Chapter 30: An Unknown Glimmer of Hope, Amidst a Desperate Battle!

Silent explosions went off in the depths of space. Rays of light, bright as the stars themselves were shot about in different directions. Asteroids which were floating around nearby, broke apart from shockwaves as four beings of varying sizes repeatedly collided with tremendous force and astounding speed. To some onlookers, this would appear to be a battle between four godlike entities. To those that knew what was happening however, it was a battle strength that they aspired with all they were to achieve. Such was the case for Daiz and Cacao who were watching the battle alongside the Magistrates of [Planet M-2], all three of which were shaking from both fear and awe.

What they were seeing was something that they believed to be impossible. The leader of the forces of [Sanctuary] was holding his own against three of the strongest [Machine Mutant]s they had ever seen. Fighting with such power and ferocity that it was clear to everyone watching that any of the four could tear entire planets apart. It was a truly humbling sight, one that made them each realize that joining Arlics empire would be a wise move. So long as the offer to join him was genuine, that is. They were still mistrustful of Arlics motivations and so far, they only had the word of his subordinates to rely upon. Until they could speak to Arlic himself, they felt that it was best to take such second hand offers with a hint skepticism. Talking quietly amongst themselves, the three Magistrates turned their attention back to the holo-screen.

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Three explosions went off a short distance away from a large ship, as three small beings repeatedly stopped the advance of a much larger, ape-like creature. The three smaller beings were clearly mechanical in nature, though they bore little resemblance to the other [Machine Mutant]s seen on [Planet M-2]. While they were clearly incomplete, each missing either components or sections of armor, they were otherwise humanoid-shaped robots in appearance. To fans of the [Dragon Ball] series like Arlic, they were recognized as members of the [Sigma Force], one of the elite forces amongst the [Machine Mutant]s. The opponents Arlic were currently fighting against were Bizu, Ribit, and Natt, specifically. The fight was tough, as it was three on one and somehow his opponents were stronger than they should be, especially considering that they were incomplete in their construction. Arlic suspected that they were burning up their power source in order to fight at this level, though amid battle he was in no hurry to investigate.

He had been fighting for nearly two hours, sustaining very little damage on his part. His three opponents were losing strength, but that was not what concerned him. His concern was the fact that a member of the [Sigma Force] was missing from this fight. The forces leader, the red armored Commander Nezi was nowhere to be seen. Arlic was on high alert because of this fact. Not because he was afraid of Nezi, but that the fact remained, a 'blade in the dark' was something to be wary of. As soon as Nezi surfaced, Arlic planned to end this battle and claim his prize. Sadly, his plan was rendered pointless in the next instant however, as a single large beam of energy shot out from beneath him, it severed both his right leg and his tail from his body. Following his tail being severed, his form quicky shrunk, while simultaneously, a red armored robot landed a tremendously powerful punch, square on his jaw.

It was a devastating blow from the very enemy he was on guard against. Even his scanner had not detected Nezi's presence, in fact, Arlic was certain that before Nezi appeared, there was nothing there, just empty space. Blood trickling out from his lip, while Arlic shook his head side to side, trying to overcome his dizziness and focus through the pain. Gritting his teeth, he utilized his [Ki] to form a dense layer of dark red energy around him. Sensing all four members of the [Sigma Force] closing in on him, he dispersed that dense energy, releasing it in the form of a large crimson colored explosion. This was his [Colossal Explosion], an attack which used all his remaining [Ki] in the form of a counter offensive. It was an act of desperation on his part, although it was clear to those watching that without doing so, Arlics only alternative would be death.

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Paragus was sitting at a table inside of one of [Sanctuary]s labs, his eyes never leaving one of the large screens broadcasting Arlics fight against the [Sigma Force]. Rasin and Lakasei were standing nearby, unable to look away from the screen themselves. The fight playing out before their eyes was nothing short of exhilarating. As they continued to watch they became more and more excited, each wondering when or if they would reach such a level of strength. Their excitement turned to shock however, when they witnessed Arlic, who appeared to be holding his own, suffer a horrifying surprise attack which severed several of his appendages, including his tail. Moments later he was sent flying through the vacuum, somehow bringing himself to a stop. As his opponents closed in on his position, Arlic let loose a massive explosion, the light from which blinded the cameras and blew out power registration sensors. "What happened?", asked Paragus.

Though he received no reply, there was a reaction. In the nearby [G.R.P.] behind him, large cracks formed. Brilliant green light spilled out from within, as a piercing roar resounded throughout the room. A massive 'BOOM' shook the laboratory, as well as the majority of [Sanctuary] itself, as metal ripped apart. The gravity generators briefly went out, power levels cascaded, while life support threatened outright failure. Rasin and Lakasei worked nonstop to stabilize everything, bringing [Sanctuary]s repair mechs online, working in tandem with the ships V.I. to prioritize critical systems. "I said, what the hell happened?", asked Paragus again. Looking up from one of the many blinking panels, Lakasei answered. "What do think happened?!", pointing his hand towards the pod in the distance, Lakasei gave Paragus a scornful glare. "I have no time to indulge the whims of idiots, look for yourself!" Clenching his fist at Lakasei's remark, Paragus grit his teeth in anger, but still did as he was told. Upon looking in the direction Lakasei pointed, he noticed torn metal and a large hole in the laboratories ceiling. His body shaking form astonishment at what this likely meant, Paragus uttered a single word, "…Broly!" Looking back at one of the flickering screens displaying [Sanctuary]s surroundings, he saw a glimmer of green light shooting like a comet towards Arlics battle.