The Imperial Open Top 8 Round - Taori VS Lottus

Taori's blow struck true, just as he'd been hoping, and Lottus' arm was shredded and burned without mercy in the explosion before he was sent flying back, sprawled out onto the floor. Both of Lottus' arms were now broken, unusable. He was entirely at Taori's mercy, and Taori was still reeling from the effects of rage that Lottus had imbued within him. He towered over the helpless Saiyan before him, his icy blue eyes glaring down with the look of death. But then, they glanced up for a moment, and Taori saw something more important to him than even beating Lottus.

Alpinia. She watched with bated breath, eager to see how the battle would conclude, and when Taori's eyes met hers, she smiled at him and gave him two thumbs up. At the sight of his wife, Taori's wrathful, cold heart grew warmed, and he more or less had begun to calm down as his eyes returned to the battered and broken Lottus.

"You did do that," Taori replied to Lottus, "But I suppose I'm feeling merciful today." Taori then exhaled deeply, and his blond hair returned to its black sheen, and his blue eyes darkened again as well. He found that leaving the Super Saiyan form wasn't too dissimilar to exiting the Wrathful form, though he'd have to practice more with the form later.

As for Lottus, Taori glanced down at his beaten opponent and shook his head. "I think you're wrong, by the way," he added. "About what you said earlier. Hatred isn't what fuels Super Saiyan. Not for me, anyway. I never felt hatred for you in that moment. All I felt was a burning desire to protect what I cared about. You just happened to be threatening that, at the moment." Now, though? Lottus was hardly a threat. "I've beaten you, Lottus. In both matters of our strength and our ideals. That's all the confirmation I need. I'm satisfied."

If Lottus met Taori's eyes, he wouldn't see any sort of gloating pride or beaming satisfaction in them - rather, all he'd see was that Taori clearly pitied him. Lottus had lost everything, whereas Taori still had everything left to lose - that was what really set them apart, in Taori's mind. And, seeing as Lottus was likely being forcibly dragged back to Hell upon his loss... Taori didn't feel right condemning him back down there so soon, while he himself would have plenty more time to enjoy in the living world. "Enjoy the rest of the tournament, Lottus, and make sure to give 'em a good show" he said, "I think I'll just take the time to spend with the person I care the most about, instead." And with that, Taori walked past Lottus, still on his knees, approached the edge of the arena in front of Alpinia, and then... Hopped off and touched the ground. He had officially been rung-out.

"Think we should head home or stick around to watch the rest?" he asked her as the crowd watched in stunned silence that he had disqualified himself while mere inches away from victory. Alpinia looked stunned as well, though she eventually answered.

"Uh, um, I guess we can stick around to watch?" she replied. "You know, they were offering pretty good prize money for winning this thing." Taori looked as though that hadn't occurred to him, and pursed his lips slightly, but it was too late, now. He just shrugged. 

"Whoops?"