[OP: My First Story – King and Ashley]
Time Ticks Down! The Greatest Path of Growth Lies in the Heat of Battle!
Hadn't been an easy month for the boy. The fact that he'd had worse did nothing to change that.
"97… 98…"
"FULL NUMBERS, NEO! NONE'A THAT HALF-ASSED SHIT, ALL THE WAY OR NOTHIN,' KID!"
"3-FUCKING-THOUSAND-AND-NINE...TY... NINE…"
He was convinced that his master was trying to kill him; most of the reason he was still kicking, he felt, was purely to spite him.
"WHY ARE WE SLOWIN' DOWN, NEO? WE'RE JUST NOW GETTIN' OVER LAP 50! ONLY 4000 KILOMETERS TO GO!"
"OH-EAT-SHIT-ASS-HOLE… GA~AH!"
But as much as he regretted the notion, he had gotten immensely stronger.
Conditioning involving (but by no means limited to) nearly-drowning, standing outside in temperatures ranging from frigid to searing, and battering/getting battered with whatever the hell these shitty indigo trees were made of.
Absurd amounts of cardio (like running, but you don't get to stop) calisthenics (apparently, it's intentionally stretching and pulling yourself to the point where your body hates you too much to move) and weight training (moving heavy junk up and down until something's about to tear) that took him days to get through without pause and left him a sore hunk of meat on the teal-blue soil.
And the worst part?
Kaset not only did them with him, he did more, cocky bastard.
… no, no it wasn't even cockiness. Fucker was double-tasking the entire time.
And as much as he hated to admit it, when he looked up to see Kaset, still in perfect form, still pacing himself forward, still pushing harder than he thought possible, that stupid fucking feeling told him to keep going.
So Neoru did.
Today was weird, though.
"... Hey, Neo."
"Stop callin' me that, dammit."
"Am I… am I too hard on you?" The seasoned patroller asked his pupil around a fire.
"Tch, just who the hell d'you take me for?"
"I'm serious."
"Yeah? Well shame on you, bastard. Woulda called it quits after Day 1 if I was worried about how hard you were gonna be on me."
Neoru threw a stick into the fire.
"Besides, you sure-as-hell do a great job at makin' every move I make look like some toddler with Polio's."
"Holy shit, kid."
"Yeah, whatever, all this talking about me being some kinda bitch is starvin' me. Gonna go find somethin' scuttley."
"Hold on."
"Oh come the- WHAT NOW?"
Kaset pulled out a capsule.
"Okay…?"
"We're takin' a break from training today. You're doing well enough, think you earned it," he complemented before tossing his Hoi Poi Boy to the soide.
"Yeah, where the hell was that pep when I was… wha…"
What resulted from the smoke explosion was a vast arsenal of gourmet breakfast food, enough to sick a saiyan if they ate too quickly.
Neoru's eyes lit up with a boyish wonder, as if he were bearing witness to some world-shifting miracle. He slowly looked over to Kaset and cautiously pointed to himself, look of utter awe still streaked upon his face.
"Man, I said you earned it, right?" he smiled. "Eat!"
Neoru nodded, drying his parched throat with a gulp and slowly approaching the plates with a deer's mannerisms. It all seemed so… new to him. He carefully sorted through the food, plopping down whatever looked the least-likely to spoil in a flash, all while the staggering array of aromas – meats, eggs, baked sweets, fresh produce, something sweet-yet-smoky that he couldn't quite put his finger on – threatened to entrance him.
"Was it really that long ago… that I was like that?" Kaset wondered in thought, as he ate an energy bar.
Neoru eventually came back with a decked-out plate with zero semblance of balance or separation, with everything from sausage, to blueberry pancakes, to a rice omelet, to empanadas stuffed with provolone cheese and some rainbow space bird's meat, topped off with lettuce and mango.
Kaset stifled a chuckle.
"What's so funny?" Neoru asked with a pugnacious air, which Kaset responded to with quick, downward shakes of the head. The student shrugged took a seat and began eating.
Slowly.
As if every bite was his last, in fact.
If the sounds and expressions he made were any indicator, every bite was bringing him a step closer to Heaven.
All the while, his instructor's gaze sunk to the ground. His granola sat in his grasp, half-eaten.
"… I'm doing all this to a kid…"
"Hey! Hey, I didn't come here to listen to yer ass snore! Wake up!"
Kaset slowly reopened his eyes, giving them a rub before fixing his vision on the post-apocalyptic punk before him.
"Man you sure took your sweet-ass time eating… shit…" he groaned.
"Whatever, so what now?"
Kaset groaned again; this one was way more annoyed. "First and foremost, I ain't doin' nothing until you say it."
"Eh?"
"YOU KNOW WHAT. Don't play with me, boy."
Neoru had an impatient "big think" before sighing. "Thanks."
Kaset fake-sulked. "Well that didn't sound sincere at all."
"Aw for- THANK. YOU."
"For?"
Neoru's face contorted in anger.
Kaset's remained completely neutral.
Neoru reluctantly calmed himself.
"… For the food. It… it was good. Like, real good."
"There it is!" Kaset grinned, flicking Neo's head, much to the boy's annoyance.
"Just tell me what's next! Jeez!"
"OK. Your next set is going to sleep."
"Got it."
.
.
"YOU PIECE'A-"
Kaset shut him up with a bonk to the head. "Hey, calm your rude ass down. Anyway, the only source of sleep you've gotten since I've seen you has been either getting knocked out, or passing out. That's not healthy."
"Yeah, that slug to my head wasn't any better…." Neoru muttered, rubbing his new, flaming knot with a tear. "Besides, I'm fine with passing out."
"… What?"
"I'm FINE with passing out. Sleeping's a waste'a time."
"That's… that's… no, you need sleep to LIVE. Sleeping's how you stay ALIVE. You haven't gone this far without sleeping on your own, you're not about to tell me tha-"
"WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH!? JUST DROP IT!" Neoru suddenly cried out.
"…"
"Wait. I get it."
"Like hell."
"Look man, I don't know what you've been through, but sleep is sleep. Besides, you just ate a lot. Can't just exercise after that much food, you're gonna cramp up. Just TRY to sleep, ok? That's your mental exercise."
Neoru stood in place, eyes almost pleading, before he huffed and walked off without a word.
Kaset watched him go with a sullen stare, before he refocused his attention onto the table of food that was still there.
"Welp… pretty sure Ayva's got someone that'll clean that up…" With that, he moseyed over and tapped the table's side, as it and everything on it imploded into a capsule.
Neoru gazed into the sky, hands behind his head.
The amazing food he'd eaten earlier was making him sleepy, that was certain.
And Kaset was right; he hadn't slept on his own since he got here. It was train, school, and train until he dropped.
"Tch…"
His vision became blurry as he lay by the warm campfire.
Pretty soon, he stopped fighting it and let the darkness take his sight, his muscles relaxing as he fell to sleep.
Howling.
Constant, loud, Howling.
A towering figure hovering above. Forgot what it did to him. Where he was taken. It was bad.
Bro killed them. Bro was on fire. Bro was screaming. Bro was scary.
Changed after. Yelled at bro. He went to clear his head. He apologized. Didn't care.
Howling took bro.
Eyes still open.
No, that wasn't bro. Bro doesn't look like that. Bro was stronger. He had to be.
I'm sorry.
Wasn't scared anymore. Angry.
Ran after Howling. Never stopped. Couldn't hear anything but Howling.
Became stronger.
Not strong enough.
Was scared all along.
Kuole stepped in front. She smiled. Could see bone as she stood in front of the hole, screaming.
Howling took Kuole.
I'm sorry.
Ran.
Alone.
Smiling faces. New people to call his own.
Lifeless faces contorted in agony. They were smiling before. Food was taken. Wasn't gone that long.
What happened.
Alone.
He came out of nowhere. Pleaded for food. Pulled out blade.
Red. Got on bro's jacket. Eyes were still open.
Small child. Grin of proud brother.
Child grew taller, dirtier. Sword in hand bloodies. Grin falls. Proud no longer.
Kill and live.
Steal and eat.
Cleo was still alive.
She was able to forgive. How?
Group of killers. Became one. New family.
Old bastard sitting above all. Heartless fuck.
Boot atop head. Can't oppose. Too strong.
I hate you.
Traitor. All of them. Laughing fuckers.
Cleo just let them.
You were always better.
But she left, too.
I hate you?
Stupid. I'm worse.
Became stronger.
Not strong enough.
Howling.
Just like me.
Kills to live.
No different.
No evil.
We're all just weaker.
Why do I fight it?
I love you. Please live.
"I SAID GO!"
Hell.
Unending Hell.
Could smell skin. Feel it burning.
Just let me die already.
I'm sorry.
It lasted for what felt like forever. Yet only 3 hours had passed since he'd closed his eyes.
There was no violent shake, no shortness of breath.
He just woke up.
Wasn't exactly a new dream, after all. Besides the newer additions, of course, he saw it every time he went to sleep. That said, even though he'd gotten used to it, he hated it all the same. He liked overworking himself because of it; blacking out felt more like a time jump to the next day.
Neoru began to pick himself up and found that his arms failed to move.
The same with his back and legs.
Even his head failed him.
The only movements he could muster were in his stupid fucking eyes.
"… NO…!"
Neoru began quietly panicking. When his body went like this – Why? Because it hated him, too, he didn't know – IT appeared.
Almost as if on cue, a gurgling sounded off from outside his peripherals.
"GET UP. GET UP YOU DUMBASS."
He'd resorted to pleading with his own body as his labored breaths desperately clamored at air.
The gurgling inched closer. He could hear its footsteps.
"COME ON…!"
A deathly-grey something entered his sight from above.
"COME ON!"
Crawling on all fours, hardened and raised, spiked hairs atop its grotesque, disturbingly-human visage. Every inch of its flesh was rocky and molten – dripping with something like magma – distorted and fashioned into a spike-ridden carapace, as if its body had been forcefully snatched from another owner and violently terraformed to suit the new resident's needs.
He knew it wasn't real, of course he knew it wasn't real, but it didn't matter. The image alone was enough to traumatize him.
But he could live with that. When everything was said and done, he could bare that.
It was its howl that he couldn't stand.
It crawled over him. His chest sank under its fictitious pressure. The gurgling was deafening now.
Its maw slowly peeled open, magma pouring freely.
Neoru clamped his eyes shut and braced.
And…
…
Nothing.
He jolted upward.
He could breathe again. Move again.
And it had disappeared.
"… the hell's wrong with me?"
He wiped his face and gazed into his open palm. A shaking palm that turned into a quaking fist, one that quickly broke the ground beneath it.
He swore aloud.
"You look like shit."
"Yeah, what else is new?"
6 hours had passed.
"Didn't sleep, did you?"
Neoru shrugged. "Tried it. Wasn't for me."
What with how red they were, the whites of the boy's eyes did ill to fit the name.
"That so…" Kaset sighed. "Making this shit hard for me."
"… Not lying when I said I tried it, y'know. Really gave it my fuckin' all."
"I know... I know…"
Kaset shrugged.
"Aight, next phase. Hit me-"
He tilted his head and let Neo's fist fly past.
[BGM: Project Baki – Self Confidence]
"That eager, eh?" he taunted, jumping back as he forced Neoru to do the same with a push.
"You've got no idea, pal!" he hissed before dashing in to meet his master with a quick aerial roundhouse. As Kaset met it with an iron forearm, Neoru used the block's sturdiness to kick himself off mid-air and behind his master before dashing back in low before Kaset had completely turned to face him. The punches which followed carried little weight, yet never lingered long enough for them to matter as Neoru strafed around, now fast enough to leave afterimages behind. What more, his attacks lacked any sort of pattern beside the most basic in and out; he circled around like a vulture, picking at Kaset's solid defense with low-high-mid punches and kicks. Not only that, but Neoru wasn't just throwing sporadic blows. The areas he focused pressure on were the liver, sides of the skull, softer locations around the body that'd put someone out of commission instantly.
"… He's just sizing me up right now…" Kaset noted internally as he blocked Neo's blows with guided palms, his forearms, and reactionary kicks. Controlled head movements, as well as consistently moving, ensured he was never glued to one spot.
Each attack served to knock him just a bit more off his guard, while never completely leaving Neo without a window to dodge. Even more, he was becoming more unpredictable as the fight continued, keeping distance with snaps only to suddenly come up unusually close with a sideways elbow, only to push off with a front kick and spin across the ground like a lunatic and kick up high from there. Kaset eventually got fed up and launched himself back with his left leg; he'd found that Neoru worked best with his opponent in a state of confusion, as to end a fight quickly and decisively.
But he'd need to learn how to adapt if he wanted to go farther. Then again, he'd lived long enough to reach 15 in what seemed like conditions with less-than-pleasant neighbors. Perhaps he already had the know-how.
Kaset's stance became less rigid as he bounded back, yet still carried a light stance. Neoru circled around, low to the ground as he scoped out the new conditions. Wasn't long before he went back in to tear away. Only difference was, Kaset was ready this time.
"OK, Neoru. What'll you do when someone stops 'playing your game'?"
[BGM: Earthside – Entering the Light (1:14) ]
Kaset rushed in at a six-figure speed, completely blindsiding Neoru. The latter's eyes bulged as the former came full-throttle with a low grapple; with no time to evade it, Neo spread himself out and confronted it head-on. The difference in strength, despite Kaset's blatant suppression, was glaring to say the least, but the vagrant was wise and quick enough to catch on, sink to the ground and tuck before Kaset had the chance to get a proper hold, leading into a toss, using the patroller's strength and momentum to his advantage in the nick of time. Neo rolled forward and rose to a straight fist barreling toward him; if not for reflexes, he'd've been without a head. Instead, he bobbed his head to the side at the last minute, the fist cutting into the side of his cheek. Quick to retort, he grabbed hold of Kaset's fist just as he pulled back and shot his knee into his mentor's gut, before flipping over him and gaining space.
"(He's coming for me now. But I've got just the thing for that…)" Neo evaluated, eyes in a frenzy as he calmed from his instinct-driven encounter with death.
"(Even though I haven't seen his entire hand… there's a basic idea in my head right now.)"
Kaset readjusted himself and turned as Neoru thought things through.
"(Fast, hits hard and hits well… and a grappler, to boot. Which means I'm screwed if I try to beat 'em in those fields.)"
His eyes sharpened as Kaset prepped for another assault.
"(Then I'll bet it on this. I ain't gonna lose because I'm weaker, dammit!)"
Neoru suddenly took a stance for the first time: a low stance with shoulder-length and bent knees, a straight and hinged back, arms mimicking southpaw posture, hands open.
"(He wants to give a grapple a shot, huh?)" Kaset rolled back his shoulders.
"Aight, kiddo, whatever you say…"
With that, Kaset advanced, arms in southpaw as he lunged. He was a leftie, who would've thought.
"(That's right, you bastard… go ahead and see right through me…)"
In all honesty, Kaset charged at Neoru at a speed he wouldn't've been able to react to in time.
And as such, Kaset slugged Neo with enough force to shatter a mountain. The blow echoed throughout the stagnant forest, rattling the trees and sending Neoru flying like a ragdoll.
That is to say, a paper ragdoll; Neo met the blow with no resistance, blind faith in his own durability combined with the lessened impact. He'd even begun jumping backward as the blow connected while turning his head ever-so-slightly, for extra measures.
"Did he…"
And Kaset noticed.
"(… Still. That didn't soften the punch enough for you to get off scot-free,)" he noted as he stared at Neoru's limp body. "(Doubt you can even stand straight after that.)"
And yet, Neoru was still ready to fight. He formed fists, one still in the soil, before he stood on shaky legs. He smirked.
"I ain't done yet."
Kaset sighed. "I guess not."
Neoru staggered forth before breaking out in a sprint, raising a fist.
Kaset raised one as well.
"Honestly, he did pretty good. And when it came to speed and power… it's downright insane how high he's jumped in just over a month…"
Neoru inched closer and closer, until he was but a meter from his mentor.
"But there's still one thing you still need, Neo."
And with one final war cry…
"And that… iS THAT FUCKING SAN-"
Neoru underhand-tossed the still-present soil straight into Kaset's face, like the bitch he was, before flipping back onto his throwing hand and, after focusing ki into his arm, rocketing himself into Kaset's sternum feet-first, staggering him.
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN HOW STRONG YOU ARE!" he roared in a madness.
"IF YOU WANNA WIN, YOU DAMN-WELL BETTER MAKE SURE I'M DEAD!"
He pressed further, in order to kick himself off, and found himself unable to move.
"Oh come on," he mentally cursed, "What now?"
[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – show-no-feel (Start-0:38) ]
"I'll give you that much… It's not experience that you're lacking…"
Neoru noted the bits of ground below that had begun to… drift toward Kaset?
"At least, with fighting the average random asshole or martial artist… yeah, there's something there, alright… STILL."
Neoru was briefly freed from his mid-air hold before a Kiai knocked him away by his feet. After being sent flipping through the air like some kind of stick, the boy stuck what vaguely resembled a landing as he desperately struggled to get a hold onto the ground.
"Shit, where'd he go where the hell'd he go!?" his eyes darted frantically around as he searched for his master's position, only for Kaset to drop from above with a sudden meteor-like knee to the back of the head, force-feeding Neoru the same soil that he'd used to score his first genuine hit. Kaset stood back up and over Neoru.
"When it comes to ki, you're still green. We'll talk more when you wake up."
Neo woke up with his back against a tree.
The back of his head hurt like hell.
He knew why. Remembered the words which followed after it was hit, too.
Didn't stop him from banging it against the tree.
Kaset was preparing something by the fire before his pupil showed up.
"Hey, asshole," Neoru smugly greeted.
Kaset looked at Neo.
Neoru looked at Kaset.
"Good morning, Kaset." Neoru begrudgingly greeted, a curious knot atop his head.
"Why good morning, Neoru. How did you sleep?"
"OH, DON'T YOU… Kh… I slept good."
"How did you sleep well? I knocked you out."
"…"
"… Alright then, about yesterday."
Neoru took a seat after he stopped shaking.
"Starters. Yesterday was about knowing where you stood when it came to fighting. Honestly, you impressed me."
"You know me, I aim'na please…" Neo muttered.
"Still, you remember what I said before shit went dark?"
"When it came to ki, I'm still green? Guessing that means I'm inexperienced?"
"(Wow, surprised he guessed that first-try…) Yeah, exactly. See… if you knew just a bit more, you'd've been able to project your own aura and 'cancel out' my own's hold of you. You also would've been able to redirect yourself when I knocked you away, and sense me when I jumped above you."
"But I know how to do that."
"Wait, do what?"
"Y'know… aura, the sky dance, life-sensing..."
"Then why didn't- Oh, no, I get it."
Neoru frowned.
"Yeah."
"You know one of your weaknesses, then. Learning how to calm down should be easy, but if you knew a bit more, you'd still be able to do those well enough to not need a whole lotta concentration."
"Uh-huh. Also, what the hell's ki?"
"Wow, went this long with telling you? It's just Life Energy. Plants, Animals, anything with a pulse has got it, and anyone who goes outta their way to learn how to properly use it gets to do cool shit. If you don't even know the name for it, though-"
"It had names passed around like candy everywhere I went, so I just started callin' it Energy."
"… but that's so lame…"
"You're lame, let's change the subject already."
Kaset cleared his throat and dispelled the pain of his feelings being hurt as he got to the crux of his lesson.
"Your style seems like a mix-and-match of different pre-existing styles. Like, a punch from one school and a kick from another organization. But for the most part, the way you combine them is fluid, unpredictable. Hell, I even saw you try to lock me a few times during the session yesterday."
"Found stuff that kept me alive. Not much else to it, really."
"Yeah, yeah, and I can see that by how you fight. The problem is, it seems like it reaches a 'peak' after a while. As it drags on, you start getting more and more desperate, it looks like. And once it reaches that 'peak', you start stagnating. You start becoming readable."
Neoru raised an eyebrow. "So I need to learn how to settle things sooner?"
"No, that won't always be an option in this line of work. Even if you do everything in your power to cripple that bitch until they can't move a limb, fights are gonna drag out, more variables are gonna be introduced, stuff out of your control. Adaptation is a vital part of that, but you also need to know how to be less sloppy. In fact…"
[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – Heavenly Supreme Absolute Spear]
"What you need most – in ki, in technique, in everything – is refinement."
"Refinement, huh… I think I know how I'd manage that."
Kaset nodded.
"I'm only one dude, after all. There's an entire multiverse of fighters out there. Kick ass, get your ass kicked, and learn more about what you're doing from there."
Neoru stood. "Got it. Just keep doing what I've been doing, huh…"
"Oh, one last thing."
Neoru glanced back. "Eh?"
"Confidence. Not arrogance, but have a bit'a faith in what you can do. Goes a long way, trust me; fear's good, too, but don't let that shit cloud you."
"… Yeah, I'll be confident when I've got a reason to be…"
"Have fun at school!"
"What are ya, my dad now? Weird-ass."
Conton City.
... Hmm…
Hmm…
oh wow what a shock it still fucking su-
[BGM: Shortie No Mass – Like This (0:10) ]
"And then he just fuckin' disappears, like that!" the human yelled. "No sense whatsoever! Like, where could he've even gone?"
Neoru nodded. "Uh-huh."
"It's not like he died or anything! Musai just don't up-and die like that!"
"Oh, wow."
"Unless… aw shit, I think he mighta gotten murdered! I think THAT'S why he isn't back yet!"
"OK look, guy, I don't know what happened to 'em, but I know one thing's for sure."
"Yeah, what's that?" he sulked.
"You're in my damn seat."
"… oh."
"Dude, just book it already. That 'Lid' guy sure as hell's not breaking his ass looking for ya right now, so what's the point in slobbering all over my desk waiting for 'em?"
"Y-yeah, yeah, I get it, just lemme grab my things…"
"I can help with that!" Zinco offered cheerfully, picking up the two supplies he had.
The human smiled. "Gee, thanks kid."
Neoru shrugged and grabbed a book or two for the poor guy. "If it'll help you beat it…" he grumbled.
"Desk right over's good."
"Uh-huh. Jeez, why even come if you're only gonna bring, like, a pen and 2 books?"
"OK One-Pencil-and-Notebook, look who's talking?"
"Yeah but I've been here for a month or something, what about you?"
"Bit more than a year, feels like 3 for some reason, but that's beside the point!"
"Whatever, here's your shit." Neoru placed the guy's belongings to the other row. Zinco did the same.
"Another thing; the guy'll come back when he comes back. It's pretty stupid to stress your entire life for somethin' like that, so why bother sweating it?"
"… huh. Maybe. In any case, thanks."
"No problem, uh…"
"Otto. It's Otto."
Neoru nodded and returned to his seat.
Zinco hopped over to his.
"You got nicer!" he noted.
"You all just love saying weird shit outta the blue, don't ya?"
"But it's true! Back then, you would have gone:"
Zinco cleared his throat.
"BLEH! THIS IS MY SPACE! GET LOST, YA BAT TARD!"
"H-HOW THE HELL'D YOU GET YOUR VOICE LIKE THAT!?"
Zinco cheerfully shrugged.
Before Neoru could further contemplate Zinco's unholy ability, Krillin busted through the door.
"Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap-MORNING, GANG! HOW'S IT GOING!" he sputtered, struggling to get everything set up. "Look at me, a teacher that's tardy after… what, a MONTH of being here? Irony, am I right?"
Like, 7 people chuckled.
Progress.
"ANYWAY, I've got an interesting little history lesson for you all today!"
The projector switched on, showing an athletic, spiky-haired boy in an orange gi over a blue undershirt. With his flowing blonde hair, and his mean look accompanied by the crackling of plasma all around, he looked quite fierce. Anyone who wasn't silent promptly shut up, aside from the occasional awe-invoked gasp. A few girls longingly sighed, the weirdos.
"Now, this period of time documents Son Gohan's explosion of anger against the villain, Bojack! While not particularly 'in-sync' with the primary timeline, it's still important that you know about stray timelines like this!"
He flipped the projector, which showed a myriad of different slides – each documenting a different instance of a buff dude knocking out one-or-more buff dudes, save one where a buff dude falls off some kind of poll – at once.
"Our story begins with the Interstellar Martial Arts Tournament, held by… a very special case… named Mr. Satan."
The slide flipped, revealing 4 contestants: the young man from before (albeit with blackened hair and a bubblier expression), a large round fellow in a black mawashi and a leather guard from his waist to his shoulder, the globe-headed maestro himself, and a familiar-though-younger lavender-haired man in an indigo vest.
"While the details aren't THAT important-"
"Yeah, they are!"
Kora sighed.
"I'm at my damn limit with you Archi-"
"TELL US! TELL US HOW THEY WON!" Archi shouted, shit-eating grin all the while. "WE'LL NEED THIS IF WE'RE EVER DEPLOYED! YOU CAN'T JUST CLASSIFY THIS STUFF!"
Krillin began shaking with rage.
"… A leg-sweep by Gohan, a back-hit by Trunks, a sumo push-out by Dosukoi, and… a forfeit-default by yours, truly."
"YOU CALL THOSE DETAILS!?"
"WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH TIME TOGETHER, YOU BRAT!" Krillin screeched, single pride-held tear hanging out his eye before properly clearing his throat.
"Ahem… moving on. The gang was due to face off against the challengers hailing from the Milky Way's different quadrants-"
"No seriously, which human INSISTED it be called the 'Milky Way?' You get to name a celestial body and the name you settle derives from what's basically Kaihouchi udder fluids?"
"Anything else you wanna add on to that, Mr. Rai`kento'pe?"
"… I never expected to ever get the chance, but honestly, I'd love to talk about how bizarre human ter-"
"So anyway, the winners were scheduled to meet these boneheads – who I'm positive were just hired punks in mascara – when things go array."
The slide flipped, showcasing 6 blue-skinned, orange-haired and intensely-humanoid figures in baggy clothing comparable to those of an old-age pirate's.
"The tournament was crashed in a big way by THESE guys, led by the even-worse Bojack! I was among the first of their victims, caught off-guard by their mesmerizing beauuuuvements and lightning-fast attacks! As it'd turn out, they were the last remnants of the evil Hera race, and were once sealed awa-"
"WHAT?"
Krillin almost snapped.
"KAMI'S SAKE, WHAT'LL IT TAKE FOR YOU PEOPLE TO STOP…. Interrupting…"
[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – DARK CLOUD ~ At the end of the road (2:51)]
Standing from her seat was a 5'8 girl with teal skin, orange and spiked hair coming off the sides of her head in chin-length strands, a frilled skirt over short leggings held by a cloth belt, a sleeveless vest not too dissimilar from the styles of the pirates upon the screen over a frilled undershirt, two large earrings, and very angry blue eyes directed at the short-term teacher.
"Oh… oh, that wasn't the best choice of words…"
Neoru was spacing out, leaning on the back of his chair. Maybe it was the fact that this entire session had been a monotonous sequence of interruptions which led nowhere.
Maybe it was how he really hadn't gone to sleep since he'd gotten here.
In any case, this one chick was passionately ranting about how judgmental humans were.
"So, did you find what you were looking for, yet?" Zinco asked, making small-talk amongst the verbal violence as he doodled away at what looked like a 3rd Grader's times tables worksheet.
Neoru slowly looked over. "Huh? What're you… wait... oh yeah that. Honestly, you know, I think I did."
Zinco's eyes gleamed. "Really! Where was it?"
"Wasn't there."
"… What?"
"It was never there to begin with. Now I just know that I wanna find it. But first things first… I'm gonna get strong enough to find it on my own."
He chuckled to himself.
"Honestly, I gotta hand it to ya. I didn't realize it back then, but… when you said that 'I didn't need what I was looking for,' you really meant-HEY, SHITHEAD! NO ONE GIVES A RAT'S ASS, ALRIGHT!? JUST SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN BEFORE I THROW SOMETHIN' AT YA! Anyway, you meant this feeling I have, to want something to reach for, didn't you?"
Zinco, now holding his ears shut, looked absolutely befuddled.
"no."
Neoru slowly blinked.
"… You're a good kid, Zinc." He said to the yellow-gi'd boy.
"Thanks. You're not really, but you're getting there!"
His cheerful demeanor slowly shifted to one of intense worry.
[BGM: Kenji Fujisawa – Approaching Shadow]
"...? What's with you all of a sudden? Just now realizing you broke your pencil?"
Neo noticed a reflection in his eyes, and turned.
"Oh."
Before him stood that very-same Hera girl that'd snapped off at Krillin's remark.
"What's up?" he asked dangerously.
"Hm? Do you have Alzheimer's or something?" she responded.
"… uh-"
She slammed a fist upon the table.
"You know what you just said, you shitty human. And on my planet, that's an invitation to get pummeled."
"Alright look, ya sky-blue bitch, if you didn't want someone to tell your ass to zip it, maybe you shouldn't've-"
"Kick ass, get your ass kicked, and learn more about what you're doing from there."
Neoru suddenly paused.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're starting to-"
"Yeah."
She raised an eyebrow.
"That's exactly what I'm looking for," he growled, slowly standing from his seat.
"Well, at least you're brave, 'little man,' " she mocked.
"You're like an eraser head's worth taller than me, get fucked."
The two began to stare daggers, as if waiting for the other to make a move.
Zinco made it for them.
"!?"
"Oh, come the-"
"Neoru's sorry about hurting your feelings, miss!" he insisted, suddenly in front of the pugnacious pair, turning to Neoru to confirm.
"Aw, your boyfriend's come to save face!"
A violent puff of pink erupted from somewhere in the room. Was odd.
Neoru shrugged, a subtle grin lining his face. "Sorry."
Zinco took a sigh of relief. "(He actually said it…) 'Kay, it was nice meeting you, miss…"
"Mashii. And sorry, boy, but something like that just won't cut it with me. No, a lesson in pain is just what that jackass behind you needs. Besides…"
Neoru's subtle smirk wasn't subtle enough. But that was the point, wasn't it?
"I'm sure he feels likewise."
The smirk rolled up, revealing snide canines.
"Zinco, buddy, I getcha. But this is my mess. I'll handle it 'My Way'," he said, pulling him back by the shoulder. Well, tried, but settled with pulling himself in front of Zinco. "Besides, there's gonna be nooo hard feelings no matter how this turns out. That's why you hate violence, right bud?"
Zinco stepped back, thinking that notion over.
"It's like every human has that stupid 'bravado' in their heads. At least saiyans usually back it up," Mashii snarled, face now dangerously close to Neoru's.
"Cut it out with that 'bravado' talk, dipshit. This is just what I'd call an 'Out of Class Learnin' Experience'."
"Then allow me to be your 'tutor'."
"will you two just shag already, god," Dina groaned from the row below. Oh yeah, she's here.
"Eh?" went Neoru before he was pushed back to arm's length by a flustered Mashii.
"I'll teach you 'Personal Space' while I'm at it, jeez…!"
"wait you're the one who got in my face first, assho-"
Where was Krillin while this had transpired?
He'd curled into an embarrassment-riddled ball during the scolding.
Poor guy, he does his best. He'll get better at this!
The class was dismissed early that day. And like so, Mashii and Neoru took a trip to a stagnant timespace.
It was an endless field of grass, not much different from the one he'd seen soon after he'd come here. Difference being, this one was underneath a dark, deep-blue sky, as if they were fighting underneath the sea.
Neoru carefully removed his black, violet-marked Dragon vest, placing it inside his backpack after removing that as well before breaking himself in with stretches.
"Now, then…"
Mashii, several paces away from the explosive soul before her, slowly took up a stance. Her hands seemed to mystically double in mesmerizing movements, before falling to her side with drawn-back elbows, taking one, heel-raised and toe tip-first step forth with a right foot before leaving it in that exact position. And with that, her aura exploded forth.
"It's time for a lesson in pain that you won't forget, you disrespectful earthling bastard."
Neoru got up from his thorough stretching and looked down to his hand.
"Calm down."
He made a fist, locking eyes with his foe. And he, too, let burst his aura.
"Yeah, I'd better not forget."
Mashii smiled.
Then grinned.
Then her irises disappeared as she grit her teeth.
The last thing Neoru saw was her foot charging full-speed toward him…
Before he dodged.
"!"
[BGM: Kenji Fujisawa – Baki, The Theme of Love (Extended) ]
She'd gone right over him. Twisting around mid-air, she let loose a roundhouse kick aimed at his dome; instantly, Neoru guarded with a forearm.
"I… I can move THIS fast!?" Neoru asked himself. Both quickly gained distance, giving their respective attacked/attacking limbs a shake.
"Good thing that wasn't an all-out kick… but…"
Neoru was still shaking his arm, albeit much more casually as he stared Mashii down.
"What the HELL is that arm made of!? No… what did he put it through for it to become so sturdy!?"
Mashii scoffed and raised her arms over her head, causing a drift of wind to soar above her before making another move. Neoru began moving low in wait, before she disappeared. His eyes darted to the side, cartwheeling himself over a dagger-like side kick and indenting Mashii's face with a downward heel.
"Sure likes to rely on that movement…" he said to himself, bringing his foot down to the grass and following up his attack by shooting forward with a back-kick to further knock her off-balance. Ever-so-slightly quicker on her feet, she caught her bearings, swayed to the side of a subsequent front kick and delivered a tornado variant as a retort, which Neoru dove under after thrusting himself downward with his ki.
"THERE!"
He pivoted and suddenly charged full-speed for a takedown, blasting back the grass behind him, only to be smacked with Mashii's other foot…
"Don't get too impatient! This fight's-"
…and struck in the side with a straight elbow.
"-ONLY JUST BEGINNING!"
"Gy-!"
Neoru tried a snap kick while she was still in his range, which was swiftly dodged by the blue bombshell. She moved in for the finishing blow, only for her kick to go right through him.
"Afterim- she began, before directing her attention to the sky.
" 'lright, let's give this a shot…" he channeled his ki toward his hands and two ki blasts full-force toward the grassland below.
The resulting impact could make a meteor blush.
His eyes widened in shock. "holy shit, I can do that now?" the ronin muttered before redirecting himself to the fight at hand and charging up one final ki blast.
The dust began to settle before Mashii shot from the plume.
"What was THAT supposed to be? She smirked as she rapidly ascended toward Neoru's presence. She prepared a palm and, at the last second, found a ball of ki where Neoru should've been.
"A-ARE YOU KIDDING…!" she stammered, shifting her gaze toward ground-floor and finding the shit-eating grin of a fluffspike-haired asshole giving her the finger.
The blast exploded, causing enough damage to tick her off.
"YOU DIRTY LITTLE-" she snarled before clashing with him across the greenery, dispelling the aerial debris. Mashii broke away and went in with her favored method of attack, only much quicker than the last skirmish. But that was the thing…
"I can see them!" he mentally logged, parrying, blocking, and dodging her picture-perfect, graceful attacks while responding with his own, each one with just a tad more force than the last as he started noticing more and more exploitable flaws. Grass decorated the air with every forceful step and slide, both taking hits that shook the ground beneath them.
She sidestepped at a speed that mimicked teleportation, but her torque-fueled kick crashed into an upward variant from off the ground.
"They're fast, but… I can see them!"
He bounded over another by throwing himself up via handstand, before kneeing the ever-loving shit out of her back while she was occupied with the pain in her shin.
"I'M 'BREAKING THROUGH'!"
He dove in with a barrage while Mashii was still recovering, several blows breaching her guard as she stumbled back before knocking her off her feet with an aggressive sweep kick.
"SHIT, NO!" Mashii cursed under her breath as she fell over.
He went aerial before landing on top of her, his eyes shaking as he grew more desperate to make this the end of the battle.
She put up her guard before being battered with consecutive, unrelenting, and hammering punches. At this point, Neoru's sight was a blur. The last time he'd fought with someone that wasn't Kaset with THIS intensity, he was fighting for his life.
As Neoru's blows thundered down, two phalanxes hit him square in the eyes. He staggered back before getting knocked onto his side. Mashii flipped back until she was comfortably away from him.
"Gee, that was quite violent," she sneered, spitting blood as she panted. "I thought humans had codes against treating girls so rough…"
"Holy shit, will you just shut up about that?" Neoru barked, clearing the blood from his eyes as his eyes deblurred. "I don't give a damn what I am, stop lumpin' me in with every random a-hole off the corner already!"
Mashii shrugged. "I mean, you humans love doing just that with every stray race you come across… so why not return the favor with you?"
"TCH-THE FUCK UP!" he abruptly threw a blast in Mashii's general direction. She didn't even need to dodge for it to sail behind her, illuminating the area and casting hard shadows. "I don't care about who you are, or who I am." He squeezed his eyelids shut once more, wiping away any dirt or liquid polluting them before setting his sights on Mashii once more.
"All I see right now, is a wall... and I'm breaking it."
Mashii stared him down, before erupting into laughter. Neoru took the time to calm down. "Fuck, it happened again. I got carried away…"
"I've given you enough to fuel that frail human ego, I think."
Neoru looked back.
"Wha?"
"It's high-time to break you."
Mashii's earrings suddenly glowed.
[BGM: Kenji Fujisawa – Raids]
And out of nowhere, she bulked up QUICK. Her hair changed color, flaring a dark crimson – giving Neoru some light PXMD – and her power swelled.
Neoru's eyes took up most of his face.
"… Huh-"
A fist with the force of a volcano lodged into his abdomen.
And as a shockwave violently uprooted every blade of grass behind him within view, Neoru learned of a new, funny little noise that he could make.
The sheer force of the punch sent him skidding backwards. Before he could collect himself, the shadow of a sledgehammer eclipsed him.
"SHIT-"
He'd thrown his upper body downward right before it slammed into him in a vain attempt to evade the hit with a somersault, resulting in his body taking the appearance of a crescent while his face smacked into the ground. His leg was grabbed with enough PSI to make scrap out of titanium, as he was slammed into the opposite side. His senses were in an absolute state of chaos; everything moved, everything hazed, everything crashed, all he smelled was iron, all he tasted was iron, and all he felt was pure blunt trauma.
Mashii flung him away by the leg after the slam, Neoru's body lifelessly flailing through the air and landing with a pathetic thud.
She held out three fingers.
"3. That's all I needed to end things."
The now amazon-esque warrior arrogantly dusted off her hands.
"Next time, think before you speak."
Before she could definitively claim victory, a fist struck the ground.
The corpse staggered back to life.
Its mouth dripped with the red, viscous fluid that reminded it of its existence.
Nearly every instinct within told him to book it. To run. Hide. Play dead.
Except one. One that'd lately been louder than the others.
It told them to shut up, and let it fight.
Why?
"I'M."
It hobbled onto its feet.
"STILL."
He formed a fist in the hand which still lingered.
"KICKING."
And there stood Neoru. Shaking, fear at an all-time high. Yet standing.
"Seriously? Any more and you'll be dead. Don't you know when to give up, moron?"
Against his body's demands, he smirked. " 'Course I do… 's why I ain't…"
Annoyed more than angered, she returned to her blue-skinned and somewhat-skinny form, scoffed, and turned.
"Whatever, I'm done with you. You can stand there and cry for all I care, you're hopeless."
A ki blast smacked her head from behind. He sure-as-hell threw that one decently.
"DON'T FUCK WITH ME, MASHII!"
Mashii stood in place. Shaking.
"…"
She rebulked, hair reddened, power resurged.
"YOU'RE A GRADE-A DUMBASS!" she roared at the intrepid, insignificant human, charging full-speed and full-power at him with a fist raised.
[BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano – BLAZE_Final_Version (1:59) ]
Neoru couldn't see her. He just knew what she was gonna do. And so, his arms raised with open palms.
In this form, there was none of that grace, or elegance, or whatever like her base form had. She just rushed in because she could.
He didn't care how hard this next punch was gonna be. Hell, in that moment, he no longer cared if he lived or died.
Thoughts of that animal that sent his world to hell in a brimstone-laced handbasket flashed within his mind. That feeling of running, of hiding, of facing it with a false bravery that shattered the moment those eyes laid sight on him.
And they dispelled with an ungodly straight to his face. He lost consciousness instantly.
Yet his soul, laced with his own will, raged on.
"WHAT THE-"
He grabbed on to her arm. Legs crossed around her neck with every shred of strength left within him.
"RAAAAAH~!" a dragon's reverb sounded along with him, waking him up.
His eyes blazed. A violent energy burned around him.
He couldn't win. Absolutely not, this difference was too high and he was too damn stupid to keep focused from the get-go. Once she had him rattled, she won.
But he wasn't giving up; if nothing else, he was taking a fucking arm with him.
And take an arm he did.
SNAP!
He fell like a rock after that. Mashii gripped her arm, snapped in two by the surprise armbar out of nowhere. Yet as her eyes lured over to the gasping human, she was overcome with another feeling.
"Ha. Hahahaha… HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Absolute awe.
"You… you are un-fucking-believable, you know that? You're a damn psychopath!" she giggled hysterically through the pain with a smile gripping her face, her blood racing.
"not bad… yourself…" he moaned, fading in-and-out of consciousness.
She sighed. "You're all so stubborn. How come? Why don't you ever stop?"
Neoru didn't respond. He just raised a fist and weakly smiled.
"I am… so much stronger…" the last echoes in his mind before things began fading for the last time.
Mashii walked over, dropping his backpack onto his stomach.
"Gee, I've still got a long way to go…" she muttered, looking skyward.
"That said…"
She grabbed his still-raised arm.
"I'm way too petty to just let the arm-thing go. Sorry~"
Neoru's eyes shot open.
Mashii innocently grinned.
She took a sharp, quick inhale before-
"HAA-"
.
.
Conton City has a convenient way of fixing up those who enter a "duel scenario" with another.
In these instances, after the battle concludes with a declaration of defeat or a 10-second period of unconsciousness, the two are taken to a "fix-up dimension" similar to the resident ER, complete with the CT variant's tech. They remain until injuries are taken care of, and the patroller is 100% restored!
Neoru wished he'd known about this sooner.
[BGM: Oddisee – Social Insecurity]
In any case, fix-up took about two hours, and the star in the sky was beginning to lower itself. His arm still ached, though, because a human's mind is an asshole.
"Neoru!" Zinco yelled, meeting up with the self-neglecting dragon boy.
"Wazzup?" he mumbled.
"I learned that people like Mashii can make their earrings glowy, and then they get kinda bigger and their hair looks redder and-"
Neoru chuckled. "Zinco. Buddy. I know."
"… how?"
" 'Cus I fought a 'people like Mashii,' dumbass. Got my shit pushed in, too. Good times."
Zinco pouted. "Why do things that get people hurt?"
"It ain't exactly fun, y'know, but you can't just punch a board all day an' expect to get better at what you're doin'." Neoru slung his arms around the back of his head. "Besides, this kinda livin's what I know best. Sucks, but it works."
"Is that so?"
Neoru and Zinco's heads swiveled to the side.
Mashii was wearing a cap and sunglasses for some reason.
"Then again, you definitely fight like someone who's put their life at stake before," she said, sipping some iced tea. "So the name's Neoru?"
"Whaddayo want?" Neoru growled.
"Hey, hey, what's with the tone?" she jokingly threw up a hand.
Neoru rubbed his shoulder, teary expression and all.
Mashii nervously scratched her cheek. "Oh. Yeah. Wasn't in the best mood when I did that, with the, uh, breaking my arm, and all. Sorry."
"Y-YOU BROKE HER ARM!?" Zinco stammered.
"yeah, break some half-dead guy's arm will ya…" he muttered under his breath, before sighing.
"SH-SHE BROKE YOUR ARM!?" Zinco stammered.
"Eh, I was still kicking. Can't blame ya for returning the favor too much. Besides," Neoru added, ignoring Zinco's self-answering question, "At the end'a the day, you helped show me what I've gotta work on."
"Same here. The first time I've ever fought someone who moved like you. Honestly…"
She tilted her head a bit.
"For a while, it was pretty fun!"
The two boys looked toward each other, as if asking if either knew what she meant.
"But I was trying ta beat the shit outta you."
"And I, you! Seriously, learn to loosen up!" she shrugged walking off. "Honestly, I didn't know I could enjoy myself in a fight until I met you."
"Oh, one more thing."
"Eh?"
"Sorry about those remarks I gave you during the battle. You gave me something to think about. Regarding humans."
She turned back.
"You're one rude asshole, but it's in a sincere way. One that'd hit the same with anyone. You never mocked me for who I was, and… even called me by my name. Thanks for showing me that side of humanity. I think I needed it."
"… Oh. You're welcome, I guess." Neoru wasn't aware that something so basic was worth any lauding.
With that, Neoru strolled toward the end of his day.
"People can have fun in fights?" Zinco asked him once more.
Neoru concurred with the sentiment.
"Fuckin' weird, right?"
[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pri-
Mashii suddenly heelturned.
"WAITIFORGOTTOASKYOUABOUTTHEPURPLE…"
"Aura… thing…"
"… And he's gone."
Can I end the chapter already? Fuck.
"Yah, I'm just… dammit…!"
[ED: Pay Money To My Pain – Weight of My Pride]
Yo! OP here!
You think Neoru and Koga from Kengan Omega would be good drinking buddies? But instead of beer, it's like, mineral water and protein shakes.
Anyway, those kind government folk let me out after a while. Nothing serious, I just had a bad case of Ligma.
LAUGH, FUCKING LAUGH, I SPENT WEEKS ON THAT JOKE YOU BETTER FUCKING LAUGH-
Ahem. So, big boy chapter today. Like, 8.8k on the chapter alone. That's mostly because of the fight scenes; I like making them somewhat-elaborate and still cool to read. I'm gonna try to add one in every chapter, physical or otherwise, in preparation for the exam tournament! Confession: I add the featured songs while I proofread/finalize; in reality, I'm hopped up on Baki AMVs. Cus some of that shit goes hard. Last note regarding these, but watching martial arts movie fights and actual MMA fights helps a lot when getting in the fight scene mindset, just gotta remember that the story has those Wuxia elements and that I have to USE them to make the fight even cooler.
That "Otto" guy? He's a pretty cool character from a great fanfic called I grew attached to called "Rise Up." Just a personal sendoff to something that'll never be finished. Doubt you're reading this, Knightium... but if you are, that was one sick fic, my guy. Motivated me to finally express the concepts in my soul with this. Thanks.
Watched all of Thunderbolt Fantasy. It is, indeed, one of the greatest things since sliced bread. Watch it, it's the coolest, most engaging puppet show of all time, and it has soul in spades.
Read Vagabond. It's top-3 All-time manga. Read it, it's got life lessons.
Closing thoughts, but I feel like there were things missing from this chapter that should've been added. Small things that could've did just a bit more to improve things. But shit, I've kept you all waiting for kong enough (It corrected "long" to "kong" but I'm gonna leave it like that) and sweating small stuff helps no one. I'm happy with this, just don't expect every new chapter to be this long. (ok so not THAT time, huh?) Next one has a high chance of being a Dina chapter, so that'll be sick.
I noticed that Neoru has shit luck with girls. Like, 3 have beaten the shit out of him and he put 2 in critical condition... odd.
OH, ONE MORE THING. Neoru and Zinco's confusion over the prospect of having fun during a fight. Just... remember that. It's building to something...
Stay safe, guys.
That's about it. See ya.