The Three Legendary Saiyans
Chapter 89: The Demon and The Sword.
With a grin on his face; Raijin stooped low to the ground like an animal sizing up its prey, his hands clawing at the dirt while Future-Trunks and Future-Mai both retreated to his location as Demigra stood in the air sending lashings of energy at the ground and setting the roads out of Prison City on fire while enjoying the screams of those Guards and Inmates fleeing on foot as they died from the fire.
"Raijin?! Where is your Anklet?" Future-Trunks barked with annoyance that The Anklet had been removed when Raijin's full strength would adversely affect Cress if he was still alive.
"Gone, Cress is either dead or unconscious right now… my powers are returning at last!" Raijin spoke with a wide grin; his whole-body pulsing with strength as the pair of Time Travellers watched Raijin's body slowly morph into that of a Super Saiyan 4.
"Future-Trunks… give me one minute to build up enough power to transform and then leave the rest to me!" Raijin spoke with a grin; the crimson fur sprouting from his flesh as he stood mid-way through a transformation before Future-Trunks' and Future-Mai's very own eyes, his black hair waving in the breeze at it lengthened.
"Sure; you got it, Future-Mai; fire whenever to have a clean shot" Future-Trunks nodded his head at the prospect of buying time for Raijin to finish transforming now that his full powers were returning to him, turning to his girlfriend and comrade-in-arms to give her to ok to fire supporting shots whenever a clear shot was available.
"You can count on me; my bullets always reach their mark" Future-Mai spoke up; modifying her gun as she spoke into that of a Sniper Rifle, switching out the shotgun rounds for long and thin penetration rounds for her rifle that she's previously used against Goku Black.
Taking off and leaving Raijin behind; Future-Trunks leapt from the fscvcruins of the watch towers and taking Demigra by surprise, Demigra's Staff barely reaching the blade of Future-Trunks' Sword in time as the blade sliced into the demon's neck and drawing blood from the severed artery until his healing power closed the wound and sealed the damage.
Gritting his teeth at that accursed healing power and his bad luck for not severing the demon's head, Future-Trunks flew back as Demigra pressed against The Sword only for the ringing of a sniper rifle being fired as a bullet penetrated his chest leaving Demigra to gasp for air until his healing powers repaired his damaged lung; his eyes seeking out the gunner but found nobody as Future-Mai would have moved after firing a single shot.
Glaring down at the ground in search of the gunner but finding not a single soul; Demigra glanced around though he sensed a massive power growing and growing in the distance but he cared little for that opponent but the one with the Sword worried him most, twisting his Staff in his hands as a series of chains sprang forth from the Orb in wait for the next strike when another gunshot rang out and striking at Demigra's other lung but the chains blocked the shot while he felt the impending blade striking at him.
Taking the sword strike; the blade sinking into his shoulder and almost taking off an arm as Demigra grinned through the pain when meeting the gaze of Future-Trunks, The Time Traveller grinning as the blade sank deeper into the demon's shoulder in an attempt to take off an arm but a violent flash from the Orb blew Future-Trunks backwards; a violent lashing from the energy chains striking him before attaching to his limbs and suspending up in the air and subject to Demigra's mercy.
With the raising of his Staff; The Orb atop his weapon glowed a deadly purple as a large axe blade sprang from the glistening jewel, "Pay no heed to my Demonic Axe Future-Trunks, for it will be the last thing you ever see!".
Future-Trunks grit his teeth as the energy chains restrained his limbs but his hands clenched onto his Sword while Demigra raised his Demonic Axe for the killing blow to end Future-Trunks' life when a golden flash lit up the skies akin to a rising sun in the darkness of the night.
With blazing golden flames and electricity coursing around his body, Raijin wielding the power of Super Saiyan 4, Raijin grinned with the energy he'd built up now that Cress was no longer a factor in his strength, the absence of The Anklet allowing his strength to flow freely but he still needed to power up if he was to fight to his fullest, leaping off the ground and swinging directly into action.
Standing in mid-air with his Staff poised to take Future-Trunks' head when a sudden blow to his back halting the downward swing on Demigra's Demonic Axe technique, Demigra recoiling from the blow as a golden flash rushed past him only to turn and strike him again across the chest, Demigra spitting up saliva from the blows to see none other than Raijin rushing towards for a third absurdly fast blow.
"Oh I don't think so! Twisted Twister!" Demigra smiled so widely that he exposed his fanged teeth; tossing his Orb and Staff in an arc as the wind around Raijin intensified into a spiralling tornado and trapping The Saiyan within while Future-Trunks stood armed with his Sword.
Frustrated that Raijin was incapacitated; Future-Trunks kept his sword raised to defend against Demigra's Staff, the weapon striking independently of Demigra's hands while he kept his hands together in a hand sign to keep Raijin within his tornado, Future-Trunks having had enough of the games and channelled his energy into his weapon and quickly slashing through the Staff leaving only the Orb remaining.
Demigra grimaced as the Staff fell to the streets below where the soldiers who served Cress all fled from the prison city, ignoring the peons below as his Orb was all he needed for the remainder of this fight; his concentration slipping slightly as his tornado burst apart with a blaze of golden flames from behind him.
Gritting his teeth and tensing his muscles; blood streaming from the burns and open wounds he'd suffered, letting out a mighty roar as Raijin clad himself in golden flames as he transitioned from his Super Saiyan 4 straight to Golden Super Saiyan 4, the powerful energy and flames he emitted proving stronger than Demigra's tornado and dispelling the wind only to drop out of the skies in a direct path to Demigra only to strike the demon hard in the back but narrowly miss stealing the Staff as Demigra summoned the weapon back to his hand before Raijin could grab it.
"You might have escaped my Tornado… oh?" Demigra grinned as he swiped his Staff in an arc while Raijin turned his flightpath in a headlong charge straight for the demon; creating a shield of his magic between himself and Raijin, the moment Raijin's fist met the magic shield; a number of spikes shot out from the surface of the shield and stabbed at Raijin's arms and legs.
"What?" Raijin spat; ignoring the pain he felt in his arms and legs as blood dripped from the wounds in his flesh, crimson droplets falling from his golden fur, but to the eyes of Future-Trunks; he noticed that the gleaming sheen was less bright than that of a fully-powered transformation.
"I wasn't expecting such a bold form… I'm impressed" Demigra raised his eyebrows I surprise as soon as he laid eyes on the Golden Super Saiyan 4; he'd felt amused by the base form but an upgraded form with such a golden sheen appealed to him greatly, his hand releasing his Staff as the weapon hovered in front of his chest before emitting an ominous glow.
"What of it? You like golden fur?" Raijin spoke back; cocking an eyebrow at Demigra as he shot a quick glance down at his compatriots, Future-Mai loading several rounds into her Modular Shotgun for close-range damage while Future-Trunks brandished his Sword and laying in wait to get a surprise attack.
"Maybe I do; it'll make a good pelt when I'm done ripping you to shreds!" Demigra grinned widely as he spread his arms out wide while his Orb and Staff melded with his chest, his muscles greatly expanding as dark blue fur sprouted across his body while his eyes shone a deeply bloody red.
"Cress once said something similar…" Raijin retorted; comparing Demigra to Cress, for the two was similar in a way; both uncaring and vicious but Cress had pride in his fighting ability while Demigra just used tricks to make easy kills and that was no way to fight in Raijin's eyes, even the impending transformation brought little to no reaction to Raijin's expression.
"What the hell?!" Future-Trunks spoke while Future-Mai stared up in horror at the foe they faced, not only was he incapable of being wounded while he had that Orb and Staff but was transforming into a beastly form of his own.
Clenching his fists as he felt his power weakening as he felt the weight of The Anklet start to return to his right wrist; figuring that Cress might be stirring from a bout of unconsciousness meant his time at his current power was drawing to a close and needed to end the fight here and now.
Grinning with great tusks jutting out from either side of his fanged mouth; Demon-Demigra grinned a malicious grin as the vastly increased size of his body dropped out of the air and down on top of Future-Trunks and Future-Mai, the cloud of dust thrown out by the sudden ground strike masked Demon-Demigra from view as the two Time Patrol Agents came running out while Raijin brought his hands together only to fire an unspoken Divine Masenko down into the dust cloud causing a new explosion and making the dust cloud larger.
Gritting his teeth as the golden sheen of his fur lost even more of its lustre; extending both hands and firing a series of blasts down at the ground as Demon-Demigra's glowering crimson eyes glared out from behind the veil of dust as he lay in wait for Raijin to weaken further to make the kill even easier.
Before Raijin could even sense the attack via his instincts; a heavy and powerful blow struck him hard in the chest with enough force that Raijin felt his ribs cracking under the weight of the great and beastly fist he'd been stuck by, gasping for breath as his cracked ribs squeezed his lungs before dropping to the ground like a fly while Demon-Demigra hovered with a fang-toothed grin.
As Raijin fell; Future-Trunks leapt into battle with his weapon brandished only to strike before Beast-Demigra could notice, the blade carving a long and bloody gash into the monster's arm so deep that Future-Trunks cursed his bad luck for not slicing the arm off entirely.
Howling in pain only briefly as crimson-glowing threads of blood stitched the wound back up to the point that even the fur-covered flesh stitched itself back together, with Beast-Demigra's wound repaired; the monster turned and faced a new adversary and followed Future-Trunks down to the ground, crashing into the ground only to stampede through the debris where Raijin lay barely conscious and Future-Mai hiding behind a crumbled wall was pipes, I-beams and other metallic objects scattered as Beast-Demigra and Future-Trunks fought Sword against Fangs amongst the city's remains.
Rushing to Raijin's side and grasping at his hand; though unconscious, Future-Mai quickly checked him over and gasped at how severe his injuries were now that she got a close look at him, keeping his left hand in both of hers as she watched Future-Trunks hold off and defend against the powerful and heavy attacks of Demon-Demigra.
Within Raijin's mind; he felt strange as he saw images of places he'd never been, flashes of memories that were not his own including that of a person bowing before Frieza and swearing fealty, plunging a katana through the back on Goku and killing Krillin via a katana slashing through the monk's throat, an image of three glowing green machines containing three women whereas one was Bulma though heavily scarred with burns and the seven wish-granting orbs gathered for a single and extremely selfish purpose, seeing another and fourth green-glowing machine with what appeared to be a man floating within, his eyes snapping open and focussing on his surroundings with only Future-Mai in sight.
"Raijin! Thank the gods you're alive" Future-Mai spoke with a warm smile; having wrapped a bleeding head wound with bandages, backing away so Raijin can rise back to his feet though his stance was unsteady.
"How is the fight going?" Raijin asked; raising his fingers and touching the freshly-applied bandage around his head, feeling a wet patch where the material had soaked up the blood from a wound to the right-side of his head, his unsteady feet causing him to stumble.
"Future-Trunks has raised The Sword of Hope; we just need to disable that healing ability and victory will be within sight" Future-Mai spoke quickly; relaying the information to secure their victory as far as her eyes could discern, placing her hands around Raijin's chest to help him to his feet when he stumbled.
"Leave that to me… I have an idea" Raijin spoke though his voice was shaking from what he'd seen in his mind; a small smirk crossing his lips as he spoke when he looked at Future-Mai leading her to assume she was a part of this plan of his.
Choosing with withhold her thoughts; instead watching Raijin raise his left fist, her eyes watching The Saiyan focus all he had left as his golden fur's gleaming sheen faded back into his bare skin as his left hand burst into a powerful flame.
"With a little luck; I can break that Orb, get to your boyfriend and pour your own energy into that Sword" Raijin flexed his fingers as he spoke; though he'd lost his strongest form but gaining a determined glare in his eyes as he turned to Future-Mai though she initially glossed over his assessment of the Future Duo being together before blushing beet red.
"Will that work? I can't use energy like you and Future-Trunks can" Future-Mai questioned Raijin's logic on the matter, her inability to use energy like her comrades did when she relied on her weaponry to fight.
"Doesn't matter; your bond creates a usable source of energy and if my line of thought is correct; you'll create an even more powerful Sword together" Raijin's smirk widened as he spoke; causing Future-Mai's cheeks to flush a bright red when she finally caught onto his meaning.
Sensing the incoming assault; Future-Trunks halted his flight and fell out of the path of Demon-Demigra's giant hand, smiling as Raijin rushed past him with a faint silver glow about his frame and closed in on the brief opening to strike the orb embedded in Demon-Demigra's torso with his flaming fist, Demigra screaming like he'd been set on fire as Raijin clung to Demon-Demigra's fur with his free hand while incinerating the Orb with all the energy he could muster until the Orb cracked and shattered under the fierce flames of Raijin's energy, smiling with the Orb's destruction and by extension Demigra's healing ability would fade.
With the mighty blow struck; Demon-Demigra spat up blood as the broken Staff shaft and the shattered Orb dug deep into his flesh and causing a great deal of internal damage that was not healing, with panting breath; Raijin's blazing fist faded and reverted back to normal but felt his strength become limited again leading Raijin to assume that Cress was awake.
Down on the ground; Future-Trunks and Future-Mai watched in horror as Raijin lowered out of the sky in a weakened and limited state but also sensed that his fighting power had greatly decreased indicating that Cress was awake again even to them.
Gritting his teeth at the loss of his strength when the fight wasn't over; Raijin touched the exposed burns that Cress had inflicted previously but ignored the pain he watched as Demon-Demigra reverted back to a humanoid shape but still bearing great power with a look of venomous hatred towards his foes while blood stained his blue robes from his wounds.
"How did you draw on such strength? That was not the power of mere mortals?!" Demigra growled his question; his face still half contorted into that of his own Demon Form until his beastly visage melted away leaving his human-looking face beaded with perspiration from the sheer pain he was experiencing.
Raijin's eyes glared out from the corners of his eyes; the wounding blow had been struck but that wound was no longer healing now thanks to the destruction of that damned Staff though the empty slot in his chest cavity where his Orb would sit made him grin when victory within reach, and all that was left was to deliver the finishing deathblow but he was willing to leave that to his comrades as this was their mission originally.
"What do you mean? All I was using was the primal power of a Saiyan…" Raijin answered coyly so not to reveal his God Ki; his own body felt his own power leaving him but determined to hold out until Demigra was dead.
"Don't you lie to me! That power was anything but mortal!" Demigra barked with anger; finally breaking his demeanour and snapping in a demand for answers, spikes jutting out from his hips and up the length of his spine.
"Funny that you ask when you have bene using powers beyond that of your own mortality, extending your life via that Staff I broke and I must admit that it was satisfying" Raijin countered with a chuckle; waving his finger in a dismissing manner but raising his fists to continue fighting even when his own energy was extremely depleted but he still had his God Ki trump card.
Hovering in the air opposite the man who'd' drawn out his hatred for those who could oppose him; cursing the fact that his Staff and Orb had been shattered thus costing him much of his power and the loss of Demon Form had weakened him far too much than he'd assumed when facing not only Time Patrol Agents but also a Pure-Blooded Saiyan with beastly powers like his own.
With sweat beading on his forehead from so many fights in such a short span of time; it felt like being in The Tournament of Power for a second time to Raijin but Demigra was still much weaker than the likes of Hit, Agnilasa, Ribrianne or Jiren but the vast array of techniques the his beastly power still made him a force to be reckoned with, Raijin's own weakened and tired state causing him to be blindsided by Demigra as he struck Raijin hard in the burnt shoulders causing The Saiyan to come crashing down into the ground near his friends.
"Are you ok? You're too weak to fight anymore now!" Future-Mai shouted; standing beside Future-Trunks with her hands both on his as she was indeed pooling her own energy and her feelings into The Sword of Hope just as Raijin had instructed her to do so.
"I'm ok… I still have one card left to play" Raijin spoke as Demigra stood high in the sky and above their heads, pooling his demonic power into the clouds to generate a thunderbolt so he might smite their lives away, Raijin drawing on the God Ki within him represented by a crimson flame flickering into life around his body.
"Raijin… you're using that now?! Pool your God Ki into the Sword of Hope!" Future-Trunks shouted as Raijin drew on the power, he and Future-Mai sliding their shared grip down the length of The Sword of Hope's grip so Raijin might place a hand on the weapon too.
"Exactly what I was thinking too!" Raijin stared at the duo for a second before answering; reaching out and seizing the grip of the weapon, in the desperate final attempt to win the battle; Raijin poured all his remaining God Ki into the sword.
"Great minds think alike!" Future-Mai spoke to herself with a grin; her eyes drawn to the glittering sword of energy as it grew and shifted into a much more powerful form, the blade gleaming a deep crimson as flames ran through the surface of the Sword of Hope.
With a mutual sign of respect for one another; Raijin and Future-Trunks gripped the Sword of Hope, taking a valuable second to pool in what God Ki he had left as the golden light of his energy left and reverted back to its normal crimson as the energy blade of The Sword of Hope grew larger and brighter until appearing like the rising sun when seen from a distance.
"You filthy mortals… pooling your Mortal and God Ki in a desperate bid" Demigra scoffed as he floated in the air while glaring down at the trio while lightning crackled high above; bringing his hands together over his exposed chest and charging what energy he had left for a final attack.
"You're wrong Demigra; this union is exactly why we will win!" Future-Trunks and Future-Mai shouted as one; their grip tightening on the weapon with Raijin flying up and lifting them both up in preparation for their own final attack.
"Together we will overcome your might! With our Sword of Victory!" Raijin spoke with a grin; the weapon grasped tightly in his, Future-Trunks' and Future-Mai's hands, the power radiating between them as the blade only kept glowing brighter and brighter as both warriors pushed off the ground in a final charge against Demigra.
Moving to counter with his Staff until Demigra recalled that his own weapon had been destroyed minutes ago; grimacing at his own lack of foresight and hesitating for the fraction of a second that The Trio needed as The Sword of Victory pierced his chest, screaming out in pain as the energy gathered in the blade seared the life out of his mortal body leaving his mouth and eyes to stare and hang open when life had instantly left upon impact.
With a united roar; the combined efforts of Raijin, Future-Trunks and Future-Mai thrust the Sword of Victory though the chest cavity of Demigra, his howls of pain echoing across the skies and ruined sections of the city until his voice went silent and his body went limp.
Gasping for breath as the shining energy of The Sword of Victory faded leaving only a glistening steel blade with several burning crimson embers of God Ki remaining along the length of the blade, Raijin and Future-Trunks kneeling down in the mud with triumphant smiles on their faces as Demigra lay in the ruined road, finally dead and their long night coming to an end.