(Back on Earth)
The beam of light shooting up into the heavens from the pyramid continued to fluctuate for several more minutes. In that time, not only had clouds began to gather around the structure above it like a cyclone, but bolts of golden lightning began to shoot off of the prison, marking the final curtain to the half an hour ritual. Now that the energy being drained from Gohan's body had stopped and the locks on the door had finished turning, it was only a matter of time before the bubble was broken and the inevitable took place.
The Z-fighters and the Minions of Set watched in awe as energy continued shooting off of the monolith in all directions, tearing up the countryside and causing the skis themselves to tremble. From the amount of power being given off, it almost seemed like the entire planet was going to be shaken to pieces.
However, all of these flashy and over the top special effects were just for show, as several minutes after the terrifying display began, the beam of divine light retracted back into the ancient building. With the lightning also ceasing seconds later, the warriors standing at a distance watched as Gohan's body floated back to the ground and the stone doors that'd once been sealed shut suddenly opened.
Giving the formalities a well-deserved middle finger, the entrance to the pyramid flew open with a deafening crack, bathing the group in a blinding white light as a thick purple aura began gushing out of the entrance like a river. The inferno of energy spewed over the terrace relentlessly, grazing the Minions of Set and washing over Gohan's motionless body. Several seconds later, the blast of translucent energy devolved into a gentle breeze, and as embers of ki continued to float into the air from the source, a silhouette appeared in the doorway.
The Z-fighters braced themselves for the unknown creature that was to come.
The Minions of Set meanwhile dropped to their knees and bowed to the figure as the dark entity started to march out of the structure.
"Master," the four warriors spoke at the exact same time, sweat dripping down their faces under the crushing presence of their creator.
At first the good guys were expecting to see some horrid creature of a similar breed to the four in front of them step through the doorway. Considering who they were up against, they wouldn't be surprised if it was a shadowy entity composed completely out of black energy. On first glance that seemed like the most likely case; a dark silhouette with two, blood red eyes that stuck out from the rest of their person and struck fear into the hearts of all those who looked upon them. In truth, the figure looked like a demon sent from the deepest pits of hell to smite them all.
Either way, whoever this Set deity was that these four idolized so much, he had to cut some sort of imposing figure if the very sight of the man prompted his servants to drop to their knees and bow to him in reverence.
Krillin took a deep breath, preparing to scream at whatever vile creature would emerge from the light. In his mind he pictured a large, drooling, monstrous half-dog, half-monster with claws for hands, massive fangs, and a body similar to that of Frieza's third form covered in fur. Everyone was hanging off of the edge of their seats waiting for the final reveal.
But when the light behind the figure faded to a gentle glow and the boss finally stepped into the sunlight, the Z-fighters were stumped by what they saw. Krillin even had the common courtesy to swallow his tongue in shock.
This God known as Set wasn't anything like what they expected. For starters he was only about the same height as his subordinate Shiera, with prominent ears, long red flowing hair that grew down his back, and a very slender figure. Unlike the others, his form was a cross between a human and a fox, with a smooth red and white coat that was incredibly striking and appeared soft to the touch. Along with the long, flowing tail behind him, he wore a form fitting shendyt around his waist that was brown, a black tube top around his chest, and black arm bands, all of which had a golden trim. This was certainly in keeping with Egret's climate and the fashion that all of these dog creatures seemed to be going for.
However, there was one significant aspect about this Set character that stuck out above the rest.
He was in fact a she. That sort of explained her curvaceous and attractive figure, why her tube top was so tight around her bust, her sharp, prominent eyelashes and the way the mole on her left cheek accentuated her feminine appeal.
This came as an enormous surprise to the Z-fighters, as they never expected this God of Storms to be a female.
Trunks blinked, looking across at the woman as her long, bushy tail swished about behind her, "Is that… their boss?"
Goten was just as confounded and surprised as everybody else, "Yeah. I guess."
"Huh. She's surprisingly cute for a God," Zangya murmured, tilting her head at the newly awakened foe as the 'terrifying' villain stared ahead of her with a half-lidded, careless gaze. "This Set looks like she wouldn't hurt a fly." In all honesty, it looked like you could just walk up to her and give her a great big hug.
Videl, while staring at the new figure in surprise, then perked up when she heard what the person was called and looked across at the orange haired Hera. "Wait a second… what was that name again? Set?"
The Hera looked back at her best friend's training partner curiously, "Yeah. Set. Like the verb. What? Is there something wrong?"
Muttering the name a couple of times under her breath, the short haired teenager then looked up in shock and fixed her attention back on the entrance. "Yes. That's it! Now I remember where I've heard that name before. I learned about it in history class last year." At this news, every single Z-fighter turned in her direction as the young fighter then began relaying to them what she knew on the subject. "Set is a God from Ancient Egret religion, and is regarded as the deity of desert, storms, disorder, violence and foreign invaders. He is an incredibly prominent figure in Egret mythology and is portrayed as a usurper and the embodiment of evil in a lot of the old texts. This was from over thousands of years of research and study." Videl then looked across at the others with a serious glimmer in her eyes. "The writings in the class textbook referred to him as the God of Storms."
"God of Storms," Vegeta murmured, only to then look ahead of him in confusion. "Hold on… Set… I think I've heard that name once before." The title certainly held merit. That much was clear. It also sounded incredibly familiar to the prince and stirred some very unpleasant memories from his childhood…
…one in particular involving his father at a banquet, where his old man acted as a footrest for a certain visitor to his home planet.
Videl, this being the first time she'd actually contributed to a mystery in the group, continued to fill in the blanks for the others. "I read in the books that he was an enemy to many Gods, particularly to the Sun God Ra, and was one of the most powerful deities in history. Tales were told of his conquests, how he murdered Osiris and conquered other divine beings such as Sekhmet, Shu, Isis and Beerus." She then narrowed her eyes on the figure as she contemplated her facts some more. "Strange. I was always under the impression that Set was a male."
"That makes sense," Piccolo spoke up, giving the girl's words consideration. "A lot of false deities in history often concealed their true identities and genders from the people who worshipped them. Even legitimate divine beings that were responsible for great offenses in their time were purposefully falsified in historical records as the ultimate insult and punishment for their crimes." The man scrunched his face up at the issue they were experiencing. "The Gods and the people who worshipped Set on this planet all those years ago probably labeled him as a genderless monster, but then started referring to him as a male."
It was at this information the Saiyan Prince's head finally clicked and he reeled forward in shock. "That's it! Set; the God of Storms! Now I remember!" The Z-fighters all quickly looked to Vegeta in shock, where they all saw the horrified look in his eyes as he stared across at their enemies, all of whom were continuing to bow to the fox woman as she raised a hand and scratched behind her ear in a very dog like manner. "She is one of the primary Gods that oversee the balance of power in this universe alongside the Kais. But unlike other deities who represent the bodies of construction and rebirth, she is one of those deities that represent the forces of destruction and devastation. All of them are extremely powerful individuals capable of wiping out entire galaxies with a single stroke. Even Frieza and Cooler are like ants compared to them."
Krillin and everybody else aside from Android 18 looked back at the man in alarm.
"Whoa, man! Are you for real?!" the short fighter exclaimed.
Even Trunks looked shaken at the news, "Th-Th-They can wipe out entire galaxies, dad?" He knew his astronomy. Planets were one thing. Heck, even someone as small and diminutive as him could destroy the earth with a single blast if he wasn't too careful.
But an entire galaxy? That was a possibility neither member of the group could fully comprehend.
"A long time ago, the God of Destruction Beerus visited my home world and ate lunch at my father's table. That was the first time I ever laid eyes on one of these so-called superior Gods," the prince continued, swallowing nervously as he thought back to the times he'd heard of these highly venerated names in passing. "That God's power was said to be in an entirely different league… and I believed it when I saw him. But while Beerus was said to be most feared among his kind due to his unpredictable nature; Set was reputed as the most powerful and the most ruthless among the other celestial beings. Hell, she would wipe out an entire group of galaxies just for the sheer fun of it." Vegeta, narrowing his eyes fearfully, regarded their foe once again with extreme caution and fear. "I hate to admit this… but even I don't stand a chance against her."
The Namekian quickly looked back at their opponents, where he saw Set, the female God, lower her arm and frown in their direction. "If what you're saying is true, then we've got a seriously big problem on our hands." An apocalyptic level problem.
It was while the Z-fighters were in the process of orchestrating some kind of plan to combat this new threat, every single one of them froze up when they suddenly saw the fox woman start to amble forward.
Possessing grace and finesse, the newly awakened deity approached her minions at a casual pace, and seemed as though she was about to address them when they bowed their heads even lower. Not even Shiera, who was sweating bullets now, dared to look upon her master's face. However, just feet away from reaching her would-be subordinates, the almighty deity stopped when she found a body blocking her path and looked down to see the unconscious Gohan lying in front of her.
Goten, Piccolo and all the other Z-fighters lurched forward in alarm, not knowing what the deity was going to do to the defenseless demi-Saiyan.
Tail wagging behind her as she scrutinized the sleeping boy in front of her, the fox girl with the half-lidded gaze smiled and, bringing a hand up from behind her, waved a finger down at the Saiyan and effortlessly levitated him off the ground. Gohan's body floated up to her level and, while he was still lying parallel to the floor, Set took a closer look at him like a cat staring at a fish in a bowl.
"It seems that I have you to thank for my resurrection," the teenage God spoke in a soft voice, reaching up with a hand to run down the unconscious boy's cheek. "I'll be sure to reward you for your kindness." Looking the young warrior's form over, from his handsome face to his dashing uniform, the God of Storms raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What a cute thing. Perhaps I'll keep you once I'm done with my subjugation of this universe." She then gave him an affectionate and playful lick on the cheek.
Hair bristling at the fox woman's brazen act, the once nervous Videl stepped forward and, before any of the Z-fighters could react, shouted across at the animal God. "HEY! GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU BITCH!"
This was apparently the wrong thing to say because as soon as she did, Set's eyes snapped towards the teen and narrowed menacingly. Even her four minions looked back at the pissed off girl in disbelief.
Every one of the Z-warriors froze when they saw the God of Storms narrow her gaze on the one that'd shouted at her. At first they thought Videl was going to burst into flames right where she was standing from the way the fox woman was looking at her. Given her position in the pecking order, it definitely seemed like a possibility. But then, just as the tomboy and the deity were glaring across at one another, they suddenly saw the goddess levitate Gohan's body back to the floor, straighten up and, eyes still fixed upon the offender, produced a black, smoke-like aura from her body.
Her form becoming shrouded in the dark cloak of energy, giving her a very demonic appearance, Set's eyes flared red, illustrating the amount of evil coursing through her veins. It was then, while the woman was burning with copious amount of hatred and rage, in the blink of an eye the powerful deity suddenly vanished and reappeared directly in front of Videl, her movements being marked by a powerful gust of wind.
The God's speed was so great that her movements were instantaneous, and every single Z-fighter standing in the background lost sight of her for a couple of seconds. It was only when they spotted her standing directly in front of Videl that their attention snapped back to her immediately.
Even Android 18 was stunned, "H-How did she do that?"
Arms held behind her, Set glared down at the slightly shorter Videl, who swallowed nervously as she snarled back at the dog entity in warning. The distance between them was now only a couple of feet and with the way the fox girl's eyes were flared, it almost looked as though the human's life would be forfeited at any moment.
Everyone, including the Minions who'd just gotten to their feet, braced themselves for the inevitable.
But just when it seemed like something catastrophic was about to take place on that terrace, the aggressive black aura surrounding Set suddenly dissipated, leaving her standing in a normal light once again. Upon which her gaze softened, her hand was raised and, out of nowhere, the dog God gave a loud and well-earned yawn.
To her it was just an ordinary expression of tiredness. But the instant she started inhaling, a powerful blast of wind exploded from her body, kicking up dust, sand, and nearly knocking all of the Z-fighters off their feet. Videl and everybody else in the area were literally pushed back along the floor while they were attempting to block out the gale, with Piccolo's eyes widening in shock at how many feet he actually slid along the stone under the fierce winds.
While all this was happening at ground zero, in the desert and sky surrounding the pyramid, not only had a hurricane formed in the clouds above with the eye hovering directly over the God, but an enormous sand storm had kicked up in the desert and was now washing over the landscape in all directions.
With absolutely no effort whatsoever, in a single yawn the God of Storms was able to alter the weather patterns of the planet around her.
As soon as she stopped yawning, the gale emanating from her body ceased, allowing the Z-fighters to stumble back into normal standing positions and gawk in her direction. They then proceeded to watch as she took a step closer to the startled Videl and began looking her over.
Inspecting the teenager from head to toe with a simple tilt of her head, Set curiously raised a hand and gently poked the tomboy in the center of the chest. Too terrified to move, the Z-fighters then watched the woman with one arm behind her back moved to Videl's left and checked her face and body from the side. Making a thoughtful sound as her tail wagged behind her, the God then stepped around to the other side and analyzed the curvature of the teenager's collar bone, before gently grabbing her right arm, extending it, and running a finger along her bicep.
Completely weirded out by this out-of-the-blue inspection, Videl pulled her arm away quickly, "Hey… what gives?"
Set, taking a few steps back with her hands placed behind her once again, smiled at the flustered teen. "Fascinating. You are a human… and yet you possess strength and power rivaling that of the people from the planet Inaris. I must say, your race has come a long way from the primitive stone pushers I remember you used to be."
Watching nervously from the sidelines and listening to their master offer compliments to the enemy fighters, Shiera and her subordinates looked at each other worryingly. After which they turned back to their boss and, mustering up the courage, spoke up inquisitively.
It was Tana who was the one to make the daring leap. "Uh… master-?" She was promptly silenced when the God of Storms held a hand up in their direction, stopping the minions in their tracks.
Order returned to the terrace, the deity then strolled around and began inspecting Goten, Krillin, Android 18, Trunks and Vegeta one after the other. She passed the short fighter and Gohan's younger brother quickly, sniffing and checking them over, before stopping in front of the blonde cyborg. Finding an interest in her body's structure, she took the woman's arm in her hand and ran her thumb and forefinger over it, nodding in approval when she saw for herself what she was. Words like 'interesting' and 'gorgeous' left the deity's lips, drawing a few surprised blinks from the android before the God shifted over to Trunks. Taking him by the head and turning it slightly, the deity ran a finger over his ear and checked it out, drawing a giggle from the child, before she turned her attention to Vegeta.
The Prince of Saiyans wisely chose not to say or do anything, and simply allowed the woman to pass her judgment on him. He watched her cautiously and nervously as she prodded his shoulders and neck, walking a full circle around him before stopping in front of him.
Set leaned forward and sniffed the man a couple of times and pulled away a moment later, "A Saiyan… on earth?" Taking a step back, the woman then looked up towards the sky and squinted. Not knowing what she was doing the Z-fighters watched her curiously. When she eventually looked down several seconds later, a couple more words left her lips. "Judging from your body structure and facial characteristics, I can tell that you didn't originate from Saiya. That planet is currently orbiting Sculptor in the Abell cluster… so I'm guessing your ancestors migrated to another planet many years ago and claimed it as their own."
"Uh…" Vegeta murmured, not knowing how to respond to that information.
Satisfied with his answer, Set then wandered over to where Piccolo and Zangya were standing. The pair acted more guarded then the others did, yet they allowed the woman to start looking them over. Just like with Vegeta and Android 18, she found a great deal of interest in the two and began inspecting them a little more thoroughly. She prodded the Namekian in the chest and arm, and tilted her head at him when she looked at the tall warrior from a different angle.
"You have two other Namekian spirits living inside of you. I assume that's because you've joined bodies with them," Set exclaimed, standing on her toes and attempting to look into the man's eyes. Piccolo leaned back a little in response, finding the distance between them a little bit uncomfortable. But his nervousness soon ebbed when the woman backed off and moved over to Zangya.
She started with the Hera's hair and worked her way to her arm. After which she then looked the woman in the face and moved away as if expecting a work of art. "Mm… stunning… absolutely stunning." Doing something completely unexpected, she then reached forward and grabbed one of the woman's amble breasts and looked at it strangely, squeezing it a couple of times for good measure. While Krillin and Videl blushed to the roots of their hair and the other fighters simply gawked, Zangya had to reframe from slapping the deity across the face as the woman gave her chest another testing squeeze.
Making a few more thoughtful noises as she prodded the girl in the shoulder, the God of Storms then backed away so that her minions were standing behind her and flanking her on either side. By this point in time, it was worth noting that her servants also appeared confounded at their master's surprise inspection, especially with the Hera whom she'd decided to go to second base with.
From her new position, Set could now see all the members of the Z-fighters standing together and staring at her anxiously. Hands behind her back, the goddess gave the warriors her appraisal, "I'm impressed. Your group possesses some of the most diverse and strongest warriors I've seen in a long time… from the mortal plains anyway. Each of you is gifted with incredible strength and prowess, and judging from your individual power levels I'd say that a few of you would even be able to match any one of subordinates in combat." She then lifted her head at them. "Tell me… what do you people call yourselves?"
Piccolo, clenching his fists anxiously, threw the woman a suspicious glare, "We don't call ourselves anything."
"I see," Set replied, tail swishing behind her happily as she rubbed her chin with her fingers in thought, "Now that is intriguing." Turning around, the deity then held a hand out towards the floor and, with a quick burst of ki, summoned a mountain of sand from the ground. The particles coming together and forming into a mound, the mass of grains then rose up and transformed into a throne, complete with engravings and colors befitting any entity of her station. With her minions standing on either side of it, the woman approached the chair and, with a swish of her hips, turned and sat down atop the grand chair. As soon as she'd gotten comfortable, the woman crossed her legs like a boss and smirked in the group's direction. "Shiera… tell me… how long has it been since I was sealed away?"
The scar faced collie standing directly beside the God turned to her and, placing a hand on her chest, bowed her head humbly. "Master… it's been over twenty cycles since your imprisonment at the hands of the Kais."
"So approximately twenty thousand years, hm?" Set reiterated, tapping a finger against the arm of her newly constructed seat before tilting her head slightly. "It appears that this world has flourished quite nicely in my absence, wouldn't you agree?"
Shiera nodded a second time in agreement, "Yes, master. It certainly has."
"Well then, I'd say this is the perfect opportunity to make some changes around here. Considering it's been so many years since my last great conquest, I think I'll commemorate my return to the mortal plains with a little competition," the humanoid canine exclaimed as a vile smirk suddenly crossed her lips, completely overshadowing her once cheerful persona. It was a proclamation that drew the attention of every single one of her minions and Z-fighters in the area.
"Competition, master?" Kasim inquired.
"A battle to decide who the superior warrior is, like the gladiators of the old world," Set informed with a firm nod of her head. "If you ask me, I think it's time for a fresh start… a 'changing of the guard' if you will."
Her statement had her loyal servants look at their master in shock.
Eyes reflecting his disbelief, Daryu stepped towards the fox woman fearfully, "Master… you don't mean?"
All of a sudden, Set's amused expression was instantly replaced by a hard glare. A shadow falling across her eyes when she threw her second strongest servant a wave of killing intent, she forced all of her present attendants to back off. Once all of them had their full and undivided attention fixated upon her, the red furred God of Storms rested her cheek on her knuckles and propped her elbow on her arm rest.
"I've been imprisoned for over twenty thousand years," Set hissed, her expression showcasing nothing but anger and contempt towards her subordinates. "If I'd been released in the first few months following my confinement, I would've finished off the other Gods and covered this entire universe in darkness. But now that over twenty thousand rotations have come and gone, those retched scumbags have had enough time to regroup, rest and recover." Her gaze narrowed even more than before, letting her soldiers know how frustrated she was. "The fact that all four of you weren't able to release me earlier tells me that my most loyal, trusted and powerful servants have failed me, and that I should take this moment to reassess your abilities." She then raised a hand towards them, causing the four warriors to take a step back and putting the Z-fighters on edge. "I believe it's time for you to prove your worth to me."
Just when the minions thought they were about to be punished for their tardiness, their bodies suddenly started to glow a dark purple. Auras wafting off of them like smoke, the four guards looked at themselves nervously and watched as the embers grew larger and more pronounced. Then, moments after their bodies started to glow, the energy emanating from their pores concentrated around their chests, and four purple orbs shot out of them towards their master's hand.
Without any strain whatsoever, Set caught the four globes easily, compressing the energy into a single sphere before absorbing it back into her palm.
Clenching her hand shut as she watched her four servants look down at themselves, the God of Storms smirked. "I have taken back the immortality granted by the celestial energy I'd previously bestowed upon you. Unless you four can defeat those eight warriors you see standing behind you," she quickly looked across at the intently listening Z-fighters, before then looking back at her tense subordinates, "Then I will give you back your immortality and you may return to me as my minions. If not… well…" Her smile curled upwards, "I think you know the answer."
"B-But… master," Tana stammered, unable to believe what she was hearing and speaking up in protest.
The deity glanced across at the terrified Ibizan hound with a harsh look in her eyes. "This sounds like insubordination. Are you questioning my decisions?"
Swallowing nervously, the brown haired female stepped away and lowered her head in shame.
Upon reestablishing her authority, Set then glanced across at Shiera and saw the woman nod in understanding and a look of seriousness cross her face.
"If I must prove myself to you once again, my master, then so be it," the collie stated with a bow, "I will not disappoint you."
"See to it that you don't." After hearing this from her second in command, the all powerful goddess then directed her gaze towards the Z-fighters, watching them as they assumed fighting stances while the four minions on either side of her throne turned to face them. "We're going to play a little game now. Your group will fight against my group to determine who the strongest warriors on this planet out of the twelve of you are. The last four combatants left standing will become my new servants and will have the privilege to stand by my side as the new Minions of Set. No more, no less." She then raised a finger. "As an added bonus, once you've helped me in completing my conquest of this universe and I've become the supreme ruler of this reality, I will not only grant each of you immortality, but dominion over a quadrant of space to do whatever you please." The deity then beamed excitedly as the Z-fighters looked back at her in disbelief. "This battle is for life and death, so please… try not to get killed so easily."
The defenders of earth quickly took a step back when the four Minions of Set moved forward. When they saw the four intimidating hybrids draw their weapons and ignite them with blue fire, the group quickly slid into fighting stances and prepared for battle.
While Piccolo ripped his cape and turban off, Zangya kicked her heels away and tore away her suit, leaving her in some very appealing purple lingerie. Sliding her feet out, the woman clenched her fists and powered up with a yell of rage, her orange hair flashing red, her blue skin turning green and her build becoming more defined as she transformed into her Super Hera state.
"Come on!" the alien warrior shouted as she focused her glare on the leader of the four.
When Krillin slid into stances alongside Trunks and his wife, Goten went Super Saiyan and Vegeta jumped straight into Super Saiyan 2, matching Zangya's aura and level with his own. With the situation growing tenser by the second and with her comrades readying themselves for the fight of their lives, Videl took a moment to look past Set's throne and towards the gateway.
Behind the God's seat, she saw her best friend and the boy she admired above everyone else lying on the floor behind her, still unconscious. It was obvious he was in a deep sleep and from what she could sense of him, his energy had dropped considerably. The sight of his exhausted and pale state had the raven haired girl grit her teeth and clench her fists, as she then fixed her most serious glare on the four minions approaching them with their weapons bared.
"I have to save, Gohan. I must…" Videl thought, knowing exactly what she had to do next. As to how she was going to do it exactly when she had four ridiculously strong foes to deal with, she had no idea.
Thanks to Set confiscating the Godly or Celestial ki that granted her minions immortality from them, the Z-fighters could now sense exactly how strong they were. This gave them the perfect opportunity to select their opponents and solidify their choices. Now that their blind spots had been removed, they would be able to fight against them at full capacity.
This was it.
"Alright then, you freaks," Piccolo yelled, setting his sights on his opponent and cocking his hand back, "Let's dance." With a yell of effort, he leapt into the air and dove straight towards the jerk that'd speared him in the back earlier that morning.
Kasim dropped into a defensive stance and watched the Namekian charge straight at him.
A split second later, both groups of fighters took evasive action, disappearing in a series of blurs and vanishing from the terrace in the blink of an eye. In a matter of moments, the only people left standing or lying on the pyramid were Set and the out cold Gohan respectively.
Cheek still resting on her knuckles, the God of Storms smiled excitedly. "This is going to be fun…"
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