I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. I also don't own the rights to any of the music pieces you see selected, just copies of merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.
Chapter 83: Verto vs. The Renegades
Verto stood ready to pound his opponent, while on the other side of the ring, there was a fair amount of cockiness stinking up the air.
"Can I get your name please before we start, for official records," Koto said as she poked the microphone into Frieza's airspace.
"I, little fox girl, am Frieza, Lord of the Universe!"
"Uh, I'm a cat, not a fox. Common mistake, it really is. So…Frieza, huh? That's a strange name, you're not from around here are you?" Koto asked. Frieza didn't answer as he had his eyes set on the disguised Verto. Verto didn't return the stare, as he had chosen to glance up towards the upper levels where Piccolo's cape was flapping freely.
"So this is what she meant, the timeline shift was us all along," Piccolo said telepathically.
"I hope you realize that I'm going to kill him now," Verto thought back.
"No, not yet. We may still need him, and remember the training assignment I gave you!" Piccolo reminded.
Verto bit his lip, "In other words, hold back."
"Yes."
"Fine, but don't expect him to come back with all his limbs attached!" Verto turned his eyes back to Frieza, who still didn't have a clue who he was actually facing.
"So, little mummy man, how shall we start this?" Frieza asked as he held up his arms. Verto walked straight at him, not answering. He was within a dozen feet before he suddenly phased out. Frieza read the attack perfectly, blocking Verto's attempted kick to his side. He grinned when Verto vanished again, easily avoiding the punch to the head from behind. His eyes widened when Verto was gone, realizing that he hadn't detected where he had gone. Frieza heard footsteps land behind him and dropped down, trying to sweep with his leg. Verto was already in the air, grabbing Frieza by the tail and swinging him into the air.
"Why you!" Frieza growled. He regained control of his flight just as a bright blue blast shot out from Verto's index finger.
"Wow, the masked fighter uses a Spirit Gun blast of her own as Frieza is caught completely open in the air!" Koto announced. Frieza held both arms up and tried to deflect the blast back down. It blew up at the point of contact instead, surprising Frieza to say the least.
Verto grinned, Oh I like this Spirit Gun now. The air cleared, showing Frieza looking at his bruised and battered hands in surprise. Frieza shuddered in anger and held his finger up, charging up a much more threatening attack in the form of a large, orange Deathball. That didn't take long, let's see if this works like I want it too. Verto charged up the Spirit Gun attack again, using enough energy to match what he sensed from Frieza's Deathball.
"Now you die!" Frieza declared.
"Shock Cannon!" Verto shouted back as he fired. Frieza's eyes widened when he heard the words and frantically dove down to get out of the way. The smaller blue missile smashed into his Deathball and lit up the arena with a sudden bright green explosion. The demons in the crowd all went down from the blast's impact, but were otherwise unharmed aside from their ears. Frieza narrowly avoided the Shock Cannon's small explosion radius, but was flung into the ground nonetheless from the force of it. He pulled himself up, fearful as he saw Verto flying straight at him.
"You dirty little monkey! This is my business, stay out of it!" Frieza shouted. Verto phased out and hammered his fist into Frieza's back. Frieza flew forward and smacked into the side of the ring, leaving a wedge of rubble as he bounced into the ring and lay still on his stomach.
"After an earth-shattering counterattack, the masked fighter hasn't let up an ounce against Frieza! Her moves are so fast that I can't even see them!" Koto announced for the crowd. Verto resisted the urge to blast her, God damn it, I'm not a fucking girl! Verto dashed back into the ring, smashing his fist into the ring surface when Frieza dodged the attack. He landed carefully on his feet and shot a quick finger blast at Verto as he grinned wickedly. It was weak enough that Verto didn't even think to deflect it, and regretted the decision when the blast tore through the top of his mask, revealing his hair.
"It's an imposter, see the black hair? Disqualify him!" Frieza quickly pointed out without looking. Ah hell, oh wait. Duh, I have nothing to worry about.
Koto stared at Frieza in question, "Looks like the same person from earlier. Her hair is pink by the way." Frieza looked back, dumbfounded as his jaw dropped.
Then he laughed aloud, "Hahahaha, it really is pink! The monkey's hair really is pink! Hahahahaha!" Verto's fist shook as he momentarily forgot about holding back due to his rising anger. Frieza never saw the next blow coming, but the rest of the stadium gasped when Verto buried a fist into his gut with a ton of force behind it. Frieza was embedded into the stadium wall before he could even blink again. Verto didn't let up as he rushed in and sent his foot to Frieza's face with all his momentum. Frieza dropped into the pile of rubble that formed and lay still as Koto began her count. Verto flew back into the ring and stood patiently while the ref finished the count.
At a count of seven, Frieza emerged, still laughing, although weakly, "Pink! That's rich! Hahahahaha!" His laughter stopped when a big blast came flying at him, and he tried to fly up to avoid it.
"OWWW! Did he have to hit me with such a strong blast? I can't even walk anymore!" Frieza groaned as he crawled into the hotel room. Piccolo kicked Frieza in the rear, enough to send the legless Changeling tumbling into the room.
"You're lucky he didn't finish the job, Frieza. It would have been completely legal for him to do it in this tournament," Piccolo reminded him as he slammed the door.
"What the hell stopped him? Do you know how long it takes to regrow limbs in the afterlife? It's agonizing!" Frieza whined.
Verto entered from the bathroom in only his underwear, wiping his wet black hair clean with a thick towel, "How long do you think your dead ass will need to heal from a broken neck?" Frieza didn't dare answer as Verto stood next to Piccolo with a sharp glare directed at the Changeling.
When no one spoke again, Verto cleared his throat at Piccolo, "Ahem, I need some fresh clothes please." Verto was pointing at a smoldering pile of burnt clothes in the corner, telling the rest of the story. Piccolo scowled as he cast his hand out, materializing a new green gi over Verto's body, plus the weighted blue undershirt.
"Thank you," Verto said with a slight nod.
"I can't believe you actually dyed your hair pink," Piccolo said with a slight chuckle.
"Shut up, it was part of the damned disguise. Wasn't my idea, but it worked," Verto retorted.
"What would Vegeta say to that, cute little monkey girl?" Frieza laughed.
Verto's blue sword darkened the room, "You want to lose another limb? Keep talking and I'm gonna start making fresh steaks out of you." Frieza grimaced and struggled to get to a sitting position, which was difficult since the only thing left of his legs were half of his thighs.
"Damn it Namek, when do I get my free shots? I should have a few hundred in exchange for this kind of damage!" Frieza claimed.
"After your little stunt, the only free shots you get now are the ones he gives you. As soon as your usefulness has run out, you're going back to Hell," Piccolo said sternly.
"Fine, give me one of your magic beans! I refuse to go back there without being healed first!" Frieza demanded.
"I could, but the Senzu beans won't do anything for decapitation. Those are valuable, so it would be a waste to let you have another one," Piccolo said.
"Argh, then I want those room service peasants to bring me some wine. I refuse to sit here and suffer for the rest of my temporary life!" Frieza crowed.
Verto tossed him the telephone, "Dial it yourself!"
"What is this archaic device?" Frieza asked.
"It's a telephone, a communication line. Not exactly like a scouter but it does the job. I think you use the numbers in a sequenced code to connect to your desired location," Piccolo tried to explain while Verto rolled his eyes. Frieza took a few minutes to attempt to use the phone before Verto snatched it from him and did it himself before shoving the receiver back into Frieza's ear.
"Hello? I want no less than fifty of your finest wine product to my room immediately, or I shall blow up this building!" Frieza declared. He hung up the phone and laughed a bit, drawing a deep frown from Piccolo.
"Anything for the last laugh I see, how typical of you," he grumbled.
A knock sounded from the door, prompting Frieza to cackle again, "Wow, these humans are efficient once you threaten their lives a bit!" The door opened to reveal Toguro and Sakyo instead, who quietly stepped in before shutting the door.
"That was a bold and illegal action you took, D," Sakyo began.
"Blame the legless wonder over there. Besides, it isn't against the rules if they can't prove it," Verto replied as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
"It was already an unfair situation for Yusuke and his team. Your committee only made it worse by not allowing all of them any rest. Not to mention whoever was in charge of that team of demon ninjas," Piccolo added.
"I suppose that's true, but next time you should play your cards much more carefully. Since it was a mess that you three created and then cleaned up yourself, I will let this little stunt slide," Sakyo said.
"You fail to realize that kid can kill everyone on this island anytime he wants to, all three of us can!" Frieza boasted. Piccolo snapped kicked Frieza in the back of the head and he tumbled forward, out cold.
"Finally, he's quiet," Verto muttered.
"So, did you find your friends when you abruptly left earlier?" Sakyo asked.
"In fact I did. It's probably best that I fight all of them, they'll tear your team apart," Verto replied nonchalantly.
"You underestimate us. We can handle whatever these imposters have to throw at us," Toguro claimed.
"Can you?" Verto asked as he uncrossed his arms.
"It will not be a problem," Toguro added.
Verto walked over and held out his palm as he floated upwards, "Punch it."
"Excuse me?" Toguro asked in surprise.
"Punch my hand as hard as you can, do not hold back," Verto instructed as his hand glowed bright blue.
Sakyo looked concerned, "Why would you want to cripple yourself before this round?"
Piccolo stepped back, "I think he's trying to prove a point. Go ahead and see what happens." Toguro's arm bulked up by several factors as he drew back and then punched straight forward, smashing into Verto's bare hand. The force of it sent the furniture flying and glass shattering outwards from the window. Toguro's jaw slipped when he saw that Verto hadn't moved an inch despite being in the air.
Verto stared at his slightly bruised hand, "Not bad. But you're severely lacking in the power you would need to fight them."
"That was nearly eighty percent. Allow me the same courtesy and I'll test your punch," Toguro offered. Verto walked past Toguro before turning back and sending a vicious punch into Toguro's palm without breaking stride. Toguro nearly went flying out of the window, catching himself with his other hand on the windowsill's glass-less ledge.
"And that's me taking it easy," Verto said. Toguro's hand was completely wrecked, and he slowly popped each finger back into place.
"That was a bit much Verto," Piccolo scolded.
"It's not a problem, this body heals quickly. How much of your strength was that?" Toguro asked.
"I didn't measure it exactly, but I'd say maybe ten percent, rough guess. After all, you weren't giving it everything you had either," Verto replied coolly.
"Impressive display. How about a compromise?" Sakyo offered.
"Spill it," Verto said spitefully.
"You may run the gauntlet against these imposters by yourself if you really wish that, but you may not withdraw until you win, or die," Sakyo proclaimed.
"If I end up dead from it, they'll have earned the victory," Verto replied.
Piccolo left the hotel room early the next morning, though that was rather easy since the window was gone. He opted to fly out of it and land on the ground so he could find a spot out in the woods to meditate. Before he could find that spot however, he found Yusuke and his teacher Genkai out there. He listened in on their conversation, hearing Genkai instruct Yusuke about his power and what he was capable of should he complete her final test. Rain fell soon after, and Piccolo sensed Genkai leave for a nearby cave before Yusuke followed. Piccolo was able to concentrate for a short while before he was interrupted again, but this time by a much more intense energy level coming towards him. Piccolo recognized the ki level as a Saiyan's immediately, but there was only one of them. He was still new at sensing Psionic energy on a regular basis, but he was very aware of the strong presence approaching. The Saiyan emerged from the trees and came closer with a deep smirk on his face. His thinner than average appearance threw Piccolo off for the moment, but he wasn't fooled once he saw the long spiky hair and the tail. At first, he thought he was seeing a smaller version of Raditz, but the energy he was sensing behind this Saiyan's eyes was eerily close to Piccolo's maximum output, and he knew who he was about to cross paths with.
"You're a Namek, aren't you?" Chal asked.
"You're Chal, the one the kid fought with," Piccolo replied.
"Very good Namek, I see you were well informed about me. How is he anyway? I imagine he has had a fiery temper as of late," Chal said with a grin.
"You could say that. But he's always been that way, and I expect he can deal with it better than most people think. I guess it's a good thing that we brought along a punching bag," Piccolo said as he stood up.
"Is that actually Frieza, or just some pathetic replica?" Chal asked.
"It's the real thing unfortunately. I like him about as much as most Saiyans do," Piccolo admitted.
"Strange, I was under the impression that he has been dead for quite some time," Chal pointed out.
"He has been, let's just say that it's complicated."
"Well never mind him. I find it interesting that I should run into Verto here, and so soon. It's only been a month or two since I saw him last after all," Chal claimed.
"Really?" Piccolo asked. It's only been a week for Verto, there's a massive timeline discrepancy if he's telling the truth.
"Has it now?" Chal asked.
Piccolo's eyes widened, "You can read minds as well?"
"My apologies, but I could feel the change in the air right before you had that thought. I try not to pry but sometimes it's necessary. It's a wonderful lie detector," Chal admitted.
"Fine, since that's out in the open, why are you here?" Piccolo asked.
"I could ask the same of you, but I get the feeling that your only mission here is to get in our way. Our mission here is not to wipe out this planet's inhabitants, as you might have thought at first. You see, these greedy little beings have information on a certain artifact and it would be a shame to kill them before retrieving said artifact. So do them a few favors, win their little tournament and the deal is done. They'll wipe themselves out in due time," Chal explained.
"What kind of artifact?" Piccolo asked.
"Oh now, that's top secret information. I can't just be telling a Namek about it when he can easily communicate across the stars. I may be able to read your mind, but even I can't project my thoughts that far away. Someone else sent you here, and I would like to know who," Chal requested.
"Let's just say that it's someone who has been rather intent on stopping you. I don't know much about their background," Piccolo said truthfully.
"Well, in that case, may I assume that it is a meddlesome woman with deep red hair?" Chal asked. Piccolo didn't answer, giving Chal the answer he needed.
"I thought so. Don't trust her, no matter what she says that she intends to do. She's been trying for awhile now to eliminate us. The only reason Frost is still alive is because of her," Chal claimed.
"I was informed about that, she stopped Verto from killing him a few times when he had the chance. But she has done a few things to help us on Earth, and while her actions might be questionable, they've been for some sort of greater purpose. I can't say the same about you yet," Piccolo said sternly.
"And what have I done to you that was so terrible?"
Piccolo turned his head slightly, "Not to me. The girl, Lenz. You helped to release her deepest power, and it was a much greater threat than you know. However, it also made Verto begin to realize that you and your people are corrupt to the core. Even if he wanted to, he can't help you."
Chal closed his eyes and smiled, "I knew the girl had a deep power, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle I expect."
"Read my thoughts if you must, but it turned her into a devilish creature that threatened everyone. And if you and the other Renegades are not careful, the same could happen to you," Piccolo warned.
"We all have our inner demons Namek, I make no apologies for that. Perhaps the girl is just more of a Saiyan than you think," Chal said nonchalantly.
"And you're a fool. You and your people have the same kind of cursed blood that gives you the power you have now. Don't you think that it came from somewhere?" Piccolo asked.
"I won't deny that, but I can also tell that you are just as in the dark as we are. None of our people have been able to discover that secret as of yet, not without killing themselves. Verto is the key to that discovery, but obviously with nosy characters like you around, he will need some more convincing. I will gladly accept his challenge for a rematch so that I can learn more," Chal replied as he turned on his heel.
"Wait, I have more to ask you!" Piccolo protested.
Chal stopped only for a moment, "And I have nothing more to say to you, aside from a word of warning. I will show you our true nature, and Verto will join us, or he'll die."
"This is going to be a waste of time," Verto grumbled as he stood at the top of the stadium.
"Stop complaining. We need to see them in action," Piccolo said.
"Seeing them run over a group of weak demons won't tell us anything," Verto countered.
"Maybe, but it's still necessary. You might see something that they'll use against you tomorrow," Piccolo claimed.
Verto shrugged, "Alright, if it'll make you feel better." Below in the ring, the demon hordes were getting restless, eager to see who would be challenging Team Toguro and they weren't disappointed by the display, just the duration. All five of the Saiyans were there, though Verto could only lay his eyes on Chal for the moment. The female of the group, Laysh, stepped forward to fight. She challenged all five of the demons to fight her at once. They were a gaggle of small demons of various color, complete and utter weaklings. They surrounded Laysh at the start of the match and only managed to step towards her before they were beaten. Laysh herself crossed her arms for a moment before spreading them wide, unleashing a massive swath of blue energy that expanded until it was the wide of the ring itself. It passed through each demon in the process, and they instantly turned into blue, frozen icicles. Once the attack was passed, each of the demons shattered into an assorted mess of ice cubes that slowly melted away.
"That didn't take long," Verto said as he stared at the result.
"You were right about her using freezing attacks, but we have no hint to the other two's abilities. You have to assume that they have just as much potential as her and Chal," Piccolo warned.
"Don't worry about it Piccolo. I can handle this," Verto claimed.
"I hope so."
"Rather impressive aren't they?" a voice said from behind. In the stairwell, a larger man emerged into the light, revealing the face Verto had encountered once before.
"You're that Ranot guy, right?" Verto asked.
"At least you have a good memory. Pity we haven't had much to talk about yet. I take it that they are the ones you were looking for?" Ranot asked.
"Yeah, that's them," Verto replied.
"A word to the wise, be careful," Ranot suggested.
"You're not really from this place's spirit realm, are you?" Piccolo interjected.
Ranot glanced at him in surprise, "Wow, I don't think anyone's ever figured that out as fast as you."
"My ears work well, but so do my other senses. You work with Leira don't you?" Piccolo asked.
Verto's eyebrows shot up, "So that's it? No wonder you feel so strong. What are you, the backup plan?"
Ranot smiled smugly, "Something like that, my young friend. Leira doesn't work alone after all, and she tends to make mistakes. I won't interfere unless absolutely necessary however. I prefer to let people finish their job, one way or another, before I stick my nose in. Otherwise, how can anyone excel in this world if the higher powers handle every little detail and the lower beings are completely an afterthought? You never know where potential lies if things are handled in such a mismanaged way."
"Yeah, I feel the same way about that. But then again, it seems like I end up handling every other situation because others can't or won't," Verto added.
"Unfortunately, that is the way of things sometimes. Good luck tomorrow, you may need it," Ranot said as he walked off.
"You seem to get along well with him," Piccolo noted.
"He seems like my kind of person, I get a good feeling from him. Probably helps that he isn't bitter about everything and is friendly instead," Verto pointed out.
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean he should be trusted yet," Piccolo reminded.
"Yeah, I know that. You don't need to remind me about betrayal," Verto grumbled as his positive mood faded.
The next day came quickly for Verto, as he spent most of his time in the hotel to mentally prepare himself for the battle. Piccolo had suggested that he go watch Team Urameshi's battle against whomever they were facing to settle his nerves, but Verto felt otherwise. The anticipation was enough, and that feeling would only increase if he sat in the stadium. Verto instead sat alone and meditated for nearly three hours before it was time for the matches, following Piccolo's training program. Things went smoother than he expected, but only because Frieza was busily drinking as much wine as he could and was not saying much. A knock came at the door when it was time, and Piccolo came through.
"How was their match?" Verto asked.
"The best word to describe it would be random. The other team utilized many magical items to try and gain the advantage. The masked fighter finally revealed herself as well, and she seemed significantly older and weaker than before. I think she may have drained much of her power while giving Yusuke a final test of sorts," Piccolo explained.
"If we had more time, I'd have a few questions for her, but we don't. Let's go," Verto said, putting his serious face back on.
Piccolo led him to a large, domed, indoor arena that had been built on the other side of the island. The setting inside was rather dark and slightly intimidating, even to Piccolo and Verto. The demon crowds seemed even rowdier than before, as random beasts were seen fighting with each other on a regular basis. Piccolo and Verto arrived at the waiting area to see the rest of Team Toguro waiting there, except for the captain himself.
"Where's muscles at?" Verto remarked.
The smaller of the Toguro brothers answered, "He has much more important business to attend to right now."
"So, either that's actually true, or he actually has enough faith that I'll be able to do this," Verto guessed.
"Are you feeling too much pressure? I'll be happy to help you relax," the masked man Karasu offered.
"And I'll be happy to cut off your hands. Unlike Mister Stretch, I'm betting they won't grow back," Verto claimed as he glared fiercely at Karasu. He then eyed the overly large man in the corner, who didn't do much other than breath under all of the armor he had on.
Once he didn't say a word, Verto turned on his heel, "Alright, I'm off. I don't care if you come out there with me or not. Just be forewarned, I don't intend to hand over any of these fights."
"Oh don't worry. My brother completely believes you will succeed, or die trying," Elder Toguro said. Verto gave the creepy demons one last stare before walking off towards the tunnel entrance. The crowds were roaring at the announcement of Team Toguro, but quickly hushed when Verto walked out first.
"Good luck kid," Piccolo said from the tunnel. Verto nodded and continued the march towards the ring. The crowd resumed its chatter once Elder Toguro and the other two fighters emerged, but there was a lasting restlessness when the younger Toguro did not enter.
Koto's voice questioned it immediately, "Just like the Urameshi team before, Team Toguro is missing its captain. We're looking at four on five once again!" Verto made note that she was not in the ring, but was speaking from a small broadcasting table in the stands. There was a different referee girl in the ring that was wearing even less. She was humanoid for the most part, except for the fish-like fins around her ears and an oddly shaped tail that matched her green hair. Verto wasted no time and jumped into the ring before staring down the opposite tunnel, which had yet to open.
"You're the new referee I take it?" he asked.
"Yes, my name is Juri," she said as she offered out a hand to shake.
Verto didn't accept, "A word of warning. Get out of the ring when this starts. You won't be much safer outside of the ring, but in it you probably won't survive."
Juri paled, "Oh great, another bunch of crazies. I don't get paid enough for this."
"It appears Toguro's powerful servant boy D is very ready to fight first! But he needs an opponent, from the incredibly Team Gorenja!" Koto shouted, hyping up the crowd. Verto ignored her for once as five power signals suddenly spiked and the tunnel door opened. One by one, each of the Renegade Saiyans walked out in their fully armored glory.
"Will both teams please meet in the ring to discuss your terms?" Juri asked.
Verto glanced at her, "I'll save you a lot of trouble. I'm going to fight them all myself, one at a time."
Juri was taken aback, "Umm…by yourself?"
"Yes. None of the others fight unless I go down," Verto said sternly.
Chal calmly approached them in his all black armor, "As expected, you're a true Saiyan through and through. I have one condition though, if you lose by any way, their whole team forfeits."
Verto smirked, "How about we just come out and say it, you and I will decide this whole thing and we both know it."
"Don't be so sure. Who knows when you might get a little angry and kill everyone here," Chal reminded.
Juri cringed and back stepped a bit as Verto calmly shifted his feet, "I would spend less time worrying about what I'll do. I've been tempted to go on a killing spree the entire time I've been here, just by being around all these demons. The question is, when will you and your merry band decide to do the same?"
Chal returned the smile as he turned to leave, "I guess time will tell."
Verto cleared his throat, "One other thing."
Chal glanced back, "Yes?"
"Leave your stupid excuse for anger management out of this. In other words, take your mental influence technique and shove it up your ass," Verto suggested.
"Oh that. I'll consider it," Chal said vaguely as he turned away and walked back to the group. Juri announced the terms of the battle, causing the demons to shift in disapproval.
"We wanna see Toguro!"
"Get that little brat out of the ring!"
Verto scowled at the random banter coming from the mob and turned towards Juri, "Can I see your mic for a sec?" Juri blinked sharply before handing it over. Verto lifted his hand high into the air and charged up a small but bright ball of light, and the crowd fell silent.
"Next one who talks will be saying his last words, got it?" Verto declared. No one answered initially, but one brave demon did decide to stand up and shout something Verto didn't quite understand. Verto's head snapped in that direction, only to see the demon floating out of the stands. It was a small one with dull skin, graying hair and a small horn on his head. He was flying out of his own control before he was dropped into the ring. Verto glanced over to see the skinny Frit holding one of his hands up.
"How rude these creatures are. Quite undeserving of death by our hands," Frit claimed as he reached out and grasped at the air. The demon lifted into the air again and his body started to fluctuate. Frit's hand shook for a brief moment before the demon's rib cage suddenly punctured its own skin from being broken. Frit's hand closed into a fist and the demon's body was pulled into a tight ball of blood, bones and other organic materials. Frit opened his hand again and the demon was slowly pulled back out, though not nearly in the shape that it once was. Before it could be pulled out of the fetal position, a blue blast wave tore through it, courtesy of Verto. The demon's entire body was wiped out instantly, leaving very little in the way of ashes behind.
"That was too quick, he didn't deserve a painless death," Frit claimed.
"You did enough, I'm not into torture," Verto said as he dropped his smoking palm.
"That's a pity, because I am," Frit said as he raised both arms up. Several ring tiles came up on his command, tilting tediously around in the air. Verto's blue aura darkened the rest of the arena as Juri ran for cover.
She stopped long enough to start the round, "First match, D versus Frit! Begin!"
Frit grinned, "I've been waiting for this." Verto didn't answer and kept channeling his power further. Frit pointed his left hand forward and half a dozen ring tiles shot towards Verto quickly. Verto dodged the first few before phasing out, missing one that nearly nicked his head. The small rocky missiles embedded themselves in the outer wall, scaring the front row of demons in the process. Frit aimed right with his other hand, sending another barrage in Verto's direction. All of these tiles missed as well, though came within a few feet of the rest of Team Toguro. Verto stopped behind Frit and fired a quick blast at him. Frit didn't bother to move, and only lifted his arm up and motioned backwards with his hand. Verto's blast abruptly stopped and shot back at him. Verto narrowly dodged the unexpected counter attack and watched it sail into the crowd and detonate, taking a whole section of demons out.
"Tsk tsk, not that easy kid," Frit chuckled.
"I didn't think it would be," Verto replied.
Frit turned and grinned wickedly, "Good, because this is where you fall." Both of his hands reached out and Verto's body froze up completely.
Frit laughed as Verto struggled to move, "Too gullible, all you had to do was keep moving. That's alright, you will lose now and then join us!" Verto grimaced as his body was moved to the ground outside of the ring and set down on his own two feet. Frit continued to laugh like a maniac in the ring as Verto's struggles continued while Juri began to count. Verto's eyes flashed bright blue as he released more of his energy, causing the ground to shake violently. Frit's laughter stopped suddenly when Verto's arms managed to maneuver into his power up position and his hair danced around with his aura. Small shards of energy flashed into view and blew off from Verto's body like glass. Frit was speechless when Verto jumped back into the ring at the count of five.
"No one has ever broken that!" Frit claimed.
"First time for everything. Your stupid telekinesis isn't strong enough to hold me down," Verto retorted. He charged towards Frit with his fist drawn back, glowing bright blue. Frit didn't panic and held up both hands again. Verto felt the energy surge coming and phased out just as an invisible force pushed only dust out of the way.
Frit spun and cast out his left hand just as Verto's attack arrived, "Galic Fist!" The impact caused a bright burst of light that blinded the arena, making Koto squawk about its intensity. When it cleared, Frit was several dozen feet away, and his palm was smoking a bit but otherwise unharmed. Verto's lip twitched in slight frustration, He can stop powered up physical attacks too? Great, I guess I can't have any more easy battles out here.
Frit chuckled as he brushed off his hands, "Nice try kid, too bad you're fighting me. I'm sure my brother wouldn't have liked getting hit by that one."
"You're welcome to try it out," Verto said.
"Amusing, but I don't intend to be nothing but mush on the wall. Unlike many others of our kind, I don't like physical brawls. Although that's mostly because I'm no good at it," Frit admitted.
"I bet you were picked on at the playground. Did the teams pick you after the fat kids?" Verto remarked.
"Clever, much like myself. But as you can see, I've found my own way around my shortcomings. Now let's continue this," Frit said. Verto fired another small blast, causing Frit to shake his head as he held his hand up.
"Pointless!" he claimed.
"Is it?" Verto asked from the other side. Frit glanced over to see another blast heading his way. He held up his other hand as he was caught in the middle of the two attacks. Verto appeared behind him and fired another shot, and Frit's eyes widened. The initial two attacks stopped in their tracks, and Frit had enough time to turn and catch the third. Verto fired one more time from behind again, and Frit managed to catch that one as well. Four blasts hovered around Frit as he carefully held them in place.
Verto smirked smugly, "Not bad."
Frit grinned back, "Watch this then." Frit clasped his hands together and all four blasts combined into a much larger ball. Verto's eyebrow went up as he back stepped carefully.
Frit laughed, "Right back at you runt!" The energy ball pulsed and came racing towards Verto, who flew up to avoid it. Frit turned his palm up and the ball turned as it chased after Verto in the air. Verto scowled as he turned and flew backwards, facing the blast. He fired multiple blasts in order to disrupt it. To his surprise, each blast was absorbed into the bigger ball and kept coming as it swelled in size. He felt the energy output from Frit and realized he was only feeding it. He held out his index finger and charged a large amount of energy into one small but intense shot. Alright Spirit Gun, let's see what you've got. Verto fired and the Spirit Gun bullet smashed into the large ball, causing it to deflate momentarily.
Frit scowled from the ring as he held up his other hand, "Oh no you don't!" The mass of unstable energy suddenly shifted and reformed, before swelling to nearly the size of a house. Verto's eyes widened as he increased his flight speed. Now I see what he's trying to do, use my own energy against me. And with his telekinesis, he can prevent the blast detonation and make his opponents use all their energy in a vain effort while they just feed his attack. Verto stopped in mid air and held out his own hand as it formed his small Psi sword. The huge ball of energy bore down on him as he held out his sword to block it. He was forced down to the ground from the sheer energy behind the attack, and struggled to maintain his footing for a moment.
Frit laughed in the ring, "It's over!" His laughter stopped again when he saw his attack shrinking in size rapidly. Winds kicked up around the energy ball as it struggled to maintain itself, but to no avail as it was literally sucked back into whom it had come from. Verto's aura sparked with renewed intensity as he stood up and twirled his sword in his hand as he floated back to the ring.
Frit remained relaxed, "I see, you can absorb energy attacks directly by matching it and converting it for your own use. Impressive." Verto didn't answer as he charged in again with his sword pulled back. Frit's hands were cast out again, and Verto's sword was blown away from his right hand as he swung, missing completely. Verto stopped long enough to stare at his hand, seeing only a spark coming from it before he was pushed back out of the ring by Frit's telekinesis. Verto managed to stop and hold position above the ground, grimacing at the Saiyan in the ring.
Alright, I have to confuse him. His telekinesis might have an unlimited range, but its definitely stronger based on close proximity to him. Attacking with a direct assault won't work. Verto rushed back into the ring, phasing out well before he got to Frit. He reappeared for a moment behind Frit, vanishing again when Frit's hand aimed that way. He stopped just behind Frit again and launched a punch at his head. He met Frit's other hand and quickly dodged out of the way when he felt the air push back. Verto dropped to the ground and swept his leg towards Frit's. Frit jumped up and fired his own blast at the ground, narrowly missing Verto when it exploded. The ring burst into a large dust cloud that covered everything nearby. Frit turned his head left and right as he tried to detect Verto's presence. His senses snapped to the dust cloud as it was quickly blown out of the way by a sizable blast that roared out of it. Frit quickly used his power to send it elsewhere, which happened to be another section of demon seating. In the light of the next explosion, Frit saw a small shadow in the dust cloud suddenly vanish, revealing where Verto was. The second explosion cleared the air after a few moments, leaving only a few swirling arcs of dust that provided a minor annoyance. Frit frowned as he couldn't detect Verto initially, and landed back in the cracked ring. Nothing happened for a few moments, causing both Koto and Juri to wonder what happened.
"If Contestant D has really been incinerated by that blast, then the winner is…" Juri started. Frit sent a telekinetic burst towards her, knocking her down and out.
"Shut up! He isn't going to die from his own attack like that. He's just moving so fast that none of you weaklings can detect it!" Frit declared. A sharp buzzing sound cut through the air just under his throat and Verto shimmered into view just behind him with his sword in position.
"Partially right, but not quite," Verto said.
"How?" Frit asked in surprise.
"I could move faster than you can detect, but I doubt it would have worked. If I snuck up in a stealthy manner, that would be different," Verto claimed. Frit tried to maneuver his hands to aim behind him, and Verto shifted out of their direct reach, swiping with his sword as he did. Frit dropped to the ground in pain as one of his hands flopped onto the ring tiles, separated from the rest.
"Surrender," Verto ordered as he pointed his sword in a threatening manner.
"Never!" Frit growled back at him. He aimed his remaining hand just as Verto vanished again, and it was severed at the wrist with the next strike. Frit held both arms against his body, trying to protect the wounds that bled slightly.
"Contestant D has cut off both of Frit's hands, brilliant strategy!" Koto shouted from the stands.
"I couldn't help but notice that you have to use both your hands for your telekinesis, that is a glaring weakness in your technique. I could have just broken them physically, but I'm not here to waste time and gamble that you could still function that way. Now give up, or I could embarrass you further!" Verto demanded.
Frit was fuming mad as his armor was stained with his own blood, but bowed his head slightly, "Fine." Frit walked from the ring and jumped out as his brother ran over to assist.
"Frit surrenders, the first match goes to Team Toguro!" Juri announced. Verto sighed slightly but kept his determination as he watched the rest of the Saiyans react to their maimed comrade. Chal remained at ease, as did Selffur. Dorit was legitimately angry and concerned at the same time, and Laysh looked bored. Alright, one down, four to go.
"Team Gorenja, may I please have your next challenger," Juri requested. She didn't have to wait long as Dorit made his way into the ring, in a foul mood after what had happened to his brother moments before.
"I hope you don't expect me to take it easy on you after what you just did, boy," Dorit said as he adjusted his gloves.
"None of you should," Verto replied.
"Just to give you fair warning, your little tricks will not work on me," Dorit claimed.
"Let's let the fight answer that," Verto suggested.
"Let the second match begin!" Juri announced. Dorit nodded and shifted into a power up stance. Verto sensed his ki energy surge as it brightened the ring, sending Juri flying out of it. Verto calmly remained still, waiting for anything different to happen. Dorit's body began to swell in size, signifying that he was increasing his physical strength. Then he sensed Dorit's Psi energy adding to this, as if it were a layering effect. His size increased exponentially and his armor struggled to keep up with this.
Is this is just like Gohan's recharge technique? Wait…it's like Frost's final form. Verto sensed Dorit's Psi energy drop off as his ki rose, enhancing his physical power even more. When he was finished, he looked nothing like the slimmer man he had portrayed earlier. His weight in muscle mass had easily increased by a factor of five as he resembled a miniature Broly.
Great, another tank. There's a drop off in energy compared to mine, but while he's like that it won't matter. It feels like all his energy is concentrated in his muscle mass though, so he probably won't be using too many blasts. Now the question is, did his speed drop too?
"Whoa, Contestant Dorit has employed a strength increasing technique just like Toguro's. Will his opponent be able to hold up to this?" Koto asked the surprised crowd. Dorit finished his power-up with a sudden over-arm smash that broke the ring in half.
"Well, as you can see I've never been one for energy strikes. But who needs that with this kind of strength?" Dorit asked.
"Makes me want to test something your brother claimed a few minutes ago, if you're game," Verto challenged.
"You're welcome to try, but you won't even scratch me," Dorit retorted as he stepped forward and held his arms up. Verto turned his head slightly as it appeared as if Dorit was inviting him to attack head on while he tried to block against it. Verto started forward as his fist erupted with bright blue energy, and the crowd murmured nervously.
"Oh wow, we've seen this before people, get ready for a knockout blow! Contestant D is going for the kill shot early with his Galic Fist technique!" Koto shouted.
Dorit grinned and dropped his guard, "Go ahead and try kid." Verto ran at Dorit, and stopped just a about a foot short of the larger man's torso with his punch outstretched, but not far enough to touch his opponent.
Dorit glanced down in surprise, "Well? Where is it? Did you suddenly realize how fruitless this is?"
Verto grinned as his fist opened up, "Final Shine!" Dorit was hit with the blast at point-blank range and disappeared in the light it produced. The blast crashed into the far wall and tore through the lower bowels of the stadium, causing the demons above it to lose their footing from the shake it produced.
"Wow, what a surprise blast! D used a variation of his punch to fool his opponent! Now that's what I call clever!" Koto declared.
Verto scowled, Someone please shut her up, this one isn't over. As Verto watched, the hole in the side of the stadium started to crumble around its edges before a large muscular arm shot out of the rubble. Dorit stumbled out uneasily and stomped back towards the ring. His armor had been partially incinerated in the blast, and he was covered in small bruises and cuts, but otherwise didn't look hurt. His eyes were what had Verto concerned, as they had shifted to red and he was emitting a matching aura.
"I admit, you fooled me with that attack. So I'm going to show you the difference between us!" Dorit said in anger. His power darkened the arena as vicious red bursts came off his body.
That was quick, I didn't think I'd see someone lose it this early, but it doesn't quite feel like a full fledged Berserker. He might just be tapping into it to gain an advantage like I've done before. Dorit's body then swelled in size again along with his power, doubling his absurd muscle mass once more. Just the sizes of his biceps were absurdly large, easily closing in on one whole foot in diameter. His shoulders had bulged outward, giving the appearance that he still had armor on except it was made of flesh. His head almost looked as if it was going to be swallowed by the shear size of his neck, but it managed to stay above it. Dorit suddenly punched outwards, and the air it produced struck Verto with similar force.
Verto caught himself in the air and wiped the blood that came out of his mouth, That's some serious physical strength for steroid man over there, he was able to create enough air pressure to knock me over. Dorit then launched into the air at Verto with surprising speed, attempting to swat the smaller Saiyan out of the air with his hand. Verto managed to duck out of the way, except for his trailing left arm. Dorit barely nudged it with his hand, and the impact sent Verto spiraling into the stands. The demons scattered out the way, causing Verto's flailing body to wipe out their seats. He groaned immediately and clutched at his arm as he tried to get up. He gasped as he looked at his upper arm just above the elbow, seeing that a sizable chunk of flesh had been torn clean out, matching the approximate size of Dorit's thumb. A replay was shown on the screen as the crowd groaned upon seeing the hit. A fair amount of blood poured out of the wound and within a moment or two, Verto could no longer move his arm.
Damn it, he broke it and he only grazed me. I can't take any hits from him, that kind of raw strength is ridiculous. I should have been powered up all the way, but even then I couldn't have taken a direct shot without serious damage. Time to be really careful, otherwise I'm going to get rolled. Verto held his ruined arm cautiously as the demon crowd continued to gasp at the dripping wound. Dorit grinned slightly as he calmly remained still, as if allowing Verto enough time to recover.
"You did well to avoid a direct hit. I've studied the kind of fighter you are very thoroughly and I know I have no chance in a battle laced with skill and technique. Fortunately, I have discovered that one can overcome that with absolute force and physical power. The amount of energy you can put out might make mine seem pathetic, but there isn't much you can do against raw physical strength that overwhelms your own. Give up kid, because I may not miss next time," Dorit suggested. Verto wiped his bloodied hand on the side of his pants before holding his palm over the blood-soaked wound. He winced painfully as he released a small energy burst, cauterizing the wound instantly and leaving a smoking mess of burnt blood.
"Nice deduction, it serves me right for taking you lightly. I take it your fearless leader told you about my battle with Frost and how his final form gave me trouble?" Verto asked.
"I heard enough," Dorit replied.
Verto turned his head slightly, "No, I don't think you did. Have you and Chal ever fought each other before?"
"Of course we've sparred, what does that have to do with this?"
"There's a technique I used on Frost that almost won the battle, something that will shred a pumped up tank like yourself. Don't make me use it," Verto warned.
"I get in one hit and you're already resorting to bluffs? Don't play coy with me kid. Either give up, or I'm going to crush you where you stand!" Dorit declared. Verto smirked as his blue aura sparked back on, and he proceeded to take his power up to full intensity. Dorit paused slightly, concerned over what he was likely sensing.
Verto remained steady, "Physically, I'm no match for you, no doubt about that. But seeing as you won't hit me again, it won't matter."
Dorit returned the smirk, "Well let's put that theory to rest." Dorit launched at Verto with an open hand outstretched. He hit air when Verto phased out at the last second, and then grinded his boots into the ring to stop himself. Dorit turned and spotted Verto only a dozen feet or so behind him. He bent down and dug his large fingers into the ring surface, pulling up hard. The concrete ring splintered as Dorit tore out a sizeable boulder and held it over his head. He then threw it towards Verto, who phased out again to avoid it. The rock chunk nearly hit Juri before it smashed into the stadium wall, crumbling more of it. Dorit turned slowly as Verto began moving quickly around him, phasing into view for barely a moment.
"I see you kid! You're not so fast that I can't keep up! And all I have to do is hit you once and you'll die…" Dorit paused mid-speech when Verto suddenly appeared behind him. Verto kicked hard into Dorit's neck, sending him bouncing off the ground and into the stands.
"Oh wow! Contestant D was moving so fast that we couldn't see him, but there's no mistaking how hard he kicked Dorit. He'll be lucky if his head is still intact! I just wish he would slow down so the rest of us can enjoy it!" Koto complained. Demons scattered and jumped out of the way as Dorit recovered and jumped back into the cracked ring. He looked unfazed despite the hit he had taken, but it was obvious that his confidence had wavered a bit. His teammates seemed partially impressed by what they had seen.
"That boy is swift to say the least. There aren't too many that can catch Dorit off guard like that, never mind take him off his feet while he's pumped up," Selffur acknowledged.
Laysh shrugged, "Nah, Dorit is just slow."
"You're both right, but he's not moving as fast as he can move. If Dorit doesn't realize this quickly, he'll be beaten," Chal said.
"He can move even faster?" Selffur exclaimed.
Chal nodded, "You shall see." Frit stood still and said nothing, slightly awestruck.
"I don't get it, even if Dorit is much slower when he's powered up, I don't see how that kid could be that fast. He's so small!" Laysh claimed.
Chal smirked lightly, "Size does matter when it comes to speed, you know that. He was trained well, but it's not just that. His size relative to his power also increases that speed. I doubt he's even going half as fast as he can. If he was, Dorit wouldn't even be able to react. He's sandbagging." Verto's eyes shifted at Chal's claim, as did Dorit's.
"So, you think you've won this fight already do you? You've barely touched me so far and I've broken your arm! All that speed won't do you any good if you can't do any damage. Your blast didn't even hurt me!" Dorit declared.
"Unless I tire you out. You know what they say about fat guys and exercise," Verto said.
"Stupid kid, you can be overweight and still be in shape. Obviously you're mistaking pure muscle for some sort of blob you may have beaten before. I can keep this up all day," Dorit boasted.
Verto snorted lightly, "That's not the point I was making, and no, you can't keep it up. You'll play right into my hands with an endurance battle, despite how it may look now. Your body won't react well if you push it too hard, and you're so slow that I could fight the rest of your team while I'm dodging your attacks. What good is strength if you can't catch your opponent?" Dorit scowled heavily as steam rose from his body.
"He's taunting him, what nerve!" Laysh said in displeasure.
"And it's working, he's going to lose his composure again!" Selffur pointed out.
"Brother, calm down! You'll overload yourself just like before!" Frit called out.
"Don't help him. It's his own fault," Chal said. Dorit thrust out his open palm, causing another gust of air to hit Verto and blow him off his feet. He recovered easily and hovered outside of the ring, bearing a deep smirk.
"And I thought I had anger issues. Silly me, I had you pegged as the most relaxed and sensible of the whole group. Kind of a waste when all you can do is hulk up and punch things," Verto claimed.
Dorit snarled, "Shut up! I'll show you!" Dorit's eyes flashed a deeper red as his thin aura exploded erratically. His body bulged in places, and the bulk lacked structure as he began to hunch over from the amount of expanded muscle in his upper body. He began to salivate heavily and grunt randomly in-between breaths. Verto eyed him carefully as red energy sparked off his body, scorching the ring and ground around him.
There it is, full blown Berserker, guess I'll have to follow through on my claims. Otherwise it really will take all day to shut him down. Verto could hear Dorit painfully grunting from the amount of stress his power was putting on his body. He raised his fists, letting out a howl as he slammed the ring surface. The middle of the ring crumbled into a crevice that formed from the impact. It streaked towards the stadium wall and then dug underneath, causing an entire section of demons to fall into a growing rubble pile that dropped into blackness. Verto began focusing a large amount of energy into his right palm, causing wild sparks to flash vividly and drawing all eyes to it. Dorit charged at him like a rabid animal, and Verto locked his aim. All at once, dozens of blue lightning bolts shot out of Verto's hand, stopping Dorit in his tracks. The Renegade cried out in pain as the lightning ripped through his body, but Verto didn't let up. Dorit's inflated body suffered within seconds and it began to bleed out in many spots before it shriveled. Verto continued the onslaught until Dorit's body was back to its normal size. His remaining armor and jumpsuit were ripped apart from the Psi Storm, as was his upper body, which smoked and bled in several large swaths. The crowd was completely silent as even Koto found it hard to speak, but only for a moment.
"Unreal, Contestant D unleashed a barrage of what appeared to be lightning made out of his spirit energy! Dorit is down and I don't think he's getting back up! Juri, start the count!" Koto requested. Juri stood up from the rock she had been hiding behind and examined the situation before following through. Dorit started to move at the count of six, but struggled to even get to his knees. Verto suddenly stabbed his energy sword into the ring, inched from Dorit's head.
"Stay down, I don't want to kill you but I will," Verto warned. Dorit froze and stared wide-eyed at the energy blade while Juri finished the count.
"Ten! And the winner is D! Team Toguro is up two to zero!" Juri announced. Verto sighed and backed away, allowing Dorit to breath easier. He stared up at Verto uneasily until the Psi Sword vanished.
"Why didn't you kill me?" Dorit asked straight away.
"It wasn't necessary. Once you had allowed yourself to lose control of your own actions, I already knew I could win without finishing the job," Verto explained.
"Your speed was astounding," Dorit complimented.
"As was your strength," Verto said as he reached into his side pocket.
"Now I know what you meant about fighting with Chal. You were trying to warn me about your lightning technique, but I was too caught up in myself to listen. You still could have followed through, so why didn't you?" Dorit asked.
"I've seen too many great people get taken down by a Psi Storm. I had to finish this fight quickly when you broke my arm, and then you gave me the chance to do just that. I held back enough so you didn't die," Verto replied as he pulled out a small bean.
"I wanted to beat you for what you did to Frit, and my anger got the best of me. It happens so easily," Dorit said in disgust.
"I know the feeling, it takes mental training to get over that, but sometimes that doesn't matter. Work on it with someone you despise, it helps," Verto said as he tossed the bean into his mouth.
"You're seriously going to fight with your arm like that?" Dorit asked. He fell silent when the wound suddenly closed up completely, erasing any sign that it was even painful.
"I wouldn't worry about that, work on your speed and not your strength and maybe we'll fight again on equal terms," Verto offered.
He stared up towards the rafters towards where Piccolo was watching, "You've got the rest of the Senzu beans right?"
Piccolo nodded, "There are three left. You handled that well after your big mistake."
"Hold onto the beans no matter what happens. I'll fight the rest of them without any recovery."
"Are you certain about that?"
Verto grimly stared over at the remaining three Saiyans, "I'll manage, it's not like the beans can do much for my Psi energy anyway. The first two fights have shown me that all I have to do is beat the leader, but I'll keep my guard up for the other two and Chal. I can help them and I will call a truce when this is over."
"Are you seriously considering that?" Piccolo asked in surprise.
"Look, they need help and guidance. That remains a fact whether we like it or not. Would you rather have to deal with them as enemies or potential friends? Chal is the only problem as of right now. Once I get rid of him, the rest will be a wash."
Chal turned his head slightly and grinned evilly, "You really think so? Well, you're welcome to try."
Power levels
Verto: 312,000
Frieza: 60,000
Frit: 75,000
Dorit: 170,000; Berserker: 350,000
WDG: Chal sounds pretty sure of himself for someone who lost before. Then again, he might not have gone all-out that time. Time will tell?
VB: There's two matches to go through first, and they won't be pushovers…