NON-CANON MATCHUP: Liari vs... Whoever...?

Inugami flew past many buildings, rocky pillars, and forest upon sensing an enormous Ki signature just beckoning so he opted to investigate it. He was flying with enough force that it kicked up dirt and wind, which sent everything flying everywhere, intending to reach this person who is letting everyone with the ability to sense ki to track them down, but he knew this signature, having nearly been humbled and surviving an insane battle, this time, he hoped to repay her with a beating he had planned for her. Arriving and sensing another person he also knows, Rutaba, a kid he come to like as a little brother, "Hey Rutaba" he flies over and pat the kid on his head then turns to Liari "I'm here, i see you've grown in strength bu-" he stops upon seeing her outfit and raise a finger, pointing at her "Where did you that attire" he ask with a dangerous edge to his voice.​

Listen And Read
The Majin revealed in its newfound power as if it were effervescent. It spilled forth like overpowered wine from her cerulean flesh. A siren to any and all who were daring to test their might against such an unfathomable abomination as herself. Those who had so far had been either brave or foolish in believing they were capable of besting the newfound dragon of the earth. One a boy far too big for his britches and the other a man who still lacked the strength to fully protect those he cared for.

In the distance, trekking into the rocky expanse, was a hooded figure hunched over. Frail fingers wrapped in black bandages gripped a walking stick so tight that beneath their knuckles went white. Each step they took was unhurried, respectful even, as they slowly but surely answered the call. Not having felt the thrill of battle in ages long-since passed.

Pathetic and humiliating as it was for himself, the Majin or the other combatants may have taken it as disrespect. He was far too small a fry to even stand against them it seemed. A fact pronounced by the way their Ki was wholly undetectable. It looked like a death march. The final chance for an old man to die in glorious combat as the old ways demanded. It seemed impossible for it to be anything else.​

Shinji: "Hey! Idiots! Listen and Read!!"



"HEY, LOSERS!" Shinji Devil Man roared to the top of his lungs, "YOU'RE ALL TOAST"

Descending from the sky and parting the clouds like a crimson comet illuminating the night sky, Shinji couldn't help himself but be overly theatrical, that just who he was. None of it was for attention, however, he was sure to have all eyes on him whether he forced them or not. He was ready to cause some chaos; he surveyed the area from a bird's eye view noticing several individuals. Out of the four he accounted for he could only since ki coming from three of them. The mysterious shadowy figure immediately caught his attention, "hmph.." ignoring that specific person for now as his focus was currently on the majin who issued an open challenge...

Landing in the space between the majin and the other two who seemed to be already acquainted, one was a young and energetic Saiyan, meanwhile the human had a very casual appearance; Shinji could tell that human was pretty laid back by the looks of it. "hmph..." he looked at the human with utter disgust. He pointed a finger directly at the human male while glaring with an intense devilish stare.

"Hey You!!!" He shouted... "Why are you dressed like that," he asked mockingly. His sinister grin suddenly turned into a frown and flame on his tail burst wildly rapidly increasing in size in response to his aggressive behavior. He was genuinely baffled by the human's lack of care about his appearance.

He glared at the human as if he was trying to burn a hole through his chest with eyes, Inugami's presence slightly irritated him. However, the saiyan child seemed fairly interesting, his fiery personality was slightly inspiring. It reminded Shinji of him in earlier youth. Still, he could not break his attention from the human who considered to be poorly dressed.

"Listen nerd! You're gonna get yourself hurt if you don't turn around go home," Shinji already developed a strong dislike for the Inugami "you're just going to end up getting yourself killed" Just as he tried to warn the human it was already too late. The majin had already zoomed forward appearing almost instantly behind the saiyan and the human. She was like a whirlwind, a torrent of energy. She moved swiftly with intention and focus; she managed to knock the saiyan boy off balance following up with a devastating smash...

"Well then..."

Slightly impressed by the majin combat abilities he cast an invisible magical barrier around his body that effects the very laws of space around him, this barrier allowed him to control the distance between him and object repelling any debris sent flying his way. The rocks had come to sudden stop before they could physically bounce off Shinji, he was impressed that the majin was more the capable of being a worthy fighter, but he wasn't really a fan of teamwork, he was strongly contemplating whether or not he wanted to be a spectator or participant, whatever the case he remained vigilant, not letting his guard down forgetting about that shadowy figure he caught wind of before arriving to the battlefield.

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Inugami couldn't help but feel his anger boil over and his heart beat pounding in his ears that cancelled out the noise Liari and some random guy who looked like demon spawn from his appearance with a flaming tail was making, that selfish and prideful smile she is displaying when talking, how she wore Eschal's clothes with glee and claim his powers as her own, he will have to beat the crap of her to force the majin to spit his friend back out, force her to regurgitate him even. Upon his blinding rage building up like a thermometer ready to break its peak until he didn't see Liari no more, sensing her behind him and Rutaba, he went to counter but was struck in the back of the head by her tentacle that sent him hurtling down to the ground, however, he managed to slow and halt his fall, only to sense her behind him again but he came prepared as she reaches out to grab him and Rutaba but activates his Ash Bloom technique that turns a single field view into a area of dozen near-invisible phoenix like cuts that'll slice and cube up her limbs if she manages to detect his attack.

Following up with summoning a phoenix spear, where he multiplies into six seperate then hurl them right at her in hopes to send her flying down towards the ground and pin her to give them breathing room. "Hit back with a strong attack Rutaba!" he turns to his companion, then looks up and now notices the guy, giving him a stern and serious look. "Who are you?" he asks Shinji, like he wasn't there a minute ago talking to them about getting out of there.
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How did the Old Hermit believe he had a chance to stand against them? Especially when he seemed reliant on his staff to carry him when his feet could not. It was difficult for any to comprehend that this figure on its death march had ever known violence. Let alone had the capacity for it in his old age. Little did they know that he understood something few did. That violence was the true nature of the universe.

All one had to do to learn it was look at the vast cosmos rather than the world in front of them.

He did so in ages long before the great shattering. He watched cataclysmic violence that put anything they were capable of producing to shame. Destroying a celestial body was a feat, true, but nothing compared to the torture of changing a world’s geological nature. That is a strength that hardly anyone possessed in this age where totalitarian destruction mattered more than preservation or alteration.

Did they know that before their bout the world had been nameless? That the tectonic plates had ground the continents together, their collision so powerful, that it pushed up mountain ranges that protruded upward like spears through the heart of the earth? That far beneath the blue seas, white-hot magma shed light in the darkness of the ocean floor, spewing forth raw minerals and gems that tore through the currents above them? Or that this planet’s first rulers had been microorganisms that waged a war for survival that lasted longer than any in their histories?

It is a violence that he understood on a fundamental level. A violence he planned to impart on them this day. As his beige cloak fluttered in the wind from the impacts far beyond him he shoved his staff into the rocky terrain. Upon his face the ghost of a smile formed on his lips as he tasted the air of their conflict.

His freehand lifted slowly, fingers curled into a claw as his palm faced the skies. Invisibly he writhed in unfathomable might that forced the clear blue above to gloom. From out of nothingness clouds formed. Swirling with its epicenter high above the combatants, stretching out beyond where the sun would set, blotting its light out in all directions, cardinal or otherwise.

Then for the first time in its history this desert a drop of rain fell from the sky. Though it had not been the same that graced the crops of farmers in their field or that which drowned others in torrential floods. It was inky black and clung and melded into the sands and the rocks like a fly in a web. In the microsecond that followed so too did more droplets, then even more, until finally it seemed as if the heavens were crying midnight tears across the area.

One might have thought it to be acidic or some other form of immediate danger. Instead, it did nothing but smell like a sweet carcinogen, an aroma that permeated the battlefield as it sought to soak the combatant’s in its slick and sable fury. For the time being they were safe. Unaffected by the downpour that overtook them at this moment. If anything some might have viewed it as a cool, refreshing escape from the harsh desert expanse they found themselves in.​

"Don't you dare ignore me four eyes!!!" roaring at Inugami frowning in utter disgust. However, it seemed Inugami had not had time to respond, Liari's assault had already begun, she attacked ruthlessly without any regards for what her opponents were capable of enduring. This made Shinji smile from ear to ear, grinning menacingly, for he thought this was a spectacle to be ever so grateful to witness.

Majin Liari: "Now THIS is what I'm talking about!"

Shinji raised an eyebrow quizzically.

Majin Liari: "HE actually has power, unlike you two jokers. Why can't you be like this guy here?"

Chuckling and dawning a sinister smile Shinji, knew that Liari was referring to him. "Hmph... flattery will get you nowhere with me ya overgrown mutated gumball, but I will kindly accept your compliments," the sarcasm in his voice was more than obvious in his voice that he clearly enjoyed being acknowledged. However, this short joyful moment for him would be cut short, Inugami and Rutaba would this time rush at the majin with a flurry of attacks. First came a frontal assault by Rutaba who rushed Liari with barrage of useless attacks, Liari stood unphased by a single blow; next came Inugami with a ranged attack conjuring fiery spears. Shinji's eyes widened as the flaming spears shimmered and spiraled into its complete shape to him it was a divine spectacle, "Now that's not half bad" he said grinning from ear to ear. However, Majin Liari, had made a fool her opponents. Not only did she endure every single one of Rutaba's attacks without flinching, but she also used him as meat shield holding him in place with her tentacle-like hair blocking the flame spears. It was easily to that this majin was ruthless and possessed every intention of domination her opponents while enjoying every second of it, however the stronger the opponent the more she could enjoy dominating them.

Majin Liari: "Here, catch."

She tossed Rutaba like a he was nothing more than a balled-up piece of paper, his body hovered in the air for a moment as he was on a crash course towards Shinji who contemplated attempting to catch him or watch him crash and burn. The decision was fairly easy for Shinji to make however it was always fun for him to imagine playing the hero or the villain was fine for him. He scratched his chin with one hand while the other allowed him elbow to rest in its palm, however with a simple hand gesture toward the torpedoing saiyan would find himself at a sudden stop hovering in front of Shinji uncontrollably against his own will (Telekinesis). "Hey, brat!" shouting aggressively at the young saiyan "You've got spunk kid, but you're too weak... so I want you to stand back for a second and then once you get the hang of it repeat after me! Got it!" Shinji was indeed impressed with the saiyan child's fiery spirit but there was no power behind his attacks. But before he could begin his lesson, he would turn his attention to Inugami.

'Hey Idiot! Watch where the hell you shoot those fiery spears or else I'm gonna kick your ass next." for some reason Inugami was the target of Shinji's wrath. Something about him just rubbed Shinji the wrong way, all he could think about giving him a face full of fist. Meanwhile a ki blast hurdled towards him, normally this would be something he deflect however he quickly tossed the young saiyan aside so that he won't be used as a meat shield again. As soon as the kid was out of the way the ki blast collided with Shinji's barrier with explosive force however neither Shinji nor his barrier was unphased. The impact created a dust cloud engulfing Shinji; he's stood their looking like shadowy figure with glowing red eyes, when it cleared, he was revealed standing there menacingly smiling and grinning at Liari. Who was flicking her finger taunting him to come at her.

Majin Liari: "You just gonna stand there looking like the biggest tease I've seen today?"

She stood their mockingly and adopting a similar smile to that of the devil man himself. He smirked, impressed but just as he was about to respond he notice a change in the weather.

"Black rain??" This unnatural occurrence was a strange phenomenon indeed; however, Shinji had an idea of who might be responsible for this sudden change in the atmosphere. He looked around to see if this was either Inugami or Rutaba's doing but the two hadn't attempted anything out of the ordinary; and Majin Liari was just as confused as well as disgusted.

Majin Liari: "Great. It had to rain OIL the day I decided to do this. Just my luck."

"Oil? That old man... tch" he muttered to himself, no wonder he was getting wet...

Normal rain just passes right through his barrier-like hair does the crack in a door or condensation from a cup full cold water. However, this oil seemed to bounce right of his barrier, whoever was responsible for this must have had some sort of trick up their sleeve. As much as he wanted to investigate, he wasn't sure if whether or not he should stay and fight because had he not found the source of this problem their fight could come to an abrupt end. But before he could make a decision, he noticed Rutaba planning for another attack and by the looks of he was slowly but surely trying to conjure a massive fireball a small spark what the beginning of a soon to be a massive orb of fire. "This idiot" before his sphere can get any larger Shinji appeared in front of him faster than he could track with an open hand he reached to slap the boys palm to prevent him from using this technique in such conditions. "Boy are you a fool..." he stated with a calm voice, the shift in energy was serious "you should play closer attention to your surroundings" had he succeeded in disrupting Rutaba he would possibly prevent an early tragedy for the young saiyan. Letting down his guard in order to save someone or so it had seemed. This wasn't like Shinji rarely stepping into other people's battles. Had the boy created the sphere of fire a single drop of oil could his disrupt his control of the flame possibly engulfing himself in his own fire.

Majin Liari: "Hurry up! Don't be a disappointment like these two and HIT ME with something special."

"Don't you feel that in the air, their maybe someone stronger nearby and I think I know exactly where to find them. You interested or what?" He stated hoping to inspire Liari to find the person responsible for the black rain, he felt perhaps that old man had something to hide after all, no wonder he couldn't sense any ki from that individual. Had she agreed to accompany him he would lead her towards where he last spotted the old man wearing a tattered hooded robe. There was just something that was off about his appearance that made Shinji feel uneasy, his presence was even more sinister and more ominous than Shinji. At least with Shinji you can tell the devil is coming but this old man was mystery and an unknown threat was the worse kinds of them all, and something that shouldn't be taken lightly. However, he clenched his fist tightly knuckles cracking as they became engulfed with a crimson aura as he turned towards Liari, "If you want throw hands," He took his martial stance which was mixture between boxing and muaythai, his legs slightly shoulder width apart as bounced on the balls of his feet. "Shinji Devil Man, never backs down from anyone." prepared to challenge the majin head on he hoped she had only considered his offer so they can deal with this unknown threat, Shinji had an ill feeling that if this rain didn't let up something bad was about to happen.

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Inugami huffs as Liari used his friend as a meat shield to block then toss him towards Shinji who merely tossed the kid aside but hearing that dick head yell at him only annoyed Inugami more opting the young man to ignore the pissed off individual who also went to smack the fire ball from Rutaba's hands, pointing out the oil rain that began pouring down around them, soaking into clothes, hair and dirt "Strange, oil rain..." he mumbles to himself while flying over to Rutaba while she was talking to Shinji. Checking on the kid and seeing the burns, he sighs at this and shakes his head, "Well, we take this guy on and let Liari find what this guy is talking about" he says measuring their options since Liari has gotten stronger, deep down he wanted to punch that confident smirk off her face but knew that would only result in him getting humbled even more, especially when he can barely keep up with her speed "Best find a way to combine our strengths to win" he says to the younger saiyan.
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Perhaps their lack of understanding was born from it not being a flashy technique designed to show power. It seemed to be all they understood. A fact proven by the way the young primate ascended into the sky in hopes to charge an attack. Had it not been for the Devil that was smart enough to stop him he might not have been stopped from performing what was inevitable suicide.

That did not mean their death was preventable. Their techniques showed they possessed no martial skill or years of prowess honed by battle. He believed he had been completely and utterly correct in his assumption that they knew nothing of war, let alone how to wage it. That is why he was going to give them their first lesson in chemical warfare. Something that while illegal throughout most of the known universe, was still on the table, when dealing with something larger than oneself.

Beyond the anaerobic decay and fossil fuels needed to create crude oil, the chemical make-up of the sable rain had been hydrocarbons. In the torrential downpour they found themselves in, such high volumes were dangerous. Though not due to the volatility of the substance, not at all, that was child’s play. No, the true terror lied inside the vapors, which they had been inhaling subconsciously. After all, they had never made any active intention to hold their breaths, let alone while they remained screaming at the top of their lungs at each other.

Only the Majin was safe from this as they did not likely have the same weakness of lungs as the others did. A rare instance where having such drastically different physiology was a blessing. Besides they were the only one the Hermit wished to battle. It is why he coated the expanse in oil, to act as a pesticide, eradicating the pests who plagued their arena.

The Ape, The Man, and the Devil were going to feel the effects though. It started simply as breaths becoming labored, followed by dizzying and aching skulls, before nausea began to take over. This sea of affliction that flooded their bodies were the least of their concerns. So long as they remained ‘neath the shadow of the storm they were going to die from the inside. Poisoned by the hydrocarbon vapors in the air without the Hermit even needing to lay a hand on them. To try and dispel it, however, was dangerous. As seen earlier a single blast might transform their environment from a black gulch of desert into a field of flaming glass.

The only thing the Hermit had to do was wait it out. His hands gripping his staff, standing there, as his beige coat became dark as night and made him invisible against the backdrop. Slowly but surely, he poured his magic in the storm to continue its existence, but overall he did little else. He needed to do nothing else. He was the End and the Death of the three pests that laid before them and in no time at all they would likely begin dropping like flies, one by one, until it was just him and the Majin.
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