Ix'Grom was befuddled. "How is he doing this! He is a mortal! How?!
Where before, there had been a man who was challenging him, Ix'Grom now faced a machine. A machine that seemed to exist solely to try new ways of killing him.
"I have to admit that you are persistent." Ix'Grom said as Cal ripped a chunk out of his side, "What must your friends think of a monster like you?"
"They will think what they must." Cal said with a monotone voice that betrayed nothing. "I am not meant to have friends. I am a weapon. I am the bearer of Sin. I will bear what others can not, and I will do so for all time."
Cal rips out another chunk of Ix'Grom's flesh, and as fast as he tears out chunks, Ix'Grom regenerates. Ix'Grom laughs out loud, "You think that this will kill me. I will wait until you tire, then I will kill you, and then I will enslave your people and kill anyone you ever held dear."
"Fine," Cal said, taking a moment, moving back from Ix'Grom, "I guess I should get serious."
Ix'Grom watches as Cal closes his eyes, and his whole being begins to glow with a pale blue light. With a deep breath, Cal opens his eyes, which also emit this strange, ominous blue light, and launches another attack at Ix'Grom.
Ix'Grom smiles as he plans to carry on as he has until he notices his regeneration performing slower than it should. Ix'Grom pours his willpower and energy into regeneration, and for a moment it returns to a point that it should. But then it begins to falter once more.
"No!" Ix'Grom says as he beings to loose ground against Cal, "What are you doing?!"
"Black holes absorb light," Cal said, without breaking stride and slamming his palm into Ix'Grom's sternum, cracking ribs, "but they also emit light, or more accurately, radiation. I don't actually understand the full science behind it, but my people call it Hawking radiation. It is something that I can mimic with my psionic abilities. I will tear you apart piece by piece, and the radiation will destroy you on a molecular level. Enjoy it, Ix'Grom."
[Nyla, Pinetil, & Empress Axshram]
"What in the name of the Gods..." Nyla says, wondering what she is watching Cal fight.
"Whatever he is doing, the ship's radiation alarms does not like." The empress says, and as she finished a claxon sounds, and radiation shielding descends over all observations ports.
Pinetil moves to the Comms station and contacts Artie. "Artie, what the hell is going on?"
"I am glad to hear you all are alive," Artie says, "And to answer your question, Cal is sacrificing his body to destroy Ix'Grom's."
"What?!" Nyla and Pinetil say in unison.
"Cal is replicating a form of radiation with his abilities. He will win, but he will be sick for a while after this."
"Artie," Nyla said, "Please keep us appraised of Cal's status if you would."
"Of course, Nyla," Artie said, breaking the contact.
[1 hour later, Cal]
Cal was struggling. He knew he would win, but this method was not one that he would look to repeat in the future.
"I will give you anything you want," Ix'Grom said, his head and upper chest the only parts of him that he is able to regenerate.
"I think that what I want is for you to die," Cal said, "I have been called many things, but merciful was never one of them."
"Please!" Ix'Grom said with desperation.
Cal ignored him placing a hand on either side of the floating head. "Good bye Ix'Grom. And good riddance."
Ix'Grom screamed, and Cal forced his hands together, crushing what remained of the false god. He makes his way to where Nyla, Pinetil, and her mother wait onboard the Jix ship.
[Cal, Nyla, Pinetil, Empress Axshram]
"Welcome back, Cal," Pinetil said with a smile and a nod.
"Glad to be back," Cal said, almost bowled over by Nyla, as she gave him a hug.
"Why would you harm yourself like that!" Nyla demanded.
"I will give you answers later, but I am going to be a little useless in a bit, and I want to figure out the plan," Cal said, feeling the psionic backlash from what he had done already starting to affect him.
Pinetil and her mother looked at each other before Pinetil spoke up, "Well, considering that this flagship probably has the most fanatical of Ix'Grom's followers on it, we will fly it to Earth for your people to deal with."
"Then," The empress said stepping forward, "I would like permission to return home with my daughter to attempt to right some ancient wrongs, and change the path of my people."
Cal nods, "I am fine with that, but you will have to work it out with my people."
"And what about me?" Nyla asked.
Cal shrugged, "We still have a clan hall to run and need to elevate your people, which could take years."
Nyla nodded. The next hour, Cal gave reports and appeased different groups and their expectations of him. Finally, Cal and Nyla bid Pinetil and the Empress farewell before getting into their own ship, telling Artie to take them back to Nyla's world.
Nyla looked over to see Cal pass out as the strange pain in her head built for the jump from Earth to her world.
