Mind Games

“You sure like to make yourself hard to find, don’t you? Or rather, you can’t help yourself getting into one problem after another.”

An unwanted guest.

He had found the frozen statue of Lottus on Namek, following the events on Earth. Having recovered a fresh new body from some random passerby, Vale took some time off to seize control of his brand new himself before attempting to tie some loose ends. The most problematic one and perhaps the reason he had been pushed this far back on Earth was Lottus. Never would he have thought the man would feel so strongly about his plan, to the point of leaving the battlefield. A true wrench in the carefully twisted plan he concocted, though, given his current records, he did not need anyone to fail miserably at every opportunity…which made everything that much more fun, all things considered. He would need to push boundaries, to innovate and ways that have never been seen before, but those were thoughts for another time.

True to himself, if he couldn’t talk with Lottus directly, he would invite himself within his own mind, thanks to his twisted mastery over telepathy. A manifestation of his consciousness invading the Saiyan’s mind, susceptible to any and all actions taken against him with the only limit being Lottus’ imagination. It was planned for, too. If he held any ill feeling towards Vale, now was a good time to relieve some of that frustration.

Walking around, he rewatched Lottus’ fights over the years, from his perspective. The savagery he showed was unlike any other he had met so far, the Saiyan being a true representation of carnage. He noticed how the fight sequences were altered after each viewing, representing different courses of action Lottus could have taken to achieve victory.

“Tell me. What do you want exactly out of your life? To win or to enjoy yourself?”

Vale manifested an armchair made of precious cloth and sat comfortably. He couldn’t see Lottus, but being in his mind, he knew he was the one being observed.

After making his presence known, the inner world of Lottus’ mind began warping, reacting to the Shinjin’s presence within it. Unfazed, he waited for something to happen, still sitting comfortably on his chair. The primal form that manifested from within that chaos, the towering simian shadow of the oozaru standing in front of him. It’s not that Vale expected it, but at the same time, he was not surprised. The bundle of rage that was Lottus could very well be this monster, or maybe the manifestation of that same rage dwelling within himself. He would have to find out which one it is.

The guttural, wrathful voice spoke his name and Vale nodded. He wasn’t scared, because in this place, he was as powerless as he was invulnerable. That had been established from the start, because he was an intruder. However, for as long as he envisioned himself being part of Lottus’ mind, he would remain. It was akin to having someone speak relentlessly in your mind via telepathy without ever stopping. Continuous information of Vale was poured into the Saiyan’s mind, making his presence there possible to begin with.

“It is I. Hello, Lottus. Or should I say… nice to make your acquaintance? Have you laid yourself bare in front of me or is it your suppressed self rising up to the surface?”

He was genuinely curious. After all, Lottus rarely spoke about himself, if ever. Vale did not know the man and only saw him through his actions rather than his words.

“Well? Here I am. I believe we have much to talk about and there is even more to learn from having a good old-fashioned talk. I’ll let you go first.”

The unbound rage and hatred showcased by Lottus was ravishing. Raw, untamed and overflowing. Despite the circumstances, Vale couldn’t help but feel small in front of the Saiyan, completely at his mercy. However, at it currently was, such wildness wouldn’t do him any justice. Like an inexperienced fighter throwing strikes haphazardly, hoping to hit something. It needed refinement, it needed control. Vale rose from his chair after the first bit of the Saiyan’s monologue, happy to see him realize that there was nothing to gain from killing him. Vale shrugged, a sorry expression on his face.

“You sound disappointed. Don’t be. It would be akin to trying to destroy the sky because clouds are moving…or plucking every single blade of grass on the planet because life is merely happening. At best, it is a futile endeavor. At worst? Well, some have gone mad for much less.”

Vale let Lottus finish speaking, his face ever so close to the Saiyan, a single faux-pas allowing him to break his spine or twist his neck in a matter of seconds. Thankfully, it was all in his head. He allowed for a moment of pause for the wrathful Saiyan to recompose himself before talking.

“I have never lied to you, Lottus. Not once. When we first met, you saw me tear away the soul from Majin Sha, the opponent whom you had just defeated. You saw me consume the soul and regain part of my strength. I told you very clearly of my true nature and yet…you paid very little attention to it. Was it boredom? Ignorance? A profound lack of curiosity? You had all of the pieces at your disposal, but instead you chose to perceive me as an eccentric fool. If anything, your anger should be directed towards yourself, not me.”

He took a few step back and manifested a soul out of nowhere.

“I’ll be honest with you, I feel little sympathy for your grief. But if this can ease your mind a little, then so be it. I never had any intention of bringing that Saiyan’s lover back to life. It was a bargain to remove him from the picture long enough to allow us an advantage. I’m sure you can figure this out, but my domain is death, not life. She was a puppet, a husk I manipulated to prey on his feelings. He sent her back to the afterlife after suddenly finding resolution with his feelings for her. He pretended himself a hero at this moment, but let me be very clear. He will never find her again. Not after I tampered with her soul. Because now she is an irregular…”

He let that information sink in with a few seconds, before continuing. He closed his hand, the soul vanishing in that instant.

“Let’s assume I managed to get my hands on your former partner’s soul, then what? You want me to shove it inside a body and call it a day? She’d be nothing more than a zombie, an undead aimlessly following you around. Even I have my limits. You would not have been happy with this and neither would she.”

Vale sighed, then continued. “Life is a profoundly complex concept. Death is but a part of it. Sentience, emotions, there are endless ramifications to it. Even I find myself stirred by the occasional emotion of the living. One thing remains certain. It’s that everything is finite. Even me. When everything has died, what purpose will I serve? I, too, shall disappear.”

He appeared more joyous, all of a sudden. “She might have been all you had, but it’s time to bid her farewell. And you…” He pointed at the shadowy figure. “You need to learn to have control over yourself. Over your rage, over your passion, over your hatred. So that, when you inevitably find yourself caring for someone else, you have the power to oppose such a fate placed upon them. Or when someone attempts to shackle you down and manipulate you, you have the strength to remain a free man.”

He extended his arms, spinning around like he was part of some musical number. Eventually he stopped, regained his composure and added.

“You will kill these Mazoku who wronged you. But your wrath will be calm, collected and indiscriminate. I did not come here to make you suffer. I came to tell you it’s time to break out of your shell. If you need guidance, I shall guide you. But that path is yours to walk.”

The mindscape shifted around as he talked, showing that the Saiyan wasn’t totally indifferent to the Shinjin’s words. The images of two young females appeared in the backdrop of the Saiyan’s psyche, showing the same woman who was with them on Earth, as well as another one, a Saiyan too. Vale thought that maybe Lottus had already begun to look towards the future or maybe the idea of that previous loved one kept him in stasis, stagnated and unable to move forward. Ultimately, the Shinjin cared little for what the Saiyan did in his spare time or who he was enamored with.

“I see you have a lot on your mind already,” he replied. “The more reason to take my words seriously.” Then, Lottus sealed the deal by asking if he could prevent a similar fate for these two, most likely.

Vale took a few steps towards the Saiyan, hands joined behind his back and looked him straight in the eyes as the oozaru form faded, revealing the man he knew.

“Saved from death? Do you aspire to immortality? Maybe it is possible, but you know the entropic nature of the mortal realm doesn’t lend itself to infinite life. To succeed in that endeavor would require means I do not have access to and I can’t recommend them in good faith, for obvious reasons.” A grin. He did not want to have immortal people running around, where was the fun in all that?

“You’ve died once, so you know how souls are dealt with. How they are assessed, processed, even. All under the ever watchful eye of King Yemma…”

He paused.

“Now, if there is a time to pay attention to what I say, it is now. I will not repeat myself. I can show you how you can break free from the chains of the Otherworld after you pass on and how you can free those you care about from the same fate your former friend lost her existence to. Perhaps, in a roundabout way, you could call this immortality.”

By breaking free from the cycle of reincarnation, they would remain in the afterlife forever and ever, unless they choose to move on by themselves. This was how he lost Rapini, but perhaps others could be spared.

“There is a catch, however. Once you start dabbling in that kind of esoteric art, you’re willingly placing a target on yourself. Onis, Kais, Yemma, they don’t take lightly to that kind of interference in their work. Why else would I resort to that pitiful form if not for the necessity to remain unseen. That’s why you need to be the strongest. Always, at all times. You will never catch a break, always remain on your guard and ready to fend off whatever they throw at you. This is the burden you will have to shoulder for as long as you exist, the price to pay to protect those you hold dear. Let me be clear. This is a curse, not a boon. But if anyone can pull it off, it’s you.”

Vale clapped his hand, bringing forth his domain to take over the Saiyan’s mind. Pure darkness. Tranquil, serene, even. Eerily calm. A single throne stood in the middle of it, a throne sculpted in dark marble. He sat on it. As he took place, his body began dissolving, down to bare bones before flesh reappeared. The sudden change revealed dark Shinjin robes, long white hair and jewelry adorning the body, from golden rings sporting skulls with ruby eyes to a long necklace representing a skeleton in a coffin. Symbols were etched on his skins, representing concepts and ideas fundamentally tied to the aspect of death. Souls surrounded the area, floating and the energy emanating from them served as lighting.

While his power did not waver, its quality changed drastically from what it usually was. Vale’s energy tugged at the soul, almost as if it tried to separate it from the body, it was a feeling creeping up the spine, a cold sensation leaving an itchy feeling all across the body. A buzzing sound echoed all around, like a mellowed out variant of tv static. Slightly too loud to be ignored while not loud enough to truly be a nuisance. All in all, it was an unpleasant experience.

And for a good reason. Death was the antithesis of life.

“Death, much like life or ki, is an energy. It can be seized, manipulated and used. It stands as the complete opposite of everything you’ve ever conceived, but it will prove itself to be what allows you to take control of your destiny. This is how you can save them from death. By understanding what it is and how to harness it. Think it through, I’m not one to impose on others.”

It was not an attempt by him to show off. It was a natural state of being, an existence that collided with life itself. Since it was merely a representation of his true form it was, in fact, rather barebone.

Lottus didn’t take much time to answer. Of course, this was to be expected. A war hound like him, who knew nothing other than war and conflict…It was probably hard to wish for something you had no conception of. Yet, it wasn’t Vale’s place to choose for others and contradict their wishes, so he simply nodded.

“Consider yourself warned. But that should be no problem once you stand at the top of creation, right?”

Vale got up from his chair and the scenery shifted back to Lottus’ inner mindscape. Even the Shinjin’s appearance reverted back to its goofy, usual self. Lottus wanted to go straight to business, but Vale raised a finger, cutting him shortly after he ended his sentence.

“Hold on a second, I need to check something.” He looked away from Lottus, then closed his eyes. “Bêl, my dearest, can you prepare something for me? Yes, I’ll need to get there for some business soon. Start gathering materials for two persons. Yes. One mortal. What? No…I don’t know how long it’ll take. No…No, you can’t come with us. Look, I’m in the middle of something, we’ll argue once I get back.”

He opened his eyes, sighed, and looked back at Lottus, all smiles.

“Sorry, I needed to sort something out quickly. So yes, death energy. Entropic energy. Chaos, disorder. It has many names. How you can harness it? Well, as you are right now, even if I told you how you wouldn’t be able to. You need to understand it on a fundamental level and experience it with your own body and soul to truly grasp it.”

He made a pause and considered his choice of words before resuming.

“What you know is all a part of life. You know, if we take ki as a basis, it can be split into two main types of applications. You have offensive ki and defensive ki. Ofeensive ki is basically what you attack with. Defensive ki is what holds you together, courses through you amplifies your abilities, and shields you. Get it? Of course you do!”

Vale waved his hand and conjured two images. One of a beam of energy, the other of a shield. He made the two constructs come in contact, the beam overpowering the shield.

“See that? What happens when offensive and defensive ki come in contact? It creates disorder by virtue of their interaction with each other. That is death and a way to generate it. You people do it all the time. That’s how you kill and hurt each other.”

Vale made the constructs disappear and materialized a flower in a pot, flowing through the air.

“Now, if you could skip that process and harness death energy directly, what would happen? It’s applications can vary. You could wither it out, erase it from existence, destroy it conceptually, compress it into a singularity, rearrange it into something else…really, the possibilities are virtually endless.”

For each potential application, he gave a visual representation to aid in understanding.

“If that helps, think of it this way. Instead of attacking with a technique to deal damage, you’re swapping cause and effect and are attacking with raw damage already, and depending on how your opponent defends against it, you achieve more or less of the desired effect.”

He made the flower and the pot disappear.

“That’s it, more or less. Its effectiveness lies in its versatility and unpredictable nature. If you’re quick-witted enough, you might already understand how you can save your friends from the cycle of reincarnation. There would be more than a few ways.”

Vale smiled as Lottus described through his own experiences how such energy could be used or that it had some similarities with other forms of magic. People always took inspiration from what they saw to emulate its effect. Magic was shaped by people. Death energy itself was raw, unbridled. Both came with advantages and consequences.

“Sankishin? Doesn’t ring a bell. You’re not wrong on the rest, though. Most things are surprisingly easy to understand when you get down to it. It’s finding it that can prove challenging and complicated…as well as figuring out the limits. Who would’ve guessed that life is a very accessible experience!” Vale pointed at Lottus. “But real trailblazers, now they are much rarer…and much more dangerous.”

Vale laughed at the Saiyan’s reaction upon realizing he was being saved. That wasn’t an expression he had seen Lottus wear, ever.

“Look at you. Don’t be embarrassed, it’s a nice change of pace from having everyone at your throat. Plus, if you wish to protect people, you should be expecting to be protected yourself. If not from others, then from yourself. After all, loneliness is a truly maddening experience.”

The Shinjin summoned a door, an indication he was taking his leave.

“I’ll let you figure things out from here. Once you break free, find your way to the afterlife. I’ll wait for you there. Until then, do take care of yourself.”

He opened the door giving to the outside world. One last time, he turned around to meet his gaze.

“Oh and before you do, make sure your head is clear. You can’t afford distractions or regrets once we start. So go, mate with that Heran or Saiyan or whatever it is you young people do. See yaaaa~”

And he left, leaving the Saiyan alone with his thoughts.