Gandigan's first real encounter in Hell had been with Vale, the purple Shinjin who claimed to be interested in helping the Namekian. At the time Gandigan so now reason not to trust him, but he had learnt much since then. Prophos had told Gandigan of the legend of the Four Horsemen of which Vale was said to be a member. At first Gandigan wasn't sure how much stock he could put into this, however after speaking with more Shinjin in the form of Patience and Karach he found the story recited too many times to ignore.
Vale had lied to him, and tried to manipulate him. But why? And to what end? Why had the Shinjin been so insistence on travelling to Namek for him? And what of these promises to meet deceased Namekians from earlier times? Gandigan needed to get his answers, but finding Vale had proven to be difficult. The only thing he really knew about him was that they had met at the Blood Sea, but in the times that Gandigan had been back there Vale hadn't appeared.
But Gandigan had no other leads, and so feeling like a fool he went back to the Blood Sea and began his search again, questioning every Ogre in sight to see if they had any ideas. "Vale. Shinjin with purple skin. Anyone seen him?"
Vale had been minding his own business, taking it easy while he was in Hell. Sooner than later, he would go back to the mortal realm to meet up again with potential business partners, but for the time being, he was enjoying himself. Nothing of real interest was happening over on the mortal realms and most of the people that had popped in the Otherworld proved to be disappointing.
It was to his surprise that Gandigan had called for him, taking him out of his reveries. What did he want, exactly? Had he found a way to get out of Hell? If so, why bother him with that information? Or perhaps, he had given a bit more thought to what they had talked about. The current standing of Namekians and their place in the world, how far they could grow if they just seized their fate instead of bowing down to religious idols. Wouldn’t that just be great? Gandigan would be the perfect contender to break that cycle and stand atop the mortal races, much like their predecessor did, before falling into obscurity. Even that slim chance proved enough to pique Vale’s interest enough to appear before the Namekian once he called him.
“Here I am. What do you need me for? Have you found a way to revive yet?”
Gandigan hadn't really been intending to find Vale today; that would have been almost too easy, yet almost on cue the purple skin Shinjin would arrive, curiously asking what it was that Gandigan was wanting. The Namekian had a number of different ways that he could play this, and he went over each of them in his head. Should he strike first and ask questions later, or maybe just try and play things cool and tease the answers out of Vale?
Gandigan decided that his biggest advantage over Vale was his strength, and so he decided that brute force was probably the best way to go about this. "I have some questions that need answering from you." Before Value could get away Gandigan would lunge forward and attempt to take hold of Vale's shoulders. If he were able to he would then slam the Shinjin into the ground and hold him there, before looking him face to face in the eyes.
"The Four Horsemen. You never told me you were a member? I've heard all the stories by now. I've heard it from several different Shinjin that all repeat the same lines. Tell me the truth now Vale: why did you seek me out?"
It was almost instantaneous and before he knew it, he was dragged down to the ground, the namekian knocking the wind out of him with that slam. Vale struggled to find his air for a few seconds, just enough to let him ponder about what Gandigan had said.
So, rumors had spread about him and his siblings breaking free from their eternal prison. It was bound to happen at some point, hence why he had laid low all this time. Still, he would have preferred to remain free from prying eyes a little longer. His cover was not fully blown yet and the Shinjin had some room to try and play the fool, just a little more. It was his chance to also gain information about who could say such things to a mere dead body.
Once Vale regained his breath, he met Gandigan’s stare with a frown of disapproval. He had just pinned down a caretaker of the Universe for no good reason, after all. Using his power, he disappeared from under Gandigan, only to reappear standing up, a few meters from him.
“Mortal…” Vale said with gravity, the friendliness he sported completely vanished from his face. “Those are very grave accusations. I do hope you bring solid proof with your claim.”
He crossed his arms. “I don’t blame you for dabbling into folklore of the Otherworld, but you would be wise to keep some things for yourself, especially if you know of all the evils they’ve committed. Their wrongdoings still remain a stain on our History, even if some of our younger brethren think it is amusing to usher their names to the first mortal they come across.”
He sighed. So far, his acting was spot on. “For starters, Vale is merely my nickname. My full name is Valeriac and I frankly find it insulting that you would compare me to such an individual. I am willing to let it slide as dumb ignorance from a foreigner, but please do not make that mistake again.”
He cleared his throat. “I sought you out for the reason I’ve told you during our first meeting. I found nobility in your fight for the universe as well as your people. I am also aware of the evils lurking around and if your mention of the Forsaken Four is anything to go by, then things are far more dire than they appear. I would not be surprised if you had come across some individual trying to take advantage of you.”
He loosened up his arms, having one fall to his side while the other scratched his chin. “That’s why I wanted to motivate you into going farther, for the sake of the universe. Perhaps this was my mistake. I shouldn’t have done it, my apologies.”
He raised a brow, having a question of his own, in return.
“Now, who would so casually let you believe that I am this vile individual? I do hope it was nothing more than a bad joke.”
Now, to see if Gandigan would fall for the Shinjin's lies. Funnily enough, most of what he had said was true, only spinned in a way to make it seem like it was ah honest mistake
Unsurprisingly, Vale did his best to try and deny the accusations of Gandigan, claiming that this was all some sort of big misunderstand. The Mazoku for his part wasn't interested in hearing anything beyond the answers he was looking for, and was intent not to allow himself to be so easily swayed. "I have made the mistake of being too trusting in the past and it cost my more than one life; I shall not make that same mistake this time, Vale. This time I would rather pay with your life than mine."
Gandigan would continue with the intimidation route, even if he wasn't prepared to actually kill Vale until presented with irrefutable proof. "Purple skin and white hair; they described you to a tee. You will continue to deny this? Go ahead and see how that ends up for you. If what they've said about you is true then you've already committed enough crimes to deserve execution; maybe I should give you a halo to match my own."
Vale most importantly wanted to know who it was that spread the truth of his life. Though not swayed by his words, Gandigan didn't plan on letting Vale in a position to hurt them and wanted the legitimately of their stature to add to his claims. "Prophos. Karach. Patience. You deny their words? It's three against one."
His claims were empty at best, with no real substance. Vale was not intimidated in the slightest. Instead, he felt as if he had the moral high ground at this point and it would be his pleasure to demonstrate it.
“Being too trusting is a problem indeed but coming swinging on someone after three people have told you about old legends and making loose connections with me because my nickname happens to be the same…I wouldn’t say you have made a lot of progress on that front.”
He waved his hand and images appeared out of thin air, a literal video playing in front of Gandigan, one of the Namekian people going about their daily lives.
“Alright, let me entertain your logic for a second here. I’ve heard that great atrocities have been committed on planet Namek. The suspect is a hairless green Namekian with antennas. Well, which one is it?”
Vale closed his hand and the image disappeared. “I believe there is a word for this, is there not? I’m not here to teach you about basic social interactions, but it would be in your best interest to think a little before acting on impulse. Maybe you might’ve realized how flawed your reasoning here is.”
Vale crossed his arms again.
“The Shinjins you speak of existed millions and millions of years ago. Not even our species has that long of a lifespan. Beings so dreaded and powerful that only Kais of the highest order could seal them away in their prison, secretly hidden where no one has access, and for very good reason. Without going too much in the hierarchy of things, no one that has directly communicated with you should have the slightest idea on what their current situation, even if most people can assume that they have perished by now. If anything, they’ve played a practical joke on you.”
How Vale hated this place, confined in a several million years stasis, his mind left to wander aimlessly for all this time. Enough to go insane, then go full circle back to sanity again and up to the point where the lines were blurred. It was an experience, for sure, but it opened up so many good ideas.
At the very least, Vale had names now to work with. He’d make sure to silence the names that have been messing with his plans once and for all, when the right time came.
“I’ll make sure to address those names to the proper supervisor, so they don’t go telling tall tales to just about anyone. You are not out of the woods yet, Namekian. Given your threats against me, I’ll have to ask the Ogres to watch over you more closely. If not me, you might just attempt the same thing with any purple skinned Shinjin and that would be a problem. With this, consider any potential collaboration between us over. Will this be all, mortal?”
He did give him one last chance to prove his point, though right now Vale was certain he had no such argument at his disposal.
Gandigan listened silently as Vale spoke, and as annoyed as he found himself he did have to admit that the Shinjin had a few good points. Although the Namekian didn't know much about Shinjin life spans, living for millions of years seemed a bit hard to believe even for them. But what about the prison? Could that have maybe sealed them from aging? "Sealed they were. Sealed from space and time. Hard did it feel to be locked away like that? Could you sense anything at all?"
Gandigan thought on those that had told him about Vale: Karach, Prophos and Patience. If he was being honest he knew the three of them about as well as he knew Vale. He had only encountered each of them once, yet he had chosen to put his truth in them over that of Vale... Something about their demeanors made them seem more believable though. Maybe it was because none of them asked anything of Gandigan, where as Vale had very outwardly attempted to influence the Namekian. It made him feel as though there was more to the Shinjin that he wasn't revealing.
As soon as Vale mentioned that he was going to report the three of them Gandigan lost his cool. Still pinning Vale down Gandigan lurched forward and drove his forehead into the Shinjin's chest.
The Namekian just wouldn’t understand reason, would he? Why was he so unswayable, so hellbent on believing -the truth, sure- but also the words of nobodies over his? For the first time, Vale felt a tinge of irritation made visible by one of his eyebrows curling up at the mention of being sealed away.
“Has death affected your brain also? How can you not listen to reason? That’s it, I’m leav-”
The headbutt to his torso shattered the ground under him, both legs and arms jolting upwards from the impact as his eyes widened, knocking the air straight out of him. He almost passed out on impact, only holding on to his senses enough to blast the Namekian away with a surge of ki. Probably not strong enough to injure him in any capacity, but enough to create some distance again between the two.
With both legs trembling, Vale got back to his feet, one hand on his aching stomach.
“You….you’re crazy…No wonder…huff, no wonder your people were kept in isolation in…a desolate land…There might have been some merit to the actions of the Warrior and Dragon Clan. If not for the tournament…I’d never have set foot on that disgusting green excuse of a planet!”
‘Crap…’ he thought, as his anger ramped up, he slipped and mentioned his presence on the planet, a while ago.
“Anyway…I’m out of here.”
Regaining his composure, he tried teleporting away before Gandigan could piece things together, though the damage suffered made it harder to concentrate, leaving the Namekian enough time to stop him in his tracks.
Gandigan couldn't hide the feeling of satisfaction he felt slamming his head into Vale's. The little bastard had been lying to him, and despite his claims the Mazoku knew well enough by now the lies; the only problem now was that he didn't know the truths. What were Vale's ulterior motives? What is it that he really wanted from messing with Gandigan? Was it simple fun or was their a grander scheme at play here? Were the other members of the Horsemen involved too?
The revelation that Vale had been to Namek before didn't mean a whole lot to Gandigan. Shinjin and Oni had the ability to travel to the mortal realm at will and so the possibility of travelling to Namek was something the Namekian had already thought of before. Though that did raise the question as to what Vale had been doing there and why it was he had asked Gandigan if he wanted to go back for him.
Just as the Shinjin tried to get away Gandigan countered, bringing up his arms and attempting to land a hook on his jaw. He had a feeling that if he tried to grab him he would be able to simply teleport away, so he had to try and discombobulate him first. "Where do you think you're going? Not until I get my full story."
The hook landed, and it wasn’t pretty. As soon as Vale got up, Gandigan immediately countered, landing a punch that forced the Shinjin back to the ground, blood pouring from his nose and mouth. Vale couldn’t feel his legs due to the intense shock, both his knees shaking. He had a look of concern, of hatred and pain across his face.
Aah, how exhilarating it was! To be cornered like a prey, facing death. But it wasn’t enough.
“What gives you the right to demand things of me, mortal? You think you can just beat on me?” the Shinjin said, spitting a mixture of darkened blood and saliva on the ground. “I could spell a thousand lies in your face and you would be none the wiser, so long as I say what you want to hear! You’ve decided in your idiocy to paint me as evil? Then so be it!”
Weakly, Vale managed to get back on his feet. One of his eyes was half-closed due to the pain and the strain put on his body just to stand, but he did his best to stare down the Namekian. “I…was curious. To see if the Namekian Empire could be revived. What little history I’ve told you about your people is true, but that’s not all there was to it. The “Mazoku” existed before their recent resurgence. In fact, they were the dominant clan, the other castes composed of farmers, for the most part. Some Porunga worshippers existed, but they held no true weight in the politics of their world.”
Vale stood upright and continued.
“So strong were they that they conquered most of the northern quadrant of the universe and brought an era of prosperity along with their conquests. But with time and their newfound peace, they grew numb and carefree, seeking other avenues. To the point where their faith took the most important part of their life, forsaking their past as conquerors. And that numbness continues even today.”
He wiped the blood from his mouth and nose, though some part had already dried on his face.
“Now your people have grown so soft and are so inebriated in their faith that they lack the ambition and will to even govern themselves. You’ve relegated it to an off-worlder under the pretense that they’re the chosen one. But with your strength, I saw the potential of bringing back such an Empire to life. I’ve seen you and your ways, now, so I know it will likely never happen. You’ve died against Lottus and you WILL die again once you reclaim your life. Your people has grown weak and as it is currently, it will not stand the test of time.”
He took a deep breath.
“Is this what you’ve wanted to hear? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? Yes, you were a guinea pig. One so bad that I’ve decided to abandon it. Just like you are the guinea pig of every other Shinjin that has offered you counsel and help. It’s just that their goals align better with your mortal self-centered nature and you only saw the carrot they were dangling in front of you. I don’t know what they want and frankly, I do not care.”
With this, he had placed himself as an antagonist to Gandigan. What would happen if he were to confirm his position as a paragon of death and entropy? Better let it simmer for a while longer. After all, he had gotten his answers. Vale could still beat the Horseman allegations, maybe.
"Mortal? I'm shocked at how many of your Shinjin and Oni I've met so far who seem to think that you are above us! You think you're better because what; because you were born up here? I've seen your kind with Halo's above their heads. That means you can die just like we can. Push me and maybe we'll see about adding you to that list." If Vale really thought that he could take on Gandigan in a battle of fists then he was about to be in for a rude awakening.
Vale continued speaking on about some historical empire that the Namekians supposedly ruled, but by now the Mazoku couldn't believe a word that he had to say. "No, Vale. There was no Namekian empire, but if Porunga grants me strength then maybe there will be one day. We will build ourselves up unlike anything the universe had seen before!" Gandigan very rarely spoke so brazenly, but he was fired up and pissed off.
Rushing forward, Gandigan attempted to reach out and grab a hold of Vale's face, pulling him in so tight that he was practically in kissing distance. "And you... you shall help me. You want to talk about guinea pigs? I have a friend who knows of a recipe to revive me, but we're missing one ingredient... the soul of a Shinjin."
Vale sighed. He wasn’t sure anymore what Gandigan was truly after. Was this all on purpose? Was he acting in such a way to make Vale drop his guard? Was he simply a fool? Either way, it did work in dropping Vale’s guard a little. Despite the situation, the Shinjin didn’t look as distressed as previously, nor as angry. A tinge of curiosity mixed with seriousness as he approached the situation going forward.
“Don’t lump us Shinjins in the same basket. I don’t “act” all high and mighty. I am merely stating a fact. We don’t operate on the same scale, Gandigan. Your race has time to vanish off the universe along with its history before I look a year older. And let me be clear with you.”
All in all, Vale didn’t look fazed, despite the damage taken. He kept the same tone as he did previously. “You take strength and power too much at face value. You may believe you have me in your grasp, that you have control over my life, up until you disintegrate my body. But killing me? Now that’s a bold claim. No, no, that will not happen, I’m afraid.”
Vale disappeared from Gandigan’s grasp, effortlessly, almost as if he had stopped existing for a moment, reappearing elsewhere, out of the Namekian’s field of vision.
“Feel free to not believe me, since you’re so thick headed. Same with the History of your people. I might be lying to you, after all. Yes, I might…”
He shrugged, a mocking expression on his face as he rolled his eyes. His face was still bloodied, he didn’t look particularly in shape, but the way he dismissed the damage taken so far could spark some doubt in Gandigan’s mind. Was he truly injured? The Namekian managed to spark some interest in what Gandigan had to say. A way to revive himself, using a Shinjin’s soul? How curious. Things had truly changed in a few million years.
“So you do need me, after all. Who’s that friend you speak of? The soul…of a Shinjin, you say? Huh… so what do you need me for? You can’t be thinking about using my soul for this, are you?”
Gandigan could only laugh at Vale's assertions. "I think that you put too little stock into strength, Vale. I think you like to talk a big act to make yourself feel more powerful than you really are, but in the end without the rest of the Horsemen to back you up what are you really? What have you accomplished on your own? I think that if I wanted to I could end you right now without any resistance on your part. I think it would be easy; easier than you know."
The thought crossed his mind. Gandigan was still upset at the betrayal on Vale's part, and the Mazoku felt as though if the stories about the Horsemen were true then he had done more than enough to earn it... but that would be such a waste. Gandigan was in need of a Shinjin's soul, and if he could get one from Vale that meant avoiding taking one from anyone that he cared about.
"An old Namekian long since dead. He has been working on creating a potion that will bring me back to life. We have heard tales of Shinjin choosing to give up their souls to revive others. I'm afraid in this situation you don't have a choice. It's better to use your soul than someone I care about. Here's your chance to do something good before you die, Vale."
“And here I thought we could maybe restart our friendship on a better note.” Vale replied.
At this point, there was no point in hiding it anymore. He wanted to keep his facade of a somewhat good guy to keep eyes off of him, but at this point, was it even necessary anymore? Worse case scenario, he could probably still go back into hiding, wait a millenia or two and pop back up again. A coward’s way, for sure, but that was his way. Pride had no hold over him.
“See, you don’t get it. I don’t need strength because, well…I’ve got you all! All of you, yes, every single one of you silly mortals are doing the work for me. I watched with great joy as you struggled to the bitter end against Lottus. Your loss of faith, that last desperate struggle. Oh, it entertained me so! Now, once you go back to living, what will you do? Try and kill Lottus again? Provide me with yet another beautiful spectacle? Yes, I believe that is what you will do. If not, who cares!”
Vale raised both arms in the air, overjoyed by the feeling of relief that came with speaking honestly for once.
“Because if it’s not you, then it will be someone else. And once that someone else dies, then a dozen more will take their place. Once you die from old age, decrepit and worn out, I’ll be there, at your side. I’ll watch as you draw your last breath, stare at you right in the eyes and will enjoy every single second. Oh yes, yes, I believe this is how it will happen! That's just how this world works!”
He sat on the ground, completely open for any and all attack. It could have been provocation or absolute confidence in what he said earlier.
“I don’t know how to explain it any clearer to you… you just wouldn’t understand. But you want my soul? How about I make a counteroffer? For my entertainment…and also yours.”
Vale reached a hand in his pocket, clutching a bunch of souls in his hand. He tossed them in front of him and with the dark, deathly entropic magic, he brought back their bodies, for a short period of time.
“I would have preferred to keep them for a while longer, but since you’re getting revved up and ready to fight, feel free to let loose on your…former brethren.”
Indeed, all of these four souls were Namekians, ones that Vale had plucked out of existence during the tournament, when he watched Cyprus fight.
“It was a souvenir I brought back from your planet. I suppose you can have them now. Maybe you know them?”
Among them were a dragon clan Namekian, a warrior clan Namekian and two Mazoku clan, Gandigan’s people. Clapping his hands together, Vale issued an order to the broken souls he had tortured during all that time.
“Alright, everyone! How about you offer the King of the Mazoku a warm welcome? If you do well, I’ll grant you back your freedom, how’s that sound?”
Without hesitation, the four of them rushed towards Gandigan, barraging him with ki blasts and physical strikes, and they wouldn’t stop until they were completely annihilated. Meanwhile, Vale sat on a rock, watching with great interest.
“Sure, you could end me with no resistance. But that wouldn’t be as fun, would it?”
So Vale was in this for the entertainment of it all? A disappointing answer. "There'll be plenty more shows when I revive, Vale. The time for my redemption against Lottus will come soon enough, but there'll be much more to come. Grander shows on Plant and Arcose. You would love to see them... though I don't think you'll be around to watch. As I told you before I'll be needing a Shinjin volunteer to grant me my second life, and I see no better option than you."
Gandigan took a step forward, preparing to reach out and grab Vale before the Shinjin dug into his pockets and retrieved... something? "What do you have there?" Vale tossed the substance out in front of him, allowing it to form into several Namekian bodies. "What the... what magic is this? Some sort of illusion?"
Wait a minute... a souvenir? "You bastard!" Just as the message was clicking in Gandigan's mind the Namekians attacked, all lunging forward at the Mazoku lord in a unison strike. Gandigan brought his arms up to defend himself, trying his best not to harm the dead souls as much as possible. "Listen to me, brothers! Break free from whatever curse this cretin has put on you! You don't have to fight me!" The spirits refused to give up the fight, but Gandigan wouldn't break so easily.