This isn't good.
Turning towards the whimpering woman by his side with a feigned casual air, he nodded in the newcomer's direction.
"Grayfia,"
"We're dead, we're dead, we're so dead—"
Luckily, and judging by the widening cruel grin on Kabuto's face, the monster was content to grant them a couple of seconds to prepare, no doubt so as to heighten their fear.
I'm doing just fine in that department and need no help, thank you!
Still, the monster's folly was Yuha's gain.
"Grayfia!" he said, and reached over, pinching the girl's forearm with two fingers.
"Eek!"
Startling her and making her turn blinking eyes, the panic in them momentarily receding just as his muscles swelled a bit.
Let's hope it's enough.
For once again, his power had curiously grown by another ten points overnight. Well, in fact a bit more than ten points, bringing him a hairsbreadth away from a powerlevel of 91.
Something which coupled with Roshi's technique and his Kaio-ken…
Well, suffice to say, but as of this moment, after boosting himself, Yuha was one of the strongest beings on the planet.
His enhanced max power higher than that of a single Raditz. The Yamcha system of measurement had been deprecated some time back, due to how weak it was.
"You know him?" he asked, jutting his thump towards the monster emanating barely concealed blood-lust.
The first stage slotted into place.
Kabuto's first instinct had been to attack and crush the bugs, and yet, as the green and black mottled insect turned towards the little traitor, he stopped. For the pale skinned, gray-haired bug now seemed even weaker than he remembered her being, what with her looking like a pathetic little human: gray hair, frail arms and legs and pale flesh covered by thin stripes of a skintight black material.
Why, if it weren't for the bug's wings and the two thin gray antennas jutting above her eyebrows, Kabuto would have thought her to be a human.
Oh, don't get him wrong. Her raw power certainly felt higher.
But, given how her red eyes trembled and the woman radiated such delicious tasting fear…
He licked his lips, savoring the anxiety and worry emanating from the two insects, even if the male at least did a better job of hiding his.
Hiding it.
And preparing to fight.
Which was also the reason Kabuto decided to hold back.
Besides, the wait before a good bloodbath only heightened the pleasure one experienced when he decided to reap the lives of pathetic weaklings. Like, if he had to guess, one of those buffets the Doctor mumbled about sometimes.
The bug's power swelled.
He shivered in pleasure, and could feel himself harden down below.
"Y-yes…" the cowering weakling said, staring at him with naked fear, a fear which only grew as Kabuto flashed her one of his favorite smirks. Still, if nothing else, perhaps the insect deserved a tiny bit of respect, for upon seeing that, the bug remained calm. Or seemed to do so at the outside at any rate.
She took a deep breath and glared at him.
Hmf. You might prove a half-way decent sport after all.
"Yes. He is Carnage Kabuto." The bug's power swelled again and again!
Kabuto crossed his arms and grinned, for it was either that or moan like one of those 'yamete' girls he sometimes saw some of the weaklings observe on their tiny room monitors.
This…this has the potential to be a good fight after all!
He was right to ignore his instincts, this once it would seem. And the bug had sharp instincts as well. After all, he'd all but started powering up the moment he laid eyes on Kabuto.
"And he is the Doctor's," the woman all but spat the name, the hate in her voice making her rise up another notch in Kabuto's ranking…Not that it was that hard, she was near the bottom already. She took a deep breath. "He is the strongest being in the House of Evolution.
Despite himself, Kabuto's chest swelled with pride.
He'd make sure to try to remove her limbs quickly so as to minimize the pain.
"Is that so?" the bug's power rose once more. "Well, in that case."
Kabuto growled and, uncrossing his arms, took a step forward, his massive foot sinking into the stream and the soft dirt below, crushing a few rocks. "Enough stalling, little bug, fight me!"
Shit!
Yuha's eyes widened as Kabuto's massive form took a step forward.
He saw right through me!
Well, it couldn't be helped.
"Get back," he shouted as he faced the giant of a monster, sinking into a low stance and roaring, his aura exploding to life around him, pushing the dirt and pieces of grass away as his hasty power-up created a small crater below his feet and the overly muscled beetle like monster took another step, its grin widening.
Stage six slipped into place, followed by seven, his muscles bulging and sweat breaking across his brow.
"That's the spirit!"
Kabuto roared and threw a punch forward at the same time as stage eight slipped into place and Yuha moved.
Stepping in front of the now slow moving Grayfia, raising his arms and stopping cold the massive monster's punch.
Causing Kabuto's eyes to widen.
"Oho? You are strong, you are very strong. This will be fun!" the monster said, the monster whose grotesque appearance and bulging muscles rather reminded of Toguro at full power.
Gritting his teeth, Yuha roared again, his aura blooming like a scarlet flower all around him as he pressed and his fingers sank into Kabuto's surprised hand.
"Argh!"
Piercing through the hard chitinous surface with the same ease a hot knife cut through butter and, still roaring, Yuha raised his left arm, the surprised monster rising a few feet alongside it while behind him Grayfia gasped.
Not giving the bug anytime to process this, Yuha's right arm shot forth in a deafening punch.
"Eek!"
"Argh!"
Resulting in an expanding bubble of energy and sound blasting back both Grayfia and the surprised monster, who flew back with a pained grunt.
'Creeek'
For but an instant, Yuha let his perceptions slow back to 'normal' and humidity surrounded him, while from further upstream, water rushed back down to replace its evaporated sibling and trees swayed and tumbled downwards, with Kabuto smashing through a couple of trees on the other side of the ravine, before coming to a stop against a rock outcropping, partially embedding himself.
This won't be easy…
He scowled, and his perception shifted again, just as the ninth stage activated.
At the moment, he was stronger than Raditz. A man who, given the right tools and techniques, could blow up a planet, even if doing so would probably have left Raditz empty afterwards.
Yuha, unlike a couple of weeks prior, was strong at last. And yet...
The monster across him, despite its arm seeming ruined, pushed itself free from its rocky prison with a growl and an excited shiver.
"Good."
Yuha arched an eyebrow and, with a burst of ki beneath his feet, closed the distance in a spinning kick. Planting his foot deep into the monster's ribcage, feeling and hearing quite a few of them snapping. The creature's chest caving in some as the force behind Yuha's kick flicked it to the left and through a couple more innocent trees.
"Bwahahaha!" the creature cackled as it flew and tumbled, pained gasps leaving its blood filled mouth. "Gooood! This is fun!"
Damn it! He's resilient! But I can do this. I must do this!
Not giving the bug a chance to react, Yuha, a corona of red behind him, slammed into the monster, causing its eyes to bulge as he reached out, grasping its sides with a vice like grip and with a dual roar, a monstrous ape seeming to rise up from deep within him. Yuha heaved and threw the beast up towards the air.
And, as it helplessly spun, Yuha, glaring from the ground, threw his right arm to the side, perpendicular and palm open, and a rapidly spinning disc of golden energy formed.
I need to kill him before he—
"Satisfy me, bug!"
With a pained roar, the still airborne monster's muscles expanded, its beetle like horn seeming to grow into a deadly horn and its already ginormous muscles started to expand further, its overall height starting to increase as its skin turned purple with glowing golden lines stretching across parts of its body, the damage already inflicted healing at a rapid rate.
No! I just needed a little more time!
But beggars can't be choosers.
Yuha threw the incomplete kienzan.
Hoping beyond hope that—
"Hmf!"
With a roar and a flex of its muscles, Kabuto righted itself in the air and reached out with one arm, grasping the thin spinning disk of death and—
Crushing it into tiny motes of ki.
Fuck.
"Heh~ Let's have fun, bug!" the monster roared and with an explosion of energy behind it, propelled itself down and straight towards Yuha like a missile.
"Gkh!"
The force of their impact caused another crater to form as well as flash frying the surrounding trees and any unfortunate wild life lingering around.
That, and, making the bones of Yuha's forearm creek and rattle.
Sending spikes of agony up his brain as he blocked the monster's fist punch.
"Hoh~ You blocked that? I was right then! I can have fun with you! Bwahahaha!"
Landing on the ground and quick as a flash of lighting, Kabuto's massive knee shot towards a wide eyed Yuha, who, by reflex, slipped into Bang's stance and deflected the massive appendage. The redirected energy behind the blow causing hairline fractures across the dirt and up the rock wall a few feet behind Yuha.
I don't like this.
With a simultaneous roar, they clashed, exhanging hundreds of blows in the blink of an eye.
And Yuha paid little heed to the destruction wrought upon their surroundings.
No. He was rather more preoccupied with the small matter of staying alive!
For he could follow the creature's movements as well as hurt it, but, unlike a few moments prior? Before it unleashed its full power?
Now the balance of power was in Kabuto's favor and even though the difference wasn't that big, it was enough to make this, as Shikamaru was oft fond of saying, troublesome.
How the hell am I gonna get out of this mess?
The memory of a phoenix rose from the depths of his mind.
'Woomp!'
His necklace glowed.
Ducking underneath a punch strong enough to shatter a mountain, Yuha, grinning through bloodied teeth, slammed a left uppercut a bit above the joint where the forearm and the bicep met, hoping that his hunch was correct.
"Argh!"
And Kabuto's pained hiss made Yuha's smile widen, for it would seem his hunch had been correct and, judging by the monster's grimace and the jerking of its arm, he had hit a nerve after all.
"Damn you, bug!"
The follow-up cross from Kabuto's other arm wiped the smile from Yuha's face as he flew away, spitting a tooth as he did.
But still.
A phoenix…
It could work…but…
Could he do it without Athena?
Grayfia, picking herself up from where she'd been flung, as a result of Zero's first clash with that monster, let out a whimper and, clutching her forearm and shivering, glanced at the still steaming spot but a few meters away.
Such strength…
Had sir Yuha always been this strong?
Feeling the reverberations of distant sonic booms, she turned wide eyes towards the fighting taking place across the other side of the ravine and near the incline leading up to another peak.
Shivering in terror as she struggled to follow the barely visible blurs that were Yuha and Kabuto as they clashed again, and again.
One moment standing on solid ground, the next meeting above the tip of a pine tree, the poor tree evaporating as a result, next Yuha smashing Kabuto into a rising stone wall before in less than a heartbeat they were in the air again, Kabuto grinning and with his knee up high cocking a punch as Yuha's head tilted backwards, blood flying freely from his mouth and nose and then, in the time it took Grayfia to blink they were back on the ground, a roaring Yuha burying Kabuto's head into the dirt, a wide crater around them, dirt slowly drifting back down.
And on and on and on!
Whimpering and clutching herself, Grayfia closed her eyes in fear.
It's…it's hopeless! What was I thinking? We can't win against that monster! The rest of the Doctor's creations and the bastard himself sure, but Kabuto…it's hopeless!
A gust of wind slammed into her, forcing her to take a stumbling step back and the smell of blood to smack into her nose as Kabuto let out a pained grunt, and eyes flying open, Grayfia caught the fleeting image of a smiling Yuha performing a double axe handle on Kabuto's head, breaking the monster's horn!
Her heart skipped a beat.
And she licked her lips, letting go of her forearm and making a fist.
What…What am I thinking?
She smacked herself with her other arm and shook her head.
"Stupid…"
Sir Yuha is once again fighting for me, for us, for everyone and I'm sitting here cowering? Unacceptable!
Growling, she closed her eyes and with her brow furrowing, beads of sweat appearing, focused and a white aura flared to life around her as she tried to utilize Zero's teachings.
Calling upon the power within her, even if it was pitiful when compared to her hero's own.
It was, nonetheless, power! Power which she could use. Power with which she could protect and help!
Roaring and managing to reach a point of equilibrium where her…'Ki' felt stable enough, she opened her eyes and found that she could now follow the fight with a much greater ease.
Still not enough to heedlessly jump into the fray, but…
Glancing down and making a fist, feeling the comforting hum of her Ki flowing through her body, yet another gift for which she had to thank the man currently fighting for them both, she nodded and set about waiting.
And as the fight dragged on, Grayfia nervously chewed on her lip.
For by the look of things…
Is…is Zero slowing down?
And indeed, as a cackling Kabuto launched into a furious combo, punch after punch landing into a grimacing Yuha, it was clear that this was the case!
I need to help him!
Panic gripped her heart, and as Kabuto planted his fist deep into Yuha's stomach before raising said fist, drawing an imaginary semi circle followed by planting the hero into the dirt and then starting to furiously step on the man, Grayfia acted without thinking.
And, with a mix of focus, despair, Zero's brief teachings and her body's gifted instincts, she roared and, cupped her hands to the side before thrusting them forward, an unstable beam of energy smacking into Kabuto's form, making the monster take a stumbling step back and away from Yuha.
"Huh?" the beast grunted, looking down at its arm from which blood leaked.
I…I managed to hurt…Kabuto?! Her mind refused to process said fact as she blinked with surprise and lowered her arms.
"That…I actually felt that," the monster grunted. "Well done, little insect, as thanks I'll kill you quickly!"
As the monster exploded towards her, Grayfia had only time to feel but a stab of panic piercing through her heart. One that was quickly replaced with a smile of acceptance as a massive fist obscured her vision.
Yuha…run…and thank you…
Dammit! I almost had it!
His grip on his Spiral Power slipped, the power, to his senses once more appearing to turn into diffuse gas.
Dammit!
"—thanks I'll kill you quickly!"
Wait, what?
Raising his head from its place in the dirt, Yuha's eyes widened as he watched Carnage Kabuto, bloodthirsty grin in place, rocketing towards the defenseless Mosquito Girl.
Move, you silly girl!
But the woman's eyes only started to close as Kabuto fully obscured his vision of her and Yuha, cursing, acted.
'Squelch'
As Grayfia gazed at him with horrified eyes, following him as he flew further and further away, Yuha let out a chuckle, or at least tried to. For everything below his ribcage, with the exception of his arms, was gone as a result of Kabuto's punch.
If I survive this…I really need to train Instant Transmission. It's unacceptable how it fucks with my control over Kaio-ken for a brief instant a-after…
Mercifully, he blacked out before he smacked head first against a tree.
"Huh."
No.
"So he choose to sacrifice himself protecting you of all people?" Kabuto said, and then snorted as he raised his arm and picked at his nose. "Damn shame, I was enjoying myself, too."
No….
Grayfia's whole body shook.
"Eh, what can you do, I guess," Carnage Kabuto said, still fully powered up. "Now, time to go home, little insect, and don't worry, as thanks for the fight the bug gave me, I'll be quick as I said."
Grayfia's vision narrowed into pinpricks and due to how hard her jaw clenched, she could taste blood on her tongue.
"After all, the Doctor only asked for you to be relatively intact, and he might have said something about alive or somesuch, but," the monster leaned forward, grinning and its stinky rotting breath hit her face.
I refuse to accept this!
"Who cares about such little details, eh? Hehehe…"
Somewhere in the depths of her mind, Grayfia, could tell that Yuha was still alive. For how long or just how she knew said fact, she had no idea. But, as long as he drew breath, as long as she could buy him time to continue to do so…
Then there was hope.
And even if it was a fool's hope.
The least she could do was die by her hero's side. The man whose words and actions had given her hope and shown her a new path.
A path where even someone worthless like her could become a hero.
Memories of the fire filled her mind but, for once, they didn't provoke fear. Nay. They filled her with determination.
"No."
"Eh?" Kabuto blinked. "What do you mean, 'no'?" the man snorted and reached with a massive fist, no doubt intending to kill her. "This ain't up for debate, insect."
She gritted her teeth, and her head snapping upwards, glared at the beast with such intensity it actually took a step back.
"What the—"
She let go.
Her limbs burned.
And Grayfia pulled upon everything. Everything. Pushing her crying, pleading body to its limit heedless of the consequences, and power exploded around her as agonized scream after agonized scream left her mouth and her muscles gained an inch or two.
But she cared not. Noticed not.
For the pain of doing…whatever it is she was doing forced her to hang from a cliff by a thread, while below her, only darkness awaited her.
Her sight left her, turning into an indistinct gray haze, and the ground beneath her feet grew distant, the air upon her skin faint, the only thing remaining crystal clear being the maddening drumming of her heart and the pain coursing through her.
"Hah! What do you hope to achieve, little bug?"
'Pop'
Huh, there went her left eardrum. No matter, she had another, and she needed it not for this.
Roaring, and grinning even though she could scarcely feel it, she kicked towards where Kabuto should be, and the ground behind her exploded.
"Gkh! What the—"
As her fist digged into the seemingly soft enough monster's abs, she smirked and, roaring, slammed another punch, and another, and another! Her blows raining down like a machine gun on the grunting creature. The grunts soon turning into screams of pain from both of them as she pushed and pushed her body.
Caring little for Kabuto's countering blows, after all she could scarcely feel them.
Her breath coming in short excited gasps as hits that would've normally shattered her, kept raining down upon her.
One of Kabuto's punches slipped between her guard, a guard based more on instinct and unfamiliar sensations than anything else, as she couldn't see and could scarcely hear. But, the monster's snort as her eyes bulged, and she let out a soundless scream that she did hear.
And her wrath grew alongside her determination.
Even as true dark danced on the edges of the dark gray that was her current vision, Grayfia grasped the arm threatening to split her in two.
"Heh! You've caught me, so—"
Pain blossomed in the back of her skull as she roared, and with a flutter of her wings, landed back on the ground, tugging the surprised monster's resisting hand and then.
"What the—"
Someone was screaming, but she couldn't see.
Please wait! I'll come help you soon!
With trembling arms, she lifted Kabuto.
Oh. It's me who's screaming. But that was irrelevant, for even though she couldn't see, couldn't hear, really, she refused to move, to let Zero remain unprotected. Especially after he'd already done so much for her, with the man ending up as wounded as he was due to her foolishness.
No.
Mosquito Girl—Grayfia, refused to budge.
And besides, in her mind's eye, sir Zero was there! Standing but a few meters to the front with his wide back facing her, his cape, the one that she'd only had the privilege of seeing through the screen of a tv, fluttering in the wind as in front of him a field of stars stretched onwards to infinity.
"Can you keep up? Grayfia?"
She gritted her teeth, and with a scream pushed off the ground, flying blind. Her only guide being the new senses she was still not quite certain how to use.
No doubt, yet another thing she owed the man.
"How the hell did you do that, insect?" Kabuto's voice, coming from far away, asked with a pained grunt.
And she grinned. For she hadn't been sure her senses had been right. But the fool had chosen to give himself away. Making a fist, she roared and punched.
"Gkh! The hell? That hurt, you bitch!" She grinned.
One more step. Just one more step, and then another. And another!
She run towards the distant Yuha only she could see.
She punched.
Again. And again, and then she kicked! A flurry of blows descending upon the vile monster in front of her sightless eyes as they danced, and something like horror reached her.
"Gkh! N-no! I refuse to be defeated by an insect!"
She blinked. She grinned.
Before pushing her body further, and further, the heat and the pain building up to levels previously unimaginable.
To levels that made the fire seem tame. And yet, for once, she didn't mind.
For once, she was truly unafraid, a smile splitting her face as her heart beat to the tune of righteousness. Of justice!
After all, just this once, she was certain her actions were unequivocally good. Cause fighting to defend a great hero who'd then go on to save countless others…
That was good, r-right?
She had no illusions that she'd live past this.
And yet.
And yet…
As long as the hero who'd unknowingly given her a second chance and with his words and actions inspired her to do something with her worthless life. To atone in some small measure for the evil she'd inflicted on so many innocent people…
That was fine, was it not?
Just a bit longer. Just a bit further!
"Gkh! You bitch! Once I get my hands on you, I'll—argkh!" that sounded like it hurt, and like she'd snapped something useful followed by her kicking somewhere important.
Good.
Faster! Her blows doubled in speed, tripled, quadrupled! More! I need to be faster still. Stronger!
She was almost there! With her hand threaded in a skin tight field of green energy, she could almost touch Sir Yuha.
Just a little bit further and—
"Ah!" she gasped, and she lost it. The careful balance breaking and Grayfia tipping, falling down the sides of the knife she'd been balancing as her traitorous body opted to give up before her spirit.
Leaving behind only sweet agony, paralyzing her and causing her pathetic body to land on the stones and burned grass below with a 'plop'
At least, given her current state, she couldn't feel the pain and bruises, courtesy of the impact and Kabuto's blows. Small mercies that.
A pained grunt reached her ears, followed by the sound of stomping footsteps, which made the earth shake and came to a stop, distressingly close.
"Ptui."
Distantly, Grayfia could feel something wet land on her skin.
"That hurt, you bitch," Kabuto growled, and she could hear him wipe his chin with his forearm. "Still, you have a mean right hook. I'll give you that. And for that matter. More fighting spirit than half the weaklings back in base," the monster snorted. "Hell, for a moment there you hit quite a bit harder than that blow-hard, 'Beast King'. Or the bug, for that matter."
The wind rustled, and suddenly his voice sounded far closer.
"Speaking off, I heard you killed Beast King alongside the bug?" her rage spiked. "Good job, and hell. Now that I think about it, it'd be a shame to kill you. You're the first of the Doctor's creations other than me that has a spine. Apologies for misjudging you. So, why don't you come back with me and we can fight again one day? What say you?"
She knew not how.
For she could barely feel her body.
Barely feel anything aside from the agony, that is.
And yet.
Somehow.
Her right arm rose weakly and punched Kabuto on the nose, or at least imitated something close to the punch and she hoped it was his nose.
"Heh."
Somehow she got the sense he was grinning and nodding.
"I wouldn't have taken that offer either. Good choice, girlie. Now die with honor and the knowledge you almost satisfied the mighty Kabuto! Bwhahaha!"
Even though it was pointless, she did not close her eyes. Not that she could see, but, she glared at where she thought Kabuto was.
But, instead of the end, a gust of wind ruffled her hair.
"Not so fast, scum."
Gasping, she tried to focus, but only indistinct gray blobs stood in front of her, and yet…someone stopped Kabuto from killing her.
As unconsciousness claimed her, a small smile split her face.
"Sir…Yuha…-lad you're okay…"