Livelihood Invasion! Come Brawl, Tuffle [Cheri]

Nasu kindly waited for some more. Honestly he was getting sick of just sitting but at the same time he believed all he could do was basically follow the signatures in the world and see where it’d lead them. Honestly he could have used some exploration. This, too, was one way to do it. Of course he was in enemy territory but he didn’t seem to be way too concerned about that.

It was about this time a voice came. It sounded like a woman all right and so his eyes followed the source; a woman approached. He had even grown relaxed enough not to worry about the large ki signature heading his way, he believed it could have either been a whole pack going after him but instead they sent a mere person.

Of course, she had the power to back it up.

A power of about Grade 4 Mark 2 divided by Grade 2. Cool, cool. Way stronger than even that Saiyan he met not too long ago. Stronger than any he met for now, anyways. It was curious, were Tuffles this good?

“I am looking, yes.”

Nasu confirmed. His arms slowly began to take rest upon his chest, folding over and upon one another before he just began to listen — was she mocking him? Neat, these Tuffles had a silver tongue. But he didn’t quite seem to take offense to it, and soon instead he looked at her hair: pink. Not even the aliens on his homeworld had such a color.

“Does yours walk?”

He asked with a serious and calm tone of voice. Albeit he could be difficult to read with jokes, this one had to be a punchline to get back at her. Or just a punch, no line at all. Surely enough he stood up, and brought his large arms above himself, pulling and pulling higher in the air before he exhaled.

It was either talk or fight when he decided to try this out. So he was ready for the consequences.

“Disappointed? I can tell you’re stronger than me. But you guys have those devices, don’t you? You had to be aware of my power before you even came here. I am sure those guys didn’t peer on me for interest alone.”

The man retorted shortly after before he brought the fruit he held before his shoulders and threw it close to the base of the dead trunk he had been sitting upon, just so slowly approaching the stranger.

Sweet. She called him an animal, yet his expression didn’t flinch. For personal reasons, perhaps he didn’t even deny that Saiyans were animals.

“I guess I am an animal. Have you ever heard about animal abuse?”

He wasn't sure if he had to take that one as an offense or not, in forty years, he did hear worse before. But even mroe interesting was how she could tell he wasn't exactly a young Saiyan; did she know what Saiyans were like that much? Not even Nasu, as a Saiyan, could tell the difference about others of his kind.

“Around your age?”

He murmured softly to himself, yet still quite audible for her to hear possibly. He blinked quietly and just allowed his eyes to stare at her. Was she old? He couldn’t tell honestly, he did know his age but as a matter of fact he had no idea how Tuffles worked. If anything this was a good chance to find out.

“Do I have wrinkles?”

Quite easy to take as a comeback, but his lack of real happiness or smug made it a little difficult to pierce down whether the man was serious or tearing down the entire reality and life of this Tuffle with an insult.

For once he smiled briefly and brought his hands down from his chest, she was coming to compromises now? Even an offer to back down? How odd. He was sure a Saiyan wouldn’t have let an intruder go away like that so easily.

“Would you really let me get away? I have a doubt or two.”

He brought one foot back and prepared himself to take her on.

“You and I both know I’m not turning around. This is what I want. And I know this is what you want, isn’t it? I may not have been born and raised here, but I can feel it. Let’s brawl.”

She was actually counting down.

He couldn’t believe it, but admittedly the very hearing of said numbers being spoken to his ears kind of made him feel interested in an outright battle. It did put pressure and tension on him; something he hadn’t felt in a couple of years, to be honest. But he did not falter yet again, standing there and firm. Unmoved in both stance and expression, until he blinked when she began to mock the countdown itself.

How amusing.

She even spouted answers to questions, but the issue was that he didn’t recall one bit in which order he asked them; but at the very least she didn’t seem prone to launch an attack yet, so, it looked like things weren’t going that way, almost yet.

“Right… I will act like you sighed, then.”

Even if unfaltered, he was confused no less. If anything he didn’t seem to hide as much. She was however very clear that she knew Saiyans; yet it didn’t allow him to understand much, at this point in time, as he simply frowned and nodded. He thought this was quite a noble individual; if anything he was acquiring precious knowledge in these very few lines. Were all Tuffles like this?

It’s true he didn’t even get a word from the rest. But perhaps it’s exactly because they were worried about the others’ and their own survival. A Saiyan meant bad news. That much he realized immediately if they sent such a big shot at him.

The tone of this invite of hers was interesting, to say the least. She came upon him with the tone of a prankster almost, somebody who was mocking him even. But even earlier during such an exchange, he could feel she wasn’t exactly that kind of person: in her short bursts of intelligent speech, the man could tell she was so much more than just that one first impression. His mind did wander briefly in the realm of his thoughts: what could have earned such an interaction?

For this way to force an interaction was almost foolish, he sure knew this. But he believed it wasn’t quite enough to back it up; therefore he could only bring it back to what he noticed earlier. The spite this race had for the Saiyans almost made him feel guilty too.

He didn’t know, honestly.

But from his very first interaction with a Vegetean Saiyan, he did understand there were actual packs of his kinsmen that actively hunted or looked for Tuffles. For reasons whatsoever he couldn’t quite understand. But he eyed her and saw a being that either saw that he wasn’t worth the fight or genuinely wasn’t interested in violence.

“As you desire.”

He replied, frankly. He didn’t care for the location of battle itself, but he could respect not wanting to involve others. As a Knight, he had to do this very often albeit in a subtle way; redirect the conflict elsewhere by leading the outlaws in open areas.

And she began to walk across the grass, and into a breach a treeline offered. If Tuffles were truly to be threatened with, he probably would have had either not to trust her or be extra careful. Yet as Nasu did follow, he did so besides her, with his arms folded over his chest. Not one eye unmoved from either what was ahead or her.

Was he paying attention to noise, the movement of the air? Perhaps, it wasn’t something one could tell, as an outsider. But he didn’t seem like he felt threatened. But did he trust her? Maybe he did, but this way his way of doing things: to face whatever would have been ahead, with his mighty swo— oh, right. His weapon had been destroyed. However, this was still true. Even if this was a trap, he would have faced it. Life was a crusade.

But he didn’t think this was a trap. The very snark she threw at him; she just wanted to see his reaction, didn’t she? By now he believed he had realized at least this much, if anything, he could tell other Saiyans would have reacted differently than he did. But Nasu was no special kind of Saiyan, he simply was raised disciplined for one day his very tutors knew, the second born would have had to take their grandfather’s place as the leader of other individuals that served as his system’s enforcement of justice.

“You are way smarter than me, no doubt. And if you were serious about arrest, I still say I am not afraid of being thrown into a prison. If that is my destiny I will accept it.”

Of course he didn’t mention he would have actively tried to escape either way. For he was sure he could have accomplished that; even something as silly as this, interested him. The very struggle and challenge gave him life, for it was the only factor he could any longer count upon as he no longer had a duty as a Knight, with his homeworld forsaking his blood-tainted kin.

“You are also way smaller.”

He looked down at her, as he was nearly seven feet in height. But he didn’t seem to hold it to her as an insult but as a question. But he could see a pattern: colorful people with very short heights, when it came to their bodies at least. When it came to her speech, she looked like she had either a way with words or was much better at memorizing. Either way, that required brain power that Saiyans probably lacked. Albeit he wouldn’t define his kind as stupid, only certain individuals could be defined as such.

“I only caught a brief glimpse of others but I suppose that’s how all Tuffles are.”

And even as the distance grew, he wasn’t the first to open the assault. He didn’t attack her or prepare himself at the moment; he was waiting on her signal or attack. The man wouldn’t have been the one to strike first, not because he was a fool but if he was truly the menace in enemy territory, he would have been fair enough to the very reputation of his race not to make it worse.

Not because he aligned himself with the Vegeteans, but he did not want to make their name worse either.

However, maybe they’d have liked if he was here to truly threaten them. But it didn’t seem like he was too interested in giving anyone a good impression.

“But if what you say is true, then the Saiyans are the conquerors here. It’s not like I have a hard time believing this. I have experienced it first hand,” - the moment he said this was also a brief moment of self-insight, as the very memories of the rough Saiyans and even the nobler Saiyans that had adjusted themselves to a better lifestyle, began to rampage on one another, involving civilians. A terrifying memory no less that destroyed his previous utopia.

“Then, I am at least sorry that you’d be fighting me for my own selfish curiosity in this world. But I will remember and respect it if that can make up for anything, warrior.”

She did say that Tuffles weren’t warriors; it was easy from there to realize they weren’t excited by the outcome of battle. But he respected this; much like him, they battled for duty towards their own people. His curiosity of Tuffles was nearly satisfied, now he only had to experience what a battle with one was like.

The two finally made it through the treeline, not that it took long. Yet it revealed a large field, one that was almost too odd to be ‘natural’ and somehow influenced by mankind, but in a sense, he did not question this too much. If she even knew about this place, maybe it was well known by her species.

“That’s right. I’ve been here for a couple of nights now. I had to cross several space stations before I’d reach this sector. So I lived quite far from here, in distant regions.”

She gave him a little history lesson when it came to the Saiyan race. Or at least the Vegeteans, as far as she worded it, the Saiyans from before weren’t quite ‘developed’ but still very raw. This very fact made it easier for him to believe that a larger change had occurred in his own family bloodline; it was easier to fill an empty closet, than having to replace a filled one.

“It’s not too far off from what happened in my world. Except, a minority of us ended up serving the natives and absorbed some of their peaceful customs. And they absorbed us in their culture. I don’t know the full story, as it’s from nearly three generations ago. I only know that what mattered for us was duty. It gave us life.”

Strength was important, however it wasn’t the final goal for him, but duty. It was what made him feel satisfied; and that was why he didn’t feel satisfied at all as he had been left without something he believed into for many years now. Strength was only a means to completing his work. One could wonder if this wasn’t like a mercenary’s mindset, but the difference was that he couldn’t feel the same way with just any job.

He didn’t do mercenary work at all. For he didn’t care to sow the rewards, but it was more so of a spiritual satisfaction. To succeed at something one believed into. Something he hadn’t experienced in a couple of years now.

Did she truly think he was honorable?

Nasu doubted she meant noble as in by blood; as there was no way she’d know that. All things besides, it was a pretty good compliment. It would have boasted his morale if anything, but he still couldn’t quite cope with his personal failures just yet enough to truly feel like there was any honor left in him.

He felt like he yet needed to restore this honor but even then he didn’t truly know what road to walk or how to achieve such, but he couldn’t quite put these thoughts to word, so he just eyed her, with a gaze quite open.

“Thank you.”

The man mouthed simply with no desire to speak too much about his concerns, perhaps a personal wall or he just didn’t feel like it was very appropriate before a spar. One way or another, she did as much as to introduce herself at least. Cheri.

“Cheri. I will remember it. I am Nasu.”

He returned the favor and offered his own name, before his body would have soon tried to enter a stance, but the mere movement was soon halted. A hand was trying to go for his waist, but he soon realized that he was no longer carrying a sword.

Sadly, having done this for years and years, it was almost like an unbeatable and unavoidable instinct he couldn’t rehearse so easily. Therefore, he still did cling onto it. He probably had to craft a new one if he was truly going to actively battle again.

Left unarmed, therefore, he entered no stance. Instead, he watched her fiddle with some weird technology. He was quite curious about that, the level of technology he was used to was quite minimal back on his homeworld. The man managed to get a deeper taste of it once he began travelling the galaxy but nothing as curious as matter that could be shaped like that.

Even more amusing was when he felt her aura lowering to quite literally his same level. He was quite stunned, he believed she was preparing an attack but instead she made it a fair ground. He didn’t feel offended or insulted, but he was ready to respect her even further for this. He believed it was quite a chivalrous act.

One thing that Nasu felt was very important in battle was the use of one’s body. He did not see the tail as a Saiyan symbol or anything that meant strength, for once. As it was an extra limb, an extra advantage that he could put to use against someone.

Normally, however, some could perhaps see this as rough and whatnot, he used it barely as a means to whip his opponents. As he preferred the use of either his legs or his sword, normally. But given he had lost his loyal sword, he only had his limbs to battle.

She came closer and closer and in the way that she limited her power, made it sure for Nasu to keep track of it without needing to commit any sudden movement that would have burned way too much energy. His very body did not move at all, he stayed still but his tail, as the fist came close enough for him to catch, suddenly began to make circles around the wrist and immediately tightened itself around.

While it was unlikely she could tell how the tail felt due to her wearing armor, it was exercising strength; Nasu seemed to have a good control of his tail, which was perhaps expected of him being an older specimen of the Saiyan race.

Much like her, Nasu decided to start slow and not to make complicated maneuvers just yet. By now the eventual battle that could have perhaps led to terrible consequences had watered down to a spar. Some Saiyans would have perhaps complained, but he was pretty fine with this too. Given the way he viewed strength was just slightly different, enough for him to consider this an opportunity to both evaluate a member of the Tuffle race and improve himself.

Of course he was also growing interested in this Cheri fellow. She seemed to know a lot about Saiyans, if anything she had to have played a major role in the interaction between the two species.

His body that had stayed still up until now, shifted as he launched his right leg right at her for a roundhouse kick; on impact, it would of course hurt if she didn’t block it, but Nasu was ready to pull it back shortly enough for his body to commit and spin. At this time his tail would loosen up and let her go, while he would come to stand on only that very leg, as now his left leg would try and jab at her with the base of his foot to kick her away; he attempted quite the simple combo, and it was mostly a distance breaker, not intended to hurt that much.

He doubted such strikes could really hurt her, as long as he had all that armor. His limbs themselves were the ones that felt numb at striking against it, actually.

---

PL: 5,000

KP: 6/6
MP: 1/6
Damage: 0/270

“Yeah. It was nice.”

Nasu said that to her comment; he was not a liar by any means, it truly was an utopia in his eyes. But one that didn’t last, of course, otherwise he wouldn’t be here to begin with — still he decided to keep the grim details to himself, perhaps either as a way not to bring down the mood or to respect the image of what once was his home.

Superb? Was she perhaps indeed the one testing him?

If anything he was glad he could make a good impression with his technique, but even further he was curious about what the Tuffle had up his sleeve. Nasu was used to the fact that those who could use Ki had to probably know how to sense it, but from what he could tell just now: it wasn’t a must. She used that device of hers, instead, and yet she spoke of ki just now like she could use it that easily.

“So you can use ki. Delightful, there’s no need for me to hold back my own shots, then.”

Nasu admitted. He was half expecting her to use mostly and only technologic blasts, but if that were the case, he doubted just how strong those blasts could carry her. She was even nice enough to mention the dangers of the attack.

“Then I will do just that.”

One whole leg of his rose, by his command, straight up in the sky, as he stood only on his right leg. His body leaned back, nearly horizontally; was this a stance? Soon enough from the very base of his foot began to leak blue flames. They flew with the wind, azure unlike the sky and soon began to grow stronger.

Nasu launched his foot back down, and as he did, trails of blue followed the motion as they spun around Nasu and formed a large skull. It was almost spectral, with dark tendrils of ki surrounding the eyes while the rest of the shape was azure.

The skull itself wasn't perfect, but one could tell it was the one of a large, flying lizard..— or dragon. The very form floated ontop of Nasu, almost like a pet that awaited his Master's command, just momentarily, however. Nasu’s stance was now wide, with both arms spread enough to hug at least three people, his waist pulled back and his legs open wide to do a full squat.

The dragon fired itself off towards her Lightspeed Shot only a second later. It left a trail, large enough to form the rest of the body, while the tendrils that spun around Nasu's body. It wasn't his aura then, but the very form of the dragon that was circling the Saiyan.

But of course, for how artistic it could have been yet it wouldn’t win in this state, for the two blasts fizzled out! The man wasn’t too surprised, just by feeling the attacks' energy, he expected this to happen but he still decided not to use anything stronger against the Tuffle.

Not yet, at least.

“If you weren’t in this suppressed state I’d probably be done already. Tuffles are quite strong. Or rather, you are.”

He didn’t want to make a whole garden out of a single strand of grass but he doubted the Saiyans would have an easy time even if full-out war were to blast itself upon this world. Because the Tuffles had Cheri they could count upon, but of course he didn't know how strong the other specimen of her race were, not at the moment at least. However, this meeting alone was quite promising.

Nasu quickly corrected himself in his mind when she made a small note about Tuffles: she did say she had become a warrior only to protect her kind. So, supposedly, there were only a few Tuffle warriors. But he chuckled a bit, it would have been very Saiyan like to probably go and ask for a fight but he nodded.

“I will keep that in mind. Still, you’re quite strong. Stronger than the average Saiyan, so the Tuffles do have the potential to reach these heights. Maybe not all of them can, or they just don’t like it. Either or, if that’s what they like, then all is alright.”

Of course it wasn’t truly alright. For they had to fight a warrior race in a war to hold the planet theirs.

She asked about him. Was it curiosity or was she still collecting information? Nasu was a little bit curious himself still about the Tuffles, this one he met was giving a good time nevertheless. It was quite different from what he had been told from other Saiyans here. Therefore, admittedly, he wanted to at least satisfy her own thirst for knowledge.

“I come from a distant planet, called Krysta. I was a Captain and led other Saiyans and some natives, when it came to enforcing justice and keeping the order in the kingdom. It was a beautiful land.”

He explained, signaling at least that there was a reason for him having left the planet. He didn’t come here just to visit, he sought something; perhaps a place in the universe, or there was also curiosity in his arrival but regardless it was just a little extra. He didn’t expect to arrive on a planet that was wrapped in the roots of a cold war.

“Were the Saiyans already holding their footsteps on this planet, by the time you were born? Have you been a soldier your whole life?”

Nasu wondered, a little, to know about her past too. Nasu himself wasn’t born any different as he was meant to be a soldier all along, but his kingdom hadn’t been in war for any of his years. He took on the role of a Knight and that was about it. It shaped him in several ways, of course. But he had never worried about full-on scale war.

“You may be right. I do spend a good amount of energy to create that technique. Then, allow me to show you something; how I end up creating an even stronger power from using even less ki.”

From the very foot that laid down upon him, once more the azure flames came; they were bright, fiery and more so importantly carried power— this time, however, the very feeble trails that had been left from his previous kick began to gather once more and created spirals around Nasu; they circled, in every direction and angle, before the flames from his very feet joined and spawned even more spirals.

As anticipated, from the very spirals another dragon was born. But it wasn’t alone this time, however, as another followed; two twin dragons whose skulls stood next to one another. Their very shapes were quite dynamic, as whatever could have been the source of their birth, was manifested through ki. Their presence was emitting a grand, azure glow, with their shape forming and reforming time and time again.

“Here it goes…!”

Nasu once more raised one leg and with dexterity, spun around and once more landed on both feet, with a wide stance; both dragons flew off and as they did, they began inverting and alternating one another, creating a chain of rings until they met the blast. And of course, with even greater power; pushing it through and away into Cheri.

Everyone had potential?

Soon enough Cheri explained herself, she wasn’t just talking about the Tuffles but even other species. The man could believe that much, he was sure there were some strong aliens out there, but of course he did not expect many to reach even their heights, as low as they maybe still were compared to other beings.

‘There’s always a bigger fish in the sea’ kind of deal: not anyone would probably be as strong as one another but it only made strength more important to relish and treasure in the moments that it was needed.

“In the bigger picture I would say you are right. Everyone has the potential, but even those who have it and nurture it, it is not a given that they will use it. That is why I admire those who have a purpose.”

The Saiyan nodded his head to her speech about the past, just silently. He wasn’t too sure if it was proper to apologize on behalf of his race anymore, he didn’t feel guilty about it any longer since he made a clear distinction by now of whom the Vegeteans were.

Nasu allowed himself to watch in pure curiosity and delight, what trick did she have up her sleeve? He would soon find out the very moment he could observe the following turn of events, he wasn’t too sure how honestly but one very movement managed to shake the dragons’ path.

He looked surprised, if anything he expected another blast, but this too worked… quite too well. Because he could now feel an even stronger energy from them, as Cheri didn’t just turn them away but spun them!

Was this what they meant by kinetic energy? Was the addition of movement and speed giving even stronger power to his technique?

“Alright, that’s… a good trick.”

He said at the very moment she also released them. To be fair, he was kind of out of options at the moment; the repeated use of the dragons left him at a shortage of energy, he needed time to recover but now he stood upon the very image of the large dragons coming back at them.

The man frowned, prepared to take on the damage as he had no way to escape such fate. Yet it was hard not to smile, it was the first time he could behold such a sight: his very dragons turning on him. The very jaws opened upon him, the Saiyan could only draw back slightly and cover himself with his arms; the dragons blew up in powerful delight, as they harmed their own user.

Nasu didn’t emit much of a noise. But he was still up and well, as the smoke and debris cleared his figure was once more revealed to her; he was up, yet at the very same time, his body was now wrapped in a couple of injuries, nicks, burns, bruises. His shirt itself had been torn apart in many different pieces. It was somewhat impractical, as the shredded strands moved at the slightest movement.

He looked down and sighed, his hand soon held a firm grasp of the cloth and ripped it away. He left himself exposed now, at least his chest was while the rest of his clothes managed to spare themselves the trouble with shorter and smaller cuts.

“Amusing, never did I expect to live that scenario. What do you call that technique, Cheri?”

The Saiyan breathed slowly and shut his eyes; only briefly for a moment of quiet and retrieve his balance, soon enough his eyes once more opened wide and he stomped the ground once more, causing it to quake briefly underneath his feet; through the very quake, he stuck his foot, forcing a boulder to come out of the ground.

The leverage successfully sent the boulder to fly up, albeit not very high, but high enough for the Saiyan to see it at face level; it was oval, like, long on one axis and shorter on the other. It was big enough to look like it could have fit inside a monster’s ribcage.

His foot rose and it spun once more, in a roundhouse kick as he sent it flying to Cheri’s way. Admittedly the Saiyan could draw upon some higher power, but he did not see the need in a fair, friendly spar. If he were to lose, that was quite alright, too.