Champion of the Saiyans

Lottus got a good look at the orbs created, making a rather stern point, one Zuqetta had trouble grasping. Her magic was separate from her; it was something external, not her true power. It seemed so simple, yet at the same time so confusing. She wanted to ask what exactly that implied, but even Lottus seemed unsure of what he was saying. He dug in hard to what he understood, and for him, energy was at his core. The two reached the same conclusion, perhaps a practical lesson was better suited than a verbal one.

Zuqetta would dispel the countless orbs she'd formed, dropping to the ground properly to begin the lesson.

His statements prior made sense, that was how Zuqetta felt as she pressed her tiny hands firmly against Lottus' own. Jagaimo wasn't too much bigger than she was, but she hardly ever got hurt and was able to fight the biggest of foes. The one time Zuqetta had seen her hurt was when Zuqetta herself had hurt her! Even then, Jagaimo wanted to just walk it off like it was nothing, though was far more battered and beaten than she'd ever been.

"So first, without magic or energy or nothin'!"

As expected, there was nothing against Lottus; he might have only even barely felt her trying to push against him. Disengaging her Mana Veil, her energy would first flow freely; thanks to her personal training however, what would come next would be more than a simple suppression of her energy. It was as though she would change entirely, a trick she learned practicing with the suppression bands. Her energy if read by a scouter dropped to a mere four, her abilities now limited by purely her physical strength. It likely wasn't what Lottus had intended when he gave his instruction, but it was how Zuqetta had interpreted it.

Zuqetta's naivety was no on full display, her overly trusting nature placing her in a dangerous position. Given their size differences, Lottus would likely have had to kneel down as Zuqetta attempted to push against him. There was little to no pressure exhibited against the giant Saiyan, Zuqetta's strength so low that her own feet slid against the ground, she herself being pushed back as she struggled. Had Lottus had the desire, he could have simply clenched his fists over hers, crushing every bone in her hands. She lacked a clear self awareness towards the danger she was placing herself in; but her energy being lowered not by a special band, but but her own ability, at least meant she'd be more capable of reacting.

"Don't know... what this is suppose ta accomplish!" she'd say, her face red as she pushed with all her might; after a few moments however, she'd give up the struggle and stop, taking a long breath to rest, "Phew... obviously I'm not gonna be able ta push ya back if you're usin' all your strength." she'd remark, her tail shifting along the ground behind her lazily.

Next was the second request he'd made however, one that seemed a bit more confusing to Zuqetta surprisingly.

"Okay, now with magic!"

Magic, just purely magic...

Zuqetta's body began to glow, her energy levels unchanged; the white sparkles of her mana many had become familiar with enveloped her. Her skin seemed to glow, as if she was transforming, giving a faint bright hue that shimmered and twinkled. Her eyes were shut as she focused on the task; the glow around her body became more and more apparent and yet... nothing?

There was no further strength, it was all just grandiose display it seemed; and yet Zuqetta's expression told a different story. If one was capable of sensing magic, they'd have felt an incredible power coming from her. Her core would be as a beacon that called out to magical entities far and wide, the swell of power as great as any magical monstrosity that wandered the realms between.

All of this however, might have been entirely lost on Lottus.

It was magic, not energy, its existence near invisible in most cases to those not attuned to the flow of mana. Further, there was no increase in Zuqetta's strength against Lottus, but that didn't mean there was no change. Her position was planted firmly; while her struggle against his might was all the same, no longer did her feet slide and drag into the ground. Her arms neither shook nor buckled, and she seemed to lack in any exhaustion unlike before. She was cemented firmly, as if steeled and immovable; should Lottus have tried to press with further strength, he would find himself equally matched no matter how he raised nor lowered his power.

Zuqetta herself felt as though she was channeling a great deal of power into the effort, yet her expression was one of confusion.

She thought of Lottus' instruction, but it was easier said than done. Perhaps he was right, perhaps her magic WAS an entirely external factor. She used it to amplify, used it to conjure and materialize. As far as she could recall, there was never a time that her magic was strictly internalized.

This however, was only what she perceived...

For the briefest of moments, as Zuqetta pushed with seemingly more and more strength, Lottus would be able to see it beneath the glow that shimmered across her skin. A change in her form, the steady growing of her muscles, the increase in her height. He'd seen it before, but never this slowly; long ago during their first fight, a change in her appearance that displayed the kind of strength and bravado to pain tolerance that Zuqetta claimed to be seeking. Now however, the change was slow, as if she was resisting it while trying to accomplish her task; then, she would stop.

"FWUAAHHH!!" she'd exclaim in an exasperated manner, having been holding her breath the entire time, "Okay, phew... yeah, you're not goin' no where." she'd laugh, releasing his grip for a moment while she caught her breath. Her body would return to how it was, shrinking back down to her usual form. After catching her breath, she'd look back to Lottus, releasing one final breath before lifting her hands once more, "Last one! Hehe, you'd better plant your feet for this one!"

She was confident as she spoke, her previously suppressed energy returning in an instant. The magical light faded from her form, while energy then began to surge around her. She'd step in place, bouncing from one foot to the other before drawing her arms back. Her preparations made, Zuqetta would rush forward and slam her hands against Lottus' own at full force. Sensing his own power, she did well to match him at first; but she would steadily begin to increase her power, matching any increase made by Lottus.

This final task seemed the most easy of them all, it wasn't like she didn't know how to throw a punch after all!

Be it swinging her sword, engaging in unarmed combat, or anything similar, she knew how to control her energy. She felt it silly that Lottus thought to even give such an instruction, it hardly seemed necessary.

Though the truth for her was far from how things seemed.

Zuqetta's control was natural, it didn't require thinking; most fighters of their race would be the same. In that regard however, it also meant that while she was matching Lottus' might, she wasn't necessarily paying attention to her energy output. Lottus however, should he have been paying attention to the fluctuation in her energy, would be able to sense this immediately. Indeed, while her strength against Lottus was increasing, matching his own, the energy she was channeling was dropping by the second. It was as though her Ki was merely a spark for something else, something invisible that was substituting for her internal power; her mana.

"Heheh, I think Jaggy's gonna need ta give you some pointers before you can instruct anyone!" Zuqetta would laugh, putting more power into her attempts to push Lottus back, "You thought I wouldn't get how ta channel my energy inta my strength? Whaddya take me for! This is easy!"

A surge of energy would erupt and swirl around her as she boasted in her bravado. To her, it seemed as though her ki control was perfect, she was well on the same level as Lottus. Yet to any sensing her energy output, it was at its minimum, hardly a hum through her body. Unbeknownst to her, her magic instead was her source of power that pushed back now against her cousin.