DB Multiverse

The Frost Army Mobilizes

In the grand Throne Room of the Emperor, tensions were so high that many warriors capable of turning entire nations to ashes with the flick of a finger were reduced to fixating the ground while they shook in their boots.

It was a rare sight and an ill omen to see so many princes in the same room as their father.

Having acquired the footage illegally, they had all seen the battle between Chilled and a fighter who matched him in strength. It was no fabrication.

All had heard of and followed the recents events surrounding the many rebellion to break out. Some of them had even left behind a planet at war to make the call.

They had nothing to be proud of.

Of course, a few of them managed a few small victories here and there, but the general state of things was deplorable at best. Not in centuries had the Empire ever been attacked on such a large scale.

Reports would be coming from everywhere, all of the wall-mounted monitors would display various briefings, with maps of the galaxy. Some of what occupied the screens were a few people talking on visiophone, either keeping their distance, en route towards the emperor’s palace or being too tied up putting down rebellion to make the commute.

People constantly entered and exited the room. A few warriors were sent to defend positions in the universe, or to reinforce an army in battle. War councillors would speak from time to time.

In the middle of all that, Emperor Blizzard didn’t say a word, remaining totally silent. The most active of the bunch was his son Snower, who masterfully handled the logistics and strategy for their defense.

This lasted for hours upon hours. Snower, who hadn’t stopped for even a moment, showed no sign of fatigue, and his father, none of boredom. While he hadn’t entirely turned to the situation to their advantage, the Imperial forces triumphantly managed to retake plenty of territory throughout the universe. Many battles were won, and plenty of planetary rebellions had been put down. Although, there was a detail that few picked up on; in almost every won battle lacked a particularly powerful rebel fighter.

— Among the many Imperial spacecrafts to land here, one of them will be full of powerful rebel fighters, thought Dijicharate in the shadows. They will attack the Imperial court so as to symbolize the Empire’s loss of power, and in order to disturb our center of operations.

The assassin kept observing things around her, surveying anyone or anything on the spot for any sign that would betray an indication of enemy presence. She wasn’t about to trust the guard. After all, if she could constantly bypass them with such ease, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to believe that a rebel could do the same.

— With nearly all of the Frost Demons being in the castle, the rebel group would surely be massacred. They know that a strike here would be a kamikaze attack. They’ll try to kill as many henchmen as possible. They can arrive today, tomorrow, or next week. I cannot allow myself to get careless.

All of the Frost Demons were represented by labelled dots on a large 3D interstellar map. Most of them were either move to or from the battlefield. Frosty was on his way back to the castle along with Avoka. The two of them managed to crush two entire armies in space, and restore order to a planet by destroying a continent.

Ice Kurima was shown in a ship leaving for a battle that would surely begin in the following days. With all of the dots being tangled and the logistics being that complex, one would have to possess great focus and cunning to notice the absurdity of that indication, and that the prince’s dot was a completely false reading.

The emperor then turned to his son, who took notice of that. They both looked at the other dots that moved across the wall.

— The entirety of our forces are to change direction, Snower told to the other councillors. We have new directives for the commanders, put them on.

— They got us. They got us good.

It was a rebel general speaking, which didn’t put the Tsuful comity at ease.

— The army had clearly been headed towards another sector in order to reinforce an important outpost that needed relief. But it turns out, they flew straight towards to your planet, leaving the outpost in abandon. Their ETA is 16 hours, while hours is 35. You would have to fight this battle alone for a considerable amount of time.

Chiin-Lee hasn’t felt this way since… perhaps forever. The fear of death, of seeing her world ravaged.

— Tell us everything, the Tsuful Minister of Defense asked. Do they have powerful fighters?

— Yes. A dozen of them are immensely powerful, and they are leading elite squadrons. When it comes to battleships and arms, your army comes up… drastically short. For close combat, you will require assistance from your Saiyans. Ten against one, they could surely match the elite troops. For the warriors of the court, however… Only your Super Saiyan would be able to defeat them.

— Why… do they not destroy our planet with the snap of a finger? Asked a shaking Chiin-Lee.

— They want to be thorough and be sure of what they destroy. If the Super Saiyan left by ship and they destroyed the planet, they would never know if they were truly rid of her. What’s more, they seek to investigate you.

— That’s... good… Chiin-Lee mumbled without realizing it. She looked over the flies of the different warriors that were coming, each of them sliding across her screen.

— From what I can assess in terms of power, began the minister, we should be able to hold off their forces, and if we can effectively cooperate with the Saiyans, we could even crush their fleet without too much trouble. In fact, we could even make it out ourselves by having the Super Saiyan deal with the bulk of the enemy forces. I believe she could handle it.

— No, Chiin-Lee interrupted.

All turned to her. She looked at the edge of the table, to her screen.

— Hanasia will not partake in this battle, or if she is to do so, it will be without transforming. We cannot have a Super Saiyan be a part of the battle.

Everyone was stunned.

— We have decided this... with a few other rebels… The Super Saiyan must remain as much of a mystery as possible. The empire can’t no where she is, so that they may fear that she might be in space, seeking to eliminate other Frost Demons.

— We don’t have a choice, said another Tsuful. Sorry about the plan, but...

Chiin-Lee smiled. It was a cynical grin, almost reluctant, that gave a strange vibe off her sweat-drenched face.

— We will annihilate the enemy, without the slightest problem, she said. But for us to succeed, we’ll have to reveal another of our secret weapons, that’s all. We won’t even need our battleships.

Chiin-Lee quickly met up with the head of the project that was laying around for years in the halls of his science laboratory. He was immediately given a team and the order to deploy the weapons they had prepared so long ago.

— Sixteen hours? Such a short window of time! Exclaimed the head of the project as he typed away on his workstation to reach his former colleagues and have them on site right away.

— We don’t have a choice. This is war. They won’t wait for us to be ready. By the time they get here, probably near the capital, it would be daytime. And it will be so for seven more hours on most of the Saiyan continent. Troubling, isn’t it?

— Not at all, not with our system.

— Is it redundant?

— It will be. We’ve installed several machines, and they can fire multiple times. I hope they haven’t rusted over. I’ve already called for a maintenance crew.

— Good. Now, I’ll have to notify the Queen of the Saiyans.

Hanasia was poking the lit screen, in the hidden chamber behind the castle’s throne. She kept going through the apparition of the Tsuful speaking to her, and ran her fingers through the hologram’s ears, still having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that she could see someone who wasn’t actually there.

— You’re not interested? Asked Chiin-Lee, looking vexed.

— Of course I am... but still... Hanasia pulled her hand away.

— The ships that are flying towards us are not only warships but also transporters carrying warriors. Their numbers and strength are considerably beyond those that came with the first Frost Demon you’ve encountered.

Hanasia, the Councillor, and Nizucchi, who was the temporary first-in-command of the Queen’s army, understood that they were about to fight their first large-scale battle.

— Finally, some actions against the invaders, said Hanasia. Will there be another Frost Demon?

— Not to our knowledge. But some of the present warriors will be a lot more powerful than your best fighters, you being the only exception. And the army is comprised of elite troops. If you fight them head-on, you will lose many of your own. Furthermore, you aren’t accustomed to battle with their ship’s weapons raining down on you. We want to avoid a massacre.

— We aren’t afraid of death, said the Councillor. We’re greater in numbers than they are, aren’t we? A good portion of the Saiyan people can be on the battlefield within sixteen hours if you send one of these magical messages right away.

— And the Queen herself could be on the scene within a few minutes wherever it is, and could annihilate the entire enemy force on her own I imagine, added Nizucchi.

— That’s the thing, we’d like to avoid that, too, replied Chiin-Lee. She elaborated on the importance of keeping her presence on Plant and her powers a secret.

— Too bad about your plan, said Hanasia. I’m not gonna let my Saiyans die just to please you. I’ll transform anyway.

— Please, hold on, my Queen, interjected Chiin-Lee. I haven’t told you everything yet. We have a secret weapon, and I’m positive that your race will win this battle without you having to act, so easily in fact that they could pull it off blindfolded.

— Really?

Chiin-Lee explained in detail the plan that will be revealed next chapter to the Saiyans, though I think you’ve already figured it all out. They were impressed and Hanasia agreed to remain on the sidelines without transforming, but still let it be known that she would do it if it were necessary.

The meeting concluded and Saiyan messengers hastily flew across their continent to announce the Tsufuls’ plan to villages. While there were Tsuful monitors present across that side of the planet to communicate the information quicker, they correctly assumed that many villagers wouldn’t easily trust a plan coming from them. Not to mention that the revelation that the Tsufuls were already all over the place wouldn’t be a pleasant one.

— This is gonna be awesome, Chiin-Lee gleefully said to colleague after the communication cut off. A marvellous alliance between the Tsufuls and Saiyans.

— Excuse me, Missuz Sapindaceae Rosids, answered the blushing co-worker, was I just hearing things, or did you just call the Saiyan “my Queen”?

In space, no one will hear you complain.

— Nothing more frustrating, said Borgo. We’re a whole week away from what will probably be the most important battle in this war.

— Trust them, Master Namek. They’ll win. Furthermore, this works in our favor. While the Empire has their eyes turned to Plant, we’re going by unnoticed.

— But we’re practically sitting still, it’s been two or three openings already, said Yshar. Frosty’s back at the castle and there are now three demons there again. When will we be able to strike?

— The time will come. If we keep on laying low, we will eventually be able to strike when they least expect it.

— Isn’t the Hot Squad on their way to plant? They’re a force to be reckoned with.

— That they are... And I’ll bet you Plant will be their tomb.

— I’ve always wanted to fight Chili.

— It’s because you’ve only wanted it and never actually done it that you’re here with us today. With his paranormal abilities, he could maybe even be a threat to a Frost Demon.

— Doubtful.

— Come on, what is power and endurance when you’re being controlled?

— His manipulation only works on weaker beings. While it is true that Chili can control people of his power and below, it’s certain that it doesn’t work on those as powerful as the demons. And that’s why I think he won’t be able to control the Super Saiyan.

— I hope so.

Right at the estimated time, in Plant’s solar system, the Empire’s diverted army was finally arriving.

— General, asked a member of the flagship’s crew, we’ve detected a small shuttle headed for Plant, with an hour ahead of us. It may be rebel assistance, or a ship seeking out… the warrior.

— No, retorted the general. It’s a probe we’ve sent. Ignore it.

— A probe? But there is no record of such a mission in our database. It might be...

— A probe, interrupted the General. You never detected it. Am I clear?

— Yessir.

The fake probe landed slowly in a desert of the Saiyan continent. Two figures could be seen exiting it. The second one should have be huge, but there he was, standing a good few feet shorter, which had been convenient from the cramped ride across space.

Indeed, Ice Kurima was in his original form. While we’re used to seeing him in a form standing at 8’ 2’’, with his head stretched out vertically and wearing armor-like shoulder-pads, he was now at a mere 5’ 2’’. His body was smooth, glistening in the light of the sun. The only inconsistent part of his look was the two enormous spikes coming out of his forearms.

If Ice Kurima was the family’s last born and supposedly the weakest of his brothers, he was, transformed as he was, more powerful than Chilled was when he faced Hanasia.

— We’re finally here! What a bullshit plan, I’ve never travelled in such discomfort since the times I ran away from papa in commercial crates. I always had to find the biggest ones and I still had to fold in them. When Frosty’s looking for you, there are only so many options. Still, I got the underground trade to help me evade him. Nothing beats getting shit-faced on Blizzard 8.

— I remember your little elopements. You were the talk of the galaxy. Every time, your father would be warned, but by the time he would get there, you’d have already ransacked the planet.

— Those were the days. Oh well, it’s been years since I haven’t been at full capacity. I’m afraid I might make too quick work of this warrior. Otherwise, any news?

— The army is an hour behind us. We’ve gone undetected by the planet’s inhabitants. We have all the time we need to take our positions, find the warrior, and eliminate him in the midsts of battle.

Perfect, perfect... I imagine that with their planet of savages full of secrets and traps they think they can hold off against the incoming army, but they will be sorely disappointed to see me kill their magical warrior as you decimate the others.

— Yes, once they’ve unveiled all of their weapons to face the army, the two of us will replace it.

— Thousands of savage fighters estimated to match our elite warriors don’t scare you, Chatterton?

— Not in the least, my lord. What’s more, I’m sure you’ll want to partake in the battle a lot sooner than I would have time to tire.

Blizzard and Snower weren’t the kind to send progressively stronger foes to allow their enemies to beat them one at the time and improve...

The flagships were surrounded by cruises and smaller carriers. Just a quarter of this army would bring the entirety of the Tsuful fleet to its knees. Less than half would also be enough to kill the entire Saiyan population.

Within a few of the ships were the soldiers, and on the side, the fighters. These living beings that made more difference than even the best piece of equipment. The fighters were spread across a very defined hierarchy of power.

The soldiers were in battle formation and usually wielded a hand weapons. They could also pilot small crafts. They had the same psychological and physical limitations any other living being would possess. Although they were trained, they were helpless before unusual foes, such as… an adolescent Saiyan.

The fighter’s unit comprised of seasoned warriors that were hard to order around. Their strength left the realm of ordinary, and anyone like them who isn’t under the orders of the demons would probably be reigning through force over a forgotten nation. One of these would be the match for an adult Saiyan. There were a few disparities and exceptions that would allow one of them to take on ten at a time, but the same applied for the Saiyans. And the incoming battalion had more than a hundred in store, enough to eliminate, though with some trouble, the entire population of the capital, or enough to hold off the Royal Saiyan Army.

Above these rare gems were the warriors of the court. There were eight of them aboard, which was impressive. Each could destroy the capital in a single attack. Each could kill the entire Saiyan Army. Each could spread the seed of death across entire systems without anything being able to stop them.

Four of these warriors used to be unaffiliated brutes that came to be obedient fighters since the day they came across a Frost Demon. They were called Talon, Micer, Igmar, and Tokerras. Despite their apparent invincibility, despite the fact that they were in the top 0.0001% in the universe in terms of power, we won’t dedicate much time for them. For the other four exceed them and formed widely-renowned group.

These warriors of the court were particularly powerful even among their cohort. They were in the top 10. In addition to their unreal power, they got along really well despite the differences in size, combat style, and even speech, between them. They were assembled to conduct critical missions. The Hot Squad had been born, and they were reasonably feared across the expanse of the empire. Forming an elite force out of court warriors was a tradition that would persist for times to come.

When tallied up, we can estimate that this army possessed between ten to twenty times the force needed to destroy the entirety of the Saiyan and Tsuful forces.

But the presence of a being as powerful as a Frost Demon complicated things. Rebels like the Tsufuls would surely have realized this. It was clear that this Imperial Army could be annihilated by a Frost Demon, and by extension, its yellow-haired nemesis could too.

Thus, Ice Kurima was stealthily sent. Moving a demon required many logistical efforts, as the area they would leave would instantly be left a thousand times less guarded. Moving two of them would have cost them a third of the planets under the empire. What if the yellow warrior had left the planet? A week or two wasted with demons at the edge of the galaxy.

Though, they could clearly see that this fighter would have surely been defeated by Chilled had he been in his first restrained form as opposed to his second. A single demon without these restraints would be more than enough.

But in the face of this crisis, enough wasn’t enough. An unnecessarily large battalion, combined with too many elite fighters and warriors of the court wasn’t enough. A Frost Demon wasn’t enough. As ultimate, and likewise confidential reinforcement was the most powerful (according to many tales) of the warriors of the court.

Like we’d seen, the hierarchy of strength could be shocking. Given that the Hot Squad could crush the majority of the court’s warriors, Chatterton himself could crush the Hot Squad. Chatterton could also wipe the floor with Avoka, with Yikoun, with Dijicharatte. Chatterton had attained a level of sheer power that had never been seen in any other living being aside from the Frost Demons in many centuries. His mutations from birth, his training, his rightful lifestyle of justice, his passion for betterment, his attention to his masters… all of that made of him a unique and indestructible warrior. Most onlookers believed that because of his increasing power, Chatterton would one day be seen as a threat to the Frost Demons and be eliminated. Many thought that his infallible loyalty was the reason he still drew breath today. But what went ignored was that he himself understood, when Blizzard rose from his throne, that the juggernaut Chatterton was leagues away from being a threat to any of them.

Planet Plant and all of its inhabitants were completely and thoroughly screwed.