"Countdown To Destiny"
Zodoria.
Koji and Majestros continued to struggle against each other, their blasts pushing against each other as they screamed their efforts to the storm-tossed heavens! Neither warrior seemed to be able to overwhelm the other in this struggle of energy blasts! After several more moments, both blasts exploded like a nuclear explosion as both warriors ended their energy attacks! When the explosion had finally subsided, there was a massive area of devastation across the landscape - total destruction in the wake of the conflict! Majestros then fired another volley of rapid-fire energy blasts at Koji, and Koji began swatting the incoming blasts aside as he closed the distance to Majestros!
Upon reaching Majestros' position, Koji unleashed a powerful blast into Majestros' torso, hurling the fiend backwards with the non-exploding blast! Majestros struggled to get off of the end of the beam, fighting to escape his newfound dilemna! Koji continued to power the energy beam, pushing harder against the fiendish Majestros! Suddenly, Majestros slipped free from the beam and flew straight at Koji, and the two warriors renewed their conflict with epic skill and fervor! Their hand-to-hand techniques echoed once again across the battlefield like rapid-fire cannonfire, and the two warriors blurred in and out of sight during the clash!
After several moments of this, Koji broke away from the action and unleashed a volley of rapid-fire energy blasts at Majestros, but Majestros managed to swat the blasts aside as he closed the distance to Koji! Upon reaching Koji's position, Majestros drew back his hand and smiled as he prepared to attack the Saiyan, but Koji countered this with the solar flare technique, temporarily blinding the supermenace before he could launch his attack! Koji then drove a powerful kick into Majestros' face, knocking the supervillain across the battlefield! Majestros crashed to the ground and slid face-first along the landscape for a great distance!
As Majestros got to his feet, his vision began to clear, but Koji was already on the attack! Koji drove a back elbow smash into Majestros' face, followed that up with a knee to the midsection, and finished the sequence off with a thunderous uppercut under the chin, knocking Majestros high into the sky! Koji then flew up to attack Majestros again, but Majestros had recovered from the earlier attacks!
Majestros fired an energy blast at Koji as he closed the distance, but Koji evaded the blast only to find himself slammed in the jaw with a thunderous kick from the villain! Majestros then doubled Koji over with a mighty punch to the midsection, and then knocked him across the battlefield with a two-fisted uppercut to the face! Majestros then pursued Koji to renew their conflict, and their hand-to-hand conflict erupted once again! The clash seemed somehow even more intense than it previously had been!
Back in the Chamber of Spirit and Time, the boys had just finished mastering the art of matching their power levels as Super Saiyans. Makiko and Tieh smiled at the success of this portion of their training.
"They've mastered this portion of their training as well now!" Tieh remarked with an air of pride on his countenance.
"Yes!" Makiko added, also beaming with pride at the situation. "Now we can proceed to the next phase of the training!"
"The actual fusion dance itself," Tieh commented as he turned his attention back to the boys, prompting Makiko to do the same.
Back at the battle, Majestros and Koji were exchanging brilliant flurries of hand-to-hand attack and defense techniques! Suddenly, Majestros pulled back and slammed both of his feet into Koji's torso, knocking him back and creating some distance between them, but Koji stopped his backwards momentum in short order! The two warriors hovered in the air, breathing heavilly as they locked eyes in an intense staredown, their bodies and faces bruised from their violent exchanges!
"You are quite the fighter, Saiyan," Majestros complimented Koji on his prowess and power. "I must commend you."
"You too are a formidable warrior," Koji replied, keeping his eyes on the menacing warrior very closely. "You have my respect in that regard."
"The feeling is mutual," Majestros responded to Koji's declaration, finally smiling once again as a man reveling in the moment. "You know, we shouldn't be fighting each other. We should be allies. Join me, and, together, we shall rule all the universe!"
"You know, when I was much younger, that invitation would have been quite inticing, perhaps too inticing for me to refuse," Koji answered Majestros. "Since that time, however, my view of the universe and my priorities have changed quite a bit. I was raised to be a warrior, a pure warrior, by my parents, but I was not prepared for a very different kind of battle which would come to pass.
"In matters of the heart, I was blind and ignorant, but a hysterical young earth woman engaged me in that field. I was baffled by her manner and her actions. I could not fathom what was happening, and , before I knew it, I began to have certain ... unfamiliar feelings for this earth woman. I tried to deny those feelings, thinking them unfit for the heart of a warrior to be troubled by such things. I believed that I could only be a true warrior if I stood alone, if I was cold, ruthless, and unhindered by such emotions as love and compassion. It was only when I thought she might be killed that I realized that, for me, such emotional connections drove me to greater heights as a warrior. It was then that I first became a Super Saiyan.
"Years later, I learned even more about this incredible feeling of love when Yuko and I were raising our son Kato. Like my father before me, I was now a father, with a son to carry on my legacy. I saw so much of what I was in that small boy. I saw the longing for closeness in his eyes, and I remembered how I had longed for greater affection from my parents than they had given me. I could not deny my only son the same affection I had longed for when I was his age.
"Like my father did with me, I trained my son personally, but I wanted to share something from my heart with him. We trained hard, and then we played games and enjoyed restful moments. We grew as a family - my wife, my son, and I. We became closer, and it made us all stronger. I retained my discipline, but I learned to balance it with a certain gentleness reserved for my family and friends. I am still a warrior, even more so as a result of the lessons I've learned from my experiences with my family. I may have a soft spot in my heart for my family and my friends, but that just helps me to fuel the fire within me that enables me to oppose you so vigorously and so passionately. The only way I'll join you is if you reform, or you manage to somehow take me with you!"
"Very well," Majestros replied with a slight, subtle change in his smile. "If that is what you want, then so be it!"
Majestros tensed his muscles and clenched his fists so that all the veins in his head and body bulged, and his face became a grim and determined visage! As he began a drawn-out power-up yell, he immediately became ensheathed in a flaring, flaming energy aura, and the ground began to shake! Rocks, stones, and pebbles began rising from the ground and shattering in mid-air, and the sky darkened while radical lightning flashed across the heavens! As powerful winds blew out from his flaring energy aura in all directions, terrible whirlwinds formed all over the battlefield! Huge rocks erupted from the ground as it opened up, and lava spewed forth from where the ground had opened up! Mountains crumbled, and bodies of water parted to the bare floor, leaving towering walls of water as lava spewed from the bare floor of the water beds! Electricity crackled in and around Majestros' flaming energy aura, and the entire planet shook terribly!
Back at the lookout, the heroes sensed Majestros' power increase, and they were all stunned in amazement! The lookout trembled beneath their feet once again, and they struggled to maintain their balance!
"Holy cow!" Yoshio cried out in terror while trying to keep from falling on his backside again. "Do you guys feel that?!?"
"It's incredible!" Kien's gravely voice exclaimed in awe. "That vile villain's power, it's growing! It's astounding! I can sense the depths of his true power now! They're almost equal in power! This is unreal! None of us will stand a chance against this monster! Of the lot of us, I am the strongest, but my power is nothing compared to what we're sensing now!"
"What can two children hope to accomplish against such a power as this?!?" Sumio inquired incredulously and with much skepticism.
"I think I know what they're up to!" Kien replied as a gleam appeared in his eyes. "Yes, that has to be it! I heard about a technique during my travels before arriving here! I was told of a technique by which two fighters of equal size and power could fuse together into one being with a tremendous boost in power! It's a difficult technique to learn, and it's just a temporary fusion! Thirty minutes after the fusion is performed, the resulting fused fighter will be separated into the original two who fused, and then it will take an hour before the two fighters can fuse again! The technique is in the form of a dance, and it is extremely difficult to perform!
"The technique originated with a race of people known as the Metamouris! They aren't very powerful individually, but they can become incredibly powerful when they fuse with their fusion dance technique! I don't know who taught it to Koji, but if the kids learn it, they can fuse as Super Saiyans and become strong enough to defeat this monster!"
"Do you think it can really work, Kien?" Shun inquired of the Super Namek with a desperate plea for hope.
"I don't know," Kien answered with concern in his voice. "Their lack of experience may be a weakness, but their power will be enormous. The technique will make not only the fused fighter's power level increase dramatically, but it will also magnify the fused fighter's fighting prowess as well. I only hope that the sudden rush of power doesn't overwhelm the two boys and cause their fused form to develop an overinflated ego."
Back at the battle, Majestros continued to power up for several moments longer before finally finishing, and then the side effects of that power-up gradually subsided as the menace breathed heavilly. Majestros then smiled as Koji looked on. Koji was quite impressed.
"Now the battle begins for real!" Majestros snarled with fervent determination in his voice and on his grim countenance.
"Yes," Koji replied, an eager smile adorning his smug visage as he reveled in the thought of renewing the conflict.
The two warriors resumed their clash with even more intensity and vigor than before! Their conflict was a mixture of hand-to-hand techniques and energy techniques, and it was faster and more furious than any engagement thus far! Their prowess and power still seemed equal!
Back at the Chamber of Spirit and Time, Kato and Isao prepared to perform the fusion dance under the watchful tutelage of Makiko and Tieh. They began the dance in sync with each other and proceeded through the intricate positions to the end of the dance, ending with their extended index fingers touching each other as they bent over sideways. There was a blinding light, and the two boys were fused into one warrior - an obese form with attire which resembled a cross between the two boys' outfits. Tieh and Makiko lowered their heads into their hands and shook their heads.
"Not a good start," Makiko muttered as she looked disappointed and concerned over this development.
"No, Isao made a mistake," Tieh muttered as he looked out squeamishly over his hand at the freakish fusion. "His knee position was wrong in the final phases of the dance. Now we've got to wait half an hour until they separate and then another whole hour before they can try it again."
"Well, at least we can use the next half-hour to train ourselves to become stronger while we wait for the fusion to wear off," Makiko muttered as she too looked squeamishly at the fat fused fighter before shaking her head in dismay while Tieh lowered his head back into his hand.
Other World.
Yukio and Tong-Li continued to watch the battle between Majestros and Koji through Tong-Li's crystal ball. They were quite impressed by what they saw, an Yukio was in disbelief at the sight of Koji's Super Saiyan Three state, finally laying eyes on Koji's newest power.
"This is incredible!" Yukio muttered, rendered almost breathless by the sight of Koji's transformed state. "I just made it to Super Saiyan Two, and he's already at Super Saiyan Three! He is amazing!"
"Yes, he is," Tong-Li replied as he struggled to keep track of the two fighters' movements. "His power and prowess is the equal of his opponent's, but he doesn't have much time."
"What are you talking about?" Yukio muttered in confusion as he too struggled to follow the movements of the two warriors.
"The rules are different here in the this dimension than in the dimension of the living, friend," Tong-Li explained. "In this dimension, his body would not suffer from the use of that power, but, in that dimension, his body can only sustain that level of power for a short time before he reverts back to normal. When that happens, he will be at the mercy of his enemy."
"What can we do to help him?" Yukio inquired of the old Kai, desperately seeking an answer to the question that troubled his soul.
"In truth, I can't think of anything we can do to help Koji out just now," Tong-Li explained. "I'm afraid it's all on his shoulders just now."
Yukio turned his attention back to the battle as it was displayed in the crystal ball, and Tong-Li also watched the battle closely, hopefully.
Zodoria.
Koji and Majestros continued to clash hard and fierce over the storm-tossed landscape of Zodoria! Radical lightning flashed in the heavens as the two super warriors clashed! Energy blasts flew as freely as fists and feet!
"I'm able to match Majestros move for move in this state, but I can't keep this up forever!" Koji thought to himself as he fought. "My energy is draining fast! I don't have much time! The kids have to hurry and learn the fusion dance quickly!"
"What is the secret of this Saiyan's power?" Majestros thought to himself as he continued to battle against Koji. "How is it possible for an inferior being to match my power! The late tyrant Frieza and his family were considered the mightiest beings in their part of the universe, but Changelings were nothing in power compared to me! I've battled beings with far more power than petty Changelings in my time, and I've vanquished them all into the next dimension! No one has ever matched my power and skill! Not any demon! Not any Changeling! Not any Namek! Not any Kai! Not any Saiyan! Not anyone ... until now! This is both frustrating and invigorating at the same time! What a rare find, this Saiyan warrior! What a rare power indeed!"
Back at the Chamber of Spirit and Time, the boys were ready once again to try the fusion dance. They attempted it again, and the fusion transformation began, but the end result was a near-skeletal kid who looked to be of ancient age. Again, Tieh and Makiko looked disgusted.
"This time it was Kato who messed up," Tieh moaned in disappointment. "He lost it right at the end and failed to fully extend both of his index fingers. They botched it again."
"I don't think it would do any good for him to stuff his face to try to pack on some pounds," Makiko sighed in frustration. "Oh, well. Let's get in some more quality training until the fusion ends."
Back at the battle, Koji and Majestros continued to light up the battlefield with the most intense fighting this part of the universe had ever been subjected to! They moved faster than normal eyes could possibly hope to follow, and they struck with devastating force as their shots echoed across the landscape like sonic booms in the heavens! The very air seemed to tremble under the strain of enduring the epic battle!
Back at the lookout, Kien grimaced in frustration and desperation. The others seemed very concerned as well, but Kien seemed especially distressed over this situation. Shun noted Kien's perplexion.
"There's nothing you can do to help him, Kien," Shun tried to persuade his Namek brethren against rash action. "I know you want to join him in this battle against the monster who calls himself Majestros, but you are not strong enough to fight against this power, Kien. If Koji fails, we will need you here to help us but the kids more time to master this fusion dance."
"You don't understand," Kien growled in emotional turmoil. "I've known Koji since the tournament on Veloria. He has always defied the odds in defense of his family and friends. He's always risen to the challenge at hand. Even when the only thing on the line was his own pride, he's always met obstacles in his life head-on. Even when things seemed bleak and hopeless, he somehow managed to find the strength to succeed where everyone else had failed. When we were in need, he was always there for us. He even sacrificed his own life to save us from Usami, and there was nothing we could do then. I envy him for his strength and power. I envy him for his raw natural fighting talent. I envy him for his tactical and strategical genius. The one and only thing I don't have to envy him for is his warrior's heart. I possess the heart of a warrior as well! Although I may not be his equal in terms of strength, power, and skill, I can still rise to his level of honor by doing what I can to help him now!"
"Shun is right, Kien!" Yoshio cried out to his Namek ally in a fervent plea for sanity to prevail. "You aren't strong enough to help Koji! None of us is! We need you here in case that monster gets past Koji! Our combined efforts might not be enough to stop this thing, but we might be able to keep him occupied long enough for the kids' training to be completed!"
"That's right, Kien!" Sumio replied, once more in his normal state. "We all know that you're the strongest one of us, but we have to stick together if we want to stand a chance of stopping this monster! Koji wanted it this way!"
Kien grimaced even more as he pondered the pleas of his friends, his heart torn between the desire to honor his newly-returned friend and the duty to the group as a whole. He grunted extensively as he struggled within himself to resolve that intense internal conflict, hoping against hope that he would make the right decision. The others cast their eyes upon him with desperation in their hearts, revealed through their eyes.
Inside the sanctuary, another was burdened with a vexed soul. Yuko looked out a window in the sanctuary, her eyes tearing up and a couple of tears making their way down her cheeks as she sensed the horrible struggle.
"Please, Koji!" she pleaded in her thoughts as she clung to a desperate hope within her. "Please, win! After so long, we've finally got you back! Please, don't leave us again! For the sake of our child, please, don't!"
Back at the battlefield, it was as though Koji heard a voice inside his head while he fought the monstrous Majestros. Despite the intensity of the fight, his mind weighed the words no one else could hear, and they touched his heart like few things could.
"Yuko!" the mighty Super Saiyan thought to himself as he grew lax in his struggle against the villain momentarily. "My dear Yuko! For the sake of our child! Yes, for Kato's sake! Believe me, my love! I won't fail you!"
At that moment, Majestros landed a powerful punch to Koji's jaw, knocking him back a short distance and creating a pause in the fight! Majestros pondered Koji's lapse in concentration, and Koji grimaced in emotion and frustration at the enemy before him!
"What's the matter, Super Saiyan?" Majestros inquired rebukingly as he scowled at Koji. "You seem distracted!"
"Only for the moment!" Koji retorted with passionate fervor and determination. "My purpose simply became more fervently etched into my brain and into my heart! For my wife and my son, I will vanquish you!"
With a raging scream, Koji's power level took a sudden jump, and he was reinvigorated by the passion of the Saiyan rage, triggered by a bond stronger than even his Saiyan pride or his love of combat! His flaming energy aura flared massively, and the electricity which crackled in and around that energy aura began extending outside of the energy aura as it struck even the ground and the sky with the white hot passion of his fury! Majestros was incredulous to see this resurgence of energy manifesting itself!
"I died for them once, but now I'm back!" Koji yelled in his rage of love and purpose. "I have only briefly gotten to see my son, but I have not seen my wife since my return! In any event, I haven't even held either of them yet, the one burning desire which has filled my very being since the day I died fighting the biomechanical beast Usami! I will hold them again! I will be a part of their lives again! I will not go down again!"
With that passionate decree, Koji unleashed a burst of energy in all directions which blew against everything, and even Majestros was a bit more than impressed at this exertion of power! With that release of power came yet another battle cry from the throat of the mighty Saiyan warrior, and Koji's eyes reflected the deeper intensity which stemmed from the yearning of his soul! He would not be denied!
Continued in Chapter 11.