The morning started at breakneck speed. Moments after each reject closed their eyes they were flashed with red lights that filled each room and corridor. Two particular Saiyan rejects finally understood what these bulbus sections of their rooms were for. They held red spotlights.
"Mmmm..ahh!" The boy with a steep crown of spikes for hair and bangs that were sharp like knives Grumbles. He yelps out in shock as the lights are followed by a blaring alarm.
The continuous ringing sound keeps his attention until he hears hundreds of footsteps outside his door. More importantly he hopes that outside his door would be an escape from the sound and light.
456 opened his door, not like it could resist any force applied to it. Outside was an overflowing mob of tailed men and women. His first instinct was to look for some source of familiarity. It was a daunting task to make out distinct features among the sea of dark hair and eyes. Even if there are tanner skinned Saiyans and ghostly pale ones too, it hardly mare sifting through the faces easier.
"heahh-" before he could call out one arm grabbed his wrist. pulling him into the ocean of bodies. In an instant he was a part of this mess. force to run or get trampled and his instincts were telling him to run. The hunt- examination would begin the moment he departed out into the front yard.
***
Negi stood with her feet firmly planted, the years spent under harsh suns adapted her skin to be a warm olive color. It was a pity that it was the only warmth to be found on this dark night.
The night was bleached white as large floating mini lights illuminated the front yard, where the fight really is happening. Here where the elite warrior stands, between the looming castle in the distance and the shadow cast by the reject's prison currently in the peak of its relevance.
"I won't be playing around. days like this are when i can't let you get away with your weakness" she scoffs with a lack of energy. tail flicking once before wrapping around her waist.
"you bastard, you've been playing around this whole time?" spoke the toddler of three years standing like she were a honey badger ready to run down a lion. The sharp look in her eyes said it all. "Show me some blood"
For once neither party wanted to break this stalemate and they ran out of ways to mock each other. It could be that they understand the gravity of Negi's rigid demeanor. The woman herself seems to be taking the tension well.
Zukki had started to skulk forward, treading ground one careful step at a time. The tension in her muscles coiled like she was about to pop at the moment from the strain. Energy surging in the glint of her eye.
"Hyaaa" she closes the distance and slashes at the air where Negi's face is.
Sidestepping the attack with ease, Negi gripped the back of the child's head and slammed her into the ground. Rearing her foot back before Punting Zukki like a football across the ground. Resulting in the kid flinching as she returned to her feet.
the older woman was on her in an instant. Slamming a fist into the small one's cheek, then a kick again that sent her skidding. Catching Zukki from behind Negi knocked her away again before she could turn.
Getting struck just as she was lifting her guard disoriented her. Never has the woman so bluntly outclassed her. Stumbling, she practically had to guess where she would be attacked from next.
In a show of potential Zukki leapt into the air to dodge an incoming attack. It was a mistake to put herself in the air without the ability to fly as she was caught a moment later after dodging a kick. Her arms were both out like she was diving for cover when a raising knee caught her on the sternum.
Zukki's body cracked off that knee with a sickening smash that sent her up and then to the ground. Crashing into the gravel below with her back. No time to regain composure and land upright due to the pain coursing through her body.
It's when Negi looks over Zukki's beaten body that she relents for the moment.
("Am i going to have to bring her to that state again?") She contemplated.
A twitch caught her eye, and then she watched as Zukki pushed off the ground with effort in her shaking arms. The child was getting her teeth and swallowing the pain back down. What came out of her parting lips was a cry of combat.
"Shhhyaaaa" she stumbles into a fierce Sprint before jumping into a claw strike. It falls short of her target; ("that bastard's face").
Negi planned to dodge and attack, but was surprised by the shift in Zukki's target, not the face. As her nails slash past the adult's abdomen. Negi reeled back and readied to attack when the kid rolled out of her landing, twisted, and bounded back.
Even if she was surprised by the sudden shift in the child's attack direction and subsequent rebound, it wasn't anything her experience hasn't witnessed. Today was about being thorough so she wasn't going to send any snark at Zukki.
Just her right fist as it rose to nearly impale the girl. Raising up from being clenched low, it dug into Zukki's gut before she pulled it back. The child momentarily folded and floated in mid-air as Negi hadn't finished her counter attack. Holding her fingers together, clasping them to prepare a hammer strike.
Her strike slammed the child so hard into the ground, gravity swore it stopped applying for a moment. Zukki bounced up out of sheer instinct, bracing against the ground as she saw it in the instance between folding up like a lawn chair and feeling a crushing blow to her back. Air couldn't even escape her lungs faster than the ground she was about to collide with.
Negi scoffed as she felt the child fall to her feet, not In Front of her, but on them. ("This ain't it") She declared in her mind, somberly recognizing that this budding warrior wouldn't have intrigued her if not for the excessive resilience and stubborn attitude.
Just when she moved to kick the kid off her boots, she felt tugging at her ankles. Negi let the child rise, more exhaustion, more combat, this day had no rhyme she could pick up on. The warrior's sole job right now is to prevent this child from entering the battle Royal.
("Right now she would just go running to her father and his little squadron. I don't understand it, but the king requires you to avenge our queen.") Her eyes look down at Zukki as she contemplates how she could accomplish what none of her peers could.
Right now Negi stands in the present and is willingly guided by her past. The future is only what comes in the next day.
***
Far above the base and the lights illuminating the yard a bleached white, two figures held each other as adults by the scruff in their hands. That's four, two each, and a grand total of six witnessing the hundreds of rejects escape the red lights. Aside from the hundreds of dozens of boots crunching gravel beneath their feet it was eerily quiet for a yard that now houses...
"four hundred fifty six" spoke a bored , calculated woman, her tail stiff as a board around her waist. one of the adult saiyans she was carrying struggled briefly upon hearing the large number. "Hey, don't struggle. their power levels aren't even half yours."
"So we are missing one" said the other saiyan floating with failure in his arms; surprisingly it is light he would imagine based on the smug carefree look on his face. His two captives are rather content after hearing the power level statement. "or is it that extra girl from that fire cult guy"
His deduction is met with a robotic nod of agreement. they had done this already and the rejects have experienced this countless times already. They explained the rules; no killing, flying, or excessive destruction of the base and strictly no energy usage not that stray blasts would spare any lives. The battle royal would only end when there were four people standing by dusk. That was close to twenty four hours of constant fight and all the rejects understood the consequences of not finding a winner for the monarchy.
Then in the next moment all four failures were dropped into the sea of rejects.
***
several rejects were staring up awaiting the adults to fall from the sky, but as always the lights make it impossible to see anything.
three silhouettes landed flush with the ground before breaking into a roll.
The last landed with his boot crushing one unassuming large body, nearly killing him, and just kicking off his body. Moving on like it was nothing and proceeded to throw a right straight that drilled through several cheeks in a vicious line. before the crowd could even roar and converge he was roundhouse kicking one body into another. Jumping up to avoid the approaching crunch of gravel behind him.
as he flipped he stumbled back, behind the attacker and with one behind him already flanking him once again. leaning into his momentum he crushed the rejected nose with his sharp elbow causing blood to splatter over his forearm. taking a strong stance he continued to go wild and draw attention to himself.
Three sets of eyes paid close attention to this display. The weariest of the bunch felt empowered seeing blood being spilled and dashed towards the peer with an appropriately striking spiked mohawk hair style.
The last two took defensive measures as they fully understood that this was a war of attrition.
Each had strikers and divers try to take them down, but their proximity gave leeway in watching each other back. one approached from behind and they would be knocked out for it. a swift punch to the back of the head, brutal but effective. they spent most of their time running away from excessive hoards at one time they may have failed but they started successful.
hours go by like this as the stalemate continues.
***
By the time the sun peeks over the horizon most of the bodies along the gravel yard were covered in bruises, cuts, and blood. No longer are the lights shining on their pain, it's the morning that reveals the saiyan who are gasping in building exhaustion. pain chipping away at their ability to get up. Some bodies lay on the ground already, however the most damning group were a dozen or so who had not even participated. not even counting the observers who returned in shifts. The two aggressive failures were sparing an injury each and even the defensive duo were sweating and breathing heavily. for them it was non-stop combat.
For some key figures, outliers, a sly dog, and some newbies they simply waited around like a midnight release was occurring and everyone else was fighting for a place in line.
numbers 1, 7,17, 77, 69, 450, 455, and 456 notably. Among them only two were any confident while the rest were varying levels of anxiety. they all stood still as if waiting for some opportunity and then just four of the dozen broke their patience.
three surged forward and collided with the mohawk failure. One tackled him by ribs while another jailed his legs. Both gripping him with all their might. before he could even react he was getting wailed on by clubbing blows to the face opening new cuts and officially bloodying one of the trespassing saiyans
all eyes were on the one saiyan responsible for making the mohawk bleed.
his armor was scratched "25"
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(A/N) welcome to the battle royal! We're nearing the end of this volume and the year. enjoy the holidays everyone and lets bring this novel into the next year. who wants to bet which chapter will have the first kamehameha. IMPORTANT! i remade the first chapter and added a few bits to the goku parts. At least the first two episodes are Worth rereading.