Taiyo's journey across the globe had taken him to the tallest mountains, to the deepest valleys, and to the endless expanses of the seas. He had always kept his eyes to the ground, never to the skies. Even now as the man walked through the forest, his arm slung into his Haori like a makeshift sling to lazily carry himself. Though he was busy with his job, his free time allowed him to take this long walks through the beautiful world they called home. 

Yet the clock for Taiyo to simply let others fight his battles was running out. His footfalls through the forest were slow, steady and at ease. He walked with the ease of a man who did not have stress and a life well lived. The beautiful world about him eased his weary body, the scars of his last attempt at saving the world still fresh upon his chest. He was recovering but that mark would never go away he was told... A lasting reminder that he let a child fight in his stead. He bore his shame out in the open, a mark for any warrior to see his failures. He was ashamed of it, but he would not hide forever.

Then the voice of Callion, a friend he had met recently could be heard. Where it was from he did not know, but if that little ghost trick was anything to go by. Taiyo was not sure he should be surprised by anything that man could do... He seemed to have every trick in the book. His first few sentences drawing a frown from Taiyo. He stood silently listening. When the man admitted he couldn't do it alone, that was what drew a surprised look to the mans face. But as the message went on, the sword monk could only place a hand on his swords hilts. The battered handles almost seeming to repair themselves as Taiyo feels his pride as a warrior being called on.

When the voice went silent, the monk remained stationary for a long time, his eyes looking off into the sky while he stayed lost in thought. The area about Taiyo was deathly silent, as if waiting on him to answer. He lowered his eyes, gaze staring at the ground. He was no warrior, no hero. He couldn't even fight some half crazed general, surely he wouldn't be needed... Others would rise to the call surely... So he kept walking until he arrived at his destination... a place he had been meaning to visit for several months. 

He let his hand rest upon the tombstone as he kneeled down by it. The surface was covered in moss and its surface so dirty one could not see its marble clearly. Taiyo pulled a small box from his Haori before gently unfolding the kit delicately. He did not rush, taking one piece out at a time and placing them around the box in a neat orderly fashion. He did not speak, he did not look up, only worked. His brushes made short work of the marble, the moss removed with his hands. Scrubbing pads to deep clean the marble. As he worked the name was revealed upon the surface.

Fiona Kodoma

The monk gently ran a thumb over her name, a look of clear love and devotion in his eyes as he made sure to take extra care not to damage even a pebble of the marble. He was the only one who visited, his wife had lived alone with no one. Only he took care of her tombstone... if he were to die... she would truly be all alone in this world again. A single tear ran down his cheek as he was torn with indecision. Could he really leave the young to fight in his stead again? Could he ever face HER if he did?

Shadows hung over Taiyo's eyes as he looked down from her tombstone, feeling the weight of her gaze even in the after life. He had the power to help people, he could save them... If he just buckled down. Taiyo was a free spirit, he did not train because he was lazy. He didn't grow stronger as he didn't hold that passion in his heart, not like others did. But remembering his friends voice pleading for people to help him... Arlo flashed into his mind then... He let that young man die because he couldn't stop him... No... He wouldn't do so again...




Hina and Yugure, his blades began to violently vibrate in their sheaths. Their handles rattling as if being jostled by some unseen force. Taiyo would reach down to draw Hina, the flame spirit of summer Emerging behind him like a loving motherly spirit. Her arms draping themselves over his shoulders, her eyes looking at the tombstone as she smiled her warm smile. The blade in his hand rattling violently enough that it was trying to escape his palm.

"What will you do? Callion calls to you... Will you not take up arms once more? You know what must be done."

Hina stated as she let her hand rest upon his blade, a warm glow beginning to radiate outwards from the monk as his sword burst into flames unlike anything before. The light bouncing off the black marble of his wife's grave. He felt his will harden, his determination setting in like stone for the bedrock. He could not hide from this path any longer... he was to give himself to his training after all. His master would laugh at this, but he doubted the old man would have been bitter.

Slowly as he felt himself resolving to fight once more, to defend the weak his blade began to literally repair itself before his very eyes. The super heated metal seeming to rejuvenate itself by feeding on the strong will to protect. Hina smiled as a single tear fell down her face, knowing how much this path pained Taiyo to turn to... He would be forced to hurt people to protect people... Such was the contradiction he had failed to resolve on the day his master had asked him to step up as a warrior.

Instead he had found his wife, and now... now it was time. Standing up slowly, flames surrounding Taiyo as an inferno, blazing around him in a vortex of fire. He was not strong now, but... He lifted his blade to gaze down at it once more, his eyes unshadowed now as he held the determined eyes of a warrior. With one final moment, Taiyo placed his hand upon his wifes grave, its spotless surface reflecting the man as he marched forward to protect the world he and his wife loved. His black haori opened at the chest to bear his mark of shame... a mark he would carry with him into battle. His vow...

"Apologies Master Shen, but I must leave now. I must meet Callion to discuss the content of his message. My duties towards the Blacksite take precedence over training for now. I will gladly accept whatever punis-"

"That will not be necessary my cockroach," Shen said, more serious than ABAS had ever seen him. He rose from his cross-legged position, his expression inscrutable behind his tinted sunglasses "I don't like Roshi one bit. If I had the chance, I would slaughter that old fool for having the nerve to teach his students all that garbage about tranquility and self-reflection. However, that doesn't mean all of his brains have leaked out of his ears. He would never agree to teach someone with poor judgment or the tendency to pull a prank on this scale. And, if this is really the "Callion" he was bragging about a few months back, then it is even less likely this is a hoax. Go, and report back quickly. If what he is saying is true, we will have to accelerate your training."

ABAS looked at Shen for several slow seconds. He had never seen the old master act like this before. While he had calmed down a bit since he had become an official student of the Crane school, the old man had only ever begrudgingly agreed with him on anything. If even he was treating this message with seriousnes, it was likely the situation was truly dire.

"Well don't just stand there like an idiot! Go!" Shen shouted, pointing towards the exit.

"Yes Master Shen."

---

ABAS's lime green aura tore at the sky as he shot across the planet at maximum speed. It only took him a few minutes to move from the Northern Forest where Shen's dojo lay to the fabled land of Korin's forest. Even if he couldn't lock onto Callion's familiar telepathic signature, the sheer number of incoming warriors made the location rather obvious. ABAS swooped low over the treeline, landing lightly only a short distance from the Sayian monk's projected form.

He nodded absently at the familiar form of Opherla, noting the woman's changed experience and significant increase in strength. However, that was not his focus at the moment.

"I am here Master Callion. What is the nature of this threat? How long do we have until it arrives?"

---

Weighted PL: 20,557
Larval Form [x5]: 102,788

WC: 389
TWC: 389

The first warning Earth had had that anyone planned to invade a hundred years earlier had been the disappearance of a handful of children. While alarming no one saw it for what it had been, an abduction by an alien species. It was too subtle, but a prelude it was. Luckily for Earth, it was also the biggest blunder that alien species performed in that invasion, with three of those abducted children being key to turning back the invasion during the first open conflict.

Today was not like back then, when his grandmother, one of those three abductees, joined together with others to form the J Numbers and repel the Fury invasion before it even became public knowledge. With the issuing of the warning to all those living on Earth, there wasn’t a soul that wouldn’t recognise it when it came, even if they dismissed it.

After all, why would the average person take a random telepathic message seriously?

Liek was not among those who ignored it. But he did hesitate. He wasn’t anywhere near strong enough to contribute, if what he knew of the likes of Opherla and ABAS where anything to go off of. But even so, he couldn’t just ignore it and just not show up. Even if his being there was only to confirm he intended to stay on Earth, train and keep the homefront safe.

...Part of it was fear. Part of it was justified by only ever claiming to want to protect the Earth…

Even so, he couldn’t just NOT show up.

As such he did just that, landing in the clearing near ABAS and Opherla. He noticed the others he didn’t recognise, but could feel where much, much stronger then him. Biting his lip he ducked his head in frustration and embarrassment. Among these juggernauts he was as nothing.

...He should have brought towels. At least then he’d feel like he was contributing somehow.

---

PL: 28.998
Zeni: 22,310
WC: 321
Bonuses: 2x Bonus to 100k

The monk was silent as all the others gathered, he wasn't the first but he had arrived around the same time as most of them. He stood silently as he watched all those gathered, a smile on his face while he kept to himself. He had much on his mind, but even more when Zaks arrived. Had he seen her before this, he might have left on the spot. He didn't trust the queen of the saiyans, not after she had employed such a man to attack their city. He recalled her occupation and the fight that ultimately lead to so many dying... all because people acted first before talking. Whoever had set up the battle, was surely laughing at them all now.

Still he remained, turning his eyes from the woman to focus on Callion. A man with a lot to say and Taiyo listened. The man spoke of a distant threat, one they needed to band together to defeat. Taiyo rarely thought things were so simple. It wasn't till Callion mentioned bringing all the saiyans to earth, to which Taiyo piped up.

"Hey... not to uh ruin that little plan... But why would you put everyone on one planet as a big target... if the enemy can destroy worlds then wouldn't it be better to have them remain where they are? The enemy will have to choose a world regardless, why make one more enticing to end?"

If they couldn't stop the enemy, then why bring everyone where they were all going to die? He didn't understand that plan. Sure they were suppose to get stronger but if they failed? At least the target was two separate places, making complete annihilation that much more difficult. True Taiyo know that sounded cruel but he didn't see a point uprooting an entire species and bringing them to a foreign world that already disliked them...

"You are simply saying things that make logical sense but when broken down is silly. The saiyans will reject this idea anyways, its pointless to tell them to run when instead you could focus on learning more about the threat." 

He understood the idea of protecting the people, but if the world could explode... there was no where safe. Migration was pointless and would be a needlessly chaotic amount of effort. Callion wanted to hand the enemy a single rock with two birds if they failed. He wasn't sure about anyone elses thoughts, but if they failed at least only one species would die. Taiyo was different than the last time Callion had seen him, the air about him was much more serious unlike his usual care free attitude. It was not just usual happiness that was gone, but he stood with conviction he lacked before.

But despite that Taiyo soon fell silent, having said his peace. Callion had said his point and Taiyo his, now he wanted to know everyone elses thoughts.

ABAS gave a respectful nod towards the Sayian Queen as she flew up. Despite their separate allegiances, ABAS had found Zaks to be both strong and wise, the exact traits he most admired in a leader. She had also assisted him quite a bit in his early training, so it could be said that he owed her quite a bit. "Queen Zaks. A pleasure as always. If only we met under less...dire circumstances."

Before he had time to converse further however, Callion began speaking. The Sayian Monk spoke of a massive power surge he felt while fighting Liari (ABAS could not even muster up surprise that Liari had somehow managed to teleport across the galaxy and back). Apparently, this surge was borne from Changeling named Arctic utilizing so-called "Dragon Balls". ABAS frowned, flickering through the Blacksite's database for mention of such devices. There was a few myths and legends of course, but he hardly thought Callion expected them to follow archeological news. Was there something more to the term he was supposed to get?

ABAS' curiosity was stifled by Callion's dire warning. Whatever the Dragon Balls were, their power combined with the consumption and destruction of Namek had boosted this "Arctic" to the point that Callion seemed to think he had no chance against him. ABAS couldn't even comprehend the power required to scare the Sayian Monk to the point of sacrificing himself, but it had to be truly something. ABAS began streaming a recording back to the Blacksite's HQ, even as his mind raced with possibilities.

If Callion thinks this Arctic will come after Earth, I must treat the possibility as an absolute certainty. Callion is not the type to cause world-wide panic on a hunch. However...if this Arctic comes to Earth, I will have no choice but to throw my life away.

It was a grim thought. ABAS was no coward, far from it. He would fight and bleed for his masters as long as they held his leash taught. But if what Callion was saying was true, then it wouldn't be a fight. This Arctic could probably blow him away with a flick of a finger, less than that even. If Arctic was powerful enough to cause warriors on the level of Liari to despair, there was absolutely nothing the bio-android could do. The day that Arctic arrived on Earth would likely be his death. Unlike others here, ABAS had no choice in the matter: his programming would kill him if he did anything else. Unless he managed to slip his leash before then....

ABAS shelved his plans for a moment, turning back towards the present. He was about to open his mouth to point out the obvious flaw when an unfamiliar human spoke up, neatly taking ABAS' entire argument.

"I must concur Master Callion. To bring the Sayians here now would only cause greater strife and internal conflict, let alone grouping all of Arctic's targets in one place. If they must be evacuated, it makes far more sense to move them to a planet Arctic knows nothing about to buy them time. However, we also cannot discard the possibility that this Arctic has abilities like yours or mine. He may very well be able to hear any plan we make for all we know. I have no data on what is possible at that level of power." ABAS said frankly. He threw Opherla a look. "As for the Sayian's willingness, well, I am sure there are others here that have more data than I. However, if we take the average Sayian as a benchmark, I highly doubt a significant majority would be willing to abandon their home without a fight."

"To be brutally honest, stopping Arctic will likely require the sacrifice of many lives to buy the strongest time to train. From what I can gather, these Dragon Balls are wish-granters yes? If so, they can be used to repair any damage Arctic causes. The most important thing, then, is to group together our strength and increase it as much as possible. As such, I must object to you dying on Vegeta in that scenario Master Callion. Given the Changelings' standard psychological profile, Arctic will likely take time enough gloating over the Sayian's demise. To throw away the lives of one of our strongest fighters for people that you would not be able to save, and that can be wished back afterwards seems foolhardy. Especially when you would only be able to delay him for a few hours at most." ABAS knew this viewpoint wouldn't be popular, but it made the most sense. They didn't have the manpower to waste on heroic self-sacrifices. "After all, if we lose Earth, there will be no repairing Arctic's rampage. Concentrating our power gives us the greatest probability of victory."

ABAS turned to Opherla, "I will gladly take you up on your offer. We must increase our strength as much as possible if we are to resist Arctic's assault."

---

WC: 831
TWC: 1220

Liek didn’t know much of anything about the Saiyans and it wasn’t like he’d met a great many of them in his life time. He’d barely known his father for a few days before the man died. He knew Opherla was a hybrid like himself, but the fact barely registered in his mind since she didn’t have the visual cues of a Saiyan. The only pure blood Saiyans he’d ever met where Callion and Salada, two wildly different people on completely different ends of the personality scale. Everyone was talking about whether the Saiyans would or wouldn’t retreat from their homeworld out of pride and stubbornness.

That much, at least, he could kind of understand.

The Fury had refused to abandon their homeworld after Ga-Ravan’s final act of spite had accelerated the planet’s demise from decades to days. Pretty much the entire surviving population, men, women and children alike, chose, of their own will, to remain on the dying world to the last. They could have evacuated some of their population, the option was there. The Gau-la-Furia could have carried hundreds of thousands, even millions, to safety inside the stasis pods that where left inside the six arms. But they elected to remain, both out of pride of their heritage, and shame for attempting an unjust invasion of the Earth.

But that wasn’t the only news, another planet, one called Namek, was as good as gone. Destroyed by the monstrous threat that was intent on coming both the Saiyan homeworld and to the Earth. And there was Liek, weakest of the warriors present, standing among juggernauts being confronted with a threat far beyond anything he’d imagined he’d have to face so early in his life.

If he had been born a regular human his greatest concern right now would be homework and dating. But here he was set to face a threat to survival of all life in the Galaxy.

Understandably the boy’s throat ran dry, his attempts to swallow only make it feel like his throat was constricting more. His skin paled as a cold sweat shimmered on his skin and his breath quickened. But even as the cold grip of fear tightened he didn’t stop thinking, processing what was being said.

Despite his concerns he still found the strength to say, “I agree with ABAS.” He may surprise the bugman, but the idealistic boy had actually been pondering what he’d just learned about the Dragon Balls and had reached the same conclusion, “I-It’s the best way forward to ensure we can save everyone in the long run.” He tried to explain, stumbling over his words, not entirely sure if these people, all of whom seemed to be more important, stronger, or both then he was would even listen to a weak little child.

“If we hold the Dragon Balls in reserve we can fix any damage to Earth, then bring back Vegeta and it’s people and then Namek and it’s people.” He looked over at the Saiyan Queen and immediately what little confidence he’d built up with his last statement fled, why would a Queen listen to him? “M-making a wish for strength w-would be a waste of resources.”

---

WC: 531
TWC: 852

Taiyo could only listen on with nothing but his concern laid bare across his face. This world truly was beyond cruel to everyone here, and those that were to blame boiled his blood like none other. Yet he was powerless, nothing could be done by the monk at this point. He had witnessed a queen say farewell to her people, and then Callion spoke of Liari joining the defense of earth. At this point the monk was at a complete lose for words. This whole event had just spiraled out of his control and he couldn't possibly understand why he was even here.  Zaks was far stronger than him, Callion was far stronger and this Liari was stronger than them both. As far as the monk knew, this were the most powerful people in the universe. 

His eyes half lidded as he realized their purpose here, and he was not amused by his conclusion. They couldn't possibly get strong enough to stop this thing in time, it was death coming. This whole situation had gone from a simple, "a thing is coming to kill us" to "we are absolutely fucked enough that Liari is helping." His amusement over their whole situation was gone, and he was beginning to wonder if he shouldn't just spend his final days with his wifes grave if things were so dire. The human didn't like how fast this whole thing was going, and the implication that they were all going to die... but he supposed laying down to die was never his cup of tea anyways.

Sure he had come to that conclusion many times before, like when he had saw the blue thing attacking a city only to be stopped by Zerori. He had known he would die when he went to meet the queen and her general. He supposed marching to meet death itself was not so much different than just walking into a fire wall... His scar he supposed would never be able to let him rest.

"Well this went from a semi-pleasant talk about death and doom to, we are absolutely doomed. But I was never one to shy away from it. Don't care for the company we keep but I'll get stronger."

Taiyo straightened himself up then, running a hand along his chin in thought about where he was going to go train.

"But as fun as it is to listen to this, it only makes me want to train more. So I think I'll find a nice quiet spot to... i dunno, try to at least be more of a needle in its thigh? Er... it was a man wasn't? Bah can't remember."

Taiyo threw his hands up in defeat knowing he couldn't reach their level fast enough. But he would certainly try and with a wave farewell, he headed off towards the east. His swords rattling violently in their sheaths while he walked.

"Be well Callion, I'll try to at least be presentable enough for an honorable death."

With that, Taiyo laughed.