One year ago today, I published the first chapter of Another Age, Another Adventure. How fast time flies when you're doing something you love. I hope you all wish this story a happy anniversary!
Chapter 11 - Demons
The Loser Squad was dwindling in numbers, but they certainly weren't going down quietly.
Dabura charged into their ranks, demon sabre glinting cruelty while a black flame licked the blade. Several of the army scattered, but Cooler wasn't so lucky as to do that. He formed a blade of his own ki, not unlike Salza's, and tried to meet Dabura head on.
It would be the last mistake the elder brother Arcosian ever made.
Dabura's blade came swinging down, shattering Cooler's ki blade before he could do anything with it. Dabura quickly followed up his slashing attack with a fierce kick to his torso, greatly winding Cooler. As he began to fall, Dabura extended his hand, red and black energy crackling within, and unleashed a torrent, shredding what was left of the street and vaporizing Cooler in the blast of evil energy.
Dabura had only been fighting for mere moments, and already one of the higher ups were down. That was all the motivation needed to drive the others to fly in and attack.
Gohan looked on at the display as Dabura artfully weaved between attacks. Blows and blasts from Frieza, Cold, Bido, Bujin, Koga, Burter, and Recoome were all dodged with ease.
A large green figure came crashing in, however, and sent Dabura flying backwards. The demon king skidded across the ground, growling as he flipped back up, locking eyes with Bojack. "You're quite a powerful one" Dabura noted.
"Even if you don't act like it, you carry the strength and skill of a demon king" Bojack responded. He glanced behind him, and the remaining three Heras walked up to stand alongside him. "It is immense, however, it is limited. I-"
Bojack found himself unable to complete his statement as a boot connected with his face, sending him through Kogu and Bujin, while Bido stood off to the side. Gohan finished his motion and landed, and in the spirit of no one left out, extended his palm and blasted Bido at point-blank range, incinerating the Hera.
Gohan hissed a bit. The movement was painful, but far from unbearable. He clenched his responsive hand tightly while his left arm hung at his side uselessly. "Let me handle Bojack" he said to Dabura. "I'd wager he's the only one here who could give you any trouble, but I can make sure he goes down. Just take care of all the others."
Dabura glanced towards the engorged Hera, and nodded to Gohan. "Alright, take down the leader, I'll scatter the army on the winds!"
In response, Dabura brandished his sword and darted past him, rushing back into the fray as Gohan faced down the recovering Hera.
He took a deep breath, clenching his one good hand tightly. "With Cell gone, Bojack is the only real threat remaining" he considered. He looked towards his bloodied shoulder and limp arm. "Normally, one on one, Bojack wouldn't be an issue, but my power's beginning to lower, and without one of my arms, I feel kind of handicapped."
"Boy, you are going to regret that" Bojack seethed as he faced Gohan. His engorged muscles tightened as his green aura flared to life, and his energy level rose to its apparent maximum. Next to him, Kogu struggled to his feet, and Gohan was surprised to see that he had taken on an appearance not unlike that of his leader's. Bujin, however, appeared to be down for the count.
Kogu drew his sword, the blade's sheen dulled in the hazy air, and leveled the weapon towards Gohan. "The lizard man didn't seem to complete his task, what do you say we finish severing your arm, eh?"
Gohan dropped into a fighting stance. He let out a battle cry as his white aura flared to life, sparks running across his frame, and supercharging the air around him. "I'd like to see you try" he said, his face hardening.
There was no room for holding back now. He had to let his Ultimate power fly and end things before they got even more out of hand.
With twin roars, Bojack and Kogu shot at Gohan, and upon reaching his cap, Gohan rose to meet them.
Otherworld
Goku darted backwards, narrowly avoiding a disc of energy that cut through the air, reality itself bending around it. Although he avoided a flesh wound, one of his comically large locks of hair floated to the ground, shrinking and fading to black.
He was panting. He was dead, yet he was panting. He was thankful that the fight had been taking place down in Hell, he wasn't sure he could handle it half as well if the fight had been dragged into the outer worlds. At least on this side of reality, Super Saiyan 3 was easy enough to keep going.
Too bad it wasn't enough…
He felt a sudden appearance of disturbingly dark ki behind him, and spun around, fist cracking across the bony red jaw of the demon he was locked in combat with. The demon's head snapped to the side as he was knocked to the ground, but it didn't keep him down. Nothing did.
Even in the face of mortal peril, Goku couldn't help letting out a small chuckle. "And to think, only a little bit ago, you were a big, fat, yellow baby" he huffed. "Even then, you were powerful enough that you could have given Buu a run for his money. Now…"
He locked eyes with the demon, who had paused as Goku made his speech. His actions betrayed the idea that he was any more intelligent than the final Kid Buu had been, but his eyes had a depth to them that suggested much more.
He cracked a grin. "You're probably the best opponent I've ever had, Janemba. Buu might have been stronger when he absorbed my friends and family, but you've got so many abilities that I never thought existed!"
Janemba cracked an evil grin as Goku complimented him. His tail curled up, and whipped the ground, sending up a spray of shrapnel. "GRAHAHAHAHAH" Janemba cackled, apparently pleased with himself.
Goku lost the amused expression, donning his serious face once again. "I don't know how much longer I can keep going. I'm lucky to have survived this long. As much as I hate to admit it, I could really use Pikkon to hurry it up out there." He looked at his clenched fist, and an echoing roar rumbled the back of his mind. "If I could land it, I might be able to destroy Janemba, but it's no good. He's too fast, and between that and his warping, he'd dodge it, and I'd be a sitting duck."
He got back into a fighting stance as Janemba appeared to grow bored of the standing around. "None of the techniques I've developed in Otherworld would work against this guy. He's too… weird." He sighed. "But maybe… One of them could buy some time?"
Staring at Janemba, Goku let out an extremely deep breath, and his body relaxed. It was as if the floodgates had shut, and the massive source of power flowing into his body vanished. His hair retracted, fading to black. As soon as his locks had darkened however, he let out a shout, and his hair spiked back up once again, electricity arcing across his frame as he reached the Ascended state.
Janemba cocked his head at him, and Goku felt scrutinized. Janemba noticed how much weaker he was now, and was likely confused.
And that's what he needed to capitalize on.
He let out a roar that shook the heavens as his entire vision flashed crimson. The ground beneath was completely eradicated by his power output. "Super Saiyan Three is still too much of a strain to risk it, even here, but Two can handle it just fine!" he shouted at the demon. "I can't risk going too high, but I can at least go high enough that I can get an edge on Super Saiyan 3."
Janemba roared and charged him, arm back in waiting to connect with the Saiyan, only for his target to vanish. Janemba slowed as Goku appeared behind him, almost as if dropping out of hyperspace, and delivered a fierce kick to Janemba's spine. The demon jolted and swung around, ready to swat Goku like a fly, but Goku backpedaled at high speed, placing some distance between the two of them before thrusting his arm forward and unleashing a high velocity blast. It was fast, and focused, and with Janemba mid swing, he didn't have a chance to portal this one away, letting it pierce his stomach.
The purple skeletal armor shattered as the blast exited Janemba's back. Goku dropped the Kaioken as he landed, knowing he needed to conserve his energy. He wasn't terribly hopeful, but it was annoying nonetheless when Janemba's wound closed itself. Even the armor regenerated over it.
"He was born by Buu's spirit, he had to be able to regenerate…" Goku groaned. After facing all his enemies in the second half of his life, Frieza and his being able to survive almost anything, Cell's growing back and wounds he was given, and Buu's practical immortality from his bubblegum-like body… He was starting to get really sick of regeneration.
Janemba ground his teeth as he stared Goku down. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" he roared, purple aura exploding outwards. Goku staggered backwards as somehow, Janemba's power shot even higher, stunning Goku. "Well, he's obviously inherited Buu's ability to hide his true power" he realized.
Janemba began to split apart, disappearing as his form became a sparse cloud of particles. Not willing to fall for the trick this time, Goku shot back up to Kaioken x4, his senses sharpening as the violent hue overtook his body, and sensed the movement behind him. He swung around, ready to unleash another blast into the demon, but it met nothing but empty air. In the same motion of him throwing the blast, Janemba reassembled right beside him, forming in the corner of his vision.
Time seemed to slow down as Goku turned to look at the demon, who had that same look of dark satisfaction as he often wore. The final piece attached itself to Janemba, and he opened his mouth, erratic green energy forming in it. Goku didn't have the time to react as Janemba unleashed a torrent of energy from his mouth, completely overtaking the Saiyan in a searing flash. If it hadn't been for the added force of the Kaioken, things might have ended right there.
As Goku fell to the ground, the red aura faded, and his hair softened, dropping from the ascended state to a base Super Saiyan. With a rough groan, he fought to spring back to his feet before Janemba could do anything to follow up.
He dropped into a fighting stance once again. With his spirit body, he could recover from the damage and injuries he had sustained far faster than normal. But it would still take time, time which he didn't have with his current opponent.
"GOKU!" he heard a voice roar his name.
He glanced up in time to see a powerful sphere of green energy get flung down at Janemba, covering the demon in a cloud of smoke and fire, and the pained grunt that rang out told that it had met its mark. Dropping down beside him, Pikkon put his guard up. "How's the situation? I don't suppose you're at your first level because that's all you need to us here?"
"Heh heh, sorry, but nope" Goku chuckled nervously. "This guy's really been running me through the wringer, I'll be lucky if I can make it back to the ascended state soon enough to matter."
Pikkon huffed. "Well that's a good deal less than I was hoping for" he muttered. "If he's strong enough to defeat you at Super Saiyan 3, then we might really have our work cut out for us."
"Yeah, I know what you mean" Goku said. "I tried using the Super Kaioken at Super Saiyan 2 to conserve energy, but it didn't really work. I thought if I just accessed the power in bursts I'd be able to last longer, since Super Saiyan 2 is easier to hold, but I guess I was wrong."
"Nothing's ever certain against an enemy like this" Pikkon said as the smoke began to clear, Janemba becoming visible once again. "I'm open to ideas, though, you probably have more of an idea of what he can do than I do."
"Heh heh, nope, I'm about as out of ideas as I am out of power" Goku laughed weakly. His laughter halted abruptly, however, as he saw Janemba reach down and grab a fragment of shattered stone from the ground. "Uh oh…"
Pikkon glanced confusedly at him, and Goku grabbed his shoulder suddenly. "We need to move!" he shouted, bringing his other hand to his forehead.
Goku searched for an energy to lock onto to get them out of there. Luckily, Hell was full of residual spiritual energy. With a quick motion, he and Pikkon disappeared instantly. The last Goku saw of Janemba was the stone in his hand morphing in his grasp.
Satan City
Gohan leaned backwards as Kogu charged him again, sword in front as he attempted to run him through. Bracing himself with his good hand, he kicked his legs up and locked the blade in a scissorhold. He twisted, slamming one foot into Kogu's face, sending the Hera reeling, and yanking the sword from his grasp.
Bojack was almost on top of him. He completed his flip, grabbing the sword and channeling energy into it. He never got a chance to try the Z-Sword in combat, but back during Cell's appearance, the Trunks from the future had given him some tips on swordsmanship.
"Even tempered steel is nothing compared to the levels we move at" he had said. "So normally, you'd be hard pressed to cut anyone like us with it, and it could be broken pretty easily."
"So how come you used a sword to fight the Androids?" Gohan had asked.
"There's a trick to using a weapon like that" Trunks had responded. "A sword is nothing compared to a fighter's energy. So to use it, you have to treat it as an extension of yourself, and that includes channeling your energy through it. It becomes a part of you, it's slices and durability just as powerful as your own blows and stamina."
With his recent appreciation for swordsmanship, Gohan wasted no time channeling his ki into the blade, and raised to meet Bojack's attack. The massive fighter didn't react soon enough, as the cold blade sliced upwards, cutting right through his descending fist. There was a spray of fluid as Bojack roared in pain, clutching his hand as it split down the middle.
He didn't have time to grieve, however, as Gohan sank his foot into his stomach in a powerful side kick, sending the space pirate reeling as Kogu came charging back in.
He didn't hesitate to point the blade at Kogu. He channeled a massive upheaval of energy into the blade, and it shot out the end like a cannon, a piercing energy blast that punched right through Kogu, the light leaving the Hera's eyes almost immediately. He tossed the blade up to give himself time to destroy his body completely with a larger energy blast, catching it as it fell back into his grasp.
With the lesser of the two down, Gohan turned to focus solely on Bojack, who appeared absolutely livid as his hand continued to bleed. He turned towards Gohan, seething. "BOY, DO YOU HAVE ANY LAST WORDS TO SAY BEFORE YOU DIE?!" he bellowed with rage, good hand forming a massive sphere of green energy, jumping high into the air and bringing it back
"This sounds familiar" Gohan chuckled, thrusting the sword into the ground to free his hand again. "Actually, Bojack, there's one that comes to mind!"
Reaching back, Gohan filled his hand with a violent blueish-white energy. "KAMEHAMEHA!" he roared, firing a powerful one-handed version of the ultimate technique of the Turtle School in sync with the release of Bojack's attack, firing the blast up into the sky.
Unlike last time, the attacks did not clash. Gohan's Kamehameha Wave completely overpowered Bojack's attack, leaving the wounded Hera stunned as his attack was brushed aside like it was nothing. "No, NO!" he roared, holding his hands out in an attempt to stop the wave. His cry echoed through the sky, coming to a stop as the wave shot into the atmosphere, and his energy signal disappeared completely.
Gohan cut off the flow of energy into the attack and lowered his hand, panting slightly. "It's a real pain fighting with only one arm" he realized. "I wonder how my future counterpart managed to do it as long as he did."
As his battle quieted, he looked down the street, and was quite surprised to find the trail of corpses leading to the battle, which at this point, seemed to only consist of Dabura, Frieza, and another that Gohan could almost have mistaken for Cooler in his fourth form. He appeared similar to Frieza, albeit having a larger and bulkier build, as well as purple skin covered in white bio-armor. He realized with a start that this must have been King Cold's true form. The power radiating off of him was immense for what he had come to expect from the Arcosians, but all the same, Dabura did not seem to have any trouble dealing with them.
Dabura released a blast of crackling black and red energy again, sending Cold crashing through a building, while Frieza took advantage of the moment to wrap his tail around Dabura's arm, restraining him while he raised his hand to prepare a Death Ball. Almost nonchalantly, Dabura spun his sword in his hand, severing Frieza's tail, the part wrapped around him flopping to the ground as Frieza cried out, the charge in the Death Ball, as little as it had been, vanishing. Taking advantage of Frieza's distraction, Dabura puckered his lips and spat at Frieza. The effects were instantaneous as Frieza's body began to become granite, freezing into a gray mold of the former emperor.
Cold came charging back out, light trailing along his fingers as he unleashed a massive barrage of Death Beams towards the demon king, who batted them away without effort and drew the Arcosian up short as he leveled his sword against his neck. Cold's eyes bulged as he realized he was trapped, and he looked up into Dabura's cruel snakelike orbs.
Dark flames began to lick down Dabura's arms, and he smirked at Cold. "From one king to another, well done" he said simply.
Cold looked furious and frightened, but after a moment, he let out a deep breath. The streets were quiet, as he muttered his response. "Well done indeed…" he spoke softly.
Dabura raised his other hand, gathering the blast in it. "Now, return to your rest" he said, and unleashed the evil energy, finishing off the final warrior. He dropped his sword, and the blade evaporated in a flurry of black flames. He took a glance at Gohan, then eyed the corpses lining the street. He waved his hand, and they too disappeared in a dark inferno.
Gohan and Dabura walked towards each other, meeting halfway in the street. "So, is that all of them?" Gohan asked.
Dabura closed his eyes for a moment, and Gohan saw a faint red glow appear around him. He opened his eyes, nodding. "Yes, all those who had escaped Hell are rightfully back. The only presences remaining in the city are a few humans, including some rather powerful ones."
"Probably Krillin" Gohan determined. "He and 18 were making sure everyone got out of the city safely while they took down all of the soldiers." He closed his eyes and stretched out his ki sense as far as it would go. He could feel Krillin moving towards them, and a few scattered humans throughout the city. None of them appeared to be fading, at which he drew a breath of relief. It hitched, however, when he picked up on a pair of signals not two blocks down from them. He froze. They felt very familiar.
"Are you picking up on something?" Dabura questioned.
Gohan took a glance at the demon. "No… nothing threatening anyways" he said.
"Not threatening in the grand scheme, anyways" he realized. "But I'm screwed!" Unless his senses were absolutely fried, there was no mistaking the two down the street as a pair that he spent five days a week sitting next to. And what's worse, the closest thing he had to a disguise on him was his tunic and cape, but that didn't do him much good.
"Absolutely boned…"
"HEEEEEEY, GOHAN!"
Gohan looked upwards, and despite himself, let a small smile creep onto his face as the pair descended from the sky. Krillin and 18 touched down about ten feet away, on the edge of a crater made from… someone's blast. There had been too much going on to know who.
Krillin started as he realized who Gohan was standing next to. "D-Dabura?!" he yelped.
"Calm down, Krillin, he's… alright now" Gohan said, trying to soothe the former monk. To his surprise, Krillin dropped the tension rather quickly, but he still eyed Dabura cautiously. Not that he could blame him. Krillin had spent the majority of a day as a statue thanks to Dabura before.
18 strode forward, glancing up and down the street. "Rather impressive that this is all the damage done, considering what went on here" she commented in her usual monotone voice. "I sensed Cell, among others. I expected this area to be nothing but rubble."
"Yeah, buddy, you did pretty well. Heck, I think things might only take a couple weeks to repair around here" Krillin agreed.
"Well, it wasn't just me, Dabura helped out a good bit too" Gohan admitted. "Cell might have been trouble without him." The mention of Cell caused a bit of frustration to flash through Gohan, and he felt the fabric of his cape twitch.
Krillin noticed the small movement, and gaped as he looked toward it. "Gohan, is that your tail?!" he asked.
Gohan looked down as the furry brown appendage wound about, almost snakelike. "Yeah, Turles showed up too, and he figured out a way to get my tail to grow back. They needed an edge on me, and suffice to say, they got one" he jerked his head towards his left arm as he finished.
Krillin let out a breath. "Ouch, that looks like it hurts" he said, looking through his pocket.
"My arm's pretty much useless for now, but it hurts a little less than it did" Gohan said, watching Krillin. "Hey, what are you…"
"Ah, here!" he said, pulling out a tiny green object. "Here, catch Gohan!" he said, tossing it over.
Gohan quickly reached out to grab the object before it hit the ground. He looked at it in his hands, and raised his eyebrows. "A senzu bean?" he asked. "I thought we used up Korrin's entire stock against Buu?"
Krillin shrugged. "I found a couple stashed in one of my old gi" he said. "It's pretty old, so it might not put you back in your prime, but I bet it can give you a pep up and get your arm working again."
Gohan grinned. "Wow, thanks Krillin, you really are a lifesaver."
Krillin rubbed the back of his head. "Oh? Says the galaxy-level Saiyan. Honestly, I'm just glad I have something I'm good at. I only had that one around because I've been keeping a couple on me in case any of my fellow officers get shot while we're on duty."
"Don't write yourself off, we wouldn't have lasted without you around, and not just for the beans" Gohan chuckled, popping said bean in his mouth and biting down. Almost immediately after swallowing, he felt energy flow through his veins. The soreness in his limbs faded to the background, his headache vanished, and he felt the burnt flesh in his shoulder begin to move. Connections re-established themselves, and feeling flooded back into his limp hand. Looking down, he made to close his fist…
And it responded. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, that's thousands of times better" he said gratefully. "Thanks Krillin."
"Hey man, I ought to be thanking you. You're probably the only person on the planet who could have taken on all these guys and live to talk about it" Krillin shrugged. He glanced at Dabura. "I mean, I say live, and I mean-"
"I understand" Dabura said, corner of his lips twitching.
"Speaking of which…" Gohan said, glancing towards Dabura. "Wouldn't you have to get back to Otherworld now? I mean, everyone is defeated, and, no offense, I doubt Yemma worked out a deal to give you live in exchange for rounding up a few hellraisers."
Dabura's eyes hardened slightly, but Gohan got the feeling that it wasn't directed at him. "Oh, I'm returning to Otherworld, alright, but how I get there is another matter entirely."
Gohan raised his eyebrows, and from a glance, could tell that Krillin was just as confused as him. 18 was looking off to the side uninterestedly. "Care to elaborate, big guy?" he asked.
Dabura gestured around. "You are no fool, Gohan, I assume you can still sense the dimensional distortions present?" At Gohan's nod, he continued. "They continue to exist because they are being maintained by their creator. A demon who surpasses even myself."
"Wait, is that the benefactor or whatever Cell and everyone were mentioning?" Gohan asked.
"I would assume so" Dabura nodded. "You'd be surprised how much more you can glean on a situation up in the Otherworld as opposed to down in Hell." He closed his eyes. "You know of the Soul Cleansing Machine?"
"A little bit" Gohan admitted. "Spirits who arrive in Otherworld that either don't keep their bodies or are going to Hell get sent through it to remove all evil from their soul. Doesn't seem to change their personality at all though…"
"No, all it does is undo the damage done to the soul by past misdeeds so that they can remain intact longer" Dabura clarified. "Today, however, was the day that Majin Buu was scheduled for his run through the Soul Cleansing Machine. Things were… less than what they had hoped for."
"Something went wrong?" Gohan took a stab at.
"His soul was too evil, far more so than they expected. Upon going through the machine, it overloaded, and the pure, concentrated evil of Majin Buu's soul escaped. It congealed with multiple millenia of evil soul siphon, before preying on one of Otherworld's ogre's for a host body. The result…" he sighed. "Such a force of pure, unrestrained evil, it's something I've never seen in my long rule over the Demon Realm."
"The creature calls itself Janemba" Dabura said. The name sent chills down Gohan's spine, though he didn't know why. "An amalgamation of evil across time. Besides immense power, this being has such an acute sense of reality manipulation unlike anything I've ever seen. The creature's mere existence is what locked off the Check-In Station. I was made aware that he transformed further and gained more power, not long after he began fighting your father."
"Wait, Goku's fighting this thing all alone?" Krillin asked.
"The being created spatial rifts that allowed the spirits residing in Hell passage into the world. If left unchecked, the universe could potentially implode on itself. The Saiyan is the only fighter anywhere near his caliber in Otherworld!"
"But why are you here then?" Gohan asked. "Shouldn't you be going to fight Janemba?"
"Your father has support on that side. Yemma assigned me to be the last line of defense" Dabura explained. "He predicts that if Janemba manages to finish your father, or perhaps even beforehand, Janemba will break for the real world himself. I'm here to make sure he does not advance any further than he can."
Gohan swung his arm viciously. "But you don't get it! If my father dies, then his soul will be scattered! Nothing can be done to bring him back! We can't let it get to that point, we have to go help!"
"The rifts work one-way, Gohan. We can't enter Hell through them, they only serve as gateways from the side Janemba resides. Your only ticket in would be suicide, and if he were to make his escape once you arrived, you'd be trapped!"
Gohan grit his teeth, but try as he might, he couldn't come up with a reasonable counter to Dabura's argument. "Then what, we're supposed to sit on our asses while my father fights for his life and hope that he wins or Janemba decides not to finish him?!" He threw his hands up. "I know my father, he's an amazing warrior, but if this Janemba is even as strong as the Majin Buu we have right now, my father likely is running on empty, especially if he's been needing to fight at the third level."
"Gohan, calm yourself" Dabura said sharply. "As much as you detest it, there is nothing we can do except wait. As I said, your father is not alone, and he stands a better chance at victory than you realize."
Gohan gave Dabura a serious look, before dropping it. "Fine, I guess we're waiting to see here" he conceded. He glanced sideways to Krillin. "Hey, Krillin, do you think you could help me with something?"
"Huh?" Krillin asked. "Uh, yeah, what is it buddy?"
Gohan felt the settling dread again, and walked over to Krillin. "Do you feel that over there?" he muttered, jerking his head back the other way.
Krillin raised an eyebrow and turned in the direction Gohan had gestured in. He looked thoughtful before blinking. "Wait, I recognize those two, aren't they… Wait, oh no…"
"Yeah…" Gohan groaned. "Listen, Krillin, do you think you can get them out of here fast? If this Janemba thing does arrive…"
"Yeah, I hear you" Krillin nodded. "I guess ground zero is still the worst place to be in the case of a universal threat. I'll get them out."
Gohan gave a weak smile in relief. "Thanks. And 18, you should go too."
18 looked like she was about to protest, but Gohan cut her off. "Just go with Krillin, get those two out of here, then go protect your daughter. Clear out the city if you can, but we can handle things here."
With a skeptical look, 18 huffed. "Fine… Krillin, let's go." Gohan might have imagined it, but the faintest of smiles might have played across her lips as she turned away. The couple took off down the street, leaving Gohan and Dabura standing among the rubble of the battleground.
Gohan grunted as he rotated his shoulder, feeling some major resistance doing it. "Not all the way…" he remembered. "Still, better than it hanging down useless again."
Dabura took a look at his arm. "The tissue has regrown, but it's not as stable as normal, it would appear" he analyzed. "As a demon, healing powers are sort of the opposite of what I deal in, so you'll have to pardon me for not being able to fix you up any better."
Gohan shrugged. "It's good enough to fight, and that's all that matters, right?" he asked.
Dabura nodded curtly, which satisfied Gohan. He took a glance over, and floated over to where he had been, picking up the sword from the ground. While he didn't exactly feel comfortable using the weapon of one of the Heras, the blade felt balanced in his grasp, and if this Janemba thing was as strong as he sounded, he could probably use the advantage of having it on hand.
Chills ran down his spine for a reason he could not tell. He turned towards Dabura, who seemed to be intently studying the empty air before him. There was an odd feel to it, and Gohan realized he had picked out one of the weaker rifts. Frowning, he strode back over, and tried to pick something out of the distorted space before them.
To his annoyance, the rift seemed to be unchanging. "So why is Dabura so focused on it?"
Krillin and 18 alighted down near the building, the two ki signals weak, but no weaker than an average human. One of them was stronger than normal, Krillin attributed it to Videl's presence. The girl was pretty tough for what she was.
Krillin took the lead and peaked inside the wreck. To be frank, the building didn't look like it should have been standing. The right angle and Krillin could see the sky up through the multiple stories of ceilings. "Hey, come on out, guys" he called in.
There was a yelp and some scuffled movement as the two popped up right in front of him. He recognized Videl. The other was a rather bulky blonde kid, who if he had to guess, was about the same age as her. He had seen him when he encountered the pair earlier while Frieza's soldiers were running through the city.
He immediately got 'the glare.' While Videl was fairly weak compared to him and his friends, she had a sharp look that she could bring out at any moment that would make his skin crawl. The only other women who could give him a look that cold were Bulma, and his wife.
"Officer Krillin?" she asked.
Krillin nodded. "Yeah, you've got it" he affirmed. "Come on, I'm here to get you and your friend out of here. We've got to move fas-"
"Hold up" Videl said, raising her hand. "What's going on out there?"
"Things are calm now, but they aren't going to stay that way for long" Krillin said briefly. He looked over his shoulder. "18, let's get them to safety."
The blonde android stepped into view, surprising the two occupants of the building. "A couple of teenagers?" she asked. With a huff, she shrugged. "Fine, let's get them out of here before this apparent shit hits the fan."
Videl shifted her gaze to the android. "What are you talking about? I'm not done here, I've got a job to do-"
"You're most certainly done" 18 cut her off. "Humans, especially young ones, have a tendency to jump into situations that they cannot comprehend. I recommend you trust us when we say this is about as incomprehensible to you as it can get. Now unless you're willing to be a sacrificial lamb and join all the monsters that were just here in the afterlife, I suggest you come with us."
Though 18 rarely broke her cold monotone, there was a light undertone of force behind it this time, one that left no room for debate, only for compliance. 18 extended her hand and unleashed a focused ray of energy that destroyed the rubble between the teens and them.
Krillin immediately froze at her action. "Uh-oh, this can't end well…"
Sure enough, Videl and Sharpner's jaws dropped as 18 blasted away the obstruction. 18 seemed oblivious to their reactions as she waved them outside. "It's time to move, kids" she said. "I've got a child of my own waiting for me, I'd rather get you two out of the way as soon as possible."
Videl watched as the debris of the building were incinerated. Nothing was left besides a few scraps of stone and scorch marks on the ground. "A… a trick?"
She didn't know what to think anymore. Between getting definitive confirmation that Gohan was Saiyaman, watching him fight Cell, and seeing a massive array of light shows all the while, her world was twisting and shifting beneath her feet. She felt the same heat emanating off of the beam that this '18' lady was using as she felt not to long ago, when she went up against Mercenary Tao. Only this time, the laser didn't come from a barrel that could easily have been a weapon itself. This one came straight from the air in front of her hands.
The time they spent in the building, the events they had witnessed, had tested her resolve as to whether these light shows were tricks or not, but this was the second time she had seen them up close and personal, and the only time she was able to witness their effects with her own eyes. Saiyama- "No, Gohan" had stopped Tao's blast with nothing more than a cloud of smoke resulting.
"Any day now" 18's voice commanded.
She found herself jolted into moving. Her and Sharpner emerged from the cover of the building, and she immediately found her arm gripped by the imposing woman. She started and pulled away, but she wasn't able to budge a single inch out of her grip. "Grab the boy, Krillin" she said, pulling Videl up and carrying her on her back. "My advice? Hold on."
"Hold on?" Videl asked. She didn't have a moment to contemplate the meaning, she was busy wondering why this 18 thought a piggyback ride would be faster than finding the bike they got here on, when suddenly the air slapped her face, and the ground began to rapidly grow distant.
She yelped as they ascended into the sky, hovering just below the cloud layer. If Videl didn't have such a tight grip on 18, she could probably have reached up and brushed the clouds. She looked down, heart thumping in her chest as Krillin rose up beside them, Sharpner on his back. The blonde teen locked eyes with her, and gulped audibly. "Videl, I'm freaking out a bit" he admitted.
"You and me both!" she wanted to shout out, but she knew how to keep herself better composed than that. "You guys care to explain what's going on?" she demanded of the couple. "Why… I mean, how are we flying?!"
18 craned her neck back to look at her passenger. "Want the long winded explanation of all the in-depth insight into our flight, or will you accept that we just can?" As Videl opened her mouth, 18 cut her off. "Just know that whatever you choose, I'm going with the latter." She closed her mouth with a look of annoyance on her face. "Good, now that that's settled, we can-"
The air around them shifted. Not just a breeze, no, it felt like reality was folding in on itself, twisting and distorting, compressing and expanding, over and over. With it, a sense of overwhelming darkness entered the field of the two's senses.
18 felt her blood run cold. Neither Cell nor Majin Buu had had this feeling of pure black energy to them. Whatever had just happened, whatever monster had just shown up…
"Krillin, we need to move!" she shouted.
Her husband's face had paled considerably, and she knew that he felt the same as her. With a shaky nod, he gripped his passenger tightly, and the two flared their energies high. Making sure her own occupant was secure, the two of them took off in a flashing light of white aura. They needed to get the HFIL out of dodge.
Otherworld
"So you ran because he grabbed a rock?"
"I mean, yeah, I guess that's one way to sum it up" Goku admitted. "But he turned a little toy club into a sword that cut through everything, I didn't want to chance it."
Pikkon blanched. "So, bug men, bubblegum monsters… are we ever going to get someone here that isn't completely ridiculous?"
"Don't ask me, ridiculous things have a way of finding me" Goku chuckled. "That's most of the reason I stayed dead as long as I did."
Pikkon chuckled along with Goku before donning his serious mask again. "So, any ideas on how to beat this thing?"
Goku crossed his arms contemplatively. "I'm not sure, to be honest" he admitted. "Janemba can regenerate, but I haven't been able to tell to what extent. Maybe he can regenerate as much as Buu, maybe even less than Cell. But the tough part is even hitting him to gauge it." He huffed. "He can create portals to send your attacks through, and he can move in and out of reality. He can dodge or push anything you toss at him right back at you. I learned that the hard way with one of my Kamehamehas."
"So the bad news is that this sucker is immortal and can move anything anywhere" Pikkon huffed. "I don't suppose you have any weaknesses scoped out?"
"Besides the fact that he's not that smart?" Goku asked. "Heh heh, nope, sorry, this guy's more than a little tricky."
"Why am I not surprised?" Pikkon grumbled. "I might have something, but I don't know how much usage it'll have here."
"What? How do you already know something about him?" Goku asked. "You haven't really fought him yet."
"Call it a hunch" Pikkon replied. "As ridiculous as it sounds, just try to-" he turned his head in tandem with Goku as a storm of shining white blades flew at them.
There was no time to finish talking as both of the Otherworld's finest warriors took to the skies to avoid the dagger-like attacks. "Looks like he found us" Goku scowled.
Janemba stood down in the barren wasteland, a feral grin etched into his face as he retracted his index finger. Goku took a deep breath and powered up to the second level. Their brief reprieve had given him that much time to recover. Pikkon flared his power beside him. Green and yellow auras clashing, the two stared down the demon as he strolled towards them.
Pikkon chanced a glance at Goku. "Hey, I may have a way to create an opening. But when I do, you need to take full advantage of it and hit him with all you've got."
Goku glanced at him. "What opening?" he asked.
"You'll know it when you see it" Pikkon said. "For now, LET'S GO!"
Pikkon dashed to the left, Goku circling around the other side. Pikkon gathered an orb of explosive energy before chucking it at the ground near Janemba's feet. Simultaneously, Goku vanished, reappearing next to Janemba and lashing out, trying to sweep him off his feet.
Goku's leg met nothing but air, as Janemba's form scattered in a pixelated cloud. Pikkon's blast impacted the ground, sending up a cloud of smoke. It wasn't meant to do much damage, but it did send Goku reeling from the force of the explosion.
Janemba appeared some ways away, mouth open and light leaking out. With a gasp, Goku raised his finger to his forehead once again, vanishing just before Janemba's massive mouth blast detonated where he stood. Popping back in right next to the demon as the beam faded, Goku's aura flared crimson as he struck out, managing to connect a blow to the side of Janemba's face, knocking his head back. Capitalizing on the attack, Goku sunk his foot into Janemba's torso, and as he hunched over from the impact, stuck his hands out and unleashed a wave of energy, washing over the demon. There was a deep grunt as he reeled, and Goku felt the satisfaction of landing a solid attack.
But when the dust cleared, Janemba looked annoyed, but not very damaged. With a roar, he charged Goku at lightning speeds, the air around him bending as he accelerated.
Goku planted his feet in the ground and braced himself. His aura shot even higher as he tapped into Kaioken x4 once again, and his hand shot up to meet Janemba head on. The two blows clashed furiously, sparks flying between the forces. With a shout, Goku rose another level, pain shooting down his leg as he brought himself to Kaioken x5. The surge of strength allowed him to bat Janemba aside and land another side blow directly into Janemba's chestplate, sending the demon skidding back once again.
He let out a breath as the red aura faded. "I can't keep the Kaioken up for long" he realized. It was still draining in Otherworld, and if he pushed things too far, he might not die from it, but the following vulnerability would make sure Janemba could take care of that.
Janemba stood a good twenty feet away from Goku, and while Goku was resting, Janemba's fist closed and reached back. Goku raised his eyebrows, and noticed too late as the air before Janemba began to distort and ripple.
He didn't have time to dodge as Janemba's fist shot forward, and struck him from behind, flooring him. Before he could recover, Janemba threw another punch, this one coming up from beneath him, striking him in the stomach and knocking him into the air, spittle trailing from Goku's mouth.
Goku's vision was a little hazy after being batted around, but his vision cleared as Janemba's hand appeared through another rift right in front of him, a dangerous looking blast in his hand. The blast shot at him from point blank range, but Goku managed to vanish from the spot just before it had released, making the blast sail into the distance, detonating and washing the area with heat.
Janemba looked disappointed that his last blast hadn't left the Saiyan a smoldering pile of flesh, but he wasn't given an extra moment to be so. There was a flash of light to the left, and a wall of fire came crashing down on the demon. Goku looked over and saw Pikkon's arms outstretched, posed in the middle of his Thunder Flash Attack. Goku charged his power as high as it would go, and brought the Kaioken back out in full force. Reaching x5, he cupped his hands, energy pooling into his hands almost instantly, before unleashing it with a bellowing "KAMEHAMEHA!"
The energy wave was massive, dwarfing Pikkon's attack as the two melded together in the center, forming a swirling, blazing ball of crackling energy. Goku grunted in pain as he kept up the attack, his nerves feeling as if they were being set ablaze as the Kaioken began to take its toll on his body. "If we can just keep this up a little longer…"
A terrifying roar sounded over the deafening noise of the blasts, a sound of pure rage. Goku's eyes widened as a he saw both blasts get pushed back by a spreading force emanating from the center. Reminded of Buu's Vice Shout, he tried his hardest to push back, but all he could manage was a stalemate between his and Pikkon's efforts. He tried to raise his power higher, but his body was already beginning to fall from the prolonged usage of the Kaioken x5, he couldn't manage a x6. He gritted his teeth and felt his power slipping…
"LIGHT GRENADE!"
From the direction neither his nor Pikkon's attacks were coming from, an overwhelmingly large blast came roaring over the commotion, slamming into the wall of force at a dead stop. Goku didn't recognize the attack, but he recognized the voice!
Even with the added force, however, Janemba's force was expanding still, pushing their attacks back. That is, until, Goku heard something he didn't expect to hear. With as much force as he could muster, Pikkon opened his mouth and bellowed. "DISGUSTING FREAK!"
To Goku's complete astonishment, the force Janemba was emitting buckled, and the three attacks sailed in and collided in the center. The energies fused together, pulsing and sparking violently, before there was a total detonation of the three, erupting skyward in a column of fire, and shredding the area, sending Goku flying back.
He force of the explosion made him black out for a brief moment, gasping as he came to. His power had dropped exponentially, and he felt weak. It took him a moment to gather that he had dropped out of his Super Saiyan form entirely, and he could barely stand as it was. His body felt as if it were torn apart, a sensation he hadn't felt since when Vegeta first arrived on Earth.
He turned his attention towards the now blackened and shattered area where they had been directing their attacks prior. Janemba kneeled in the center of the blast radius, and he finally seemed to have taken some major damage.
The majority of Janemba's body was seared. His armor had cracks running through in, and in some places, had broken off completely. A chunk seemed to be missing from his left arm, though he wasn't bleeding like a normal creature. One of his horns were missing completely, while the other had been shattered about halfway up.
There was a movement in the air, and a green-skinned fighter appeared next to Janemba, also sporting a crimson aura. But it wasn't Pikkon.
"Piccolo?!" Goku called out.
The Namekian didn't respond, but charged the demon and delivered a powerful blow to Janemba's already damaged torso, shattering another piece of the armor, some of the shards embedding themselves in both Janemba's and Piccolo's flesh, but if the Namekian felt the pain, he didn't show it as he relentlessly attacked the wounded demon.
Pikkon stood up a ways away and eyed the battle. Piccolo was landing multiple attacks, but Janemba was moving faster and faster all the time. He scowled, and took a deep breath. "MUTANT BASTARD!" he roared.
Janemba, who had been about to land a counter attack, staggered as if he had been struck physically, armor and skin cracking under the verbal assault. Never one to miss an opportunity when present, Piccolo's hand began crackling with energy. He forcefully struck Janemba's chest open handed, and a massive flash of light burst from Janemba's back.
Janemba sputtered and growled, clawing Piccolo across the face, and pushed himself away from the burning stream burning a hole through staggered backwards, and once again seemed to be in real pain.
Goku and Pikkon alighted beside Piccolo. The pair more recently from the living world took a glance at the long time resident. "So he's weak… to harsh words?" Piccolo asked incredulously. "I mean, my ears are sensitive and all, but insult him and he literally breaks down?"
"Strange, huh?" Pikkon admitted. "I got mad at the barrier and vented my frustrations, and surprisingly, the thing began chipping the moment that I said that I hated it."
"And you figured that if this thing is the reason for the barrier, he might share a similar weakness" Piccolo deduced. "Not bad. I've rarely met with so ridiculous a weakness as that, but at least it's something easily exploitable."
Janemba looked back and forth between them like a caged animal. With a growl, he launched himself at them once again, blasts collected in his hands.
Goku stepped forward. "HEY, YOU'RE ALMOST AS UGLY AS YOUR MOMMA!" he yelled.
Janemba started, falling down as the energy in his hands faded away.
Pikkon's aura began to swirl around him violently. "IDIOTIC BEAST!" he roared as his spun in a circle, and charged Janemba. The demon staggered at his words, and was blown away by the force of his Hyper Tornado impact.
"SORRY WASTE OF SPACE!" Piccolo bellowed as he thrust his fingers forward, unleashing a fast Special Beam Cannon, the deadly spiral beam drilling through the air and piercing Janemba's chest.
The demon fell backwards, low growl emanating from his chest as he collapsed on his hands and knees. Severely weakened, Pikkon raised his hands. "Come on, let's finish him while he's down!" he shouted, beginning the rapid series of fluid motions preceding his ultimate attack.
Piccolo and Goku took this as the signal. Goku gathered all the power he had remaining to bolster himself to Super Saiyan, while Piccolo pushed his hands together to prepare the condensed blast once more. Goku cupped his own as his side.
"Kaaaaa Meeeee…"
"Thunder…"
"Hrrrrrrrrr…"
Janemba looked up at the three warriors as the air became supercharged once again.
"Haaaaa Meeeee…"
"Flash…"
"RrrrrrrRRRRRRRAAAAAAAA"
The demon growled, and staggered to his feet, muscles tensed.
Goku thrust his hands forward. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
With a similar shoving motion, Piccolo unleashed his attack. "LIGHT GRENADE!"
The sparks trailing along Pikkon's body turned into burning strands of flames, and the flared towards his hands. "ATTACK!"
The two beam attacks swirled and merged together with the larger blast that had left Piccolo's hands, forming a deadly-looking amalgamation of burning orange, violent yellow, and calm blue, one massive fireball. The overwhelming energy engulfed Janemba's form, and the three warriors raised their hands to block themselves…
A reality shaking explosion rocked the desolate fields of Hell, the already hot air reaching bone-searing temperatures as the force of the blast ripped past them, trying to pick them up like a current. The ground beneath them disintegrated, what didn't completely vanish shattered and shifted beneath their feet.
It seemed like an eternity before the blaze faded, before the quaking quelled. One by one, the three warriors lowered their defense, and looked towards the glassy surface where the destruction had ceased…
No trace of the demon remained. Not a shard of his armor, not even a fingernail. Every trace of Janemba was gone.
"Did… we do it?" Goku asked, dropping to his base form once again.
Pikkon studied the area critically. "I believe so" he conceded. "It would appear that our combined strength was successful in destroying him." He took a glance to the newest member of the party. "Green skin, long ears, antenna?" he asked. "You must be Piccolo, Goku's told me a lot about you and your whole gang."
The Namekian nodded. "Yeah, though I appear to be at a disadvantage. Who are you?"
"The name's Pikkon" Pikkon introduced.
Goku grinned. "Yeah, he's been my rival ever since I got to Otherworld, and he's really good."
Pikkon chuckled. "Please, by the time you reached your ascended level, I was no match for you. When you reached the third, I was downgraded from rival to sparring partner."
Goku frowned. "Hey, don't beat yourself up like that." He raised his eyebrows. "Hey… what are you doing here, Piccolo?"
Piccolo scowled. "Does the halo not give it away?" he asked, jerking a thumb towards the floating ring above his head. "I lost in a battle on Earth, against Cell and the rest of them."
"Oh no, man, I wish I could have stopped them before they left" Goku deflated.
"It's fine" Piccolo grunted. "Gohan finished them off. Yemma had them in holding up above so that they wouldn't come back down and interfere, which I daresay we should leave before they get released back down here."
Goku blanched. "Probably a good idea" he admitted. "I'm a little too tired to deal with Frieza or Cell right now."
"Well, let's head back to Grand Kai's Planet and catch one of those showers" Pikkon chuckled. "I daresay that after finishing that creature off, we deserve it!"
Satan City
With a grunt, Gohan rotated his arm again, trying to extend the range of motion that he had. "Do you really think this Janemba thing is going to come?" he asked.
Dabura kept peering into the rift, as he had done since the old battle ended. And as such, gave no answer to the young Saiyan. Gohan huffed in annoyance. "Can't you tear your attention away from that thing for even a moment?" he asked.
To his surprise, the Demon King twitched, and tore his gaze away from the distortion before him. Gohan tensed. "What is it?"
Dabura blinked, and turned his gaze to Gohan. "Well, it would appear that for once in my extremely long life, I am the bearer of fortunate news" he said. "Your father, his ally, and the Namekian were able to slay the demon."
It took a moment for the words to register to Gohan, but they sunk in. A grin broke out on his face. "They won?" Dabura's nod was all the confirmation he needed. "Alright!" he shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "Man, my dad's really great, Piccolo too, and whoever was fighting with them."
"And of course, this marks the end of my time in this plane" Dabura finished. He opened his palm, and the black flames spread outwards, condensing into the form of the demon sabre.
Gohan raised his eyebrows, and tensed. "Hey, why do you need that if you're going back to Otherworld?"
Dabura looked at him confusedly, then noticed his stance and laughed. "Oh, Gohan, this is my ticket back, of course!" he said.
"Your ticket back… Oh…" Gohan realized what Dabura was insinuating. "That's… gruesome, isn't it?"
Dabura shrugged, hefting the blade up. "Please, it'll be no worse than what I've done to countless civilizations. Besides, if I don't return, there are worse things awaiting me in the afterlife when I would return in the future."
Gohan grimaced. "I suppose…" he sighed. "When you put it that way, it makes sense, though it's still-"
Gohan's blood turned to ice, and he gasped. Shivers ran across his arms, and down his spine. His head jerked towards the rift that Dabura had been studying, and stumbled. Dabura had taken on a defensive stance of his own, and Gohan knew that he had felt it. A presence, one of overwhelming, inconceivable darkness.
The rift rippled, before being shredded open, reality itself splitting and vanishing, giving way to a dark void. The first thing Gohan saw within was a pair of deep, evil, yellow eyes, glinting menacingly within the blackness.
Then the creature emerged further into sight. Covered in scorched red skin, a shattered purple breastplate and helmet, and sporting several deep wounds, the creature grasped the edge of the rift, and pulled itself forward.
Even as it stepped through the portal, its damage appearance faded. The scorch marks along the red flesh vanished, leaving it healthy. The skeletal armor restored itself, and the evil yellow pits that formed the being's eyes sharpened to a deadly point. The dark aura leeching off of this thing grew tenfold, leaving Gohan feeling insignificant in comparison.
His body reflexively dropped into a defensive stance. "Dabura… what IS that thing?!"
Dabura stepped backwards, sword brandished, and face betraying pure fear. He swallowed, looking the demon head on. "Janemba…" he growled.
Worth the wait? I sure hope so. Things really heated up. I don't have much to say here, most of you can probably work out what happened for yourselves. I just hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
Cybresamurai - I agree with you, but let me just say, it wouldn't fit with the events I have planned out for my story, not until after the ending.
SuperAlex64 - well I'm glad I didn't disappoint you then, and hope I didn't now.
TheRangerBoy - him turning a leaf is what actually happened in the anime, though it was more about Videl's love for Gohan rather than what I had to change it to be.
Kaithelonechampion - Glad to hear you appreciate my concept of it, I really did put a lot of thought into how it could work. It kinda fits with most other instances of tails regrowing, short of Goku in GT (but even then, it matches with it happening with his kid body).
inFamousSlyMonkey - don't worry, I didn't completely ditch her
Iikd - Up until this point, going out to destroy them would have just resulted in them returning and him just losing power. Hopefully you got more of the action you were looking for this time.
0 Jordinio 0 - I'm glad you enjoyed it, though as I said, with my current outline for the story, there's no room for Super Saiyan 4 until after the fact. Remember, he can't become a Golden Oozaru right now, since he's locked out of Super Saiyan, which kind of locks him from the form. I also don't plan to extend into Super at the moment, though I've lightly toyed with the idea of a sequel at some point. I don't know whether it'll pan out or not though.
Hope you all enjoyed. I'd love to see you all drop a review on the way out, and happy anniversary to everyone who's stuck around with the story since the beginning!