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Nexus HWR 20.8 Training:
"Why. Won't. You. DIE?!" Ben Tennyson clenched his eyes shut and put on some more speed in his flight.
"What the Hell are these things?" Ben muttered in frustration. "They look like they're probably, some of those Aragami, that Gray pointed out," Ben had to take several breaths while muttering to himself.
He was covered in a white aura and soaring over the surface of a huge desert wasteland. He saw remnants of an old civilization partially sticking out of the sand, but the only inhabitants now were the ground-based monsters stomping around the ruins. Chasing him through the sky were several scary winged monsters that had resisted all of his attacks against them so far.
Ben glanced over his shoulder and grit his teeth seeing that two of the flying Aragami that looked different than the others picked up speed to chase him faster. Their wings were feathered, but the feathers looked to be made of steel and were sparking with purple flames. Ben slammed his right arm out and summoned his green Keyblade. He stopped speaking aloud and took some deeper breaths to prepare himself. Gray said they were really hard to destroy without special weaponry, but Riku and Sora took them apart like it was nothing. It really surprised Gray. It looked easy when they did it though!
Ben thought back on when the whole group traveled together after Dressrosa, except for Timmy and Goku of course. Aebrith was a dangerous place. He knew that better than anyone. But he had forgotten how bad it was thanks to how powerful his comrades had been back then that they were rarely in any real danger. Most of the time, at least one of his comrades had a great counter to any enemy. Even the Flood that we were warned so much about were nothing to Natsu! I have a Keyblade too. I can do this!
Ten minutes later, Ben cast the last of his MP on himself with a Cure and then felt as exhausted as could be. Some of his bloody wounds stopped bleeding though. Ben grit his teeth and seethed his panting breaths through them, but then he shot back up higher in the air and soared into the distance again. I can't stop here. I need to get to somewhere at least relatively safe before I rest again.
At least my ki is getting a bit better. I can definitely fly for longer now. My magic with the Keyblade is getting stronger too, even if it's still too weak that those Aragami nearly killed me! Ben shook his head around and then wiped some blood from a cut that did not seal completely under his right eye during that fight.
It's still not enough that I can consider myself "strong" again. Why am I so weak? Don't think like that! You just beat up two monsters without the Omnitrix, Ben tried to encourage himself, but it was difficult to convince himself of it. Zod lost. I went to Zodd to find a chance for defeating Meruem, and even Zod couldn't do it. I can't even take on a pack of monsters. So what could I do?
If I can't go to Luthor, and Cartman won't do it, who can? Is it really only Goku? Ben slowed his flight after a look behind him showed nothing chasing after him anymore. The air was a bit thinner up here, and he took deeper breaths while slowing down more and then focusing on his aura. Don't expend too much. Calm down. Pull it close. His white aura pulled thin to his body, and Ben relaxed even more with a small smile at the increase in ki control to be able to waste less as well now.
He kept flying at a steadier pace and lost his smile once again. I need to seriously consider what our next move is. What my next move is. What can defeat Meruem now? And, I'm not just focused on this because of the Eliacube. It's because we can't win this war without beating him. Only by beating Meruem can we save this continent. Then, I could return to Pao. Relax for a bit. See Gwen- But not now. There's so much we still have to do.
Goku can't do it alone. He told us he isn't strong enough. I want to believe in Goku, but if he can't do it alone, then who else…
Ch-crack Kirito's eyes narrowed onto the cracking of his glowing yellow Borg. Both of Lexa's swords were pressed together and their tips connected at the same point on his barrier. Even with the focused jab though full of power and Haki, Kirito's Borg held after the crack extended with branches spreading out from it.
Kirito dropped the Borg and slashed his own two swords back at Lexa who ducked one and parried the other while slashing her left arm at him again. Kirito slashed back his other missed blade and barely got it down in time to block Lexa's swipe. She dragged both of her swords up his blades though and closer to his body. He covered his hands in Haki and tried attacking right into hers rather than defending here, allowing his hands to be hit as he did not feel her putting Haki on them that would be able to cut through his skin. Lexa did not put Haki on her blades though despite seeing Kirito putting some on his hands, because neither slash she was making was her actual move.
He pictured it in his head with Observational Haki a second too late, because he had already started leaning forward to counterattack her rather than retreat or defend. Her right elbow snapped out with her pushing-forward blade falling from her hand. Lexa twisted her body forward and dodged Kirito's attack while slamming her elbow into his face, and she did put Haki on it in the last second too as he tried to do the same to his nose to prevent the pain about to hit. The pain was still there and his nose crunched as Lexa dented her elbow into his face.
Kirito flew off the elbow with blood splashing out of his nose. He hit the ground on his back and rolled feet-over-head several times before dragging a sword into the ground that he barely maintained his grasp on. He dug it in to stop himself from skidding any farther, though he just wound up pushing a line down into the powerful floor below them that could absorb any of their blows without breaking, as long as he refrained from using his Devil Fruit. That restraint had been requested of him by the Resistance leaders considering how high-tech the rooms apparently were that he had been breaking.
"Take a minute," Lexa told the teen who got back up fast to show her that he could keep going. "And when training is done, go get your face fixed up. Never test your willpower against someone whose will is stronger than your own."
Kirito decided not to comment a counter to her statement that suggested her Haki was just stronger than his and there was no question about it. It would have been a hard argument to make while blood poured down from both of his nostrils despite how he had tried to cover his nose with protective Haki. I just didn't have enough time to get it up, Kirito told himself.
Lexa watched Kirito grab his nose and wince but try to stop the nosebleed himself by pinching the bridge of it. One more go then I'll have him head to the infirmary, she decided, glancing down from his face and to similar superficial wounds around his body from their intense practical training. "That Borg you're using," Lexa brought up.
Kirito focused on her again but kept one hand up to his nose. Would be nice to have Sora around, he thought in annoyance, as a Cure would be great right about now. Or Ben. Or anyone really. It's just me and Goku here now. Everyone else either left on missions, or disappeared without saying a word.
He nodded at Lexa to show he was listening, and she went on, "Have you spent time in the Magic Kingdom?"
Kirito shook his head. "I'm sure that's somewhere here on Aebrith?" Kirito mentioned. He said it as a question but already expected the answer. "I haven't been around here for long. In Awul though, there's a city of magicians. Magnoshutatt. I trained there for a time."
"You had another teacher?" Lexa wondered. Kirito had brought up various mentors for all the abilities he had been using since they started training together.
Kirito nodded that she was right to assume that. "His name is Sphintus. Or, was. It's been years. I don't know if he's still alive. He might be," Kirito muttered, wondering where he was getting with that by correcting himself in the first place. "When the NEG took over Magnoshutatt, I left."
"To join the Underworld," Lexa continued for him, and Kirito frowned even deeper but nodded his head.
"It was that, or join the military of the NEG. The only way I could keep training 'legally,'" Kirito explained.
"But you chose the criminal organization, instead of the government military. Why?" Lexa asked. "Why was that such a disagreeable option for you?"
"Because I saw the way that the NEG muscled its way into incorporating Magnoshutatt. It was like, a conquest to Tetsuo…" Kirito trailed off while seeing a harsher look from Lexa telling him she doubted his answer. He doubted it as well though. "I think," Kirito corrected himself. "I was already suspicious of Tetsuo. Suspicious that, he had something to do with Naruto."
Lexa nodded her head this time. "Hm," she hummed. She had enough intelligence on what happened in Awul that she knew the players involved and who Tetsuo was. "Because of his mental abilities," Lexa theorized as the reason for Kirito's suspicion at the time. "But, he wasn't?" She asked him. "He was secretly allied with your Underworld, was he not?"
Kirito grit his teeth but nodded his head. The way she called it 'your Underworld' hurt to be reminded of, but Lexa had forced out of him his reasoning for needing to be stronger. For needing to help the Resistance and make up for his past crimes. "He was," Kirito confirmed. "But it wasn't him. I don't think he was even allied with them back then when Konoha fell. Naruto was a good friend of mine though. I knew he would never betray us like that. Not of his own free will. And I also knew, because of times I had talked to Naruto about it, that Tetsuo and the NEG were pressuring him very hard so they could absorb the Hidden Leaf and the surrounding lands into their territory."
"After seeing it happen to completion in Magnoshutatt, I think I became even more convinced that Tetsuo would have done something like that to get Naruto out of his way. Just the idea that he could have been responsible for Naruto's actions was enough to push me to the Underworld, if it was between training with them or as a pawn of his conquering armies." Kirito looked to spit out that last part, and when he did, some blood splashed out of his mouth too showing that the bleeding in his nose was going back into his throat.
Lexa saw that and frowned herself that the break in his nose was worse than she thought. She responded to what he just spat out, "Yet you chose the ones actually responsible for it. A poor choice in hindsight."
"Had I chosen differently, I still would have been working for them anyway. Sooner or later," Kirito countered. And my life would have been so much different. I never would have met Goku again. He wouldn't have saved me, and I probably wouldn't be here right now. Training with you.
Lexa humphed at his way of looking at it but decided to leave it alone for now. She sheathed her blades and Kirito did the same at the look she gave him to do so. "Get yourself patched up and cleaned up. Then meet me in the Cafeteria in an hour."
Kirito knew well enough not to argue with her by now as it would only lead to an extended ass-whooping. So he just nodded back at her and responded, "Understood, Commander."
"Son Goku," Kakashi Hatake approached a man training with Kakashi's own former student, and current superior.
The General of the Resistance nodded to his younger Commander which was a higher position among their ranks. Sasuke nodded back at Kakashi and then stood up out of his fighting stance and looked towards his teacher in a more questioning way at his approach. Goku's hair turned black again and he turned to the white-haired man who he recognized as well. "Kakashi," Goku greeted. "What can I help you with?" Goku wondered, as just like Sasuke he noticed that Kakashi had something on his mind.
"It's less what you can help me with," Kakashi replied, and Goku lifted his eyebrows even more interestedly now. He was against anything taking him away from his training but was willing to hear it out, but now it sounded more like Kakashi was here to help him. Everyone knew that he was training, so he suspected something to help him with that. His surprise grew even more though as Kakashi continued, "I hear, you don't know what happened to Tien."
"You do?" Goku wondered, stepping closer to Kakashi and then freezing as Kakashi nodded. He could not read Kakashi's expression well due to the ninja's mask, but Kakashi motioned down at the floor so Goku nodded back and sat cross-legged in front of him.
Sasuke sweatdropped at the eager way in which Son Goku just plopped down on their training ground, but he walked closer as well and looked at his old mentor with an interested look as well. "Were you there, Kakashi-sensei?"
"I was there," Kakashi replied, and he motioned next to Goku. Sasuke frowned at him, but Kakashi just shrugged his shoulders and then sat in front of Goku himself, so now Sasuke was the odd one out by standing. The sweatdrop on the youngest man's face slid down and he sighed, then he sat down next to Goku and nodded at Kakashi to continue. Kakshi began to Goku, "I heard that Tien and you were friends. I am sorry, about what happened to him."
"Thank you," Goku replied. "But what did happen?" He added on quickly. Sasuke looked to his right side at Goku's saddened but confused expression. Goku shook his head back and forth and explained himself, "Tien came to Aebrith to become stronger. He said that the next time we fought it wouldn't matter that I was a Super Saiyan."
"That's why he-" Sasuke cut himself off. He took a deep breath but then asked in a calmer tone at the Saiyan who turned to him and tilted his head to the side. "Tien was here, so that he could beat you?"
Kakashi shook his own head. He answered his student himself, "Whether or not that was one of his reasons, Tien did believe in the Resistance. As much as anyone," he assured Sasuke who hesitated for another second but then nodded back at his teacher. Kakashi was interested himself though and asked Goku, "What do you mean by that though? He came to Aebrith, to train?"
Goku nodded back and thought on their conversation before Tien's departure with a small nostalgic smile. He spoke back on it, "Tien told me that he had come to realize back on our world that there was no surpassing me anymore. That the Super Saiyan was a power level no human could ever dream of achieving. I was surprised to hear him say it, because he had been a rival of mine growing up. One of my strongest opponents. He defeated me to take the title of the world's strongest once, back when we were young."
Sasuke and Kakashi both nodded interestedly upon hearing this. Goku continued on to the ninja, "But something changed when he came to this world. The spark he had to surpass me reignited." Goku smiled wider, "I was really excited to hear it. The way he told me, I could tell he was serious. I knew that the next time I saw him, he was going to give me the fight of my life. We had made Awul such a safe place for those of us who had families though. Like myself," Goku added, his smile lowering down a little as he imagined ChiChi's smiling face, then her face looking paler and with blood on it.
He quickly shook off the thought of her though and remembered what he was talking about. "Tien saw humans on this world whose powers were greater than any he had ever seen before. It didn't matter if there were stronger races like Kryptonians and Saiyans, he saw people using powers that could even beat them. He told me he was going to get as many of those powers as he could. Powers that could even defeat me!" Goku laughed and tilted his head up while thinking of the determined look on his triclops friend's face when Tien declared this to him. "The rest of us continued to just clear Awul of any monsters that appeared and make sure that the continent as a whole was safe. We left Aebrith to Tien."
Sasuke stared at Goku with much wider eyes as Goku had never given this excuse before. Goku said he had stayed on Awul for his family, but it sounded to him now more like Goku really believed Tien could just take care of all of Aebrith on his own. "Tien believed that it would be easier to train on Aebrith. Away from Tetsuo, who was stemming the use of super-powers, a different method of trying to create safety…" Goku trailed off and cocked his head to the side, thinking of how Max Tennyson had described that to him before when he had just been upset and confused by it. Max actually thought Tetsuo was being smart by doing it. I didn't really get it, because I love training. Max wanted us to just believe in him though. And then Tetsuo helped get him killed. Just like ChiChi. Goku thought of his wife again and sighed as she just kept flashing into his head when he thought back on life earlier on Nexus, almost all of which included her in his memories.
"Anyway!" Goku quickly said, clapping his hands together in front of him as he remembered what Kakashi had started saying when he had them sit down. "You know what happened to him? I saw one of Meruem's Royal Guards, the one called Pitou, using Tien's body as a puppet to fight me with. Just like what Doflamingo did to his people," Goku said, his voice getting darker there. Kakashi stared at Goku with wider eyes at that reference, and Goku admitted to the two ninja before him, "Doflamingo doing that, making his own people kill each other using his strings, was why I killed him. That, and making everyone forget each other. Pitou tried to make Tien kill me." Goku thought about the Chimera Ant he would have destroyed if he had the chance back on the Saiyan Mountains, though at the time he just wanted to follow her to the real threat which she did. "It was Meruem, wasn't it?" Goku asked Kakashi. "He killed Tien."
Kakashi hesitated for a few seconds but then nodded his head at Goku's question. Sasuke did know at least this much and just bowed his head for a moment and closed his eyes thinking of the three-eyed man he once knew. Kakashi answered Goku, "Tien defeated Pitou. He defeated all the King's Royal Guards. Tien was, just like you said, very strong. The strongest, really. I believed that he was the man who would win the war for us and save the world. I never believed it more, than on the day he died."
"You saw it?" Goku wondered softly.
Kakashi nodded his head. "I did. Tien showed up at our worst moment…"
FD + 304
"It's Tien!"
"He came to save us!"
"Aizen-sama. What should we do?"
"I knew he would show up sooner or later," Aizen responded to the Third Espada floating behind him. "Move back, Harribel. You are no match for him." Aizen tilted his head up and a strand of hair dropping over his nose parted to the side to clear his eyes to Tien's. His Espada moved far backwards while Aizen flew higher up in the air himself. The landscape was on fire in most directions below him. Smoke rose but not directly under the shinigami where many of his own allies and some enemies were still gathered. "Tien. You come alone?" Aizen wondered. He knew the answer and smiled while asking it.
"I know you," Zeref said. He stared from the top of his giant black dragon towards the three-eyed man who floated in the sky ahead of him. Bahamut tilted its head up and roared, and Zeref narrowed his own eyes at the figure wrapped in a white aura who glared from Aizen over towards him. "You fight with the Resistance?"
Tien looked between Aizen straight ahead of him and Zeref over on the dragon Bahamut to his front-right. He looked farther behind them and saw a figure with straight black hair lifting up over a small army of robots and cyborgs. "17, you're with them too now?" Tien wondered while looking to the Android that stared back at him in an unamused way.
"You came here to die then?" 17 just wondered back at the man who asked that of him using a dark and disrespectful tone.
Tien looked to his left and down towards the surface where some more flames had been put out and some of the battle was extending onto. Without their leaders, the enemies were not faring so well against the Resistance fighters who had been encouraged by Tien's arrival on the battlefield. Massive craters covered the ground for as far as the eye could see in every direction. The ground was either blackened or on fire everywhere they could look, but the fight still was not over yet.
Tien refaced his enemies and centered himself between the three main leaders who rose up to face him. "Come," Tien ordered. He turned himself in midair and rose his arms into a fighting stance. 17 rose his eyebrows up and lowered his crossed arms down to his sides. A dark aura surrounded Zeref, and Aizen's smirk twitched at the unfazed look on Tien's face. "I'll take you all on."
Present
"He fought three High Lords at once?" Sasuke wondered to his teacher recounting the story.
"He did," Kakashi responded. Behind his mask he lifted a corner of his lips up as he saw the grin cover Son Goku's face. Goku did not look concerned, and though Kakashi already told him that it was Meruem who killed Tien, he did not think Goku would have imagined that Tien died by any of these men anyway. "Son Goku, I know you don't know much about the history on this continent, but the Second War of the Gods turned around very quickly for the Resistance."
"Around 300 days into our being on this world," Kakashi went on to explain what he just said to the confused-looking Saiyan. "The Resistance was moving quickly through every single area where conquerors were expanding and killing. Where people were enslaving each other and committing heinous acts. Every day more people joined us. More nations allied. More powerful figures allied with the Resistance… some of whom only did so because they thought the Resistance was clearly going to win."
Goku's small smile at the start of what Kakashi was just saying lowered back down a bit. Kakashi's tone darkened too as he continued, "In one day our advances were halted all across the continent. Tatsumi was seriously wounded on one battlefield. All Might and Endeavor fell at the same time during the Battle of Marzipan. Resistance reinforcements showed up and were practically wiped out." Goku nodded for him to continue with a serious look on his face and staying quiet to just listen to the ninja's explanation. "The leader of the Androids who had just killed the Magic King, Julius Novachrono, and forced the rest of the magicians into submission, turned around and allied with the forces pushing us back south. The Terminators and their allies in the Androids came to the battlefield. Sozin and Kouen Ren had pulled back after they took Marzipan to regroup and mobilize new armies that we were monitoring. Their ally in High Lord Spriggan who helped them on the first day of the counter offensive did not need to recover though himself. He and his dragon Bahamut continued on, and joining them was Aizen, Spriggan's ally from the First War of the Gods."
"Spriggan is Zeref, right?" Goku asked, just making sure.
Sasuke and Kakashi both nodded back at him as they knew both names for the Black Wizard. "We should have known after seeing Aizen with Zeref, that Meruem would not be far behind them. The three of them have always been considered the most dangerous. When they joined the Second War of the Gods on the side of those who opposed the Resistance, many who only joined us because they thought it was their best option switched sides. Magneto was one of them, who Tien thought had been on his side that day. Magneto's betrayal was something he told his people afterwards was for the sake of the mutants who he claimed were treated poorly by the human-led Resistance. That the newly forming Cooperative nations were run more by non-humans than humans, and as such was where they belonged. Magneto got most of them to join him. His betrayal would not even slow Tien though…"
FD + 304
Tien slammed his right and left hands together with his index fingers pointed out. "DODON BEAM!" The red ray that came out of his touching index fingers expanded in size while shooting towards Aizen.
A dragon flying towards Tien slashed its right claw, and Zeref pointed a hand towards Tien over the head of his dragon and fired off a black wave of magic at him.
Aizen vanished from the path of the Dodon Beam. Tien felt the cut in his back. He did not bother dodging Zeref, because he already knew that he was in an illusion and also knew Zeref as a mage not so brash to rush him like this while he was focused on Aizen. Tien felt the cut in his back, and he twisted his body to the side. His left hand snapped down to his own side and grabbed the blade as it was still touching his skin, and he spun and slammed his right fist into empty space in the air.
The illusion around him shattered. Tien's speed exceeded Aizen's, and Aizen flew backwards with blood splashing from his face. Tien flew after him and yanked the sword from Aizen's grasp, then he slashed it diagonally up the shinigami's body before Aizen could back off. Blood sprayed up in the air as Tien gave Aizen a matching scar to his own that went from their right collarbones to the left sides of their abs. Tien pulled back the Zanpakuto and flung it after Aizen as the shinigami went flying off the slash.
"Aizen-sama!" Harribel screamed and flew up to catch her leader by his armpits while Aizen coughed up blood. She pulled him away right before Aizen's Zanpakuto would have pierced through his chest, and instead it just slashed deeply across both of their left sides.
Tien turned towards Bahamut that he actually saw flying at him this time after Zeref watched his ally's instant defeat in disbelief and attacked himself. Tien flew forward and his body ripped in half as he used the multi-form technique. He pulled to either side and the claw that Bahamut slashed at him went between the two clones of Tien that merged back together on the other side of the black dragon's neck. Tien reached out and grabbed Zeref by the head. "You may be immortal, and I know I can't stop Bahamut," Tien covered Zeref in the same white aura that already surrounded his own body. He yanked up and then threw his right arm forward and released Zeref into the horizon before the mage could let out a sound.
Zeref's body flew so fast that anyone looking up just saw a blur of black that quickly vanished into the distance. A twinkle from Tien's white shining aura that coated the mage's form sparkled in the distant sky right as Zeref disappeared from sight. He got thrown farther than the eye could see in the blink of an eye.
"I wonder what its primary orders are," Tien said aloud while flying straight up and avoiding a massive beam of red light that would have incinerated him had Bahamut swung its head around any faster. Tien glared down into the dragon's eyes that stared up at him for another second before shifting off to look into the distance. The dragon flapped its wings and flew after the mage who Tien had put enough energy around that he was not going to stop flying any time soon.
17 flew at Tien, and Tien saw movement down below him. 17 did not slow though. Tien was moving to block anyway just in case his ally was too slow to stop him. Magneto was not targeting the Android though with his metal-controlling power. 17 punched and Tien lifted his left arm to block, but 17's blow was heavy and bent Tien's arm in. Tien could feel a bruise instantly. "You've gotten stronger, triclops. You should have run when you saw me though." 17 kicked up into Tien's stomach and then swung his left palm in, only to curl his right fist again and dig it into Tien's ribs below the muscular man's left arm moving to block.
Tien cartwheeled uncontrollably through the air backwards. He moved into the path of the debris flying straight up at him along with a massive chunk of the planet that had just lifted out of a crater due to its high metallic content. Should have known. Those terminators would have all been destroyed if Erik was still on our side! Tien snapped his head around and glared with his three eyes snapping open wide at the huge chunks of rubble flying at him. He pointed his left hand down at all the debris and specifically at the most massive chunk of earth lifting towards him.
Magneto's muscles strained and his legs bent below him. "What?!" The mutant exclaimed. "How? How can he be- ugh!" Erik Lehnsherr's arms buckled in more, as the sheer power of Tien's energy gave him the telekinetic superiority over Magneto's mutant powers. Tien moved that debris with his mind stronger than Magneto could, and he slammed it down at the mutant who screamed out as pieces hit him, though he managed to bend some shards upon collision to weaken the blows and prevent the giant chunk of earth from squishing him into paste against the floor.
Android 17 was flying at Tien again after the human recovered too quickly that he was able to focus on his own betraying ally. Tien's right palm had pointed towards 17 though while he pointed his left down at Magneto. His right hand curled towards the Android who suddenly jolted even faster at Tien so that his swinging left arm punched by the side of the human who leaned sideways and allowed it to pass by. The wind ruffled Tien's green fighting gi while the three-eyed man glared into 17's eyes up close. Tien's right hand that curled towards 17 did not pull him using the same telekinetic power of his ki which Android 17 thought it might have been at first. Sparks of electricity came off of Tien's fingers that 17 darted his eyes down at, right before the Android snapped his head back with his hair standing on end. "AHHH!" 17 yelled in pain as lightning shot out of Tien's hand into the highly conductive body of an Android half made of metal.
Tien spun-kicked before 17 could recover at all from the surprise bolts of Force Lightning he shocked the Android with…
Present
"Tien did exactly like you thought he would when he came here," Kakashi told Son Goku. "He trained. Tien went out looking for all the powers of the multiverse. All the tech advancements, the magic, the alchemy, the different kinds of energies that some people who came to this world were naturally proficient in. As if the merging of the universes' physics granted the bodies of those who were brought here the ability to obtain all of them. Tien did that. He was 'blessed' by the Force, according to Jedi who fought with us. Unlike the Jedi, he did not train since he was a child, but Tien was a warrior. A martial artist to whom training came naturally. When he discovered an ability that he believed he could master, he did so."
"He had known all of those enemies who he fought shortly after arriving on the field of battle," Kakashi explained. "I don't know from where, but Magneto who was his own ally, and the others who he was familiar with too, all faced Tien and all could not stand up to your friend who had mastered more abilities than most people could ever dream to learn."
"Well, Tien was there when I first beat Aizen," Goku explained to Kakashi who froze and opened his eyes wider as he was not expecting to hear Goku start explaining where Tien knew the others from. "He fought the Espada and Aizen's shinigami allies back on Awul when we all faced each other there."
"You fought Aizen, and you won?" Sasuke asked, starting to get annoyed.
Goku looked at him in confusion and then nodded quickly and said, "Oh yeah, Gray got mad at me when I said that too." Goku laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that. I like to give people second chances though. Most of the time. Not all of your enemies are so bad too," Goku added to the younger man who frowned even darker at him. "Like Zeref? Tien was there on the Day of the Cataclysm when Zeref tamed Bahamut. We all fought together to stop the dragon then."
"You were there that day too?" Kakashi wondered. Son Goku may not know much about the Resistance, but we also know very little about what he has done on this world. Other than the few times he has saved all of our lives, he has also done quite a lot. "And 17?" Kakashi wondered. "How does he know the Android?"
"Android 17 was from our world," Goku replied. "Though," Goku scratched the back of his head again in a thoughtful way. "I never actually saw him myself. I had a heart problem, and my friends had to fight him instead. At least until Cell absorbed him…"
Sasuke and Kakashi each sweatdropped as Goku explained in short detail about the fights against the Androids and Cell where he quote: 'died for the second time.' Sasuke stared in mild skepticism at the side of Goku's head before reminding himself that all worlds sounded strange to others, including most people who heard about his own.
Kakashi nodded his head too after a few seconds. "He's a High Lord?" Goku wondered in surprise after putting that together now. Kakashi nodded again and Goku hummed, looking like he was just registering the information, though also failing to hide a small smirk on his face growing at the idea of fighting Android 17 as he never got to back on his home world.
Kakashi continued before Goku could get too distracted, "Tien looked to have changed the tide of the battle. Things had been looking, grim, to say the least. Some of our strongest fighters and the leaders of the army I was in who tried to take advantage of Sozin and Kouen's momentary retreat had fallen in the fight already. Our most powerful mages, Draculos Hyberion and Wolfheim. The shinigami captains, Ukitake and Kyouraku, following their leader Genryuusai Yamamoto's fall only days earlier. It was only after Shisui Uchiha fell on the field of battle that Tien came to save us," Kakashi finished. "But just as the Resistance had a powerful fighter like Tien in reserve, this new 'Cooperative' of nations who were cooperating to hold off the Resistance had the Ant King leading them from the rear."
"The most brilliant mind on Nexus, some say," Kakashi continued in a lower tone. "He's a master strategist. I still believe to this day, that the Resistance had more power than the Cooperative in the Second War of the Gods. Meruem was smarter than us though. He outplayed us. Maneuvered their forces better." Kakashi sighed and then added, "And he knew when to arrive himself. When he could no longer stay back, and when he had to come to his allies' aid and stop Tien from single-handedly winning the war for the Resistance."
FD + 304
The battles down on the surface broke apart from each other. The ground was shaking too terribly that it was hard to aim. Soldiers on both sides grabbed their injured comrades and pulled them away. It had become clear to everyone: whoever won the fight up above was the winner of the entire battle. None of the Resistance would be able to face Android 17 if he defeated Tien, and the enemies who just watched Tien dispatch several of the most powerful combatants there did not kid themselves into thinking anyone but 17 had a chance.
Magicians who had defected from the Magic Kingdom to continue fighting alongside the Resistance after Android 17 killed the Magic King stared in disbelief at the martial artist up above who could not top 17's speed or strength, but easily had him beaten in skill. Android 17 was shocked himself. "How did you advance this much in such a short time?" Android 17 yelled while darting his eyes around in search of his opponent who activated some kind of device on his wrist which apparently was not just a Power Blocker. It made Tien invisible, and yet 17 could not sense his energy either.
A kick landed into 17's back so hard it sent the Android flying through the sky. He spun around and pointed both curled palms into the empty space ahead of him. A hundred yellow beams fired out of his hands. Many fighters below yelled out and some created forcefields and had to protect themselves as 17's attacks came close. Tien measured which of those forcefields were strong enough, and he had to intercept some of the ones that were not with beam attacks.
17 smashed into the invisible man whose invisibility flickered when 17 collided. "Fool, to protect them-"
Poof!
Tien's flickering Shadow Clone that had enough energy to blow away a few of 17's attacks that posed threats to his comrades popped into a puff of smoke. That smoke dispersed in a human shape as Tien flew through the cloud and slammed two fists that coated in electricity at the last second into 17's face and neck.
17 flew off of Tien's fists but the lightning on Tien's knuckles just stretched out and continued to zap the metal man. Tien snapped his hands up to his forehead and made a triangular shape with his hands. He knew this would take a lot out of him, but against 17 he could not do anything except his most powerful attack. "TRI BEAM- HAAAAAA!"
Thousands of fighters on both sides of this war stared up in shock at the massive beam that caught 17 before he could stop flinching from the Force Lightning. 17 just managed to cross his arms, but they could hear his scream inside of the beam of energy that carried him across the sky. Most people were focused on 17 when that happened, just like Tien himself was, and so the three-eyed warrior almost did not notice the white-haired cat-like Chimera that used natural stealth and Zetsu to get the drop on him.
Tien was still in the zone though. Many warriors would let their guards down immediately after a fight. He still half-expected 17 to come flying at him though, and he was still prepared from when Aizen slashed him and he needed to respond immediately after. So as Neferpitou's claws struck him in the back and started digging through his gi, Tien twisted his body sideways and made her attempted piercing motion turn into a shallow slash across his back.
Fabric and blood ripped away from Tien's side while he turned his head and glared his three eyes into Pitou's. A white aura flared around him and burned the tiny insects of Shaiapouf that leapt off the other Chimera Ant Royal Guard when she was closest to their enemy. Pouf pulled his head away from the half mile distance he was at when his clones suddenly tore apart in the sheer force of Tien flaring his energy like that.
Tien elbowed his right arm down at Pitou's back. She twisted around in midair too though. She contorted in such a way to dodge his elbow, curling her claws again in an obvious motion to the martial artist who saw what she was doing with her tail. He pointed his left hand behind him and fired a beam of light into Youpi who he never showed any sign of noticing approach. The third Royal Guard who was using Pitou as a distraction was so surprised by how fast Tien moved and attacked that he did not even have time to open a hole in his muscular red body as he normally would have to let that beam pass through him.
Instead the beam exploded against Youpi's body. "RAAAOOAAAAA!" Youpi screamed as Tien's ki tore him up.
Tien pointed his left hand away from Youpi immediately and towards the form he spotted in the distance who he pointed his index finger at. "Dodon Ray." His right hand meanwhile curled down instead of moving to punch Pitou or block her claws as she hoped for him to do. She was activating her Nen ability at the same time, while a wave of hostile En slammed into Tien far too powerful for any of these Royal Guards. He grabbed Pitou by her tail striking for his back, and he tore so hard that he ripped it and caused Pitou's Hatsu ability to cut off as she was spun out with purple blood splashing from her.
Her screech of pain rippled across the sky. And Tien saw the look in the eyes of the green monster that was suddenly in front of him looking so enraged it was hard to breathe before him. Most people on both sides felt their bodies cover in sweat. The En that just covered everything for dozens of square miles, turned reddish purple as Meruem's bloodlust filled it. All three Royal Guards were dropping out of the air, and Meruem struck at Tien while he still had one arm extended with an index finger pointed towards Pouf. Tien's other arm with half of Pitou's tail in it was still swinging in front of him to intercept the Ant King…
Meruem was far faster than any of his Royal Guards. Far more skilled as well. Tien's right arm continued to swing forward, but Meruem's right hand pushed into Tien's left that was curling inwards as the right was only a feint because Tien knew it would take too long to push forward. Energy was still in his left fingertips, so he could fire quickly into Meruem, but Meruem tapped his fist and made it so Tien's fingers were all pointed the wrong way. Meruem's other arm swung upwards, and though Tien moved his torso to the side, Meruem expected that and was not going for the killing blow immediately anyway.
Tien's right arm, still with Pitou's tail gripped in his hand, flew off of his shoulder.
Blood splashed away from Tien's right side. He flew backwards. He lifted his left arm defensively in front of him and prepared for Meruem's immediate follow-through. Meruem shot up towards Tien's arm though and grabbed Pitou's tail from it, only to give it a focused look for a moment and realize that it was unsalvageable. He looked down towards his falling Royal Guard whose agonized scream echoed in his ears. Then he glanced back towards the plummeting and smoking forms of Pouf and Youpi. "You all did well. Thank you," Meruem told his comrades who he felt truly grateful for.
Then his gaze shifted back on Tien. The gratitude and almost human look in his eyes replaced with an animalistic ferocity and demonic bloodlust unlike anything Tien had ever seen before. People ran away in all directions down below. Kakashi Hatake fled as well. It was difficult not to. No one had even seen what happened. Even with his Sharingan, Kakashi could not track the movements of those fighters up above.
"Meruem," Kakashi whispered at the sight of the monster who had taken Tien's arm. The Resistance fighters thinking Tien was so much more powerful than all of their enemies saw their greatest hope dismembered in front of their eyes. Kakashi shifted his gaze back to Tien and felt such a swirling sense of despair in his gut. Something that for over a year after he would recall as the moment he knew, Tien was not going to survive this encounter.
And yet at the time, Kakashi's feeling of dread had simmered and hope replaced it instead. Meruem's voice hissed through the air and seemed to echo off the visible lines of bloodthirst radiating throughout his En. "You will die here. With one arm, you have no chance of defeating me. I am the King. I am, THE KING!" Meruem felt rage that Tien would dare hurt those close to him, in front of his eyes no less. The disrespect. The concern he felt that this man made him feel. Especially the regret, that the King should never feel, that he had sent those three in first and that Tien nearly killed them, it all added to the darkness flooding the atmosphere and making the world shake with Meruem's feelings. "With you dies the Resistance. Know that all you meant to protect will suffer-"
"HAA!" Three arms ripped out of Tien's sides. One bulged where his last one had been ripped off. Two others popped out of his shoulder-blades and curled over the tops of his shoulders. "Four Witches Technique!" Tien yelled. The four-armed man turned his body sideways. His lower left arm reached inwards and ripped to the side, tearing off the gi that was already ripped in the back and might get caught on something or grabbed by his enemy.
Tien's body bulked in size. Energy flared around him. Meruem shot at him and the two clashed. Their moves were so fast that again Kakashi was lost to following them. He backed away farther as Meruem's Nen was scaring him too much to stay. His legs were shaking. Everyone on both sides was already fleeing. The sky had turned reddish black, the ground trembled, and shockwaves scattered around the sky with sonic booms constantly going off from their motions.
Tien messed up. Meruem predicted his moves. The master martial artist, found himself on the other end of a monster whose adaptability made him the most impressive fighter Tien had ever faced within thirty seconds of them facing each other. He can see through all my moves!
Tien's upper two arms were ripped off. His third eye closed. "All Seeing Eye!" Tien activated his Nen ability. The Hatsu technique created an eye in midair behind Meruem that he immediately tried to claw through, only for his green arm to pass through the intangible Nen object. Tien raced at Meruem when the Ant King tried to destroy the eye too, and Meruem continued to attack it because he thought Tien wanted to stop him.
Tien slammed a kick into Meruem's lower left side. He predicted where the Ant King would dodge after Meruem failed to destroy the eye. The Ant King thought for a moment that Tien had attacked when he went for the eye to stop him from breaking it, then that his attack was because he knew Meruem would fail anyway and so he would trick the Ant King and get the drop on him, but then Tien predicted the King's dodge as well that Meruem followed up with. The kick had power in it beyond anything Meruem was expecting, because it was five times harder than anything Tien had put into it so far, and the leg coated in Armament Haki.
It was not Haki that Tien used to predict the Ant King though. As the third eye on his forehead closed, he became able to see what Meruem was going to do before the Ant King even considered doing it. An enemy who was more masterful in fighting and able to adapt faster than Tien could, suddenly found himself in a position where every one of his moves was predicted with 100% accuracy. Something his intelligence alone could not surpass, as long as Tien's ability of foresight allowed him to predict it. Because Meruem only considered dodging after slashing through the eye and failing to hit it, and yet Tien managed to shift his momentum to aim at where the King would dodge before Meruem even started moving that way. Meruem could tell. Whether or not he changed up his moves after Tien had seen them, it would be the move he transitioned into that was the one Tien saw. Tien saw the true future, not whatever his opponent was thinking.
Sparks flew around them. Lightning bolts shot out of the dark red clouds that swirled from the Ant King's energy alone. The white aura around Tien illuminated the darkness though. A shining hope in the waves of bloodlust and evil that filled the sky. But despite that hope, Kakashi backed up a few more steps, then he turned towards a comrade who fell onto his knees and started crying. "Come on," Kakashi called out. It's not an excuse, he told himself. The ninja picked up a comrade and fled, while trying to convince himself that he was not doing so out of fear.
Present
"I wish I had stayed," Kakashi admitted to his student and the Legendary Super Saiyan listening to this. "Meruem was not as strong as Tien. Tien was not as strong as the strongest enemies he had faced earlier either though. That was something I admired about him. He fought them and won, despite being weaker. Something Meruem also managed to do."
Goku nodded his head. He understood that better than anyone. Dad was stronger than him too. As much as that thought hurt Goku to remember, a different feeling swirled in the Saiyan's chest that was more powerful. A small smile formed on Goku's face that he failed to suppress. I must become stronger! So that I can fight him too! Excitement. The idea of one day fighting Meruem in a way to draw out that Ant's strongest, and defeating him? It was an exhilaration he would not bother trying to explain to the human ninja.
Sasuke frowned in some understanding though as to what Goku's smile was for. He shook his head but then turned back to Kakashi who continued, "Tien learned those techniques because he wanted to beat you, Goku. I believe I see now why Tien was able to defeat enemies stronger than him. It was what he was always training for, after all. Yes, Tien was a master fighter, but he also knew that it was an uphill battle. Unfortunately, Meruem seemed to understand that all too well."
"Just as Bardock once humiliated Meruem when he defeated him," Kakashi went on. "Bardock was so much more powerful that Meruem's defeat was uncontested. And yet, Meruem as we now know went to the Saiyan Mountains and subjugated the Saiyans, and devoured the Saiyan King's brains."
Goku winced this time. He bowed his head. The pain from picturing that image was not overcome by an innate desire to fight Meruem at his strongest. Goku's eyes squinted shut and Kakashi froze with his mouth open. He was surprised and went wide-eyed, not expecting that hurt reaction from Goku. He and Sasuke both stared with huge shaking eyes though as Goku whispered, "Father."
"You're…" Sasuke stopped himself. He shook his head around in disbelief before snapping his gaze back to Kakashi who was still staring at Goku in shock himself. Sasuke lowered his eyes down for a second and then back to Goku who he told in a low voice, "I'm sorry."
Goku shook his head and lifted it back up with a smile on his face again. "It's okay. I'll get Meruem back for it." Goku curled his right hand in a fist and rose it in front of him. "For Dad, and for Tien. And…" Goku did not finish that line but got a much darker look on his face once again. And for little JackJack. For all the Parrs.
Sasuke nodded back at Goku and felt reassured in hearing Goku make that declaration. "Tien must have held off for long enough that you were all able to escape then," Sasuke started, trying to bring them back to the story Kakashi was telling. "If Meruem did not chase you all down after their fight. When, did you even find out that Tien had lost?" Sasuke hesitated as Kakashi got an even darker look on his own face which confused the other two.
"Tien did not last as long as I imagined he would. Or, as long as a part of me hoped he might," Kakashi sighed and lifted a hand that he rubbed his forehead with. "But Duy showed up."
"Might Duy?" Sasuke asked with his eyebrows rising up high. "Guy sensei's father?" He asked in surprise.
"Duy opened all 8 Gates. The Ant King must have already been exhausted after fighting Tien. And having to fight Duy right afterwards?" Kakashi chuckled. "Guy always spoke highly of his father. I was still shocked to see it." Kakashi sighed again while thinking of how that was the last time he saw Duy. And Kirito says that Guy was one of those who tried to stop Naruto in Konoha. Guy, I wish you were here right now.
"I believe it was due to Tien and Duy's fights that Meruem and his allies agreed to peace after that battle. Despite their recent gains back on the Resistance, we all knew that a ceasefire was necessary. Both sides needed it." Kakashi paused then added, "It was also due to other battles going on simultaneously that drew the new lines that would hold pretty much the same until the Third War of the Gods. Frankly, the battle in the west that day might have been equally as important, as a regular private in our forces proved to be our most valuable remaining asset."
"It might not have been Tien or Duy, but the rumors of what Quon could do that caused all of our enemies to sue for peace afterwards. And why the remaining Resistance leadership made Quon one of their own…"
Grrrrmmbble… Goku's stomach vibrated. The serious conversation halted with a bead of sweat dripping down Kakashi's face. Goku scratched the back of his head and started laughing before hopping up onto his feet. "Lunch time!"
"Oh, okay then." Kakashi stood back up himself. "I just wanted to tell you about Tien. I hope-"
"Thanks for that! I'm glad to hear that Tien went down fighting. I'll carry on what he started, and I'll make sure the Resistance wins against the King," Goku promised. The other two who had yet to hear such a declaration from Goku about his support for them, after years of mostly avoiding their continent's conflicts, stared in astonishment at the Saiyan. Kakashi immediately felt very accomplished in his decision to come here and tell Goku about Tien, and Sasuke shook his head side to side as he wondered if he doubted Son Goku that much that the declaration still came as a relief to him.
I wonder, Goku hummed while standing on the lunch line, impatiently tapping his foot while keeping a less impatient look on his face. His hands were interlocked through his hair behind his head in a relaxed stance, while his eyes were locked past the people in front of him towards the buffet of food he was desperate to reach already. He tried to distract himself from the fact that he was stuck waiting for a massive round figure with 'PIG GOD' written in all capital letters across the back of his white shirt to finish stacking up his trays with food.
Tien trained in all those powers in order to fight people stronger than him. Maybe that's what I need to do. I don't know. I can always be stronger. Better at fighting. Distracting from my training to learn entirely new things? "Hmm," Goku hummed to himself. He was questioning his own training methods, but he wondered whether or not the way Tien went about it was really the best. Even with Tien doing that, he still lost to Meruem too. And Dad just became more powerful than anyone else, but even the strongest in the whole world still lost to Meruem.
I don't have a Fairy Godparent either, so the way Cartman managed to make him retreat won't work for me. Goku released his hands from their locked position so he could scratch his chin thoughtfully. He did so for a few seconds before just running his hand back through his hair and shaking his head around in confusion. No. I don't really think getting new powers is the move. Not when Meruem is so far above me in power. I need to bridge that gap first before learning anything else. A new transformation? Could be! I wonder if I could become a Super Saiyan God on my own though?
What if there's a different transformation? One that Dad didn't discover but that I figure out on my own. I bet I could do that. In a month though? Not even anymore. How many days are left? Goku cocked his head to the side. It's been like, 5? Or has it been 6- hey it's Kirito! "Hey Kirito!" Goku waved to the black-haired teen walking into the Cafeteria. He waved Kirito over to the line, and Kirito glanced hesitantly behind Goku only to see those behind the Super Saiyan stepping back so as to let him come and cut the line.
He felt awkward about doing so, but Kirito nodded at a couple of people behind Goku then walked right up to him. "Hey," Kirito greeted.
"Have a good morning?" Goku wondered while admiring the bruises and cuts Kirito was sporting. "Looks like you got some great training in!"
Kirito made a noise of agreement from the back of his throat then just looked ahead towards the buffet where Pig God finally finished getting his food which allowed the line to move again. "And you?"
"Eh," Goku responded, and then he frowned at the response he made without thinking first. Kirito glanced back to his side and rose his eyebrows at how thoughtful a look Goku got just from responding like that. "Hmmm," Goku scratched the side of his head again. "I learned a lot at least," Goku corrected his initial response. "But it's lacking something."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure," Goku replied, and Kirito sweatdropped at the response. Goku did not elaborate either though. He just rushed ahead once the line opened up, and he grabbed a tray and started stacking food while his stomach grumbled again to remind him of how hungry he was despite feeling like he had not gone very hard at training that morning. Seeing Kirito's injuries from training told him that Kirito was trying harder than he was, and Goku glanced back at Kirito even as he piled up his food as high as Pig God had before him. "Have you been getting a lot stronger? Or are you training more techniques?"
Is that what he's trying to figure out for himself? Which way to go about it? Kirito wondered as he tried to figure out why Goku was asking. "A bit of both," Kirito responded honestly.
"Mm, mmmmmm," Goku hummed thoughtfully for a second, only to hum again in anticipation of eating the good food he got for himself. Kirito shook his head that he even thought Goku was taking it seriously for a second when Goku hummed like that. Goku grabbed a biscuit and instead of piling it on a pile too high it might fall off, he just shoved it in his mouth before turning from the line he would soon return to. "Mm-eat ah-tog-mm-ether?" Goku questioned while chewing the biscuit.
"Can't. Lexa's waiting for me to discuss the morning training," Kirito responded and motioned his head back towards a table he had already spotted the Resistance Commander at. He had had to stop at the infirmary first where he received some quick first-aid treatment, so Lexa already had her lunch and was sitting with another woman who Kirito did not recognize. Goku said he understood and waved goodbye to Kirito who finished grabbing his own lunch then headed the opposite direction in the Cafeteria to the table Lexa was at, while Goku spotted some other people who looked strong and went over to sit with them.
"…Magnetic Manipulation, Super Strength, X-Ray Vision, Invisibility-"
"Wow! You've got so many powers," Goku admired the superhuman man listing them off to him. "And you were born with all of them?"
Meta Man beamed with pride at the amazed look the legendary hero was giving him. He cast a quick grin to his side at Gazerbeam who shook his head that Meta Man might get an even bigger head. Gazerbeam glanced over towards the closest exit of the Cafeteria and thought to himself, Lucius is going to be annoyed he missed this. He'd want to ask about the kid. I only met Dash the one time… I'll just wait for Frozone to ask himself.
"That costume you're wearing," Goku mentioned while looking up and down at Meta Man's red and yellow suit. The costume was pulled tight to Meta Man's muscular body, and the material itself looked very powerful. "Where did you get it?" Goku wondered. He glanced down at his own orange gi which was ripped in several places.
"There's a costume lab here. I'm surprised no one has approached you already from there. If you want, after your meal we can take you down there and get you a super suit," Meta Man offered.
"That would be great! I need some weighted clothing for training," Goku explained to the pair who stared back at him in surprise and amusement at what he wanted the suit for. "Do you think they could make five ton wristbands? And boots too?"
Gazerbeam dropped his jaw, but Meta Man just started laughing and nodded his head. "I'm sure they would accommodate anything you asked for, Son Goku."
How the Hell are we losing with you guys on our side? Gazerbeam wondered with a sigh, poking at his food and shaking his head at the absurdity of it all.
Kirito walked over to the table the Commander he had been training with sat at. He was surprised for a moment to see a smile on Lexa's face while she was talking to her friend, but when she saw him approaching her lips fell flat again and a more stern look covered her expression. Kirito nodded greeting at them and then sat across the table from the pair of women. "Kirito, this is Lara Croft. She's my sworn sister and a good fighter."
"Nice to meet you," Kirito started greeting the woman with longer black hair tied into one long ponytail, but Lexa cut him off right away.
"I wanted to discuss your morning training, but you took too long at the infirmary. I've been called away as I have other duties as a Resistance Commander. I will check back in on your training at some time later and you will be ready to spar again." Lexa stood up from her seat and walked away without another word.
Kirito opened his mouth but closed it rather than arguing. How did I take too long? I had them set my nose right and spread some healing gel over my wounds then immediately headed down here. He grumbled under his breath for a moment then just started eating his lunch.
Lara waited until she saw Lexa put her tray in the window for the dish-washers then head out the door before she risked speaking up. "So Lexa's putting you through the wringer, huh?" She asked. Kirito nodded his head while in mid-chew, wishing she had asked him before or after he had finished this bite. Lara chuckled as he was unable to respond at the moment. "Sorry. She can be a hardass though. Back in school she took every training seriously. Some training sessions it felt like I was fighting for my life against her."
"'School?'" Kirito asked after finally swallowing. He rose his eyebrows at her, "Were you, from the same world?"
"No no, the Hero School," Lara specified. "We entered together- or, around the same time. The same semester. Neither of us with any powers at all."
Hero School, huh? Kirito hummed and just took another bite of his food, but Lara continued on with a longer explanation anyway even if he would not prompt her to.
"It's a school not too far from HQ. Relatively speaking, of course. It's still a couple hundred miles away to the northeast." Lara hesitated as Kirito just nodded along once in a while as he continued on with his lunch. "I wanted to thank you, by the way," Lara continued in a lower tone. Kirito paused with his eating and swallowed down quickly this time. He gave her a curious look and Lara added in that softer tone, "For killing Ra's al Ghul."
Kirito just stared at Lara for another couple of seconds then glanced down at his food. He felt sharp stinging pains on his back from getting his wings plucked off. He winced, and it made Lara more grateful for him to see that it had cost him something yet he did it anyway. "When Lexa and I trained together at the Hero School, we weren't the only ones who didn't have powers at the start." Kirito lifted his gaze back up and Lara continued to him in a lighter tone now, "Lexa pushed me, and I pushed her back. We agreed to train hard and become stronger to prevent any more tragedies like we had seen on this world."
"Lexa graduated the top of our class, of course," Lara said with a chuckle. "And as much as I tried staying right there at her side, someone else got past me. One other person in the class who graduated that semester with us who beat me in everything, and came close to Lexa in everything too. She beat him on some of it, lost in a few other fields. Our rivalry faded into the background as Lexa shot ahead to compete with him instead."
Kirito nodded interestedly in the story Lara was telling. "Lexa hated Jon at first. Especially when he would beat her," Lara said and laughed at the furious looks Lexa would get in her rare defeats. "But," Lara continued and her voice got softer again, almost nostalgically so. "They got close. Really close," Lara repeated for emphasis to Kirito who understood what Lara meant by that on the repetition.
Kirito felt confused now about why Lara was bringing all of this up. It all sounded a bit too personal to be talking about with someone she just met. What do school rivalries and romances have to do with-
"Lexa is the newest Resistance Commander," Lara continued to the confused teenage boy in front of her. "But she was made into one at the same time as our classmate who graduated top of the class with her. Who fought by our sides in the Third War of the Gods as a top General, just like she did. On a class trip to the Magic Kingdom, he even got a powerful grimoire with a rare 4-leaf clover on it. Jon was stationed in the far north because of his tactics, battle smarts, and rising popularity in order to raise morale up there."
"And then Ra's al Ghul snuck into Pon-Gatso, and he assassinated Commander Jon Snow and the other leaders at that Resistance City."
Kirito's huge eyes shook at the end of Lara's story. Jon Snow. He realized he had heard Jon's name before. He had heard about that assassination too from Sokka.
"So I just wanted to thank you, you know?" Lara continued after seeing that Kirito understood now. "I was not as close to Jon as Lexa was, but we were friends. Thanks for avenging him."
Is that why Lexa is even training me at all? Kirito wondered to himself.
"The six month semester I did at the Hero School really made me strong. Not just 'strong' like I thought I was on my world," Lara went on. "But it made Lexa a beast. She was already a warrior and known as a Commander in her own world. Haha, Jon said that he was too, which was a funny coincidence at first and then plain-out weird when both became Commanders here as well. They got made into Generals practically right out of graduation, then Commanders after the Third War of the Gods."
More about the Wars of the Gods again. It's not surprising people here are so strong. Even ones who had no powers before arriving here like myself. If you wanted to take part in these huge wars, and actually make an impact, you would have to find a way to gain some real strength. "You're welcome," Kirito said after noticing Lara waiting on him to give a response already. "And if you're suggesting I take a stint at that school-"
"Ha! No, no I know you can't do that," Lara stood up from her seat and picked up her tray that she was done with now. She cast him a grin and finished, "We all know you guys are only here until the end of the month. Before you get on your way again."
As Lara walked off, Kirito shook his head around and got back to his food. How does she know about that? She said it like everyone knows. I guess, we really did shake things up around here when we arrived. Not all of us are just sitting around training this month either though. Gray's invading- who cares?! Why did I think of him? Kirito's mood soured in an instant. I haven't heard much about his invasion though. I know he's not at HQ any longer, but have they already made their move against the Emperor?
Was it really smart for them to send Gray? Maybe, I should have said something. About how he'd fallen to a Sith mind trick before. I don't actually think he did, but if his mind is weak enough that Darth Bane nearly got him to kill me! Kirito stabbed his fork down through his food and scraped the bottom of his tray. He bit down hard and clenched his eyes shut in anger. I doubt he was the right person to send on that mission. Not that anyone knows that!
I might not care about him, but I do care about victory for the Resistance. Gray's fought the Sith before. He's strong. I'm overthinking it. If I'm honest with myself, he'll probably win. At least I hope he does. Even if I'd rather he not make it- Kirito's eyes shook as he stared down at his food, and a guilty look spread over his face as he imagined Juvia's. I don't actually wish that for you. For him. I just… I hate-
We're here to fight for the Resistance because you asked us to. To travel to the other side of the world. I followed Goku, but he came because you asked. So I came because you asked. Across the world. To go to war. For you! Kirito clenched his eyes shut hard. How could I forgive that betrayal? As I tried to save the woman you love. Fuck. Why am I thinking about this? Kirito shook his head around fast and then quickly shoved more food in his mouth. I need to get back to training.
Late in the night Lexa finally finished her duties and returned to the training room she and Kirito used daily. She was satisfied to see him still in there even though it was later than they usually finished, as she did tell him to be ready to spar again "later" and that had no deadline. The two started their spar right away though, as both needed to get sleep or their early morning training the next day would be an even rougher one than usual.
"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu…" Lexa's voice faded away into the mist that shrouded her and spread to fill the room that they were fighting in.
Kirito crossed his hands in front of him. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." He sent out a half dozen clones into the mist. Each clone threw kunai around them and searched for the Commander who executed one of them silently. Kirito saw in his mind's eye where that Shadow Clone had been, but he also froze up as Lexa has slashed through its neck. Did she know it was a clone? She must have, right?
All five of his clones and his main body rushed towards where the one version had disappeared. Two pulled out shuriken and threw them into the mist. If she's going to risk death- no, that's not what I'm doing. She wouldn't get hurt by shuriken. Or kunai. Do I just trust that she wouldn't? Was she annoyed that one of my knives came close, so she stepped it up?
"Where is your mind right now?"
The real version of Kirito spun around and whipped the kunai he was about to throw behind him instead in a backhand slash. He stomped down hard with his right leg while missing the slash and then getting that knife knocked out of his hand by Lexa who parried it so hard he could not hold on. The knife broke apart when her Haki-imbued sword slash collided with the kunai, but Kirito released the knife so the jolt would not hurt his hand badly.
When he slammed his right foot down on the ground he was attacking with his Crack Crack Fruit. The training floor split below them into a ravine that Lexa ignored while kicking out into Kirito as he focused on a counterattack rather than a defense. His Borg appeared again though, and Lexa ground her teeth and just put more force into her kick. She launched Kirito off her leg while still inside of his protective magical yellow bubble, and he flipped twice in the air then came out of it and backpedaled deeper into the mist.
The mist is full of her chakra. It can sense me. But Akuma trained me for this, Kirito thought, and he instantly masked his energy while at the same time jumping up high in the air.
The fog was thinner higher in the air of the training room. The mist seemed to be clearing already too, like Lexa was not filling it with her chakra any longer anyway. Kirito landed on the wall and stood perpendicular to it with his legs outstretched. He darted his eyes around inside of the mist, and his gaze shifted towards one corner of the room for a second and spotted the silhouette of a meditating Shadow Clone still sitting over there with his eyes closed. I can't sense the nature chakra in here. This room is isolated. Is there any coming from the crack?
Kirito continued to scan around the room, but he got confused as the Shadow Clones he had searching the mist became able to see each other. The mist cleared more and more, until the entire training room floor was visible. Even the one meditating in the corner opened his eyes and got confused that their training partner had completely vanished.
Kirito dropped down from the wall. He dispelled most of his clones while at the same time returning a small white aura to himself that prevented him from hiding his energy any longer. Kirito slowed down before hitting the floor as he used his ki to fly for a moment. Is she invisible? I can't sense her either! Is it just the Power Blocker? I thought with Akuma's training I might be better, but she knows Zetsu. Focus on Observational for now.
He took careful steps forward and darted his eyes all around the room. Then he froze. His head snapped to his right, and his eyes darted to the crack on the floor that was so thin he never even considered it to be a hiding place. Lexa was not attacking him from it as she emerged. So he did not attack her either as she revealed herself. It was clear that she meant to pause for a moment or she would never give him a clear shot like this.
"Kami-e Slime," Lexa said while slithering out of the ground. Her body looked flat as she emerged and waved around in such a way that to Kirito it looked like her bones had become malleable. "Or Paper Art, as some call it," Lexa said while stepping closer to him. "Try to hit me," she ordered him.
Kirito shot towards her in a ninja leap. He was not going to ignore the order, and he wondered if she had meant for him to attack while she rose anyway and he had actually prevented her from using some sort of counter to his move. Whatever that counter was, he was going to charge straight into it. This was training, after all. And he wanted to see what this strange move was.
Right before reaching her, Kirito threw two kunai and then made a hand sign. Lexa recognized it though not as one to increase the amount of kunai flying at her. "Earth Style: Mud Mirror!" He slammed his hands down on the ground. The floor between him and Lexa turned a bit darker in shade, and a thin wall of dirt shot up from the crack Lexa had emerged from a second ago. The kunai hit the Mud Mirror and absorbed into it, and two sharpened brown knives pushed out of the mirror on the opposite sides of the tall rectangle with angles in them pointed at Lexa's back.
Kirito clapped his hands in front of him. Crack!
He reached his left hand up for his sword. The mud kunai flying at Lexa's back looked close to hitting her. He did not flinch though or hesitate in thinking that he was actually going to hit her. Kirito had heard the confidence in her tone when she told him to "try" to hit her. It's like she thinks there's nothing I can do.
His suspicions were tough to argue with. The mud knives passed by Lexa while her body swerved even more to bend backwards and dodge below the visible crack in the air that vibrated everything around it. The vibrations looked like little shockwaves around the thin line of white that Kirito had Cracked out from his clap. He pulled his sword and stepped closer to Lexa, who leaned her body towards him in a snaking motion while slashing her own sword-
Lexa spun her body one-eighty degrees and slashed behind her. The Mud Clone diving out of the wall behind her was cut in half. Her body stopped looking so wavy and paper-thin at that moment though, as she had to cut that off when she sensed the attack coming. The real Kirito in front of her had not stopped approaching though. As Lexa dropped on her back after doing the midair spin slash through the Mud Clone, she saw Kirito over the top of her hair approaching rapidly and slashing down at her.
She was still finishing the other slash, and she drew quickly her second blade to parry his. Her back hit the floor and Kirito pushed down hard on his blade. Both of their weapons turned pitch black. He slashed his thinner blue sword at Lexa when he did not get the upper hand on their collision. It was a weapon that she had taunted and told him was worthless. She told him that he should get a new one, but Kirito knew the strength of the blade. He told her how powerful it was, and she had asked how it got so badly damaged then. After he explained that Ra's was the one to do it, Lexa had not questioned the decision since.
The Commander even felt a moment partially of acceptance that he was right about it and that it was not just a sentimental object to him. She felt that way because he used the fact that the blade was thinner to swing it more quickly in a moment when power alone proved not enough, and Lexa's other blade might not be able to pull back quick enough to parry this weapon too.
Her legs kicked up, and her upper body slid away on the floor so Kirito's blue blade slashed into the white floor where Lexa's head had just been. He darted his eyes above their parried blades and to the pair of feet that curved over them and kicked him in the face. Kirito flew off the ground and thirty feet backwards, stunned Lexa had managed to get that much force into the blows despite being in such a bad position right before it.
He was rolling backwards and snapped his head up to see where Lexa was approaching from, only to see a flying sword coming towards his face. His eyes bulged, as he did not have the speed to dodge. Lexa did not aim for the middle of his head this time though. The blade passed by the right side of his face. Black strands of hair fell and some blood splashed off the cut. The sword hit the ground behind the boy who dropped onto his butt panting exhaustedly and with his heart racing in fear too.
He opened his mouth, but he slammed it shut right away. Do I want training to be safer? This is better. It will make me stronger! Even with Akuma we didn't fight like this though. We seriously risk killing each other in here! Kirito bowed his head and kept panting, acknowledging that he just lost since Lexa could have put that blade through his skull had she so chose.
"What was, that move?" Kirito lifted his head back up and wondered towards the woman who re-sheathed her blades then started walking his way.
"It's just a fighting technique. No special power involved," Lexa replied. "Something I learned during a small stint with the Sun Marines, before they joined the Cooperative," Lexa said in a darker tone.
Kirito nodded his head as she added that on at the end. "Sun Marines," he repeated in a low voice. "I've heard they're taking over most of the Fire Nation's old territory-"
"Perhaps. But that is not important right now. Focus on what just happened. You could have been faster on that last slash. If you had brought down that second blade even a half second quicker, you could have done the same thing I just did. Slashed past my head and forced me to concede." Lexa glared at him then motioned her head towards the corner of the room. "Had you not been siphoning some of your power, as always, to that clone in the corner."
Kirito grimaced. Is she right about that? I may have had a bit more speed, but would it really have been enough to prevent her from getting out? He did not question her aloud, as that would likely get him kicked in the face. He actually realized he was in too risky a position to be sitting in front of her legs like this, so he stood back up and sheathed his own weapons he was glad to hold onto this time. Lexa had beaten him much worse the last time he let his swords fly out of his hands in a fight after she hit him, scolding him during the beatdown that it would "mean death on the battlefield."
"What is it you are doing there?" Lexa asked. She had been waiting on him to just explain it to her, and she was frustrated to have to ask when it seemed so stupid if it was going to cost him in a fight.
Kirito took in a deep breath and then tried to explain Sage Mode to Lexa. She asked him how long he had been attempting it, and Kirito hesitated on his response which angered Lexa so visibly that Kirito responded quickly to keep her from getting any more mad. Lexa just bit down though at his response. "All this time and you still can't get it? So stop trying already!"
"I won't-"
"You're wasting your time on that technique when your sword skills are not perfected. In a normal sword fight, I would beat you. No Haki. No abilities. Just swords." Lexa declared this in such a confident way that it actually annoyed Kirito. He started to frown, and Lexa stated before even waiting for that, "So that is what we will do next. To show you how your time is being wasted."
Lexa drew her swords again and motioned for Kirito to do the same. In a sword fight, I will beat you every time Lexa. He took in a deep breath but then reached up and grabbed his sword hilts. She shot towards him and slashed both blades before he had even drawn. Kirito drew faster and managed to parry both-
Bam! Lexa slammed her forehead into Kirito's and knocked him back onto his butt. She even put Haki into it before connecting.
He snapped his head up with his squinted eyes shooting open in surprise. Blood trickled down his forehead and he had to squint his eyes again as blood got in them. "I thought you said-"
"Why did you believe me?" She snapped angrily. "Why weren't you ready for it, even though I just said swords only?" Kirito froze and Lexa stomped towards him with a furious look over her face. "You let down your guard because you didn't expect it. You never expect it, do you? When the enemy gets a drop on you? You believe in your sword skills. Did they save you?"
Kirito reached a hand up and wiped some blood from his eyes. He grit his teeth while lowering his gaze down into his lap. I did not expect Gray to try and stab me in the back. I let my guard down then too. I didn't expect the Underworld to be my real enemies. I almost get killed by attacks I should have sensed coming so often. Kirito rose his gaze back up in understanding, and Lexa's angered one disappeared upon seeing that look in his eyes.
"The enemies have no rules," Lexa continued in a low tone. She sheathed her weapons then reached a hand down for him. Kirito did the same and reached up, and she hoisted him to his feet in one rough tug. Lexa stared into his eyes, slightly upwards as he was taller than her and they were standing close to one another, and she continued, "The Ant King is ten steps ahead and unpredictable. Everyone thought he was coming for the Resistance, and he goes out and conquers the Saiyans."
"Everyone knew Bardock was stronger than him, but he went and proved everyone wrong by killing the Saiyan King. You understand what I'm saying?" Lexa let go of Kirito's arm she lifted him by and put her hand in an open palm in front of his chest. He nodded back at her in understanding, then she gave him a light push on his chest back towards the exit of the room. "Good. Then get yourself cleaned up. Back here first thing in the morning. I'll go into the other techniques of the Rokushiki that I learned with the Sun Marines. Your aptitude for Haki will hopefully make them easy to pick up."
Not easy for most people. I've never seen someone advance as quickly as you though, Lexa added to herself while Kirito nodded again at her in respect before turning away. Had you been in the same class as Jon and I, I wonder if we still would have emerged the top students.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- AHHHHHHH!" Goku screamed at the top of his lungs. In his head, he tried to keep his thoughts steadier. Ten seconds already! Need it faster! Goku roared out in pain but forced the transformation quicker, and his hair elongated while his muscles changed shape. His entire form looked different but he finished screaming and just pulsed with the golden energy that filled the strongest training room in Resistance Headquarters.
Not fast enough.
Goku fired a hundred spheres of energy around him. I need to be stronger. More durable!
"Haaa!" Goku curled his hands into fists, and all of the energy attacks flew in at him.
The building around him shook as the Super Saiyan 3 tanked all of his own powerful blows. He flew out of the smoke in a flurry of punches and kicks, imagining the Ant King in front of him countering every single one. He would make counters to the Ant's counters, but he would get countered immediately afterwards again and again. He could never get ahead, as if unable to trick even himself into believing that this mental version of the Ant could lose to him.
Goku slammed a fist into his own face and flew across the room, denting deeply into the wall but then bouncing off it like a trampoline. He was grateful for the amazing training facilities he had been granted, but he still ground his teeth in frustration as the gravity multiplier of the room had a limit and he was already at that limit. The weighted clothes he had asked for did not add enough to put the strain on his SSJ3 form.
It's not enough. Meruem, is so much more skilled than Luthor. Goku spat to his right and a glob of bloody spit flew from his mouth. He started another combo that he was certain would work against Luthor. That was who he had come up with this combination in preparation for a fight against in the first place. Luthor isn't Meruem. Of my last two defeats, Meruem's was crushing. Not even close.
And Luthor, Goku imagined ChiChi dying in his arms. His eyes clenched shut. I never got justice for- Goku shook his head around quickly. Someday. That will come. Meruem matters more right now. He killed Dad too. Thinking of his father made Goku less emotionally enraged as thinking of his wife did. Bardock died in battle. A real Saiyan warrior. So much stronger than me. I could train nonstop for a month and I'd never come close to Meruem's strength.
Even with my tail, the Super Saiyan 3 looked down at his tail that had golden fur waving around his side. It makes me stronger. Makes it easier to get into this form. Goku let out a deep breath and dropped out of his highest current form of transformation. It's not enough though. I need a different way. A new method.
I have a month to figure out what that is. That's not enough time! Dang, if only the Lookout was here too. Kami and Mr. Popo. And especially the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Goku sighed nostalgically and thought back on the year he spent in there with his son. I wonder how Gohan's doing? His training with Vegeta is definitely no walk in the park either, but training with them wouldn't get me strong enough either!
Time. Time is what I need. Or, maybe that's just what I needed back on our world. The Hyperbolic Time Chamber was the best way to train back home. It gave us time when time was short. What if there's some other way on Nexus though? Goku's returned yellow eyebrows rose up and then turned black, as he had only dropped out of his SSJ3 form at first but had not left a Super Saiyan form yet. He took in a few deep breaths then scratched his chin while floating in the air of his training floor.
"Tien thought he could do it," Goku reasoned with himself aloud. What kind of training did Tien do? Kakashi said he trained in everything. Having a lot of techniques would be good, but I feel like I wouldn't have time to master any of them. And it's not like it saved him either. It wasn't enough to stop Meruem. Just like brute strength and fighting skill wasn't enough for my father.
Goku ran his hands up through his black hair and messed it around a bit. The spikes returned to their natural form of course, but he did this out of frustration rather than to change the style. He lowered his hands from his head and stated firmly, "I need to become a Super Saiyan God."
Dad and Raditz got a "crash course" from the Gods. Those Originals who Sora talked to, they also got to talk to. They want to tell me some stuff too. Maybe about how to get stronger? Goku wondered. Training with Gods always made me lots stronger!
Goku sweatdropped. Bardock never showed me how though, he thought. Goku pursed his lips thoughtfully. I wonder if Dad went to Heaven? If I get brought back up there for the course on God-hood, maybe I'll see him? I don't know. But, without Dad… I guess I'll have to figure it out on my own.
"But to do that," Goku reasoned while looking around the empty room he was in. He imagined farther than the floor and ceiling too. "This base, isn't going to be where I figure it out." Goku rolled out his shoulders and cracked his neck to either side. I guess it's time to go.
A/N Thanks for reading! A chapter all about training and getting stronger. It was the reason for the month break after all, even if everyone else seems to have forgotten about that! :P But some of them are taking it seriously. The chapter mainly follows Kirito and Goku as they put all their efforts into getting stronger. We learn more about Tien's death this chapter too. I hope you guys enjoyed his fights with everyone! Anyway, not much to say about this one. So 'til next time!