as he resumed his fighting stance.
"Are you two done talking yet?" Vang asked as he yawned slightly.
"You attack him Gohan, I'll cover you and keep these things off your back. When we get the opening, we both hit him with full power," Verto suggested.
Gohan nodded, "Sounds good." Verto's palm lit up with green as he filled a potent orb the size of a beach ball, which began to send up brief bursts of lightning. Gohan charged through the Bikou pack, splitting it apart in an instant as he rushed towards Vang. Verto held up his lightning orb and channeled more power into it, brightening the entire area with its glow. The Bikou ran towards him and he unleashed the orb's power, sending out arcs of lightning that spiraled around his position. Not one Bikou managed to get within twelve feet before they were skewered apart and killed. As the Bikou hurried to their deaths, Gohan continued his attack on Vang nearby. His first few punches were blocked rather easily by Vang's claws, and Gohan changed tactics. He phased out and attempted to kick from behind, but Vang ducked out of the way the moment Gohan moved. A furious display of phasing began in which Vang would vanish once Gohan tried to attack him, making him miss each time. Verto saw this and extinguished his Spirit Orb, though most of the Bikou that had come close had been wiped out. He noticed another pack of them running towards him and ignited his energy sword again, slashing them apart one by one as he tried to monitor the battle between Gohan and Vang. He saw that Gohan was using Instant Transmission for each attack and was still missing every attempted blow. He could barely see Vang's movement, but it wasn't teleportation he was using.
His reaction time has increased enough to counter Instant Transmission? Gohan's right, he isn't trying at all. He's fighting a defensive battle and drawing this out on purpose while his barrier keeps us trapped and others out. Gohan quickly grew flustered and fired a point blank blast, which Vang dodged just as easily by gliding away. When Vang stopped, Verto phased in from above, aiming his sword at Vang's head. Verto's sword slash promptly halted when it struck a solid energy shield which showed no signs of wavering.
"Tricky and bold, I've always admired that about you," Vang admitted. Verto flipped around and landed just a few feet away as his sword glowed with additional power.
"Admire this, Galic Slash!" Verto shouted as he swung his blade. A bright green burst hurled out of his sword and crashed into Vang's energy shield, detonating an instant later. When it cleared, Vang stood unharmed while his energy shield pulsed around him.
"Nice try, but not only am I familiar with that technique, but my energy shield is far too concentrated to be broken by your attacks. You won't succeed like you did before. If you don't believe me, then feel free to test me. I promise I won't move," Vang offered. Verto's eyes narrowed and he jumped backwards far enough to be side by side with Gohan. The Bikou halted their advance when Vang held his arm up, as if to stop them and allow both Saiyans to attack at once.
"He's bluffing. He's probably just going to teleport away and make us waste energy," Gohan claimed.
Verto gave Vang a stern glare, "I don't think it's a bluff. He didn't have any reason to come back here other than to test his skills. I say we give him a taste of our combined power and see what he does with it. He won't be able to redirect our energy beams easily if he has to maintain his shield at the same time."
Gohan looked unsure, "That's an awfully big risk Verto. If he sends it towards the others, they may not be able to escape. You remember what happened before don't you?"
Verto nodded grimly, "Yes, but with each battle he didn't start using his arsenal until he was pressured and lost his confidence. At the very least, we'll know where we stand."
Gohan conceded, "Alright, let's try it." Both of them lowered into mirrored stances as they held their palms back and charged up their energy.
Vang folded his arms as his shield came into full view, "Anytime, monkeys. Take your best shot!"
Bright green filled the area between Gohan and Verto, "Ka…me…ha…me…HA!" Their beams combined together as they fired, forming a Kamehameha more intense than ever before. The beam carved through the land and any Bikou in its path before slamming into Vang's shield. Vang was quick to unfold his arms and hold them out, channeling more energy into his shield in the process, making it glow bright purple. The powerful Twin Kamehameha pushed Vang backwards a bit before completely stalling out while Vang's shield stayed strong. Verto stopped channeling his energy and stood up in surprise. Gohan joined him a moment later with the same expression. The beam eventually dissipated enough to be deflected away and explode harmlessly off the barrier above.
"That's not good," Verto muttered.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Gohan noted.
"I should have used Kaio-ken," Verto claimed.
Gohan shook his head, "I don't think it would've mattered."
Vang grinned wickedly as a trickle of sweat ran down the side of his face, "Thank you for that. I admit that even I wasn't sure how I would hold up in the face of both of you at once, but now I know. You're all finished!" Just as Vang finished speaking, the Bikou began to swarm in around Verto and Gohan again.
"We can't give up Verto, we have to attack him directly and hopefully disrupt his concentration somehow. Otherwise he's just going to wear us down like this," Gohan suggested.
Verto nodded, "Got it!" Gohan charged forward shoulder first and plowed through a Bikou pack before engaging Vang again. Verto was quick to follow, until a sudden flash of purple blocked his path and he ran into something solid. He fell backwards and stared ahead, seeing another dim barrier blocking his path.
"No!" Verto cried out as he ignited his sword and got up. Gohan turned and saw this too late, for Vang was already in his face. His first claw swipe tore into Gohan's chest, leaving a large gaping wound that oozed blood. Gohan gasped as he glanced down and felt the open wound with his fingers, gazing at the blood that was pouring out.
"Lucky, I missed your heart by an inch. I guess you get a few more minutes to live," Vang declared. Gohan slumped to the ground in utter shock and fell backwards as his hair faded to black. Verto slashed at the Shadow Barrier blocking his path but could not break it.
Damn, he was just playing with us. Whatever this new type of Chi energy is, it's too strong for us to face. The Bikou quickly came in and Verto was forced to divert his attention. Before they could overwhelm him, he ignited another Chi sword and began spinning rapidly with both blades. A whirlwind of swords formed and tore through the Bikou pack, ripping them apart quickly. Inside the barrier, Gohan grunted painfully as he tried to get to his feet. Vang stepped down on the fresh wound in Gohan's torso, driving his foot into it and keeping Gohan on the ground. Vang put all his weight on Gohan's chest with one foot, and then dropped his other one directly onto Gohan's left arm, breaking it almost instantly. Gohan's painful screams echoed, but all Verto could do was attack the shield and the Bikou around it. Goku turned his attention to what was going on from afar, but was soon attacked by more Bikou coming through the portal in an endless stream. The other Z fighters were also under continuous attack despite clearing out many of the beasts already.
"My brother is in trouble!" Goten shouted.
Trunks nodded as he punched a Bikou away, "But we can't use fusion yet!"
Vegeta snarled as he held an injured shoulder slightly while kicking away another shadow demon, "Blast it all."
Vang laughed as he reached down and grabbed Gohan up by the throat, "I'm going to enjoy squeezing the life out of you."
Gohan struggled to move as the remaining air was choked out of him, "N-Not like t-this!"
Vang's smirk grew, "Yes, like this. I'm going to finish you off, and then I'm going to tear that kid limb from limb. You never had a chance against my full demon form, I merely allowed you to think that you did. Prepare yourself, for the end." As Vang tightened his grip, Gohan began to gag and squirm to escape, but with his injuries he didn't have a prayer.
"Kaio-ken!" Verto shouted. Bright green erupted from the edge of Vang's shield, pulling Vang's attention as he dropped Gohan. Verto's potent aura had shifted to bright green and any of the attacking Bikou were quickly destroyed by the sudden burst.
Vang shook his head, "It's pointless you know."
Verto's fist glowed with all of his power as he thrust forward, "Super Galic Fist!" The detonation lit up the lands again, but when it cleared, nothing had happened. "Damn it!" Verto growled as his energy fired up again. Both hands glowed with the potent green Chi as he began rapidly punching Vang's extra-strong shield with a rapid volley of Galic Fist attacks. Each blast flashed briefly before showing no effect.
Inside the barrier, Vang felt the need to chuckle slightly while this barrage went on, "I told you that it's pointless. But you always were a slow learner." Verto breath became short as he had put as much effort as he could into breaking the shield, to no avail.
"Just fucking break!" Verto bellowed as his energy erupted into an erratic flame around him. Fist and shield collided, creating a clash that sparked with energy lightning. Verto's aura began to spark rapidly with a multi-colored display as he tried to break Vang's shield with all his might. Vang looked concerned for a moment while this struggle continued and said nothing. In front of Verto, he noticed one small crack forming next to his balled up fist.
Now! With a mighty shout, Verto's Galic Fist exploded with random shades of blue, gold, white and red before brightening the lands with bright white. The blast cleared quickly and Verto stood still with his fist outstretched, panting heavily. In front of him, Vang's shield had broken apart like glass for about twenty feet around the impact site. Multi-colored sparks came off of the edges from the residual energy and Verto stepped through. His energy quickly came back up as he charged towards Vang with another Galic Fist ready to go. Vang phased out just as Verto swung, missing him completely. Instead of trying to find him again, Verto knelt at Gohan's side to examine the injury, panting while he did. Vang reappeared next to the breach in his barrier, which had yet to dissipate. He felt the edge of the glass-like barrier and scowled before turning back to Verto. The rest of the shield vanished around them a moment later.
"This barrier one of my strongest ones. It is tougher than most metals and can survive nearly any energy attack below its level. The fact that you've broken it tells me just how strong you really are. Or rather, how strong you potentially are. But you shouldn't waste a precious resource. You may or may not know of what you just did, but I can tell you that it was a complete waste," Vang explained.
Verto ignored him while he knelt at Gohan's side and poured energy into his palms, "Hold on Gohan!" Green Chi waves flowed over Gohan's chest wound and began to mend it. Halfway through, Verto's energy faded along with his Super Mystic form while he continued to breathe hard.
"Damn it," Verto grumbled.
Gohan's eyes opened as he struggled to move, "Are we dead?"
Verto wiped the sweat from his brow, "Not yet." Gohan's wound had been sealed, but he was still far too weakened to attempt even getting up at this point.
Verto's fatigue washed over him as he held the ground with his hands and knees, What was that I felt? When I switched on Kaio-ken, I didn't feel anything weird initially, but when I put everything I had into the Galic Fist, my power exploded and then drained off. It was like it was feeding into something else. Whatever it was broke the barrier, but now I can barely stand up. Why did that happen? I've been able to hold Kaio-ken for longer and not be this tired, but I did expend a ton of energy. What the hell was it? Vang's confidence looked slightly depleted as he stepped towards the exhausted pair of Saiyans.
"I have to admit that this will be a bit dull and anti-climatic, but you leave me with little choice. Looks like I was right to try and take your body before, but now I have no need of it. I knew Leira and her precious Guardians wanted to recruit you, but now I see that you pose a greater potential threat than I first thought," Vang claimed.
Verto's breathing slowed slightly, "Then w-why don't you just fuck off! I'm sick of dealing with your ugly ass!"
Vang grinned, "Can still display your wits eh, that's not bad for someone who almost shattered his own limits. That attempt should have killed you. Do you even know what you almost did?"
"No, and I don't care. All I was doing was trying to stop you, the rest is hearsay," Verto claimed defiantly.
"Ignorance will get you killed brat. I suppose it's better this way though, I would rather take care of you now then face the remote chance of dealing with you later," Vang said as his palms lit up with bright purple energy.
Verto closed his eyes, "Just get it over with." Vang smirked momentarily until something flashed above him. The barrier above him was giving off a bright, silvery tone, as if something was attempting to break through it from outside.
"What is this?" Vang asked. Verto also looked up but was just as clueless. Cracks formed in the larger barrier just before it broke apart. A bright thin beam of white light shot down and collided with the land just a few feet in front of Verto and Gohan. This light expanded outwards in an instant flash and passed through everything. All of the Z fighters stopped as this occurred, but the light appeared to do nothing to them. The Bikou however evaporated on the spot and all were gone within a few seconds. The light also passed through the black portal and caused it to vanish. As it collided with Vang's gigantic barrier, the light seemed to absorb into it and create a vivid swirl of white and purple before it vanished. Darkness overtook the lands again, but it was more from the huge rift that was continuing to pulse. Above, the darkness that had blocked out the sun and stars had vanished, and the sun could be seen on the far west horizon, signaling twilight. Verto covered his eyes to the brightness of whatever had landed in front of him, which was still shining with the same intensity as before. He could make out silvery hair covering the person's head, as well as a white and velvet robe that hung off the person's sides. Verto could make out a sword sheath on the left, which the newcomer was holding onto at the hilt with the other arm. Pure Chi waves flowed off this new presence, but in a soothing, non-evil manner which made Verto feel warm and safe.
Vang's teeth showed as he grew angry, "You!"
Gohan struggled to sit up, "Who is that?" The light faded away and Verto got a look at the person who was standing before him, causing him to gasp slightly. The purple eyes and white-silver hair was enough of a giveaway before he saw the facial features. The figure smiled and gave him a knowing nod before turning towards Vang.
"Who is that?" Gohan repeated.
"Etarb…" Verto said in amazement. From afar, Piccolo had noticed the same thing, though at this point the new arrival had pulled the attention of all the tired Z fighters.
Etarb Erec pulled the sword from his side as he continued to glow with bright white energy, "By the authority of the Guardian Council, Vang, of the Shadow Demon Realm, you are under arrest!"
PL
Vegeta (SS3): 600,000,000
Super Mystic Gohan: 760,000,000
Super Mystic Verto: 624,000,000; Kaio-ken burst: 936,000,000
Vang: 1 billion
A/n: Aww shit, the cops are here!