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Post by Scallio on Aug 23, 2020 17:12:24 GMT -6
138,661 PL Shortly after he'd arrived in hell, a question had unknowingly made its way into the back of Scallio's mind. A single creeping thought that until recently, Scallio had been too preoccupied to even notice. He'd felt something gnawing at him, but it was only when his training had come to a screeching halt. That Scallio had realized what that something, or rather, who that was.
Vocado. Where was he and what was he doing?
The prince had passed on months ago, and there was only one place that his soul would have gone. This meant that if Scallio looked hard enough, he'd be able to find and confront the Saiyan royal. Confront wasn't the right word - it implied that Scallio held some sort of hostile intent toward the man. Which wasn't the case. Vocado had made the mercenary a lot of promises before his untimely death. He'd offered power, a chance to bite into the unholy fruit of the Tree of Might, and all Scallio had to do was help him get it. A once in a lifetime offer that Scallio hadn't been able to ignore. He was eager to what to see what the prince had been making of his time in the afterlife. More importantly, he wanted to know if Vocado's goal remained the same.
Of course, to ask those questions, Scallio needed to find him first. Which was harder than the Saiyan had first imagined it to be. Had he been able to sense energy, finding Vocado would have taken him a matter of seconds. Instead, the mercenary had to resort to more traditional tactics to hunt the man down. Giving anyone he met Vocado's general description, Scallio learned he'd recently been sighted heading into the Bramble Forests.
Scallio navigated the winding paths of thorns and decaying trees, making sure to keep his eyes peeled for the man in question. Scallio had gotten the information on his location over an hour ago. Hopefully, it was still good, and he could find him somewhere inside the forest. With that thought in mind, Scallio made sure to keep his power level as high and noticeable as possible. He didn't know if Vocado could sense energy if he could. Then he'd surely be able to recognize Scallio's energy signature.
"Hey Vocado, you in here!? It's Scallio!" shouted the mercenary at the top of his lungs. Scallio wasn't worried about anyone dangerous being within the forest. He was already dead, there wasn't exactly much else anyone could do to him. BATTLE INFO KP: 3/3
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Post by Vocado on Aug 23, 2020 18:12:07 GMT -6
Thread Power Level: 200,000
Vocado's body shuddered, and so very suddenly he was aware of his surroundings again. His memory was hazy in this realm. A mish-mash of yeses and no's; defeats and glory. The last thing he could recall was his brief stint in Heaven. When did he get back? What was he in this forest for? The answer evaded him as he walked, but it was only when he saw the mouth of a mighty cave that he remembered. His temporary home, the strange mythical cave, resided in these woods.
His interactions with the cave felt so very wrapped in mystery. Every time he tried to process his journey within, the thoughts escaped him. It was like something was blocking the idea of the structure unless he was within its walls. Was it a hex? Some sort of warding magic to protect the place and its secrets? He touched the smooth stone, and decided its feel was not that of a rock.
As he stared deep into the cave he heard his voice being called, and when he blinked, the cave was gone.
Standing in the center of a clearing, his mind snapped back to the present, and he recognized the voice all too well.
If Scallio's guard was down, he wouldn't notice Vocado leaping from a tree to deliver a mighty blow to his fellow Saiyan's jaw.
"You worthless wretch!" the former king taunted. "Of all the worms to shrivel up and die it had to be you! What ruinous circumstance tossed you in this dump, huh? Piss off the Queen Bitch one too many times?" He wanted to take another swing; to pummel the Saiyan relentlessly until his soul melted away, but the effort would be wasted.
"I asked Kalabas to keep you alive, and this is what I get?!" He turned away from Scallio and tossed his arms up in frustration, running his hands through his hair like a college student with 5 seconds til' the exam.
"I thought maybe there'd be some slim chance with you. An insider to glean information while I bided my time down here, or perhaps an agent of chaos to keep those light-bringing, self-aggrandizing bastards on their toes! With you dead, I'm sure Cress isn't far behind, that glob of worthless slime!"
Ranting complete, Vocado let out a deep and unsatisfied sigh. Leaning on a tree, he crossed his arms, and smiled. "So: how's Hell treating you?"
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Post by Scallio on Aug 23, 2020 19:20:06 GMT -6
138,661 PL The faint sight of a shadow above him put Scallio on guard and he glanced up. Catching sight of the attacking Vocado just in time to bring one of his arms up to block the strike aimed at his jaw. "It's nice to see you too." on the off chance Vocado tried for a second attack, Scallio hopped backward. Putting just enough distance between that he'd be able to react with something more than a block next time. It had been so long since they'd last spoken that Scallio had forgotten how ecentric Vocado could be.
"Kayen was present when I died but she played no role." Scallio said with a roll of his eyes. Had he always had such a hate boner for Kayen? If so, Scallio hadn't notice up until now. The mercenary frowned, watching Vocado carefully as he moved around the area. "I died trying to blow up one of the Gemini moons. I doubt you remember my mother Amara but she's the one who had the honor of killing me." it was less an honor and more of a mercy killing but chose to omit that part. "So don't go blaming Kalabas for not following your orders. It was a family matter." he sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"Besides, given the last time I saw him the guy had no mouth? I think he had more than enough to deal with on his plate already." Scallio wouldn't have taken his help at the time regardless. "Your probably right, I suspect it'll only be a matter of time before Cress joins us in hell. Especially after the stunt he pulled." Scallio quickly realized Vocado probably had no idea what he was talking about. Cress blowing up Namek had happened while Vocado was fighting the battle that would claim his life.
"Oh, right, you wouldn't know about that. Cress blew up planet Namek." he stated plainly, "It's the reason he wasn't able to join on Mount Frappe." he wasn't sure how Vocado would feel about that. Considering that having Cress present on the mountain might of prevent his death from happening in the first place. "It's hell, how do you think it's treating me?" Scallio replied curtly. He wasn't exactly sure how to answer that question but he knew talking to Vocado about it would be a mistake. The guy didn't exactly come off at the type of person you'd want to share your feelings with. So best to keep that stuff to himself for the time being.
"I'm more curious about how it's treating you? What have you been doing this whole time you've been dead?" BATTLE INFO KP: 3/3
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Post by Vocado on Aug 24, 2020 5:25:21 GMT -6
Vocado was assailed by a mountain of information, each nugget worse than the last. Dying in an attempt to blow up a moon? Kalabas missing a mouth? Namek GONE?! Vocado tried his best to keep a cold face, but it felt like each dollop of vicious failure was a needle in his eye. He shared battles with these morons? He broke bread and shared secrets with a man who erased an incredibly precious commodity from the face of the universe? It was a band-aid solution to the greater problem that came from being overwhelmed with heroes.
"Sounds about right for our lot," The Saiyan Prince chuckled, hiding his unrelenting fury incredibly well. He was the son of a noble, after all. "At least I wasn't the only one who got lumped in with the universe's trash. And besides, I think this is a fortuitous turn of events. We can't die if we're already dead, and the climate of our lodgings is... Interesting."
Turning to the tree he'd been leaning on, Vocado reeled his fist back, and let loose a furious punch. It shattered the bark into shards, and sent the upper half of the tree into the clouds far above them. Shaking his hand, the Saiyan revealed his knuckles to be free of scratches. "I can feel just how durable this... Facsimile of a body is. It is not the one I died in, and yet I can feel myself growing stronger each day, and the rate of my growth is exponential!"
Vocado turned up the heat, more to show off than anything, he decided subconsciously. With a roar, his aura exploded, and golden light enveloped him. His Super Saiyan form arrived in record time, and with intense power to boot. "My power is an overflowing wellspring, and yet I can feel myself being held back. The Super Saiyan state is unrefined; missing a crucial piece. I thought... Irritating the Ki with my Titan State would be the answer, but its flaws are glaringly obvious."
For a moment, he bulked up. His power increased by leaps and bounds, but his speed was significantly hampered. Straining himself further, he let his muscles reach the breaking point, before suddenly relaxing them and returning to normal. Surely Scallio understood the full extent of his visual example.
"There has to be an evolution. I think the others are at the brink too, but there's something missing. Some sort of push that would uncork the whole thing and spill our power into the galactic ocean. I have infinite time here-- Time that our enemies can never have in the living world. I can spend every waking moment perfecting myself, and soon Cress will get that chance along with us."
Truth be told, he was hoping Cress survived. There was no telling what a beast like him would do with an evolved Super Saiyan. Maybe it was best to keep his plans under lock and key, between Scallio and himself.
"So I suppose that's my plan. Unlock our heritage, and then find a way home. I don't care if it takes me until the end of time to understand the secrets of our birthright; I'll understand it all." Tapping his chin, the thought of how to revive was decidedly its own issue. "The Dragon Balls will do us no good, what with the entire crew made into worm food. Kalabas' method of revival seemed... Unrefined. He lost some of himself on the way back. We need to ensure that doesn't happen to us when the day comes."
Transformed into Mastered Super Saiyan (x16P)!
Current PL: 3,200,000!
Briefly transformed into Ultra Super Saiyan with [UT] Bulking for a modifier of x18/x10, but was quickly dropped.
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Post by Scallio on Aug 25, 2020 20:36:58 GMT -6
138,661 PL Scallio hadn't thought about the effect that hell could be having on his body. He'd been too focused on the impact it had on his mentality, that it hadn't even crossed his mind. Now that Vocado had mentioned it, it did feel like something was different. It was as if the shackles that had bound him in life had all but disappeared."I'd been too distracted to notice before, but you're right. There is something different about my body now that I'm here."
Familiar with the Super Saiyan transformation by now, Scallio looked on stoically as the prince assumed the form. He couldn't sense the full scope of Vocado's power, but he could feel the pressure in the air. That alone was impressive and painted a picture of just how strong the man before him was. Listening to Vocado ramble, Scallio couldn't help but remember a conversation with Kayen. One in which she'd suggested something awful similar to what Vocado was now.
"You're not the first person to suggest that there's something beyond Super Saiyan to me. In fact, it was the very woman you seem to hate." he said with a chuckle. It wasn't surprising they were both prodigies when it came to battle after all. It was only natural that they'd both reach the same conclusion. "When Kayen mentioned it to me, I'll admit that I found it hard to believe. But if you both are thinking the same thing? Well, I guess that means there has to be something to it." they couldn't both be wrong. What would a transformation beyond Super Saiyan even look like? Better yet, what exactly would it take to trigger it?
"Maybe what you're missing to reach this possible next level isn't just strength. Given what we know about Super Saiyan you don't just need power but the right trigger. To transform the first time an intense rage was required, maybe the same but more severe is needed to go beyond." it was just a guess but it seemed like the right answer to him.
"Regardless, I think focusing on getting stronger is the right thing to do for now. I definitely don't want to end up like Kalabas in order to get out of here." that's if he even wanted to leave. Being in hell still felt right and Scallio wasn't sure when that was going to change for him. BATTLE INFO KP: 3/3
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Post by Vocado on Aug 27, 2020 3:57:39 GMT -6
Tch. How annoying. Of course Kayen of all people had to think of the idea too. He supposed it did make sense, though. After all, they were the first two Super Saiyans born in this era, with Vocado himself being ahead of her by barely a minute. If they were siblings, he'd surely hold that fact over her head like a spoiled child. Instead, he'd use that small head start to murder her one day.
"That so? Glad I'm not the only one throwing ideas around. It'd be a bit boring if my return was met with ineffectual enemies, don't you think?"
Scallio gave his own thoughts on the idea, and it gave Vocado something to mull over. He was right, though it surely couldn't be the answer twice. He'd been in plenty of desperate, rage-inducing situations since his first ascension. Surely he'd have tapped into something by now, right? Maybe the key wasn't the act, but the body. He may have had ample moments to unleash the power, but he simply didn't have it stored up yet. His power was growing now, but only so recently. He needed time; bring kindling before he could ignite the flame. He turned away from Scallio as he continued to ponder.
"There's some truth in that idea, Scallio, but how much is uncertain. Refinement of the form took little more than harnessing its strength. I had to keep my form going for days at a time before I could truly master it. Perhaps some sort of advanced mastery requires even further refinement, along with some sort of dramatic experience."
Vocado paused as Scallio continued. An idea came to him.
"Scallio... You weren't a Super Saiyan when we first met, were you?" He turned back to his ally. "Let me see your Super Saiyan form. I want to see how it differs from my own. There has to be something we can learn from the difference in our experience with the state."
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Post by Scallio on Aug 27, 2020 9:24:41 GMT -6
2,079,915 PL Vocado was quick to offer his own theory about what it might take to go beyond. It didn't sound too far off from the one that Scallio had proposed. Granted, Scallio couldn't speak on the mastery of Super Saiyan with any level of merit. He barely had control of the transformation let alone mastery over it. "Maybe," he said with a shrug "I'll leave working out the details to you. That kind of stuff is a little beyond me at the moment." and he wasn't ashamed to admit that.
The prince's request caught Scallio off guard but he wasn't against indulging Vocado's curiosity. "If you think it'll help." he said, taking a step back to gather his energy. With a mighty roar the Saiyan transformed, anger overwhelming his senses. Awash in a wild aura of golden energy, Scallio took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I'll never get over how exhilarating this feels." he said, his voice sounding rougher than before. "It's like every cell of my body is overflowing with power and energy." Scallio flexed his muscles and tightened his hand into a fist.
"The problem is how difficult it is to keep that power under control. I can feel all the anger used to trigger the transformation gnawing away at me as we speak. If I were to let go of what little control I have over it, even for a second, I'm almost certain that I'd lose myself."
He glanced to Vocado, if the he was suffering from the same issue then Scallio couldn't telling. Despite being transformed it appeared as though the man had complete control of himself. "I can go beyond this as well, into the 'Titan State' as you called it." he wasn't sure how he felt about that name. "Would you like to see that too or is this form enough?" BATTLE INFO KP: 7/7
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Post by Vocado on Aug 28, 2020 5:24:30 GMT -6
Vocado watched intently as Scallio's energy unfurled, releasing itself in waves as his Ki came to a stop. Almost immediately he could recognize the difference, and Scallio's explanation of its difficulty maintaining gave him a few ideas. The Prince didn't respond yet, moving in close to inspect the mercenary as best he could. He squinted, watching individual wisps of Ki as they flecked off the form. He couldn't help but be mesmerized. His mind was swimming with ideas.
"There has to be a key in here somewhere..."
Wait. Hard to control... How could that work in their favor? If rage was the battery, then what could juice it up further? Clearly the simple act of controlling ones emotions was enough to boost the overall strength, but it had its limits. Was there a way to let go again? To give in to the beast that gnawed at the psyche?
"Scallio. I want you to come at me with everything you have."
The Super Saiyan leaped back, stance lowered and defensive.
"I want to test something. Try to contain the bulkier form for now, but otherwise I want you to throw everything you've got at me. Let your anger control you, and run wild. If my theory is correct, maybe we'll learn something from our little exercise."
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