The Saiyan Gamer
Chapter 19: The Tournament
"I leave you for half a day, and you almost die," Luna spoke, her voice flat and in disbelief. A large fire-cracked in front of us all, as the group finally took a rest after flying away from Mossgrove for half a day. Despite not being with us when we made our grand escape, the moment that she saw us rapidly retreating on the map, she follow. It took us quite a while until we felt safe enough to stop and rest.
"I knew we shouldn't have gone there," Turles said under his breath, staring straight into the fire. "Right into a Tuffle city, thinking we weren't going to get caught. So fucking stupid."
It was quiet for a second, before Leeku said, "Stupid… But it worked."
"At the cost of almost dying," Turles replied. "If it wasn't for Zaria, we would be dead."
"But we didn't," I chimed in. "And she was there."
Turles looked at me with wide-eyed shock. "Come on! Don't try to tell me the risk was worth it!"
"I'd do it again," I said.
"Of course, you'd do it again! They weren't a second away from killing you!" Turles yelled.
"Speaking of that," Leeku said, turning to me and giving me a weird look. "What was that about? About you being half-Tuffle?"
"It was a lie to stall for time," I said after a momentary pause. "You know who my parents are."
She had a strange look on her face for a few seconds as she continued to stare at me. "Yeah, I guess I do."
"We aren't going to skip past this, you guys!" Turles tried to interject again. "First you steal the heir egg, and then this?! It's like you're trying to get yourselves killed."
"Now you're just acting like a parent," Leeku rolled her eyes. "I'm going to hear a lot of screaming when I get back, I don't need you down my throat too."
"No, I will no-"
I groaned as the bickering continued, burying my head in my arms in an effort to block some of it out. This was going to be a long journey home. At least we had…
Did the box always feel this light? I shook it a few times, a feeling of despair and deep annoyance flowing through me. Carefully, I flicked open the case and took a look inside.
"Guys… I have some bad news…."
POV Change
The sea churched violently as a large ship of metal sailed through with ease, cutting up waves as it went. Despite the size of the ship, only five people were aboard, with two standing on the deck, looking out into the ocean.
Both figures stood in silence as they watched the dual-suns setting on the horizon. In the hands of the figure on the left, he held a rather large egg that pulsed with arcane energies. The woman's face was a blank slate, but in her eyes, he could see that her thoughts were as tumultuous as the waters beneath them.
"You know, good thing they sold it as soon as they did," The younger boy, Prince Wood of the Tuffle empire spoke, breaking the silence. "The little thing was set to hatch in a few days."
Azalea didn't respond immediately, her eyes set on something far ahead of them. "Did you do what I asked you to?"
He frowned in response as he gently stroked the egg. "Yes."
"It was necessary," She said quickly, her gaze drifting down to her little brother. "I can't risk them telling Father about what they saw."
"You could have just trusted them. Wiping their memory was just so…" His frown deepened. "Wrong."
"Oak is loyal to Father above all else, the moment he got off the ship he would have revealed what we saw," She pointed out quickly. "As for the other two, it's just safer this way."
"He's going to find out, anyhow," The young prince replied. "This isn't something we should hold from Father. He has to know."
Her eyes narrowed into slit the moment the words slipped out of his mouth, but she stayed silent for a few seconds more. Finally, she asked, "Why wipe their memories if you plan on telling him anyway?"
He smiled ever-so-slightly, as the egg began floating above his head. "I was given strict instructions to listen to you while we're on this mission. But once this mission ends, there will be nothing stopping me from telling him what I know."
Her face burned a tinge red, the contrast between her green hair and her skin making her look like a pale tomato. She turned fully towards him, her frame towering over him, as she spoke. "You little brat. Do you know what this will cause? We've come all this way, I won't have you ruining it at the last moment."
The siblings stared at each other in an unyielding contest of wills, before the youngest looked up at the cloud-covered sky and sighed.
"You'll be happy to know that Father knowing will not stop what's coming. The preparations have already been made, not even he would stop it now," Wood said.
"You underestimate him," She grunted. "He halted the war fourteen years ago, he can stop it again if he wanted to."
He could, they both knew it, but that wasn't the argument.
"If he stopped the war from coming now, the people would try to overthrow him. We're outgrowing our small portion of Planet Plant and in the coming years, it won't be enough to sustain us all. Everyone can see that. We can't flee to another planet, so the only option that the people see is war," He reminded her of the facts that she knew all too well.
"He didn't care before," She scowled. "For the last fifteen years, we've been forced together like cattle."
"And fifteen years is as long as he could push it," He continued, before shaking his head. "The point is, the war is coming, whether he knows or not. So why not tell him?"
She wasn't convinced in the slightest, her fists clenching tightly into balls. "I am not taking that risk. We are not taking that risk. The Saiyans need to be wiped off the face of this planet and nothing will stand in the way of that."
"And what if he dies during the fighting?" Wood asked, taking a step closer to his sister to look her dead in the eye. Her mouth opened for a second, hesitating for the first time in the conversation. A few seconds later, her expression became blank again and she looked down.
"One death for Tuffle liberation? I'd kill him myself," She said harshly, much to the prince's disappointment. Unfortunately, he couldn't say that he was shocked.
They didn't share the same mother, but neither did most of the children of the King. He wasn't one for commitment, bouncing from one woman to the next every year or so. Still, he provided for each one, even after he moved on, handing them wealth like candy. They were walking celebrities everywhere they went.
That, however, turned badly when Azalaea and her mother were kidnapped by Saiyans. While Wood didn't know the full details, he knew that Azalae's mother was killed right in front of her, while she was forced to watch. He hadn't been born yet, but the results of that fateful event were evident down to this day. As far as he knew, her conviction to kill the Saiyans was unmatched throughout the empire, potentially even the cosmos above.
Even still…
"Looks like we've almost arrived," He sighed as he turned away from the tense showdown and gazed upon the faint blue lines on the horizon. Normally the bubble was completely invisible, but at night, if you looked very closely, you could see the distortions.
"Wood," Her voice was loud and commanding, and he knew what she would order from him next. "Erase your own memory of the incident."
"I'm afraid you're far too late for that," He smiled slightly as his voice began to fade. "My main body has been back in the homeland for quite some time."
She knew what that meant immediately, and even though it was completely intangible, she struck at the holographic clone with anger, a red metal spike impaling where it stood. The mission was over for him the moment he touched the mainland. Their Father probably already knew…
"You're too sly for your own good," She spoke to the clone as it continued to fade away. "You'll regret this one day."
He smirked widely back at her as his image completely disappeared. Before he vanished, however, he managed to get two final words
"Doubt it."
POV Change
We got back home late that same night, not stopping again. Turles' idea to stop back at Galar was shot down furiously by all of us, much to his slight protest. That was the last time Leeku had spoken the entire flight back, the fact that the heir egg had been basically stolen from us souring her mood beyond recovery.
That mood spread to all of us when we arrived to see a group of parents waiting for us at the edge of Bardock's land.
Gine was clearly the most furious, and Bardock was standing next to her with a blank expression on his face. Next to Bardock was a woman that I'd never seen before, but the way she stared at Leeku with murder in her eyes revealed her identity quickly.
We landed in complete silence, and after that second of silence, complete chaos. I ignored it completely though, my brain focused solely on the person standing in front of me.
Level ?
The Butcher
Omato
Species - Saiyan
Gender - Male
Age - 43
HP - ?
Ki: ?
Reputation - Liked
Power Level - ?
Omato is the chief of Omato town. Naturally skilled from birth, he rose through the ranks with Bardock and earned the title 'The Butcher' during the Great War. He is widely respected among all Saiyans, and feared by the Tuffle.
He is impressed by the stories he's heard about you.
He is currently feeling calm.
Leaning casually against a tree, was Omato. My father… He stared at me with a slight smirk on his face, a stark contrast to the screaming that was now background music. What was he doing here?
"Let's find somewhere to rest," I heard Luna behind me, speaking to Zaria. "You don't want to get caught up in this conversation."
We stood in silence for a long time, but finally, after what felt like forever, he spoke.
"Quite the adventures you've been having," He said, a smirk still firm on his face.
Completely unsure what to say, and still recovering from the shock, I said, "Yeah…"
He stared at me for a second, before continuing. "A long thought dead member of our village returned to us last night," He told me, tilting his head ever so slightly as his eyes scanned me twice. "He'd been captured by the Juggernaught crew a year ago, but we just thought that he got into a fight and never came back. He said that a young Saiyan with white hair, who called himself Sprout, freed him and proceeded to destroy the Juggernaught. Is that true?"
My shock began to fade, and I folded my arms over my chest. I leaned against the nearest tree, before saying, "If I say yes, are you going to shout at me like the other parents?"
"Why would I?" He asked, a single eyebrow raised. "You did something that many, more powerful people have failed at doing. The Juggernaught wasn't any pirate ship. They were the pirate ship."
"Weren't all that impressive if you ask me," I replied. "They weren't that strong. The only reason that they even got that far was because of Zaria."
"Zaria?"
"Her," I said, turning and pointing at Zaria, who was looking over her shoulder at me as Luna led her away. "She can use this thing called magic. It can do a lot of things that Ki can't."
"Magic…" He hummed to himself while looking over to Zaria. "I haven't heard of a Saiyan with magic in years. No wonder they could pull off such crazy heists."
I didn't reply, simply staring at him. I wasn't entirely sure what to really say, or feel. The last time I saw him, he banned me from being a part of the family, and then basically sentenced me to death in the forest. If I hadn't gotten stronger, I would have been dead, a long time ago. The more I thought about it, the more my anger flooded back.
"Why are you even here?" I asked, my impatient building and my voice rising with it.
"Don't I have the right to come to see my son?" He asked.
"Am I your son?" I asked, taking a step towards him. "What happened to 'I'd never welcome him into the family with a power level like that?"
"The scouter must have been wrong," he said casually, not at all bothered by my attitude. "Someone with a power level of 100 wouldn't have been able to survive Atross mountain, kill a Wyvern, and return without any damage. Nor would they be able to fight and kill my cousin."
"Your cousin?" I asked, confused for a second before my eyes went wide. "Vishar was your cousin?"
"And yours," He said, although he didn't look at all upset. "A thief from when he was a kid. He killed his parents when they refused to give him their money, and after that, I found out that he was stealing from most of the local businesses. When he stole from me, that was when I banished him."
"Do you banish a lot of people then?" I pressed. "Or only family members?"
Finally, his smirk dropped into a frown. "Having someone in the family with a power level so low that even an ordinary Tuffle could take them out would look terrible, especially considering my position. You're an extension of me, so if you're weak, it makes our family look weak. It's that simple."
The same anger from the other night surged through me, and despite what Gintama said, I couldn't hold it back. Nor did I want to. Before I knew it, my fist collided with his open palm, and in the next second, I was faced in the other direction, my arm twisted so high up my back that I wasn't sure if it was dislocated or not.
"Good punch," He chuckled, clearly amused. He shoved me forward, and I turned around, gritting my teeth. "Not as good as Brussel was at your age, but still good."
That only made the rage intensify, the image of my red-head bitch of a sister pushing me over the edge, "Don't compare me with her!"
"Then who?" He questioned, before dodging a kick that would have stuck the back of his neck. "Because compared with me at your age, that punch was nothing."
My ability to speak was shot, as all my attention was on trying to hit him. Every kick and punch was dodged, and that only fueled my temper. Eventually, I got fed up and pulled a certain sword out of the safe place; a sword that was once Vishars. Its blade was a burning red, and its handle tingled my palm.
My sword came down in a flash but was met with the steel of another. This one was a shimmering blue, and when the blades collided, a white spark consumed the area in bright light. I jumped back, confused, and then panicked when I realized that he was gone. That mystery was solved quickly when I felt a cool piece of metal on my throat.
"Calm down."
His voice was completely different from before, not aloof or carefree, but firm and commanding. My anger began to simmer down, and once it was, he removed the sword and I took a few steps forward, before turning around to face him.
The sword that he had in his hand looked like the one that I was holding, but the opposite color. Even despite the boiling hot weapon in my hand, I could still feel the bite of the cold coming from his sword.
Tooth Of Frost
Description: This is a sword made from the tooth of an extremely powerful ice Wyvern. It has been passed down in the family for generations, along with its counterpart, the Tooth Of Fire.
The metal is extremely sharp and remains unbearably cold. It will start to freeze whatever it cuts or stabs. The more Ki you put into it, the colder it will become.
I slowly looked from his sword, down to my sword, which I hadn't used Observe on yet. So these run in the family, huh?
Tooth Of Flame
Description: This is a sword made from the teeth of an extremely powerful fire Wyvern. It has been passed down in the family for generations, along with its counterpart, the Tooth Of Frost.
The metal is extremely sharp and remains incredibly hot, inflicting burns and boiling whatever it cuts or stabs. The more Ki you put into it, the hotter it will become.
"Like I said. Impressive," He said, smiling for the first time. It was small, and only for a second, but it was definitely there. "And you're not a coward either."
I stilled my breath, trying to calm myself. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"
He stood up straight, before taking a deep breath, approaching me slowly, and putting a large hand on my shoulder. It took all of my energy not to attack him again, but I somehow managed. I hadn't expected what he said next.
"You've been accepted back into the family, at least to me," My heart skipped a beat at the words. "The scouter we used to scan you was obviously broken, but I didn't bother to scan you again. That's my mistake, and you shouldn't have been cast out for that."
Once again, I had no idea what to say. My head felt numb and so I simply stared.
"However, the problem is your mother," He sighed loudly. "She insists that you have to prove yourself beyond a power level scan. She's adamant about it, even after hearing about the Juggernaught."
"So…" I began, unsure where this was going. "How would I prove myself?"
"That's what I came to tell you about," He continued to explain. "Every year we have a tournament to determine the strongest in each class. Even winning one of those matches will prove to everyone how strong you really are, and your mom will have the proof that she needs. "
"A tournament?" I asked, before shaking my head. "It doesn't matter. Whatever it is, I'm going to win it. I'm not weak."
He grinned widely, "Good. Keep that conviction."
"When is this tournament?
"In two weeks," My dad said. He then turned in Leeku's direction. "I'm sure Bardock will let you know the specifics."
"Okay. I'll be there…" I promised. "Is that all you wanted?"
"For now," He said, his grin fading away. "Although I do have some questions about your purge, that can wait until after the tournament."
"Hmm," I grunted, as my eyes trailed back to his sword. "These swords run in the family, don't they?"
He raised an eyebrow but didn't question how I knew it, "Yes. They can either be earned through combat or by being passed down."
"Good, because I'm keeping mine," I said, before putting it behind my back and into the safe place. His eyes watched my hands, and his eyebrow raised further when he saw it disappear.
"Bardock told me about the healing ability you have. Is this another ability from the people you purged?" He asked, to my absolute disappointment and confusion.
If he can't see it, then where did I get these powers from?! I frowned deeply, my mind going a million miles per hour until it landed on the last possible conclusion, being that it must have come from my Mom. I'd have my answers in two weeks when I meet her. Sighing, I replied, "Apparently."
"Hm," He replied. "Useful."
"Yeah, very," I said, before turning to the house, where Turles, Bardock and Gine were now talking more calmly. I was looking past them though, to the bed that was waiting for me.
"I'll see you in two weeks then," I said, turning back for a second to nod in his direction. He nodded back, expression blank, before flying up and through the trees.
Before I even got the chance to try to sneak off to the room, I was stopped by a towering Saiyan woman, who looked down at me with narrowed eyes. Leeku was behind her, in a mood far fouler than I'd ever seen her.
"You must be the young man who's always following my daughter into danger," She said, her tone sharp but her eyes sharper.
"I am…?" I said slowly, while the woman examined me. That was fine though because I was doing the same to her. I realized with confusion that she wasn't as weak as Leeku had made it seem. She was right below second class; literally single digits away. Leeku is really caught up in the numbers, huh…
"Well…" She turned to her daughter, and then back to me, before saying, "Thank you for keeping her safe. Without you, she'd be dead in that cave right now."
"Mom!" Leeku grumbled. "I would have been fine!"
"It's alright. It was a fun adventure," I said to the woman, who frowned.
"Well, next adventure, do something less suicidal, alright?" She said, hopefully not expecting me to agree. Still, I nodded.
"Good," She smiled nicely for the first time, before grabbing Leeku by the arm and beginning to fly off. "We'll see you around, Sprout."
I waved at the flailing Leeku as they flew away. When they were completely gone, I walked over to the house, where Turles was waiting alone.
"Your parents were mad, huh?" I asked, despite the answer being obvious.
"Oh yeah, you have no idea," Turles grumbled. "Dad was pretty calm about the whole heir thing, but he flipped out when I told him that the city we were selling the egg to was Mossgrove. Thankfully, they stopped screaming when I told them about my uncle. That's pretty much when the conversation ended. I'm sure I'll get an ear full tomorrow though, once she calms down about Uncle Gune."
"Yeah, hearing your brother tried to kill your son probably isn't the greatest news," I hummed. "Were they close?"
"I think so, once upon a time," He admitted. "I honestly think hearing that I was in danger was the tipping point for her."
"Hm," I leaned against the side of the house, processing the last half an hour. "Sounds annoying."
"Yeah, but I see their point," Turles replied, before changing the subject. "Was that guy…?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "He said that I could be a part of the family, but I'd have to fight in the annual tournament to prove to the rest of the family that I'm strong."
I was still angry, furious even with them for banishing me, but a large part of me still wanted to be accepted by them. It was why I was working so hard, wasn't it? To belong?
"You don't know how to feel about it, do you?" Turles asked.
"Something like that," I said, feeling a headache coming on the more that I thought about it. "I'll figure out. Right now, I need to sleep."
"I second that," Turles chuckled, before looking off into the forest. "What about Zaria? Where'd she go?"
"She went with Luna somewhere. I'll check on her before I fall asleep," I replied, satisfying his curiosity.
"Alright. Mom said that she could stay here since she has nowhere to go. Which means I'll probably have to build a room for her," Turles said, a shimmer of excitement in his eyes. "I'll start tomorrow."
"That's if she wants to stay here."
"Yeah, yeah. I just want an excuse to build something," He admitted, a slight smile on his face.
"Speaking of building, I have an idea about that," I put a hand to my chin. "But that can wait till tomorrow. I need some sleep."
"I second that," He yawned and stretched. "Goodnight. See you tomorrow."
I waved him off as he walked into the house, before looking at my mini-map and locating Luna and Zaria. I flew over to them, only to find them both sleeping in a clearing not too far from the house. I landed a few feet from them and as remnants of light slipped in through the trees, I couldn't help realize how peaceful Zaria looked like.
I can't disturb her, but I don't want to leave her out here. It didn't take me long to come to a decision. With a wave of my hand, a blanket of Meta-Wolf fur popped into existence and I lowered it onto her. Another one popped into existence in my hand and I lay down next to her, with my head lying comfortably on the pillow that was Luna's body.
"For the record, I'm glad that you're alive," Luna spoke through a tired yawn. "We're partners, you can't die on me yet."
"I wasn't planning on it," I said, before closing my eyes. "It's only up from here."
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to review to let me know your thoughts. The next two or three chapters are already written and are a prelude leading towards the tournament. If I get enough reviews telling me to combine them into a large chapter, I will. Let me know!
