(Complete) The Seventh Shine

[Virion]

A vast rune-inscribed doorway sits before the robed group, standing resolute. Written in old namekian, the symbols which cover it's surface seem to have a magical quality, a throwback to the times of old where the mystical art of the dragon clan ensured the safety of the namekian people, and the warrior caste stood tall and proud. The group had searched long and hard, attempting to locate this discrete aperture among the long stretch of altitudinous terrain, the pristine mountain range betraying nothing of its sinister secret.

“Excellent work my… friend” purred Virion, addressing the namekian who had finally located the site. The man was one of the seven fighting fit members of the village Virion had infected earlier, all of which Virion had called to accompany him in this search.

The namekian, Lians, smiled a little. Looking into this creature’s slitted eyes it seemed strange to him how… normal everything felt. He stood here with his fellows, about to do something which he feared may lead to the very undoing of his people, following the call of a creature that for all intents and purposes should frighten him witless, and yet felt... nothing.

Lians was concerned for the other village’s well-being, and knew that if the legends were true that this was an incredibly dangerous move. And yet over washing these feels of anxiety was a blanketing calm, and even a touch of excitement. This was a good idea, whatever it was, he didn’t quite know why, but it just... was, a quite satisfaction was flowing across his consciousness which lifted his spirits considerably. He remembered back to a couple of days ago, drifting for a moment into memory. ((* See [thread link], currently not written but I’ll edit in the link later)).
For several moments his reprieve continued, until his attention was drawn back to the present by the gentle nudging of a companion, one of the new warriors Virion’s clone had brought in to assist with the search not so long ago.

[Virion]

((still very busy, but I've been sitting on this post for quite some time, so I've been slacking off and going over it recently... something i probably can't afford to be spending time on but i have anyway :X))

Virion’s satisfaction was immense as he strode forward towards the majestic shrine. After the return of his other half, his concentration had been focused on adjusting his own biology and energy. Most notable of which was an exquisite new control of his own ki. Even as his body was cloaked in the clothing about his body, his energy was now similarly cloaked, beyond merely supressing his full power. The clone had shifted his physiology into a more flexible state, enabling him to transform his body, and in turn when recombined Virion had extended this to his energy itself.

The namekian’s meanwhile had worked diligently in the task set, the group slowly working it’s way along the mountainous stretch. The large shrine had been hidden from the world, difficult to find by it’s very nature, and Virion had begun to consider taking a more proactive approach, perhaps paying a visit to the lone village in the mountains (initially his namekian comrades had been exciting upon sensing it, but when they approached Virion he had put a considerable damper on their spirits by informing them before they even arrived that it was not what they were looking for). He had known from the beginning that it would not be easy to locate, and in the end was revealed in a location that had already been searched. Only by chance had Virion lagged behind during his internal metamorphosis, and in returning to report their lack of findings one member had noticed something in the crags below, hidden from the sky by an overhanging lip of mountainside. Three of his companions who had passed over the area much earlier doggedly swore that the entrance to this overhang had not been there before, one even going so far as to say, with complete certainty in his beliefs, that it had been solid cliff face (which he had leaned against while taking a break).

In the end it did not matter, for they now stood beneath the overhanding rock, the plate sculpted as if a small horizontal slice of the mountain’s edge had been cut away, within it a temple-like shrine resting against the back-most rock face, hooded in much the same way Virion’s own face was hooded below the robes he wore.

“Time for the preparations to end and the event to begin” Croaked Virion, stopping directly before the dilapidated doorway within the shrines encircling columns. As they had made their way through the ancient structure, the group was finally able to take a proper look. the shrine appeared more like a ruin than the majestic installation it must once have been, and the area seemed entirely deserted. Despite this, they were soon confronted with an unsettling sensation, as if being watched by the walls themselves. The closer they got to the enourmous doorway at the end of the great shrine’s hall, the stronger this sensation grew; a nervous feeling which sunk straight to the pit of the namekian’s stomachs. They appeared uneasy, unlike Virion whose predatory gaze swept dreamily over the ancient text, all but oblivious to his companions anxiety.

Boliko Korigatsu may have gone, Touketsuki having never arrived, but that did not matter anymore. The course of chaos had been set, and Virion already knew exactly how he would utilise this meddling in the time stream to his own advantage.

He raised his arms up towards the doorway, but paused short of making contact with its surface. The shadows were long and deep in this ancient structure, mold and greenery stretching across the surfaces around them. The ten or so namekians had fallen silent and gathered together about three paces behind where their leader stood. Something suddenly caught their attention, and almost as one they turned – An intruder had shambled into their midst.

[Virion]

It was a very elderly namekian, of simple robe. His arm trembled as his shuffled forward, giving off an air of agonising frailty, relying heavily on his walking stick.

“So you come…” came his ancient, trembling wheeze, addressing directly the cloaked figure of Virion. The bio-android said nothing at first, but after a few drawn out moments of silence he caved into his own curiosity, answering at last.
“So I have” it was a guarded response, his head turning and his eyes narrowing, but otherwise Virion remained statue still, arms still reached forward just slightly.
As the namekian monk shakily came closer, it was clear that the man was blind, his eyes milky and unfocused. Despite this his feet gently brushed over the ground, his striding steps leading him through Virion’s group of namekian’s who parted before him, confused but his mysterious appearance in what they had all thought was a long abandoned place. The monk either could not see them, or chose to ignore their presence.

“You do… not belong” Said the priest simply, a shuddering breath interrupting him mid-sentence, as he came to a stop in the gap between the infected and Virion. One of the namekians, Poma, took a stealthy step forward, his urges telling him to bite the old man and erase the feeling of unease he felt in the prescience of this non-infected, another companion for their group. The look in Virion’s eyes however made him quickly think better of the move, and he stopped in place.

“Perhaps not” replied Virion simply, his eyes still locked onto Poma even as his words addressed the old man. He took one step forward, turning back and continuing where he had left off. This next feat would take a concentrated effort, and the nervous energy of his companions coupled with the presence of this senile old priest was somewhat distracting.

His hands made contact with the door, and a beastly wail, accompanied by a sudden gust of wind pushed forward, dust and desiccated leaves picked up and drawn out towards the entrance. It was as if the doorway itself was alive, Virion’s touch breathing a new gasp of life into it’s decaying stone surface, before this sudden gust died back down, the wail along with it.

“You do not drown… by falling in the water… you drown… by staying there” came the old man’s voice, again between drawn-out breaths. It was clear that even the simple act of talking was a strain on his ancient body. The frown on his features seem to relax, the wrinkled flesh instead revealing a more saddened expression
“I cannot stop you from doing… as you wish… but regardless of the… futility… I still urge you against it”
Virion turned, one hand still pressed against the doorway but the other falling to his side, his head tilted almost playfully, causing his hood to fall away. Though his features expressed his own good humour there was still an ever-present edge of spite lurking just below the face, peeking through.
“I have seen the future old man, and this event is inevitable. Why waste such a rich opportunity when destiny inexorably drives you closer to this fate regardless of my own interference? Were it not I then another will soon come, I do not doubt that you already realise this. You may be blind to the world but you see it just as I have” Virion voice was quickening now, his eyes growing wider as the pitch in his voice grew higher
“Do you not feel the excitement? You have waited all these long years and now I bring you the moment of your anticipation, earlier than expected but every bit as fulfilling as it would otherwise have been! Your anxious wait over at last…”
The old man remained completely unmoved as a pause grew between them, both hands resting on his staff. Virion eyes darted from one of the namekians milky irises to the other, back and forward, as if reading him, his expression locked into an almost expectant sneer. The monk finally took a deep breath, his pursed lips opening to speak.
“…In darkness… you must know how to make… your own light, before… it is too late to learn”

As was becoming quite during this exchange another drawn out pause developed, and for a moment it seemed as though Virion would respond, words resting on the very tip of his tongue but hesitant about taking flight from his insectoid lips. Instead of voicing these lurking verses however he snapped around, returning his moody gaze to the door with a frown. He was done humouring this old fool. Drawing both hands back to the doorways surface, the bio-android’s energy began to build.

[Virion]

((still not 'back' yet, only reason I'm even able to post this stuff is cause its mostly already written out already))

Like smoke, his aura sluggishly flowed from his body, the gentle rushing sound of his energy building and building. There was a distinctly namekian quality to this aura, the mixed sensation his energy extruded becoming more muted as this single character grew in prominence, drawn upon specifically in such a way that would have been all but impossible for the bio-android not so long ago. In a sudden climax it flared into a brilliant flame-like glow, stepping up sharply from the slow release of before, and in response the symbols on the doorway began to illuminate, the light emanating from the point of contact like some sort of liquid below the doors stone surface, permeating its structure like a flame travelling across cloth. The ground began to tremble, rocks dancing across the tiled surface of the shrine, dust falling from various cracks and crevices in a growing chorus of vibrations and shudders.

The intensity of this process grew exponentially, and in mere moments the entire area pitched and rumbled, the plate of earth they stood upon fracturing, splitting and heaving to the left, threatening to tumble down the mountain-side. The cracks spread further and further, and behind Virion cries of alarm came from the group of infected as the quaking grew ever more threatening. The lone monk was the only one who remained unmoved by the turmoil, instead standing exactly as he had before. A ringing began, resonant and sustained, growing greater and greater in volume and aided by the acoustics of the chamber.

The great door moaned under the intense strain being placed on it by Virion’s energy, the magical seal placed over it flaring into even greater brilliance as the energy invested in the barrier transitioned into the visible spectrum with a shuddering boom. Ribbons of light lashed out from the ruined pillars surrounding the group, gem stones adorning their bases ablaze with the latent ki energy embedded within this ancient shrine. These tendrils of pure energy floated gently in the air, wide but thin as paper, rearing upward like a gathering of serpents, featurelessly measuring their target up.

They struck out towards Virion, in a whip-like motion, narrowly darting around his companions, wrapping around his arms, legs and body. Every limb was being pulled back, torn away from the doorway in some last ditch attempt to keep him from his goal, to tear this intruder limb from limb if they had to, his natural resilience the only think keeping their sharp edges from slicing through his body like razors as they attempted to dig into his flesh.

More were appearing by the moment, joining those which already pulled aggressively at the Bio-androids figure in a sinewy array of fibrous bandages. One lashed around his horn, yanking his head back roughly, another latching noose-like around his neck and strangling tight, but Virion was determined, and he fought back against this restraints. They grew brighter and brighter, and now the bio-android was leaning bodily in towards the door, struggling desperately to maintain his hands upon its surface, his feet clawing step by step into the ground but not affording Virion any forward progress.
“Arrrghh!” Virion yelled, one hand losing its contact from the egress ever so briefly. He eyes flared, and from each side two additional arms burst forward, growing out from the flesh in a violent motion and joining his other two arms against the doorway, slamming forward to crash against the barrier with renewed vigour, pushing.

The ringing had become a deafening cascade now, and great slabs of stone and earth tumbled from the overhanging lip to crash to the ground. A piece of debris was heading directly towards the group behind Virion, and mere moments away from impact one of these namekians dived forward, tackling the elderly monk to the ground in the process and saving the both of them, the other members narrowly clearly this same piece. Great cracks continued to rip across the ground, almost like lightning, fracturing and splintering in many directions, the fault lines growing wider.

The door was swinging inward, agonisingly slow but relentlessly hammering on thanks to Virion’s efforts, the forcefield like barrier bowing inward more and more as the massive door slowly ground forward.
Further…
Further… …
… Further.


Suddenly there was a ear-rending snap, and as if reaching the limits of its power the shine’s defences broke, tearing away from their anchors like ripped threads in the breeze, clinging loosely to Virion for the brief moments it took them to dissolve into nothingness. The great barrier before the doorway shattered like glass, the symbols flashing a brilliant, ominous red before fading out completely in this collosal death shudder. An exhalant roar emanated from the narrow slit of the opening door, a bestial cry of triumph and fury, and the intense quaking gave one last mighty heave.

Three fourths of the foundation they stood on broke loose; following along the fault lines which had been growing wider and wider as Virion pushed. As this sheet of dirt and stone tumbled down the mountainside it ripped half the shrine along with it, ancient pillars and arches falling to the crags below like toppling dominoes. Where the namekians had been standing mere seconds before was now gone, half the group being forced to act fast, leaping upward and flying back to their companions or face a long and dangerous descent down the mountain-side among these debris.

The thunderous scream of the plummeting rockslide subsided after a few moments, small dust clouds and stray stones settling all around them back at the high above gateway. After a few moments regathering themselves, coughing dust and calming their rattled nerves, the group looked up. Where before there had been great noise and violent upheavals, now stood an eerie stillness, the very life of the moutain itself seemed to have drained from the area leaving a feeling of bleak desolation, the uneasy feeling this place had extruded before now magnified tenfold. It seemed that even the wind had grown silent, although new light now shone down from small holes made in the over-hanging terrain and small clouds of dust gently rattled towards the ground below...

[Bazantar]

Inky darkness.

Where once the rune-inscribed doorway had barred access now stood a great gaping void. Light itself seemed anxious about stepping far beyond its threshold, as if knowing that in this twisted realm of cavernous darkness beyond it was an unwelcome presence. The insect-like creature who stood closest to the outside of the gateway was taking several steps back, eyeing the entrance calculatingly as the additional arms from his sides desiccated, shrivelling and slowly drawing back into his body.

A light mist was slowly rolling from the chilling archway, and as the insectoid peered into it’s depths a dark realisation appeared to come over him. By that point it was too late however, and the mist bellowed out in greater and greater volume, engulfing the group in a sudden rush. Pulsing and crawling.

The bio-android’s head snapped around, tracking something beyond the mist’s boundaries. The namekians with him gasped, unable to see as clearly as their leader apparently could but sensing whatever it was out there none the less. The mist itself was alive, a nightmarish incarnation of dread and pulsating evil. Ice ran through the groups veins as the presence of these eldritch phantoms grew. This dark fog was so thick that they could not see beyond a meter at most.

Shadows formed, vague figures materialising out of these sinister clouds. In a sweeping motion the mist whipped up around each of the unsealer’s companions, and before they could react all members were ensnared. It appeared that their insectoid leader however was not about to stand idly by under such entrapment, and as the figure reared up behind him the Bio-androids tail whipped down, lashing around the creatures ankle and drawing it up into the air, his arm lashing forward towards it’s neck. However, in the last moment something jerked the limb up short, tugging his hand backward and preventing it from landing as intended.

Looking towards his arm the bio-android would see a number of threads, Ki energy which seemed to shine in and out of visibility by it’s own volition. It bit into his arm quite strongly, like a web designed specifically to intercept his blow, and had been quite successful in sneakily locking his limb in place, preventing him from both pushing the hand forward or pulling it back. In the same instant as he examined this the creatures eyes were also drawn to his allies’ captors.

The Porunkal were similar in some ways to your average namekian, in general their basic body shape following their distant kinsmen, but in others they were certainly not. Their flesh was an angry red, each of their eyes yellow and slitted. From their heads red horns grew in the place of antennae, and their entire manner extruded an air of malevolence unlike anything the current namekians of this world were even capable of. Each stared at Virion feverishly, their eyes aglow with cruel, twisted pleasure. Nearly all bore weapons which they pressed to the throats or hearts of their captives, ready to spill the blood of these interlopers at a moment’s notice.

The insect-like alien turns back to the man he himself has captured, who despite his situation appears to not be struggling greatly, instead sharing a similar expression to his companions (though obviously upside down as he hangs by his ankle).

The atmosphere is tense, both parties staring each other down. The bio-androids ensnared hand twists around slowly, now pointing a single finger towards his own captive. Even this small rotation had seen a surprising amount of resistance from the threads which held it in place. Slowly his gaze passes over some of the surrounding demons, his expression set in a seething yet measured state. Energy slowly flows towards the tip of it’s finger, gathering into the beginnings of a deadly beam, his threat all too clear: ‘I will kill him’. In response however the demons pull their blades in closer, pressing just enough against his companions skin to cut without slicing deep, one letting out a stifled cry.

“Go ahead” dares an arrogant sounding voice from the shadows. From the mist a large, muscular mazoku ((demon namekian)) steps forward, several scars across his bare shoulders and a deeply muscled torso. Materialising from the mist another demon namekian appears alongside, elderly and much shorter than his company. In the background this haze had been slowly clearing, revealing that beyond their vision a vast hoard of these demon namekians had taken up position. Most stood clustered around the bio-android and his small namekian cohort, but others, judging from their still somewhat hazey shapes, had evidently taken to the air, floating in place or perching atop the various high surfaces ringing the area, all looking down towards Virion.

“You took your sweet time, creature” Said Bazantar almost accusingly, each word coming out in a measured, even pace, speaking as if the actions of this bio-android had been pre-arranged. The demon elder’s mystical ways taught him much, and although he had never met the bio-android before he had known what was coming. Just beyond the threshold his tribe had waited, the elders prophecies telling them to take the doorway on this day. It had been hard fought, encroaching deep into enemy territory, but now the rewards of their bloodshed had come to fruition.

The other demons parted way as these two figures approached, the tall, muscular demon with the scarred shoulders and the elder, a small smile lighting up his features but his eyes betraying a wicked glint. The surrounding group closing back in as this pair passed. Half way towards Virion this elder stopped. Skripka, The mazoku with the scarred shoulders took four more paces but glanced briefly back towards the elder. Bazantar had stopped directly beside one of the captives - It was the monk of the shrine, swept up alongside Virion’s infected and also held at knife-point.

“Well well well, such a pleasure to see you again old friend” He says to the monk, giving a brief nod to the demon namekian who held the priest hostage. The monk shows no reaction what so ever, infact having not reacted very much at all to the entire ordeal. The dark elder turned back towards Virion and continued to stride forward, while behind him the monks throat and chest are sliced open in a fluid 7-shaped motion, the executer seeming to delight in his task and wasting no time dumping the fading body unceremoniously at his feet. Skripka also returns his gaze to the front with a sneer.

“So… you have unleashed our clan from that wretched tomb, but to what purpose... Virion” Rings the elder’s voice. The old demon gives off the distinct impression that this question is less of an enquiry and more a formality, his unsettling aura and feverish gaze giving his presence a piercing quality, as if measuring you up for your own coffin and already knowing well the perfect inscription for not only your tombstone but the tombstones of your family as well.

[Virion]

Virions had his head turned, observing this elder intently as he approached from on-side. The man who had spoken first, egging the bio-android on, was perhaps the strongest of the group, and for an old namekian Virion would say that the elder was quite powerful as well, but there was something else far more notable than his physical powers buried beneath the surface. The Bio-android dumped the demon he had caught with his tail onto the ground, turning to face these two fiends. As he did so his arm caught on the still-present threads of energy, and for a moment he thought he saw a little twinkle in the demon elder’s eyes. Virion however flared his power for a split second, and in this instant yanked his arm free, the threads themselves breaking.

Four demon namekians had been moving toward Bazantar’s side as the elder closed the gap, and after this display they seemed to quicken their pace, now coming to stand beside him. Virion guessed that they must have been a guard unit, and again by namekian standards their powers were quite substantial, together a match even for Virion’s own base strength though nothing that his bio-resonance couldn’t handle.

Hmm, their numbers are quite a bit smaller than I was expecting… Virion thought to himself, out-loud merely stating:
“So, this is the illustrious demon clan of namek…” There was a pause, the bio-android taking in the surrounding clansmen. He searches out with his mind, turning at last to the doorway they had emerged from, his senses straining. From what he knew the demon clan was once ruled by a very powerful demon lord, but it appeared this man was either very adept at suppressing his power, or not currently present.

The namekian standing before him with scarred shoulders… he couldn’t be the leader could he? Their release had come earlier than it originally should have, but surely this man could not gather such strength in the short time between now and the day of their release in Virion’s own timeline.

“…but where is your leader?” enquires Virion out loud. The scar-shoulder man scoffs, his sneer shifting from right to left
“foolish insect, I stand right here before you” His head turns up, as if he is stretching his neck muscles, before looking over the ridge of his nose towards Virion
“Were you expecting someone else?” he continues nastily, his energy flaring into a clenched fist, resonating briefly before dying back down with what was almost a dull thud. It confirms Virion’s suspicions.
“As a matter of fact I think I was” he replies bluntly, the slits of his eyes narrowing dangerously. Tension builds, the leader of the demon clan appearing to grow agitated by this tarty response.

“As it is however, I am the one who has released you on this day, Achieving what you could not hope to do from within that little cave of yours, So I’ll thank you-” He says threateningly, brow raising in emphasis of his words
“-to unhand my collaborators.” More quietly he adds
“I detest children who try to take what is mine”.

The demonic leader kinks his head to the other side, his expression one of distaste or spiteful rather than the sneer of earlier.
“Or what?” he says daringly, his aggression bubbling like steam from the deep boiler of his growing hatred as a vein from his forehead grew noticeably more pronounced.

In one swift movement Virion had lashed out. His bio-resonance activating as his arm lashed forward, catching Skripka by the throat. In the same instant, his eyes had also turned to the several mazoku holding his infected captive, unleashing an invisible blast directly at each in turn, knocking their weapons away and blasting their face or bodies.

The rate at which this happened however was no more than a split second. And after the moment had passed some of the closest demon namekians flinched or gasped, drawing their weapons but unsure exactly how to handle the situation given so little time to think.

However, as Virion’s grip around the demonic leader’s throat tightened, something else lightly touched the back of his upper arm. Twisted his head quickly, it appeared as though the demon elder had somehow also moved in a flash to Virion’s side. On reflection he released that the demon had actually been moving, unobtrusively, back when they had been talking, setting himself up with clairvoyant accuracy so as to be there right as this very instant arrived. The bio-android was actually a little shocked. The demon had known what was coming, and now stood with two fingers slightly pressed to the back of Virion’s tricep.

Almost instinctively Virion lashed out, but instead of making contact as expected, Virion’s arm slid directly through the elder’s form, the man turning to mist upon contact and drawing back out of reach… His attention was then drawn back to the front, as Skripka’s hand clamped over the bio-androids arm, slowly pulling his grip around the demons own throat loose. Virion was astonished. The demons power remained unchanged, yet somehow his strength was matching, perhaps even overcoming VIrion’s own… but how!?

With a savage twist the demon had prised Virion’s hand away completely, and with his other hand was building up an orb of energy, it’s red glow lighting up his twisted sneer. Virion was still reeling as he tried to comprehend what had happened, the scene seeming to play out to him in slow motion. Realising that the energy ball was building in strength, Virion tugged at the grip this demon had on his arm. But rather than jostling free as expecting, the man’s grip remained locked firm, like a vice constructing virion’s flesh. Again Virion checked the demons power, and again it remained the same as before, but then how…

His eyes darted to the demonic elder, who had now rematerialized from the dark mist. A gleam was lighting up his eyes, just as before. Suddenly Virion realised what was wrong.

His bio-resonance was on longer active. The demon leader had not grown stronger, Virion had grown weaker! The energy ball in the demons hand had now flourished to full strength, and in his slowed perception of time Virion’s eyes darted back around.

Very well then, I shall merely reactivate my Bio-resonance he thought to himself, reaching within to restart the transformation. He did not know how the elder had done it, but Virion would not fall for the same trick again. Once his Bio-resonance was reactivated Virion would simply yank his arm downward and bring his knee up into the leader’s chin.

As the demon’s hand came forward however Virion found that his resonance would not re-engage. Where before a vast well of strength once dwelled, now he found a void of emptiness. His bio-resonance was quite literally gone! In a panic Virion twisted his other hand across his body, the palm intercepting the energy ball, which was aimed into his chest, right at the last second.

Using his energy absorption, he began to drain the attack of its power. To Virion time once again resumed it’s normal pace, as the sneer on the demon leaders face turned to momentary confusion. The man had thrust forward, only to find his hand emptied of it’s payload. The now small ball of Ki stood in Virion’s own hand, dwindling further and further before disappearing as it was absorbed by the maw in Virion’s palm.

Now it was Virion’s turn to sneer.

His own fist cannoned forward, only to be intercepted by Skripka’s other palm. Now both of them were locked together, hand in hand, but for Virion this arrangement was perfect. He’d simply grow a new arm, and use this to jap forward with an infecting strike, catching this leader of demons off guard and ensuring the demon clans loyalty.

[Bazantar]

Skripka however had other ideas, and as a third arm unexpectedly burst forth from the bio-androids side the demonic leader unleashed his own sneak attack, a blast lurching from his mouth and straight into the creature’s face, knocking the insectoid back to go skidding across the floor. In the background the infected namekians, freed from their captors grasps had turned back to back and formed a small circle. It was clear that they were outnumbered and outmatched, and as the demon clansmen recovered from Virion’s earlier attack they had begun closing in.

Virion ground to a halt mere paces away from his allies, and with a murderous glare from his smoking features he lashed both arms out to his sides. With apparently little regard for his companions the bio-android unleashed a shockwave of psychkinetic force, sending both friend and foe alike scattered to the far reaches of the mountain-side inlet. Some were caught unprepared, and slammed heavily into the rock-faces, while others braced themselves in a futile attempt to hold out against the rushing wave, only managing to last a few short moments before the sustained force of the Bio-androids attack knocked them away also. Skripka braced himself heavily, feet sliding across the ground as his stance arched forward in counter-balance, and unlike his clansmen managed to hold out under the torrent of Virion’s pushing, while Bazantar’s four guards stepped infront of their elder and, using their own bodies, shielded him from the force of the attack.

It is obvious that Virion’s action was designed to clear distance between himself and the surrounding demon clan, their oppressive, encircling presence evidently a cause for concern, and although it likely evaded Skripka’s attention Bazantar observed with a sly grin as Virion’s allies were separated out among the flailing bodies with a subtle gesticulation from the newly grown third arm. What at first appeared an indiscriminate attack instead proved to be a careful and subtly planned sleight of hand, the bio-android able to thrust his allies out of the demon clans immediate reach and down the loose scree slopes of what was evidently a fairly recently collapsed portion of this mountainside crevice. It was such a clever little move that Bazantar was inclined to allow his success, and so with a discrete drifting of his left arm he reached forward ever so slightly towards his kindsmen and cast a spell, fingers curling lightly around an imagined point within the air, as if grasping onto an invisible thread of awareness within his companions minds, which he proceeded to roll gently between thumb and forefinger before flicking away with a swift little twist of his wrist, discarding the trivial fact that this creatures companions had escaped from his clansmen’s minds. Kontra, one of the four guards, gave Bazantar a somewhat pointed look, knowing well when their elder was up to his old shenanigans. The elder’s smile simply grew wider, the wrinkles across his face deepening, secretly enjoying that his little games had not gone completely unnoticed. He turned his attention back two the two fighters as their battle continued.

The bio-android had not waited long to launch into his next round of attacks, his eyes widening savagely as a volley of invisible blasts struck out at Skripka’s body. He flinched, stepping back as each blow seared his body, arms raised infront of his face but his eyes focused on Virion, teeth gritted. The attack let up as Virion rushed forward. The demonic leader leveled an intercepting blow towards the creature which would utilise his own momentum against him, but in the last instant the creature vanished.

“Enough” came the commanding croak, now up high and to the left. Skripka tossed his head around to re-locate his adversary, and locked on just in time to see the bio-android swatting away one of his clansmen. The creature had appeared next to the demon warrior unexpectedly, and given a split second to react the mazoku had swung his sword, only to be intercepted with a backhanded strike which knocked him bodily through one of the remaining columns in this half-shrine, the Bio-android not even bothering to look towards his attacker and instead remaining focused on the demon’s leader.

“Pathetic!” shouted Skripka, charging a red ball of ki energy into his hand which he launched towards the high point where Virion floated. Using his instant transmission once more the bio-android merely evaded, his unimpressed expression, on the other hand, unchanging. The demon leader turned, and now in a series of blasts hounded the slippery creature, catching two of his own clansmen in the process while Virion effortlessly avoided each increasingly rapid strike.
“Fight Me Y-!” He began to rage, his aura flaring intensely as his fury grew, but one of the elder’s guards, Viol, pulled him up short, gently nudging his scarred shoulder. The group had approached silently from behind during the previous display. Skripka was still angry, and as he turned towards Viol he looked ready to continue his outcries. His eyes however continued their sweep, and upon catching sight of his elder he seemed to stop up short, the cogs within his mind visibly turning over under the elders pointed gaze.

Slowly he closed his mouth, exhaling in a highly frustrated manner and allowing his energies to relax into a writhing, hate-filled boil, before turning back towards Virion with a deep scowl.
Bazantar stepped forward, looking amiably towards the floating figure of the insectoid. Demon clansmen floated nervously around him, closing in but very careful not to get too close to the powerful creature.
Skripka crossed his arms as Bazantar cross in front of him “Say your piece and let it be done Old Man. My tempers still run high.” He gnashed each word scathingly, and although he respected his elder, and was smart enough in this instance to not cross the old mystic, his frustrations at being denied this fight’s conclusion still ran high.
“It is I who is the clan leader, not you. My humour for your interference grows thinner every day…”
“Without my magics this creature would have crushed you like… an insect. You’d do well to remember that, Clan Leader” muttered Bazantar quietly, dangerously, though enjoying the irony of such a comparison. He turns his attention back towards the bio-android.

“So creature, I ask again, ‘to what purpose’?” He emphases each word individually, drawing out the syllables in an almost condescending questioning.
“The Porunkal have awaited long for this moment, so know well that your very fate rests in the eloquence of your next sentence. Your power is great by we will not willing surrender our new found freedom, not to the likes of you” In truth he already realises that the creature has no serious interest in usurping Skripka’s position, and although the visions of prophecy were incredibly murky and sometimes outright contradictory of late, as if something were interfering with the timeflow, Bazantar did know that a rich new opportunity had presented itself. Within his crystal ball this very scene had played out, the creature floating near the cavernous ceiling, avoiding these attacks, and finally speaking the very words which would soon leave it’s lips, though where fate lead from here remained obscured in the mists of time.

[Virion]

Virion had thrust his companions out of the shrine, driving a wedge between the demon clan and himself.
Your presence is a burden upon me, leave now. Should you fall prey to these demons pursuit I will not be there to save you a second time.
It was a harsh dismissal, but Virion’s companions believed they understood his reasoning. He must have been holding back due to their presence, explaining why he had not utilised his bio-resonance. They did not know of the demon elder’s insidious magic, nor of Virion’s callous disregard. In truth the bio-android simply did not find them important enough to risk protecting any further, the demon clan proving more tricky to handle than he had originally anticipated, and knowing well that a hoard of far greater numbers may simply be lying it wait beyond the gateway.

Soon Virion re-evaluated his approach, the duel with this demonic leader proving a waste of both time and effort considering the simple goal he sought. He drew back, and began simply avoiding the namekian’s attacks, observing as the elder slowly approached his agitated companion. It had also not gone unnoticed to the bio-android that the demon clan appeared oblivious of his retreating infected, who had broken off into smaller groups and fled.

“So creature, I ask again, ‘to what purpose’?” the elder spoke out across the gap, picking up on his line of questioning as if the interrupting duel had never occurred. Virion, arms crossed, eyed off the surrounding clansmen who floated in an encircling formation but whose hesitation was betray by the distance they maintained from the bio-androids immediate reach.
“The Porunkal have awaited long for this moment, so know well that your very fate rests in the eloquence of your next sentence. Your power is great by we will not willing surrender our new found freedom, not to the likes of you”

“Porunkal… … I see.” Within his mind vague recollections of the namekian meaning behind this name came to surface, knowledge gained from the namekians he had infected, and although he only knew fractured pieces of the ancient tongue, he recognised that these demons had named themselves as a dragon clan, ‘the dragon of’ something… ‘Anger’? ‘Hate’? Was it perhaps ‘Revenge’? He was unsure of the specific context. Whatever the case may be, the general concept was to his liking, for in living up to their name they could serve his purposes quite well.

He looked down directly at the demon elder, his cold, calculating expression set
“…I have no interest in controlling your clan, you are merely a catalyst”, he croaks the words in his typical rasp. The demon elder smiles wickedly in response, but says nothing for the moment.

[Bazantar]

'Catalyst', such an interesting choice of words.

Small mumbles are heard among some of the clansmen but other than that the room is silent. The bio-android continues,
“You are a demon clan, locked away long ago.” He turns his slitted eyes towards the demon clansmen
“Those who wronged you have since flourished, living easy, gentle lives… Although un-honed by bloodshed as you are-" said Virion, making a quick judgement based on the many scars that many of these demons sported
"-you know well their strength and numbers, which no doubt have grown even as your own have over the many years.” Virion began to float downward, gently nearing both the demon elder and the scar-shouldered leader. The clansmen seemed uncomfortable by this, drawing their blades forward, yet still keeping back, knowing that this creature had them outmatched, none wanting to be the first to make a move.

The bio-android's arms uncrossed, the third arm he had grown earlier shrunk and slide back into his body. His energy was relaxed, showing no intent of attack, though these clansmen already knew that he could strike at a moment’s notice
“Now however, this strength has been fractured, their numbers divided. Their Guru is inexperienced and weak, and although they have made a pact with a powerful saiyan king his forces are currently otherwise occupied. You have a rich opportunity afforded to you on this day, one which will not last very long.”
Listening with mild interest Spripka had an eyebrow raised, and although his lip was still pulled in a slight snarl still his muscles were looking more relaxed, his expression very slowly becoming more thoughtful.
“I care not for this world, as you no doubt guessed I am not even from here, my goal is merely to spite the alien they have allied themselves with, to see the villages of Namek fall to chaos and destruction so that no others will join the saiyan king’s foolish alliance, a task I do not doubt that your clan will relish undertaking” Skripka let out a chuckle at this, his fanged grin growing as he drank in the spitefulness of such a proposition, some of the other demon clansmen joining him.

Bazantar on the other hand saw through the bio-androids lies, yet said nothing. Skripka was clan leader after all, it is he who should decide on the clans course of action using his own judgements. He may not have thought much of his earlier disrespect, but Bazantar was a spiteful, callous old bastard. As Bazantar turned his attention back to the matter at hand, it seemed that the bio-android was done talking.

Skripka stepped forward, and with an evil grin placed both hands on his hips
“We will do as you say, insect, though I think I will change the bargain of our agreement ever so slightly. I’m going to add one more condition to this agreement before we help you with your little scheme”. Virion raises a suspicious eyebrow, disliking Skripka’s condescending tone.
“We are free now you see, and as you have said we have such a rich opportunity that it would be foolish not to make the most of it… However, I unfortunately see one loose end which we have no need to leave unaddressed.” He motions with his finger for the bio-android to come in closer, his voice growing quitter
“I think it’s something you can help us out with” Virion remains unmoving, a slight look of disdain mingling into his unimpressed features. After a moment he slides down to the ground, his feet landing with a squeak, though he does not progress any closer. Skripka shrugs slightly, taking two steps into the gap himself and turning instead to look up towards his clansmen quite casually.

“What I need you to do, Bug-man…” Bazantar recognises Skripka’s ploy. It was a trick he had used in the past, and was so effective due to it’s unexpected nature, an attack which remained undetectable until the instant it was launched, no growing energy to alert an opponent and having a piercing effect that made it deadly even against very powerful opponents.
“…is die.” Skripka says the words casually, his back nearly fully turned to his opponent. Virion is braced for an attacked, but confused but the demons apparent lack of intent. Yet in the following instant three rings of flattened red energy emerged from his body and flashed towards the bio-android, striking in unison and continuing straight through the mountainside, emerging clean from the other side and continuing completely unhindered.

Skripka turns and is laughing diabolically, having believed at first that the rings had sliced the creature into three near pieces. In his hands a second attack is ready to blast these chunks into dust, however he is pulled up short as he noticed the creature is gone, the only sign of his presence being a splatter of blood which had flicking out over the floor and was bubbling quickly into a gaseous cloud. His twisted joy quickly turns to fury and the demonic leader he swears loudly, attempting to relocate Virion.

Soon enough however it becomes clear that the bio-android had fled.
“He escaped” Sates Bazantar simply, adjusting the yellowed bone-like armour on his right arm, coming up alongside Skripka.
“I know that!” the demon raged in reply, taking a sharp intake of breath and clenching his fists. In a swift motion he turns towards the great doorway that the demons had emerged from, and with an incredible shout blasted the architrave resting at the top of the gateway. With a great bestial roar, similar to those which had emanated from the doorway as Virion had opened it, the roof began to collapse. The ground shook as great stones came crashing down, sealing the great cave shut once more.

The clansmen looked as, for many of them, the only world they had ever known was sealed away, the clan never to return to this cavernous tomb. Skripka turned to Bazantar, sneering a joyless, wicked smile,
“We move, now”.
The dark smoke began to grow once more, the clan vanishing into it’s mists and drawing away from what remained of the once ancient and majestic shrine.

---
Far below, a small party of ragged, unkempt namekians, dark and twisted in their own right but looking like some cruel, malnourished mockery of the sleek, sinister Porunkal, turned to one another. Several continued to look in awe as the dark mist descended across the mountainous valleys and disappeared towards the horizon.
“I can’t believe it… the seventh shrine…” murmured one
Another looked towards the man next to him, frowing, and with a solid punch to the man’s shoulder said
“Cuatro you idiot… you were actually right, for once”
The one apparently known as Cuatro looked ready to sock his mocking companion in the face, but a third intervened
“We must inform Banjo, the time must be upon us at last.”


------------------
Pl for Bazantar, since I would like to get his guards up to 40,000pl rather than 30,000pl (so that they are an equal match for villains trying to get the unlock off him).

[Virion]

For Virion I think Evo for this thread is more fitting, since this was about plotting and scheming rather than training/gaining strength.

Also, thread completed.

The Porunkal have officially been released!

[Geurin]

Virion: 1800
Baz: 1000

Creepy, creepy read guys, good job, and the music was perfect