A\N: Appreciate those reading this far, regardless of the site I cross-post this to.

"Mr. Popo."

The black genie hums, looking up from his flower bed. His wide eyes focus on Dende a few meters out, sporting his usual white robe and a red-thin vest.

The young guardian stares out on the edge of the lookout, mirroring much of his predecessor, Kami. For the genie who has raised the guardians and served them all of his life, he can't help but smile to see how much this current guardian has grown.

"Yes, Dende?" he asks, his tone calm and friendly as always.

Dende lifts his head, his gaze serious, and turns towards his trusted assistant. Seeing such a heaviness on his eyes, Mr. Popo can't help but worry now as it means that there may be something troubling that he saw down on Earth.

While he might not be as strong as the previous guardians, there's less of a need thanks to the Z Warriors. More important is the foresight and connection to the other world which allows Dende to act as a monitor. In these times of peace which might not last, alerting his friends of potential threats and aiding wherever he can is the biggest responsibility as a guardian.

"I saw something down on Earth."

"Yes?"

"It was green and rectangular."

"Yes?" the genie questions further, growing somewhat confused.

"There was this white net splitting this green rectangle and people throwing balls on top. Do you know what this is?" he asks.

Mr. Popo lets his mouth hang a little and blinks, remaining silent for a few seconds. Although Dende's hard stare is misleading, he now understands that the guardian had just witnessed a game of tennis and is simply struggling to understand it.

The genie lets out a sigh, then smiles at Dende in resignation.

"I believe you are referring to tennis, a type of sport."

Dende's face relaxes and he brightens like a child with wonder. "Is that so?"

He stares back down the edge, observing the game in his mind that's at least several hundred kilometers away, but he's able to see it with such clarity thanks to his training as a guardian.

Mr. Popo hums thoughtfully and puts his watering can down. He moves to the guardian's side with a wide smile.

"Are you interested in playing it?"

The question shocks Dende who breaks out of his concentration and stares incredulously at the genie, then shakes his head in denial.

"N-No, how can I call myself a guardian if I play around?"

Mr. Popo chuckles at Dende's resistance and gazes into the sky.

"There is no rule to a guardian's behavior in times of peace. Plus, there is still much to learn about the world and its people. It is ever-evolving...both the good and the bad."

The genie turns his head back to the young Namekian. "The role of the guardian is the same way...it is an evolving position and none of the guardians I have served in the past were the same."

Dende narrows his eyes and places a hand on his chin. "Well, when you put it that way..."

Mr. Popo smiles and continues. "While I can't say the former Kami had a hobby, his predecessor did. He loved to collect books. In fact, you may be able to find some information about the origin of this game which has evolved, much like others."

Dende widens his eyes. "Wait, we have a library? Why didn't you tell me this before!"

The genie shakes his head. "Unfortunately, there are many dangerous books in there and some require unlocking if you meet a certain requirement. I believe given your experience, it's possible for you to enter now."

Dende can't believe his ears. The antennas on his head wiggle in excitement and he presses forward at his trusted friend. "Yes, I would love to! Please guide me as you always have, Mr. Popo."

The genie places his large hand over his chest. "It is my pleasure, Dende."

The bell rings and for Gohan, it's a relief.

It's not because of any problem per se, but ChiChi had really made him overstudy at home. This now becomes apparent to him as he sees the gap between the math teacher's lesson and his knowledge. As a result, he could only blankly stare at the whiteboard without writing any notes since he already knew the concepts.

On the other hand, there's Ruby.

"It...wasn't enough..." she croaks.

Gohan can only smile empathetically towards the young witch whose head lies flat against the table and her pupils quivers in shock. Her face looks so devoid of life, it even scares him.

He tries to console the witch. "It can't be that bad. You just have to practice!"

However, his words fall deaf on the witch's ears as she shuts her eyes tightly and slams her fist against the table.

"Cram school didn't prepare me enough! What is this!?"

Her shout causes a few heads to turn, but it's not like there aren't people who can't feel her pain. Still, Gohan doesn't like seeing this cheerful and admittedly strange girl suffering so much. He gulps, trying to figure out how to help her.

Kiria chuckles, leaning forward. So far, he has been quiet after the greeting and Gohan found little to worry so far. His appearance is the most notable thing as he's the only person in class that has silver hair, but above else, he has heterochromatic eyes. In other words, his left pupil is green and his right pupil is red.

Gohan had wanted to ask about that since this is the first time he's seen it, but it was hard to bring it up during class without possibly offending him.

"It looks like your girlfriend needs a tutor, Gohan," he suggests.

"Yes, of course! She-"

Gohan halts and then sputters, quickly turning his head towards the grinning model-like student. "S-she's not my girlfriend!"

"Oh, is she now?" Kiria questions with amusement then point behind the half-saiyan.

The flustered boy blinks and returns his attention to the witch, only to see her back up from the table and tears flooding her eyes as she stares at him in disbelief.

"I-I'm not your friend?"

Gohan's face turns even redder and he raises his hands, shaking them and his head violently. "N-no! Of course you're my friend!"

"B-but you just said I'm not!"

"I said you're not my girlfriend!"

"What's the difference? Oh god, I don't understand anything anymore!" she cries out, now wailing uncontrollably as the weight of Gohan's words and her own study efforts come crashing down.

At this point, Kiria can't control himself anymore and bursts out laughing, holding his stomach in as he leans in. The ruckus created only results in some heads shaking and a few curious looks for those who aren't able to hear the two very well.

Gohan panics and fumbles in his seat as he tries to console her. "H-hey, don't cry! Please?! I'll tutor you, okay? This is the least I can do for a friend!"

Ruby's tears stop without warning at the future scholar's offer and like magic, the color on her face returns as she leans forward.

"Really? You'll help me?" she questions, getting a little too close.

Gohan is surprised by Ruby's sudden change in composure but gulps and nods fervently. "Yes, we can work through this together, I promise!"

Unexpectedly, the witch looks at him with skepticism as she backs away. "But you didn't even write down any notes."

Gohan flinches, "Oh that, um..."

Recovering from the comedic duo, Kiria pats Gohan's shoulder and grins. "You actually have already seen this stuff before, haven't you?"

Kiria's guess causes Gohan to raise his eyebrows in surprise. He turns to him curiously. "How do you know?"

The handsome student leans back and points at him, twirling his finger. "Your expression says all. Compared to other students, you can tell when they're struggling even if they are writing notes; however for you, it was all boredom even though you were paying plenty of attention."

The half-saiyan blinks, unsure what to say now. Did this mean Kiria was staring at his face the whole time?

"You're wondering if I was staring at you the whole time, right?"

Gohan flinches and perhaps his face is an open book, however before he could question further, Kiria continues.

"...You've also been curious about my asymmetrical eyes, although that's not very hard to guess for every new person that I meet."

Words are caught in Gohan's throat before he ultimately nods in shame and tries to apologize. "Sorry if I was obvious. I've heard about Heterochromia, just never seen it except in pictures."

Kiria lips curl, impressed. "Most people don't know the name, so kudos to you."

He stands up from his seat, then stretches before he satisfies his curiosity. "Let's just say...I was born with it. That seems a very valid answer to give if you're trying to hide your true nature, isn't that right?"

Kiria stares knowingly at the half-saiyan and in turn, Gohan's eyes harden for the first time. While there's no sense of threat in his voice, he can't help but feel instinctively attacked.

"I suppose that's right," Gohan admits, forcing a smile, "...but what do I know?"

Kiria chuckles easily, "A lot, I suppose."

The mysterious boy leaves it at that and waves a hand. The half-saiyan carefully tracks his way out and upon exiting, a bunch of girls can be heard waiting for him outside with squeals. The unexpected scene causes Gohan to drop his guard and equally his head.

'Wow, didn't expect him to be popular around here,' Gohan thinks in disbelief.

"He saw us, didn't he?" Ruby mutters from behind, pulling the half-saiyan away from his thoughts.

Gohan scratches the back of his head with a troubled expression.

"Yeah," he answers with a sigh, "...that or he's just really perceptive."

Ruby lowers her gaze, a little worried. "Then, should we be concerned?"

The half-saiyan thinks a bit but shakes his head. "It was obvious from the director that he's one of the more unusual students. I don't know what he is, but there's no point in revealing each other."

Ruby hums, then nod in agreement. "Yeah, my master would probably kill anyone if word got out."

The half-saiyan can't help but drop a tear of sweat and based on his impressions, he has to agree with the witch.

"Well, let's just be more careful," he chuckles weakly.

"You asshole, who do you think you are?!"

Gohan nearly falls over by the badly-timed verbal attack.

With the classroom mostly empty now, his eyes turn to the remaining students as he sees Fang Fang being gripped from the collar by a long-haired, blond, and muscular student wearing a purple sleeveless shirt.

If he recalled during class, that boy's name is Sharpner. He was called out earlier by the math teacher for not being able to answer a problem.

"Now now, Sharpner," Fang Fang raises his hands and smiles, seemingly undeterred by his grip and proximity, "...I only want to apologize to Videl."

"She doesn't need your apology, you creep! She told us everything about you coming on to her! You think just because you know some martial arts that you can do whatever you want? I bet you're all for show!"

Fang Fang drops a little tear of sweat. "Of course not! I think there's been a misunderstanding!"

Videl closes her eyes and sighs while crossing her arms. "Sharpner, just let him go. You're making a scene."

Erasa nods. "Yes, I'm sure he means well! Let's just hear him out!"

"This guy is bad news, you guys!" Sharpner urges, "...don't let his pretty face fool you!"

Erasa narrows her eyes at him questioningly. "What do you mean fool us? You were totally fooled by him before he said he was a guy."

Sharpner's eyes widen and he stumbles. "N-no, I...I wasn't-"

Fang Fang looks away, rather embarrassed. "Sorry, I don't swing that way."

The jock's face turns red as misunderstandings now grow on him and he screams, unable to contain his anger anymore. "Why you!"

About to throw a punch, Fang Fang reacts quickly with a thumb on the side of his neck. The movement of his arm snapping forward is too quick for most people to see, but the witch and half-saiyan are different as they raise their eyebrows in sync.

A small cricking noise can be heard, particularly for the jock. He doesn't understand it well, but his throw misses Fang Fang's face, then he feels his upper body leaning to the left on its own.

Erasa gasps, putting hands to her mouth. "Sharpner!?"

The jock's body and neck can be seen sideways and he quivers, unable to move. His throat goes dry, feeling all his upper muscles burning up. Only after finally recognizing Fang Fang did something to him does he let out a small distressed cry.

"G-gah! W-what the hell!?"

Just like her friend Erasa, Videl is stunned but more so because she didn't see what happened. It's clear the martial artist did something, but he simply smiles without concern. Although it crossed her mind earlier that she should stop her male friend before he gets angry, she was also curious to see how Fang Fang would react.

She now regrets not stopping her friend for his own sake. While many questions still boggle her mind, she presses forward at Fang Fang.

"Hey, that's enough! What did you do to him?"

Fang Fang blinks and turns to Videl. "Oh? I just gently applied pressure to a bone. I'm not good with names, but it would be right here. You see, my grandfather-"

"Whatever, that's fine! Go fix him!" Videl interrupts, not in the mood for a lesson as she hears Sharpner struggle behind him.

"Oh, right..." Fang Fang agrees, momentarily rubbing the back of his head with shame. He faces the slumping boy again and grabs the back of his neck. Another cricking noise is felt and the martial artist lets go after just a few seconds.

Sharpner blinks as he feels the pain subsiding. Slowly, he straightens up in shock, then rubs the back of his neck where Fang Fang touched. The simplicity of this effeminate boy breaking him and fixing him without concern creates a new shiver down his spine.

"Do we still have a problem, Sharpner?" Fang Fang asks with a smile.

Sharpner breathes in slowly, but he's forced to admit that the guy in front of him is the real deal. Worried now for his own health, he chuckles nervously and throws his backpack over his shoulder.

"Nope, nope! See you around, Videl, Erasa! Haha...ha..."

The blondie moves opposite of the three and leaves in a hurry, his face sweating without comparison. Despite the shocking change of state, Erasa recovers a little, then lets out a breath.

"Holy crap! Your friend sure is something!"

The pony-tailed fighter groans a little. "He's not my-Oh whatever..."

She pointedly stares at him and uncrosses her arms. "You've got my attention, Fang Fang. Just don't ever do something like that again, you hear?"

"Sure!" the boy agrees happily before he presses his hand on his chest, "...you were angry back then because I should've been easier on the bad guys, is that right? I'm sorry for my lack of discipline!"

Videl's eyes widen, then she grows frustrated as she feels as if he's mocking her. She growls.

"Don't play dumb! I'll give it to you that you're strong, but that's not why I was upset!"

Fang Fang is taken aback, then grows deeply confused. "I don't understand what's wrong then. All I want is for you to join me and my family."

Videl blushes and Erasa raises her eyebrows to hear it straight from him without any hesitation.

Although the tomboy girl wants to throw a punch at this guy, she holds it in and growls.

"I-idiot! You'd have to defeat my dad first if you want even a shot at me!"

Fang Fang's eyes glimmer in delight at the prospect. "Really? Getting a chance to fight your dad would be an honor! Maybe he could be part of our family too!"

"No way in hell!" Videl screams, then huffs, grabbing Erasa hand, "...I can't stand this guy! Let's get out of here, Erasa!"

Erasa hums curiously, finding something odd but ultimately lets herself get pulled by her friend. That said, she waves at Fang Fang with a wink, not at all put off by the cute boy.

"Don't mind Videl. We'll see you around, Fang Fang!"

With only the blond girl seemingly friendly with him, Fang Fang's shoulders slump as he weakly waves back. Once the girls are gone, he rubs the back of his head.

"Oh man, why is recruiting someone like her so difficult?"

"Recruiting?"

Hearing Gohan's curious voice, Fang Fang sees the pair approaching him from behind. After some depressing progress, he feels somewhat relieved to have at least met these two.

He sighs before he chirps back up.

"Yes, I want to induct her as part of my family! You see, we're always looking for strong fighters and what better fighters than the man who defeated Cell and his daughter!"

Gohan flinches. 'Oh no.'

Fang Fang harrumphs and crosses his arms as he thinks of his family. "Everyone in my family doesn't believe that mister Satan had anything to do with Cell's defeat. I admit, he doesn't really look good on camera, but there has to be more than what's shown!"

The half-saiyan sweats, "That um..."

He isn't sure what to say. The boy in front of him is simply too optimistic. The fact that his family doesn't believe just shows that there are more people in the world who didn't underestimate Cell.

While that does make him a little hopeful, it's not like he wants to take credit for saving the Earth. All he wants is to live a peaceful life but he knows Fang Fang would be disappointed with both Mr. Satan and Videl if he were to find out the truth. Not only that, he may put the two in danger.

While Gohan hadn't witnessed Fang Fang's morning encounter with the remaining Red Ribbon men, his smooth movements against Sharpner reveal enough that he's not your average martial artist and appears to be more in line with the fighters his father told him about in the early days.

For his own sake, Gohan tries to downplay the androgynous boy's belief without revealing the truth.

"I don't believe it either, to be honest," he admits, "...why bother anyways?"

Fang Fang hums, a complicated expression growing. "Well...there's a reason. I'm gathering strong people because there's trouble brewing."

Ruby pipes in, her brows furrowing. "Trouble?"

The pony-tailed boy pursues his lips before he shakes his head, "I'd rather not say any more. We've only met and while I'm sure you two are exceptional, it wouldn't be right. After all, you two didn't join this school just to be caught up in my troubles, did you?"

He's right but Gohan feels a little frustrated. It's because if this trouble means gathering exceptional people, then it can only mean that the trouble is proportionately bigger.

He's not naive to think peace will ever last. Ambitions come and go as is the case with the news of the Red Ribbon army reappearing; however, if a threat is growing in the shadows that would rival anyone like Cell or greater, he wouldn't be able to ignore it.

But he wouldn't know for sure if Fang Fang kept to himself. On the other hand, he knows that getting involved would put his high school life at risk. If his mother found out, she may require him to return home and finish his studies there!

Fang Fang stares closely at Gohan's troubled expression, then smiles with relief.

"Can't ignore the weight of my words, huh?"

"What-"

Gohan's questioning is cut off and his arm instinctively rises to his left. It was less than a second, but he saw the subtle shift in Fang Fang's body before his hand snapped forward.

While he may have not trained in a long while, some reactions are simply drilled into one's body. Thanks to his experience, he's able to catch Fang Fang's hand by the wrist midway.

That was not the thing surprising to Fang Fang though.

"Wow..." Fang Fang breathes, chuckling nervously as a different hand had already appeared by his neck and the sound of crackling can be heard. At what point, Fang Fang is unsure since he didn't expect much movement coming from a witch.

Indeed, the hand belongs to Ruby as she remains solid, her counter quick much to Fang Fang and Gohan's surprise. The crackling sound comes from two fingers that are extended out, only an inch away from the boy's throat and emitting tiny purple sparks.

There's no indication of what might occur if the witch had touched the boy but what's certain is that wouldn't be good. Eager not to push the half-saiyan or the witch further, he backs away.

Raising his arms, he laughs cheerily with a small sweat behind his back, "It was a test, just a test! You'll have to forgive me for my curiosity, but I had to judge for sure even though I had a feeling."

Gohan relaxes but closes his eyes, shaking his head mournfully. At this point, he almost wants to cry at how quickly this first day of school is turning into a freak show.

"Yeah, discrete...and right in the middle of the classroom too."

Fang Fang looks around and dismisses the concern with a chuckle. "Oh but everyone's left anyways. We're fine!"

Gohan simply drops his head, now wondering how he should distance himself from this incautious boy. That said, he doesn't forget about his earlier words which concern him more.

As for the witch, she glares at the martial artist and harrumphs. "If you're going to attack someone, it should be me! I'll gladly take any punishment you want to dish out!"

Fang Fang clears his throat, then bows to the girl. "Clearly, I underestimated you. This is my failure as a member of the Huang family. I did not mean any disrespect."

The half-saiyan is also surprised at seeing a small bit of prideful attitude from the witch. Unfortunately, both of them are dearly mistaken about the witch's actual reasoning.

The young martial artist composes himself and returns to the matter at hand. "If you guys really want to know, then let's talk later after school. I'm afraid here is not the best place."

Gohan nods, but his eyes sharpen just a little. "I'm fine with that, but I really do think you should forget about Videl and Mr. Satan. Those two don't need to be involved."

Fang Fang shrugs, not willing to dismiss so easily. "I guess I'll find out. See ya later!"

With a wave, he walks out leaving the two alone. Gohan can only sigh at Fang Fang's stubbornness, but he returns his attention to the girl by his side with raised eyebrows. While he doesn't feel it's his business, he also can't ignore her impressive response.

"That reaction...Did you receive training from the director?" he asks.

Ruby blushes, not used to praise but at the mention of training, she freezes.

"N-no, I...um, was taught by someone else."

"Oh, who-"

"It was hell."

Ruby's additional comments cut in without warning and the sudden shift in tone cause Gohan to shut his mouth. He wants to inquire further but then sees Ruby's gaze wandering.

Something isn't right.

Knowing that, the half-saiyan swallows uncomfortably, then rubs his head with another weak smile as he decides to not press.

"Er nevermind...We should get going. Don't we have our next class together as well?"

Remembering her class schedule causes Ruby to snap out of her distressed state, then turn to the half-saiyan with bright eyes. The complete turnaround causes him to take a step back.

"Oh, that's right! Thank god, I don't have to worry about making more friends yet!"

Gohan nearly falls at the real reason behind her happiness, then drops a tear of sweat. He closes his eyes and clears his throat.

"I can't be your only friend, Ruby. Isn't this why the director enrolled you here?"

Gohan's words smack into Ruby's face and she shrinks a little, looking away. She starts fidgeting with her hands, knowing he's right.

"Well, um...it won't be long before people avoid me. That's what happened during cram school, after all."

The half-saiyan curls his lips. "That can't be true."

The two begin walking out together, seeing as standing around would only make them late again. At Gohan's disbelief, Ruby shrugs.

"I don't know. People think me strange for some reason and it's not like I've flaunted like Fang Fang did," she explains.

'Ouch' Gohan thinks on behalf of the androgynous boy.

"Come on," he chuckles, "...you have to have one friend you've made prior to this."

"Ah, well..." she pauses before thinking, "...there was this one girl in cram school I got along with."

"Oh?"

Furrowing her brows, she crosses her arms and hums. "I don't know if I could call it friendship."

One of Gohan's eyebrows raised. "Really?"

Ruby lifts her head, recalling further.

"She was a loner I think..."

As she remembers more, her composure changes and she suddenly shivers, placing a hand on her cheek as she blushes.

"...but her kicks were amazing!"

The half-saiyan blinks, a little speechless at the witch's odd reaction. Even though he's not sure what she's talking about, he can't stop his thoughts from coming out.

"Okay, maybe you're a little odd, Ruby."

"Eh?"

The witch snaps out of her daze, then glares cutely at the half-saiyan with a mix of indignation and embarrassment. Her mind grows a little cloudy in this state.

"O-odd?! W-what about you? Y-you talk to a cloud!"

Gohan quickly hushes her, looking around with nervousness. Thankfully, their voices are somewhat drowned as people move past them in the crowded hallways. If anyone heard her though, people might think he's a crazy person which is definitely not what he wants.

"T-that's different and you know it," Gohan whispers harshly, his mouth crooked before he adds, "...and don't act like you're not similar with your broom and bird!"

"Hey, I didn't even know about the broom so I never talked to it," she explains with a lowered voice now. Her face remains flushed as she continues, "...plus, I wouldn't mind not talking to my familiar if I could!"

Gohan drops his head and sighs. He realizes he should've kept to himself. Not wanting to continue this discussion, he clears his throat.

"S-sorry. Maybe we're just both odd," he apologizes as he scratches his cheek.

Ruby blinks, then calms herself before smiling and accepting the apology.

"Maybe we are."

They both stare at each other for a moment, then chuckle together. The mood seemingly returns to a lighter weight before Ruby questions the half-saiyan.

"So do you have any other friends your age then?"

Gohan flinches. Although he asked her the same question, her restriction on people his age makes him suddenly sweat. Whether she intended it or not, he knows he can't say anything regarding his father's friends or Piccolo.

Well, there's Dende. Would that count?

"There's one," he admits shamefully.

He leaves it at that, not wanting to go into further detail but his reaction makes Ruby pout. She raises her fist in the air and growls.

"Why were you talking about friends to me earlier? You're not much better!"

Gohan can only laugh somewhat sadly as he looks away. They quickly approach the next classroom as people slowly diminish from the hallways and lockers are closed.

A pair of eyes stare at the witch and half-saiyan from afar with a curious hum.

The cold wind weaves through the flat mountains of Yunzabit Heights. The dark clouds spread evenly over the land, always thundering and seemingly without holes to even let a strand of light in. This desolate land in the forgotten corner of Earth is a strange contradiction. Despite being devoid of animals and too cold, the bare minimum vegetation still remains, somehow keeping the many plateaus green even though nothing else growing. Perhaps it might be better to say that the land is still green because it is frozen in time.

The only thing that remains alive is a figure looking out into the distance. Small smoke snakes out from his cigarette, quickly disintegrating as the wind pours past his body from the back. His long uneven, black hair which reaches his shoulders flutters forward, covering part of his face which one might describe as simply beautiful. Yet this image of his is nothing but a being frozen in time while his pupils resemble the darkness of the clouds.

Thus, the figure can only resonate with this familiar place which is similar to him.

With two fingers on his cigarette, he inhales slowly before pulling it away and letting out another cloud of grey smoke. He doesn't mind the howling of the air as his dark coat shuffles in waves against the wind. He opens his mouth with a dry chuckle.

"It's a sad state, isn't it?"

He asks preemptively just as a tear forms in space behind him. From within the vortex, a man wearing similar black coat steps out except it sports the Red Ribbon logo on the back.

He has long straight, golden hair that reaches his waist. Unlike the figure in front of him, his face is a little longer but still handsome if not more intimidating. His yellow eyes are more spread across and brows noticeably shorter, looking like two dots on near his forehead. With a sword handle poking out from his coat, he walks forward and lifts his hand. A small fire is produced, floating an inch from his palm and illuminating a small area for himself and the dark-haired man in front of him.

"It is," he answers and bows his head forward before greeting, "...it was trouble to find you, Alucard."

Feeling the warmth from his fire, the dark-haired man named Alucard turns his head to one of the assigned generals of the Red Ribbon army. As expected, he sees bitterness on his face and chuckles.

"Too cold for you, Kuyou?"

The fire-leaning man, Kuyou snorts. "Of course, not many would come all the way here to simply smoke. May I?"

Alucard takes out another cigarette from his pocket and hands it over. Naturally, Kuyou lights it up with his already manifested fire and sticks it into his mouth with his unused hand.

He sucks in, then lets go, producing a large ring.

"I assume you didn't come to me to simply chat," Alucard suggests, staring across the land again.

Kuyou harrumphs. "We confirmed that one of the demons who led the platoon did indeed kill himself. All of the humans under him were captured too. Naturally, Kiria hasn't taken any responsibility."

"Is that so?"

At his calm voice, Kuyou raises his small brows. "You don't seem to be worried. Aren't there only five demons left?"

Alucard closes his eyes. "With everything, there is risk and loss. In the end, he was a demon that understood he was outmatched. What's more important is the knowledge we gained from this little trap."

Kuyou frowns. "All I see is how weak our soldiers are. I don't see the point in gathering humans and using them to find the dragon balls."

In response, the leader opens his eyes and gazes up to the sky. "Have you heard the story of this land?"

Kuyou furrows his brows and crosses his arms. "No, but I'm sure what you're trying to say is relevant."

Alucard closes his eyes and laughs heartily. "You saw right through me, my friend."

He lifts his cigarette and inhales before continuing. Kuyou remains attentive knowing he really doesn't have much choice but to listen.

"Supposedly a few thousand years ago, there was a kingdom here. Rulers changed hands all the time over the course of centuries. The general strength of the Earth was at its peak. Every human was driven by their innate potential. Instead of the technology that exists today, people relied on their own strength and power.

"Much of the phenomenons that exist in this world can be traced to the powers back then, including why this place remains in darkness. The important piece though is that the Human race was not alone because the Demon race lived alongside them."

He stares at Kuyou who doesn't say a word, then smirks.

"Now, wouldn't that explain history's doors that lead to the Demon Realm and the remanent supernatural beings that are hidden amongst the planet? In fact, surely you know of the one within the century that was forced opened before being closed?"

Kuyou scoffs, uncrossing his arms. "Of course, who doesn't? Does your story imply that the humans were the ones that originally sealed the demons in."

"That's right. Humans feared the demons and feared how strong they were in comparison to them. So they took the demons' teachings and sealed their world and any left on Earth. Much of the concept of Hell exist thanks to the Demon Realm.

"But with power, they eventually turned on each other. This is the natural cycle of survival and greed. When a person becomes stronger than the other, they create fear, then others adapt, and a new strength rises once more. This land where humans once ruled slowly met its demise through infighting and forever altered the climate in the wars that came."

He smiles sadly. "Instead of becoming stronger as a people, every instance of the cycle slowly degraded their collective understanding and power until it is what it is today. They became so vulnerable that the gods of the universe had to establish a guardian system to protect and watch over the regressed race..."

Alucard finishes with a hum and draws another smoke. "...but for many, the legends of this land only remain a fairy tale. There's barely a trace of the strength and power that used to live here."

Kuyou's eyes narrow and he harrumphs, his voice filled with sarcasm. "A fairy tale, huh? Well, you wouldn't know, would you?"

Alucard smiles silently as the last of his cigarette diminishes and the ashes are taken by the wind. He watches them fly into the darkness of the sky while his subordinate questions further.

"This still doesn't explain trying to revive Red Ribbon army or why the demons we helped are partaking in this plan. Wouldn't they want revenge on the humans?"

"Naturally, but more so they want to take back what's theirs."

"You mean?"

Alucard smirks. "I never said that this land was ruled originally by humans, did I? The world needs to be reminded what it means to fear just as it did with the threat of Cell. But with fear, greater ambitions also need to exist in order to grow stronger. The Red Ribbon army was the last to hold such. To force humanity to adapt and fast-track their growth when the realms are joined, both are needed."

He turns away from the land and stares into the tear in space that Kuyou came out of, ready to be used again to return. He nods to himself.

"People will die, even those who join the organization. The demons that we have with us also understand that as it is now, it's a pointless endeavor to try eliminating everyone. What they want is to have worthy people to be a part of their realm and submit to them just as it was before."

He stares up at the sky and breathes out. "The strong will survive...both demons and humans. The realms will be united as it should've always been and Earth might be able to focus on bigger threats out in the universe."

Kuyou harrumphs, "You believe in humanity too much."

Alucard chuckles. "Remember, I was once human too, however I only believe in growth and survival. If they end up diminishing further when the demons come to rule, then it means they would've only met their demise eventually. The people who join this army means that they have ambition which is the first step to strength."

"...or money," Kuyou scoffs.

Alucard doesn't deny that. "As I said, the worthy will show itself."

He takes his leave, stepping forward towards the vortex that remains, but a foot away, he stops to take a look at Kuyou one last time.

"How is she, by the way?"

Kuyou raises his brows, then realizes who he's referring to. He looks away with a snort.

"Personally, she's still a bitch to everyone but surprisingly, she's taken a liking to General Copper. I admit, that man has some worth. Other than that, she's always asking about you and wanting to see you more often."

Alucard shakes his head. "She still thinks too highly of me, that scientist."