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[ACT ONE, CHAPTER TWO: THE STUDENT VERSUS THE TEACHER]
Zuki and Piccolo locked eyes as the wind howled. Neither of the pair said a word; they were as silent as a mouse, their respective auras flaring and flowing in the wind. Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours. It felt as though time was moving mind-numbingly slow for Zuki and Piccolo, but was that really what was happening? Was it just their imagination? Nope. No time manipulation was at play. Silence. Nothing but silence dominated the air, contributing to the intensity, but said silence didn't last for long because it finally happened. Unable to stay in place any longer, Zuki took action, feeling that enough time had passed and he was stalling.
With a leap, Zuki pushed himself off the ground, causing further damage to the ground beneath him, and lunged at Piccolo. Piccolo maintained his composure, not that he had any provocation to behave otherwise, and remained stationary, displaying patience as he awaited Zuki's approach and subsequent attack. It didn't take very long for Zuki to reach Piccolo. The adolescent Earthling clenched their fist and dragged it back, then thrust it forward with great force, aiming for a powerful punch, however, Piccolo effortlessly evaded the attack. Because Piccolo dodged, Zuki's attack failed to hit its target and instead hit the empty space around him, and as a result, Zuki's punch created a streak of Kiai that completely destroyed a boulder nearby.
Annoyed, Zuki spun his body around to execute a rapid succession of kicks aimed at Piccolo's head, yet the Namekian seamlessly evaded them without even batting an eye. Honestly, Zuki would've been angrier, but he knew the significant power difference between himself and Piccolo, so it would be stupid to claim that he didn't anticipate something like that...nevertheless, it was still vexing.
Zuki dispatched one final kick, but to his surprise, Piccolo chose not to dodge it and instead caught it. For a brief moment, Piccolo tightly held onto Zuki's leg before finally letting go, which caused Zuki to momentarily lose his balance, but he quickly regained his composure and leaped backward.
"He's good..." Zuki said inwardly. "But then again, he's been at this longer than I have, so it's to be expected."
To have any chance of landing a hit, let alone winning, Zuki would need to use strategic thinking. Fortunately, Piccolo had yet to make a move. If he were to do so, Zuki could only assume that their battle would come to a swift conclusion. Attacking before Piccolo could, Zuki raced ahead, and initially, it seemed he was going to strike again, and he was, but he opted to take a new approach. The kid was closing in on Piccolo, ready to attack the Namekian, when he stuck his palm out and charged a golden-yellow ball of ki before throwing it down in front of the latter, resulting in an explosion with dust flying everywhere.
Piccolo grunted as he shielded his eyes from getting dirt in them. "Clever boy..."
Swinging his arm in an arc, Piccolo cleared out the dust around him. The Namekian could feel a wave of heat hitting his back, and as he turned around, he noticed Zuki crouching behind him, clutching another energy ball in his hands. The energy ball served as the origin of the heat Piccolo was feeling; was it a form of concentrated heat, or was it something different? Piccolo didn't know and wasn't particularly interested in finding out the answer.
With little to no hesitation, Zuki fired a powerful energy wave at Piccolo. The human hoped that the attack would inflict some form of damage upon the Namekian, but his hopes were dashed when the Namekian pulled a sneaky on him and divided into two separate beings, skillfully avoiding his ki blast. Zuki could only stare at Piccolo with a mix of shock, horror, and, above all, annoyance. Piccolo kicked Zuki away, then merged back into a single person. Zuki groaned softly, feeling a sharp pain in his stomach as he was sprawled on the ground, his gaze was fixed on the bright sun high above, but his time on the ground was brief as he jumped to his feet with a kip-up and wiped the dirt off the clothes.
"Nice to know that you can duplicate yourself, as well." Like Piccolo, Zuki had the ability to duplicate himself, taught to him by Lumi, but he doubted it would be of any use. On one hand, the skill proved to be useful for the user in situations where they had to fight against multiple opponents or needed to gang up on someone, but on the other hand, it had the drawback of dividing the user's power level.
"I take it you can do the same as well?" Piccolo inquired.
"Yeah, but it won't give me an advantage in this battle, so it'll be on the shelf until otherwise." Zuki assumed his combat posture once more. "This is going to be more challenging than I thought. I mean, if duplication is just one of Piccolo's techniques, I can only imagine the other incredible abilities he possesses." Zuki looked down at his right hand. "I have more aces up my sleeve, but I don't know if they'll be useful. The best I have in my arsenal right now is my lightning and the other thing I've been working on, but it's too soon to start using the other thing, so I'll have to rely on my lightning instead."
Positioning his arms by his side, Zuki generated golden lightning, which danced around him, while his body emitted a faint golden glow, almost like a Super Saiyan's. With lightning speed, Zuki rushed onward, leaving a luminous trail of electricity in his wake. Zuki's speed underwent a noticeable change as his electrical power greatly enhanced his speed. Would it be sufficient enough to handle Piccolo?
Instead of taking a forthright approach, Zuki bounced around Piccolo like a speeding bullet, moving so fast he looked like a streak of lightning darting across the battlefield. Piccolo was a smart man and had a keen understanding to discern their opponent's intentions, leaving a lasting impression; it was a relief to see that they weren't all brawn and zero brains. Zuki moved in front of Piccolo, carrying out a flash step, and supplied a powerful punch, however, his attack was halted by a hand, causing the ground beneath him to shatter.
Piccolo smirked. "Not bad, kid. You almost got me." Piccolo's eyes glow bright blue. "Almost..."
"The hell are y-GAH!"
Piccolo released a Kiai straight from his eyes, harboring enough power to forcefully propel Zuki several feet backward. Zuki's body tumbled and somersaulted across the rugged terrain, propelled by force until its momentum gradually diminished; finally, Zuki's body came to a stop, but not before hitting an unforgiving rock that lay in its path.
Damn, that hurt.
Zuki was in a prone position, sprawled on the earth's surface, his back firmly pressed against the ground and his face inclined towards the vast expanse of the sky above. The boy groaned in discomfort as he struggled to rise from his current position, but his efforts were halted by the presence of a looming shadow that seemed to engulf him entirely; it was none other than the imposing silhouette of Piccolo. The Namekian was ominously hovering above Zuki, and that could indicate several things, and none of them were good.
"Oh shi-"
"Now's not the time for resting, kid!" Piccolo barked harshly. "You asked for this, not the other way around!"
At full speed, Piccolo raced toward Zuki. Panicking, Zuki clenched his teeth and swiftly executed a backward roll, evading an aggressive dive kick from Piccolo just in the nick of time. With a swift motion, Piccolo spun his body around and unleashed a relentless onslaught of energy waves upon Zuki, and in reaction, Zuki mustered his energy and conjured an energy barrier, which canceled out his opponent's unrelenting spam attack and protected him.
"Not good! Not good! Not good!" A distressed Zuki repeated. "He's attacking!"
"What's the problem, kid?" Piccolo was relentless in his continuous use of beam spamming. "You're a smart cookie; find a way if you can!"
Piccolo was attacking Zuki with a series of ki waves, but they rebounded off Zuki's barrier, scattering in various directions. Switching up his method of attack, the Namekian charged forward and began punching and kicking his opponent's barrier, which garnered concern from them as fractures started to appear. Obviously, Piccolo was breaching through Zuki's barrier, but before he could completely shatter it and reach Zuki, the boy expanded the size of their barrier and added layers, forcibly pushing their green-skinned adversary back and putting them at a considerable distance.
Zuki deactivated his barrier while maintaining a cautious stance, ensuring that he remained vigilant even with Piccolo at a safe distance. The inhabitant of the Earth was uncertain about the next steps he should take. No matter what he tried, Piccolo either countered it or was fast enough to dodge it.
Speaking of Piccolo...
"Now's not the time to be staring off into space, kid!" Piccolo was behind Zuki, much to his shock.
"Hold on!" Zuki double blinked. "When did you-"
WHAM!
Piccolo issued a forceful kick to Zuki's back, causing them to be forcefully propelled downwards and crash into the ground with great impact. Zuki was deep underground, but his stay there was short as he speared his way out, only to be faced with energy spheres approaching him. Due to the limited time available to set up another barrier or escape from the danger zone, Zuki had no choice but to block the incoming energy balls, which was exactly what he did. The deafening noise of Piccolo's energy sphere detonating reverberated across the entire battlefield that was Break Wasteland, instilling terror in the surrounding wildlife. Zuki hissed, exerting effort to endure the pain he was feeling while internally screaming as Piccolo's attacks were stinging his arms.
Piccolo eventually ceased fire, but that didn't suggest he eased up on Zuki. In a flash, the Namekian materialized before the adolescent and lobbed a heavy punch, but miraculously, the latter managed to defend themselves by blocking the attack, albeit with some difficulty. The force behind Piccolo's punch was formidable, pushing Zuki back and causing his arms to ache in pain, and also forcing them to drop to one knee.
"Damn..." Zuki was breathing heavily, rubbing his sore arms. "This is exactly the kind of thing I feared."
"DESTRUCTIVE WAVE!"
Zuki directed their gaze towards Piccolo, seeing him with one arm stretched out while the other arm firmly grasped the wrist of the other arm. Piccolo charged a sizable, orangish-yellow ki ball in his hand and fired it at Zuki. With swift reflexes, the Earthling leaped out of harm's way, narrowly avoiding the incoming energy ball, however, their leg was grazed, resulting in a minor injury, but despite that, they emerged from the encounter unscathed.
While lingering in the air, Zuki tried to attack Piccolo with a fast-acting energy wave, but they dodged the blast before moving in front of him. Using his antennas, Piccolo temporarily immobilized Zuki with a vibrant purple beam that resembled a bolt of lightning. Continuing his assault, he delivered a forceful punch directly to Zuki's cheek, followed by an upward kick sending them high into the air. As Zuki was airborne, trying to regain balance, Piccolo placed himself above the teen, then brought his hands together and forcefully thrust them downward, executing a mighty Double Axe Handle.
CRASH!
Zuki's body collided with the ground with a resounding impact. Despite the pain he was feeling, Kine mustered the strength to rise to his feet, however, before he could fully stand, Piccolo appeared in front of him and firmly grasped his wrist.
"Oh no..." Zuki spoke with a voice filled only with dread.
Zuki tried to flee, but Piccolo's hold on him was firm and unyielding. The Namekian smirked as he administered a heavy blow to their opponent's stomach, prompting them to lose their breath. Then, with a swift motion, the former launched their adversary high into the air with a single throw and released a yellow energy blast straight from their mouth. The energy beam didn't kill Zuki or inflict serious injury, but it did forcefully push him far away from where he was originally fighting.
Zuki remained suspended in the air for a brief moment in time before finally descending and making contact with the ground.
CRASH!
"Ouch..." Zuki murmured halfheartedly in pain, his body strewn across the verdant ground beneath him.
Zuki managed to recover from his recent collision and shot to his feet. A small groan escaped the youth's lips as they straightened out their back and brushed the dirt off their body. As they surveyed their surroundings, they realized they had been carried to a different section of Break Wasteland, but that didn't bring much concern to them as they knew they could easily return to their original location by flying back. Piccolo was the main focus. The Namekian demonstrated to be a formidable fighter, displaying both great power and an unrelenting drive, as Zuki could reluctantly attest.
"What to do?" That was the million-dollar question. What could Zuki do? "Piccolo barely gives me any time to attack, let alone recover from his. Maybe, I-"
In an instant, Zuki was overcome by a chilling sensation, as if something had swiftly coiled around his waist; It bore a resemblance to a snake, yet its presence was even more unsettling. Zuki's gaze slowly lowered, and he was met with the sight of a muscular arm, predominantly green with patches of pale pink. Zuki found himself in a state of natural confusion, but his confusion quickly dissipated as he was lifted up and brought into direct confrontation with the culprit. To his surprise, the culprit turned out to be none other than Piccolo, who utilized his innate Namekian ability to stretch his arms to extraordinary lengths.
"How...how are you able to do that?" Zuki was filled with a blend of intrigue and confusion.
"It's a racial trait of mine," replied Piccolo casually. "Really comes in handy when I need it."
Piccolo exerted a controlled amount of force on his arm, gripping Zuki without risking any significant harm. Zuki hissed, feeling an intense pressure around his waist akin to that of a constricting anaconda. The boy was uncertain about what would happen to him, but he had zero intentions of finding out; fuck around and find out may apply to some people, but not to him. Clenching his teeth, Zuki began to concentrate, though it was difficult with him being squeezed like a stress ball and all. The youth's body started emitting a shining golden glow, which didn't go unnoticed by Piccolo. Zuki's radiant aura shimmered with a resplendent golden hue, casting a luminous glow that bathed the entire battlefield in its ethereal light. As the intensity of his aura grew, a scorching heat emanated from his very being, driving the air to ripple with visible waves of warmth. Beads of sweat evaporated instantaneously from his glistening skin, mirroring the fate of nearby lakes that succumbed to the fiery aura he was displaying.
Piccolo assumed he had Zuki in a vulnerable position, but was proven wrong when he could no longer maintain his hold on the boy. "Shit!" Piccolo winced in pain as he reflexively released his arm from around Zuki's scalding body, quickly pulling it away. "What the hell was that?" Piccolo examined his arm, observing the presence of blisters and burn marks on the green and pink appendage. "It felt like I was touching fire except much hotter. So the kid can use heat to his advantage...interesting."
"SUN: LIGHT VOLUTION!" Zuki inhaled, amassing ki in his mouth, which caused their cheeks to glow as though there was a light inside (and there was, ironically enough), then exhaled and released a spiraling beam of white, red-hot light from their mouth.
With great reflexes, Piccolo dodged the revolving light beam, barely escaping its path, but much to his astonishment, instead of flying off into the sky and ultimately reaching outer space, the beam unexpectedly changed direction, looping back and unexpectedly hitting him in the back. As the spinning beam of light surged forward, it propelled Piccolo forcefully toward Zuki. With a strong kick, Zuki sent the Namekian flying backward.
"Not bad, kid," Piccolo complimented. "Can't say I was expecting that."
Piccolo firmly grasped his seared arm and proceeded to sever it from his body. Zuki, who was unaware of the Namekian's ability to regenerate, was both horrified and disgusted, with a stronger inclination towards disgust. "W-Whuh...W-W-Why? Whyyy???" Zuki cringed, finding himself at a loss for words to articulate his thoughts. The youth was overwhelmed by a sensation of dizziness and nausea, fearing that he might faint or become sick. "That's your ARM! YOU NEED THAT! WHAT MADE YOU THINK DISABLING YOURSELF WAS A GOOD IDEA?!?"
A small smirk played across Piccolo's green face, leaving Zuki questioning if he had somehow lost his sanity during their battle. "Watch this, kid..." Piccolo uttered as he grunted. With a display of force and energy, the Namekian warrior successfully regrew an arm, revealing a fresh new limb covered in vibrant green juices. "Good as new."
Zuki was astounded, but also disgusted. "Doesn't that...?" There was a pause before Zuki continued. "Doesn't that hurt?"
"Every time..." Piccolo was no stranger to the act of severing an arm and regrowing a new one. The process was incredibly painful, but fortunately, the pain subsided quickly and didn't hinder his ability to fight.
"What are you?" Zuki had encountered a lot of people who were inhuman, but none of them compared to the uniqueness of the man he was facing.
"A Namekian." A Namekian? Zuki got a feeling of déjà vu, as if he'd heard about them before, but couldn't place where. "You'll learn about them another time."
Without a moment's hesitation, Piccolo moved behind Zuki, delivering a powerful kick to his back, leaving the unsuspecting human no time to mount a defense. Zuki, with great force, barreled through a series of mountains until he finally managed to regain control over his own body, successfully halting his movement before he could go too far and potentially crash into another mountain.
"Damn..." swore Zuki, rubbing his back. "Just when I thought I had him on the ropes, he-"
Piccolo appeared in front of Zuki, interrupting them, and immediately socked them in the stomach, which was followed by a brisk low kick that sent them plunging downwards until they unavoidably collided with a mountain. Piccolo appeared in front of Zuki again, and with a hand stretched out, the Namekian was prepared to unleash a ki wave upon Zuki, but just as he was about to fire his attack, the latter opened their mouth and released another Light Volution. The force of the spiraling light blast caught Piccolo off guard, pushing him back, and providing Zuki with more than enough time to break free from his prison.
"SUN: SWORD STORM!" Zuki spread his arms wide and created a hail of golden swords from ki, then thrust his hands forward and set them on Piccolo.
Piccolo grimaced at the energy swords that were hurtling toward him. Going on the defense, the former released a volley of energy waves, each one finding its mark and colliding with the blades, causing a spectacular chain of explosions. Amidst the flurry of explosions, Zuki seized the opportunity moment to carefully maneuver himself behind Piccolo, lowering his power level to avoid detection, with the intention of launching a surprise attack, but to his astonishment, the seasoned warrior's heightened sense of hearing allowed them to discern their foe, enabling them to swiftly intercept and deflect a punch that was aimed directly at their cheek.
Zuki's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know I was behind you?" he inquired. "I was sure I lowered my power level."
"Namekian hearing." Piccolo pointed to his ears. "I could hear the sound of your breathing, the rhythm of your heartbeat, and other auditory cues."
Annoyed, Zuki rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable..." Was there anything Piccolo couldn't accomplish with that Namekian physiology of his?
With a strong surge of Kiai from his body, Piccolo pushed Zuki back, but that display of power proved insufficient to halt Zuki in his tracks. The human sped forward, closing the distance between him and Piccolo, and attacked with a flurry of punches and kicks, unleashing a diverse array of punches and kicks. With the advantage of speed, Piccolo evaded and parried Zuki's attacks before moving behind the latter. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Piccolo delivered a powerful kick, but Zuki spun his body around and successfully blocked the incoming strike with his arms.
Piccolo unleashed a relentless assault, attacking with a flurry of punches and kicks. Zuki defended against each strike, using their arms to block, but the tide turned when Piccolo delivered a final kick. The force of the impact was incredibly powerful, causing Zuki's body to be forcefully driven backward. Not only that, but it also shattered their defensive stance, leaving their arms hanging by their side in pain. Piccolo let loose a rapid flurry of punches, each one creating powerful shock waves that hit Zuki with incredible accuracy, sending him flying backward. Extending his arm, Piccolo firmly grasped Zuki by the shirt before tossing him down to the ground.
SLAM!
Zuki was laid out in a crater shaped like himself, but not for long as he stood back up. The Earthling gazed toward Piccolo, who was charging at him like a manic bull. With his teeth tightly clenched against his braces, Zuki unleashed a stream of energy waves in an attempt to fend off the Namekian, but, to his dismay, the latter effortlessly evaded the attack and swiftly advanced toward him. In a split second, the super Namekian used his duplication technique and created a clone of him, further complicating the situation.
Zuki's eyes grew wide, and his jaw nearly dropped in shock and horror. "Two Piccolos? Give me a freaking break..." Zuki was painfully aware of Piccolo's ability to multiply himself, having seen it before, and that was precisely why it bothered him to witness it being utilized for offensive purposes. Piccolo, being a tactical fighter, had something brewing in his mind that spelled trouble for Zuki.
Piccolo's duplicate was the first to make a move, speeding ahead with a fist reeled back. The duplicate was a fast one, giving Zuki little time to react. The youth instinctively shifted to a defensive stance, shielding his body with his arms; he braced himself, ready to face whatever action the duplicate had in store. The duplicate was in front of Zuki and proceeded to strike the human with a hail of punches that the latter could only block. The duplicate wasn't as strong as their creator, but their power was still a concern, nonetheless. The duplicate landed a heavy punch, pushing Zuki back, and as the kid sensed an opportunity to attack, the original Piccolo appeared behind him.
"Dammit! They've got me wedged in!" Zuki honestly couldn't help but feel stupid for not anticipating something like that occurring.
As Zuki found himself caught in between a tight spot, Piccolo and his duplicate executed an impressive, well-coordinated team attack. Piccolo took the initiative and supplied an aggressive knee strike directly to Zuki's back. Zuki couldn't help but let out a loud exclamation of 'GYAH!' as a surge of pain shot through his body, causing him to instinctively arch in pain. Following up on his attack, Piccolo's duplicate appeared right before Zuki, performing a sudden sweeping kick that knocked them off their feet. Finally, as the duplicate carried out a high kick, Zuki was launched into the air before they even had a chance to touch the ground from the previous sweep kick. Zuki made a valiant effort to regain his balance and recuperate, but his endeavors were quickly foiled by Piccolo. Piccolo soared above Zuki and unleashed a forceful punch, sending him hurtling into a mountain. To make matters worse, Piccolo's duplicate lengthened their ARM and impelled him through a succession of towering mountains, until finally pushing him away with a powerful energy blast.
Zuki's body rolled on the ground like a tumbleweed before stopping and skidding across the land until he finally came to a complete halt but not before colliding with a boulder. The boulder was adding salt to the gaping wound. Zuki released a subdued groan of pain as he experienced a surge of agony rippling through his back and stomach, but despite the intense sensations he was enduring, he refused to call it quits.
Zuki rose to his feet and gazed upwards, his sharp eyes fixed on Piccolo's duplicate who was speeding towards him. Growling, Zuki released a barrage of energy waves in an attempt to fend off the Namekian, but the latter easily avoided the onslaught and was advancing closer with every passing second.
"SUN: PYRO TORNADO!" Zuki hollered.
Zuki raised his arms high into the air. As if guided by an invisible force, the human's arms crossed each other, causing a mesmerizing display of golden fire and golden ki to materialize. As the two factors, fire and ki, intertwined, their merging gave birth to a spectacle. A vortex of flames and ki formed, wrapping around Zuki in its fiery embrace. Over time, the phenomenon underwent a change, transforming into an overwhelming tornado of blazing energy and fire that emitted intense heat and immense power. Zuki found themselves at the center of this extraordinary transformation, witnessing firsthand the convergence of these elemental forces into a force of nature that defied imagination.
In the midst of the fiery chaos, Piccolo's doppelgänger emitted a low, guttural growl, its silent protest echoing through the raging air. The sheer intensity of Zuki's tornado was palpable, radiating a searing heat and wind that seemed to blow away and burn anything that happen to be in its path. In an effort to stop the madness, Piccolo fired a wave of energy, but much to their surprise, rather than piercing through the burning tornado evoked by Zuki and hitting him, the energy instead revolved around it, only to be pivoted back towards its originator. The sharp eyes of Piccolo's duplicate widened in shock as they were struck by their own blast, a powerful force that completely vaporized them. There was a certain irony in meeting one's demise through their own attack.
"Not bad..." From a safe distance, the original Piccolo observed Zuki's tornado with interest. The kid was pretty good at manipulating fire, wasn't he?
Piccolo wasn't sure what he could do. Making the choice to get closer would be stupid, as it would likely result in unfavorable consequences. Similarly, attempting to fire energy waves would only lead to them being redirected back toward him. Would an Explosive Wave work? There was a possibility. It could cancel out the tornado, and maybe do a little bit more. Piccolo shook his head, uncertain of the best course of action; while the Namekian was stronger than Zuki by a wide margin, he understood the importance of caution; after all, he had not yet witnessed all of his opponent's tricks.
Speaking of tricks, Zuki had another one up his sleeve. "SUN: DANCING DRAGONS!" Zuki lowered his hands to his sides, causing the fire tornado surrounding him to dissipate into nothingness. In an instant, golden flames surfaced around Zuki's hands. Zuki's hands moved with deliberate slowness, slowly bringing them together before extending them outwards. As his hands reached their full extension, a mesmerizing display unfolded behind him - a gathering of fiery orbs, poised and ready to be unleashed.
A look of confusion crossed Piccolo's face. "What's the kid doing?" he pondered to himself. "Another fire attack?"
The fireballs conjured by Zuki underwent a change, taking on the form of dragon heads with grinning faces. Thrusting his hand forward, Zuki fired, no pun intended, his horde of dragon-shaped fireballs at Piccolo. Grimacing, the Namekian expertly maneuvered through the fiery projectiles, narrowly escaping any direct hits. Taking advantage of False Piccolo being distracted, Zuki seized the opportunity to attack.
While the Namekian was distracted, Zuki seized the opportunity to attack by dashing toward Piccolo and punching the latter in the stomach when thye weren't expecting it. Piccolo let out a growl and reciprocated Zuki's efforts by delivering a punch to his stomach; he then raised his hand and attempted to strike Zuki on the head, but the human managed to catch it with his hand. With a burst of speed, the young fighter sped at Piccolo, catching them off guard, and without hesitation, delivered a powerful punch to their stomach, capitalizing on the element of surprise. Piccolo, in a moment of agony, emitted a fierce growl and retaliated against Zuki's actions by landing a forceful punch to his stomach. Piccolo then elevated his hand, aiming to strike Zuki's head, however, to his surprise, Zuki intercepted the attack, catching Piccolo's hand with his own.
"Not this time, Mr. Piccolo!" said Zuki with ferocity in his voice.
Piccolo had a wide smirk on his face. "Heh..." A faint chortle of amusement left Piccolo's lips. "You sound so sure of yourself, kid..."
While still holding Piccolo's hand, Zuki began to spin around in a circular motion before releasing his grasp on Piccolo and flinging the Namekian away. Piccolo was speeding in the direction of a nearby mountain, moments away from slamming into it, but he promptly flipped himself around and expertly landed on the mountain with his feet first before pushing himself off the mountain, destroying it in the process, and propelling himself toward Zuki.
"Wasn't expecting that..." Zuki murmured to himself.
Piccolo stuck a hand out and started discharging a rapid succession of energy spheres, and instead of attacking Zuki as the Earthling intended they would, preparing for them, they moved around him, leading to a state of confusion from them. What the heck? Weren't they supposed to attack him? What was going on? False Piccolo continuously released his energy spheres in every direction, until he eventually ceased his 'attack'.
"What is this...?" Zuki was surrounded by an array of luminous energy spheres, each one pulsating with a vibrant and otherworldly glow.
"I got you now!" Using his antenna, False Piccolo fired another beam of energy at Zuki, immobilizing the human for a second time.
Zuki's teeth clenched with a mixture of anger and anxiety, his body straining as he attempted to move, despite the futility of his efforts. "D-DAMMIT!"
"You're mine now, kid!" Piccolo roared, his rugged voice echoing throughout Break Wasteland. "HELLZONE GRENADE!"
Piccolo brought his hands together, causing a resounding clap that reverberated throughout the heated wasteland. In response, his energy spheres began to move forward, their trajectory fixed on Zuki as they surged ahead with increasing intensity. Zuki's eyes broadened in sheer shock as he beheld a multitude of energy spheres hurtling toward him, their sole purpose being to inflict maximum damage.
Zuki was about to be in a world of pain.
The energy spheres brought about by False Piccolo collided with a paralyzed Zuki, resulting in a tremendous explosion that shook the entire battlefield that was Break Wasteland. Zuki was engulfed in a dazzling burst of light, which was quickly accompanied by an Explosive Wave. After a short amount of time, the tumultuous explosion subsided, allowing the dust to settle and the atmosphere to regain a sense of tranquility, albeit on a small scale. Amidst the newfound calmness, one's gaze could discern the figure of Zuki, lying on the ground. The Earthling was alive and kicking, but they had suffered serious injuries.
"Damn..." Zuki was panting heavily, trying to keep his breathing in check. "That last attack was a lot stronger than I expected..."
With a slow pace, Zuki lifted his body from the ground, summoning the strength to stand upright despite the wounds he had sustained. False Piccolo's Hellzone Grenade did a number on Zuki, evident from the visible damage inflicted. Besides the injuries, Zuki's gi bore the brunt of the attack; a section of their shirt was torn, exposing their stomach, while their pants showed several holes. Overall, Zuki was going to be fine and still had enough strength to continue fighting,
"You're pretty durable, kid." Piccolo dropped down in front of Zuki. "Thought my last attack would've taken you out."
"Yeah, well..." Zuki unleashed his aura and struck Piccolo's chest with a heavy punch. "You thought wrong..."
Zuki clenched his other fist and landed a punch on Piccolo's jaw, causing him to stumble back in pain. Zuki leaped forward and began attacking Piccolo with punches until he high-kicked the Namekian warrior into the air, only to jump up and drive them even further into the sky with another punch. Piccolo let out a low growl as he dashed toward Zuki, reigniting the intense brawl between the two. Zuki and Piccolo clashed with relentless force, their fists colliding in a symphony of thunderous blows. Each punch reverberated through the landscape of Break Wasteland, shaking the very foundation of the ground beneath them, and the sheer power and intensity of their combat sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
Piccolo punched Zuki in the stomach, then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and flung him to the ground, but the teenager managed to recover in time to spin himself around and land on his feet like a cat. Piccolo lunged at Zuki, gathering his energy and firing an energy wave, but Zuki dodged it by leaping out of harm's way, though Piccolo had foreseen this move and materialized behind Zuki, delivering a forceful kick to his back.
Zuki's body plummeted toward the ground, crashing with a resounding thud; as he regained his footing, his eyes met the sight of Piccolo hurtling towards him, a fierce and untamed force. Zuki's face contorted into a scowl, but that scowl quickly transformed into a mischievous smirk. The young fighter had a plan in mind, and he could only hope that Piccolo wouldn't have a way to counter it. Springing into the air, Zuki curved his hands together, forming an 'O' gesture with his hands, and placed them a few inches away from his mouth; the dark-skinned adolescent took a deep breath, then let out a billowing cloud of ki-infused smoke from his lips, leaving Piccolo in awe.
"What is that boy doing now?" Piccolo was astonished by the mysterious display before him. Smoke, an unexpected medium, was being manipulated in ways he had never seen before. Zuki, the mastermind behind this spectacle, wasn't expected to be capable of possessing such a unique talent.
The haze Zuki manufactured functioned as a special kind of smokescreen, designed to conceal his higher-than-average power level and make it difficult for his adversaries to hunt him down. With a flick of his wrist, Zuki beckoned the heavens to unleash their fury. At first, there was only silence, but then a deafening roar echoed through the air as lightning bolts rained down around him. One bolt, in particular, dared to strike him, but Zuki came about unscathed, his body unmarred by the electric surge. Lightning of a blue hue danced and flickered incessantly around Zuki before gradually evolving into a golden-yellow hue.
Amidst the thick cloud of smoke that enshrouded him, Piccolo remained calm and collected; the cloak that Zuki conjured up was intriguing, but he could easily circumvent it by simply flying upwards, no issue. Just as Piccolo was preparing to take off, he suddenly heard Zuki's voice resonating through the air, its words carrying with crystal clarity that could be discerned even from a considerable distance.
"QUICK SHOT!"
The words echoed in Piccolo's mind, but they were hollow as he couldn't interpret what they meant...until it hit him, quite literally, that is. A bolt of electricity struck him with pinpoint precision at the center of his chest. The Namekian stood frozen in awe, his gaze fixated on his torso, electricity crackling and popping before slowly fading away into nothingness. Piccolo was bewildered by the sudden attack. The Namekian wanted to - and did - something, anything, but additional bolts of lightning burst from the smoke and hit him in the side of his head. Truthfully, the thunderbolts didn't cause significant damage to Piccolo, but they did still hurt him.
"This kid..." Piccolo grunted. "He used smoke to hide from me, then attacked when I was least expecting it." Piccolo's scowl softened into a small grin. "He's a sneaky little runt." Another bolt of lightning burst through the smoke, but Piccolo, aware of its approach, swiftly dodged it, relying on his heightened Namekian hearing to detect the crackling sound it produced. "Enough hiding, kid! Keeping a low profile and masking your presence is pointless!"
The smoke around Piccolo was blown away with a powerful gust of wind from Zuki's lips, and the boy could be seen in their entirety. Zuki had secretly hoped that his sneak attack would cause some damage to Piccolo, and it did, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to have any significant impact.
"Thought my Quick Shot would do something to you." Zuki held up his hand, electricity dancing around it. "Guess I'll have to try something different..."
Piccolo cracked his neck a little. "Do whatever you feel is necessary, kid."
Without warning, Piccolo lunged at Zuki and tried to attack, but the human moved out of his path and leaped over him, then landed behind him several feet away from him. Zuki stuck his hand out and steered it toward several mountains, then detached them from the earth with minimal effort using telekinesis. It didn't take a genius to realize that the Earthling was making good use of his psychokinetic ability; he had learned the ins and outs of the trade from his master, Lumi, and had been putting them to good use ever since, whether in training or something as simple as picking up the couch whenever his parents vacuumed.
"This better work..." Zuki closed his hand, and the mountains he ripped from the ground shuddered uncontrollably, fissures forming all around them, and eventually burst into smaller but still sizable pieces. The remnants gave off a faint golden glow, but that was because Zuki was strengthening their potency with his own ki, magnifying their power. With a simple swipe, Zuki propelled the once-whole mountains at his enemy. "TERRAIN TYPHOON!"
Piccolo narrowed his eyes and awaited the large hail of rocks that were raining down from above, much like a meteor shower except far more destructive than the ordinary meteor shower. Piccolo was able to maneuver around the boulder that came at him like dodgeballs. For the most part, the Namekian was handling himself fairly well, ensuring that he didn't take any damage, however, his perfect, untouchable streak was soon brought to a screeching halt when a rock snuck past his radar and struck him square in the face, then exploded on impact.
"Damn rock," Piccolo growled, dusting his face. The Namekian wasn't in pain, but he was annoyed.
Piccolo lifted his hand, and from the palm of his hand, he fired a fusillade of energy waves into the air. The energy waves rose high and lingered in the air for a few seconds before falling down and annihilating a majority of the rocks in their course, leaving a chain of explosions as a byproduct. As for the remaining mountain fragments that hadn't been obliterated, a simple Explosive Wave was all that was needed to do away with them, much to Zuki's annoyance, though he wasn't too upset because he hadn't expected his telekinetic attack to deal any meaningful damage, but it would have been nice, regardless.
Piccolo praised Zuki, albeit slightly jeeringly, for their good effort, but cautioned them that they needed to do better if they wanted to win. Zuki turned a deaf ear to Piccolo's words and jetted forward with the latter doing the same thing. Zuki fired a hail of ki waves at Piccolo, but the Namekian was able to dodge them. Piccolo closed in on Zuki and landed a crushing blow to the adolescent's stomach, knocking the breath out of them, before clenching his fist and driving it against their cheek with sufficient force to send them hurtling through the air. Expelling his aura, Piccolo hurried after Zuki and immediately kneed him in the chest upon contact, then raised a fist imbued with ki and smashed it against the back of their head, sending them plummeting downward.
The impact to the back of Zuki's head left him dazed and disoriented, with his skull throbbing in excruciating pain, but he shortly regained consciousness and returned to reality. The dark-skinned blonde/brunette was still in the air, and peering down, he noticed he was getting dangerously close to the ground, so to circumvent a painful landing and head injury, he flipped himself around and safely landed on his feet as if he were a cat, except he wasn't a cat, he was a human; additionally, the ground beneath his feet fractured slightly as a result of the impact of the landing, but it wasn't anything important.
Zuki scowled at Piccolo and performed the ever-iconic 'come and get me' gesture with his index finger, leaping in place and urging the Namekian to attack again, which they accepted without hesitation.
Piccolo moved behind Zuki using rapid movement and tried to attack, but the adolescent was well-prepared for what was to come and twisted his body just in time to deflect a punch with his wrist, the ground shattering beneath him as he was pushed back. Piccolo couldn't help but be surprised and a tad bit impressed by Zuki's reflexes, even if he didn't express it.
Piccolo let out a fierce, almost demonic roar as he slammed a ki-charged foot against Zuki's stomach, sending them flying backward, then brought his hands together and fired two energy waves. Zuki's eyes widened and he managed to narrowly evade them by swiftly diving to the side and landing unharmed. Piccolo charged towards Piccolo, ready to attack, however, Zuki quickly reacted by extending his hand and unleashing a rapid stream of small white energy balls. Piccolo was prepared to maneuver around the white orbs surrounding him until they all detonated, but rather than the expected explosions, there were continuous flashes of light, obscuring the Namekian's eyesight and temporarily stopping him from advancing forward.
"Son of a bitch!" Piccolo cursed.
"SUN: LIGHT CHAINS!" Zuki bellowed.
Zuki extended his right hand, and in an instant, luminous white chains of hard light materialized within his grasp. Zuki spun his chain around, creating a gust of wind that blew away the dirt and rocks by his feet, and geared his glowing weapon toward Piccolo, ensnaring the Namekian in seconds and temporarily immobilizing them. As Piccolo found himself entangled in the chains, Zuki leaped forward and bombarded the Namekian with a flurry of lightning-fast punches and kicks, and then, with a mighty high kick, he sent them soaring upwards before firing an energy blast, which propelled them even higher into the air.
"I got more for you!" Zuki spread his arms out and created a multitude of energy spheres around him, each taking on the appearance of the Sun except much smaller. Zuki let out a lively shout as he pushed his arms, driving his energy spheres toward Piccolo, who was still in the air. "SUN: SHOOTING STARS!"
In a matter of seconds, Zuki's attack, Shooting Stars, reached Piccolo and collided with him, resulting in a fiery and immense explosion that reverberated throughout Break Wasteland and shone a golden light over it. When the blinding light slowly died down and everything went semi-normal, Piccolo could be spotted descending from above, liberated from Zuki's chains. The purple-clad Namekian was harboring noticeable burn marks on some parts of his body, but disregarding that, he seemed to be okay as he managed to recover from Zuki's attack and land safely on the ground.
"You're a clever kid," praised Piccolo, his burn wounds slowly healing. The Namekian smirked. "Expect payback for trying to make roasted Namekian."
Zuki smirked in response. "I'm ready for whatever you send out."
"Well see about that," Piccolo said, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement.
Piccolo's mouth opened wide as he unleashed a powerful energy wave, whereas Zuki mirrored his actions by gathering light and releasing another Light Volution. The mouth blasts of Piccolo and Zuki collided, with both energy attacks fiercely battling to overpower each other, however, Piccolo infused his attack with extra energy, causing it to push back and ultimately triumph. Zuki's face was met with a powerful blow from Piccolo's mouth blast, embedded with his own energy blast; the impact was so intense that the Earthling staggered backward, hissing in pain.
As Zuki's attention wavered, Piccolo seized the opportunity to attack, launching himself forward and delivering a punch to Zuki's stomach. Following up with a swift sweep kick, Piccolo knocked Zuki off his feet, and without wasting a single second, the warrior executed a high kick, propelling his foe into the air just before they could make contact with the ground. While Zuki was airborne, Piccolo ascended and firmly wrapped his arms around their waist, preventing any chance of escape, then immediately shot downward and plunged deep into the ground below and spearing through the earth.
CRASH!
Zuki's mouth emitted a raspy groan of agony, as his head and back throbbed with pain. As the Earthling with dark skin gradually awakened, he was taken aback by the sight of sharp stalactites hanging above him, poised to fall at any given moment. Zuki, naturally bewildered, executed a kip-up maneuver to regain his footing, and to his surprise, he found himself no longer in Break Wasteland but instead inside a gloomy and ominous cave; the cave was filled with tainted water, presumably teeming with disease, as well as stalactites and stalagmites.
"A cave?" Zuki pondered, examining his new surroundings. "When did I-"
"Don't get distracted, kid!"
Zuki's body tensed up instantly upon hearing the voice he knew all too well. Without wasting a second, he swiftly turned around, only to come face to face with Piccolo. In a split second, Piccolo unleashed a powerful energy wave, narrowly missing Zuki as he skillfully sidestepped out of harm's way. Zuki, feeling a mix of annoyance and lack of surprise, fired energy waves at Piccolo, however, the Namekian was able to dodge and deflect each wave with ease. Not wasting any time, Piccolo decided to take the offensive approach and lunged at his opponent. Piccolo struck in the stomach with his left hand, then slugged the human in the cheek with his right, sending them crashing into a wall and forcing it to fracture and small pieces to break off.
Whispering profanities under his breath, Zuki tried to attack Piccolo, however, his efforts were in vain as he found himself being outpaced. With quickness, Piccolo moved in front of Zuki and administered a mighty punch toward the boy's stomach before they could react, then attacked with a storm of punches, leaving no opening to fight back. With each thunderous blow unleashed by Piccolo, a symphony of agony reverberated through the air, leaving Zuki no choice but to bear the brunt of the onslaught, embracing the blows with unwavering resolve. Zuki's chest was met with a gut punch, causing the youth to gasp for air, feeling pain course through their upper body. The Earthling swore, and as they looked up, they saw Piccolo with a hand raised, infusing it with a pulsating surge of energy. Piccolo brought his fist down, intending to deliver a decisive blow, but much to his surprise, Zuki managed to intercept his fist just moments before it could make contact with his face.
"That's enough!" Zuki firmly tightened his grip on Piccolo's fist, locking eyes with him in a chilling manner. "I won't be your punching bag!"
If anyone else was in Piccolo's position, they would be terrified of the cold and intense stare on Zuki's face, but not Piccolo as he remained unfazed by the icy expression he was being met with...until something out of the ordinary happened, causing a sense of worry to creep into his mind. Zuki's eyes ignited with an intense golden glow, prompting Piccolo to quickly realize that he should back away as far and as fast as possible, which turned out to be a wise choice, as it would prevent him from sustaining severe injuries.
A sonorous howl rang from Zuki, driving stalactites and stalagmites to shatter in reaction, and taking a stride forward, slamming his foot down, which correspondingly caused the cave to tremble, he generated an immense amount of heat from his eyes and unleashed it without reservation in the form of intense, scalding hot beams of energy; to put it another manner everyone could understand, he was using heat vision.
Piccolo's eyes widened in surprise, and before he was given the chance to move out of harm's way, cast an energy barrier to defend himself, or fire an eye beam of his own, he was hit in the chest by his pupil's heat blast. Zuki's heat vision pushed Piccolo against a wall and pinned him up against it. The Namekian let out a hiss of pain as they felt intense heat hitting their stomach. Utilizing his innate racial talent for limb extension, the seasoned warrior cautiously extended his arm, skillfully concealing his movements from Zuki's watchful eyes; with his sinewy muscles flexing, his arm reached out towards its intended target, swiftly and silently, resembling the fluid motion of a serpent, and in a split second, his hand firmly grasped Zuki's ankle, exerting a powerful grip akin to a vice; with a forceful tug, the warrior disrupted the boy's equilibrium, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground.
"What in the...?" Zuki was taken aback. "When did you-"
"I stretched my arms out and grabbed you when you weren't paying attention," Piccolo replied, knowing exactly what Zuki was going to ask.
Piccolo grabbed Zuki by the ankle and spun the boy around, then released his grip, which propelled them upward; the force of their ascent launched them out of the cave, causing rocks to come crashing down and the rays shining from the bright sun above filled the cave, changing the gloomy atmosphere it once had.
Without wasting a moment, Piccolo dashed out of the cave, determined to catch up with Zuki before the Earthling had a chance to regain their strength. The Namekian reached his opponent and wrapped his arms around their torso, effectively locking them in a firm grip, then plunged downward and slammed them against the ground. The impact of the violent body slam caused the ground beneath them to fracture, showcasing the immense power behind his move.
Zuki grunted, his back writhing in pain. "My back..."
Zuki made a determined effort to rise to his feet and resume the battle, but his endeavors were abruptly halted by Piccolo. The Namekian carefully before firmly slammed his foot against Zuki's stomach, then propelled the kid several feet away, creating a significant gap between the two combatants.
THUD!
Zuki collided with the ground, emitting a pained grunt as he did so. The youth quickly regained his bearings and, with some effort, managed to stand up on their two feet, though it was slightly difficult to stand straight as his back was still aching and all. As Zuki gazed into the distance, his eyes locked on Piccolo who was racing at him. Without a moment's hesitation, Zuki narrowed his eyes, which had a golden glow to them, and casted heat beams, however, Piccolo easily bypassed them and continued on. Zuki clicked his teeth in vexation before firing a ki blast to slow Piccolo down, if not stop them, but much to his shock, the Namekian enveloped themselves in yellowish-orange energy and effortlessly speared himself through the attack without any difficulty whatsoever.
"Did he just-"
WHAM!
With a mighty right hook, Piccolo landed a clean blow on Zuki's cheek, causing them to be sent soaring through the air like a ragdoll. With a surge of power, Piccolo intensified his energy, causing his opponent, Zuki, to be forcefully propelled backward. Swiftly, the warrior in purple materialized behind his pupil, launching a powerful kick that sent them soaring into the sky, then, in a seamless motion, he reappeared in front of them, delivering another forceful right hook that sent them hurtling into a nearby mountain.
Zuki found himself confined within a crater in the mountain. Grunting lightly, the dark-skinned youth focused his gaze ahead, where he caught sight of Piccolo speeding in his direction, moving like a torpedo homing in on its target, or something akin to that. The eyes of the blonde/brunette glared fiercely as he hissed, and then, with his mouth wide open, he unleashed another tremendous wave of energy, however, his opponent, displaying immense strength, effortlessly withstood the attack once again and retaliated with a violent headbutt.
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
The resounding echoes of mountains crumbling to the ground, as though they were mere Jenga blocks, reverberated throughout the vast wasteland. Zuki careened and smashed into numerous imposing mountains, one after another, until Piccolo appeared above him and attacked a with missile dropkick that sent him hurtling down to the ground.
THUD!
Zuki groaned, yet he set his pain aside and shot to his feet with a kip-up; he then shifted his attention onto Piccolo, who remained suspended in mid-air, patiently anticipating the forthcoming assault from his adversary. Zuki extended his hand, unleashing a relentless stream of energy waves toward Piccolo, but the Namekian reacted fast and erected a protective wall of energy. The ki wall successfully redirected the onslaught of energy waves, causing them to scatter in various directions, and as a result, significant devastation was inflicted upon multiple sections of Break Wasteland.
Piccolo disintegrated his wall of ki, and in an instant, appeared right before Zuki and delivered a powerful blow to the Earthling's stomach. Piccolo launched a fierce and wild assault on Zuki, attacking with punches, kicks, and even a few headbutts. Zuki was defending himself to the best of his ability, but despite that, he was struggling to keep up with his new mentor's onslaught.
"Dammit!" Zuki was blocking a storm of punches from Piccolo. "I can't find an opening to attack! I have no other choice but to wait it out!"
With a ki-charged kick, Piccolo forcefully pushed Zuki away, then immediately stormed after the human. Zuki's face contorted into a grimace, prompting him to retreat several feet, widening the distance between himself and Piccolo, but that temporary respite would be short-lived, as Piccolo lunged towards him with the force of an unstoppable locomotive. In spite of Piccolo progressing toward him, Zuki remained firm in his posture, keeping his stance strong, and focusing intently on what his next course of attack was going to be; he couldn't afford to make a single mistake, not a one, with so little time on his hand and needed to move fast before Piccolo could reach him.
Zuki assumed a poised stance, inhaling deeply and purposefully holding his breath, determined to sustain it until Piccolo was within striking distance. The teenager patiently bided his time, maintaining his position unwaveringly, until the long-awaited moment arrived - Piccolo was in close proximity, ready to strike. Seizing the opportunity that lay before him, so tantalizingly ripe and juicy, Zuki acted without hesitation. As he finally exhaled, what unfolded next caught Piccolo completely off guard, and to compound matters, he found himself without a suitable counter. For a better understanding, Zuki emitted a devastatingly lethal ultrasonic scream from his vocal cords and mouth, resonating with an incredible force that reverberated through the air. Piccolo, unfortunately, found himself utterly defenseless against the sonic-based attack, forced to endure the full brunt of its impact.
To say Zuki's screaming was loud, would be an understatement, a planet-sized understatement. Zuki was releasing ungodly sound waves that were tearing apart the landscape with relative ease; the ground splintered into fragments and many mountains exploded before eventually crumbling to the ground. Piccolo had it the absolute worst and considering that he was directly in front of Zuki, it only made sense. Because of the immense sound waves surging through him, the Namekian's being's entire body was vibrating sporadically; not only that, but his mind was racing with so many thoughts crowding and overfilling his mind, yet with everything going on, thinking straight and trying to escape from his current predicament something was he could not perform with ease.
Turning up the heat, Zuki increased the intensity of his banshee-like wail, amplifying the sound to a far greater degree, and as a result, Piccolo was thrown backward, rolling on the ground until he finally came to a stop. Piccolo, breathing heavily, cursed aloud, his body no longer trembling. Zuki's super sonic scream did a number on him; blood was trickling out of his ears and he couldn't hear anything. With his heightened Namekian senses, the warrior possessed an acute auditory prowess, capable of detecting even the faintest sounds from miles away. Naturally, the piercing shrills of ultrasonic screaming would undoubtedly prove to be a merciless assault on his delicate eardrums.
"Shit..." Piccolo cursed, his ears ringing, then cautiously got back up on his feet. "Didn't know the kid could wail like a banshee, but now I do. My Namekian hearing and loud noises are a really bad combination." Piccolo fixed his posture, then grabbed his ruptured ears and ripped them off, ignoring the pain that accompanied the action, before regenerating a fresh pair. "The kid has a lot of techniques at his disposal. If I were anyone else, he'd be a real threat."
"SUN: CLUSTER BOMB!"
Piccolo shifted his attention toward Zuki, only to find the adolescent floating in mid-air, their hand enveloped in golden energy and pointing at the ground. Just as Piccolo was about to attack, the ground beneath him started trembling, sending a jolt of alarm through his body. Within that moment, cracks began to form in the ground, their jagged edges aglow with a golden light that seeped forth. Piccolo could feel an intense heat rising from beneath the ground's surface, prompting him to instinctively jump out of harm's way, and his quick reaction proved to be a wise decision on his part as a tremendous explosion erupted from below, resulting in the creation of a large crater in the ground.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Explosions of massive proportions were erupting left and right, yet Piccolo skillfully evaded them all, managing to avoid taking damage. The seasoned warrior carefully maneuvered around the anarchic explosions surrounding him when Zuki came racing down from above, attacking with a dive kick that was promptly blocked. Zuki propelled himself off Piccolo's wrist, leaping several feet back to create some distance between them before raising their arms and bathing them in golden energy. Piccolo made an effort to prevent Zuki from carrying out whatever action they were about to do, but he was unable to do so in time as the human lowered their hands and forcefully slammed them against the ground, triggering a tremendous Explosive Wave that pushed Piccolo back.
Once the chaos and destruction of the blast died down, Zuki was seen hovering over a deep crater beneath his feet. The dark-skinned boy had only a brief moment to catch his breath before Piccolo returned from wherever he was dragged off. The Namekian was still in good shape to fight, though his Gi was slightly tattered, but it wasn't anything to write home about.
Piccolo gathered his energy, creating a vibrant pinkish-purple sphere of crackling energy and firing it at Zuki. The energy ball was approaching fast, prompting Zuki to prepare a counterattack with an energy blast to repel it, but to the latter's surprise, the ki ball splintered into small pieces, which then divided into smaller pieces before erupting into a series of explosions. The resulting detonations scattered in all directions, accompanied by a billowing cloud of pink-colored smoke that engulfed a significant portion of Zuki's body, and as a consequence, Zuki found himself coughing uncontrollably.
"Dammit!" Zuki was coughing profusely. "Now I know what it feels like on the other side!"
As the wind brushed away the pink smoke, Zuki became visible, standing motionless, yet not by his own choice. Without any apparent explanation, the Earthling was completely immobilized, incapable of moving his body even the slightest bit. It was evident that whatever Piccolo had done had a potent paralyzing effect on him, whether it was due to the explosions or the smoke, he couldn't discern.
Zuki, immobilized and vulnerable, found himself at Piccolo's mercy. The purple-clad man seized the opportunity and attacked a relentless assault, hitting them from all directions with a barrage of punches and kicks. Piccolo placed a hand on Zuki's stomach and strongly propelled them away with a devastating energy blast, then charged after them and loomed over them before delivering a powerful, ki-charged Double Axe Handle, slamming them into the ground.
CRASH!
The sound of Zuki's hitting the ground echoed, and the former heaved a groan. Zuki glanced upwards and caught sight of Piccolo hurtling towards him, and reacting quickly, he carried out a nimble back roll to evade the oncoming attack from his master and pushed himself off the ground. Piccolo touched down at the spot where Zuki originally was; he speedily turned toward Zuki and shot an energy blast, however, the latter used their telekinesis to reroute the blast away from themselves.
"Time to free the dog; but first, a distraction." Zuki jumped into the air. "SUN: KAGUTSUCHI NO HONO (The Flames of Kagutsuchi)!"
Piccolo double-blinked. "Kagu-what?"
Zuki took a deep breath, holding it shortly before exhaling, and in a spectacular display of power, he released a massive stream of flames from his mouth. The attack bore a resemblance to Light Volution, albeit with a shorter charging time, and was fire-based instead of being composed of light. As the Kagutsuchi no Hono approached, Piccolo, the Namekian could feel the intense heat emanating from it, and with his agility, he leaped out of harm's way, successfully avoiding taking damage...well, almost; his foot got slightly scorched, causing him to wince in pain, but beyond the minor injury, he remained unharmed.
Piccolo stuck his hand out, about to fire an energy wave when Zuki attacked before he could. "SUN: FLAMING PHOENIXES!"
Zuki's hands were enveloped in flames, and with mastery over fire, the human raised his hands high and conjured a flock of phoenixes made of fire. With a thrust of his hand, Zuki commanded his army of fiery birds to soar at Piccolo. Piccolo fired a volley of energy waves in an attempt to eliminate the phoenixes, however, much to his astonishment, the phoenixes skillfully evaded the waves and swiftly closed in on him.
As the phoenixes approached him, Piccolo skillfully executed a backflip, evading the birds with ease. As the phoenixes descended, they collided with the ground, leaving behind smoldering pillars in their wake upon impact. Additional phoenixes hovered above Zuki's head, then began to swoop down from above like birds. In every direction, there were large explosions erupting as blazing phoenixes collided with the ground, bringing about destruction around Break Wasteland. Piccolo effortlessly handled the phoenixes, evading each one that approached him; the real challenge arose from the sheer number of phoenixes moving all around and trying to attack him, making it difficult for him.
Aiming a hand at Piccolo, Zuki commanded all of his birds to attack the Namekian at once. With a frustrated expression, Piccolo clenched his teeth and began gathering his ki, before unleashing it as an Explosive Wave. The powerful burst of energy served as a defensive barrier, effectively blocking the incoming phoenixes that were poised to attack him.
"That would've been useful from the start..." Piccolo deadpanned, cracking his neck. "Now for...the kid? Okay, what the hell...?"
Piccolo watched intently as Zuki generated a substantial amount of electricity, then elevated his arms and called upon dark clouds that crackled with thunderbolts, which struck down with great force. With a grunt, Piccolo swiftly maneuvered his body to dodge an oncoming lightning bolt. The intentions behind Zuki's actions remained unclear to the Namekian, but he was determined not to fall victim to whatever it was. The warrior unleashed his aura and charged toward Zuki, determined to prevent any further advancement, however, his efforts were abruptly halted as a powerful bolt of electricity struck him directly in the chest.
An electrical force field was positioned around Zuki, with streams of lightning swinging unpredictably and functioning like whips, preventing enemies, notably Piccolo from getting close. On the subject of Piccolo, the tall man grumbled as he sidestepped another bolt of lightning from up above and an additional one from Zuki's force field. Golden electricity enveloped Zuki's body, causing his hair to stand on end and his eyes to emit a radiant golden glow. The Earthling's unknown attack and ready for deployment. All he had left to do was ensure that it counted.
"HUNTING!" clamored Zuki at the top of his lungs before dropping his arms. "HOUND!"
The overwhelming roar of thunder reverberated through the electrified wasteland, as bolts of lightning struck with increased intensity, leaving behind fresh craters in the earth. Piccolo interpreted the madness around him as his cure to get the hell out of dodge and relocate to somewhere safer, or even set up an energy barrier like Zuki had done, but for some reason, he couldn't do so...in fact, he couldn't move his body...he couldn't do anything...not a damn thing. Piccolo let out an angry hiss as he vigorously wriggled his body, clearly refusing to stay and face his opponent's imminent attack, however, all his efforts were in vain as he found himself trapped and unable to escape. What the former failed to realize was that his lack of control and authority over his own body was the result of telekinesis, Zuki's, to be exact; the human child was holding him in place, though only for a limited time.
Piccolo tried to break free from Zuki's telekinetic hold even though it was a fruitless endeavor. Unleashed with fury, thunderbolts cascaded relentlessly from the sky, and in a mere moment, the lightning bolts coalesced, uniting as one to take shape as an immense, voracious wolf, complete with a full body. Piccolo's black broadened as he tried to make sense of what he was witnessing with his eyes. Unbelievable! That...thing...that abomination...it was going to be used on him? The answer to that question was yes, yes it was, and the aftermath was NOT going to be pretty.
Gritting his fanged teeth, Piccolo expressed his frustration. "Oh hell no!" he said. "I'm not about to be that thing's chew toy!"
A beastly and ungodly screech of primal rage exploded from Zuki's Hunting Hound, producing calamitous sound waves; the waves weren't as intense as Zuki's was when he screamed, but they were still deafening, that Piccolo could attest to. Hunting Hound took off in a flash, unleashing a second howl as it did so. With a menacing growl, Piccolo started to charge up, increasing his power level. Hunting Hound was unbelievably fast, reaching Piccolo in seconds, and once it was in front of the Namekian, it opened its mouth, displaying its hauntingly sharp rows of teeth, and...
CHOMP!
In a moment of agony, Piccolo emitted a loud hiss as Zuki's Hunting Hound chomped on his torso, sending jolts of electricity coursing through his entire body. Hunting Hound violently chewed on Piccolo's torso like it was nothing more than a piece of flavorful meat before moving forward and ripping through a number of mountains with ease, then rocketing upwards with its new chew toy in tow, reaching a considerable height. At that very moment, Hunting Hound started to emit a golden glow, while radiating an increased amount of electricity, sending even more volts of lightning coursing through Piccolo's body.
In a final, resounding howl, Hunting Hound detonated, engulfing Piccolo in a powerful electrical blast. The explosion was spectacular, illuminating the battlefield that was Break Wasteland. It not only caused damage to its intended target, but it also created a gargantuan pillar of blinding lightning that pierced through the clouds above, leaving a pronounced hole. Shooting upwards at an incredible speed, it reached outer space within seconds, annihilating any unfortunate space rocks it encountered along the way. Eventually, the pillar gradually dissipated, disappearing completely.
Piccolo's electrocuted body fell to the ground with a thud, resembling the dropping of a sack of potatoes. The Namekian was still alive, but it wasn't as though Zuki was trying to kill him. Small bolts of lightning flicked around Piccolo's body before slowly fading away into nothingness; the purple-clad man slowly picked himself up and wiped the dirt off his body. Surprisingly, despite the events that recently unfolded, Piccolo remained in good condition, jumping to his feet and standing straight. Prior to being bitten, the former raised their power level in order to mitigate the potential pain they would have experienced; furthermore, before the explosion, they amplified their power level.
Zuki dropped down several feet away from the Namekian. "How did you...?" Zuki had a look of awe on his face. "How did you-"
"Survive?" Piccolo smirked before playfully flexing his muscles. "Simple. I increased my power level before your dog hit me."
"Ah..." Zuki was aware that Piccolo was intentionally restraining himself during their encounter, which made it reasonable for the latter to utilize a greater portion of their own power in order. "Figures..." Piccolo had become stronger than he was before, indicating that Zuki was going to face a more challenging situation. "So now wh-GAH!"
Zuki was gut-checked by Piccolo before being spin-kicked away.
Zuki let out a groan as he clutched his stomach. "N-Not cool..." he coughed. "Not cool at all..."
"As is sending a literal dog made out of lightning after me," Piccolo countered with his arms folded.
"Fair point," Zuki admitted before jumping to his feet. "Was it good?"
"Never has anyone attacked me with an electric dog, so yeah, it was pretty good." Zuki smiled in response. The teenager had devoted a lot of time to developing his attacks and ensuring they were successful, so receiving praise for his efforts brought a smile to his face. "Although your current power isn't on par with mine at the moment, you compensate for it with technique and good timing."
"Hence why I want to train under you," Zuki said. "So that I can improve. If you didn't show up when you did, I'm pretty sure Mira would've killed me."
"You've done well thus far, even if it hasn't been much," Piccolo said before assuming his combat stance. "Let's get back to it."
Zuki nodded with determination in his eyes. "Yes, sir!" he said, assuming his own battle stance.
Zuki and Piccolo released their individual auras, creating a powerful surge of energy as they rushed toward each other. The impact of their collision reverberated throughout Break Wasteland, causing shockwaves to ripple through the surroundings. The wildlife inhabiting Break Wasteland believed they would finally have a respite following the tumultuous events that unfolded in their territory, however, their hopes were quickly shattered as they soon discovered that their assumption was incorrect.
A considerable amount of time had passed. The battle between Zuki and Piccolo came to an end, and the latter was victorious. Zuki was currently sprawled out on the ground, breathing heavily; his Gi was tattered, he was harboring bruises, and looked utterly exhausted. Overall, he was put through the wringer, but he was able to endure and come out alive.
"You did pretty well for your first day," Piccolo praised, sitting on a rock. "Just note that your training will get harder moving forward."
Zuki flipped his body around, laying on his back and staring at the sky above. "I don't see a reason for it not to be that way." Zuki slowly shifted his body upwards, facing Piccolo. "There's a lot I need to learn, but this isn't my first rodeo. I can only hope that I can make it to the end."
"Don't worry," Piccolo said, folding his arms. "You'll learn a lot from me."
"Good. I'm looking forward to learning how to use those cool moves of yours like that Hellzone Grenade." Zuki vividly recalled the memory of Piccolo's Hellzone Grenade and the amount of damage it inflicted upon him. Giving it some thought, it seemed advantageous to have such an attack in his arsenal.
"You think the Hellzone Grenade is cool? Wait until you see the Special Beam Cannon," Piccolo boasted with a small smirk.
Special Beam Cannon? Now Zuki was interested. "What's that? I don't think I used that against me."
"The Special Beam Cannon is a powerful attack that's capable of piercing an enemy it's being used on, but if used for non-killing purposes, it can simply be used to inflict damage or knock someone out," Piccolo explained. "I've used it multiple times in the past and also taught it to my first student. If you want, I can teach you. It's challenging at first, but I think you'll get the hang of it."
"Stupid question, but could you show me?" After hearing everything Piccolo said, Zuki wanted to see the Special Beam Cannon in action.
Piccolo shrugged. "Eh, why not? Don't see a reason why I shouldn't," he replied. "Watch carefully."
Piccolo took a step back from Zuki, distancing himself from the teenager, then brought his index and middle fingers together before pressing them against his forehead. Initially, there was a lack of activity, but that didn't last for very long as Piccolo's power level started to increase, which didn't go unnoticed by Zuki, and his aura was showing as the ground began to tremble. Blue electricity was dancing around the tips of Piccolo's fingers while a light blue aura covered their body.
Zuki was in awe at the display of power he was witnessing. "Amazing..."
"SPECIAL BEAM..." The intensity of the electricity being generated by Piccolo was increasing as he charged an energy beam. "CANNON!"
Piccolo, his attack fully charged, withdrew his fingers from his forehead and directed them towards the sky. From his fingertips, he unleashed a slender yet mighty beam of vibrant yellow energy, encircled by a mesmerizing coil of purple energy. Within mere seconds, the Special Beam Cannon ascended toward the sky, effortlessly piercing through the dense layers of clouds and leaving behind a visible hole. Its trajectory propelled it further into the vast expanse of space, gradually diminishing until it eventually dissipated into nothingness.
"So..." Piccolo turned to Zuki, his arms crossed. "Thoughts?"
"I'd really like that in my arsenal, that's what I think," Zuki answered with honesty.
"Why don't you give it a shot, kid?" Piccolo suggested. "First time for everything as they say."
"Alright." Zuki jumped to his feet, patting himself off. "Wouldn't hurt to try."
Following in the footsteps of Piccolo, Zuki took the initiative to create some distance in order to avoid causing harm to others. Earlier, while Piccolo was performing the Special Beam Cannon, Zuki attentively observed the exact sequence of movements performed by the Namekian, and with careful attention, he proceeded to replicate those steps. Zuki brought his index and middle fingers together, then pressed them against his forehead. Once again, the ground quivered beneath Zuki's feet as their power level surged; golden electricity crackled and swirled around the Earthling's fingertips, while a radiant golden aura enveloped their entire body.
"You got it, kid," Piccolo called out. "Make sure not to strain yourself."
Due to Zuki's lack of expertise in the Special Beam Cannon, unlike Piccolo, it took him some time to get the hang of it. Intense heat was being emanated from Zuki as he was charging a golden beam of energy, the electricity he was generating intensifying with every second that passed. It took some time, but Zuki's Special Beam Cannon was ready for us; all he needed to do was direct it toward the sky, and he would be successful.
"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" Zuki bellowed with great ferocity.
With an immediate motion, Zuki withdrew his fingers from his forehead and directed them toward the sky; in a powerful display, he unleashed his attack, the Special Beam Cannon. Zuki had his own unique variation of the Special Beam Cannon, which set it apart from Piccolo's version. The Earthling's variant was golden-yellow in color, with white, fire-like energy coiling around it. Like what happened with Piccolo, Zuki's Special Beam Cannon soared through the sky, effortlessly piercing through the clouds and continuing its journey into the vastness of space until it ultimately faded away.
Zuki was breathing heavily before he dropped to the ground. "So..." he began, turning to Piccolo. "Did I do good?"
"Not bad, kid," Piccolo complimented with a small smirk adorning his face. "For your first time, you did good.
"Thanks," Zuki smiled. "I have to ask, does it always take long to perform? I'm leaving myself open when I do it."
"In actuality, it takes five minutes to charge," Piccolo informed. Zuki was surprised. Five minutes to charge? Although five minutes may not seem like a lot of time, during a fight, it can feel like an eternity, especially to those who're susceptible to attacks "Firing a Special Beam Cannon without the whole waiting part won't yield the same impact as when it's charged for a full five minutes. It's more often than not used to get someone off your back during a fight."
"The more you know," Zuki said. "At least I know what to expect moving forward. I'll definitely be adding that to my arsenal of moves."
"On the topic of moves, yours are nothing to scoff at," Piccolo said. "I noticed that a lot of them are heat-based. A pyromancer I take it?"
Zuki shook his head. "Not exactly." Zuki raised his finger, creating a miniature ki ball that bore a resemblance to the Sun above. "See, I have the power of the sun, or 'Sun' as I like to call it because there isn't a specific name for it." Zuki's words left Piccolo feeling confused. Power of the sun? What does that mean? An explanation was needed. "It's tricky to explain, but I have the ability to harness and replicate aspects of the Sun; for example, I can use my power to wield fire and apply heat to my attacks, as well as manipulate light, plasma, and a variety of other things."
"So that's the power you were talking about," Piccolo said. "And you said you got it from your teacher, right?"
A melancholy frown adorned Zuki's face. "Yeah; Lumi imparted it to me before her passing," he explained. "She was more skilled at using it than I was, and I learned most of my techniques from her." Zuki's frown turned into a small smile, remembering his time of training as a child. "If you could only have seen her in action, she was like a machine with no off button."
"I know a few people like that." Piccolo immediately thought of Goku and Vegeta, who were known for their intense passion for training.
"From the age of seven to fifteen, I trained with her for years and years until the unforgettable day came when her sickness became so severe that she needed to be hospitalized," Zuki said, his tone noticeably somber. "My family, especially myself, believed she would overcome her illness and persevere, spending days and days there, but I was wrong, dead wrong."
Piccolo knew what that meant, but he refrained from saying anything.
"She..." Zuki paused before continuing. "She wasn't able to get over her illness and passed away as a result, however, in her final moments, she held my hands and transferred her powers to me, urging me to use them for good, which I made a promise to do. Since that day, I've trained as hard as possible, aiming to fulfill her promise and make her proud, and the rest, as they say, is history. Obtaining powers; crazy isn't it?"
"Not really," Piccolo answered, blunt in his words. "Trust me, receiving powers from someone or something isn't unheard of." Shenron was the first thing that came to Piccolo's mind. The eternal dragon possessed the ability to grant people's wishes as long as they were within his range, which included things like immortality, and immortality was something a lot of people wanted. To take it a step further, Super Shenron wielded the power to switch the bodies of people with one another, just like what happened with Goku Black. Overall, getting powers through different methods wasn't anything new.
"You must've seen a lot in the past," Zuki joked.
Piccolo folded his arms. "You have no idea," he said. "But I've learned to deal with it...mostly."
Zuki and Piccolo exchanged a laugh, as a newfound connection gradually began to develop between them.
Several hours had passed. At eight o'clock in the evening, Zuki found himself standing outside his house, donning the tracksuit he had worn prior to meeting Piccolo, however, he was holding the Gi he was once fighting in, but a fresh new set as the old one was damaged during battle. After completing his training with Piccolo, Zuki to the remainder of his day hanging out with his friends, then doing some light shopping afterwards.
Entering his home, Zuki was met by the sight of two twenty-year-old women sitting in the living room, watching television. The females were twins as shown by their features, but one had their hair tied in a small ponytail at the back of their head, while the rest of their hair cascaded down, with bangs framing their face and a few strands playfully sticking out, while the other one had short hair that was kept back by a black headband. The twins were attractive, inheriting their mother's blonde hair and ivory skin complexion, while having their father's black eyes.
The twins' names were Iris and Ivy Kine, and they happened to be Zuki's older sisters. Iris, the older sister, was best recognized for her long hair, whereas Ivy, the younger sister, had shorter hair, which made it easier to tell who was who.
"Iris, Ivy," Zuki said, greeting the twins with a nod as he walked to the stairs.
"Baby brother," the twins greeted back in perfect unison. "How did your training go with that Piccolo guy? Was Baby Zuki afraid?"
Zuki rolled his eyes at the mockery on display. "You're real comedians, twins," he deadpanned. "To answer your question, it was better than I expected."
"Is he the Mickey Goldmill to your Rocky Balboa?" Iris asked teasingly.
"The Mr. Miyagi to your Daniel LaRusso?" Ivy jeered, going along with her twin's joke.
"The Yoda to your Luke Skywalker?" The twins joked in unison. "Come on, you can tell us."
Zuki was silent for a few seconds before he broke his silence. "I'm not dealing with this." Zuki harbored a deep love for his twin sisters, but they could be a real pain in the rear at times, especially when they shared the same brain cell, which was all of the damn time. Zuki walked a flight of stairs until he reached the upper level of the Kine household. "I'll see you both at dinner."
Iris turned to Ivy. "Too much?"
Ivy shrugged. "Eh, not really," the younger twin replied casually. "He wasn't yelling at us or anything like that."
"Good, just wanted to make sure," Iris said, returning to her program. "Ooh, Terminator's on."
"Sweet, I love that movie." Ivy grabbed a bowl of popcorn and set it on Iris' lap, much to her annoyance. "Turn up the volume."
"That felt good..." Zuki had just finished taking a shower, washing away all the dirt and sweat he had accumulated during his battle with Piccolo.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
"Yasha?" A soft and gentle feminine voice spoke.
"Hm?" Zuki turned around to face the source of the voice. "Oh, Jazz, it's you. What's up? Do you need something?"
A young woman, twenty-one years of age, stood by Zuki's doorframe, her hands discreetly tucked behind her back. The female was a pretty person, inheriting her father's black hair that was back-length while having her mother's ivory skin complexion and golden eyes. The girl with black hair was known as Jasmine, although she was commonly referred to as 'Jazz' for the sake of simplicity. What made her even more noteworthy was the fact that she was Zuki's older sister.
"Mom and Dad wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready," Jasmine informed. "Don't be late."
Zuki dried his hair with a towel. "You got it," he agreed. "Just give me some time to get ready, sis."
"Will do." Jasmine smiled. "I want to hear all about your time with that Piccolo fellow. With the way you were talking about him, he seems nice."
"He's certainly something." Piccolo was an interesting case in Zuki's eyes. "I learned a lot from him."
"That Piccolo guy taught you how to throw hands?" teased a female voice, conversing in a rugged and tomboyish tone. "About time."
"Zuki already knows how to fight, Kaze..." another female voice chimed in. "Be nice."
There were two more females, one aged sixteen and the other aged fifteen, standing by Zuki's room. The first girl had a tomboyish look, depicted by her athletic physique, short and spiky charcoal-black hair, and piercings in her ears; additionally, she had a beige skin complexion and greenish-blue eyes similar to Issa. In contrast to the first girl, the second girl possessed a distinctly feminine appearance; similar to the first girl, she, too, had charcoal-black hair, which cascaded down her back in long waves; moreover, she boasted a beige skin complexion that beautifully complemented her dark brown eyes.
The name of the first girl was Kaze Kine, who was the younger cousin of Zuki and the Kine children. Kaze was the daughter of Issa. Next up was the second girl, who was Fuku Kine, and she was the younger sister of Kaze. Like Kaze, Fuku was the daughter of Issa and the younger cousin of the Kine children.
"No offense, but can you guys, like, leave?" Zuki was only wearing boxers, so he wanted privacy. "With visual evidence, I'm trying to change here."
Kaze rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she said casually, waving her hands. "C'mon, Fu. Let's give the big baby what he wants."
"Okay," Fuku responded with a small nod of agreement. "We'll see you guys at dinner."
Kaze and Fuku took their leave and proceeded to move downstairs to the dining room, leaving Jasmine and Zuki behind. Jasmine gave Zuki a slight nod, kindly closing his door before joining her cousins and entering the dining room alongside them. Once Zuki finally had the privacy he desired, he slipped into something more comfortable, opting for a plain T-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. Zuki, feeling fresh and clean, tossed his now-dirty towel into the hamper before opening his door and stepping out of his room to join his family for a pleasant dinner.
As Zuki entered the hallway, he spotted a nineteen-year-old girl exiting from a room, presumably her own. The young woman resembled Issa but looked like a younger version of the policewoman. Their hair was a vibrant shade of scarlet-red, flowing down their back and even reaching their buttocks, while their complexion was a smooth ivory, complemented by their striking greenish-blue eyes. The redhead's name was Zephyrine Kine, but she was commonly referred to as 'Zeph' by her loved ones. Zephyrine was the older sister of Kaze and Fuku, and the first child of Issa; she was also a cousin of Zuki and his siblings.
Zuki rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I was with that Piccolo guy I was telling you about yesterday."
"Was he a nice person?" Zephyrine inquired. "I hope he wasn't too harsh with you."
"I wouldn't exactly describe him as a nice guy in the conventional sense, but he's an affable once you get to know him," Zuki explained. "Training with him was difficult, and he was strict, but he wasn't a cantankerous drill sergeant to the point where I didn't want to train with him anymore. Overall, I learned a lot from him. Moving forward, he'll be my teacher and I hope to learn a lot from him. There're a lot of techniques I want to gain under his teaching."
Zephyrine couldn't help but smile at Zuki, finding joy in his enthusiasm. "At least you're happy." Zephyrine patted Zuki's shoulder. "I'll see you at dinner."
Without uttering another word, Zephyrine descended the stairs and entered the dining area. Zuki's nose was greeted by the enticing aroma of fresh pasta, causing the superpowered Earthling to salivate in anticipation. Aries took charge of cooking dinner, showcasing his talent for making an incredibly delicious pasta that the Kine family could vouch for. When it came down to cooking, the patriarch of the Kine household was the best around, well, one of the best around as Zuki and Isha were also skilled in the culinary arts.
Following his cousin, Zuki went downstairs.
Upon entering the family dining room, Zuki was greeted by the sight of his family sitting at a long table.
"About time you showed up," said a fourteen-year-old boy, watching a video on his phone. "We were about to begin without you."
"No, we weren't," remarked a twenty-year-old woman. "Don't listen to Lex."
The pair were Zuki's siblings. Lexington 'Lex' Kine was Zuki's younger brother, whereas Chrysanthemum 'Chrys' Kine was Zuki's older sister and the eldest among the Kine siblings. Both Lexington and Chrysanthemum inherited their father's black hair, caramel-brown skin complexion, and black eyes; the only thing that distinguished them, apart from their gender, age, and a plethora of other things, was their hairstyles; Lex had short, unruly hair like his father, while Chrysanthemum tied her hair into a long ponytail that reached her hips.
The large and loving Kine family was all together, and they were ready for a pleasant family meal.
Aries grinned. "The man of the hour finally arrives," he joked. "I'm sure there's a lot you want to tell us."
"Well..." Zuki rubbed the back of his head. "Half the people here have been asking. It'd be rude for me not to give them what they want."
"What was it like, baby bro?" A smug grin was adorning Iris' face.
"Did you cry?" Ivy snickered, wearing an equally smug grin on her face. "I bet you did."
Zuki felt offended. "What? I didn't cry," he argued. "The heck would even make you think that? Do I look like a kid to you?"
Iris and Ivy exchanged glances before both of them looked at Zuki. "Well..."
"Twins..." Isha spoke in a low voice, yet her words were still audible to her children. "I would appreciate it if you would refrain from mocking your brother."
Almost immediately, Iris and Ivy tensed up, their smug faces morphing into ones of fear. "Yes, ma'am..." they meekly apologized. "Sorry."
The Kine children couldn't help but snicker at Iris and Ivy, which earned them a scowl from the twin sisters, but they weren't bothered.
"You're forgiven, children," Isha said, her voice returning to its usual, motherly pitch. "Now, Zuki." Isha directed her attention towards her fifth child, Zuki, and presented him with a kind and warm-hearted smile, characteristic of a loving mother. "Word on the street is that you had a good training session with that Piccolo fellow." Zuki nodded in response. Even though the Earthling hadn't expressed it earlier, his time with Piccolo was enjoyable; if he claimed that he didn't have any fun, then he'd be lying. "Care to give us the lowdown on how it went? We're interested in knowing what you went through."
"It turned out to be a lot different from my expectations, but in the end, I gained something from it, and I think it'll help in the future." That was true. Surely, earning a new teacher and learning a new attack must have some importance, right? "We fought in a large area, I think it was called Break Wasteland or something similar, I don't really remember the name, but yeah, we fought there and boy did he put me through the wringer."
"How so, nephew?" questioned Issa with her arms folded. "Was the guy that strong?"
"Like you wouldn't believe, and that's an understatement." Understatement indeed. "He was holding back against me. Seriously, if he had gone all out from the start, I wouldn't have stood a chance. For the most part, I was doing okay against him, but he still had the upper hand in strength and skill."
"Did you win, bro?" Kaze asked, picking at her dinner.
Zuki shook his head. "Sadly, no, Kaz," he replied. "He was much more experienced than I was. Sure, I got a few good hits in, but ultimately, I lost."
"Eh," Lexington shrugged his shoulders, not looking up from his phone. "You win some, you lose some, big bro."
"Despite your defeat, you gave it your all, left a favorable impression, and learned a few things," reassured Isha. "I deem that a win in my book."
"Your mother's got a point, kiddo," Aries agreed. "It isn't often that people rumble with an alien."
Aries' words held irony to them, and Zuki was the only one in his family who knew that but refrained from voicing his thoughts. "You're not wrong about that, pops," he lied. "Moving on, I think you guys would take a liking to Piccolo if you met. Yeah, he's standoffish at first, but he's a really cool guy once you get to know him, and a few people can vouch for me on that. He's tall and scary-looking, but once you get passed his appearance, he's not so bad."
"Uh-huh..." Issa nodded slowly as she took a swig of her drink before setting it down. "Is he single?"
"HUH?!" Zephyrine, Kaze, and Fuku all yelled at the same time, shocked by their mother's unforeseen question. "WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?!"
"We don't know, but it's a good one!" Iris and Ivy were laughing their butts off. "You're too much, Aunt Issa!"
Issa giggled, casually waving her hands as she did so. "I kid, I kid...well, mostly, anyway," she said. "Still haven't answered my question, nephew."
"YOU NEED TO BE STOPPED!" Kaze shouted, pointing an angry finger at her mother.
"Alright, alright, that's enough family, especially you, Issa. You can't go around asking if people you don't know are single, it's common sense." Issa playfully stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at her older sister. "Honestly, sister..." Isha found herself unable to resist shaking her head at her family. Their eccentricity knew no bounds, yet truthfully, it was one of their strongest traits. "Setting Issa aside, Zuki, I'm pleased to hear that you're content with your new mentor, and we look forward to seeing your progress."
Zuki smiled. "Thanks, Mom."
"Don't slack off, Yasha," Jasmine teased.
Chrysanthemum nodded with her arms folded. "Jasmine is right," she agreed. "It would be unwise to fall behind."
"I have no intention of slacking off in my training, Chrys," Zuki reassured.
"We'll hold you to that, cousin," Zephyrine smirked while Kaze and Fuku snickered.
Zuki let out a huff in reaction. "Are you my family or my personal trainers?"
The Kine family all shared a laugh.
After a while, the Kine family concluded their dinner and retired to bed, although not all of them did. Issa was in the living room, comfortably sprawled on the couch, engrossed in the late-night television program, teetering between consciousness and unconsciousness. The twelve-person family had a satisfying dinner, one filled with laughter and merriment as they shared jokes and enjoyed each other's company. As with all enjoyable experiences, it, too, had to reach its conclusion, yet it brought much joy during its duration.
Zuki was seated on his bed within the confines of his room, engaged in the quiet act of writing a haiku. With utmost peace of mind, he wrote his poetic words onto the pages of a small red book, relaxing in the soft glow emitted by a comforting night light. The young man with a dark complexion found solace in the art of writing haiku. The hobby held a special place in his heart, as it brought him a deep feeling of tranquility and pure delight.
Zuki hummed a small tune while listening to music through his earbuds when a light yawn escaped from his lips. "Guess that's the cue to stop." Zuki sensed the onset of exhaustion, prompting him to make the decision to cease writing in order to avoid making mistakes. Zuki placed his book on the nightstand beside him and let out a small yawn as he stretched his body. "Today was a good day. I can't wait to see what lies in the future."
Zuki picked up his phone and switched the song he was listening to for something more calming, then drifted off into the realm of dreams.
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: If you've made it this far, thanks for reading, and I hope you'll read the next chapter when it's released. Moving on, I would like to talk about Zuki. Zuki is a character I've had for a while but failed to make him known until now. As you know, Zuki's an Earthling with solar manipulation, the ability to manipulate aspects of the sun and what have you. (For a better understanding, look at Solar Manipulation on a site called Powerlisting as it should give you a better idea, though I won't be using everything on there.) Zuki won't be an overly powerful character who never loses; it would be boring to read something like that. He'll win battles and lose battles, just like the rest of the Dragon Ball characters. With that being said, thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time.
