Post by Lord Xylo on Mar 24, 2016 11:50:53 GMT
Xylo’s soul floated through the pink skies of hell. It had only one destination at this moment: A small shack not far from a large plaza. It didn’t look like much, but apparently a powerful wizard resided inside, meaning there was a chance that the Namekian could get his body back incredibly quickly. Of course, there was no guarantee the body would come for free; powerful people usually had high prices for their services.
He reached the door, gulping audibly with a mouth he no longer had. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was supposed to knock, so he decided to do something simple: He slammed his puffball body into the door, creating a loud -KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK- on the door.
No response.
He did it once again, this time with a bit more force.
Once again, nothing
”Oh, come on! Where the hell is the little gremlin who lives here?!”
The Mazoku moves back; far, far back. He stops quite a ways away, a sneer attempting to appear on his featureless cloud face. He lets out a squeaky yell as he speeds through the air, trying his best to absolutely demolish the door. As he impacts on the door, it lets out a loud -KNOCK-, before it starts to tip over, seemingly removed from its hinge from the force of Xylo’s strike. It hit the ground with a thud, causing dust to pop into the air.
”HUH?! WUZZAT?!” The voice of an elderly man breaks through the silence, seemingly snapping awake from a nap. He takes to a stand, grabbing a cane from a nearby wall as he investigates the noise.
The little wizard walks over to the door, adjusting his glasses as he peers down at the destroyed door. He furrows his brow, before looking up at Xylo’s soul. He lets out a curious “hrmm”, before tapping the door with his cane.
”Was this yooooooooooooour doing?”
Xylo looks the wizard over: Though he didn’t look like much at his diminutive height, he certainly kept his facial hair well groomed. His brows, moustache, and beard were absolutely enormous, and well groomed too! The beard nearly touches the ground, as does the exquisite moustache. It almost made Xylo envious of his own lack of hair follicles. The Namekian nodded -meaning, he simply floated his entire body up, and then down. ”Yes, I did it. You got a problem with that?”
The Wizard gives Xylo a stern look, before a smirk suddenly appears. ”Hehehe… You have that much power when you’re just a soul? Verrrrry interesting, I must say.” The Wizard turns around, slowly walking further into his shack. He snaps his fingers, and a row of candles flicker to life all on their own, revealing an incredibly large black cauldron sitting directly in the middle of the room. It sat in a way that made it seem like it was dejected, despite being an inanimate object. Clearly it had not seen use in ages. The Wizard taps the cauldron on its side, causing a small pocket of dust to shoot into the sky.
”It’s been quite a while since I’ve had visitors… And I usually don’t get visitors unless they want something from me… What is it you seek, young Namekian?”
Though he had an inkling of a thought to simply lie his way through this meeting somehow, Xylo decided instead to just be blunt with his demands. He cleared his throat, before revealing his intent: ”I hear you can restore a Warrior’s body after they’ve died. I’m here because I want my body back.”
The Wizard smirked once more. ”Short, sweet and to the point! What an interesting Warrior you are…”
With a surprising amount of dexterity, the Wizard hops on top of the cauldron, balancing on the mouth of the pot as he stares Xylo down. ”You who have requested my aid, I accept your plea… On one condition!” The Wizard somersaults through the air, landing majestically in front of Xylo. He pokes the Namekian’s soul cloud with his cane as he reveals his demand. ”You must collect three items of vast importance for me! Otherwise, you are not worth helping. Do we have a deal?”
Xylo nodded once again.
”Anything is better than being this… Whatever I am, for any longer than I have to.”
The Wizard gave a large, toothy grin. ”Excellent! Let’s begin with your first item. Follow me!” With the spriness of an athlete, the Wizard made his way across the hellscape, a trail of dust being the only clue of his destination. Xylo tried his best to follow suit, panting heavily as he floated far behind. ”H-hey now, wait up! This puffball isn’t exactly the running type you know!”
After a long sprint across the barren, hellish wastes, the duo finally arrive at a lake entirely filled with blood. Despite the how gruesome it sounded, the place was actually really nice. Souls enjoyed fun activities here and there, and some of the more romantic souls took gondolas out for a ride on the blood lake. Xylo scanned the land, looking for the Wizard who had escaped him briefly.
”Hey you little puffball! Over here!”
The voice belonged to none other than the Wizard. Xylo turned, noticing that the little fella had gotten to the center of the lake, where a small sandy island floated happily. The Wizard was wrestling with what looked like a soul, but he seemed to be having some trouble. Deciding to not waste any time, the Namekian quickly attempted to fly over the lake… Only to find himself in a face full of blood. He gargled in anger as he angrily floated to the surface.
”Gah! What in the hell?! Why can’t I fly over this stupid blood?!”
He struggles to stay afloat, but finds it incredibly difficult to do so. Time and time again, he splashes below the surface of life-giving liquid, darkening his soul to a darker shade of crimson each time he briefly escaped the murky folds of the lake.
”Come on… Come ON! I can beat this stupid lake, can’t I?! What use am I if I can’t even swim without a body?”
He let out a furious roar, and suddenly his puffy form was covered in a large Ki aura... For about half a second. Still though, it was more than enough to help him push out of this endless cycle of failing to swim. That brief access to his Ki allowed him to soar through the sky, though he didn't have much control over his landing spot. His puffball form slammed into the small island, being embedded in the sand for a moment before he ripped himself out of the sandy prison.
"Jeez, that was more difficult than I was expecting..."
Xylo turned, noting that the Wizard from before was still having trouble. He floated over, eyeing the two struggling entities with interest. "What exactly is going on here? Why in the world are you wrestling with a soul?"
The Wizard grunted, attempting to explain between harsh, strained motions. "I AM NOT -- HEURGH--WRESTLING A SOUL! I AM WRESTLING AN IMP! LOOK CLOSER YOU DOLT!"
The Namekian raised his brow. This thing couldn’t possibly be of demonic descent; clearly it was an Soul… Wasn’t it? He gave it a closer look as he was instructed, and was surprised to find that it was actually a disguise! The fluffy soul wasn’t made of cloud like one would expect, but rather a fine wool made to look like a soul. It was in the shape of a large coat, and underneath, was a wily red imp. The imps voice was even more high-pitched than the average soul, which was probably why his disguise worked so well.
”G-GET OFF ME OLD CODGER! I TOLD YA I AIN’T EVER STOLEN FROM YA IN MY LIFE!”
”LIAR!”
The two continued to tussle for a while, leaving Xylo a bit confused. He stared in bewilderment at the insane display. Most would assume something as silly as this was something that would only happen in a cartoon. Whilst watching, the Namekian noticed some type of protrusion coming from the imps right side. While he wouldn’t have paid mind to it normally, it seemed to glimmer be glowing a bit. He slowly floats forwards as the wrestling continues, hoping to figure out what exactly was causing the odd glow. He bumped into the protrusion, causing a loud -CLICK- to ring out.
The wrestling duo stopped in their tracks.
”I KNEW YOU HAD IT!”
The imp looks at him sheepishly, an innocent grin on his face as he tries to lie his way out of the situation. ”Oh come on now, Renut! You know it wasn’t me who nabbed it from ya! Y’see, I’m just holding it for a... For uh.. A friend! Yeah that’s it! A friend of mine nabbed it from ya!”
The Wizard reels his fist back, before planting it right on the imps cheek. The little red mischief maker is knocked out instantly; a somewhat surprising outcome, though one Xylo certainly didn’t mind. As the imp lay there, out cold, the Wizard knelt down, ruffling through the little imps pockets.After a moment, the Wizard let out an ”Aha! before he finally stood tall. He held his hand high above his head, revealing the treasure he’d been searching for: A watch. It wasn’t any ordinary watch however, though Xylo didn’t know about that. To him it was just a watch, and if that's what the Wizard wanted in exchange for a new body, Xylo wouldn’t mind.
The Mazoku Soul floated forwards, a curious tone in his voice as he spoke. ”So, now that we’ve gotten your family heirloom back, have I proven myself worthy?”
The Wizard chuckled as he pocketed his watch, walking past Xylo as he replied. ”Not quite yet, young Mazoku. I have two more tasks for you, do you not recall? I know you’re eager to begin training yourself to return to the mortal realm so you may dole out vengeance to the Saiyan Warrior who defeated you, but do not forget the most important trait any Warrior can possess: Patience.” The Wizard hovered over the lake of blood, pointing far off in the distance. ”Meet me at that mountain on the far reaches of the land! It is there where we will find your second task!”
”Wait! How did you know I-- ... He’s gone…”
Xylo attempted to shout a response, but the Wizard had gotten a bit too far at this point. The Namekian sighed in annoyance. How was he supposed to get past the blood lake a second time?!
After an immense amount of time spent sputtering, nearly drowning, and screaming at the top of his non-existent lungs, Xylo finally made his way to the edge of the lake. It wasn’t pretty, but at least he was out. He let out a sigh as he made his way towards the looming mountain in the distance.
Despite how far it seemed, the trek over was incredibly short; no longer than ten minutes at most. Perhaps being so focused on the mountains shifted his perspective of time, but even so, the trip should have felt at least like a long hike, rather than a brisk walk to the local supermarket. As he reached the base of the mountain, he looked upwards. This thing was absolutely massive! Even as a cloud, scaling this mountain would be incredibly strenuous.
”I’ve faced worse than this damn thing! Not even a mountain can stop my soul from returning to proper form!”
With a determined grunt, the Namekian soul hopped onto a rock. He wanted to celebrate even such a small victory, but he couldn’t waste any time or energy. This mountain required his full efforts, so he would give it all he had! He continued climbing by hopping from rock to rock, each bound seemingly easier than the last. In all honesty, he was surprised that his cloud-like form was so nimble.
Xylo suddenly felt an unease run through him. The world had… Changed somehow. Harsh winds suddenly blew through the sky, and lightning smashed into the ground far below. He was worried that he might get blown off the mountain from the gale force winds, but he persevered. He couldn’t back down because some stupid hell storm! He continued his climb, only somewhat hindered by the sudden wind. Even as rain began to fall, he kept going. This was something he had to do; if he didn’t, then he clearly deserved to die on Namek. The lightning from before crashed down again, this time closer to him. He turned briefly, before starting his ascent once more.
He was close to the top now, he could see it from here. All he had to do was get just a bit further!
As he makes his final hop, he collides with a massive bolt of lightning. He screams in pain as his puffball form is sent downwards, landing with a thud on a large plateau. The Namekian’s soul groans in pain as he lays there, seemingly defeated. The Mazoku Lord begins speaking to himself as he begins to float off the ground. ”Come on … Come on … I’ll beat the elements themselves if I have to!”
Xylo moves towards the edge of the plateau. From here, he was eye level with the top of the mountain. It looked like a large, circular throne room without walls. He could see the Wizard sitting in a meditative pose, waiting patiently. The Namekian takes a deep breath, before leaping towards the mountaintop.
And lightning struck once more.
The lightning hit him again, but he refused to be knocked away this time. He forced his way through the pain, moving forwards through the sky despite the pain. Though one would expect lightning to dissipate, this particular bolt persisted. It burned at Xylo, attempting to erase him from existence for his hubris. Even still, he continued moving, pushing with all his might against the pain. With a shout of anger, he pushed past the bolt of magic lightning, landing painfully on the top of the mountain. He panted again, smoke billowing from his puffball body.
The Wizard walked towards him. ”Well done. Very few are able to surpass my lightning field without assistance. Usually I instruct warriors to return to the bottom of the mountain to collect an artifact from a slumbering, soul-eating demon, who would awake and request you find him a suitable breakfast in exchange for the artifact, but it seems you did not need it. Well done.”
Xylo looked up, still panting as once again floated himself off the cold ground. ”So, does that mean I succeeded in proving myself?”
”Indeed. Please, stand here.”
The Namekian moved to the spot he was instructed, and he waited.
The Wizard raised his hands, dropping the cane on the ground as he began to murmur words from a forbidden language. The harsh winds seemed to die down for a moment, only to begin swirling around above them. The many dark clouds spewing water from above shifted to a strange purple hue, as the Wizard’s chant grew ever louder. The clouds above began to move towards Xylo, twisting rapidly around his soul. The winds picked Xylo up, obscuring him entirely from sight. He let out a confused grunt as he started to feel himself begin to reform.
Picking up his cane, the Wizard spoke in a more common tongue as he raised his staff to the sky:
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning pierces the tornado that encompassed Xylo and stabbed right through him. He took an enormous gasp for air as his lungs suddenly reformed, alongside his other organs. His bones and muscles soon followed suit, wrapping around his organs like a suit of armor. Finally, his skin returned to him, topped off with the peculiar shark-like fin on his head.
The storm finally cleared, and it revealed that Xylo was whole again… Although there was one thing different. Above the Namekian’s head sat a glowing halo of golden light, floating as if by magic alone. Perhaps this was the sign that, though he now had a body, he was still dead. Regardless, Xylo was delighted to have his body back so quickly.
Xylo pushes out a massive amount of power; his form is cloaked in a malicious purple aura as he yells to the heavens:
With his declaration complete, he powers down. Surely both Kizuki and Alaistair would have heard his cry. He clenches his fist tightly before he turns to the Wizard. ”I must thank you for your help, Wizard. This new body feels much more powerful!”
The Wizard smiled, but interjected with an interesting reveal. ”Yes, you are indeed quite powerful… But you could be even stronger than you already are!”
The Namekian arched his brow. ”Oh? Please, enlighten me.”
”Near the blood lake lies a sacred tree, and that tree bears a very special kind of fruit… Taking even one bite of this golden peach will bless you with the power that even gods fear!”
Xylo stroked his chin with interest. The idea of a fruit that gave power to its consumer was not an original one for the Namekian. ”I see… Why don’t we take a trip down there, then? Perhaps I’ll grab one for Beelzebub as well.”
With a burst of power, Xylo shot into the sky, the Wizard shortly following suit...
He reached the door, gulping audibly with a mouth he no longer had. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was supposed to knock, so he decided to do something simple: He slammed his puffball body into the door, creating a loud -KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK- on the door.
No response.
He did it once again, this time with a bit more force.
Once again, nothing
”Oh, come on! Where the hell is the little gremlin who lives here?!”
The Mazoku moves back; far, far back. He stops quite a ways away, a sneer attempting to appear on his featureless cloud face. He lets out a squeaky yell as he speeds through the air, trying his best to absolutely demolish the door. As he impacts on the door, it lets out a loud -KNOCK-, before it starts to tip over, seemingly removed from its hinge from the force of Xylo’s strike. It hit the ground with a thud, causing dust to pop into the air.
”HUH?! WUZZAT?!” The voice of an elderly man breaks through the silence, seemingly snapping awake from a nap. He takes to a stand, grabbing a cane from a nearby wall as he investigates the noise.
The little wizard walks over to the door, adjusting his glasses as he peers down at the destroyed door. He furrows his brow, before looking up at Xylo’s soul. He lets out a curious “hrmm”, before tapping the door with his cane.
”Was this yooooooooooooour doing?”
Xylo looks the wizard over: Though he didn’t look like much at his diminutive height, he certainly kept his facial hair well groomed. His brows, moustache, and beard were absolutely enormous, and well groomed too! The beard nearly touches the ground, as does the exquisite moustache. It almost made Xylo envious of his own lack of hair follicles. The Namekian nodded -meaning, he simply floated his entire body up, and then down. ”Yes, I did it. You got a problem with that?”
The Wizard gives Xylo a stern look, before a smirk suddenly appears. ”Hehehe… You have that much power when you’re just a soul? Verrrrry interesting, I must say.” The Wizard turns around, slowly walking further into his shack. He snaps his fingers, and a row of candles flicker to life all on their own, revealing an incredibly large black cauldron sitting directly in the middle of the room. It sat in a way that made it seem like it was dejected, despite being an inanimate object. Clearly it had not seen use in ages. The Wizard taps the cauldron on its side, causing a small pocket of dust to shoot into the sky.
”It’s been quite a while since I’ve had visitors… And I usually don’t get visitors unless they want something from me… What is it you seek, young Namekian?”
Though he had an inkling of a thought to simply lie his way through this meeting somehow, Xylo decided instead to just be blunt with his demands. He cleared his throat, before revealing his intent: ”I hear you can restore a Warrior’s body after they’ve died. I’m here because I want my body back.”
The Wizard smirked once more. ”Short, sweet and to the point! What an interesting Warrior you are…”
With a surprising amount of dexterity, the Wizard hops on top of the cauldron, balancing on the mouth of the pot as he stares Xylo down. ”You who have requested my aid, I accept your plea… On one condition!” The Wizard somersaults through the air, landing majestically in front of Xylo. He pokes the Namekian’s soul cloud with his cane as he reveals his demand. ”You must collect three items of vast importance for me! Otherwise, you are not worth helping. Do we have a deal?”
Xylo nodded once again.
”Anything is better than being this… Whatever I am, for any longer than I have to.”
The Wizard gave a large, toothy grin. ”Excellent! Let’s begin with your first item. Follow me!” With the spriness of an athlete, the Wizard made his way across the hellscape, a trail of dust being the only clue of his destination. Xylo tried his best to follow suit, panting heavily as he floated far behind. ”H-hey now, wait up! This puffball isn’t exactly the running type you know!”
After a long sprint across the barren, hellish wastes, the duo finally arrive at a lake entirely filled with blood. Despite the how gruesome it sounded, the place was actually really nice. Souls enjoyed fun activities here and there, and some of the more romantic souls took gondolas out for a ride on the blood lake. Xylo scanned the land, looking for the Wizard who had escaped him briefly.
”Hey you little puffball! Over here!”
The voice belonged to none other than the Wizard. Xylo turned, noticing that the little fella had gotten to the center of the lake, where a small sandy island floated happily. The Wizard was wrestling with what looked like a soul, but he seemed to be having some trouble. Deciding to not waste any time, the Namekian quickly attempted to fly over the lake… Only to find himself in a face full of blood. He gargled in anger as he angrily floated to the surface.
”Gah! What in the hell?! Why can’t I fly over this stupid blood?!”
He struggles to stay afloat, but finds it incredibly difficult to do so. Time and time again, he splashes below the surface of life-giving liquid, darkening his soul to a darker shade of crimson each time he briefly escaped the murky folds of the lake.
”Come on… Come ON! I can beat this stupid lake, can’t I?! What use am I if I can’t even swim without a body?”
He let out a furious roar, and suddenly his puffy form was covered in a large Ki aura... For about half a second. Still though, it was more than enough to help him push out of this endless cycle of failing to swim. That brief access to his Ki allowed him to soar through the sky, though he didn't have much control over his landing spot. His puffball form slammed into the small island, being embedded in the sand for a moment before he ripped himself out of the sandy prison.
"Jeez, that was more difficult than I was expecting..."
Xylo turned, noting that the Wizard from before was still having trouble. He floated over, eyeing the two struggling entities with interest. "What exactly is going on here? Why in the world are you wrestling with a soul?"
The Wizard grunted, attempting to explain between harsh, strained motions. "I AM NOT -- HEURGH--WRESTLING A SOUL! I AM WRESTLING AN IMP! LOOK CLOSER YOU DOLT!"
The Namekian raised his brow. This thing couldn’t possibly be of demonic descent; clearly it was an Soul… Wasn’t it? He gave it a closer look as he was instructed, and was surprised to find that it was actually a disguise! The fluffy soul wasn’t made of cloud like one would expect, but rather a fine wool made to look like a soul. It was in the shape of a large coat, and underneath, was a wily red imp. The imps voice was even more high-pitched than the average soul, which was probably why his disguise worked so well.
”G-GET OFF ME OLD CODGER! I TOLD YA I AIN’T EVER STOLEN FROM YA IN MY LIFE!”
”LIAR!”
The two continued to tussle for a while, leaving Xylo a bit confused. He stared in bewilderment at the insane display. Most would assume something as silly as this was something that would only happen in a cartoon. Whilst watching, the Namekian noticed some type of protrusion coming from the imps right side. While he wouldn’t have paid mind to it normally, it seemed to glimmer be glowing a bit. He slowly floats forwards as the wrestling continues, hoping to figure out what exactly was causing the odd glow. He bumped into the protrusion, causing a loud -CLICK- to ring out.
The wrestling duo stopped in their tracks.
”I KNEW YOU HAD IT!”
The imp looks at him sheepishly, an innocent grin on his face as he tries to lie his way out of the situation. ”Oh come on now, Renut! You know it wasn’t me who nabbed it from ya! Y’see, I’m just holding it for a... For uh.. A friend! Yeah that’s it! A friend of mine nabbed it from ya!”
The Wizard reels his fist back, before planting it right on the imps cheek. The little red mischief maker is knocked out instantly; a somewhat surprising outcome, though one Xylo certainly didn’t mind. As the imp lay there, out cold, the Wizard knelt down, ruffling through the little imps pockets.After a moment, the Wizard let out an ”Aha! before he finally stood tall. He held his hand high above his head, revealing the treasure he’d been searching for: A watch. It wasn’t any ordinary watch however, though Xylo didn’t know about that. To him it was just a watch, and if that's what the Wizard wanted in exchange for a new body, Xylo wouldn’t mind.
The Mazoku Soul floated forwards, a curious tone in his voice as he spoke. ”So, now that we’ve gotten your family heirloom back, have I proven myself worthy?”
The Wizard chuckled as he pocketed his watch, walking past Xylo as he replied. ”Not quite yet, young Mazoku. I have two more tasks for you, do you not recall? I know you’re eager to begin training yourself to return to the mortal realm so you may dole out vengeance to the Saiyan Warrior who defeated you, but do not forget the most important trait any Warrior can possess: Patience.” The Wizard hovered over the lake of blood, pointing far off in the distance. ”Meet me at that mountain on the far reaches of the land! It is there where we will find your second task!”
”Wait! How did you know I-- ... He’s gone…”
Xylo attempted to shout a response, but the Wizard had gotten a bit too far at this point. The Namekian sighed in annoyance. How was he supposed to get past the blood lake a second time?!
After an immense amount of time spent sputtering, nearly drowning, and screaming at the top of his non-existent lungs, Xylo finally made his way to the edge of the lake. It wasn’t pretty, but at least he was out. He let out a sigh as he made his way towards the looming mountain in the distance.
Despite how far it seemed, the trek over was incredibly short; no longer than ten minutes at most. Perhaps being so focused on the mountains shifted his perspective of time, but even so, the trip should have felt at least like a long hike, rather than a brisk walk to the local supermarket. As he reached the base of the mountain, he looked upwards. This thing was absolutely massive! Even as a cloud, scaling this mountain would be incredibly strenuous.
”I’ve faced worse than this damn thing! Not even a mountain can stop my soul from returning to proper form!”
With a determined grunt, the Namekian soul hopped onto a rock. He wanted to celebrate even such a small victory, but he couldn’t waste any time or energy. This mountain required his full efforts, so he would give it all he had! He continued climbing by hopping from rock to rock, each bound seemingly easier than the last. In all honesty, he was surprised that his cloud-like form was so nimble.
Xylo suddenly felt an unease run through him. The world had… Changed somehow. Harsh winds suddenly blew through the sky, and lightning smashed into the ground far below. He was worried that he might get blown off the mountain from the gale force winds, but he persevered. He couldn’t back down because some stupid hell storm! He continued his climb, only somewhat hindered by the sudden wind. Even as rain began to fall, he kept going. This was something he had to do; if he didn’t, then he clearly deserved to die on Namek. The lightning from before crashed down again, this time closer to him. He turned briefly, before starting his ascent once more.
He was close to the top now, he could see it from here. All he had to do was get just a bit further!
As he makes his final hop, he collides with a massive bolt of lightning. He screams in pain as his puffball form is sent downwards, landing with a thud on a large plateau. The Namekian’s soul groans in pain as he lays there, seemingly defeated. The Mazoku Lord begins speaking to himself as he begins to float off the ground. ”Come on … Come on … I’ll beat the elements themselves if I have to!”
Xylo moves towards the edge of the plateau. From here, he was eye level with the top of the mountain. It looked like a large, circular throne room without walls. He could see the Wizard sitting in a meditative pose, waiting patiently. The Namekian takes a deep breath, before leaping towards the mountaintop.
And lightning struck once more.
The lightning hit him again, but he refused to be knocked away this time. He forced his way through the pain, moving forwards through the sky despite the pain. Though one would expect lightning to dissipate, this particular bolt persisted. It burned at Xylo, attempting to erase him from existence for his hubris. Even still, he continued moving, pushing with all his might against the pain. With a shout of anger, he pushed past the bolt of magic lightning, landing painfully on the top of the mountain. He panted again, smoke billowing from his puffball body.
The Wizard walked towards him. ”Well done. Very few are able to surpass my lightning field without assistance. Usually I instruct warriors to return to the bottom of the mountain to collect an artifact from a slumbering, soul-eating demon, who would awake and request you find him a suitable breakfast in exchange for the artifact, but it seems you did not need it. Well done.”
Xylo looked up, still panting as once again floated himself off the cold ground. ”So, does that mean I succeeded in proving myself?”
”Indeed. Please, stand here.”
The Namekian moved to the spot he was instructed, and he waited.
The Wizard raised his hands, dropping the cane on the ground as he began to murmur words from a forbidden language. The harsh winds seemed to die down for a moment, only to begin swirling around above them. The many dark clouds spewing water from above shifted to a strange purple hue, as the Wizard’s chant grew ever louder. The clouds above began to move towards Xylo, twisting rapidly around his soul. The winds picked Xylo up, obscuring him entirely from sight. He let out a confused grunt as he started to feel himself begin to reform.
Picking up his cane, the Wizard spoke in a more common tongue as he raised his staff to the sky:
”LORDS OF DARKNESS, HEAR MY CALL! I SUMMON YOUR POWER TO RETURN THIS MORTAL TO HIS TRUE FORM, AND GIVE HIM THE POWER TO TRAMPLE OVER ALL WHO STAND IN HIS WAY!”
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning pierces the tornado that encompassed Xylo and stabbed right through him. He took an enormous gasp for air as his lungs suddenly reformed, alongside his other organs. His bones and muscles soon followed suit, wrapping around his organs like a suit of armor. Finally, his skin returned to him, topped off with the peculiar shark-like fin on his head.
The storm finally cleared, and it revealed that Xylo was whole again… Although there was one thing different. Above the Namekian’s head sat a glowing halo of golden light, floating as if by magic alone. Perhaps this was the sign that, though he now had a body, he was still dead. Regardless, Xylo was delighted to have his body back so quickly.
Xylo pushes out a massive amount of power; his form is cloaked in a malicious purple aura as he yells to the heavens:
”I AM XYLO, SON OF TUNER, AND LORD OF THE MAZOKU CASTE! I HAVE BEATEN DEATH ITSELF BY RECLAIMING MY LOST POWER, AND SOON, ALL WILL TREMBLE BEFORE MY OVERWHELMING MIGHT!!”
With his declaration complete, he powers down. Surely both Kizuki and Alaistair would have heard his cry. He clenches his fist tightly before he turns to the Wizard. ”I must thank you for your help, Wizard. This new body feels much more powerful!”
The Wizard smiled, but interjected with an interesting reveal. ”Yes, you are indeed quite powerful… But you could be even stronger than you already are!”
The Namekian arched his brow. ”Oh? Please, enlighten me.”
”Near the blood lake lies a sacred tree, and that tree bears a very special kind of fruit… Taking even one bite of this golden peach will bless you with the power that even gods fear!”
Xylo stroked his chin with interest. The idea of a fruit that gave power to its consumer was not an original one for the Namekian. ”I see… Why don’t we take a trip down there, then? Perhaps I’ll grab one for Beelzebub as well.”
With a burst of power, Xylo shot into the sky, the Wizard shortly following suit...