JUST before the two-year mark, I'm finally back with an update! Yay! _;
Originally, the Mind Tricks chapters were going to be 4 parts. I've since changed my mind and split it into 6, so there are two more parts to this hell the Z-gang is in.
They'll all be posted this year—sooner than you think. After that? Beats me \_(ツ)/
Hopefully, I can pull one more or so out of my ass before the year ends. Thanks to those who bothered to stick around, and of course, new readers are always welcome!
Hoi's Insidious Mind Tricks Part 4
Yamcha
"Ugh..." he groaned, shutting his eyes again as the powerful ray of sunlight hit his face.
Feeling the hard, grainy, and pebbly surface against the side of his cheek, he could tell he was lying on dirt. Blinking and wiping the caked dirt from his eyes and face, Yamcha sluggishly stood up to take in the scenery. It was then that he realized he didn't seem to be on Earth anymore—last he remembered, the sky wasn't purple, and the ground didn't have such an unusual red-purplish pigmentation. Maybe it's all an illusion... he added as an afterthought, continuing to take in the area's otherworldly appearance. A sudden loud explosion made him more aware of his surroundings, the ground shaking violently, nearly causing him to lose his balance and fall. A bright flash in the far distance followed, and that was all the initiative he needed to investigate.
Yamcha's eyes widened, his jaw dropping as he saw the enormous beast, Hirudegarn, wrecking the hopefully abandoned city around him... while locked in a deadly battle with Tapion, who was back in his actual body!
Yeah, this was most definitely either a very vivid dream, a crazy hallucination, or an illusion fabricated by the wizard Hoi.
Without wasting another moment, he rushed to aid Tapion in battle. But when he tried to bring forth his transformation, he was shocked to find that he couldn't! In fact, to make matters worse, he didn't even feel the power of Alastor from within— An eerie, chilling panic gripped him as he desperately searched his body for the sword, only to realize it was missing!
Returning his gaze to Tapion, he sighed with relief when he saw that Tapion was still in possession of the mighty weapon, meaning it was safe and hadn't been stolen. However, this also meant he was useless—without Alastor, he had no access to his full power. But I can't just let Tapion take on that monster alone! he thought, wincing as a devastating blow struck the warrior, sending him flying through a building and crashing into the ground.
Rushing to the downed Tapion, Yamcha dug, pushed, and shoved through chunks of building, concrete, and gravel until his friend was freed from its crushing weight.
"Are you alright?" he asked with concern when he saw the dazed expression on the mohawk-haired man.
Tapion's look of confusion disappeared when he saw Yamcha leaning over him, offering a helping hand.
"Y-yes..." he responded, accepting the help.
Following Tapion's gaze, which was locked on Hirudegarn as the beast aimlessly destroyed buildings and whatever else crossed his path, Yamcha asked, "What's going on here, Tapion?"
"I'm not... entirely sure, but this has Hoi written all over it," Tapion spat.
"And you're back in your original body," Yamcha pointed out.
The former warrior gave a grim, weak smile as he ran a shaky hand through his orange hair. "It would seem so... but... why?"
"I dunno, feeling generous, I guess!" In came Hoi, still in the Supreme Kai's body. His evil grin widened at the two sets of nasty glares he received from his enemies. "Do you like the replica of the Planet of Konats that I created? Anyway, don't get too comfortable in that body, though, because when we return to the 'real' world, you'll be wearing my good ol' ugly mug again! Well, that is, if you manage to make it out of here alive!"
Not getting any responses—only glares—the evil wizard continued. "As we speak, every one of your little friends is dealing with their own inner demons, playing a 'fun' game which I painstakingly constructed with love and care! But for you, this will not be the case. Your task is much simpler! All you need to do is defeat Hirudegarn with the sword, Alastor."
Tapion scoffed. "I couldn't land a single scratch on that monster because all my attacks just went through it! This Hirudegarn is just as much an illusion as this entire fabricated 'planet' of yours."
Hoi laughed. "Whoops! Let me correct myself! I meant Yamcha, not you! He has to fight my dear Hirudegarn all by his lonesome!"
Yamcha, finally showing an optimistic grin, held out his hand, silently asking his friend to pass him the sword. But when he felt nothing being handed to him, he turned his head—only for his expression to drop when he saw the weapon embedded in the ground, with Tapion desperately trying to free it.
"Uhhh, Tapion?! Any time now!"
"I can't get it out! It's stuck!" he shouted, his voice strained as he pulled with all his might, but to no avail; the damn thing wouldn't budge!
"Let me do it!" Yamcha said, getting fed up. However, when he tried to pull the sword out himself, he found himself struggling just as much as Tapion had. "Oh shit! You weren't kidding!"
"Why would I kid about this?! Our lives are in jeopardy!"
"I know—I know you weren't! It's just a thing people say!"
"A thing people say? What thing?!"
"Like, uhhh, a figure of speech or something!"
"Yamcha! This is no time for such nonsense—"
Hoi couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the two squabble like bumbling idiots, desperately trying to free the stubbornly wedged Alastor. But no matter how hard they tried, even with their combined effort, it was all in vain. With one last dark chuckle, Hoi quietly made his exit.
Yamcha, spitting on both hands—causing Tapion to grimace in disgust—attempted, for what felt like the hundredth time, to pull out the sword. However, this time, when he gripped it, an odd dark purple, ominous aura flared around the sword, forcing a cry from his lungs as he was shocked and sent sailing into the air.
"Why'd it do that now and not before?!" Yamcha growled, his black hair wild and disheveled as he angrily stomped toward the sword.
Unfortunately, before Yamcha could try again, Hirudegarn decided it had its fill destroying empty buildings and turned its attention to him. Thankfully, considering its massive size, the former bandit was able to jump out of the way. However, to his surprise, the beast morphed into a smoky shadow and vanished, only to appear behind him, blindsiding him and sending him crashing harshly into the ground.
Wincing from his rough landing, Yamcha was helped to his feet by Tapion. "Be careful, friend. Don't let his size deceive you! He's still very fast!" Tapion warned.
"Ugh, no kidding..." Yamcha muttered, and would have leaped back into the dangerous battle, but a tight grip around his wrist made him reconsider. He shifted his attention back to Tapion instead.
"Yamcha, let me distract him, while you—"
"Are you crazy?! I don't want you getting killed! Why don't we work together instead?"
Briefly eyeing Hirudegarn as the beast roared in rage, whipped its tail into wreckage and empty buildings, and blasted smoky blue and red flames into the air, Tapion said, "Listen, Yamcha, the only way we can win against this monster is to unfortunately play Hoi's game. Meaning, you have to fight him with Alastor."
Facing Alastor, which was firmly embedded in the ground and pulsating with a dark purple aura of negative ki, Yamcha sighed. "Do you really think you can hold it off until I can get control of the sword?"
Tapion failed to convince him with his smile. "I'll do my best. I believe you can do it, Yamcha. The question is, do you? Your belief is what will determine if you are successful in regaining control of Alastor." Giving him an encouraging nod, the old warrior leaped into the sky, likely for his final mission.
Yamcha squeezed his eyes shut, his fists clenched in distress. Ignoring his friend's war-filled cry, he dashed toward Alastor, determined to break it free as soon as he could.
Securing both hands around the hilt of the sword, he took a deep breath in... and then let it out, focusing on his breathing.
A breath in…
And a breath out…
Breath in…
And a breath out...
He repeated this a few times until he slipped into a meditative state, blocking out just enough of his awareness so he could only "hear" the calming whooshing of the wind and feel the pulsating thumping reverberating from the sword, traveling straight up his hands and arms.
If this is truly an illusion, a mental game, then through my willpower alone, backed by my belief, I should be able to rip Alastor from the ground...
As soon as that thought drifted through his calm mind, his body began to shine brightly with the mighty power of Alastor. His yellow wolfish eyes snapped open, his sharpened features now rejuvenated and renewed with determination. A bolt of lightning zig-zagged from the sky, striking him. The familiar bestial howl rang through his ears as he successfully yanked Alastor from the ground, dispelling the polluted purple aura encasing it and replacing it with blue pure righteous fury.
Crashing harshly onto the ground, back first, Tapion tilted his head to the side, spitting out a wad of blood. He then watched helplessly as Hirudegarn towered over him, extending its tail, preparing to deliver the finishing strike to his chest.
Oh no you don't…
Blasting off like a speeding bullet, Yamcha barreled shoulder-first into Hirudegarn's unguarded chest. The sword's power gave him the strength to thrust the beast back, sending it stumbling away from Tapion before it crashed violently onto the ground, causing the earth to rumble.
Giving Yamcha a proud but weak smile, Tapion waved his hand in dismissal. "I need to lay down for a bit…" He then finally broke into a true grin, which his friend returned, as hope filled them once more. "Now finish him, friend, so we can get out of here."
Giving him a thumbs-up, Yamcha took off into the air toward Hirudegarn, leaving Tapion behind to watch from a safe distance.
Bra
A gross heave escaped Bra's throat as she rose to her feet, her slightly dry eyes never wavering from Towa, who leaned nonchalantly against her embedded staff, giving off an 'I couldn't care less' vibe.
Bra coughed, her throat feeling like sandpaper. "If you're expecting a thank you, you aren't getting one."
Towa laughed, pressing the back of her hand against her purple lips. "You do know I could undo what I just did to the area and have you choking on the ground again—until you die this time."
Bra braced herself, as she didn't have the slightest clue how to protect herself from the toxic, dry heatwave that had assaulted her from the moment she arrived here.
"However…" Towa straightened herself up, ripped her staff from the ground, and pointed it at Bra. "That wouldn't be too fun, would it? No, I think I'd like to play with you for a while before I kill you!"
Without warning, Towa came from behind to blindside Bra, but the half-Saiyan sensed her and quickly turned, using her Saiyan Fist Technique to deflect the deadly katana slice aimed at her back. The blade ricocheted away with a sharp clang. When the hell did her staff turn into a sword!? she thought, her blue eyes narrowing as she scrutinized Towa's every move. The female demon sauntered elegantly toward her, expertly twirling her sword in smooth, rapid circles.
"Alright, two can play at that game." Digging into her jacket's breast pocket, Bra pulled out a capsule. Towa stopped walking and eyed it with interest as her opponent pressed the top button.
It then went 'POOF', releasing a small puff of cloud. When the cloud faded away, Bra was revealed, holding the sword Trunks had "traded" to her before he went back to his future. However, it was now in one piece and inside a new scabbard. Her mother had fixed it with her self-made metal compound, Bulranium (Bra still thought it was a stupid name). Aside from a slight rusty-gold tint on the blade—an unfortunate side effect of the heating and forging process—it looked identical to the original. As for the scabbard, it had a stylish design: navy blue, with the word 'HOPE' written across its length. As a finishing touch, the sleeve of the brown hilt had her name engraved on one side, matching the natural color of her hair.
Strapping the sword to her back, Bra unsheathed it, the metal scraping against the leather as it slid free, the sound ringing in her ears. She pointed the sword at Towa, getting into her fighting stance.
Towa hummed with disinterest. "You know, this is a perfect replica of the Demon Realm. My realm. My playground. It's where I'm at my strongest, with total access to my powers. I have all the advantages here, sweetheart. So you don't stand a chance at winning."
"We'll see about that."
Bra jumped and pivoted to the side, narrowly avoiding Towa's life-ending, piercing jab. Holy shit, that was close!
And the battle had only just begun.
The next several strikes weren't as fast as the first, but they were still quick enough to puncture the sleeve of her jacket and sting as they nicked the side of her elbow. Bra winced when she saw Towa raise the flat of her blade to her face and use her unexpectedly long tongue to lick off the warm blood.
Okay, let's try a different approach...
Bra dashed forward, firing a ki ball at the ground to obscure Towa's sight, hoping to finally land a hit. But when the dust cloud cleared, Towa was nowhere to be seen. Bra's eyes darted from side to side, frustration rising as she tried to locate her.
That was until Towa appeared on her left, ready to stab her through the heart. Luckily, Bra managed to sidestep just in time, leaping into the air and swiping down at her opponent's head. But Towa had no trouble swinging her sword in a high arc, effortlessly parrying the strike. The force sent Bra stumbling back, losing her grip on her sword and barely managing to regain her balance as she landed.
Bra's mind went completely blank for a moment when Towa came from behind, brutally slamming the handle of her katana into the back of her skull. The force sent her crashing face-first into the ground.
Leaping high into the air, Towa raised her sword above her head and free-fell, aiming to slice Bra straight through the back. But just as the razor-sharp blade came down, Bra rolled onto her back, reaching out to catch the katana between both palms, halting it mere inches from her face. She winced, biting her lips to keep a scream from escaping as the blade began to sink into her palms, cutting into her skin and drawing blood.
Towa licked her lips hungrily, her grey eyes locked on the fresh crimson fluid that dripped from Bra's injured palms. Slowly, Bra's hands began to slip, the katana pressing deeper into her flesh. Towa's victorious gaze only fueled Bra's panic. I'm gonna fucking die if I don't DO SOMETHING!
That's when her fear turned into something so intense, it triggered her fight-or-flight instinct, granting her the ability to bring forth her Super Saiyan power to the surface.
Bra sneered, her blue eyes shifting to a fierce, narrowed turquoise as a guttural scream tore from her throat. Her hair, once white, now blazed into a sharp, milky yellow, while blue lightning crackled and danced across her body.
The transformation and surge of power gave her the strength to force Towa off, sending her flailing through the air. Mid-flight, Towa flawlessly backflipped, landing gracefully on her feet. She eyed Bra, who was gasping, her breaths ragged as she scrambled to her sword. Struggling to her feet, she jammed the blade into the ground to help herself rise.
Towa smirked, releasing a slow, heavy breath, followed by a pained groan. She smirked cruelly as Bra's hair slowly began to revert, dulling to a greenish-white, showing that her condition is slowly worsening with each transformation.
Towa's laughter rang out, echoing with mockery. "I'm surprised that you're weaker than the 'brat' you had to unfortunately blast the arm off of. I sense that something is suppressing your power." She shrugged causally. "Oh well, that is none of my concern. But it is a shame I won't get to fight you at your full potential."
Choosing to ignore the Gohan comment, she activates her Saiyan Fist Technique, which appeared to be the only thing that she could bear to use right now. Her neck-length faded sea-green hair levitated, retaining its natural and dying appearance as it spiked up wildly. Golden ki encased both her hands, legs, and feet, the half-Saiyan spreading her legs apart as she readied herself for likely another ass-whopping.
Glancing down at her sword, she scoffed. I can hardly use this shit against her. She's clearly the superior swordswoman. That, and I must admit that I haven't exactly been training with it, so I'm out of practice. But maybe I can multitask, using my sword, fists, and feet.
Releasing a shaky sigh, she pulled the sword out of the ground and re-sheathed it on her back.
Bra carefully eyeballed Towa as she strode toward her, the blue-skinned demon's grey eyes gleaming with a killer's intent. With each step she took, the half-Saiyan's body involuntarily shook, the heavy pressure in the air making her feel slightly nauseous.
The half-Saiyan blinked, her eyes shaking in shock when she found herself face to face with her foe, one of her golden ki mirage gauntlets raised high as she had somehow managed to block the female demon's lightning-fast strike.
"Impressive," Towa whispered, licking her lips.
As Towa leaped back before calmly pacing toward her, Bra began to sweat, fear settling in the pit of her stomach as she realized this fight was going to be different from her usual battles. Her fights were typically straightforward and basic—power up, punch, kick, guard, and ki attacks. Sure, she could be strategic as well, but this… this felt different. She had an awful feeling that she wasn't going to punch or kick her way to victory this time. It was likely because the gap in our power was too vast, and Towa was toying with me using that stupid sword of hers. I know if I had full access to my power, I could have been one-shotted this demon bitch.
That, and she did say that being in the Demon Realm gave her the advantage.
Towa's red lips curved, almost as if she had heard her thoughts. Unlike before, instead of continuing to head toward her, she decided to remain where she was, patiently waiting, almost as if she had all the time in the world.
Drawing her sword again, Bra dashed toward the demon, her body glowing as she leaped into the air. She then plummeted downward, slamming her weapon into the ground, dust and debris scattering into the air as a green energy wave was released at Towa. With a smooth diagonal slice, the blue-skinned demon tore through time and space with her katana, just as she had at the tournament. Towa watched with amusement as Bra's attack was sucked into the rift, surprising the half-Saiyan.
Bra yelped, shocked at her enemy's unusual technique when she saw her own attack racing toward her at breakneck speed. The Saiyan hurriedly rolled to the side before flying into the air to safety. This... this reminds me of Janemba and his stupid portals...
Bra gasped as she felt a sharp kick land right in the center of her spine, sending her spiraling forward. Her eyelids squeezed shut as she spun uncontrollably through the sky. Regaining her bearings, she managed to use a kiai to come to a standstill—oddly enough, upside down. Flipping right-side up, the half-Saiyan swayed to her left just as a flying kick came at her. Towa's sly smirk returned as her katana unexpectedly transformed into her staff. The demon twirled it before whipping it sideways, and Bra gasped as the weapon struck her ribs, forcing a painful wheeze from her lips.
CLINK-SCHFFFT!
Bra gritted her teeth when Towa swung her staff again, the sharp end grazing against one of her gauntlets, sparks flying in the air as she dropped down and landed on her feet. Looking above her, she became flustered when, once again, her foe was nowhere to be seen.
VOOOM! SCHFFFT!
Like before, the half-Saiyan rolled to the side when the time-and-space-splitting attack came toward her, this time from the air, followed quickly by a second. Bra managed to evade the second, as it raced from her right.
VOOOM! SCHFFFT!
Bra leaned back as another attack came at dangerous speeds, her aqua eyes wide as she watched it fly right past her face. Standing up straight, the half-Saiyan was met with a fist to the face, blood spraying from her nose as it became dislocated. She cried out in pain as Towa followed up with a powerful slap, sending her to the ground. Bra grimaced as her head bounced off the earth from the impact.
Raising a palm into the crimson sky, a dark energy ball filled with corrupted ki formed within it. Towa's terrifying, stoic expression temporarily paralyzed Bra as she lay flat on her back, staring at the blast that would surely end her life if it connected.
However, just as the female demon lowered her hand to fire, Bra pushed through her fear and unleashed a Kiai, thrusting Towa away and causing the deadly attack to slip from her grasp.
Staggering back to her feet, she kept her sight locked on Towa, who had easily recovered. The demon had her staff embedded behind her as she leaned back against it, fiddling with her watch's knob.
Damn it! How can I beat her if I can't fuckin' touch her?! Bra thought, using her hands to snap her nose back in place.
Spitting blood out of her mouth, she saw Towa push away from her staff and pluck it from the ground. Lifting it, she then slammed the staff into the blood-stained sand. Bra's eyes widened as the world she knew became inverted in color, and a powerful howling wind thrust her into the air, seemingly out of nowhere.
"The hell?!" Bra hollered in confusion as she twisted and turned uncontrollably. It was like the gust of wind that had roughly pushed her into the air was preventing her from touching the ground. On top of that, she couldn't control her limbs and couldn't use her flight power to steady herself. Shit, I feel very light. I think I need something to weigh me down—
Oh wait, that's an easy fix.
Activating her Saiyan Fist technique, her limbs became heavy again as she dropped like a rock, her golden feet cratering the ground.
Smiling proudly, glad her idea had worked, Bra's smile faltered when she saw Towa giving her an icy glare, filled with an air of arrogance. Her once silver-white hair was now charcoal black, fluttering like a silky curtain.
"Ready for round two, Saiyan?" Towa said, her grey eyes flashing a lethal red.
Gohan
Completely laser-focused on Mira, Gohan broke into a full run, his single arm thrown back as he aimed to deliver a mighty blow to the blue demon's face. Mira hardly blinked when the half-Saiyan's fist connected perfectly with his cheek. The sheer force behind the blow caused him to stagger back, making the ground rattle. Backing away, Gohan landed a heavy knee to Mira's stomach, doubling him over, before dipping low and delivering a hard uppercut to his head, sending him airborne. Pressing down on the ground, it caved in as Gohan pushed himself off of it, meeting the demon in the bleeding crimson sky with a fist to the chest, followed by a second punch, sending Mira higher and higher into the air. Performing an aerial flip mid-air, Gohan appeared behind Mira, dropping down with a protruding knee, nailing him right in the center of his spine. Turquoise orbs watched with a frown as the blue demon crash-landed, face-first into the dusty ground, remaining motionless.
This is what he did to Videl. Made her think that she had the advantage, only to catch her off guard… Gohan gritted his teeth, seething with boiling anger as the memory of the beating Videl received reared its ugly head in his mind. He was never a fan of harming or killing living beings (his darker half would strongly disagree), but if it was what needed to be done to save the Earth, then so be it. After all, he had killed one of the Cells as a child to do just that.
Besides, this person was literally soulless…
Still airborne, Gohan cocked his hand back and threw it forward, releasing a powerful yellow stream of ki from his open palm.
And that's when, apparently, Mira decided to 'awaken,' as he immediately rose on all fours and leaped out of the energy wave's blast radius. Once at a safe distance, his red eyes zeroed in on Gohan's as he retaliated with his own energy blast—one that was so weak, the half-Saiyan had no problem swiping it away. His power increased, but I'd hardly call this trying…
Dashing forward at top speed, Gohan fired several ki blasts as a distraction at Mira, who took the attacks head-on, not seeming to care about the damage he was receiving, even as his body jerked with every hit that connected. Through it all, his facial features remained blank, completely void of any emotion whatsoever.
Seeing that his attempt to obscure Mira's vision had proven to be a waste of energy, Gohan vanished from Mira's line of sight before appearing behind him, the half-Saiyan aiming to deliver the hardest punch he could muster to his spine. To his shock, however, the blue demon reacted faster than he expected, simply reaching back with his own hand and capturing Gohan's in a tight grip. Gohan screamed as Mira's grip grew tighter and tighter, bringing him down to his knees. He bit his tongue, his mouth flooding with his own blood, as the hulking demon whipped around and delivered a bone-crushing blow to the side of his temple, causing the gathered blood within his mouth to spill from his lips as he skidded across the ground on his armless left side.
His turquoise eyes widened, shaking with fear and shock as he felt his opponent's power spike higher, eclipsing his own entirely. As he knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his remaining hand, he saw Mira's incoming massive fist, which Gohan tried to block…
With his left hand.
Which he no longer has.
Phantom pain sucks.
Pain exploded across his face, his vision bursting into wild flashes of stars, his eyes whitening, his head throbbing, and his ears ringing from the sheer power behind the demon's punch to his cranium. A sense of vertigo hit him full throttle, nearly making him vomit as he swayed to and fro on his knees, his head lolling about as it felt heavier than it should. His orbs stung as the blood, gushing and drizzling from his split-open head, trickled down in rivers across his face.
Grabbing the dazed and half-lidded Saiyan by his blood-drenched, fading blonde hair and hefting him into the air, Mira drove his fist into Gohan's stomach, sinking it in as far as it could go without tearing straight through his back. Gohan barely let out a gasp before he was immediately hurled forward—only for the blue demon to suddenly appear behind him, extending his foot outward and letting Gohan's momentum alone slam him into his boot.
Reverting to his base form as soon as he made contact with the dusty, cracked ground, Gohan cried out in agony as Mira reached down and roughly grabbed his right ankle, before lifting him up and over his head, then slamming him harshly onto the other side like a ragdoll, making his body spring upward. Mira repeated the process so many times that poor Gohan could no longer tell which direction was up or down anymore, nor did he understand how he was still conscious.
Tossed away like a useless husk of a carcass, he couldn't help but think that no matter how much he hated that darker half of himself, he could seriously use the power it provided him in this very moment.
Because as he lay there on the ground, curled on his side, fearfully watching Mira through his blurred vision as he calmly walked toward him with the likely intention of torturing him until death, he knew there was absolutely no way he could win this battle without his full power.
*Quietly walks away*
(Posted: 4/9/2025)
~Gater~
