Goku stood, with a number of others, outside the Grand Kai's mansion and staring at the sky. The reason? There was a pulsing light forming there and slowly growing larger. "What do you think it is?" Goku asked.
"I don't know." Pikkon replied. "But I don't like it. Has anyone contacted the Grand Kai yet!?" he called, looking around.
"Someone has." the Grand Kai said as he walked up behind them with the other Kais not far behind. "This is most troublesome indeed." he said as he gazed at the light.
"Do you know what it is?" Sora asked.
"It is a tear." said Mikomi, softly. "Between here and the Mortal Plane. A breakdown of the barriers that exist between the planes." She shook her head. "First the doors seal and now this."
"This isn't natural, I fear." said the Grand Kai.
"Hmm, no, I doubt it is." Mikomi replied. "Someone is on the other side strengthening the tear, making it more stable and manageable."
"Why would someone do that?" asked Bardock.
The Kais remained silent for a long time as the tear suddenly calmed as well. It wasn't until it started pulsing and growing again that any of them spoke. "Recent events have lead me to believe..." Mikomi began. "That Makai is planning an invasion. One that is soon to begin."
"Makai?" asked Olibu.
"Our opposite." replied King Kai. "There are two Realms. Shinkai and Makai. Shinkai is ruled by the Kais while Makai is ruled by the Mazoku. They are two sides of reality, two sides of life, two sides of the balance. Good and evil. Neither can exist without the other. But every few dozen million years a Mazoku King will decide to launch an invasion of Shinkai in the hopes of trapping us and taking control of the Realm."
Mikomi nodded. "And it would seem they have elected to make another bid for control of this Realm. Unfortunately we are ill prepared to face them and the Realm is in poor condition due to the current imbalance that exists. These tears are a result of the imbalance and I believe the Mazoku and the Demons mean to use them as an easy access path through the entire Realm. I fear that, this time, we will not be able to drive them off."
Bardock half frowned and half smirked at what he heard. Things seemed rather desperate but at the same time the situation appealed to him, to his Sai-jin nature. For the last few years he'd had only Goku to spar with and not much else for way of fighting. Sparring was good but doing so against the same person constantly got boring. And sometimes something more than just a spar was what one needed to really get the blood flowing.
"So um, who are you, anyway?" Goku asked.
"GOKU!" King Kai cried.
Mikomi laughed and waved a hand in the short Kai's direction. "It's quite alright." she said. "My name is Mikomi and I am a Supreme Kai. The last Supreme Kai at the moment."
"Last?" asked Bardock.
She nodded. "That is the cause of the imbalance I mentioned. There should be four of us but... my three fellow Supreme Kais died some time ago. Kibito here shall replace one of them in a few hundred years but unfortunately much damage has occurred to the Realm since the passing of the others. Thus we find ourselves in our current situation."
As she finished the tear above them flashed a bright white, brighter than any of the previous times. Those gathered on the planet watched on in a mix of confusion and apprehension as they waited for something to happen.
"Hmmm? What's this?" The Grand Kai said softly as he turned to face the other way. The others all turned a moment later as a flash of white came from behind them. "Another tear has been stabilized.... do you think they mean to secure them all?"
Mikomi closed her eyes for a moment. And then she floated into the air and gazed down at the gathered warriors, another flash of light occurring in the distance. "Noble warriors." she began, her voice raised just enough that all could hear her. "We are on the verge of a disaster unlike anything this Realm has ever seen. The doors to the Mortal Plane are closed and sealed by unknown forces. The dead cannot crossover.
"And now paths have been opened between Otherworld and the Mortal Plane. Paths that the Demons who will soon attack may freely cross. All worlds and all Planes are in danger. This will be a war unlike any you have before witnessed. I ask all of you to lend us your strength in the coming battles. We must do what we can to keep the Demons from crossing into the Mortal Plane. We MUST hold the line here!"
As she finished a loud rumbling began to sound and then the planet to quake. Everyone began looking about for the cause and then someone let out a cry and pointed toward the golden clouds in the distance. The clouds that separated Otherworld from the H.F.I.L. were turning black. Black and red energy was beginning to punch holes through them. And then, suddenly, there was a flash of red and a thundering crack.
The clouds were destroyed, the barrier between the two Planes was gone, and the pulsing tears all through Otherworld had turned blood red. And then came the war cries as an army of Demons and dead warriors surged up from the lower Plane and charged the Grand Kai's world.
"Oh man!" Goku cried, wide eyed. "She wasn't kidding when she said a war!"
Bardock smirked. "I'll take the right side, you can have left."
"Hey, leave some for me." Appla said stepping up beside them.
"Hold them off!" Pikkon called, lifting into the air. "Keep them away from the tear!" A rallying cheer rose up through the warriors but, even as it did, Bardock doubted they could keep them all away. There were too many and they were coming from too many directions. The best they could hope for was to take out as many as possible and let those still alive deal with the ones that slipped through.
An instant later the sounds of battle raged through Otherworld. Goku, Bardock, Pikkon, Olibu, Appla, Sora, Zenryou, Mikomi, Kibito, and a few dozen others were cutting through the majority of the attackers with ease. Felling dozens of enemies with single blasts of energy. The four lower Kais were having a bit more trouble, especially the North and West Kais who were the two weakest.
Several of the dead warriors were also struggling to keep up with the majority of attackers but most were at least able to hold their own in one on one battles. The problem was, one on one didn't happen very often. Usually there were ten of them coming down on you at once. "King Kai!" Goku called, thrusting out an arm and firing a stream of blue energy.
The short Kai looked up as he heard a grunt and saw the energy beam punch through a rather nasty looking Demon with a very large mouth that had apparently thought the Kai looked like a good snack. "Thanks Goku!" he called back with a wave. As he looked passed his pupil toward the tear he caught something he didn't like the sight of. "They've broken through!" he yelled.
Goku, Bardock, and Appla all turned to look and, sure enough, a stream of Demons and dead people, notable from the Demons by their halos, were surging toward the tear. Goku was about to charge them when a glimpse of an individual among them froze him in his tracks. "No way!" he cried.
"Goku? What is it?" Appla asked.
Goku didn't answer, he shot off at full speed toward those now pouring through the tear. But he hadn't even gotten half way there when an energy blast slammed into his back and knocked him into the ground. As he rolled over onto his back the sounds of fighting began to die down around him. The attacking Demons and dead were pulling back.
And then he saw who had attacked him. It was a female Demon. Pitch black skin darker than any black he'd ever seen before. Sharp fangs. Glowing red eyes. No hair but two massive blood red horns on top of her head so large at the base they took up her entire scalp. They hooked up and back and tapered off to a point about a foot behind her head. She had on robes of blood red.
Behind her and to her left was another Demon that stood out. Porcelain white skin. Ice blue eyes. Shoulder length black hair. A pair of brown horns that grew out of the side of her head that reminded Goku of the horns of a bull. And the same blood red clothing. "Who...?" Goku wondered.
"I am Tenma." the white one said.
"And I am Demona." said the dark one.
And then, together. "In the name of the One True King of Makai, we claim this Realm."
"One true..." Mikomi said, softly. And then her eyes widened. "No! You can't mean...."
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Mortal Plane, Earth, South City, EDF Detention Center
"Man, it's gone completely nuts out there!" a guard said as he shut and locked the door behind him. "There's freaking Zombies everywhere! What the hell is going on?"
"Beats me." replied another. The two were both Humans and fairly new recruits to the EDF. As such their powers weren't exceptionally high and so they'd landed jobs as guards at the EDF's South City Detention Center. Jobs they had been complaining about being boring just a few hours ago but were now thanking the Kais they had as the rest of the EDF was being called out to fight the growing Zombie problem.
"It's the end of the world, that's what." said their only prisoner as he leaned against the wall by the barrier field that covered the exit of his cell. "End of the galaxy, even." He nodded toward the little TV in a small recess in the wall of the cell. It was currently tuned to the Galactic News Network and GNN was covering the emergence of Zombies on multiple planets now. It hadn't been more than twenty minutes since they'd first appeared and GNN already had reporters on location on Earth, Planet Vegeta, and Tanaria.
Suddenly he and the guards jumped as a series of loud bangs sounded against the door into the holding area of the center, where they were. The guards glanced at each other and then checked the monitor at their desk as more bangs came. "Oh, hell, it's just Ward." one them said as he moved over to the door and opened it.
"Gard, close the door, quick!" Ward said as he entered the room. "The blasted Zombies have broken into the building."
"Hey, guys, come on!" the man in the cell called. "You have to let me out of here!"
"No way in hell." the guard named Gard said. "You're just as dangerous as those Zombies!"
"Hey, I'm just trying to make sure I stay alive." the man said. "I can't protect myself from in here. I wont attack you."
"And why, exactly, should we believe you?" asked Ward.
Before the man could answer there was another bang at the door. The three guards glanced at each other then moved over to the desk and looked at the screen. There was a Zombie leaning against the door trying to push it open. And there were more shambling up behind him.
"Because," the man finally said. "You've got two options. Let me out so I can blast those Zombies or wait for them to come in and rip you apart."
The three glanced at each other again. "What do you think guys?" Gard asked.
"I'm not sure..." said Ward. "It certainly beats letting them attack us but... I don't trust him. How about you Jairel?"
Jairel sighed. "What choice do we have, really?" he asked.
Ward nodded and then turned from the other two and walked over to the cell. "Alright, we'll let you out. But you better not double cross us or I'll make sure to come back as one of them things just to eat you, got it Autoro?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Just get me out of here."
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Otherworld, Grand Kai's World
Demona smirked, a gesture only discernable on her face by the gleam of her white teeth. "So, you remember him. Yes. Quietus rules Makai once more. And soon he shall rule your pathetic Realm as well."
Mikomi froze in place at the sound of the name. Quietus. The Demon that had grown powerful beyond his post and laid claim to the position of Mazoku King around two thousand years ago. His power had surpassed that of even Dabura and it had taken the combined effort of the Mazoku King, herself, and her last fellow Supreme Kai to stop him then. And to do so had cost Shin his life.
They had been unable to match him in power. Even with the three of them working together it was impossible. And so they had been forced to use a plan of desperation. A powerful spell that would seal the Demon away. Trapped in a prison he would be unable to escape. Sealed within a Blood Crystal. But a Blood Crystal required blood in order to be made. Blood of opposing force to that which was to be contained. In this case, that had meant Kai blood.
Mikomi had offered, had insisted, but Shin refused. He said that it should be him, she was the stronger of the two of them left and so she was better equipped to protect Shinkai than he. And she watched over the most important of the Planes of Shinkai, their plane, and so long as it remained intact the Realm could be healed in time. She had little choice but to concede his point and agree.
And so the three of them had worked together. Kai and Mazoku. They cast the spell, forged the Blood Crystal, and trapped Quietus within it. Though death was not the end it had still been a painful experience and Shin had offered to remain to keep her company but she had refused and so he, like their fallen comrades before, had moved on to Heaven.
For Quietus to be back, now... for him to be in power again... it just wasn't possible. And... if he was in power again, was in control of Makai... then what of Dabura? Had the Mazoku King been slain? Mikomi knew that the four Supreme Mazoku of Makai would side with Quietus as they had before. If Dabura was dead then... there was no one who could help them.
Mikomi's legs nearly gave out on her as she realized just how bad the situation was. If Dabura were dead then she was the strongest opposition to Quietus left. And he was nearly twice her power. What hope, then, was there? She closed her eyes. /Hope... we can never give up on hope./ she thought. /So long as we still have hope there is always a chance to prevail./
Her eyes opened again, a second later, as she was pulled from her thoughts by a voice. "Kaio Ken times TEN!" Olibu cried, shooting into the air toward Demona. He never reached her. Tenma appeared between them and smashed he knee into his face knocking him back toward the surface of the planet.
"If you resist we will be left with no choice but to destroy you." Tenma said.
"Do not through away your existences." said Demona. "Pledge loyalty to Quietus, King of All Things, and you will be spared."
"How?" Mikomi asked, finally getting her voice back. "How is he free? How are...."
Now Tenma smiled revealing that her teeth where just as sharp and just as black as Demona's were white. "Some of your own helped it happen. Souls sent into the lower realms working together with those of Makai still loyal to Quietus. It took us a thousand years to get to this day but it was a thousand years well spent."
"As for our power." began Demona. "It was granted to us by our Master. He has given us power enough to crush this realm." She'd raised an arm and clenched her hand into a fist as she finished, to emphasize the point.
"I don't know about that." Bardock said, smiling, eyes turning to Tenma. "You're strong, I'll give you that. I felt that power spike when you attacked Olibu. But you can't beat us."
Demona laughed. "We are now stronger than even Malchio, the Grand Mazoku! Foolish mortal, you could never hope to match our power!"
Bardock's smile turned into a smirk and he glanced toward Goku and found his son looking at him with the same expression. It was almost like looking into a mirror. The two turned to face the pair of Demons again and slipped into fighting stances as they flashed bright golden. An instant later the two were surging up at the pair of, now very startled, Demons. The sudden power increases of the two Sai-jins had thrown them off-guard enough that they didn't recover before the two reached them.
Bardock slammed a knee into Tenma doubling her over while Goku flipped over Demona and came down between her horns slamming his knee into the back of her head. Goku spun quickly and kicked her in the side of the head knocking her one direction while Bardock backhanded Tenma and sent her in the other direction. They both had the same idea. In a one on one fight they could win, no questions asked. But if the Demons helped each other it could be a problem.
Tenma pulled to a stop and just barely dodged around a punch from Bardock and then blocked a kick. "Who... what are you?" she asked, the disbelief evident in her voice.
Bardock smirked. "Me? I'm a Super Sai-jin."