Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future ❯ Chapter 30: Victorious? ( Chapter 30 )

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 30

 

Mad God Saga, Part XIX

“Victorious?”

 

 

 

Death rained down from above.

 

Damn it all, we're too late! Trunks thought in a panic as Tempest's Earth-rending attack plummeted toward them, illuminating the darkening sky of twilight with an eerie, multicolored glow. Thank God there're no cities around here! the half-Saiyan thought as he dropped to the ground, followed closely after by Hanzo, Clef, and Android 16. The ominous globe of radiant power that coursed down toward them caused the very ground beneath their feet to tremble, and savage storms of dust and debris could be seen rising up from the earth to tear across the countryside.

 

“All together now, with everything we've got!” Clef shouted as he raised both hands above his head and began to focus all of his considerable power into one desperate counterattack. “We're only going to have one shot at this, we can't let him win!” A scream of exertion and rage tore from the Namekian's throat as a massive burst of shimmering blue energy erupted upward from his hands, shooting high into the air where it collided violently with Tempest's gambit.

 

Trunks and Hanzo, both utilizing the immense powers granted to them by their Super Saiyan 2 transformations, followed Clef's example, adding their own strength to the seemingly hopeless attempt to deflect the oncoming storm of power. Their yellow-gold blasts of energy joined with their Namekian ally's, causing an explosion of warring powers in the sky above. Yet even with the combined strength of three of the planet's most powerful fighters, the attack sent by Tempest showed no sign of slowing in its descent.

 

“Let us see now whether or not all of Bulma's hard work has truly paid off,” 16 shouted over the tumultuous crash of energies above. The android slowly lifted both of his arms above his head, matching the defensive pose of his three comrades. Suddenly, both of 16's arms opened up and incredibly transformed into two large cannons. With a scream of effort, the artificial human poured all of his available power into a single blast of scintillating, blinding energy that exploded upward from his arm-cannons. The white-hot beam of light tore through the air until it too crashed against the overwhelming force of Tempest's attack.

 

For what seemed like hours, the four valiant warriors continued to pour all of their strength into their combined defense, but to no avail, it seemed. As minutes dragged by, the mad god's vicious attack continued to descend, though it appeared that its pace had slowed substantially, much to the relief of Trunks and the others. Yet with every inch that the multihued blast of energy gained, the four defenders of Earth were forced to dig in and call upon even more strength; strength that they had been holding in reserve for the true battle that was yet to come.

 

Soon, Trunks, Hanzo, Clef, and 16 found themselves standing at the bottom of a shallow crater, and the landscape around them continued to buckle beneath the impending force of Tempest's attack. Large fissures and rents in the earth began to spread outward from the growing depression, and the entire planet was rocked by the turbulent powers of Tempest and his four fearless adversaries.

 

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The Genjins landed upon a nearby ridge.

 

“They… They can't win…” Miura muttered as he watched the spectacle unfolding below him. Tempest's blast now hovered what appeared to be a mere fifty feet or less from the surface of the planet. Hanzo, Clef, Trunks, and 16 couldn't even be seen beneath it, for the light it gave off was too blinding to stare directly at. It was obvious that the rainbow-colored globe of power, which was the most massive attack that any of the three Genjins had ever seen, was having some difficulty in its plunge, but it was still moving steadily, if slowly, downward. Miura spun around to face his two allies, his long black cloak whirling violently around him.

 

“We have to help them; they can't stop it on their own!” he shouted to be heard over the roaring of the energy-laden wind. “If all three of us go down there, we may tip the balance!” The purple-eyed young man awaited any kind of response from Kirien or Kalen, but none came, and his proposed plan was met with stalwart silence. “How could you?” Miura asked quietly, his voice filled with a strange mixture of grief and anger. “How could you just let them die?”

 

“Because they knew the risks when they chose to help us,” Kalen answered finally, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his grey-green eyes as he stared icily at Miura. “They knew that death was not just a possibility, but a near-certainty. The best thing we can do for them is to prepare the Sealing Blast.” The bearded-Genjin took several steps forward and rested his hand lightly upon Miura's shoulder. “Miura, Tempest is a vain creature; when he realizes that someone is attempting to stop his attack, his rage at being opposed is going to override his caution against facing us. Please, Miura, trust me.”

 

“Kalen is right, Miura,” Kirien agreed. “If we don't do this now, Tempest will never give us the opportunity to try again. Honor your friends' bravery, and mourn their loss when the time is right, but now is the time to see this finished!” With that, both Kirien and Kalen assumed their positions at their two points of the triangle, and they waited silently as Miura reluctantly did the same.

 

Please, please make it through this, the former Hunter silently begged as he took his point and closed his eyes. As he did so, he felt the familiar tug of energy as his powers were linked with Kalen and Kirien's. Make it through this… All of you.

 

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Earth's defenders were being slowly overwhelmed.

 

The heat given off by the combined powers of Tempest and his enemies was nearly unbearable, and Clef had to resist the urge to wipe sweat from his brow as it dripped mercilessly into his stinging eyes. This is madness, the warrior from Namek thought as Tempest's attack continued to descend down upon them, despite their best efforts. It was simply too powerful to be stopped, and Clef wasn't sure how long he and his allies could prevent the collision. We can't give up! he screamed within his mind, clenching his eyes shut and praying for more power.

 

It was at that moment that Clef felt his power waver, and he knew that they were all doomed. Suddenly the Namekian fighter's body simply gave out, and he was engulfed in the backlash of his own energy. Light and power exploded around him, driving him down to his knees as Tempest's all-consuming blast seemed to suddenly drop even lower. All around him, Clef was aware of the disastrous consequences of his failure, for Trunks, Hanzo, and 16 were now forced to increase their own power just to make up for the sudden lack of his own. In the end, it was no use, as first Hanzo, then 16, and finally Trunks all suffered the same backlash of power that had nearly crippled Clef.

 

The four warriors were blasted back in separate directions as their strength finally left them, and the sinister god's attack was left abruptly unhindered. It cleared the distance between itself and the four powerless fighters in less than a heartbeat, but before it could finish them—and the Earth—off, another form interposed itself between the blast and the seemingly-doomed planet. A surge of brilliant, white-hot energy shot upward to collide with the multihued globe of power, exploding as it made contact just above the heads of Earth's defenders. Gabriel stood amidst a blinding veil of Heaven's Wrath power, his face a mask of determination and concentration as he attempted to single-handedly deflect the mad god's vicious strike.

 

With Tempest's attack now so close to its intended target, the havoc it was wreaking upon the surrounding landscape was monstrous. The sky had darkened, despite the amount of light being put off by the combination of energy attacks, and a disconcerting wind had begun to blow all throughout the planet. Any and every living thing caught within range of the attack seemed to shrivel up and die on the spot, as if their very life-force were being sucked out of them. The ground was shattered and decimated, and random strikes of unnatural lightning lashed out at anything within their reach, felling trees and igniting forest fires the world over. Buildings thousands of miles away trembled and collapsed beneath the crushing might of Tempest.

 

“Please, please help me!” Gabriel shouted, his shining red eyes wide from exertion. “I can't hold this on my own, please!” His long, snow-white hair blew wildly about him as he struggled to halt Tempest's attack, which now hovered barely a foot above his head, crushing him down with a force that would have easily killed any lesser warrior. For a moment Gabriel's knees buckled, and it looked as if the Earth's last hope was about to falter, but with a strength that surprised even himself, the young half-Galdrian braced himself further and stood his ground.

 

One by one, the fallen defenders of Earth staggered to their feet, feeling depleted and beaten. Yet, miraculously, Hanzo and Trunks were both able to summon up their extraordinary Super Saiyan 2 power once again, though how long they'd both be able to sustain such power in their current states didn't seem particularly promising. Clef and 16 also managed to gather all of their remaining strength, and they added what little they could to the last ditch effort to stop Tempest's violent final strike.

 

But just as they thought that, perhaps, they were making slow progress, all of their hopes were dashed as Tempest poured even more power into his already disastrous attack. The end of the Earth was now imminent.

 

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Miura's eyes shot open.

 

“Enough!” he shouted, breaking his link with Kirien and Kalen as he spun around to face the battlefield below. “You may both be willing to watch my friends, my family die, but I won't do it!” A surge of purple energy exploded around him as he clenched his fists, eyes narrowed with anger.

 

“Miura, damn it!” Kirien exclaimed, mind reeling from having their contact broken so suddenly. “You can't help them; if you go, our plans mean nothing!” The brown-haired Genjin woman stepped forward and grabbed her companion's arm, ignoring the storm of energy that continued to build up around him. “You can't help them this way! All of our preparations will have been for nothing, don't you understand?!”

 

“Listen, you and Kalen keep going, alright?” Miura pulled away from Kirien's grasp, turning his violent gaze on her. “The two of you can keep on gathering the energy we need, and when it's ready, I'll come back and link up again. Then we can use the Sealing Blast, but I will not just stand here and watch them die!” Before any more protests could be made, Miura leapt into the flashing sky and tore off in the direction of his weakening allies. Hold on just a little longer, everyone. I'm coming!

 

As the former Emperor made his way toward the battlefield, Kirien watched his retreat with an expression so cold and full of undisguised malice that, had he seen it, would have made Miura's blood run cold.

 

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They were losing.

 

Tempest's blast had the Earth's five defenders down on their knees, and they were forced to avert their eyes, or be blinded by the maddening spectacle of light and power that surged just inches above their heads. Their bodies felt like they were on fire, and the alien, painful sensations that contact with Tempest's unusual energy caused were magnified a thousand fold. The once solid ground beneath their feet was now a roiling, moving thing that threatened to dislodge their stances at any moment, and the air was so thick with energy and dust that breathing was impossible.

 

Miura appeared at that moment, taking a position just below the center point of Tempest's attack. With a scream of rage, barely audible amidst the roaring winds, the crossbreed warrior exploded into a shimmering being of silver and gold power. As the lights died down, Trunks, Hanzo, Clef, Android 16, and Gabriel watched in awe as Miura, now glowing brightly with the power of his ancient Genjin transformation, raised his hands and fired an immense blast of concentrated energy straight upward into the mad god's sphere of power.

 

“Come on, this isn't over yet!” Miura cried as waves of gold and silver ki flowed endlessly around his body. The others, now feeling confident that victory was perhaps possible, caught their second winds, and they too joined the silver-haired Genjin warrior as he continued to pour more and more power into his offensive attack. “That's it, just a little more!”

 

Time seemed to freeze at Tempest's blast was met full force with the power of six combined attacks, all of which were made even more powerful by the strong emotions of the Earth's defenders. The light and heat became unbearable, and all six of Tempest's opponents cried out in agony as they felt their flesh beginning to burn, but miraculously the massive globe of multicolored energy began to move slowly upward, being pushed back by the combined defensive.

 

“We're doing it!” Trunks shouted, his pain-laced voice full of undisguised relief. “This is going to work. Just a little—” Before Vegeta's son could finish, the unthinkable occurred. Rather than being deflected, or turned back upon Tempest, the awful blast of rainbow power simply exploded.

 

Miura, Hanzo, Trunks, 16, Clef, and Gabriel were all tossed back in different directions, as if they'd been swatted away by a giant hand. The energy that detonated around them was unlike anything that any of them had ever experienced, and even Hanzo, trained as he'd been from birth to ignore pain, shrieked in agony as the unrelenting waves of dark power tore at their flesh, searing them, and driving them without mercy into the ground with an explosion of dust, debris, and flickering energy. The Earth shook with the force of the detonation, and fragments of the massive build up of ki fell to the ground, wreaking unimaginable havoc wherever they landed.

 

It was during this moment of extreme weakness that Tempest appeared. He materialized among the dazed and injured warriors with a sound like a thunder clap, and his power sent ripples throughout the very air around him. The dark deity floated several inches above the ground, his massive, gray-clad body trembling with rage, and his dark, hollow eyes glowing a dusky shade of red as he clenched his fists and brought his arms up in preparation for a sudden assault against his unprepared opponents. The amount of raw power that emanated from the mad god's body was unequaled by anything that Miura or his allies had ever felt, and his rage was a nearly tangible thing, lashing out mercilessly at his victims like a burst of fiery wind.

 

“You should have all left well enough alone,” Tempest snarled, his pain-inducing voice sending lances of fire throughout the bodies of his unfortunate enemies. “Had you simply let me destroy this world, your deaths would have been mercifully swift,” he narrowed his eyes as a nimbus of brilliant, multicolored power sprang up around him, “but now, you will all suffer. You will suffer!” Energy exploded outward from Tempest, tearing paths through the broken earth around him as it sought out its intended targets.

 

Miura, Trunks, Clef, Android 16, Gabriel, and Hanzo were struck straight on by this new attack, and it flung them effortlessly into the air, only to smash them cruelly into the ground after a brief moment. Even after the attack had finally let up, the Earth's defenders' bodies tingled with the aftereffect of such direct contact with Tempest's alien power. Slowly, one at a time, the six beaten and weary warriors struggled to their feet, gathering together and preparing for whatever the evil divinity sent at them next.

 

Trunks gasped for air as his vision began to blur. Every inch of his body was screaming in agony, and he couldn't remember a time when he'd ever been quite so tired. Somehow, beyond all expectation, the young half-Saiyan had managed to hold onto some small shred of his Super Saiyan 2 power, though the cost of maintaining that power was severely taking its toll. He stood beside Miura, his throbbing body locked in a defensive stance, and ready for whatever came at them this time.

 

I never would have believed, Hanzo thought miserably to himself. I never would have believed that a creature such as this could possibly exist… What power… The full-blooded Saiyan warrior absently wiped moisture from his forehead with the back of his hand, and was surprised to see his white glove come away stained red. Miura's brother narrowed his shining green eyes, envying Trunks his obvious stamina. How can he sustain that power anyway? I'm barely able to hold onto my normal Super Saiyan energy, yet there he is, showing off his second level power like its nothing… He shook his head, wondering at this sudden surge of jealousy. As he slowly assumed a stance that mirrored Trunks' on the other side of Miura, Hanzo thought, When this is over, I have to focus more than ever on training…

 

Gabriel, who had relinquished himself entirely to the commanding power of the Heaven's Wrath, stood behind Miura and the two Saiyans, with Clef at his side and 16 at his back. Though his body felt weak and battered, the legendary Power that he controlled, or rather controlled him, kept his mind focused and alert, which was more than his weary allies could say. Not much longer, Gabriel thought as his white hair, now streaked with dust and blood, moved around him in the unnerving wind given off by Tempest's power. I can feel it; this battle will be over soon. One way or another…

 

Clef, however, didn't share the half-Galdrian's feeling. I don't think that this is going to be finished any time soon, the green-skinned former bodyguard thought glumly. If Miura's here, than that means he's broken away from Kirien and Kalen, and their attack is going to be useless now… The Namek turned his dark eyes upon Miura, who stood before him panting and gasping for breath. Does he even understand what he's done? As he shifted his stance slightly, a jolt of pain shot through his side, and he found himself blessing the sturdy, Saiyan-style armor that he'd worn into battle. I'm sure I'd be a lot worse off if I hadn't worn it.

 

With his energy reserves already activated and drained nearly to their limit, Android 16 knew that his time on the battlefield was now limited to mere minutes, an hour at the most. He absently raised his right hand, finding even that simply gesture to be nearly impossible, and rested it lightly upon his chest. I swore to Bulma that I would only use it if there was no other choice… His hand closed into a fist as the android narrowed his pale blue eyes in determination. I fear that that time may soon be upon us.

 

At the back of his mind, Miura continued to slowly gather the necessary energy to unleash the Sealing Blast. Not that it'll do me any good, if I can't instantly link my own power with Kalen and Kirien's… He knew that his decision may have cost them their best chance to finally end Tempest's existence, but given the opportunity, he'd easily do it again. I will not just let my friends die! Not if I can give them even a little bit of help. The crossbreed warrior pulled his tattered black cloak over his head and tossed it aside, returning his attention to Tempest, who floated a mere two or three yards away, his glowing-red-rimmed black eyes twitching slightly with irritation at having been thwarted. Miura returned the mad god's vicious glare, and his iridescent blue eyes flashed with sudden anger. This monster is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people! Even if the Sealing Blast doesn't work, I'll do everything in my power to see him dead, even if it costs me my life!

 

“Not so eager to face me head on, eh?” Tempest taunted, calling upon even more power than before. “Fine, then. Allow me to get things started!” The evil deity's movements were too fast to be seen, if he moved at all and didn't simply materialize, for he was immediately upon his battered enemies, lashing out at all six them with little effort on his part.

 

Trunks and Hanzo leapt forward and were the first line of resistance against Tempest, but even the combined strength of both powerful Saiyans was nothing compared to the dominating rage of the mad god. Tempest rushed toward them, and just before making contact, the hulking warrior vanished, only to reappear directly behind them. As Hanzo and Trunks attempted to put up a last minute defense, Tempest used a single, power-laden roundhouse kick to crash through their hastily erected guards. With an explosion of light and sound, the Super Saiyans were sent hurtling through the air before smashing into the decimated ground.

 

Seeing how easily Tempest overwhelmed Hanzo and Trunks, Miura and the others opted to rush the sinister divinity together, praying that the advantage of numbers would mean something against their godlike adversary. Tempest sensed their approach, however, and was able to disperse them to the wind with barely a thought. A shimmering wave of concentrated power tore out from the mad god's body, enveloping his four attackers and knocking them several yards back. Slowly, his body awash with pain, Miura stood shakily to his feet.

 

How much longer? he thought, looking back over his shoulder toward the distant ridgeline where his two Genjin allies continued to gather energy for the Sealing Blast. Still, despite the conflict he was embroiled in, Miura's mind went on slowly gathering the power that was necessary for his part in the scheme, though he was unsure whether or not he'd be strong enough to help Kirien and Kalen if the battle continued like this. I know I should be up there with them, but I won't let my friends face this bastard on their own!

 

Tempest floated gently to the ground and stood studying the panting Miura for a moment, his heartless black eyes narrowed as he did so. Him, the one with the spiky silver hair, he looks— Suddenly sense returned to the mad god, and he cursed himself for his reckless assault against these gathered warriors. He's one of the Genjins! What have I done?! His cold eyes shot wide open as he began searching the surrounding wasteland for any sign of Kirien or Kalen. His body shook with anger at himself for being so foolish, and with fear that somewhere, the other Genjins were ready to strike. I don't see them, is it possible that they've refused to help these weaklings? A slow, malicious smile spread over Tempest's beautiful features as another thought came to his mind. If I can manage to kill him, there will be no way for anyone, not even the other two Genjins, to trap me! With their precious portal destroyed, I'll be unstoppable!

 

“You've made your last mistake, Genjin!” Tempest shouted as he dashed toward Miura, leaving a path of destruction behind him. “You should have left well enough alone!” With a mad cackle of glee, the savage deity lashed out at Miura with a lightning fast spinning kick, one that should have taken the crossbreed's head completely off his shoulders. With a surprising speed that nearly rivaled the mad god's own, Miura brought his right arm up in a sloppy defense, not having time to prepare anything more solid. Tempest's kick collided with Miura's forearm with a loud crack, and the former Emperor of Galdria was sent hurtling to the side, clutching his badly damaged arm as he skidded across the ground. Before he had a chance to regain his footing, Tempest appeared above him, arm pulled back for a second, more brutal strike.

 

“Miura, get back!” a voice shouted as a form appeared and sent Tempest flying back with a well placed kick. Clef landed on the ground before his stunned companion, keeping himself between Miura and the now-enraged Tempest. “You have to get away from here, damn it!” Clef shouted, a thin stream of blood running down from his lip. “He knows that if he kills you, the Sealing Blast will be useless, so go. Just leave this to—” Before he had a chance to finish his plea, his godlike opponent materialized before him, throwing a solid, energy-laden punch with each hand. As Clef put up his own arms to block the hopelessly powerful attacks, Tempest changed his strategy, opening his clenched fists to grab firmly a hold of the Namekian's white-gloved wrists.

 

“Gotcha, Namek,” Tempest snarled as he began to dig his fingers into the flesh of Clef's wrists and forearms. “That was quite a kick; I didn't think any of you had that much strength left.” Clef screamed in agony as thick, purple blood began to flow freely from his wrists, and still Tempest tightened his grip. “How noble of you, to risk danger to yourself just to save your friend, but let me tell you something: you're only delaying the inevitable!” A sound like a thunderclap echoed across the battlefield, followed shortly after by an agonizing scream from Clef. The Namekian's back bulged outward, his body having expanded to lessen the damage done by Tempest, whose knee was lodged firmly in Clef's abdomen. The green-skinned warrior's dark eyes were wide with pain, and his mouth hung open as he spat out blood.

 

“Clef,” Miura gasped as he struggled to his feet, his ice-blue eyes narrowing with anger. “Leave him alone!” Just as the silver-haired warrior prepared to rush Tempest, a large form appeared behind him to hold him back. “Let go of me, Clef needs my help!”

 

“No, Miura,” Android 16 replied, tightening his hold on the struggling crossbreed. “Clef was right, you must leave! The Sealing Blast is our only chance of defeating him.” With that, 16 slowly released Miura, who turned around to stare into the artificial human's eyes. “Please, Miura. If we are to die, then so be it. But do not let our sacrifices be in vain.” Dr. Gero's android looked like he was going to continue, but two explosions of golden-yellow energy, and one of white-hot power, around Tempest drew his and Miura's attention instead.

 

Blast after blast struck the evil divinity's back as he continued to crush Clef's wrists, yet despite the barrage of energy, Tempest seemed unconcerned. Gabriel, Trunks and Hanzo, who floated just above the battlefield, dropped to the ground and rushed the mad god from behind, their Super Saiyan and Heaven's Wrath auras flaring about them as they unleashed everything in their arsenals against their super-powered opponent. Still, Tempest chose to simply ignore the three desperate warriors, and their attacks seemed to have little or no effect on him whatsoever.

 

“Enough of this!” Tempest finally shouted, turning his head to look over his shoulder. He cast a sinister glare toward the two Saiyans and Gabriel as his lips formed a grim smile. “Playtime is over.” Suddenly, with one swift, violent motion, the mad god tore both of Clef's arms from the Namek's body with a splatter of dark purple blood. Clef screamed in utter agony as Tempest pulled his leg back and delivered a bone-crushing kick to his already-injured stomach, shattering the Namekian's Saiyan armor and knocking him back. Clef tore through the air, leaving a misty trail of purple behind him as he smashed into the outer wall of the crater, some four or five hundred feet away from where Tempest had struck him.

 

Hanzo and Trunks, who remained just behind Tempest, stood in stunned silence, their green eyes wide with disbelief. Before they could act, however, the mad god whirled around and struck the two Saiyans squarely in the face with Clef's mutilated arms. Both of them were sent crashing into the opposing crater wall from Clef, and Tempest launched twin blasts of dark energy toward them, enveloping the Super Saiyans in a tumultuous explosion of light and power.

 

Gabriel leapt back, avoiding Tempest's sadistic attack, and pulled his Galdrian energy saber from within his white robes, which remained clean and pristine despite the damage that it must have taken. With a flare of light, the blade activated, and Gabriel wasted no time as he dashed toward Tempest and began his assault. For a moment, it seemed as if the young Galdrian would be able to hold his own, but the mad god had other plans. With a malicious laugh, Tempest rushed Gabriel and phased through the ivory-haired fighter, spinning around to strike him with a crippling, thunderous blow to the back of the head. Not even the legendary Power that protected Gabriel was able to stand up to such a strike, and the young half-human was sent hurtling forward only to collide with the wall of the crater several yards away from Clef.

 

Silence descended upon the battlefield as Miura and 16 stood their ground, awaiting the mad god's next move. Wind blew through the massive crater that had become their battleground, carrying with it a subtle hint of energy, which continued to emanate unceasingly from Tempest, despite all of the power he'd discharged throughout the conflict. As the evil god slowly turned his attention to Miura and 16, the android placed himself between his ally and their sinister adversary.

 

“Go, Miura, now!” Without warning, 16 ran toward Tempest, both arms pulled back and ready to strike. The godlike fighter waited patiently until the massive, orange-haired warrior was upon him before assuming a defensive stance, and 16 lashed out at him with several combinations of powerful strikes. All the while, Tempest merely laughed, choosing just the right moment to strike the android; not hard enough to completely take him out of the battle, but enough to cause serious damage over time.

 

“What… are… you waiting… for?” a voice heavy with pain asked from behind Miura. The silver-haired Genjin spun around and was shocked to see Clef crouched a few feet away. One of the Namekian's arms had already been fully restored, and it appeared that he was concentrating all of his remaining energy to see that the other one would soon replicate as well. “Get the hell… out of here,” Clef ordered through teeth clenched with pain. “Go, now!” With a scream of exertion, the Namekian's left shoulder bulged, exploding with a mess of purple blood as the missing arm burst out from the still-bleeding wound.

 

“Clef,” Miura began as his Genjin power-up reverted, changing his hair and eyes back to their original color. The look in Clef's bloodshot eyes silenced Miura's protests, and the young crossbreed nodded once in agreement. As he turned away from his valiant, long-time ally, Miura felt a sudden twinge of something in the back of his mind. Kirien and Kalen, they're ready! he realized, spinning around to face the distant ridgeline where the two Genjins had remained behind. Clef's right, I have to go now! A faint flicker of purple energy enveloped Miura, and he gathered all of his remaining strength in preparation for a fast flight. As the dark-haired warrior leapt into the sky, however, Tempest struck.

 

“You aren't going anywhere!” he screamed, bashing Android 16 in the jaw with the back of his closed fist. The mad god vanished, only to reappear directly before Miura, who came to a screeching halt mid-flight, the aura of power around him flickering wildly in the presence of Tempest's overpowering energy. “So long, Genjin!” Tempest thrust his right hand forward, but before he could fire a single burst of energy, the evil combatant found himself being attacked from below.

 

Two long, green, sinuous limbs shot upward from the ground, wrapping themselves around the dark deity. Tempest gasped as he was pulled suddenly downward, and Clef continued to stretch his arms to even greater proportions, using them to subdue and confine the mad god as he struggled to pull him down to the ground. Soon, Tempest was entirely encased by the elongated limbs of the determined Namekian below him, and he cried out in anger as he struggled against his living bonds.

 

“Go, Miura, leave now!” Clef shouted up at his stunned friend. “I can't… hold him for long!” As if his words were prophetic, the Namek's grip on Tempest began to falter, for the evil god chose that moment to power up even more. Crackling bolts of multihued power coursed around Tempest's body, inflicting tremendous harm upon the trembling limbs that held him in place. “Miura, ahhhhhhhh!” Clef screamed, weakening his grip even more as Tempest continued to draw upon his seemingly endless well of power.

 

Miura was torn, but only for a minute, for he knew that Clef spoke the truth. I'm sorry, my friend, Miura thought, clenching his eyes shut as he continued on, leaving 16 and Clef to face Tempest on their own. I swear, we'll make sure Tempest pays for this!

 

“No, I won't let you get away!” Tempest screamed, generating more power and shaking the Earth with his tremendous strength. “I will not be trapped again!” The detonation of pure energy that accompanied this vow was unrivaled by any display of power that Tempest had shown thus far. The limbs that encircled and held the mad god simply vaporized, and Clef was so stunned by the amount of pain that wracked his body as it was overwhelmed by Tempest's dark power that he couldn't even cry out. The Namekian was driven downward into the ground with an explosion of stone, debris, and energy, and he blacked out.

 

Miura spun around, shielding his eyes as he did so, for the light from Tempest's vengeful attack was bright enough to blind anyone who looked directly at it. What just happened! the purple-eyed Galdrian thought to himself as he struggled to make sense out of the chaos behind him. Suddenly, a surge of power above him warned Miura of Tempest's new location. The evil deity hovered just above the young Saiyan-blooded warrior, both hands pointed straight down and glowing with negative energy. Miura had no time to move, and he was caught up in Tempest's attack and driven to the ground below.

 

“Did you truly think I'd let you escape me?” Tempest taunted as he landed near Miura, whose battered, drained body lay twitching helplessly in a pile of broken stone. “And now, I'm finally going to end this.” That familiar, frightening smile appeared on Tempest's face as he pointed his right hand toward Miura, and a small orb of rainbow energy flickered into existence in his palm. “I'd be lying if I said that this whole experience hasn't been entertaining,” Tempest continued with an evil chuckle. “I'd forgotten how exhilarating fear could truly be. For that alone, I thank you.”

 

“Get away from him!” a familiar, monotone voice shouted. Tempest narrowed his jet-black eyes and looked to the left just in time to see a large, black and silver form crash into him, knocking him back and forcing him away from the beaten and bloodied Miura. The two giants fell to the ground in a mass of flailing, pounding arms and legs. Somehow, with strength that no one had expected him to possess, 16 managed to keep Tempest occupied, pinning the god to the ground and enduring powerful blows that would have instantly decimated any of the Earth's other defenders. “Miura, go now. This is our only chance!”

 

But I… I can't move, Miura thought, unable even to speak. His body was battered beyond anything he'd ever experienced, and he wasn't sure that, even if he could move, he'd be able to actually get to his feet and flee. I'm sorry, you were all right. Trunks, Hanzo… Gabriel, Clef, 16, I… I should have never left Kalen and Kirien. He felt his eyelids getting heavy, and his vision began to blur as he attempted to move. Forgive me…

 

-MIURA!- a sudden mind-voice shouted in his head, startling the crossbreed warrior into full awareness. -Don't you dare give up on us,­- Kirien continued, her “voice” filled with worry, and a strange tinge of something else… -Kalen and I will give you what energy we can, but you have to get here, now!-

 

-Kirien is right, my young friend,- Kalen put in, channeling some of his extra energy into Miura's broken body. -We cannot hold onto the power that we've gathered for much longer. And with the amount of energy that you've lost, we have no guarantee that the Sealing Blast will even be strong enough to contain Tempest…-

 

The energy bestowed upon him by Kalen, along with still more strength granted by Kirien, allowed Miura to slowly, shakily stand to his feet. He closed his eyes, gathering all of the power that he could, praying that it would be enough to fly to the Genjins' location atop the distant ridge. Finally, his weary body began to drift slowly upward, and soon, Miura was once again coursing through the sky toward Kalen and Kirien.

 

“No, you will not escape me!” Tempest roared, bashing 16 aside and jumping to his feet. Before the evil divinity could mount any kind of offensive against Miura, 16 once again collided with him, knocking Tempest back and unleashing a sudden burst of energy from his arm cannons. With barely a grunt of exertion, the mad god easily deflected the android's attack, and focusing all of his attention on 16 rather than the retreating Miura. “Fine then, you can go first!” he shouted, preparing a powerful blast of dark energy meant to utterly obliterate the stalwart robot.

 

Now, 16 thought, placing his hand over his chest. Forgive me, my friends, but I fear that this is the only way to keep Tempest at bay long enough for the Genjins to launch their attack. As the large, blue-eyed android activated the destructive bomb embedded within his chest, his body began to glow faintly. A faint smile spread across 16's face as he met Tempest's hateful gaze with one of his own. The energy continued to build within him, until finally the android's body had stored up all of the power it could contain. He took a single step forward, dropped his arm to his side, and spoke a single word.

 

“Bang.”

 

An explosion of epic power and strength shook the planet, engulfing Tempest and the surrounding countryside in brilliant, red and orange energy. Whatever living things had managed to avoid Tempest's genocidal blast were instantly incinerated by the fury of Android 16's sacrificial detonation, and the crater around the battlefield doubled in size as the dome of energy spread outward.

 

And, deep within the center of the conflagration, Tempest let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain, rage, and fear.

 

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Miura collapsed at the Genjins' feet.

 

“Come on, get up!” Kirien growled, crouching down to assist the exhausted young warrior back to his feet. “Alright, this is how it's going to work: you are going to be the focus point, at the head of the triangle,” she continued as Miura stood on unsteady legs and nodded understanding. “Kalen and I will be behind you, forming the other two points. Once our powers are all linked, the two of us will be sending all of our energy into you, then it's up to you to focus all of that energy and transmute it into the Sealing Blast.” Her brows furrowed in concern as she took in the battered state of her black-haired companion's body. “Do you think you can handle it?”

 

Kalen stepped back and assumed his position behind and to the left of Miura. “He doesn't have a choice, look.” The bearded Genjin warrior pointed down toward the battlefield, where the intense explosion caused by Android 16's self-detonation was finally beginning to die down. “We haven't got any time left. Tempest won't be distracted by that for long, so this is our only shot.” His grey-green eyes narrowed in concentration as he prepared to channel his gathered energy through Miura. “Prepare yourselves, both of you.”

 

Miura remained in place, steeling himself for the sudden influx of power that would soon be racing through his damaged body. Kirien moved back to stand several paces to the right of Kalen, forming the final point of the Genjins' triangle. Without a word, both Kirien and Kalen began to glow softly, and Miura began concentrating to link his energy with that of the two Genjins. It took longer than he'd hoped, and at one point Miura was afraid that, with all of his injuries, he'd be unable to merge his weaker power with that of Kalen and Kirien. When all three fields of energy finally melded together, Miura let out a sigh of relief.

 

-Be ready, Miura,- Kalen warned. -It's coming…-

 

-Yes, this is it. Pray that this works,- Kirien announced, her mental voice strained with effort. -Because this is it. No more chances!-

 

Before Miura could respond to either of their statements, he felt a rush of strength and energy course through him, charging his beaten, weary body with newfound power. He gasped and opened his eyes, looking down at his hands to see that his body was now pulsing with a mixture of green, yellow, and purple light. This is amazing!

 

-Do it now, Miura!- Kalen shouted within his mind. -The blast, you must use it! This is what we all trained for, you know what to do!- The urgency that accompanied the Genjin exile's words cut through Miura's shock at being filled with so much power, and the crossbreed shut his eyes tightly as he began to shape the wild energies that had been sent to him into the legendary attack that would finally put an end to the mad god.

 

-There, I have it!- Miura announced once the power had been focused into the blast. -Now!- All three of the Genjin fighters thrust both of their hands forward, pointing them directly at the dimming sphere of 16's final attack. From Kalen a beam of bright green light shot outward, connecting with Miura even as Kirien's own yellow blast did so. For a moment, nothing happened, but then a sphere of pulsing purple energy formed between Miura's outstretched hands, and the familiar green and yellow of his two Genjin allies flickered into existence around it, crackling like electricity as the sphere began to grow larger and larger by the second.

 

-Launch it, it's at its peak!- Kirien and Kalen shouted in unison, filling Miura's mind with echoes of mental “speech.” He needed no more prompting.

 

The sphere of purple, yellow, and shimmering green energy had grown tenfold, and was now almost twice as large as Miura himself. With more force than he had thought he could muster, Miura fired the combined powers straight down toward the battlefield. The massive orb coursed through the air, dropping from the ridge and tearing across the broken landscape below, leaving a trail of luminescent energy as it sought out its target.

 

From their stance upon the high ridge, the three Genjins were unable to see the Sealing Blast as it made contact with a stunned and terrified Tempest, but the mad god's scream of defiance shook the very air around them, carrying with it the familiar, painful edge that always accompanied Tempest's vocalizations. An explosion of bright, white-hot light lit up the dark night sky, bathing the entire planet in a sudden, false-dawn. The radius of the impact continued to increase, until Kirien, Miura, and Kalen were forced to drop to the ground and shield their eyes, lest the backlash from such a powerful discharge blind them.

 

The storm of energy raged on and on, gaining momentum as it did so. The powerful energy that surrounded the three Genjins was surprisingly mild, and it seemed to cause them no harm. Miura prayed that, if any of his friends were left alive in the crater below, the explosion would have the same affect on them. Finally, after what felt like hours of waiting, the light from the Sealing Blast began to die down, and the three warriors on the ridge stood unsteadily to their feet to watch as all their hard work finally paid off.

 

Or so they hoped…

 

To be continued…

 

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In the next chapter:

 

As the dust settles, Miura, Kirien, and Kalen pray that the Sealing Blast was able to finally destroy Tempest. But even if the powerful Genjin attack did finally end the mad god's reign, what challenges will the Earth's defenders face now?

 

Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future

Chapter 31

Genjin Saga, Part I

“A New Mission.”

 

 

 

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