Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future ❯ Chapter 24: Power's Price ( Chapter 24 )

I DO NOT OWN DRAGON BALL Z OR ANY RACES, PLANETS, OR CHARACTERS RELATED TO IT. GALDRIA, HEVA, TIRIS, IQUELA, MIURA, ZELLIS, SETH, CLEF, HANZO, TWILIGHT AND ALL RELATED CHARACTERS, RACES, OR PLANETS WERE ALL CREATED BY ME.

 

 

Dragon Ball:

Chaotic Future

 

CHAPTER 24

 

Mad God Saga, Part XIII

“Power's Price.”

 

 

 

Battle erupted upon the Lookout.

 

Before any of the assembled fighters could even prepare themselves for combat, the mad god materialized among them and began punishing them with an unpredictable flurry of strikes. Blow after blow went unchallenged, and Tempest found himself completely in control of the battle, which was sure to become a massacre. These nine warriors, the best that planet Earth could offer, would soon be nothing but a memory.

 

Foolish mortals, Tempest thought smugly as his well-placed kick connected solidly with the Namekian's torso. To think that they could defy me and survive; I will surely make them suffer. Another strike, this time a drilling left hook, collided mercilessly with 16's jaw, sending the bulky android spiraling away from the battle. As Tempest continued to deal out vicious punishment to his adversaries, he caught sight of Gabriel out of the corner of his eye. And he'll be the first. He has to be!

 

Without warning, the mad god disengaged from his current three opponents—Hanzo, Trunks, and Rika—and immediately turned his full fury on Gabriel, who met the oncoming storm of Tempest's power with no hesitation. As the sinister deity neared him, the young half-Galdrian's body became enshrouded with the piercing white energy that accompanied his Heaven's Wrath technique. This time, though, Tempest did not let his fear control him.

 

The two fighters clashed with a sound like thunder and instantly shot into the air, leaving the rest of the gathered warriors to stare up at them in disbelief. As the heated struggle between Tempest and Gabriel continued, the onlookers were forced to shield their eyes, so great was the display of energy in the air above them. Minutes seemed to tick by agonizingly slow, yet neither combatant showed any signs of giving up, which gave the others time to formulate a desperate plan of attack.

 

Clef, who had just returned to his senses after his earlier clash with Tempest, took a moment to study his companions, and he was shocked at what he found. Trunks stood off to the side, mouth open and eyes shadowed as he gasped for breath, with barely a hint of an energy aura around him, and it was the same for Kalen, whose alien power was continuing to weaken. It was obvious that both of them were still far too exhausted to face Tempest now. Hanzo, despite his mangled right arm, had somehow managed to gather enough power to transform into a Super Saiyan, though how long that fragile amount of strength would last was anyone's guess. Due to their infrequent contact with Tempest, Android 16, Rika, and Elysia, whose slender form was now glowing brightly with an aura of radiant pink Galdrian energy, were the least exhausted, though they still showed signs that their strength may be waning. Popo, though, remained entirely unharmed, for he had not directly entered the fray.

 

“Trunks, Kalen, Popo,” Clef directed after catching his breath, “hang back, but be ready to back us up if we need it, okay?” All he received in response were weak nods of agreement, but that was enough. “Hanzo, are you up to launching a head-on assault with me and 16?” The older Saiyan made a grunt of assent between ragged gasps for air, and sweat trickled steadily down his face. He doesn't have much left… “Alright then. Rika, Elysia, I want the two of you to spread out as far as possible while still keeping Tempest and Gabriel directly between you, got it? When you see 16, Hanzo, and me take off, you both need to launch the strongest blasts of energy that you can at Tempest, and keep them up long enough to distract him; I don't want him to sense us coming.” Clef looked up again to where the mad god and Gabriel continued to go blow for blow with each other. “And everyone, pray that this works…”

 

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The struggle intensified.

 

Gabriel and Tempest, bodies engulfed in mingling auras of white and blue, red and yellow, and a hundred other colors all melded into one blinding display of power, soared high above the Lookout. It was Gabriel's intention to lead Tempest steadily away from the safe refuge below them, but as he feinted attacks and allowed the supposed deity to slowly push him back, it obvious to the young Galdrian that his plan was hopeless. It appeared that Tempest now realized that the Lookout held the answer to the one question that had been nagging at him: how did his opponents continue to increase their strength so drastically in so short a period of time? Yet despite the overwhelming power that he faced, Gabriel refused to allow Tempest access to the Lookout, and the Time Chamber within.

 

This has to be it, Dorian's son thought frantically as he barely managed to fend off another violent attack launched by Tempest. I'm the only one fit enough to fight now; the others are all too weakened from their last battles with him… And, in reality, Gabriel himself should have been in no condition to face Tempest either, but something else was driving him now. It must be the Heaven's Wrath, he thought suddenly, piercing red eyes lighting up with realization. It's granting me everything I need to see this battle through to the end, just as it's done throughout the history of my people.

 

Galdrian history taught that only one warrior had been able to manipulate the Power, though thanks to Kalen's history lesson, Gabriel now knew that he was in fact the third Galdrian to harness the Heaven's Wrath. The first, of course, had been the mysterious, nameless warrior who had stood his ground against Tempest nearly ten-thousand years ago, during the mad god's first killing spree. It was thanks in part to that lost Galdrian, who had managed to strike fear into the heart of a being thought to be a god, that Gabriel was able to meet Tempest as an equal now; it seemed that the massive divinity still feared the power of the Heaven's Wrath.

 

The second individual to use the Power had been much more recent, and his name had not yet been lost to history. Torin Eramus, a proud member of the Imperial Household Guard, had been chosen by the Heaven's Wrath five-hundred years ago, when the Saiyans had attempted to conquer Galdria. Separated from his allies, stranded behind enemy lines, and having suffered a fatal injury during his last battle, Torin managed to use the Power to annihilate over half of the invading Saiyan army before finally succumbing to his injuries. Torin's body was never found, and it was widely believed that the amount of energy that he manipulated during that final conflict was so intense that he was simply vaporized. It had been his selfless sacrifice that had finally ended the war and forced the remaining Saiyans to retreat for the first time in their history.

 

All of that indicates to me that the Power lies dormant for as long as it sees fit, Gabriel thought as he once again narrowly avoided death at Tempest's hands. And when it finally manifests in someone, it only does so when the need is greatest. A smile of satisfaction spread across his face as he lunged forward and managed to slash Tempest's shoulder wide open with the flaring blade of his Galdrian saber. I suppose this definitely qualifies as a time of need!

 

Now that the dark god had been wounded, he became more cautious with his attacks, and Gabriel took advantage of his apparent distress. The half-human immediately went on the offensive, using every saber technique that his father had ever taught him to drive Tempest back, away from Kami's floating island. And, for a while anyway, it seemed like his strategy would work.

 

Finally, though, after having suffered numerous wounds at the hands of Gabriel, Tempest once again threw himself fully into the battle with a ferocity that none of his opponents had ever experienced. For a moment, Gabriel feared that he would be completely overwhelmed by this new side of Tempest, but, as it had before, the Heaven's Wrath granted him both the power and endurance that he needed to continue this momentous battle. And upon seeing this, Tempest seethed with rage.

 

I don't understand where he draws his power from! the godlike being screamed within his own mind. He can't beat me, he must realize that! Yet he continues to resist, despite that fact… Tempest gasped as he snapped out of his reverie to find the glowing blade of Gabriel's cursed saber singing through the air toward his face. Had he been any other creature the blow would have connected effortlessly, but a “god” was more than able to duck aside in the split second that was allotted to him. Gabriel had no time to change the direction of his slash, and instead of slicing cleanly through Tempest's skull, the blade merely took off a bit of the mad god's silver-blue hair. That was enough, however, and Tempest bellowed in outrage as the young Galdrian warrior broke off the combat and grinned coldly.

 

“Close call, huh?” he asked as he drifted slowly backward, putting some distance between himself and his divine opponent. “That's just tearing you up inside, isn't it? That I could kill you… It must be frightening.” Suddenly Gabriel felt a familiar sensation run down his spine, and he struggled to hide his surprise from Tempest. That's Galdrian power I feel, coming from below… He smirked and crossed his arms confidently over his chest, staring his adversary down and simply waiting for what he knew was coming next.

 

“You're as arrogant as your Saiyan friends,” Tempest said with barely concealed hatred. “And that will be your down—” He never finished this last statement, as he was suddenly engulfed in not one, but two, tremendous blasts of energy. The first to connect was a blinding pink in color, and Tempest roared in fury as it collided mercilessly with his body; the second, blue-white burst of power struck only seconds after the first, and it only added to the dark deity's irritation. As Tempest screamed, the vehemence in his voice was strong enough to cause thousands of cracks and splinters to spider-web across the surface of the Lookout below him.

 

It was then that Gabriel felt two more energy signatures coursing through the air toward him, and he was shocked when not only Hanzo and Clef flew single-mindedly past him, but Android 16 as well. Another smile, this one of genuine amusement, crossed Gabriel's face as he joined his companions in their lightning assault against the mad god, who finally managed to extricate himself from the amazingly powerful attacks launched against him by Rika and Elysia.

 

And the battle for the Lookout, and all of Earth for that matter, was then joined in earnest…

 

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Trunks watched the battle enviously.

 

High above him, the sky was filled with brilliant flashes of alien energy as Tempest continued to increase his already substantial power, and Trunks' companions did everything that they could to finally end this battle once and for all. To his left and right stood Elysia and Rika, both feeling slightly exhausted after having focused so much energy into their diversionary attacks, though the Galdrian Princess remained surrounded by a nimbus of flickering pink light. Kalen and Popo stood quietly behind Trunks and the two girls, their eyes fixed on the storm of energy above.

 

“I'm going,” Elysia said suddenly, her normally soft voice now hard with determination. “I vowed to myself before leaving Galdria that I was done just running away. I know it's not much, but I'll do everything in my power to help avenge Arius and Iris, and all of my people who died as a result of Tempest's actions.” Before Trunks could stop her, the Princess shot into the air, leaving a faint trail of Galdrian power behind her as she coursed through the sky toward the frantic struggle above.

 

“Damn it all,” Trunks muttered as he drew upon all of the power left available to him. I don't have much, but I'm not going to let my friends fight and die. Not without me, anyway. Just as he was about to charge into the fray, he sensed two more power levels spring to life around him, and he was shocked when Kalen and Rika moved to stand beside him. “Listen, neither of you has to…”

 

“We know that, boy,” Kalen said with a grim smile. “I can't speak for the young lady, but I'm prepared for death. And if my life is destined to come to an end today, I'd rather die knowing that I did everything in my power to stop Tempest, as did my ancestors.” The aura of dark green light that enveloped Kalen grew brighter as he returned his attention to the sky. “Let us fight with true valor, this day.” With an explosion of energy, the weakened Genjin took to the air and rushed toward the conflagration of powers that marked the sight of the battle.

 

“And what about you, Rika?” Trunks asked, watching the brown-haired young woman out of the corner of his eye. Her expression was one of complete determination, and the Saiyan Prince knew immediately what her answer would be. Neither of them have actually come right out and said it, but it's obvious that she and Gabriel are very close, Trunks thought as Rika remained eerily silent. She knows that if he continues to throw himself at Tempest, Gabriel won't live to see tomorrow. And if he goes, Rika's made up her mind to go with him…

 

“I'm ready,” was all she said before following Kalen and Elysia's examples. A burst of blue-white energy signaled her departure, and Trunks was left alone for a moment as he tried his hardest to call upon the Super Saiyan power that he knew lay deep inside of him. Yet despite all of his effort, the transformation would not come. Finally, knowing that the small amount of strength he now possessed was all that would be allotted to him, Trunks joined his comrades in their nightmare struggle against an opponent said to be a god.

 

“Good luck, my friends,” Popo said quietly as he watched Trunks vanish in the cloud of energy that hovered ominously above Kami's Lookout. “And I pray that you find victory after this conflict…” But even as he said it, Popo was filled with a deep sense of foreboding, and he knew that before this day was over, the Lookout, and perhaps all of Earth, would exist no more.

 

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Attacks came from all directions.

 

Above, below, to the sides, everywhere that Tempest looked, he found himself faced with a new opponent. It appeared that, finally, all of the warriors he had faced decided to attack him all at once, in hopes of overwhelming him. And at first, before he had called upon even more power than he already possessed, it seemed as though their plan might work.

 

Clef, 16, and Hanzo collided with their massive opponent and began lashing out with everything that they could muster. It only took a moment for Gabriel, who was shocked to see the three of them arrive, to also join in, and soon Tempest found himself fighting on four fronts, using all of his uncanny speed and agility to block and deflect every attack thrown at him. Rage began to build up within the evil divinity as the lightning-fast combination of blows continued to bombard him, and he found himself unable to fight back.

 

This deadly dance went on for what seemed like hours before yet another warrior burst onto the scene in a flash of shimmering pink Galdrian power. Everyone, even Tempest, was amazed to see the usually pacifist Princess arrive, prepared for battle. It was then that the combat began to heat up, for, finding himself faced with five opponents who were all determined to kill him, Tempest's power jumped to the next level.

 

An explosion of multihued energy engulfed the five defenders of Kami's Lookout, forcing them back and away from each other as Tempest's strength seemed to increase threefold. The illumination put off by this dazzling display of strength had Gabriel and his allies blinded, which was exactly what Tempest wanted. With his adversaries separated, stunned, and blind, the mad god planned to take them out one at a time.

 

The white-haired Galdrian first, Tempest reminded himself as he grinned maliciously. It was easy to locate Gabriel, even amidst the chaos of energy that filled the air around him, for his Power was as well known to Tempest as his own. With him out of the way, none of these other weaklings can stand against me! Moving with a silence that was supernatural for someone of his great size, the dark deity closed in on Gabriel, but before he could strike, he found himself under attack.

 

A barrage of glowing green ki came seemingly out of nowhere to crash mercilessly into Tempest, forcing him away from his chosen target and alerting Gabriel to his presence. Tempest roared as the oncoming bolts of power continued to strike him, filling him with a familiar sensation that he hadn't felt since his awakening on Tiris. That damned Genjin, the one who fought with them before! he silently raged as he put up a shield of power to deflect Kalen's endless stream of energy. How the hell did he get here? Before he could wonder any more on the subject, Tempest found himself once again face to face with Gabriel, whose glowing red eyes narrowed in hatred as he stared the mad god down.

 

No words were needed to express the feelings of total and complete loathing that Gabriel felt for his dark opponent, and the Heaven's Wrath-empowered Galdrian let his blade do the talking for him. Again Tempest found himself going on the defensive as the half-human warrior pressed his advantage, ivory hair and immaculate robes flowing violently around them as he and the supposed god exchanged blows yet again. This time, though, Gabriel felt something different as he attempted to destroy Tempest, and it took him several moments to comprehend what was happening.

 

The Power, its controlling my movements! he realized with disbelief. There's no way that I'd be able to stand toe to toe with Tempest otherwise; my own reflexes and speed are nowhere near this good. The realization also filled him with a disturbing feeling of being manipulated. I'm grateful that the Heaven's Wrath chose me to be its conduit, but I have to wonder, who's really in control here? For the moment though, Gabriel was more than happy to let the Power call the shots as it lashed out at Tempest with a single-mindedness that was almost frightening. Oh well, Gabriel internalized. This must be the Power's price…

 

After what seemed like an eternity, Gabriel sensed his weary companions once again join the battle, and Tempest found himself faced not only with Clef, Android 16, Hanzo, Gabriel, Kalen, and Elysia, but also Trunks and Rika, who had entered the fray just moments before. Now, sensing that he was actually in mortal danger, Tempest called upon an even greater source of power that burned within him, and he grinned sinisterly when he thought of the pain about to be visited upon his obstinate foes.

 

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Gabriel felt the shift in Tempest's power.

 

“Everyone, back!” he shouted, praying that his voice would carry over the din of combat. It was too late, however, and as the last syllable left his mouth, the very air around the fighters exploded into a fiery display of power and pain. For Gabriel, the sensation lasted a blessedly brief second, as the Power that commanded his body projected a shield of brilliant white energy around him, cutting him off from the destruction around him. But by the sounds of the agonizing screams that filled the air above the Lookout, the Galdrian warrior knew that the Heaven's Wrath had not seen fit to extend it's protections to his suffering allies.

 

Help them! Help them, damn you! he silently shouted to the Power that coursed throughout his body. But, as if the Heaven's Wrath had given him an answer, Gabriel knew that his pleading was fruitless. “You are mine,” the Power seemed to say softly. “You are mine, and I will protect you. Together, we shall overcome. Our enemy will fall.” He tried to command his body to react, to aid his friends in any way possible, but the Power's hold over him was far too strong, and it had only one desire: to see Tempest annihilated.

 

Through eyes blurred with tears, and through the slowly dimming display of power, Gabriel could make out the forms of his comrades. Clef, Hanzo, Trunks, and Kalen remained airborne, though not apparently of their own volition. It was as if some force held them in place, and they writhed in agony as their voices grew hoarse from screaming. 16, Elysia, and Rika were falling helplessly to the Lookout below, their bodies limp and smoking, with bolts of errant electricity coursing around the damaged android. And in the midst of all this chaos, Tempest floated confidently, a smile of smug satisfaction stretching slowly across his hideously perfect face.

 

The mad god turned his head, looking slightly to his left, to where Gabriel remained encased in a shell of Power. Their eyes met momentarily, and all color drained from the half-Galdrian's face as he caught a faint glimmer of something in Tempest's jet-black eyes. The evil being slowly extended his left hand, pointing it purposefully toward the three falling combatants, who remained unconscious as they sped toward the surface below them. A flicker of light from Tempest's outstretched hand caught Gabriel's attention, and he gasped in horror when he realized what the god's next move was to be. He wasn't aiming for all three of the unmoving warriors, just one of them. Rika.

 

Their eyes locked again, and this time, Gabriel could almost sense what Tempest was thinking. “You love this woman? Then save her.” Before Gabriel could react, the ragged burst of multicolored energy left Tempest's hand with an explosion of light. It sped purposefully downward, making straight for Rika, who was oblivious to the doom that was descending down on her from above. Past 16 it flew, and past Elysia also, for Tempest had set the attack to strike Rika, and Rika alone.

 

Time slowed down for Gabriel as he watched the blast, moving closer and closer to the young woman whom he had known for most of his life. He screamed inside his head, begging, pleading, ordering his body to move, to react, to do anything. But, same as before, the Power that held him responded softly, “Together we shall overcome. Our enemy will fall.” The shell of protection that surrounded Gabriel shattered then, and the shards of it flickered before once again turning into energy, which was then drawn back into his body, filling him with a newfound strength.

 

His body shifted until he held his energy saber before him, assuming an offensive stance, and he felt his muscles tense in preparation for a charge. His head turned, and his eyes moved away from the spectacle of his falling companion, changing to look instead at Tempest, who still wore that smug smile. Power erupted around him, and his silver-white hair and ivory robes fluttered violently in the discharge. The Heaven's Wrath seemed to have decided on its next move.

 

“No!” Gabriel screamed desperately, praying that somehow he'd regain control of himself. “God damn it, Rika, no!” But it was no use, and the Power had chosen its path. With a burst of energy Gabriel tore through the air toward Tempest, who actually looked genuinely shocked to see the glowing warrior rushing at him. It seemed that the evil deity had made a crucial mistake: he had left himself entirely unprotected, so sure was he that Gabriel would choose to save his beloved friend rather than to risk a straightforward attack. He hadn't considered the fact that Gabriel had no say in the matter.

 

With his back turned and his attention focused on Tempest, Gabriel was spared the sight of his foe's powerful attack making contact with its target. Rika made no sound as her body was engulfed by the blinding, multihued beam of energy, which continued to plummet downward even after hitting its mark. With an ear-shattering explosion, the blast collided with the Lookout, obliterating another large section and, in the process, killing Popo, who had resolutely stood his ground even though he'd seen death bearing down on him from above.

 

With Tempest distracted by Gabriel's assault, his hold over the other warriors was broken, and they too fell from the air to crash painfully into the Lookout below, where 16 and Elysia were already sprawled after their collision. Showing an amazing resilience to Tempest's punishment, Hanzo stood to his feet, legs shaking and knees weak with pain. His right arm hung limply to the side as he ran his left hand through his unruly, sweat-soaked black hair. A moment later, Kalen stood as well, followed shortly after by Elysia, Trunks and Clef. Android 16 attempted to join his companions, but the injuries he'd suffered at the hands of Tempest were too severe, and he was unable to do more than lever himself up onto his right elbow. The battle above them, between Tempest and Gabriel, erupted once again, with the half-human warrior clearly holding the upper hand.

 

“Elysia, get Trunks and 16 out of here,” Hanzo said through clenched teeth. “None of you are any good to us now, you'll only get in the way.” He swayed for a moment and had to be steadied by Clef, who was silently amazed with Hanzo's endurance. “Do you hear me? Just go; Clef, Kalen, and I will stay here, in case Gabriel needs us.”

 

“I don't think so, pal,” Clef said as he was once again forced to keep Hanzo on his feet. “You're going with them, Hanzo. You're in worse shape than all three of them put together. Leave this one to Kalen and me, alright?” It was obvious that the Saiyan warrior was about to protest, but as his vision blurred and his legs nearly gave out from under him again, it was obvious that Clef was right.

 

“Fine. But Clef,” Hanzo said as he was given over to Elysia's care. “If we don't meet again, I'll see you in hell.” The full-blooded Saiyan warrior looked away in shame, and Clef knew how hard it was for him to leave this battlefield, when his friends were determined to continue the fight.

 

“Hanzo, who are you trying to kid?” Clef asked lightly, the briefest glimpse of a smile crossing his face. “You're not welcome in hell anymore, old friend. You've been far too good lately.”

 

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Tempest crashed into the Lookout.

 

The pillar of burning white Power that had blasted him out of the air dissipated, leaving only faint wisps of ivory smoke to prove that it had existed at all. The mad remained on his feet, both arms held up above him, having barely managed to stop the tremendous attack, and his hands burned from the direct contact with that cursed energy. Gabriel lowered himself down until he was standing a mere three yards or so away from his godlike opponent, his glowing crimson eyes alive with hatred.

 

Clef and Kalen came forward to stand on either side of Gabriel, determined to give him whatever aid they could, despite their wearied conditions. If the fuming Galdrian was even aware of their presence, he showed no sign of it, choosing instead to walk calmly and decisively toward Tempest, who stood motionless within the small crater created by Gabriel's last attack. Kalen looked nervously toward Clef, who simply watched in awe as the white-robed fighter stopped right in front of the mad god.

 

Gabriel looked up, meeting Tempest's hateful gaze with one of his own. The two combatants stood like that for several moments before the evil divinity decided to make a move. With a shout of exertion, Tempest caused a wave of power to flow outward from his body, shaking what was left of the crumbling Lookout and attempting to force his smaller opponent back. Gabriel made no move to stop him, and Tempest's energy wave seemed to part around him, as if his body were enveloped in some kind of protective barrier, which of course it was.

 

Once again, the Heaven's Wrath had placed a wall of protection around the young fighter, whose body trembled with rage as he continued to stare deeply into Tempest's soulless black eyes. Calmly, almost casually, Gabriel held his flaring white energy saber out in front of him and began walking toward Tempest again, clearing the little space that had been between them in a few short steps. Again the mad god attempted to use his own tremendous power to force Gabriel back, and again the action was pointless.

 

Suddenly, without any warning, Gabriel struck, crouching down and thrusting upward with his saber so quickly that Clef and Kalen scarcely saw it. The blow, which was meant to enter Tempest's abdomen and travel swiftly upward into his heart, met with a sudden and unexpected resistance, however, and the mad god's scream of agony shook the remains of the Lookout. Gabriel gasped in disbelief as Tempest grabbed the blade of his saber and held it tightly with both hands, stopping it before it could enter his body, where it would easily have caused irreparable damages.

 

Though the attack had been cut short, it was obvious by his howls of pain that the physical contact with Gabriel's saber was nearly too much for him too bear. Smiling confidently, the half-Galdrian rooted his feet more firmly to the trembling, crumbling Lookout and began pouring all of the Power available to him into the blade of his saber. Tempest's screams increased dramatically, and Gabriel hoped for a moment that he'd lose hold of the weapon. When that didn't happen, Dorian's son simply pumped more and more strength into his attack.

 

And Tempest screamed.

 

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Kalen and Clef looked on in awe.

 

A sphere of clear, yet somehow reflective, Power had long since surrounded the two combatants before them, and it continued to increase in size as Gabriel forced more Power into his deadly attack. The screams of unrestrained fear and agony that escaped from Tempest were overpowering though, and the two onlookers felt as if their heads were going to split if the sound rose any higher. The shrill cries did just that, however, as Tempest's hands started to lose their grip on the insubstantial blade of burning energy. Hold on he did, though, and Gabriel could feel his own strength beginning to wane.

 

Just a little more, damn it! he begged the Power within him. The woman I loved died so that you could get your way, so don't give in now! Kill him! As if the Heaven's Wrath had truly heard his plea, a startling amount of strength suddenly rose up within Gabriel, and he gasped in amazement as it tore out from his body and into the blade of his weapon. A concussion of sound and energy shook the dying Lookout, and it lurched abruptly to one side, as if it was no longer able to maintain its airborne status. Fissures spread outward from the sphere of light, tearing through the floating island and causing it to split and break apart as more and more Power was focused into Gabriel's attack.

 

“Kalen, come with me!” Clef shouted over the ear-rending sounds of Tempest and the dying Lookout. “We'll circle around behind them, then throw everything we've got against Tempest's unprotected back!” As the two exhausted warriors limped their way toward the battlefield as quickly as possible, Clef prayed that this plan would work. Hopefully our attacks will be able to pierce that barrier, he thought darkly. Or else we're all finished, whether we win or not…

 

Gabriel could sense his allies moving into place behind Tempest, and he clenched his eyes shut as he “thought” as hard as he could toward the Heaven's Wrath. Let them help us! Please, lower this shell and let them attack Tempest from behind, it's our only chance! Apparently this seemed to make sense, for as soon as Clef and Kalen were in place, the sphere of energy simply vanished, and the raging powers that had been kept within exploded ruinously outward.

 

Kalen was caught in the ensuing maelstrom, and Clef watched hopelessly as the Genjin warrior lost his footing and was blown backward, carried on the winds of Power that erupted from Gabriel. The Namekian maintained his balance, barely, and closed his eyes, praying that he had enough strength left to make a difference. After assuming a solid stance and taking a deep breath that he hoped wouldn't be his last, Clef gathered all of his remaining energy and fired off a tremendous blast of blue ki that sped mercilessly toward Tempest.

 

The mad god could sense the approaching attack, but to his horror he found himself completely unable to counter it. All of his energy, conscious and unconscious both, was tied into his weakening defense against Gabriel's attack. He clenched his eyes shut and prepared for the inevitable jarring pain that would accompany Clef's blast, and as it struck him, he knew he was in serious trouble.

 

The flaring blue burst of power slammed into his back, knocking him forward just enough for the tip of Gabriel's saber to pierce his heaving chest. The pain was unbearable, and he screamed with a fury that outmatched anything thus far. As the mad god shrieked in misery, the remains of Kami's Lookout suddenly shattered into thousands of small shards of stone and masonry. With no more solid ground to stand upon, all three remaining warriors began to fall to the Earth below, and Gabriel felt the last remaining traces of his Power dissipate. As the Heaven's Wrath exhausted itself, the young half-Galdrian found himself knocked far away from Tempest as the mad god continued to shriek and writhe in agony, body glowing as if the brilliant white Power were burning within him.

 

With a final scream, a mixture of disbelief, pain, and rage, Tempest vanished within an explosion of power that seemed to burst out from within his body. Gabriel smiled to himself just before losing consciousness, and he continued to fall helplessly to the ground below.

 

To be continued…

 

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In the next chapter:

 

With the Lookout destroyed, the beaten and weary warriors must seek shelter elsewhere as Tempest, who managed to survive their last confrontation, begins to take out his aggression on the defenseless people of Earth.

 

Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future

Chapter 25

Mad God Saga, Part XIV

“Refuge.”

 

 

 

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