Chapter 35: The Rapture
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Emerging from the portal that led to the Time Nest, Kassava slowly walked towards the edge of the cliff overlooking Conton City. Her narrowed eyes scanned over the city, the debris of rubble littered around the streets along with the countless bodies of foreign soldiers lying in the destruction left behind. The air was eerily calm and quiet, but in the midst of her relaxed moment, her eyes found the crawling Towa nearly having made it to the prison building.
There you are.
She hopped up into the sky, rapidly closing in and landing with a loud thud a few feet in front of Towa. The demon goddess gasped, her head lifting up while Kassava loomed over her with crossed arms.
"Going somewhere?"
Towa grimaced, resting on the floor.
"Why do you care?"
Kassava broke out into a smirk.
"Well...when an evil army of demons invades your home, you start becoming concerned with what outsiders are doing. Especially when their leader happens to be dying at your feet."
Towa scoffed.
"You fool...do you really believe I'm-"
She cut herself off midsentence, turning her head down.
No...I need to play this smarter. If she's as strong as Black believed her to be...she could kill me here.
Her head raised once more, narrowed eyes locking with Kassava's confident glare.
Vegetto's pet...maybe I can use this meeting to my advantage.
Kassava raised an eyebrow.
"Believe you're what, dying?"
Towa kept her same expression.
"Just because I'm weak...doesn't mean I'm dying, fool."
Kassava scoffed, slowly extending her arm.
"Don't worry, I'll fix that soon enough."
Towa's eyebrows perked up, watching on as a small blue energy blast formed at the end of Kassava's outstretched palm. Her momentary reaction of shock quickly morphed into a confident smirk, her tone condescending.
"So...you're weakened too. I can feel the strain you're putting on your body."
Her eyebrows twitched heavily, doing her best to maintain the confident expression while her right arm shifted, hidden from Kassava's sight behind the blue glow of the energy ball. A small black glow illuminated for a second behind her pointer finger, soon flying up and overtaking Kassava's earpiece.
Let's make sure he can't talk her out of it either...
Kassava kept her smirk, oblivious to the small black glow in her ear that slowly faded away.
"Does it matter? It's less strain than what you'll be feeling in a second."
Towa sneered.
Her pride won't budge...she's smart enough to shut me out on personal jabs. But...maybe...
Her frown lifted slightly.
"What a waste...but I'm sure your brother will be happy you saved the day. Even if his legacy will stay tarnished by the end of it."
Kassava's smirk dropped, her scowl intensifying.
"What was that?"
Towa broke out into a smirk, her confidence rising at the element of control.
"Think about it: this war has shifted in your favor tremendously. Black has turned on us...Trunks and Vegetto were stronger than we believed...and now I'm weakened without the ability to recover while Putine struggles to win against three opponents just slightly below her caliber. With you fighting with them...she will surely fail."
She stifled a small chuckle.
"When she dies...this city will be safe and you will win the war. Thanks to you...Vegetto...Trunks...and Black. But your brother...he will just be a foot note: forgotten for the useless role he has played. No one cares about him now...and no one will care when this is over."
Kassava kept her frown, still holding her arm out.
"You don't know anything about him. He'll be remember as a hero like the rest of us: he'll come out and fight when it's safe."
Towa's smirk rose.
"Oh...but he doesn't have to just ride on your coattails for success. You could let him create his own heroic victory...right here, right now."
Towa's eyes sharpened, studying Kassava fiercely as the two held a momentary silence. The demon goddess trembled slightly, fearing for the worst before Kassava's voice came out in a low, threatening pitch.
"You have one minute to explain."
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Trunks' roar shook the very air itself as he charged forward, clutching tightly onto the hilt of his sword with both hands. Lightning spiralled out in every direction as he furiously slashed and hacked away at a smirking Putine, who remained still and casually blocked each strike with one hand. The two stood on level ground, out in the distant country side of the small planet with the city skyline as a distant viewpoint. Putine chuckled darkly, her left leg suddenly swiping both of Trunks' and lightly punting him away.
The half Saiyan landed on both feet, barely moving across the ground before he caught himself while Putine lowered her arms, her smirk rising.
"The others gave you strength...but without their help, you're nothing but a weakling after all. What a pity."
Her eyebrows perked, however, turning her head up to see the two new arrivals land at Trunks' side in their normal states. Vegetto and Vegetto Black both shared an identical, confident expression, their arms at their sides and their sights set on Putine. Trunks blinked, rising up to his feet in between the two.
"You're...not going to fight each other?"
Vegetto kept his smirk.
"We came to a...mutual understanding. But we can talk about it later."
Vegetto Black grunted.
"Let's get this over with."
Trunks kept a confused stare, watching on as Vegetto Black powered up to his Super Saiyan Rose 2 form and Vegetto soon mimicking the opposing form. He instinctively took a step back, the black and blue strands of electricity striking near his feet at the ground as it swirled around the auras of the two warriors. Both let out a small roar, bolting forward and rapidly engaging the demon goddess, Trunks soon following after them and circling around behind in preparation for a good swipe.
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Towa nearly sighed in relief, but kept a firm tone.
"I've already seen his history. And if you kill me here and now...you'll only ruin his chance to become something more."
Kassava kept a strong glare.
"Such as?"
Towa turned her head up.
"A hero? You can let me go now, and help your master fight Putine. Trunks can give you a senzu bean, you can recover your strength. While I go on to free Zamasu...and attempt to take over the Time Vault."
Kassava chuckled, her arm still raised.
"Really? So you want me to just let you take control of time? Do you really think I'm that stupid?"
Towa's smirk rose slightly.
"No...but you could stop us whenever you wanted to. Zamasu is a weakling...that's why Vegetto locked him away in a cell instead of killing him."
Kassava raised an eyebrow.
"And you? Are you a weakling too?"
Towa scoffed.
"Of course not...but look at me. I can't fight as well as I could without this gaping wound in my stomach...and that's why your master didn't bother finishing me off either. He knows we're both too weak to challenge him...or you."
Her smirk returned.
"But your brother...he's weak too. It would be a close battle...one that he may come out on top of."
Kassava frowned, remaining still as Towa continued.
"So...that's my bargain. Let me go...let me free Zamasu...and give your brother the chance to earn his mark on history. Or kill me now...keep Zamasu in prison until Vegetto decides he has no reason to keep him alive...and seal your brother's fate as a failure in history forever."
Kassava grunted.
"You must be desperate, trying to convince me that setting up my brother's death is a good plan."
Towa chuckled darkly.
"Maybe...but isn't that what makes the victory all the more satisfying? The odds aren't in his favor...and maybe I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. But surely you, of all people, can appreciate what it means to rise up against those odds? After all...isn't that how you became stronger?"
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Back in the Time Vault, Genn watched over the scene unfolding with narrowed eyes and his arms crossed.
She's smarter than this...why hasn't she blasted Towa already?
He kept his head down, barely lifting it up despite another soon entering into the Time Vault, the familiar and peppy voice ringing out.
"Hello! I've returned!"
Whis kept a warm smile as he approached Genn.
"But it would seem my little errand was unnecessary. Vegetto managed to do without my aid, and even turned that doppelganger against his own army. Well done."
He blinked, noticing Genn still keeping his head down.
"Is there something wrong?"
Genn nodded once.
"Kass isn't stopping Towa...and if she decides to listen to Towa's advice, then Zamasu will be freed. And no one here will be able to stop him."
Whis shrugged his shoulders.
"Well...why don't you go fly out there and tell her to put an end to it? She isn't that far away from where I saw."
The taller angel stood still, his confusion growing for a second in the awkward silence. He glanced down, staring at the video feed of the two in the city as Towa spoke, his expression lightening a bit at the proposal she made. His eyes shifted to Genn, a small smirk forming.
"Oh...I get it now. You want Zamasu to break out, don't you?"
Genn turned his head up, his expression completely hidden behind the mask.
"No, I can't beat them. Zamasu is too strong for me."
Whis kept a warm smile.
"That's what you think is a plausible outcome...and you are probably right. But I can feel your blood boiling from here: you want to fight. Why not play along with this?"
Genn glanced back down towards the table, his voice weakening in conviction.
"Because...if I fail...that means we lose everything here. I don't want people to die because of me this time...not because of my weakness."
Whis shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"Die...survive...beat Zamasu...lose to Zamasu...what difference does it make? You're so concerned with things that are out of your reach that you can't see the opportunity that is right in front of you."
Genn peered back up to Whis, whose expression fell flat.
"You can rest on your heels, and let your sister take care of the threat once and for all. The universe will stay safe, and that fear you feel will be put at ease."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But, that longing for more will continue to grow until one day, it may end up costing you your sanity."
Genn's voice struggled to hold back the frustration.
"It's not about me, it's about them! That's what a hero does: they put others before themselves!"
Whis perked another eyebrow.
"And what happens when you finally snap from constantly putting your own desires to the back?"
Genn grunted.
"That won't happen! If I help them and put everyone first...then that will give me what I need. I have to help them so I can help me."
Whis' smile rose.
"And what happens if it doesn't help you?"
Genn shook his head once.
"Then I'll just have to help them until it helps me and then I can help them...help...themselves."
Whis' eyebrow rose.
"Whose helping who again?"
Genn turned back towards the table with an exasperated groan.
"Mock me all you want Whis...but I know what it means to be a hero. I've already lived my life in pursuit of my own selfish desires...and the pain that brought. I won't do it again."
Whis kept a flat stare.
"I can see your point. I even used to see the value in it too: an individual that rose above the limitations of their own wants and needs, making a difference that benefited the greater good for everyone."
He moved up to Genn's side, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"But then I saw what those acts of heroism created: worlds of mortals that grew weak because they would depend on them to create more miracles. Instead of using the example of heroism to grow strong themselves...they expected the same miracles over and over again. Their faith and goodwill faltering when the heroes started to fail them...at the impossible task of constantly protecting a society that now could not protect themselves. Eventually...those heroes would crumble, as nothing lasts forever...and entire worlds would perish whenever they finally failed. Most of them...forgotten to time forever."
Genn turned his head slightly, noticing Whis' flat tone flaring slightly with a hint of enthusiasm.
"But then...one day...I took a trip to a little world called Earth. And learned more about this rather...dull individual that fit the hero persona at a glance. Powerful warrior, that had been rumored to have defeated the universe's most malevolent tyrant all by himself. A valiant protector that took the hopes and wishes of everyone, and rose to the challenge. Not once...but over, and over again. Standing in defiance of the God of Destruction in hopes of saving his world."
Whis' smile rose, turning slightly towards Genn and glancing down.
"But no one on Earth really knew what he had done: the population had never seen him truly in action. He had saved the world multiple times...but neither they, nor he cared. Which...to me...was baffling. How, after all these failed examples, had this righteous man found a way to constantly save the world he cherished from certain doom? That against even the God of Destruction himself, he still was able to find the courage to stand and fight with all his might when his resolve to protect his planet crumbled after the first failed attack?"
Genn fully lifted his head, facing back towards Whis who kept the same warm smile.
"That's when I looked deeper into his history...and I discovered the strangest of truths: he wasn't a hero at all! He was just an ignorant man...who had found what mattered to him most, and put it above all else. The exact opposite of your heroic mentality: he had managed to save the world and stop the universe's most powerful tyrant...by focusing solely on his selfish desire: his love to fight. Protecting his world...honor...whatever else you can think of...all came second to that."
Whis' smile faded, watching Genn's head dip.
"So now, here I am, learning a new growth in mortalkind of what it means to have achieved that harmony of selfish desire and goodwill for others, while you demonstrate the failed heroism of only focusing on one of those aspects. You can follow down the path you've chosen for yourself, Genn, and fail to bear the burden of ignoring your own wishes for the greater good. But you and I both know where that road is going to take you, and it will never bring you to the destination you want to go."
He soon reached out, fiddling with the nob on the side of the Scroll. Genn's eyes followed the movement, watching the screen flicker to the image of Zamasu sitting cross legged on the floor of his cell, his eyes tightly shut.
"So...why not take a chance and try something different? Let Zamasu go free...let him come for your home."
Whis' smile rose again.
"And make your mark on history."
Genn turned his head down to the Scroll, staring at the image in silence. The two kept their same positions for a long while, the air growing tense for only a second before Genn spoke, his tone flat.
"If I did this...you'd have to convince Kass too. There's no way she'd let me take a risk as big as this one."
Whis nodded.
"Of course she wouldn't...but don't worry, I'll see to that. Let me talk to her through your earpiece."
Genn perked his eyebrow, his hand raising up to his ear.
"How? Towa's blocking our signal with her magic."
Whis scoffed lightly, extending his hand out.
"She won't be a problem either. Now...hand it over, please. We need to talk your sister down now before she ends up ruining your chance."
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Kassava's smirk rose, her arm still outstretched and pointed at Towa.
"Yeah...it was. But that was my decision to make. I chose to fight against the odds, no one else. And I won't make that choice for him."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, her free hand raising up to her ear.
"But don't worry, I'll give you a chance here. I'll let him decide if he wants you to free Zamasu or not."
Tapping onto the earpiece, Kassava took her eyes off Towa and turned to the side slightly, her smirk still strong.
"Hey Genn, do you want to me to spare Towa so she can break out Zamasu?"
She shrugged her shoulders, the sarcasm strong in her voice.
"They'll promise to fight fair if I let them go."
Kassava perked her eyebrows.
"Oh...no? You're not saying anything, there must be something wrong with the signal. I'll just take it as a no."
Towa gasped lightly, watching Kassava drop her free arm while keeping a confident smirk.
"You didn't think I wouldn't notice your little magic in my ear now, did you?"
Towa grimaced.
"You're making a mistake."
Kassava chuckled in response, a small ball of energy reforming at the end of her palm.
"No, the only mistake I've made is letting you talk for this long. This has to be the worst persuasion attempt I've ever heard in my life."
Her eyes narrowed, the energy growing larger with an ominous whir.
"Goodbye weakling."
Kassava's eyebrows perked, however, at the sound of Whis' voice ringing out in the earpiece.
::Hang on Kassava! Don't kill her.::
Kassava blinked, her arm dropping slightly.
"Whis? Is that you?"
The mechanical voice was peppy.
::Yes it is! Now, I know you have your sights on protecting your brother here, but why don't you go ahead and leave these two to Genn? He wants to fight Zamasu.::
Kassava snorted.
"Not a chance. He can't beat them both, he'll just get himself killed."
::Well now, I didn't say he has to beat them. I'll be helping him through the entire fight...he'll just take the credit for saving the entire universe from the demon invaders. We can give him that victory he wants now, you know.::
Kassava narrowed her eyes slightly, still locked on Towa.
"And he wants this? Or are you just throwing him into this mess without even asking?"
::Oh no, we already talked about this. Ask him yourself!::
Kassava frowned, standing still as she heard the exchange of the earpiece on the other side of the channel for a few seconds, her expression softening slightly at the sound of Genn's low, calm voice.
::Hey Kass.::
Kassava kept her frown.
"So are you really considering this stupid plan? We can always find a better solution, you know."
Genn's flat voice came through.
::This is the safest way we can go about it, Kass. Whis will take care of me, you don't have to worry about anything.::
Kassava's eyebrows narrowed even more.
"Genn...I know when you're not telling me the whole truth. Just like I know that Whis said that he isn't allowed to interfere with fights."
Her frown deepened.
"And I know you want to make a real difference...not some fake win that you couldn't really believe in. We've been through that already."
Kassava stood still, her arm fully dropping and the energy sphere completely disappearing. Towa blinked in confusion, staring up at the Saiyan woman while she waited for a response on the other end, shifting slightly. The sound of a long sigh on the other end prompted her to inhale deeply, shutting her eyes for a moment as Genn's voice came through the earpiece.
::Kass...please. I've spent too long waiting for the perfect moment to make a difference and...well...it's never going to come like this. There is no perfect timing...no destined moment that's coming. This is my chance to make a change, my choice to create something better for myself. Let me fight him...I can do this.::
Kassava sighed heavily, her head turning away from Towa.
"You're an idiot, you know that?"
Her frowned deepened, pausing for a few seconds before grunting.
"Fine...but on one condition: the second things start looking bad out there, you call me. Ok?"
::Sure thing Kass...and...thank you. I won't let you down, I promise.::
Kassava snorted.
"This better be the last time I see you risking your life over this. There are better ways we can deal with this damn guilt, you know."
::Well...if this doesn't work out, then I'll see what I can dig up. Just as long as it isn't that 'yoga' exercise you kept forcing me through years ago.::
Kassava shook her head, turning on her heel and rising up into the sky.
"Tell ya what, I like that idea actually. You screw this up, we're doing yoga for a whole year. That'll fix your conscience."
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Genn chuckled, dipping his head.
"Alright alright, fine. You got a deal."
He pushed himself off the table, Kassava's voice still ringing out in his ear.
::I'll be here when you need me. Don't take too long to call.::
Genn kept a warm smile of his own, reaching up to his ear.
"I won't."
He soon picked the small metal device from his ear, and promptly crushed it between his fingers in a tightly locked fist. Whis held a flat stare, his tone matching his expression.
"Why did you do that?"
Genn turned his head, his eyes narrowing.
"This is my fight, not hers. I'll finish this by myself."
Whis smiled.
"Ah, I see."
Genn turned his body fully towards Whis this time, his arms at his sides.
"I don't want you interfering either. Even if Kass was wrong about you, I still don't want any help."
Whis nodded once.
"As you wish."
His eyes narrowed.
"I hope you have a real plan here. Zamasu is well beyond your capabilities in power, and being immortal, the chances of you overcoming him are minimal if not none."
Genn nodded.
"I think I have an idea. From what I remembered in history, he has a few weaknesses. I'll just have to exploit them."
Whis furrowed his brow.
"Hmm...I suppose so."
Genn turned to his left slightly, moving around the side of the table.
"Whis...are you a magical god?"
Whis cocked an eyebrow.
"Magical god?"
Genn nodded.
"Can you create a set of armor for me? I want to change this outfit."
Whis rubbed his chin.
"Well, I'll need more to work with. What did you have in mind?"
Genn gestured to his chest.
"I think it'd be nice to have something a little more...Saiyan, in design. Something symbolic for when I fight him."
Whis nodded, a small smile returning has he lifted his arm up.
"Of course...let me whip something up."
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Deep within the prison complex, Zamasu sat still inside of his cell. The glowing orange energy of the containment field was nearly the only color resonating in the dark room, nearly empty of any objects aside from a few large terminals taking up both the back and opposing wall in front of him. A single light hung from the ceiling above, but produced even less light than the containment field and was mostly lost to the orange glow that overpowered it. The fallen Kaioshin perked his eyes up at the shuffling coming from the adjacent hallway to his right, his eyes following the movement until it reached the only doorway leading into the room.
He kept narrowed eyes, watching the door slowly swing open, and an injured Towa stumbling clumsily into the room while clutching her side. She panted lightly, her left eye tightly shut while her right scanned the room for a second, soon landing on Zamasu. She sighed in relief, her whole body visibly untensing and wobbling slightly.
"Finally."
Zamasu nodded to the left.
"The console over there will drop the energy shields here."
Towa narrowed both eyebrows, shifting across the ground towards the opposite end of the room while Zamasu followed her movements with a scowl.
"Took you long enough. It's been over an hour since you first started attacking the city."
Towa grunted, having made it to the console and whirling around. Her rage boiled over in her voice, her threatening scowl strong as she met Zamasu's eyes.
"Listen here, you ungrateful little brat. This entire plan of yours has been one giant disaster after another. Your other self has turned on us, our demon army is in shambles, and I have a gaping wound in my damn chest."
Zamasu kept a flat expression, staring back at Towa as she continued.
"So...you don't get to be a spoiled child today. You get to go out there, and fix all of this. Or you get to see what it feels like to lose your immortality."
Zamasu perked an eyebrow.
"What are you demanding I do, exactly?"
Towa grunted in pain, taking a moment to steady herself.
"They've left the Time Vault vulnerable. They're off fighting another demon goddess at the moment, but she won't last forever. You have to gain control of time...and then we can wipe these fools from existence once and for all."
Zamasu kept his intense glare, his eyes lifting from Towa only at the sight of the containment field lowering. He stepped out of the cell with his arms clasped behind his back, his tone flat.
"And now that I'm free, what's stopping me from killing you right here? You've outlived your usefulness for the plan."
Towa scoffed lightly, watching Zamasu take a step towards her.
"Try it. Even if you manage to kill me...I still have enough power to take away your immortality."
Zamasu chuckled darkly, extending out his right arm. A small purple glow began to radiate from his forearm down to his hand, while he continued to slowly advance.
"You're bluffing."
Towa held a strong scowl.
"See for yourself."
She suddenly flung her free arm foward, her left hand still clutching her abdomen as a dark purple glow radiated from her hand. Zamasu's eyes widened, stopping in place as a strong pressure soon encased his entire body, the glow matching the energy radiating off of Towa's hand.
"You feel that? It's magic...the same magic that granted your body immunity from time itself. Magic that can erase your precious little safety net that you cling to so dearly, magic that can make you vulnerable once again."
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
"So if you want to try and kill me before I'm finished cleansing your precious immortality, go right ahead! You'll be joining me in death shortly after!"
Zamasu's eyes remained wide glancing down to his body. He wildly glanced to his arms and legs, quickly shaking his head.
"No no! Stop this!"
His eyes twitched heavily, nearly shouting.
"Please!!!"
Towa smirked at the sight, dropping her free arm and allowing the glow to diminish. Zamasu held the same fear stricken expression, instinctively taking a step back as Towa's tone grew more threatening.
"Now...get out of my sight. And don't come back until you have control of the Time Vault."
Zamasu nodded heavily, bolting out of the room in a quick dash. Towa's fierce stare followed his movements, watching him disappear from sight and remaining still for a seconds before collapsing down onto the floor with a pained gasp. She tightly shut her eyes, a small giggle escaping her lips.
I can't believe that worked. He really thought I was removing his immortality.
There you are.
She hopped up into the sky, rapidly closing in and landing with a loud thud a few feet in front of Towa. The demon goddess gasped, her head lifting up while Kassava loomed over her with crossed arms.
"Going somewhere?"
Towa grimaced, resting on the floor.
"Why do you care?"
Kassava broke out into a smirk.
"Well...when an evil army of demons invades your home, you start becoming concerned with what outsiders are doing. Especially when their leader happens to be dying at your feet."
Towa scoffed.
"You fool...do you really believe I'm-"
She cut herself off midsentence, turning her head down.
No...I need to play this smarter. If she's as strong as Black believed her to be...she could kill me here.
Her head raised once more, narrowed eyes locking with Kassava's confident glare.
Vegetto's pet...maybe I can use this meeting to my advantage.
Kassava raised an eyebrow.
"Believe you're what, dying?"
Towa kept her same expression.
"Just because I'm weak...doesn't mean I'm dying, fool."
Kassava scoffed, slowly extending her arm.
"Don't worry, I'll fix that soon enough."
Towa's eyebrows perked up, watching on as a small blue energy blast formed at the end of Kassava's outstretched palm. Her momentary reaction of shock quickly morphed into a confident smirk, her tone condescending.
"So...you're weakened too. I can feel the strain you're putting on your body."
Her eyebrows twitched heavily, doing her best to maintain the confident expression while her right arm shifted, hidden from Kassava's sight behind the blue glow of the energy ball. A small black glow illuminated for a second behind her pointer finger, soon flying up and overtaking Kassava's earpiece.
Let's make sure he can't talk her out of it either...
Kassava kept her smirk, oblivious to the small black glow in her ear that slowly faded away.
"Does it matter? It's less strain than what you'll be feeling in a second."
Towa sneered.
Her pride won't budge...she's smart enough to shut me out on personal jabs. But...maybe...
Her frown lifted slightly.
"What a waste...but I'm sure your brother will be happy you saved the day. Even if his legacy will stay tarnished by the end of it."
Kassava's smirk dropped, her scowl intensifying.
"What was that?"
Towa broke out into a smirk, her confidence rising at the element of control.
"Think about it: this war has shifted in your favor tremendously. Black has turned on us...Trunks and Vegetto were stronger than we believed...and now I'm weakened without the ability to recover while Putine struggles to win against three opponents just slightly below her caliber. With you fighting with them...she will surely fail."
She stifled a small chuckle.
"When she dies...this city will be safe and you will win the war. Thanks to you...Vegetto...Trunks...and Black. But your brother...he will just be a foot note: forgotten for the useless role he has played. No one cares about him now...and no one will care when this is over."
Kassava kept her frown, still holding her arm out.
"You don't know anything about him. He'll be remember as a hero like the rest of us: he'll come out and fight when it's safe."
Towa's smirk rose.
"Oh...but he doesn't have to just ride on your coattails for success. You could let him create his own heroic victory...right here, right now."
Towa's eyes sharpened, studying Kassava fiercely as the two held a momentary silence. The demon goddess trembled slightly, fearing for the worst before Kassava's voice came out in a low, threatening pitch.
"You have one minute to explain."
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Trunks' roar shook the very air itself as he charged forward, clutching tightly onto the hilt of his sword with both hands. Lightning spiralled out in every direction as he furiously slashed and hacked away at a smirking Putine, who remained still and casually blocked each strike with one hand. The two stood on level ground, out in the distant country side of the small planet with the city skyline as a distant viewpoint. Putine chuckled darkly, her left leg suddenly swiping both of Trunks' and lightly punting him away.
The half Saiyan landed on both feet, barely moving across the ground before he caught himself while Putine lowered her arms, her smirk rising.
"The others gave you strength...but without their help, you're nothing but a weakling after all. What a pity."
Her eyebrows perked, however, turning her head up to see the two new arrivals land at Trunks' side in their normal states. Vegetto and Vegetto Black both shared an identical, confident expression, their arms at their sides and their sights set on Putine. Trunks blinked, rising up to his feet in between the two.
"You're...not going to fight each other?"
Vegetto kept his smirk.
"We came to a...mutual understanding. But we can talk about it later."
Vegetto Black grunted.
"Let's get this over with."
Trunks kept a confused stare, watching on as Vegetto Black powered up to his Super Saiyan Rose 2 form and Vegetto soon mimicking the opposing form. He instinctively took a step back, the black and blue strands of electricity striking near his feet at the ground as it swirled around the auras of the two warriors. Both let out a small roar, bolting forward and rapidly engaging the demon goddess, Trunks soon following after them and circling around behind in preparation for a good swipe.
=============================
Towa nearly sighed in relief, but kept a firm tone.
"I've already seen his history. And if you kill me here and now...you'll only ruin his chance to become something more."
Kassava kept a strong glare.
"Such as?"
Towa turned her head up.
"A hero? You can let me go now, and help your master fight Putine. Trunks can give you a senzu bean, you can recover your strength. While I go on to free Zamasu...and attempt to take over the Time Vault."
Kassava chuckled, her arm still raised.
"Really? So you want me to just let you take control of time? Do you really think I'm that stupid?"
Towa's smirk rose slightly.
"No...but you could stop us whenever you wanted to. Zamasu is a weakling...that's why Vegetto locked him away in a cell instead of killing him."
Kassava raised an eyebrow.
"And you? Are you a weakling too?"
Towa scoffed.
"Of course not...but look at me. I can't fight as well as I could without this gaping wound in my stomach...and that's why your master didn't bother finishing me off either. He knows we're both too weak to challenge him...or you."
Her smirk returned.
"But your brother...he's weak too. It would be a close battle...one that he may come out on top of."
Kassava frowned, remaining still as Towa continued.
"So...that's my bargain. Let me go...let me free Zamasu...and give your brother the chance to earn his mark on history. Or kill me now...keep Zamasu in prison until Vegetto decides he has no reason to keep him alive...and seal your brother's fate as a failure in history forever."
Kassava grunted.
"You must be desperate, trying to convince me that setting up my brother's death is a good plan."
Towa chuckled darkly.
"Maybe...but isn't that what makes the victory all the more satisfying? The odds aren't in his favor...and maybe I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. But surely you, of all people, can appreciate what it means to rise up against those odds? After all...isn't that how you became stronger?"
============================
Back in the Time Vault, Genn watched over the scene unfolding with narrowed eyes and his arms crossed.
She's smarter than this...why hasn't she blasted Towa already?
He kept his head down, barely lifting it up despite another soon entering into the Time Vault, the familiar and peppy voice ringing out.
"Hello! I've returned!"
Whis kept a warm smile as he approached Genn.
"But it would seem my little errand was unnecessary. Vegetto managed to do without my aid, and even turned that doppelganger against his own army. Well done."
He blinked, noticing Genn still keeping his head down.
"Is there something wrong?"
Genn nodded once.
"Kass isn't stopping Towa...and if she decides to listen to Towa's advice, then Zamasu will be freed. And no one here will be able to stop him."
Whis shrugged his shoulders.
"Well...why don't you go fly out there and tell her to put an end to it? She isn't that far away from where I saw."
The taller angel stood still, his confusion growing for a second in the awkward silence. He glanced down, staring at the video feed of the two in the city as Towa spoke, his expression lightening a bit at the proposal she made. His eyes shifted to Genn, a small smirk forming.
"Oh...I get it now. You want Zamasu to break out, don't you?"
Genn turned his head up, his expression completely hidden behind the mask.
"No, I can't beat them. Zamasu is too strong for me."
Whis kept a warm smile.
"That's what you think is a plausible outcome...and you are probably right. But I can feel your blood boiling from here: you want to fight. Why not play along with this?"
Genn glanced back down towards the table, his voice weakening in conviction.
"Because...if I fail...that means we lose everything here. I don't want people to die because of me this time...not because of my weakness."
Whis shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"Die...survive...beat Zamasu...lose to Zamasu...what difference does it make? You're so concerned with things that are out of your reach that you can't see the opportunity that is right in front of you."
Genn peered back up to Whis, whose expression fell flat.
"You can rest on your heels, and let your sister take care of the threat once and for all. The universe will stay safe, and that fear you feel will be put at ease."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But, that longing for more will continue to grow until one day, it may end up costing you your sanity."
Genn's voice struggled to hold back the frustration.
"It's not about me, it's about them! That's what a hero does: they put others before themselves!"
Whis perked another eyebrow.
"And what happens when you finally snap from constantly putting your own desires to the back?"
Genn grunted.
"That won't happen! If I help them and put everyone first...then that will give me what I need. I have to help them so I can help me."
Whis' smile rose.
"And what happens if it doesn't help you?"
Genn shook his head once.
"Then I'll just have to help them until it helps me and then I can help them...help...themselves."
Whis' eyebrow rose.
"Whose helping who again?"
Genn turned back towards the table with an exasperated groan.
"Mock me all you want Whis...but I know what it means to be a hero. I've already lived my life in pursuit of my own selfish desires...and the pain that brought. I won't do it again."
Whis kept a flat stare.
"I can see your point. I even used to see the value in it too: an individual that rose above the limitations of their own wants and needs, making a difference that benefited the greater good for everyone."
He moved up to Genn's side, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"But then I saw what those acts of heroism created: worlds of mortals that grew weak because they would depend on them to create more miracles. Instead of using the example of heroism to grow strong themselves...they expected the same miracles over and over again. Their faith and goodwill faltering when the heroes started to fail them...at the impossible task of constantly protecting a society that now could not protect themselves. Eventually...those heroes would crumble, as nothing lasts forever...and entire worlds would perish whenever they finally failed. Most of them...forgotten to time forever."
Genn turned his head slightly, noticing Whis' flat tone flaring slightly with a hint of enthusiasm.
"But then...one day...I took a trip to a little world called Earth. And learned more about this rather...dull individual that fit the hero persona at a glance. Powerful warrior, that had been rumored to have defeated the universe's most malevolent tyrant all by himself. A valiant protector that took the hopes and wishes of everyone, and rose to the challenge. Not once...but over, and over again. Standing in defiance of the God of Destruction in hopes of saving his world."
Whis' smile rose, turning slightly towards Genn and glancing down.
"But no one on Earth really knew what he had done: the population had never seen him truly in action. He had saved the world multiple times...but neither they, nor he cared. Which...to me...was baffling. How, after all these failed examples, had this righteous man found a way to constantly save the world he cherished from certain doom? That against even the God of Destruction himself, he still was able to find the courage to stand and fight with all his might when his resolve to protect his planet crumbled after the first failed attack?"
Genn fully lifted his head, facing back towards Whis who kept the same warm smile.
"That's when I looked deeper into his history...and I discovered the strangest of truths: he wasn't a hero at all! He was just an ignorant man...who had found what mattered to him most, and put it above all else. The exact opposite of your heroic mentality: he had managed to save the world and stop the universe's most powerful tyrant...by focusing solely on his selfish desire: his love to fight. Protecting his world...honor...whatever else you can think of...all came second to that."
Whis' smile faded, watching Genn's head dip.
"So now, here I am, learning a new growth in mortalkind of what it means to have achieved that harmony of selfish desire and goodwill for others, while you demonstrate the failed heroism of only focusing on one of those aspects. You can follow down the path you've chosen for yourself, Genn, and fail to bear the burden of ignoring your own wishes for the greater good. But you and I both know where that road is going to take you, and it will never bring you to the destination you want to go."
He soon reached out, fiddling with the nob on the side of the Scroll. Genn's eyes followed the movement, watching the screen flicker to the image of Zamasu sitting cross legged on the floor of his cell, his eyes tightly shut.
"So...why not take a chance and try something different? Let Zamasu go free...let him come for your home."
Whis' smile rose again.
"And make your mark on history."
Genn turned his head down to the Scroll, staring at the image in silence. The two kept their same positions for a long while, the air growing tense for only a second before Genn spoke, his tone flat.
"If I did this...you'd have to convince Kass too. There's no way she'd let me take a risk as big as this one."
Whis nodded.
"Of course she wouldn't...but don't worry, I'll see to that. Let me talk to her through your earpiece."
Genn perked his eyebrow, his hand raising up to his ear.
"How? Towa's blocking our signal with her magic."
Whis scoffed lightly, extending his hand out.
"She won't be a problem either. Now...hand it over, please. We need to talk your sister down now before she ends up ruining your chance."
=======================
Kassava's smirk rose, her arm still outstretched and pointed at Towa.
"Yeah...it was. But that was my decision to make. I chose to fight against the odds, no one else. And I won't make that choice for him."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, her free hand raising up to her ear.
"But don't worry, I'll give you a chance here. I'll let him decide if he wants you to free Zamasu or not."
Tapping onto the earpiece, Kassava took her eyes off Towa and turned to the side slightly, her smirk still strong.
"Hey Genn, do you want to me to spare Towa so she can break out Zamasu?"
She shrugged her shoulders, the sarcasm strong in her voice.
"They'll promise to fight fair if I let them go."
Kassava perked her eyebrows.
"Oh...no? You're not saying anything, there must be something wrong with the signal. I'll just take it as a no."
Towa gasped lightly, watching Kassava drop her free arm while keeping a confident smirk.
"You didn't think I wouldn't notice your little magic in my ear now, did you?"
Towa grimaced.
"You're making a mistake."
Kassava chuckled in response, a small ball of energy reforming at the end of her palm.
"No, the only mistake I've made is letting you talk for this long. This has to be the worst persuasion attempt I've ever heard in my life."
Her eyes narrowed, the energy growing larger with an ominous whir.
"Goodbye weakling."
Kassava's eyebrows perked, however, at the sound of Whis' voice ringing out in the earpiece.
::Hang on Kassava! Don't kill her.::
Kassava blinked, her arm dropping slightly.
"Whis? Is that you?"
The mechanical voice was peppy.
::Yes it is! Now, I know you have your sights on protecting your brother here, but why don't you go ahead and leave these two to Genn? He wants to fight Zamasu.::
Kassava snorted.
"Not a chance. He can't beat them both, he'll just get himself killed."
::Well now, I didn't say he has to beat them. I'll be helping him through the entire fight...he'll just take the credit for saving the entire universe from the demon invaders. We can give him that victory he wants now, you know.::
Kassava narrowed her eyes slightly, still locked on Towa.
"And he wants this? Or are you just throwing him into this mess without even asking?"
::Oh no, we already talked about this. Ask him yourself!::
Kassava frowned, standing still as she heard the exchange of the earpiece on the other side of the channel for a few seconds, her expression softening slightly at the sound of Genn's low, calm voice.
::Hey Kass.::
Kassava kept her frown.
"So are you really considering this stupid plan? We can always find a better solution, you know."
Genn's flat voice came through.
::This is the safest way we can go about it, Kass. Whis will take care of me, you don't have to worry about anything.::
Kassava's eyebrows narrowed even more.
"Genn...I know when you're not telling me the whole truth. Just like I know that Whis said that he isn't allowed to interfere with fights."
Her frown deepened.
"And I know you want to make a real difference...not some fake win that you couldn't really believe in. We've been through that already."
Kassava stood still, her arm fully dropping and the energy sphere completely disappearing. Towa blinked in confusion, staring up at the Saiyan woman while she waited for a response on the other end, shifting slightly. The sound of a long sigh on the other end prompted her to inhale deeply, shutting her eyes for a moment as Genn's voice came through the earpiece.
::Kass...please. I've spent too long waiting for the perfect moment to make a difference and...well...it's never going to come like this. There is no perfect timing...no destined moment that's coming. This is my chance to make a change, my choice to create something better for myself. Let me fight him...I can do this.::
Kassava sighed heavily, her head turning away from Towa.
"You're an idiot, you know that?"
Her frowned deepened, pausing for a few seconds before grunting.
"Fine...but on one condition: the second things start looking bad out there, you call me. Ok?"
::Sure thing Kass...and...thank you. I won't let you down, I promise.::
Kassava snorted.
"This better be the last time I see you risking your life over this. There are better ways we can deal with this damn guilt, you know."
::Well...if this doesn't work out, then I'll see what I can dig up. Just as long as it isn't that 'yoga' exercise you kept forcing me through years ago.::
Kassava shook her head, turning on her heel and rising up into the sky.
"Tell ya what, I like that idea actually. You screw this up, we're doing yoga for a whole year. That'll fix your conscience."
===========
Genn chuckled, dipping his head.
"Alright alright, fine. You got a deal."
He pushed himself off the table, Kassava's voice still ringing out in his ear.
::I'll be here when you need me. Don't take too long to call.::
Genn kept a warm smile of his own, reaching up to his ear.
"I won't."
He soon picked the small metal device from his ear, and promptly crushed it between his fingers in a tightly locked fist. Whis held a flat stare, his tone matching his expression.
"Why did you do that?"
Genn turned his head, his eyes narrowing.
"This is my fight, not hers. I'll finish this by myself."
Whis smiled.
"Ah, I see."
Genn turned his body fully towards Whis this time, his arms at his sides.
"I don't want you interfering either. Even if Kass was wrong about you, I still don't want any help."
Whis nodded once.
"As you wish."
His eyes narrowed.
"I hope you have a real plan here. Zamasu is well beyond your capabilities in power, and being immortal, the chances of you overcoming him are minimal if not none."
Genn nodded.
"I think I have an idea. From what I remembered in history, he has a few weaknesses. I'll just have to exploit them."
Whis furrowed his brow.
"Hmm...I suppose so."
Genn turned to his left slightly, moving around the side of the table.
"Whis...are you a magical god?"
Whis cocked an eyebrow.
"Magical god?"
Genn nodded.
"Can you create a set of armor for me? I want to change this outfit."
Whis rubbed his chin.
"Well, I'll need more to work with. What did you have in mind?"
Genn gestured to his chest.
"I think it'd be nice to have something a little more...Saiyan, in design. Something symbolic for when I fight him."
Whis nodded, a small smile returning has he lifted his arm up.
"Of course...let me whip something up."
========================================
Deep within the prison complex, Zamasu sat still inside of his cell. The glowing orange energy of the containment field was nearly the only color resonating in the dark room, nearly empty of any objects aside from a few large terminals taking up both the back and opposing wall in front of him. A single light hung from the ceiling above, but produced even less light than the containment field and was mostly lost to the orange glow that overpowered it. The fallen Kaioshin perked his eyes up at the shuffling coming from the adjacent hallway to his right, his eyes following the movement until it reached the only doorway leading into the room.
He kept narrowed eyes, watching the door slowly swing open, and an injured Towa stumbling clumsily into the room while clutching her side. She panted lightly, her left eye tightly shut while her right scanned the room for a second, soon landing on Zamasu. She sighed in relief, her whole body visibly untensing and wobbling slightly.
"Finally."
Zamasu nodded to the left.
"The console over there will drop the energy shields here."
Towa narrowed both eyebrows, shifting across the ground towards the opposite end of the room while Zamasu followed her movements with a scowl.
"Took you long enough. It's been over an hour since you first started attacking the city."
Towa grunted, having made it to the console and whirling around. Her rage boiled over in her voice, her threatening scowl strong as she met Zamasu's eyes.
"Listen here, you ungrateful little brat. This entire plan of yours has been one giant disaster after another. Your other self has turned on us, our demon army is in shambles, and I have a gaping wound in my damn chest."
Zamasu kept a flat expression, staring back at Towa as she continued.
"So...you don't get to be a spoiled child today. You get to go out there, and fix all of this. Or you get to see what it feels like to lose your immortality."
Zamasu perked an eyebrow.
"What are you demanding I do, exactly?"
Towa grunted in pain, taking a moment to steady herself.
"They've left the Time Vault vulnerable. They're off fighting another demon goddess at the moment, but she won't last forever. You have to gain control of time...and then we can wipe these fools from existence once and for all."
Zamasu kept his intense glare, his eyes lifting from Towa only at the sight of the containment field lowering. He stepped out of the cell with his arms clasped behind his back, his tone flat.
"And now that I'm free, what's stopping me from killing you right here? You've outlived your usefulness for the plan."
Towa scoffed lightly, watching Zamasu take a step towards her.
"Try it. Even if you manage to kill me...I still have enough power to take away your immortality."
Zamasu chuckled darkly, extending out his right arm. A small purple glow began to radiate from his forearm down to his hand, while he continued to slowly advance.
"You're bluffing."
Towa held a strong scowl.
"See for yourself."
She suddenly flung her free arm foward, her left hand still clutching her abdomen as a dark purple glow radiated from her hand. Zamasu's eyes widened, stopping in place as a strong pressure soon encased his entire body, the glow matching the energy radiating off of Towa's hand.
"You feel that? It's magic...the same magic that granted your body immunity from time itself. Magic that can erase your precious little safety net that you cling to so dearly, magic that can make you vulnerable once again."
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
"So if you want to try and kill me before I'm finished cleansing your precious immortality, go right ahead! You'll be joining me in death shortly after!"
Zamasu's eyes remained wide glancing down to his body. He wildly glanced to his arms and legs, quickly shaking his head.
"No no! Stop this!"
His eyes twitched heavily, nearly shouting.
"Please!!!"
Towa smirked at the sight, dropping her free arm and allowing the glow to diminish. Zamasu held the same fear stricken expression, instinctively taking a step back as Towa's tone grew more threatening.
"Now...get out of my sight. And don't come back until you have control of the Time Vault."
Zamasu nodded heavily, bolting out of the room in a quick dash. Towa's fierce stare followed his movements, watching him disappear from sight and remaining still for a seconds before collapsing down onto the floor with a pained gasp. She tightly shut her eyes, a small giggle escaping her lips.
I can't believe that worked. He really thought I was removing his immortality.