Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

"Why! Won't! You! Stay! Down...!?"
Though she outclassed Pweamma in speed and strength, none of Kefla's hits seemed to inflict any lasting damage on her opponent. Every time her strikes connected with the metallic bindings covering the former's body, a golden pulse would ripple out from the point of contact, nullifying physical and Ki-based attacks.
With six arms at her disposal, Pweamma was able to block the majority of Kefla's attacks, a wry yet taunting smile on her face as she replied, "Sorry, but, even amongst other Asuri, I'm particularly durable. You'll have to do a lot better than this if you want to break-"
Interrupting Pweamma's words, Kefla released a Ki blast directly from her mouth, impacting the burgundy-haired Asuri's face and causing her body to arch backward.
"Got you now...!"
To prevent Pweamma from recovering, Kefla grabbed the much larger woman's left ankle before flicking her body like a whip, slamming her into the firmament of space-time. A sound similar to glass shattering echoed through the area, and, for a brief moment, similar cracks appeared on the surface of Pweamma's armor before instantaneously mending.
Though it was only for the briefest of moments, Kefla didn't fail to notice the cracks on Pweamma's armor. However, before she could even think to repeat her attack, a sound akin to a thunderclap echoed through the area as an invisible force surged from Pweamma's body, forcing the confused Saiyaness back.
Feeling the bones within her body vibrating, Kefla stared at her shaking hands and muttered, "What the hell...?"
Providing some insight into what had propelled Kelfa back, Pweamma righted herself to reveal an ornate drum that vaguely resembled the claw of a sizeable crustacean. She had it tucked under one of her left arms, and the moment she struck it, another imperceptible shockwave radiated outward, accompanied by a peal of thunder.
Feeling the vibrations within her body compound, Kefla immediately used Instant Transmission to teleport far away from Pweamma. She could only guess at the actual effect of the drum, but her bestial instincts told her it wouldn't be wise to stick around.
Surprised that Kefla would actually flee, Pweamma raised her brows and remarked, "I guess she isn't just a muscle-brained monkey..."
Placing away her drum, a mystical instrument known as the Ālambara, Pweamma set her sights on the tiered plateau of the Inner Gates. She understood she had no hopes of achieving victory in the Gift Game, so her goal was to obtain relics of the ancient Rakshasa and Asura Tribes.
After waiting several minutes to see if Kefla would return, Pweamma set off toward the plateau like a beam of golden light...
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"God dammit! Why does everyone in this shitty Realm have to rely on bullshit trinkets and armor to fight!?"
As the vibrations within her body exacerbated each time she threw a punch or attempted to take her anger out on her surroundings, Kefla knew running away was her best option. However, while she didn't care about things like 'Saiyan Pride,' being forced to run away before she could go all out caused her blood to boil.
After firing off several Ki blasts at random, devastating her surroundings, Kefla did her best to restrain her frustration with a breathing exercise. The bones in her hands and forearms were vibrating with such intensity that it felt like they were about to fragment into a million pieces, so, even though she 'really' wanted to track down and beat the shit out of Pweamma, she descended into an abandoned building and tried to meditate.
Fortunately, as distracting and painful as the vibrations were, the training Kefla had undergone with Vahn had her endure the temperatures of blue hypergiants and the gravitational forces of supermassive black holes. Her body felt as though it was being invaded by tens of trillions of ants, but it only took a few moments before red markings appeared on Kefla's upper eyelids, the result of her entering Sage Made.
As her anger calmed, the vibrations within Kefla's body gradually waned. It would take hours for them to vanish completely, but Kelfa understood the only penance for hubris was patience...
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Unaware of the setback her ally had suffered, Yuri had a massive grin on her face as she stepped on the chest plate of her opponent, a handsome man with stylish brown hair, blue eyes, and armor befitting a knight.
Undaunted by the man's scowl, Yuri put more weight into her heel as she remarked, "It's no wonder Avalon yielded its position as Floor Master of the South. If this is your limit as their Representative, I can't imagine your Leader being all that great..."
Angered by Yuri's words, the severely beaten knight, Lancelot of the Lake, grabbed her by the ankle, his expression contorted into a fierce yet pained grimace as he said, "Insult me as you will. As the victor, you have that right. However, insulting my King...that I can never allow...!"
Unmoved by Lancelot's words, Yuri flexed the muscles of her remarkably toned legs, unceremoniously stomping him into the ground with enough force to cause a minor earthquake. The internal injuries he sustained were enough to cause Lancelot to lose consciousness immediately, but he was still in the game.
After waiting a few moments to confirm Lancelot was genuinely knocked unconscious, Yuri removed her foot from his chest with the intent to look for her next prey. As she did so, a phantom figure resembling a serpentine dragon appeared next to her. It had a head resembling a seahorse, coral-like antler, and jellyfish-like frills, but it radiated an aura of elegance as it calmly inquired, "Why not finish him off? Without special care, he is bound to be eliminated by the first person who comes across him."
Shrugging her shoulders, Yuri replied, "That's their business. I'm just here to have fun, not kill people. Now, where's our next opponent...?"
Though it didn't have a visible mouth, the illusory serpent exhaled a sigh before using the tip of its tail to tap empty air. As it did so, a watery ripple spread outward, starting off fairly slowly before quickly accelerating to an imperceptible speed.
"There are 137,292 targets within range of my senses. The most vigorous aura belongs to a woman with one of my kin residing within her."
Raising her brows, Yuri asked, "Seriously? Did Vahn go around passing out Companions to try and make things more interesting...?"
As it didn't have any shoulders to shrug with, Yuri's Companion, Mirage, had to imagine itself doing so as it replied, "I can only imagine what goes through the head of my Creator. All I can say for certain is that this would be a bad matchup for us, given our water-related abilities. The Companion I am sensing is the Lord of Ice, Gelid."
Undaunted by Mirage's warning, Yuri exhaled a curious, "Hoooooo~?" as the face of Maschenny appeared within her mind. She also possessed a Companion with dominion over Ice, so Yuri had first-hand experience with how annoying they could be.
Annoying, yes, but far from unbeatable.
Sensing Yuri's thought, Mirage exhaled another sigh before disappearing like her namesake. She knew Yuri couldn't be dissuaded once she made up her mind, so, rather than making a fuss, Mirage steeled herself for the coming battle. She might be at a disadvantage, but that wouldn't prevent her from trying to prove her superiority...
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Sensing his sister spirit's intent, Gelid promptly manifested next to Laulau, stating, "Be alert, a powerful foe approaches."
Before Laulau could ask any follow-up questions, the finer hairs on her body immediately stood on end as strange, emerald-green bubbles began manifesting in her surroundings. She couldn't actually sense them, almost like they were a bunch of illusions, but her instincts were screaming at her to evade.
Trusting her instincts, Laulau leaped into the sky, her body appearing to teleport just as the bubbles closest to her exploded soundlessly. It was a peculiar sight to behold, but what came after caused an involuntary shiver to run through Laulau's body.
Upon reaching their maximum size, the emerald-green bubbles promptly burst, unstable, pitch-black voids appearing in their place. Then, as if the silence from before was the calm before the storm, the foundation of the Little Garden trembled with the cacophonous sound of more than a million violent implosions.
Just as Laulau was about to cover her ears, Gelid provided relief to her by overlapping with her body and materializing into a black, blue, and white fur-lined outfit that resembled the attire worn by the Southern Water Tribe of Avatar. This included a pair of thick, fur-lined earmuffs that filtered out sound above a certain decibel level, so Laulau wasn't completely divested of her ability to hear.
As there was a small amount of blood leaking from her ears, Laulau was about to thank Gelid for his assistance when the latter warned, "They are coming."
Immediately following Gelid's warning, Yuri, wearing a casual outfit, not at all suited for combat, appeared a few meters away, smiling in amusement as she taunted, "Fluffy ears and a tail? It's no wonder Vahn entrusted one of his Companions to you~."
Without waiting for Laulau's response, Yuri released a shockwave from her palm that took on the form of a red flower more than ten kilometers across. Laulau generated a massive wall of ice to try and block it, but it promptly disappeared the moment the two forces overlapped, teleported to one of the many bubbles littering the battlefield.
"What the-"
Before Laulau could finish her exclamation, Yuri emerged from the bud at the center of the flower with a needle-like sword in hand, teasing, "I see you have yet to master cooperating with your Companion. What a shame."
Punctuating her words, Yuri stabbed her sword at the center of Laulau's chest. However, instead of piercing her befuddled feline opponent, she stopped less than three millimeters away, unleashing an oceanic torrent of water that sent Laulau crashing to the ground...
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Observing the match between Yuri and Laulau alongside Sis, Fenrir, and Mikoto, the latter in their Vanargandr and Pikachu forms, Vahn couldn't help smiling wryly as he remarked, "I should have warned everyone to steer clear of Laulau in the earl game. If she loses against her very first opponent, her status as Floor Master is going to be called into question..."
Though she could definitely see people calling Laulau's qualifications into question, Sis allayed Vahn's concerns by stating, "It won't be much longer until you challenge the Inner Gates. Once you've achieved your goal, Yuri and the rest will doubtlessly want to accompany you wherever you might end up. With less competition, Laulau should be able to secure her status easily...at least until someone like Yvonne steps forward to contest it..."
While gently caressing Mikoto's head, Vahn softly muttered, "Nn...you're probably right..."
Rolling her eyes, Sis playfully mused, "When am I not~?" before resting her head against Vahn's shoulder. In response, Vahn just exhaled a light chuckle before willing his holographic display to shift to another ongoing battle. The battle between Yuri and Laulau was far from a conclusion, but Vahn had no delusions about how things would end. Yuri had the benefit of training alongside Mirage in an Actualized World, so, while Laulau had grown tremendously in just a few short hours(years within the coliseum), the difference between them was like night and day.
"Speaking of one-sided battles..."
With the display now reflecting Madara's moon-sized Susanoo, the smile on Vahn's face became even wrier. Several famous Heroes from the West were doing their best to take her down, but it was like observing a bunch of fleas trying to take down a fully grown adult...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'When the bonk just isn't strong enough...','Even when pitted against a Lord of Ice, Yuri has no chill xD...','Madara be like, "Hmph...pathetic..."')

As part of the corps charged with collecting information and espionage in the West, it hadn't taken long for Madara to gain a reputation as a famous Supervillain. She had never gone out of her way to attack civilians, but her detractors had labeled her Madara, the Crimson-Eyed Killer, after she had assassinated several corrupt politicians.
Though she didn't really care about the label that had been forced upon her, Madara decided to use the Pandemonium Gift Game to demonstrate just how powerful she truly was. She doubted the general populace would come to their senses, but she wanted them to understand that if she were half as evil as the media made her out to be, she wouldn't stop at killing a handful of people...
Wearing her iconic red and black armor, Madara hovered at the center of a 3000km tall Susanoo, her voice echoing through the surrounding space as she muttered, "Pathetic...and you dare refer to yourself the Symbol of Peace, the Paragon of Justice?"
Having sustained numerous internal injuries, Madara's opponent, Paragon, coughed up a mouthful of blood before returning a smile and saying, "You may think you've won, but so long as a single flame of hope remains, I will never stop fighting."
Standing 190cm tall and possessing a muscular physique comparable to Heracles himself, Paragon exuded the aura of a Hero from every pore of his being. He was getting on in years, exemplified by his quaffed, silvery-white hair and neatly trimmed dark beard, but his race was one that grew more powerful with age. As the last member of said race, he intended to ensure his people's final legacy was one of truth, justice, and, above all else, hope.
No matter the odds.
Accelerating to faster than light speeds in an instant, Paragon smashed into the center of Madara's Susanoo, raising it from the ground despite the drastic difference in size. Massive cracks and a large crater appeared in the Susanoo's armored plating, but they were instantaneously repaired as Madara aimed her left hand at Paragon and coldly muttered, "Shinra Tensei..."
Just as he had been numerous times before, Paragon was sent crashing into the foundation of the Little Garden by the force of Madara's 'Almighty Push.' He had tried to resist it during previous exchanges, but it didn't take him long to realize that the more he opposed the invisible force, the more damage he would sustain.
As Paragon crashed into the ground, his body drilling into the foundation of the Little Garden as if it were soft tofu, Madara stabbed her six, seven-branched swords into the ground after him. Each blade was more than a thousand kilometers in length, but the most frightening thing about them was their speed. When massive objects moved at incredible speeds, even a casual blow could affect cataclysmic results.
Despite the Little Garden's outstanding durability, the entirety of the former West Side seemed to shake from Madara's meteoric blows. Those who had been observing the battle a little too closely, waiting for their chance to strike, barely had time to register what had happened before they found themselves awakening outside, eliminated from the Gift Game in an instant.
Rising from a deep crater more than 20,000km in diameter, Madara took a moment to observe the destruction she had caused, muttering, "It's a lot smaller than expected..."
As the average impact crater was roughly twenty times the size of the impacting object, Madara had expected her attack to produce a cavity at least 60,000~100,000km across. More surprisingly, there were still a few buildings in her immediate surroundings that had endured, devastated but still recognizable.
Interrupting Madara's reflection, a massive column of dust erupted from beneath her, followed by Paragon drilling into her Susanoo's chin. He was a little worse for wear, bearing numerous injuries, but he was healing at a visible rate and packed a punch that could shatter a decently sized moon.
Though the armor around Susanoo's head was a lot stronger than the rest of its body, especially the 'gem' containing Madara, Paragon managed to behead the massive energy construct, shouting, "Justice may falter, but it never stays down! This is the end for you, Madaraaaaaaaaaa-!"
Stabbing his hands into the gem surrounding Madara's body, Paragon accelerated with the intent of ramming her into the barrier surrounding the Little Garden. Not everyone could return to the boundaries of a Game Board after being ejected from it, so Paragon intended to smash through it, eliminating both himself and Madara.
What Paragon never expected was Madara phasing out of the gem the moment he accelerated, their forms briefly passing through one another as if she was an illusion. Then, before Paragon could even think to arrest his momentum, Madara's outfit changed from her iconic red armor to an eerie, ashen-grey cloak. At the same time, six sets of vantablack wings manifested behind her, complete with a strange black halo appearing over her head.
As Paragon turned in slow motion to meet Madara's gaze, the latter closed her eyes, suppressing a sigh as she muttered, "Sayonara, Symbol of Peace..."
In the instant following Madara's utterance, she angled the tips of her black wings in Paragon's direction. Each of the thousands of feathers unleashed thin beams of matching black light, their velocity far beyond their more luminous counterpart as they pierced Paragon's body, forcing him along his intended course.
After seeing Paragon endure the attack of her seven-branched swords, weapons that were capable of piercing just about anything, Madara had no choice but to accept his claims about never giving up. She was certain her attack had reduced him to little more than meat pulp, but as if he was powered by some form of Light-based Magia Erebea, Paragon revived, his strength and speed nearly double what they were previously.
Not wanting to endure the experience of being defeated by a Hero after acting arrogantly, Madara borrowed Paragon's plan and sent him crashing through the Little Garden's boundary layer. His body was immediately torn apart by the chaotic energies that swirled outside, but that wasn't enough to take him out of the game. He was nearly able to force his way out with sheer grit, but Madara was able to undermine his efforts with a full-power Shinra Tensei, repelling him at the last moment.
As the boundary closed up, effectively separating the Little Garden from the rest of reality, Madara stared at the location Paragon had 'departed' for several tense moments. Even when backed into a corner or up against impossible odds, genuine Heroes had the trait of being able to turn things around at the last moment. Madara was fairly certain that Paragon wasn't capable of creating a path back to the game board, but she didn't want to exhale a sigh of relief only for the veteran Hero to come crashing through, stronger than ever...
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Seeing one of their trump cards eliminated, the Patriarch Praelatus of the Ormus Society, occupying the lowest-digit Gate in the West Side, adopted a grim expression. It wasn't the defeat of Paragon that bothered him, but the fact that Madara appeared with six sets of raven wings, almost as if to insult their beliefs.
Voicing the Praelatus's thoughts, an inordinately tall man wearing clothing befitting a futuristic Bishop remarked, "Blasphemous cur from the depths of Hades. To think she would have the audacity to display twelve wings in the West..."
Nodding his head in agreement, the Praelatus looked like he was about to say something when a profound, deep, and simultaneously feminine voice echoed within his mind, sending shivers through his body as it stated but a single word, "&lt;PATIENCE&gt;."
Surprising his much younger counterpart, the Praelatus fell to his knees, hands raised and tears streaming down his wrinkled face as he shouted to the sky, "This undeserving servant has heard your words and shall obey! Glory to the Almighty...!"
Though he hadn't received a message of his own, the Bishop attending the Praelatus immediately emulated his elderly mentor's actions. It had been centuries since they last received guidance from their Creator, but he knew better than to ask questions. In the Ormus faith, there was only one Truth. Anyone that dared to question it was a heretic of the highest order...
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Immediately following Madara's 'blasphemous' display, an underground factory, located deep within a cross-shaped opening, whirred to life. All of the above-ground facilities related to the factory had been destroyed long ago, but the interior was immaculate, pristine, and sterile.
As the ancient yet undamaged facility activated, faint blue light began to fill the interior, illuminating various capsules, pods, and machinery. Among these objects, located at the heart of the facility, was an eerie mechanical bust. Its facial features appeared feminine at a glance, but its distinct lack of limbs and any prominent sexual characteristics made it difficult to know for sure.
Protruding from where the bust's arms should have been was a series of twelve tubes. They were splayed in such a way to resemble the wings of an angel, but anyone gazing upon the statue's visage would feel a sense of dread, not awe.
Located behind the eerie statue, almost as if it was being protected, was a cylindrical tank filled with glowing, greenish-blue liquid. Within said tank was what appeared to be a naked woman, her skin as fair as a doll's and her inordinately long hair rivaling clear skies with how breathtakingly blue it was. Were it not for the fact she had a barcode printed on her abdomen and several thin lines denoting the seams where her limbs were attached, her appearance could have been described as flawless.
As the liquid within her container began to bubble, the blue-haired woman slowly opened her eyes to reveal ruby-red, gem-like eyes. There were no visible emotions contained within them, but they gave off a peculiar sense of surety and purpose that couldn't be matched by 'lesser' entities, God or otherwise.
Without waiting for the liquid to drain away, the blue-haired woman slowly unfurled her arms and legs, uncoiling from the fetal position she had been in for what felt like an eternity. She was careful to control her movements, but the vessel containing her immediately cracked, followed by a series of alarms going off as the entire facility began to tremble.
Though there wasn't any air in her lungs, the blue-haired woman exhaled a faint sigh that sent shivers through the bodies of anyone within 6,000km of the underground facility. From their perspective, it was like the woman had exhaled mere millimeters away from their ears, startling them to their core.
Understanding that she couldn't spare the facility that had housed her for all these years, the blue-haired woman leaned forward slightly, seemingly unbound by gravity, as she freed herself from the fractured container. She gave a cursory glance at the statue that had been shielding her from view but promptly disregarded it as the roof above her abruptly collapsed, tens of millions of tons of metal and concrete raining down on her.
Before so much as a single particle of dust could sully her body, the blue-haired woman extended her hand toward the torrent of debris, 'freezing' it in place. Were it not for the lights flickering and alarms blaring around her, any casual observer might have assumed she had halted the flow of time. Instead, she was using an incomprehensibly powerful and refined form of Telekinesis to 'anchor' every fragment of debris in place.
Adopting a faint smile, the blue-haired woman gave a light push toward the debris. In response, it moved away from her as if freed from the pull of gravity, continuing to rise even after she no longer applied any force to it...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Paragon was preparing to go plus ultra xD...','This seems familiar...','A new challenger has entered the battlefield...')

As the twenty-four-hour preparation period drew to a close, it wasn't an exaggeration to say the entire Little Garden was on tenterhooks. This was the first time in history that practically every Community was being pitted against one another in a battle royale. There might only be a single Player representing each Community, but virtually everyone was participating in the event in one form or another.
Though they had no idea who Vahn's Representative would be, Brokers had placed the Aldrnari Empire's odds at 1.3:1. The potential payout was low compared to every other Community in the Outer Gates, but anyone with sense understood the Empire wouldn't go down without a fight. Were it not for the participation of beings such as Chaos Dragon Lahmu, Aion of Time, World Dragon Kurma, White Rider of Conquest, and Siddhartha the Enlightened, they would have been favored to win the entire event.
In preparation for the Garden-wide event, every single News/Journalistic Community in the Little Garden had been broadcasting speculation and commentary non-stop. They also displayed the remaining time until the event, synchronized with massive displays that slowly orbited the Inner Gates, visible throughout the entirety of the Little Garden.
As the countdowns reached 00:00:00, the visage of Shiroyasha in her child-like form immediately took over every broadcast. She was sitting with her fan spread, her cat-like eyes narrowed and face formed into a mischievous grin as she mused, "I hope everyone was able to use these past twenty-four hours wisely. Events like this don't come around often, so you may regret it for the rest of your lives if you didn't."
Snapping her fan shut, Shiroyasha laid it across her lap as she added, "I understand many of you have questions, first and foremost among them being, "Why is this event taking place?" To that, I ask you this, "Why does it matter?" Unless you can achieve victory, this is just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to prove yourself on the absolute highest stage. If you 'did' manage to achieve victory, you would receive the answers to all your questions and more. Thus, without further ado, let's get this thing started. Shall we~?"
Following Shiroyasha's words, innumerable displays appeared alongside those that already existed. Trying to cast an event with millions of people participating was next to impossible, so each and every Player within the Little Garden was given a personalized display to observe the progress of their chosen Representative. For now, however, they showed a wasteland that stretched as far as the eye could see, a lifeless world filled with ruins, countless corpses, and chaotic skies.
With everyone drawn to their respective displays, Shiroyasha's usually chipper voice became somewhat solemn as she revealed, "Behold, the remains of the first, the original Little Garden. For various reasons, this bygone battleground has been chosen as the venue for today's event. If they are to achieve ultimate victory, Players will need to overcome more than just the Representatives of other Communities. Within this destroyed world, creatures that revel in destruction lie in slumber, patiently awaiting their next victims..."
Demonstrating her point, Shiroyasha changed the display to show the corpse of a massive white dragon, its immense size making the mountains surrounding it resemble popcorned walls. It appeared completely lifeless at a distance, but as the viewport zoomed in, monsters of various shapes and sizes could be seen slinking about or slaughtering one another within the dragon's hollowed remains.
Before the average residents of the Little Garden could get a good look at the peculiar white creatures, Shiroyasha switched scenes to the ruins of a disc-shaped city floating high in the sky, assembled from white marble and glistening gold. Much of it had been destroyed, but there was a set of blade-like spires located at the exact center of the city, towering over all and seemingly untouched by the devastation in their surroundings.
Though she didn't explain the origin of the disc-shaped city, Shiroyasha earned the intrigue of nearly everyone in the Little Garden as she added, "For those of you brave or lucky enough to circumvent the many dangers that await you on the battlefield, endless opportunities await. God slaying swords, indestructible armor, automatons powered by literal stars. If your fate is strong enough, countless relics dating back to the dawn of creation itself can be yours to collect. Thus, even if the odds appear to be stacked against you, I advise you to do your best and continue till the end."
Without revealing the location of any actual artifacts, Shiroyasha's smiling face appeared once again. This time, however, she was in her adult form, surprising the vast majority of the Little Garden's residents. Unfortunately, they didn't have much time to admire her as she narrowed her eyes and mused, "Good luck, you're going to need it."
Following Shiroyasha's words, the 9,999,990 Players, representing just as many Communities, found themselves unceremoniously teleported to the ruins of the former Little Garden. Their destinations were the approximate locations of ruins corresponding to the Gates they occupied in the current Little Garden. This might seem like it favored the Representative of lower-digit Communities, but the opposite was true. After all, the closer you got to the center of the former Garden, the closer you got to the source of its destruction...
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As many beings within the Little Garden were the aggregates of multiple entities, Caulifla and Kale had no issues joining the game as Kefla. They would be disqualified the moment they separated into their constituent forms, but so long as they had their indestructible Potara Earrings, there was little chance of that happening.
While taking in her surroundings, Kefla set her gaze upon the three-tiered plateau dominating the center of the battlefield. She knew all of the most capable warriors would be 'spawning' at the Inner Gates, so that was the destination she decided for herself.
Just as Kefla took to the sky and was preparing to race to her destination, an inordinately tall woman with burgundy hair, ashen skin, four arms, and teal eyes appeared in front of her. Most of the observers recognized the woman immediately, but neither of the Saiyans comprising Kefla was the type to bother with collecting information. Thus, even though the woman was a former adversary of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, Kefla had absolutely no idea who she was dealing with, musing, "Hoooooooo~? I didn't expect anyone to be brave enough to face me directly."
As Kefla had crossed her arms and smiled while speaking, the burgundy-haired woman did the same with her frontmost arms, returning a smile as she revealed, "I actually just came here to see who was representing the Sage Dragon's Hearth. With all the monsters serving him, I honestly never expected Vahn to nominate you. He must be fairly confident in the person he chose to represent the Aldrnari Empire."
Understanding that the woman was calling her weak, Kefla narrowed her eyes and retorted, "You're playing with fire, tomato-top. I may not be the strongest in the Aldrnari Empire, but I'm more than a match for some stray giantess."
Using one of her free hands, the burgundy-haired woman scratched the back of her head, a wry smile marring her face as she asked, "Could it be you don't actually know who I am? That...kind of hurts?"
Though nothing ever came of it, there was a time when the burgundy-haired woman, Pweamma, had been prepared to become Vahn's wife, mistress, or whatever role she needed to play. She had also engaged Usalia in a fairly high-profile battle, so she never expected there to be people affiliated with the Sage Dragon's Hearth who didn't know her...
Resisting the urge to retort in a mean-spirited manner, Kefla exhaled through her nose and asked, "Look, are we doing this or what? If not, I have other places to be. If you want to lecture me about who you are or something similar, feel free to stop by the Sage Dragon's Hearth after the game has ended. I'll hear you out."
Realizing that Kefla genuinely had no clue who she was, an exasperated sigh emanated from Pweamma's throat. She was originally going to team up with her at the behest of her mentor, Ziros, but now she felt obliged to prove she wasn't just some 'random giantess.'
Putting Kefla on high alert, Pweamma manifested a pair of long-handled daggers and two scimitars as she said, "The name's, Pweamma. I'm the Vice-Leader of a Community called Chhah-Hathiyaar. I'm not your enemy, but I'm afraid my pride won't allow me to simply ignore your comments..."
Undaunted by the profound aura emanating from Pweamma's body, the result of strange blue runes extending from her shoulders and along her arms, Kefla cracked an arrogant smile and replied, "Fine by me. Besides, I'm the type that prefers to discuss things using my fists. Just try not to lose too quickly, okay~?"
Without waiting for a response, Kefla moved forward at a speed that caused the surrounding space to issue a terrifying hum. Her speed and power had increased exponentially since the promotional Gift Game, so her Super Saiyan 2 form was now faster than her previous Super Saiyan Sage form.
Though she was somewhat taken aback by Kefla's speed, Pweamma managed to intercept the former's flying kick with her cross scimitars. The edges of her blades were enchanted to be able to cut through just about anything, but the sole of Kefla's foot remained undamaged due to the Ki shrouding her. Instead, it was Pweamma who suffered a minor setback as the force from the blow sent her smashing into the ground like a burgundy meteor traveling at several times the speed of light.
Since she still had no idea who Pweamma was, Kefla didn't wait around to see if her opponent would recover. The Gift Game was a battle royale with only a single victor, so she followed the unceremonious spike by pointing her palms at the ground and shouting, "Gigantic Destruction...!"
Following Kefla's mighty roar, a terrifying beam of spiraling green energy erupted from her palms, instantaneously striking Pweamma's position and causing an explosion that resembled an eerie green star. Its power was comparable to several supernovas erupting simultaneously, but, thanks to the durability of Little Garden and the density of its Spiritual Energy, the explosion waned after a few dozen kilometers.
Seeing how little her attack did to the environment, a disproving grimace marred Kefla's face. As someone accustomed to obliterating planets with her punches, it was annoying to see one of her most powerful Ki blasts do such meager damage.
Increasing Kefla's frustration, Pweamma popped up out of the rubble with only surface-level injuries. Her skimpy outfit was a little frayed around the edges, but she was largely undamaged as she stared back at Kefla with a sharp-toothed smile and remarked, "You're a lot stronger than I gave you credit for. If this had been the Vahnatus, that would have been more than enough to do me in."
Before Kefla could ask what the hell a Vahnatus was, the fiery blue runes on Pweamma's back, shoulders, and arms abruptly turned gold. Similarly golden 'threads' then erupted from her collarbone, enveloping her arms in what appeared to be golden muscle fibers while also providing her a third set, bringing her total arm count to six.
While Kefla had no idea of the significance of Pweamma's transformation, those following the match were more than a little shocked. One of the few who wasn't was an elderly fellow with a burly physique, blazing blue eyes, white hair, and stylish facial hair. The moment he saw Pweamma manifest her final set of arms, a grandfatherly smile developed across his face as he softly mused, "Gifts aren't prohibited in this game..."
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'There are no opportunities without risks...','Kefla gives no fucks O 3 O...','Are we about to witness the true power of the Asuri...?')

Chapter 2335: Battles Abound