Mount Poazu, Shinma Dōjō
Erasa was no fool. Meditating with her students, her awareness was heightened, and she sensed the foreign ki when it arrived at her front gate. Her eyes opened wide, and she broke her posture, glancing in the direction of the gate from within her dōjō. She didn't need to move. Prey that willingly came to the predator was a rare treat, after all. She waited in silence, and only when one of her students — whom she quickly admonished for lacking in concentration — asked her if something was bothering her did she break that silence.
She felt the ki signature searching the entire compound, and was never more pleased that her daughter wasn't home. Erasa felt the wait drag on and on, but the target finally approached the dōjō's entrance. The woman stood to her feet, and spoke to her students.
"Meditation has ended. Now you'll watch me give a live demonstration on our volunteer," Erasa said smoothly. "You can come in. I've felt your presence since you arrived."
The door opened slowly, and Erasa took in the form of her masked guest. He was a bulky figure, dressed in white gi, his faced covered with a hood and white mask. He certainly emitted a presence, but it was more through appearance than ki, Erasa noted. The class began to murmur; many were impressed, some even shocked. Erasa. however, saw this as an example of their lack of training.
"You knew I was here?" asked the stranger gruffly.
"From the moment you walked through my gate," replied Erasa. "I don't begrudge guests, however, you're obviously here looking for a fight — even if you can't mask your presence well. I suppose it's lucky for the both of us that my daughter is away with my husband today; I wouldn't have allowed you to roam for as long as I did if she wasn't."
"Allow me?" repeated the man.
"That's about it."
His eyes narrowed. From what he'd been told, out of the strongest masters of the four largest schools — Muten Rōshi of the Turtle School, Tenshinhan of the New Crane School, Yamcha of the New Turtle School, and herself, Erasa of the Shinma School — she was the youngest out of the four, and the least experienced as far as fighting went. He'd taken on the assignment of delivering her invitation on those grounds. "Regardless, you're Erasa. I'm here to deliver your invitation!" The man took a stance, his muscles bulging.
Here he comes, she thought. Erasa took a light stance. For all his appearances, this man wasn't as skilled as she, or any of her friends. Even Pen could likely beat him. Her arms were raised, one at her fore, the other at her side, and she crouched at the waist. A small smile crossed her face, but she said nothing otherwise. The entire class behind her lay silent.
It became clear to the man that Erasa had no intention of striking first. Gritting his teeth behind his mask, the man lunged forward. His speed was impressive; none of the students could track a step. To them, he crossed the dōjō within blinking. But if he was fast, then Erasa was faster. With a circular motion, Erasa's left palm swung around, deflecting his fist and sending the man careening behind her, crashing into the nearest wall.
Gasps ensued, and the man forced himself to his feet. He looked more than irritated, and tried to regain his composure.
"Did you ever wonder why my school is called the Shinma School?" inquired Erasa menacingly, turning around to stare down the cloaked man. "Shin and Ma. We teach a revised version of the Demon School within these walls."
"The...Demon School?" The man let out a chuckle. "Are you trying to frighten me away with something like that?" He shook his head; she was strong, but he would beat her down. There wasn't any point in inviting an amateur "master" to their event. His muscles began to pulse, and he coated his arms in electric ki. Crackles of plasma fluctuated between them. Even with the mask on his face, it was clear he was grinning.
"Léi guāng Zhǎng!"
Erasa sighed. She would have been impressed by this display of ki from one of her students, but it was clear this person didn't know how to take a hint. She felt the ki pulsating through his body; he'd centralised it in his palms, but it still spread to his forearms. It was impressive ki control for someone who hadn't an inkling of how to fight.
The man rushed forward, striking Erasa with a thunderous forward punch. She raised a hand and caught the blow in her palm, nullifying its force without effort on her part. He struck again, and again, and again, multiple times with each fist. He even channeled ki into his legs, augmenting his kicks and knee strikes. Each time, Erasa casually blocked the blow with her palm, occasionally altering which hand she used, depending on the direction he struck from. When the time was right, Erasa struck him away with a flat palm blow, forcing him backwards once more.
"What you witnessed there, everyone, was an example of focusing your ki to create a powerful aura," she said casually to her students. "It's rudimentary, but an invaluable skill, and it was a fine example of ki control. It augments one's abilities, making you stronger than your individual body is alone." She turned to look at the man, who had forced himself into a crouch to avoid crashing into the wall for a second time. "You're skilled, but, if I may say this without arrogance, you aren't even at a tenth of my level."
Raising an arm, the man released a kikōha towards Erasa. With the consideration of her dōjō in mind, the woman deflected the blast towards the ground. It created a small explosion, but left nothing more than a wound to the flooring that she'd have to repair.
"And that was the emitting of ki," Erasa continued the lesson casually. "When you gain enough control — or if you simply are talented enough with your natural ki reserves — you can emit that energy in the form of a projectile. It's a skill one typically learns after they master focusing their ki." Flexing the smoke from the back of her hand, she continued. "Once you unlock your ki, it activates your body, and creates a near permanent shield. This is what allows fighters to participate in bone-crushing matches, the like of which you've never seen. You can manipulate and control your ki, as you've seen here; by building it up, it can then be released. Activation. Manipulation. The use of ki in battle can be divided into these two categories which can be broken down into subcategories as your skill expands."
She began to advance towards him, her blue eyes reflecting confidence. The man felt himself inch back — fear? But why? — and he knew the battle was lost. Before Erasa could raise an arm to strike, he reached into his gi, and pulled out a slip of paper. He handed it to her, pulling himself back onto his feet with some attempt at dignity. "You've...more than proven yourself worthy! This is your invitation!"
Erasa took a look at the paper, her blue-eyes widened in surprise. "They've...certainly changed their methods. I wasn't aware that attacks on home were part of the event."
"It's recent," he replied gruffly, attempting to pretend she hadn't used him as an explanation for her class. "We bid you welcome!" With that, the man made for the door.
The blonde martial artist sighed, stowing the invitation away within her gi. I don't see any reason not to attend, Erasa thought to herself. Videl might be there, and if they're searching for martial arts masters who teach at the schools...Tenshinhan and Yamcha will most likely be next as their targets. She sighed, walking back to her spot before the class and sitting down.
"I suppose that's enough excitement for one day, hm?" She smiled, and it was clear the fact that a man had attacked her home was to be put in the back of everyone's minds. "Let's return to our meditation. Your goal is to unlock your ki before the day's done. Then, I'll instruct you on how to control it."
New Turtle School, Ōkami Mountain
Yamcha of the New Turtle School was residing quietly within his cave, sitting firmly in the middle. Despite the rack and ruin exterior of the cave, the interior was actually quite furnished. It was a day of rest for Yamcha. Perhaps that was inaccurate? His students had currently failed to return. His teaching methods were modeled after that of his own teacher, but enhanced to a degree. The entirety of the Ōkami Mountain was a training ground, and his students were currently hunting for a stone with the symbol of "亀".
They had been gone for two days.
"Lord Yamcha, shouldn't you call them back?" a young male inquired. Despite his gender, he had a slim build, smooth skin, and appeared relatively delicate, more akin to a female. He wore casual clothes, and was floating easily above the ground. His high-pitched voice made it quite clear who it was — Pu'ar.
"No, this is part of training," said Yamcha easily. His appearance had changed in ten years. His hair was worn unkempt around his face, and he had only the beginnings of a beard; it was kept otherwise shaved. A red headband was worn on his head, and his outfit was a white tangzhuang with black lining, and the "亀" symbol embroidered the chest and back. The pants were of a matching colour, and he wore black slip-on shoes with white socks. "If they can't endure two days in the wilderness hunting for a rock, they won't survive any of the stronger fights to come."
"I mean, that's true, but two days..."
"I gave them five days, after all," said Yamcha. "Survive on the Mountain, find the stones I scattered, and bring them back."
"But didn't you only scatter three stones? With five students?" inquired Pu'ar. "Won't that just make them bicker?"
"I'm expecting them to work together," replied Yamcha. "We're only Earthlings, after all. Our strength is in our combinations and ability to survive as a team. If they can't work together to bring those stones back to me, then they're not suited for my teachings."
A sound attracted the attention of the duo, and Yamcha looked towards the entrance of the cave. It was a foreign ki, unlike those of his students. An intruder.
"Lord Yamcha, is that one of—?"
Yamcha raised a hand, and made a hushing noise. The mouth of the cave contained a foreign ki, and he motioned for Pu'ar to hide himself. The slim figure instantly became a bat, and flew to the ceiling, where he hung. "You know," said Yamcha, not standing from his spot. "It's considered polite for you to knock before entering someone's home."
There was a silence, and a firm male voice made itself present, along with the body it accompanied. "Believe me, I have no pleasure in being in you—you call a cave a home?" The man's voice was marred with disbelief.
"Now that's simply rude," replied the teacher to his intruder. "I used to live in a desert; believe me, this is a class-up."
"Regardless, I'm not here to talk about your style of living," replied the man. His build was thin, and he was as cloaked as the other had been. "Let me see what the New Turtle School can do!"
"Then by all means, do your best," replied Yamcha airily. He remained staunchly sitting, and smiled. "Come now, let me see what you can do."
"Are you underestimating me?!"
"Not at all," replied Yamcha, still smiling. "I already have the measure of your skill." He raised a hand from his cross-legged position, and beckoned the man forward.
The man rushed Yamcha, prepared to strike, only to find himself careening across the floor behind Yamcha. He had been impacted with great force, and skidded along the polished floor of the dōjō. He looked up to see Yamcha's hand raised, and realisation dawned on him. A backhand had sent him flying backwards.
"I hadn't seen him move..." He thought. "How?"
"I saw an opening," said Yamcha, lowering his hand without turning around. "Sorry about that."
"Don't get cocky, dammit," grunted the man. "Let me show you!" He raised his hands, and ki began to bundle around his body. It drifted wafted from his body before centering around the arms, igniting in a ghostly visage of fire. "My secret technique! Guǐhuǒ!" He lunged forward, the flames trailing behind him. From the rear, he attempted to strike Yamcha with a stunning 14-hit combo.
To his surprise, however, each blow was deflected, and he felt himself pulled forward by the wrist. Yamcha released him, and with the flick of his wrist, sent the young man towards the wall of the cave. "That's an interesting technique. The Guǐhuǒ, you called it? The name certainly fits; you formed your ki into flames. I take it that technique was meant to inflict some sort of burn, though it's pointless if it doesn't make contact."
The man felt pain wrack his wrists, and saw that they had been bruised tremendously. Yamcha had deflected his techniques, but he hadn't touched his hands at all; the wrist had been deflected without making even a glancing blow to his Guǐhuǒ.
"You seem to have a lot of talent," said Yamcha. "And I wouldn't mind having a student like you at my school. So why attack me like this?"
"That isn't any of your concern yet," replied the man ruefully. He placed his both hands on the ground, and the ghostly flame began to creep up his body, before completely immersing him in flames. The ghostly conflagration erupted around his form, giving him a shroud of flame, mimicking the appearance of a beast. "This is the advanced form of my Guǐhuǒ — the Huǒyàn-zhī Qū!"
"Oho, impressive!" Yamcha's face lit up at the sight of the technique. "I haven't seen any skill like this before! It certainly covers the weaknesses of your Guǐhuǒ." He placed a finger to his chin, absorbing the sight. "You've got an interesting style!"
"Not even you can avoid a burn from this!" snarled the cloaked man, crouching on all fours. The flaming aura roared to life, and he rushed forward. His aura manifested in the form of a raging beast as he ran Yamcha down, his fists clenched.
"Shin Rōgafūfūken — Daiichiji!" Without standing, Yamcha's fist clenched, taking on the visage of a wolf. He struck forward, and the assailant's entire vision was overwhelmed was a gigantic wolf bore down on him. The ground was ripped asunder, and furnishings either destroyed or misplaced. The assailant felt a powerful amount of wind, and his entire body was slammed by the force; he was crushed into the cave's wall, and slumped to the ground, his flames dying out.
"What...was that?" the man gasped, feeling as if his body had been almost broken. "I didn't even feel a change in your ki."
"That's because there wasn't," replied Yamcha evenly. "That was simply wind pressure, that's all."
"Wind...pressure..." the man repeated, dumbfounded. He pulled a slip of paper out of his gi, and laid it on the ground. "H-Here! This is your invitation!" Forcing himself to his feet, he fled the scene.
Yamcha stood up, walking over to the paper and picking it up. Reading it, his eyes widened. "Well, now that's a surprise. You think they're invitations would be less loud."
New Crane School, Mount Bùzhō
Deep in the secluded mountain range where Tenshinhan had founded his school, a similar scenario had played out. Unlike Erasa and Yamcha, however, Tenshinhan was all business, and had dispatched his opponent within moments. On the ground, unconscious in a crater, was a cloaked female assassin. Her battle with Tenshinhan had lasted a minute — long enough for her to refer to her fighting style as "Bīngdòng Quán", and then be summarily rendered unconscious.
Lunch, currently blonde, was rummaging through the women's clothing, mainly to see if she had any money. Her hands found a slip of paper, and she pulled it out. She looked it over. "Hey, Tenshinhan! You wanna come look at this?"
Tenshinhan floated down, perplexed. "Is something the matter?"
She handed him the paper. "The dumb broad had this on her; not a Zeni in sight, but she's carryin' paper with your name on."
Tenshinhan took the paper, and read it carefully. A smile crept across his face; the smile of a warrior's spirit. "So is this how they do things, now? The Tenkaichi Budōkai?"
A/N: Whew. Here we go. The next chapter. I'm sorry for the delay, I got sidetracked by writer's block and needed to write some one-shots to clear my head. (Refer to The Ultimate Combination and THE BLADE AND ME: Finale.) This was a short chapter, but it did what I needed it to do. Set-up and establishing and all of that. I decided to just drop the bomb at the end of this chapter, rather than string more people along — I want to get this arc underway. So, each technique of these assassins was named in Chinese. The Léi guāng Zhǎng (雷光掌, Lightning Palm), the Guǐhuǒ (鬼火, Demon Fire or Will-O-Wisp), Huǒyàn-zhī Qū (火焰之軀, Flame Body), and the Bīngdòng Quán (冰凍拳, Freeze Boxing), which would imply the last one Tenshinhan handled used her ki for ice effects.
To anyone wondering why I've given Pu'ar a human form, a floating, talking cat reminds me far too much of Happy from Fairy Tail. So I gave him a human form. I went for an androgynous look because I legitimately forgot Pu'ar was a male. I thought he was a girl, and had to fact-check, so I gave him that appearance to match my utter confusion.
I hope you all look forward to the coming arc, and thanks to Demod20 for proofreading!