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Post by Gandigan on Nov 11, 2023 7:04:41 GMT -5
Gandigan knew that he wasn't supposed to be in the upper realms of the afterlife, but it felt much more comfortable than being down below. During his work with the Ogres to track and (eventually) close the rifts that had been opening up to the mortal realm, Gandigan had made an ally called Nez. Nez had been secretly trafficking Gandigan up top whenever he had wanted, though Yemma forbids any Ogres from telling falsehoods so the whole process had to be done with speaking.
Hell could be lonely sometimes. Although there were plenty of Oni around Gandigan didn't always get along with them, and most of the dead mortals who got sent down below weren't allowed to keep their body. The whole process of obtaining a body was still somewhat of a mystery to him, even though Prophos had tried to clue him in a little. The Mazoku knew that there were more of those with bodies up above, so that's where he wanted to be.
The scenery was much better too, with one of his favorites being the world of the Kais. Although he had been hesitant to go there, the meeting with Patience had made him realize that there were some Shinjin (just like Prophos actually) who didn't mind a little rule bending here and there. But Gandigan wasn't going back to the land of the Kais, nor was he up here for a vacation. He had asked Prophos to go to Namek and investigate things down there for him, while he would continue looking around up in the afterlife.
Vale had made mention of potentially going on a trip to visit some long dead Namekians who may be able to help Gandigan train. Though he was seriously questioning just how trustworthy that particular Shinjin was, Gandigan was quite sure there were some Namekians up here... somewhere. He hadn't been able to find them yet, but he was looking.
The vastness of the upper realms could be quite daunting to traverse through alone. It was possible to float for hours without coming across another world, and the emptiness of it all reminded him of the last moments he had spent on Orion, just milliseconds before his death. The planet was torn to shreds by the Saiyan Lottus, leaving an empty void were there had once been life. The thought made him sick to his stomach so he pushed it out of his mind and trekked on.
A guide would have been nice. If he had asked Prophos to show him around the Shinjin probably would have said yes, but his abilities to traverse through the realms unimpeded made her more useful elsewhere. Part of him hoped to run into Zerori again, as he could have asked her to travel to Namek instead. He had no idea whether or not she would care enough to actually do so, but with her power she was probably better suited for the danger that awaits.
Gandigan had not yet sensed Lottus enter the afterlife, nor had he sensed any of those he knew on Namek which meant that they likely hadn't encountered each other yet. Was that good or bad? Good for Namek in that it gave the defenders more time to prepare, but bad for wherever it was that Lottus had landed. Since their battle on a dying world Gandigan had no idea where it was Lottus had been, and that was nearing on a month now.
A part of him was glad to be done with the Saiyan. That burden had weighed so heavily on his shoulders that it was a wonder he hadn't grown any shorter than he already was, and the more time that he spent in the living meant more time for Gandigan to prepare himself for their next encounter. The Mazoku King had accepted his role as warden of Hell, prepared to spend the rest of eternity in the depths of Hell to watch over Lottus and make sure he stays there this time.
It had been a bitter pill to swallow, but without any alternatives he could see no other way. Cabasa seemed to accept the decision, and he could only hope that the others back home could do the same. He expected most would understand... Cello and Otama might be a little upset, but hopefully they would come around to his point of view over time. He expected that Marimba would take up his mantle as he had asked of him to do, and expected the Mazoku to lead their people well.
Gandigan had new battles to fight. If he was going to be pitched in an eternal struggle against Lottus he was going to need to be stronger than he was now. Though he had grown a little since their battle, he didn't think it was enough to make up the difference between the two, and while Gandigan was training Lottus would have been too. If there were really Namekians of old up here who had secrets they could share then Gandigan was all ears.
Now the only problem was where to find them. Gandigan had searched high and low through the near empty plains, occasionally getting near a planet only to find it devoid of any energy signatures. He was beginning to question where all of the 'good' souls were; was Yemma so strict that there was this few? Gandigan had thought himself worthy of being up here; after all he had sacrificed his own life trying stop one of the most evil beings the universe had ever known, but he only got 'close' according to Yemma.
Gandigan had flown for so long that he was actually beginning to grow tired... and the closest world to him looked rather inviting. It was small, just like most of the planets up here were, and the color of the grass reminded him of Namek. The spot where he touched down gave him the view of a small home, though as he had come in he saw that there was at least one more located on a different side of it. Gandigan took in a heavy breath... and even the air here tasted like home.
Still not sensing anybody near by, Gandigan felt comfortable walking around, and even walked right into the empty home. The place actually looked like it had been lived in recently, with furnishing scattered throughout and cupboards lined with all sorts of supplies. Gandigan grabbed a can of Hetap from the fridge and cracked it open, taking a heavy sip while putting his feet up on the table. This wasn't a bad place to stay for a while.
That was when it hit him. Across from where he was looking, sat within an empty room was a single pillar. Atop that pilling was a purple light that shone so bright it nearly filled the entire room with light. Gandigan had no idea what it was he was looking at, but right then and there he knew he needed to find out. Placing the Hetap down on the table, the Namekian stood up and walked into the empty room, slowly approaching the light before reaching his hands out. "Is that a--"
THWACK!!!
"Ouch!" A thin staff was brought down upon Gandigan's head, causing him to fall over and scoot backwards. Behind him now stood an incredibly old looking Namekian with a wide smile on his face. "My boy, don't they teach you anything? The spheres you're looking for aren't purple. Didn't your friend Nero show you his?" The old Namekian walked over to the shining orb, revealing it to be a... plum. "Mhmm. You know how rare these are up here, boy? I like to show it off to the others and tease them; they both love plums."
Gandigan was speechless. Just who the Hell was this guy? And what did he mean by-- "Other guys? Oh, you'll find out soon enough. Didn't you learn your lesson from Balum about keeping your mind open? You have no idea just how easy you are to read. Now come on; get up. We have a lot of work today and not much time to get it done it. Come on now." The old Namekian walked over to Gandigan and forcibly pulled him back to his feet.
"Where are you taking me?" The old Namekian laughed again. "Outside of course. You've drunk enough of my Hetap for one day. Do you have any idea how expensive that stuff is up here? The good stuff has to be imported from down under, and the Ogres pay an exorbitant fee to ferry it across. You're lucky I only hit you once you know." Gandigan was practically dragged outside before being thrown onto the grass, all the while the old Namekian kept the large grin across his face.
"Are you at least going to tell me you--" The man put his hand up. "Sheng is what they call me now. When I lived I was an Elder of the Dragon Clan." Sheng had the Dragon Clan look about him, so Gandigan was hardly surprised. "I'm not surprised you don't recognize me though. My time came many ages before yours, young one. But my age isn't that important right now; just now that I'm here to help you so long as you'll listen."
Even if Gandigan didn't recognize Sheng, he spoke in a way that reminded him of others among the Dragons. "Earlier you spoke of me as though you knew me, or were even planning on meeting me. Why? Have you been watching me? You know who Nero is so I imagine you must have some idea of who I am, right?" Sheng laughed again. He seemed to laugh at everything Gandigan said. "That high opinion of yourself my boy? I tease. Yes, we know who you are, and it's important that you listen to what we have to say."
Almost on cue another Namekian appeared. Unlike Sheng who was old, small and incredibly frail looking this one was in the prime of his youth. Standing near seven feet tall, and with a body adorned with horns and other markings, this one was clearly a Mazoku; if he had to guess, Sheng was likely from the Dragons. "It's about time the bloody git showed up. You said he would have gotten here sooner than this, Sheng? Didn't we bet you a week supplies of Hetap that he'd show up later than what you thought?"
A look of shyness overtook Sheng. "What?! No! Today is the day I said he would arrive?! Don't make me come over there and teach you the same lesson I taught this young man's head!" Sheng held up his staff and motioned towards the large Mazoku, who didn't seem at all impressed by the display, though curiously he also appeared to back down as well. "Well, at least he's here now, and he's as strong as we all sensed. I thought for sure our readings must have been off on account of the dimensional planes and what not."
The Mazoku walked up to Gandigan and extended out a hand. "Name's Venova. Not often I get to meet another Mazoku. The last time I did so was when I killed him and, uh, well I suppose you can't die twice, can you? So I guess I just destroyed his body?... Not quite sure how it works actually." Despite the odd circumstances, Gandigan took Venova's hand and shook; Gandigan has glad to know that there was another Mazoku around here. "I'm... honored to make your acquaintance as well, Venova."
"A peaceful coronation you had. I remember seeing coronations when I was still alive; more often than not they ended in bloodshed. I can't tell you how many Mazoku I saw fall because of those rules, and I would be lying if I said I hadn't played my part in things either. I'm glad you managed to do things right this time, well... right aside from the whole dying part. I think things probably would have been better if you lived, but then I guess you would have never met us, huh?"
Venova's strength wasn't much compared to Gandigan, but the standards had changed over time. In his own era Venova would have been a monster that towered over most of Namek, and he would expect someone like that to carry quite the ego yet it seemed that death had humbled him a great deal. With that being said, Gandigan was still questioning whether or not meeting these guys was actually a good thing right now. Just what the Hell did these guys even want with him?
Almost on cue, again, Sheng stepped up and spoke. "What do we want with you? Good question, boy. We've been watching you for quite some time now. We have a friend among the Shinjin who keeps us updated on the world below, and your battle against that fend Lottus was all the talk for a while. We hoped... well, we hoped that you would get the job done, but we all had a feeling that things would turn out this way. The universe has never seen a threat like this Saiyan before."
Venova spoke solemnly. "If would have been a fine thing for a Namekian to have put an end to Lottus, but alas it now falls onto your friends to try and get the job done. Though none of them posses the strength that you do, perhaps their numbers will make the difference. For my own part I never much enjoyed fighting with others, but my reign only last a few days so what do I know of victory? I wish for them success in their upcoming battle."
"As do I, but we both know that even if they succeed, they will fail." Gandigan spun around. "What do you mean? They must kill Lottus." Sheng laughed again. "And what then? Even if they do manage to kill him and send him back to Hell, you know he's only going to find another way to escape. Even if the last loophole has been closed a new one will open."
The same fear that Cabasa had possessed, but Gandigan had already thought of that. "Which is why I have chosen to stay behind. I have ceased my search for a way out of Hell, and will act as the warden of below. I shall track the Saiyan's movements wherever he goes, and make sure that he has no way to escape. I and the Ogres have already been working on snuffing out possible ways to leave Hell and shutting them off where we can. He won't get out this time; I'll make sure of it."
The two elder Namekians looked at each other for a moment before Sheng approached. The old man said nothing at first... only bringing his staff down upon Gandigan's head again. "You fool! Do you honestly believe that will work? You expect to be able to keep track of someone like Lottus for eternity?" Gandigan stumbled back. "Of c-course!" He hadn't really thought of the details before. Could he keep up with Lottus, day in and day out, forever?
"All he needs is one moment where you fall behind, and he has everything he needs. Hell is vast; eternal even, not to mention he could fly up here. How will you track him then? And what happens when you actually catch up with him? You gonna put him in a Yemma lock and hold on... forever?! Of course not. He already defeated you once; if he wants he'll do so again, and you might not be so lucky in getting such a fine body this time around."
Gandigan wasn't sure what to say in response. He had thought his plan effective... but now the flaws in his idea were being pointed out right in front of him. "But... I came here to train with you; to grow strong enough to do just that. Are you telling me that I wasted my time here? Are you telling me that all of this is pointless?! That I should do nothing?!"
Sheng approached again, still carrying the same grin as he did before. "No. We will train, Gandigan. But not so that you may remain in Hell forever. That would be a waste of time for all of us. You will find a way out of the afterlife, and you will stop Lottus. This time his defeat will be permanent. But in order to do so you will need to think beyond those puffed up muscles of yours. You shall have to put your mind to use this time, boy."
Defeat Lottus permanently? These guys definitely knew something they were sharing. "What do you say, old man? Think it's time he meets Remin?" A sour look stretched across Sheng's face. "Well, you know I don't really want to go to him right now, but yes I think we don't really have much choice. Something tells me the boy might be able to understand things better if it came from him. But best be warry of a grumpy Remin today I think; you know how he gets when his meditation is interrupted."
Sheng again wrapped his arm through Gandigan's and basically dragged him to the other side of the planet, though thankfully it was only a walk that took a few minutes. When the new horizon dawned the former Mazoku King laid eyes on home build in the Namekian style. A large, green shell which held within it a lone Namekian. If someone were to draw the perfect Warrior clansman the result would be the Namekian that sat in front of him.
As Gandigan took another step closer his eyes shot open, standing from his meditative state before looking at the trio with a terrible scowl. "This him?" Was all that he said. Sheng stepped forward and confirmed. "Aye." Rather than introduce himself the nameless Namekian would instead turn around and walk further into his home. "That is Remin, who in his time was the a Guardian of Namek; the highest honor a Warrior clansman strives to be. He died protecting his people from a foreign invasion, refusing to fall until he saw every last foe defeated." Not unlike my--
THWACK!!
"Yes, yes. Not unlike yourself except he actually succeeded in defending Namek so you might want to start jotting down some notes my boy." Gandigan rubbed his head before attempting to take another step forward, only to be stopped with Venova placed his hand atop his shoulder. "Hold on now. Remin's a right pain in the ass, but he's agreed to help in your training. But we have to do things on his time. He'll be out when he's ready to be out."
"And who knows when that will be. He knows we're on a tight schedule here... oh well. I suppose we must get started." Gandigan looked at both Sheng and Venova before stepping back. "Hold on a moment now. I've haven't agreed to anything yet. You say you want me to fight Lottus again. Why? What's the point? Unless you actually plan on sharing how his defeat will be permanent this time around I just don't see the point."
"You'll use this." Gandigan spun around, where he saw Remin walking forward with small sphere in his hand. When he got a few feet away he chucked the sphere over to Gandigan who caught it in his hands. "This is... I don't understand?" Remin shook his head. "A recreation of the spheres that your friend Nero won from the tournament back home. Legend says that when you bring the balls together it summons a great power. If Porunga can not stop Lottus permanently, then no one can."
Gandigan had never seen one like this before... though he had heard of the orb that Nero had won he never saw it himself. Perhaps he should have asked while he still had the chance. "You will find a way to live again, and when you're back in the realm below you shall collect the starred orbs, and when you do you shall put the legend to the test." Gandigan placed the counterfeit orb into a small sack that hung around his waist. "Thank you for this opportunity. I shall defeat Lottus. For Namek."
THWACK!!
"Gah! What was that one for?" Sheng had a look of disappointment on his face. "You sound like Remin right now. For Namek? My boy; Lottus a thread to the entire universe. Do you truly believe that it is only for Namek in which I shall agree to train you?" It was Remin's turn to laugh; the first time Gandigan had seen anything other than a scowl across his face. "At least the boy remembers where he comes from. I like him more than you already, Sheng."
Remin returned to his home after that, leaving the three alone again. "Remin wishes he could return to Namek, just like you do right now. He has only agreed to help to protect Namek, which is no surprise. He's obsessed with the bloody place. Don't get me wrong, child: I care for Namek too, but when you spent enough time up here you start to realize that the universe is a much bigger place than just one world. Lottus is a threat to them all."
Gandigan knew that well enough. He had seen it first hand when the Saiyan destroyed Orion with ease. Though not as large as some other worlds, he expected that the Saiyan would have no problem doing the same to others. Gandigan did not consider him uncaring when it came to other worlds, but what sort of man could say that he cared for all planets and all people equally? It seemed only natural to him that he had some degree of prioritization towards Namek.
But he could see where Sheng was coming from too. It wasn't just the weight of Namek on his shoulders again; it was the weight of all life, as that's who Lottus was a threat too. Despite the Saiyan claiming that he wanted to make a planet like Konats his home, Gandigan couldn't help but see Lottus eventually growing bored and blowing that up too.
"I try to see things both ways, you know? I'm a Namekian first, and a Mazoku before even that, but Sheng is right: Lottus will destroy the entire universe if we don't do something about him. Hell, he might even come up here and start bothering us if he runs out of things down below to blow up. Use that as your motivation to bring him down, and the others like him. As bad as Lottus may be, there are others out there who might be worse in spirit. Maybe not in power, but that can always change..."
The three began to walk back to Sheng's home, before being interrupted by a large puff of smoke appearing in front of them. When the smoke cleared there lay a small creature in front of them, who donned the clothes of a Shinjin. "Kaeru! We were beginning to wonder when you'd show up to meet our new guest." The Shinjin, who had a box of Hetap in his arms, looked none to happy to see them. "Actually I'm here to tell you to stop delivering this to my home! You know I can't stand the crap!"
Kaeru tossed the Hetap in the air where it was caught by Venova. "But as long as I'm here..." The Shinjin approached Gandigan and gave him a look over. "Well, he's certainly as strong as we all thought he was. Maybe this plan of yours might work after all." So, the Shinjin was involved too? "Kaeru was the one I was telling you about earlier. He's been looking down on the mortal realm for us and keeping us up to date with what's been going on."
Kaeru nodded, before clapping his hands together. The puff of smoke was now around Gandigan, which when dissipating revealed the Mazoku to now be wearing the same clothes as he was. "Ah, that's much better wouldn't you say? Considering how much help you've gotten from my kind now I think it's only fair that you represent us when you go to clean up things down below, eh?" Kaeru said that with a heavy wink at the end. He must have been referring to Prophos and Patience.
The clothes looked a bit odd to him, though as he moved around he had to admit that they did have nice feel to them. They were sturdy, and felt like they could hold up in a fight but at the same time they were almost weightless. Gandigan felt as though he could move his limbs in every direction without any resistance at all, almost as though he was naked. "What sort of material are these made out of? I've never felt anything like it before."
Kaeru stuck his finger out and wagged it in the Namekian's face. "Nah uh. That's a Shinjin secret. Stick around up here long enough and maybe I'll let you in on it... but hopefully it won't come to that. I take it you've explained everything to him already?" Kaeru looked over to Sheng. "Not quite. In fact I was just about mention what role you would play in all of this Kaeru, but I suppose that now you're here why don't you go ahead and do it yourself?"
Kaeru nodded. "We all know that somehow Lottus was able to escape from Hell, though when you think about it that's not as impressive as it sounds. Getting out of Hell isn't that difficult; any Shinjin or Oni could smuggle you out if they really wanted to. What's really impressive about what Lottus did is that he somehow managed to regain his life. In all my time I've never found anyone else who could do such a thing... and no one knows how he did it."
Kaeru momentarily drooped his head, before shooting right back up. "But we're determined to find out... or find another way. As long as you get your life back it doesn't really matter how. You and I are going to explain the upper realms together and search for any information we can get on how to revive someone, and once we get rid of that halo of yours I'll teleport you back down to the living world so that you can go and give Lottus what for!"
Kaeru triumphantly stuck his fist up into the air, before turning back to Sheng and clearing his throat. "Hmm?... Oh yes. I suppose since we're in the gift giving mood..." Picking his staff up, Sheng would hold it out and wait for Gandigan to grab hold. "You want me to have it?" Gandigan wasn't sure what to say. He was happy to have any weapon he could get his hands on for Lottus, but this thing looked...
THWACK!!
"Old!? Still hurts though, doesn't!... Damn youth. You lot are so concerned with appearances aren't you... very well." Sheng pulled his hands apart, allowing the staff to float in the air. "Lets see if I remember how to do this... it's been a while since I had to assess this sort of magic. Hopefully I still know all the words..." The elderly Namekian man began to speak in a tongue far beyond Gandigan's understanding, which preceded an orange glow from his staff.
Over the next few seconds a new life would be brought into the staff, with the faded dye along the hilt being shifted into a lush, full orange, and the ornament affixed to the top would be made whole again. A small flamed within the center, seemingly without any energy source. When the process was complete Sheng snatched the staff from the air and forcibly placed it into the hands of Gandigan. "There you go. The Saoshyant will serve you well... if you take the time to master it."
Gandigan nodded his head. Even now he could feel a new power coursing through his veins... he could only imagine what would happen if he gave it enough time to really master it. When that part was over he turned his head to Venova, wondering what might come next. "What? You expecting something from me too?... Well, you're not ready for that. Not yet. It'll come, but later. For now we should probably start your training. Who'd like to take him first?"
"I will." The voice from behind was familiar to Gandigan, though it still sent a shutter down his spine. A piercing cackle forced him to spin around where he saw a tall Saiyan standing behind him, with hair that nearly reached his shoulders and... a smiley face drawn where an ugly mug was supposed to sit. "Come on now, Sheng. You trying to scare the poor boy?" Sheng laughed. "Of course not. That's why I choose a different face."
This game was already making Gandigan feel sick, but he expected that the others wanted to a show. "Of course we want a show! We've only seen you fight across dimensions before. That's hardly any way to learn who someone does battle. Beat this puppet into the ground, and then we'll talk about what to do next. Just... be careful, would you? We don't need our world turning into the next Orion. It took us years to find one we liked."
If a spectacle is what they required then so be it. Gandigan moved first, not willing to make the same mistake as he did before. When he last did battle against the Saiyan he had allowed the opponent to strike first, giving him the advantage. Protracting his claws, Gandigan drove them into the figures face... only to see the figure explode in front of his eyes. "Oof... I thought I had put enough power into that one... I guess not. Oh well, on to the next one."
"Enough of your games, Sheng. I'll test the boy first." Remin had appeared from his home, now dawning armor which reminded Gandigan of the armor he saw Warrior caste Namekians wearing back home. He wondered whether or not they had remained the same design over the ages, or if Remin was constantly updating his own to try and keep the connection to Namek. In his right hand he wielded a spear whose blade was coated in some sort of resin.
"Ah. It's been so long since we've seen you in action, Remin? Sure you can keep up...?" The Warrior clansman didn't dignify that with a response. Instead he leapt into action, driving the spear into Gandigan's left shoulder. As soon as the blade penetrated through his skin the Mazoku Lord felt something... off about himself. His vision began to blur, and he felt a heavy sweat forming across his brow. What had Remin done to him?
"Those tricks again, Remin? I knew there was no way you'd be able to keep up with him otherwise!" An alchemist; he must have been. The resin along his blade was some sort of poison, and now this had turned into a real fight. Another driving lunge came at Gandigan's gut, but he was able to evade it in time to avoid another dose. As the spear went past his stomach he hunched over and grabbed hold of it with both hands, ripping it from the warrior's hands and tossing it away.
"Even when weakened he possesses great strength... you might want to quit while you're ahead!" Again Remin ignored them, lunging forward with heavy hooks that caught Gandigan across the ear and dazed him, forcing the Mazoku to back up against the incoming strikes. Gandigan was stuck in a defensive stance, forced to bring his arms up around his head to cover up with almost no opportunity to counter his foe.
Until he saw an opening. A heavy swing saw Remin put off balance, which gave Gandigan just enough time to move into action. Gandigan pushed forward and drove an elbow into the side of the warrior's face. Had he been at full strength he might have knocked him around the planet a few times, but now it was only enough to take him off his feet. "Ohhhhh! Been a long time since I've seen Remin knocked on his ass! Too long I say."
Gandigan was eager to press his advantage, almost falling on top of Remin so that he could follow up his knock down with several more heavy strikes. The warrior did his best to cover up this time, but Gandigan found the openings and began to bloody him up. Just when he thought he had the battle over and done with Remin played his next card: the Great Namek form. Within a few seconds and the warrior was now five times as large as he was before; big enough to try and crush Gandigan between his hands.
But the Mazoku pushed both his arms out and pressed against the incoming tides, gritting as he could Remin slowly gaining ground over him. His arms felt like toothpicks at this point, heavily fatigued from whatever poison Remin had forced into his body. The pressure of the pressing hands forced Gandigan down onto his knees, nearly ready to give in. It was then that he opened his mouth and fired of a Shugeki Wave down into Remin's face.
The warrior dropped his grip over Gandigan and tried to move his hands to cover up, but at his size the movement was too slow. The Shugeki Wave brought their short but explosive battle to an end, as Remin reverted back to his base form and was left in a bloody heap. Obviously he was already dead, so they didn't have that to fear. In fact the other Namekians seemed to be in a rather cherry mood. "Well done, Gandigan." Venova slapped him on the back.
Remin for his part didn't seem too upset either. Obviously the Namekian wasn't used to losing very often, but once he had cleaned himself up a bit he approached Namekian and offered the Mazoku his hand. "Not bad. Your technique can be improved in several ways, but I see promise within you." Gandigan took his hand within his own. "Perhaps you ought to teach me that poison you used on me before?" Remin only nodded before walking away.
"Well... been a while since I heard him say anything positive. Maybe we've got a chance at this after all." Kaeru, who had been silently watching this all reappeared, taking Gandigan by the hand and pulling him to the edge of the planet. "Now that we've got that taken out of the way it's time we start our journey. Every day I'll take you somewhere new, and once we're done I'll talk you back her to continue your training."
Just before leaving the other Namekians quickly caught up, grabbing a hold of Gandigan before he could get away. "Now remember what I told you before. You're training with a purpose. Not just to save Namek, but to save all life. The universe is counting on what we accomplish here, Gandigan. Should you fail... I do not wish to think of the outcome. We will not fail. No go, and follow Kaeru. And bring back some more Hetap, would you? This box will only last a few days!"
WC: 5,910
Hell could be lonely sometimes. Although there were plenty of Oni around Gandigan didn't always get along with them, and most of the dead mortals who got sent down below weren't allowed to keep their body. The whole process of obtaining a body was still somewhat of a mystery to him, even though Prophos had tried to clue him in a little. The Mazoku knew that there were more of those with bodies up above, so that's where he wanted to be.
The scenery was much better too, with one of his favorites being the world of the Kais. Although he had been hesitant to go there, the meeting with Patience had made him realize that there were some Shinjin (just like Prophos actually) who didn't mind a little rule bending here and there. But Gandigan wasn't going back to the land of the Kais, nor was he up here for a vacation. He had asked Prophos to go to Namek and investigate things down there for him, while he would continue looking around up in the afterlife.
Vale had made mention of potentially going on a trip to visit some long dead Namekians who may be able to help Gandigan train. Though he was seriously questioning just how trustworthy that particular Shinjin was, Gandigan was quite sure there were some Namekians up here... somewhere. He hadn't been able to find them yet, but he was looking.
The vastness of the upper realms could be quite daunting to traverse through alone. It was possible to float for hours without coming across another world, and the emptiness of it all reminded him of the last moments he had spent on Orion, just milliseconds before his death. The planet was torn to shreds by the Saiyan Lottus, leaving an empty void were there had once been life. The thought made him sick to his stomach so he pushed it out of his mind and trekked on.
A guide would have been nice. If he had asked Prophos to show him around the Shinjin probably would have said yes, but his abilities to traverse through the realms unimpeded made her more useful elsewhere. Part of him hoped to run into Zerori again, as he could have asked her to travel to Namek instead. He had no idea whether or not she would care enough to actually do so, but with her power she was probably better suited for the danger that awaits.
Gandigan had not yet sensed Lottus enter the afterlife, nor had he sensed any of those he knew on Namek which meant that they likely hadn't encountered each other yet. Was that good or bad? Good for Namek in that it gave the defenders more time to prepare, but bad for wherever it was that Lottus had landed. Since their battle on a dying world Gandigan had no idea where it was Lottus had been, and that was nearing on a month now.
A part of him was glad to be done with the Saiyan. That burden had weighed so heavily on his shoulders that it was a wonder he hadn't grown any shorter than he already was, and the more time that he spent in the living meant more time for Gandigan to prepare himself for their next encounter. The Mazoku King had accepted his role as warden of Hell, prepared to spend the rest of eternity in the depths of Hell to watch over Lottus and make sure he stays there this time.
It had been a bitter pill to swallow, but without any alternatives he could see no other way. Cabasa seemed to accept the decision, and he could only hope that the others back home could do the same. He expected most would understand... Cello and Otama might be a little upset, but hopefully they would come around to his point of view over time. He expected that Marimba would take up his mantle as he had asked of him to do, and expected the Mazoku to lead their people well.
Gandigan had new battles to fight. If he was going to be pitched in an eternal struggle against Lottus he was going to need to be stronger than he was now. Though he had grown a little since their battle, he didn't think it was enough to make up the difference between the two, and while Gandigan was training Lottus would have been too. If there were really Namekians of old up here who had secrets they could share then Gandigan was all ears.
Now the only problem was where to find them. Gandigan had searched high and low through the near empty plains, occasionally getting near a planet only to find it devoid of any energy signatures. He was beginning to question where all of the 'good' souls were; was Yemma so strict that there was this few? Gandigan had thought himself worthy of being up here; after all he had sacrificed his own life trying stop one of the most evil beings the universe had ever known, but he only got 'close' according to Yemma.
Gandigan had flown for so long that he was actually beginning to grow tired... and the closest world to him looked rather inviting. It was small, just like most of the planets up here were, and the color of the grass reminded him of Namek. The spot where he touched down gave him the view of a small home, though as he had come in he saw that there was at least one more located on a different side of it. Gandigan took in a heavy breath... and even the air here tasted like home.
Still not sensing anybody near by, Gandigan felt comfortable walking around, and even walked right into the empty home. The place actually looked like it had been lived in recently, with furnishing scattered throughout and cupboards lined with all sorts of supplies. Gandigan grabbed a can of Hetap from the fridge and cracked it open, taking a heavy sip while putting his feet up on the table. This wasn't a bad place to stay for a while.
That was when it hit him. Across from where he was looking, sat within an empty room was a single pillar. Atop that pilling was a purple light that shone so bright it nearly filled the entire room with light. Gandigan had no idea what it was he was looking at, but right then and there he knew he needed to find out. Placing the Hetap down on the table, the Namekian stood up and walked into the empty room, slowly approaching the light before reaching his hands out. "Is that a--"
THWACK!!!
"Ouch!" A thin staff was brought down upon Gandigan's head, causing him to fall over and scoot backwards. Behind him now stood an incredibly old looking Namekian with a wide smile on his face. "My boy, don't they teach you anything? The spheres you're looking for aren't purple. Didn't your friend Nero show you his?" The old Namekian walked over to the shining orb, revealing it to be a... plum. "Mhmm. You know how rare these are up here, boy? I like to show it off to the others and tease them; they both love plums."
Gandigan was speechless. Just who the Hell was this guy? And what did he mean by-- "Other guys? Oh, you'll find out soon enough. Didn't you learn your lesson from Balum about keeping your mind open? You have no idea just how easy you are to read. Now come on; get up. We have a lot of work today and not much time to get it done it. Come on now." The old Namekian walked over to Gandigan and forcibly pulled him back to his feet.
"Where are you taking me?" The old Namekian laughed again. "Outside of course. You've drunk enough of my Hetap for one day. Do you have any idea how expensive that stuff is up here? The good stuff has to be imported from down under, and the Ogres pay an exorbitant fee to ferry it across. You're lucky I only hit you once you know." Gandigan was practically dragged outside before being thrown onto the grass, all the while the old Namekian kept the large grin across his face.
"Are you at least going to tell me you--" The man put his hand up. "Sheng is what they call me now. When I lived I was an Elder of the Dragon Clan." Sheng had the Dragon Clan look about him, so Gandigan was hardly surprised. "I'm not surprised you don't recognize me though. My time came many ages before yours, young one. But my age isn't that important right now; just now that I'm here to help you so long as you'll listen."
Even if Gandigan didn't recognize Sheng, he spoke in a way that reminded him of others among the Dragons. "Earlier you spoke of me as though you knew me, or were even planning on meeting me. Why? Have you been watching me? You know who Nero is so I imagine you must have some idea of who I am, right?" Sheng laughed again. He seemed to laugh at everything Gandigan said. "That high opinion of yourself my boy? I tease. Yes, we know who you are, and it's important that you listen to what we have to say."
Almost on cue another Namekian appeared. Unlike Sheng who was old, small and incredibly frail looking this one was in the prime of his youth. Standing near seven feet tall, and with a body adorned with horns and other markings, this one was clearly a Mazoku; if he had to guess, Sheng was likely from the Dragons. "It's about time the bloody git showed up. You said he would have gotten here sooner than this, Sheng? Didn't we bet you a week supplies of Hetap that he'd show up later than what you thought?"
A look of shyness overtook Sheng. "What?! No! Today is the day I said he would arrive?! Don't make me come over there and teach you the same lesson I taught this young man's head!" Sheng held up his staff and motioned towards the large Mazoku, who didn't seem at all impressed by the display, though curiously he also appeared to back down as well. "Well, at least he's here now, and he's as strong as we all sensed. I thought for sure our readings must have been off on account of the dimensional planes and what not."
The Mazoku walked up to Gandigan and extended out a hand. "Name's Venova. Not often I get to meet another Mazoku. The last time I did so was when I killed him and, uh, well I suppose you can't die twice, can you? So I guess I just destroyed his body?... Not quite sure how it works actually." Despite the odd circumstances, Gandigan took Venova's hand and shook; Gandigan has glad to know that there was another Mazoku around here. "I'm... honored to make your acquaintance as well, Venova."
"A peaceful coronation you had. I remember seeing coronations when I was still alive; more often than not they ended in bloodshed. I can't tell you how many Mazoku I saw fall because of those rules, and I would be lying if I said I hadn't played my part in things either. I'm glad you managed to do things right this time, well... right aside from the whole dying part. I think things probably would have been better if you lived, but then I guess you would have never met us, huh?"
Venova's strength wasn't much compared to Gandigan, but the standards had changed over time. In his own era Venova would have been a monster that towered over most of Namek, and he would expect someone like that to carry quite the ego yet it seemed that death had humbled him a great deal. With that being said, Gandigan was still questioning whether or not meeting these guys was actually a good thing right now. Just what the Hell did these guys even want with him?
Almost on cue, again, Sheng stepped up and spoke. "What do we want with you? Good question, boy. We've been watching you for quite some time now. We have a friend among the Shinjin who keeps us updated on the world below, and your battle against that fend Lottus was all the talk for a while. We hoped... well, we hoped that you would get the job done, but we all had a feeling that things would turn out this way. The universe has never seen a threat like this Saiyan before."
Venova spoke solemnly. "If would have been a fine thing for a Namekian to have put an end to Lottus, but alas it now falls onto your friends to try and get the job done. Though none of them posses the strength that you do, perhaps their numbers will make the difference. For my own part I never much enjoyed fighting with others, but my reign only last a few days so what do I know of victory? I wish for them success in their upcoming battle."
"As do I, but we both know that even if they succeed, they will fail." Gandigan spun around. "What do you mean? They must kill Lottus." Sheng laughed again. "And what then? Even if they do manage to kill him and send him back to Hell, you know he's only going to find another way to escape. Even if the last loophole has been closed a new one will open."
The same fear that Cabasa had possessed, but Gandigan had already thought of that. "Which is why I have chosen to stay behind. I have ceased my search for a way out of Hell, and will act as the warden of below. I shall track the Saiyan's movements wherever he goes, and make sure that he has no way to escape. I and the Ogres have already been working on snuffing out possible ways to leave Hell and shutting them off where we can. He won't get out this time; I'll make sure of it."
The two elder Namekians looked at each other for a moment before Sheng approached. The old man said nothing at first... only bringing his staff down upon Gandigan's head again. "You fool! Do you honestly believe that will work? You expect to be able to keep track of someone like Lottus for eternity?" Gandigan stumbled back. "Of c-course!" He hadn't really thought of the details before. Could he keep up with Lottus, day in and day out, forever?
"All he needs is one moment where you fall behind, and he has everything he needs. Hell is vast; eternal even, not to mention he could fly up here. How will you track him then? And what happens when you actually catch up with him? You gonna put him in a Yemma lock and hold on... forever?! Of course not. He already defeated you once; if he wants he'll do so again, and you might not be so lucky in getting such a fine body this time around."
Gandigan wasn't sure what to say in response. He had thought his plan effective... but now the flaws in his idea were being pointed out right in front of him. "But... I came here to train with you; to grow strong enough to do just that. Are you telling me that I wasted my time here? Are you telling me that all of this is pointless?! That I should do nothing?!"
Sheng approached again, still carrying the same grin as he did before. "No. We will train, Gandigan. But not so that you may remain in Hell forever. That would be a waste of time for all of us. You will find a way out of the afterlife, and you will stop Lottus. This time his defeat will be permanent. But in order to do so you will need to think beyond those puffed up muscles of yours. You shall have to put your mind to use this time, boy."
Defeat Lottus permanently? These guys definitely knew something they were sharing. "What do you say, old man? Think it's time he meets Remin?" A sour look stretched across Sheng's face. "Well, you know I don't really want to go to him right now, but yes I think we don't really have much choice. Something tells me the boy might be able to understand things better if it came from him. But best be warry of a grumpy Remin today I think; you know how he gets when his meditation is interrupted."
Sheng again wrapped his arm through Gandigan's and basically dragged him to the other side of the planet, though thankfully it was only a walk that took a few minutes. When the new horizon dawned the former Mazoku King laid eyes on home build in the Namekian style. A large, green shell which held within it a lone Namekian. If someone were to draw the perfect Warrior clansman the result would be the Namekian that sat in front of him.
As Gandigan took another step closer his eyes shot open, standing from his meditative state before looking at the trio with a terrible scowl. "This him?" Was all that he said. Sheng stepped forward and confirmed. "Aye." Rather than introduce himself the nameless Namekian would instead turn around and walk further into his home. "That is Remin, who in his time was the a Guardian of Namek; the highest honor a Warrior clansman strives to be. He died protecting his people from a foreign invasion, refusing to fall until he saw every last foe defeated." Not unlike my--
THWACK!!
"Yes, yes. Not unlike yourself except he actually succeeded in defending Namek so you might want to start jotting down some notes my boy." Gandigan rubbed his head before attempting to take another step forward, only to be stopped with Venova placed his hand atop his shoulder. "Hold on now. Remin's a right pain in the ass, but he's agreed to help in your training. But we have to do things on his time. He'll be out when he's ready to be out."
"And who knows when that will be. He knows we're on a tight schedule here... oh well. I suppose we must get started." Gandigan looked at both Sheng and Venova before stepping back. "Hold on a moment now. I've haven't agreed to anything yet. You say you want me to fight Lottus again. Why? What's the point? Unless you actually plan on sharing how his defeat will be permanent this time around I just don't see the point."
"You'll use this." Gandigan spun around, where he saw Remin walking forward with small sphere in his hand. When he got a few feet away he chucked the sphere over to Gandigan who caught it in his hands. "This is... I don't understand?" Remin shook his head. "A recreation of the spheres that your friend Nero won from the tournament back home. Legend says that when you bring the balls together it summons a great power. If Porunga can not stop Lottus permanently, then no one can."
Gandigan had never seen one like this before... though he had heard of the orb that Nero had won he never saw it himself. Perhaps he should have asked while he still had the chance. "You will find a way to live again, and when you're back in the realm below you shall collect the starred orbs, and when you do you shall put the legend to the test." Gandigan placed the counterfeit orb into a small sack that hung around his waist. "Thank you for this opportunity. I shall defeat Lottus. For Namek."
THWACK!!
"Gah! What was that one for?" Sheng had a look of disappointment on his face. "You sound like Remin right now. For Namek? My boy; Lottus a thread to the entire universe. Do you truly believe that it is only for Namek in which I shall agree to train you?" It was Remin's turn to laugh; the first time Gandigan had seen anything other than a scowl across his face. "At least the boy remembers where he comes from. I like him more than you already, Sheng."
Remin returned to his home after that, leaving the three alone again. "Remin wishes he could return to Namek, just like you do right now. He has only agreed to help to protect Namek, which is no surprise. He's obsessed with the bloody place. Don't get me wrong, child: I care for Namek too, but when you spent enough time up here you start to realize that the universe is a much bigger place than just one world. Lottus is a threat to them all."
Gandigan knew that well enough. He had seen it first hand when the Saiyan destroyed Orion with ease. Though not as large as some other worlds, he expected that the Saiyan would have no problem doing the same to others. Gandigan did not consider him uncaring when it came to other worlds, but what sort of man could say that he cared for all planets and all people equally? It seemed only natural to him that he had some degree of prioritization towards Namek.
But he could see where Sheng was coming from too. It wasn't just the weight of Namek on his shoulders again; it was the weight of all life, as that's who Lottus was a threat too. Despite the Saiyan claiming that he wanted to make a planet like Konats his home, Gandigan couldn't help but see Lottus eventually growing bored and blowing that up too.
"I try to see things both ways, you know? I'm a Namekian first, and a Mazoku before even that, but Sheng is right: Lottus will destroy the entire universe if we don't do something about him. Hell, he might even come up here and start bothering us if he runs out of things down below to blow up. Use that as your motivation to bring him down, and the others like him. As bad as Lottus may be, there are others out there who might be worse in spirit. Maybe not in power, but that can always change..."
The three began to walk back to Sheng's home, before being interrupted by a large puff of smoke appearing in front of them. When the smoke cleared there lay a small creature in front of them, who donned the clothes of a Shinjin. "Kaeru! We were beginning to wonder when you'd show up to meet our new guest." The Shinjin, who had a box of Hetap in his arms, looked none to happy to see them. "Actually I'm here to tell you to stop delivering this to my home! You know I can't stand the crap!"
Kaeru tossed the Hetap in the air where it was caught by Venova. "But as long as I'm here..." The Shinjin approached Gandigan and gave him a look over. "Well, he's certainly as strong as we all thought he was. Maybe this plan of yours might work after all." So, the Shinjin was involved too? "Kaeru was the one I was telling you about earlier. He's been looking down on the mortal realm for us and keeping us up to date with what's been going on."
Kaeru nodded, before clapping his hands together. The puff of smoke was now around Gandigan, which when dissipating revealed the Mazoku to now be wearing the same clothes as he was. "Ah, that's much better wouldn't you say? Considering how much help you've gotten from my kind now I think it's only fair that you represent us when you go to clean up things down below, eh?" Kaeru said that with a heavy wink at the end. He must have been referring to Prophos and Patience.
The clothes looked a bit odd to him, though as he moved around he had to admit that they did have nice feel to them. They were sturdy, and felt like they could hold up in a fight but at the same time they were almost weightless. Gandigan felt as though he could move his limbs in every direction without any resistance at all, almost as though he was naked. "What sort of material are these made out of? I've never felt anything like it before."
Kaeru stuck his finger out and wagged it in the Namekian's face. "Nah uh. That's a Shinjin secret. Stick around up here long enough and maybe I'll let you in on it... but hopefully it won't come to that. I take it you've explained everything to him already?" Kaeru looked over to Sheng. "Not quite. In fact I was just about mention what role you would play in all of this Kaeru, but I suppose that now you're here why don't you go ahead and do it yourself?"
Kaeru nodded. "We all know that somehow Lottus was able to escape from Hell, though when you think about it that's not as impressive as it sounds. Getting out of Hell isn't that difficult; any Shinjin or Oni could smuggle you out if they really wanted to. What's really impressive about what Lottus did is that he somehow managed to regain his life. In all my time I've never found anyone else who could do such a thing... and no one knows how he did it."
Kaeru momentarily drooped his head, before shooting right back up. "But we're determined to find out... or find another way. As long as you get your life back it doesn't really matter how. You and I are going to explain the upper realms together and search for any information we can get on how to revive someone, and once we get rid of that halo of yours I'll teleport you back down to the living world so that you can go and give Lottus what for!"
Kaeru triumphantly stuck his fist up into the air, before turning back to Sheng and clearing his throat. "Hmm?... Oh yes. I suppose since we're in the gift giving mood..." Picking his staff up, Sheng would hold it out and wait for Gandigan to grab hold. "You want me to have it?" Gandigan wasn't sure what to say. He was happy to have any weapon he could get his hands on for Lottus, but this thing looked...
THWACK!!
"Old!? Still hurts though, doesn't!... Damn youth. You lot are so concerned with appearances aren't you... very well." Sheng pulled his hands apart, allowing the staff to float in the air. "Lets see if I remember how to do this... it's been a while since I had to assess this sort of magic. Hopefully I still know all the words..." The elderly Namekian man began to speak in a tongue far beyond Gandigan's understanding, which preceded an orange glow from his staff.
Over the next few seconds a new life would be brought into the staff, with the faded dye along the hilt being shifted into a lush, full orange, and the ornament affixed to the top would be made whole again. A small flamed within the center, seemingly without any energy source. When the process was complete Sheng snatched the staff from the air and forcibly placed it into the hands of Gandigan. "There you go. The Saoshyant will serve you well... if you take the time to master it."
Gandigan nodded his head. Even now he could feel a new power coursing through his veins... he could only imagine what would happen if he gave it enough time to really master it. When that part was over he turned his head to Venova, wondering what might come next. "What? You expecting something from me too?... Well, you're not ready for that. Not yet. It'll come, but later. For now we should probably start your training. Who'd like to take him first?"
"I will." The voice from behind was familiar to Gandigan, though it still sent a shutter down his spine. A piercing cackle forced him to spin around where he saw a tall Saiyan standing behind him, with hair that nearly reached his shoulders and... a smiley face drawn where an ugly mug was supposed to sit. "Come on now, Sheng. You trying to scare the poor boy?" Sheng laughed. "Of course not. That's why I choose a different face."
This game was already making Gandigan feel sick, but he expected that the others wanted to a show. "Of course we want a show! We've only seen you fight across dimensions before. That's hardly any way to learn who someone does battle. Beat this puppet into the ground, and then we'll talk about what to do next. Just... be careful, would you? We don't need our world turning into the next Orion. It took us years to find one we liked."
If a spectacle is what they required then so be it. Gandigan moved first, not willing to make the same mistake as he did before. When he last did battle against the Saiyan he had allowed the opponent to strike first, giving him the advantage. Protracting his claws, Gandigan drove them into the figures face... only to see the figure explode in front of his eyes. "Oof... I thought I had put enough power into that one... I guess not. Oh well, on to the next one."
"Enough of your games, Sheng. I'll test the boy first." Remin had appeared from his home, now dawning armor which reminded Gandigan of the armor he saw Warrior caste Namekians wearing back home. He wondered whether or not they had remained the same design over the ages, or if Remin was constantly updating his own to try and keep the connection to Namek. In his right hand he wielded a spear whose blade was coated in some sort of resin.
"Ah. It's been so long since we've seen you in action, Remin? Sure you can keep up...?" The Warrior clansman didn't dignify that with a response. Instead he leapt into action, driving the spear into Gandigan's left shoulder. As soon as the blade penetrated through his skin the Mazoku Lord felt something... off about himself. His vision began to blur, and he felt a heavy sweat forming across his brow. What had Remin done to him?
"Those tricks again, Remin? I knew there was no way you'd be able to keep up with him otherwise!" An alchemist; he must have been. The resin along his blade was some sort of poison, and now this had turned into a real fight. Another driving lunge came at Gandigan's gut, but he was able to evade it in time to avoid another dose. As the spear went past his stomach he hunched over and grabbed hold of it with both hands, ripping it from the warrior's hands and tossing it away.
"Even when weakened he possesses great strength... you might want to quit while you're ahead!" Again Remin ignored them, lunging forward with heavy hooks that caught Gandigan across the ear and dazed him, forcing the Mazoku to back up against the incoming strikes. Gandigan was stuck in a defensive stance, forced to bring his arms up around his head to cover up with almost no opportunity to counter his foe.
Until he saw an opening. A heavy swing saw Remin put off balance, which gave Gandigan just enough time to move into action. Gandigan pushed forward and drove an elbow into the side of the warrior's face. Had he been at full strength he might have knocked him around the planet a few times, but now it was only enough to take him off his feet. "Ohhhhh! Been a long time since I've seen Remin knocked on his ass! Too long I say."
Gandigan was eager to press his advantage, almost falling on top of Remin so that he could follow up his knock down with several more heavy strikes. The warrior did his best to cover up this time, but Gandigan found the openings and began to bloody him up. Just when he thought he had the battle over and done with Remin played his next card: the Great Namek form. Within a few seconds and the warrior was now five times as large as he was before; big enough to try and crush Gandigan between his hands.
But the Mazoku pushed both his arms out and pressed against the incoming tides, gritting as he could Remin slowly gaining ground over him. His arms felt like toothpicks at this point, heavily fatigued from whatever poison Remin had forced into his body. The pressure of the pressing hands forced Gandigan down onto his knees, nearly ready to give in. It was then that he opened his mouth and fired of a Shugeki Wave down into Remin's face.
The warrior dropped his grip over Gandigan and tried to move his hands to cover up, but at his size the movement was too slow. The Shugeki Wave brought their short but explosive battle to an end, as Remin reverted back to his base form and was left in a bloody heap. Obviously he was already dead, so they didn't have that to fear. In fact the other Namekians seemed to be in a rather cherry mood. "Well done, Gandigan." Venova slapped him on the back.
Remin for his part didn't seem too upset either. Obviously the Namekian wasn't used to losing very often, but once he had cleaned himself up a bit he approached Namekian and offered the Mazoku his hand. "Not bad. Your technique can be improved in several ways, but I see promise within you." Gandigan took his hand within his own. "Perhaps you ought to teach me that poison you used on me before?" Remin only nodded before walking away.
"Well... been a while since I heard him say anything positive. Maybe we've got a chance at this after all." Kaeru, who had been silently watching this all reappeared, taking Gandigan by the hand and pulling him to the edge of the planet. "Now that we've got that taken out of the way it's time we start our journey. Every day I'll take you somewhere new, and once we're done I'll talk you back her to continue your training."
Just before leaving the other Namekians quickly caught up, grabbing a hold of Gandigan before he could get away. "Now remember what I told you before. You're training with a purpose. Not just to save Namek, but to save all life. The universe is counting on what we accomplish here, Gandigan. Should you fail... I do not wish to think of the outcome. We will not fail. No go, and follow Kaeru. And bring back some more Hetap, would you? This box will only last a few days!"
WC: 5,910
