Weeks passed… I ate. I slept. I trained my telekinesis… Nothing of import really. Each day I took a fight, some pointless others mere stepping stones as I walked to my destination… Word spread that Arms since our fight had been working himself to the bone. It only made the anticipation for our rematch build when it was leaked to the masses. Especially as I won fight after fight.
Some fights were boring, mere rote beatdowns. Others were intriguing as my opponent moved with a semblance of knowledge on footwork. Our fights like dances as we moved and maneuvered. I soaked it in. The crowds growing in fervor after every fight. Word was spreading of my prowess, whispers and rumor proven true every fight.
I was getting stronger and faster. It was clearer and clearer by the day. The crowds buying subscriptions and tickets to see my every fight. The forums filled with people speculating and analyzing my every move. The astonishment as they noticed the truth. Watching my fights in sequential order told a terrifying story. I never got the same wound twice. Not even as the combatants were allowed to bring increasingly lethal weapons. My movements cleaner and many realized I was bastardizing the movements of my opponents. Stitching them together like Frankenstein had his monster and giving it life.
I was almost always in the mess hall, devouring food at an insane pace as I practiced my telekinesis and other abilities. I abused the machines and weights, even using some of the spare money to order absurdly heavy weights. At some point I had even began wearing them to my fights to the crowd's astonishment. A diss, but one that made the crowds even more shocked as I maintained my speed and power.
I was becoming a sensation. I couldn't even leave the tower without being swamped by people. My blood exalted in the attention in praise, the adoring eyes of the weaklings worshipping me. The words of people wishing they could be.
Though my telekinesis moved at a snail pace, I had begun to understand just a little on what the feeling was… the feeling that sated my feeling for battle, like a hungry man chewing on bark. The tower was sucking in the caverns surrounding negative energies. It moved through the tower, coursing through it. And I felt it bleed into me, percolating. Like I was a teabag in water.
I had no idea what it meant, no idea if it was even a good idea, but… The satisfaction, the comfort I felt surrounded by it, being above it all felt… right. Even more so I found myself hanging near the bottom of the tower, often reserving training rooms just to lay around. I did this to be as close to the source as possible and use the weights on my telekinesis.
It wasn't going to win my battles for me. My mind was barely strong enough to lift marginal weights, but progress was progress and that kept me focused. Still, I felt my mental defenses increasing as I stretched the muscle. I didn't get any smarter… which was a little disappointing. Not sure why I even thought it may have that effect anyway...
Regardless, as my popularity increased, I found myself taking part in more and more extra-curriculars. Interviews, being on talk shows… answering question after question. It wrote itself honestly… Species origin? Mountain sized giant apes… Culture? Fighting. Childcare? None. I was a darling and an enigma. This naturally led to me sitting outside the arena shaking hands with the dirty masses.
It should have infuriated me. Having to put myself down on their level, but… Seeing them so desperate, hungry and worshipful. It brought me to near tears. I could see it in their eyes, that desire burning, like sparks on kindling. I could feel it and being in the center of it was like wading in a hot spring.
Which is why I signed paraphernalia. Like shirts with my name on them, or hats, and even taking pictures with the masses. My current customer was a Simian, female. She was about my size, which wasn't too impressive when most aliens tended to tower over me. She had hair all over her body, a thin layer of it. Her face was clean of hair, her hair almost swept back. She was also lithe, wore a blouse and shorts.
"It's such an honor to meet you miss Super Saiyan!" She gushed as I shook her hand and signed whatever it is she wanted signed. "I heard you were related to monkeys, even saw your interview and didn't believe it, but! Seeing you in person has chased away all of my questions! Its… Its… It's like your alpha genes are just oozing off you!"
She was panting… Actually, I was getting a little put off by all the simians flocking to me. I felt some weird instincts towards them. Like I should beat my chest and show my grandeur, but that's just monkey me talking, likely… maybe…
"Can! Can we touch tails!" She blurted out, twisting and fidgeting. I flashed my signature smile. "Sure!" I flipped my tail out, she stared. Almost hesitating, freezing, unsure, her face blushing hard.
"You're holding up the line!" A helpful fan yells from the back, jolting her into touching my tail. Just a brief tap. She immediately melted devolving into frenzied monkey noises as she grabbed her stuff and fled with her arms flailing. I apparently had that effect on Simians… Like… I wasn't sure how to feel.
A little while later, more simians sent into a frenzy I finish off. I was sweating, exhausted even just from the interactions, but I felt satisfied. My pride was being properly tended to… I sigh and lean back on a chair as a staff member hands me a bottle of water.
Soon enough I hear the telltale signs of someone approaching. I open my eyes to see an odd fellow, he looked like a middle-aged man carved out of stone, save for the extra sharp smile like fangs. More gargoyle like maybe? Middle aged gargoyle? I wasn't sure, but he walked to me, even managing to get past my wall of staff members.
"Rettas, the Super Saiyan?" He questioned, his voice deep, gravelly… Wasn't sure what else to expect. Not to mention hearing people call me Super Saiyan all the time made me think of Vegeta and how he kept yelling it, constantly… I think I was closing in on the number of times he said it like an idiot… That's not good.
"Miss?"
"Ah, yes. Rettas here, and you are?"
"I was here to offer my services as a sparring partner." Sparring partner?
"I don't need one." Or so the line went that I was told to say.
"I talked to your manager, and he said it'd be fine if you sparred with me."
"Really? Why would he say that?"
"Well, to be honest its less sparring and more, uh, using me as a sandbag."
"Can you even survive a good punch from me?"
"I may look soft, but I am a Granaight."
I had no clue what that meant. He also looked like carved stone, is that soft?
"My species gets tougher and denser as we get beat. Your manager said you may need an outlet for your… aggression."
I quirked an eyebrow at that. I mean sure, the last few guys may have been hospitalized, but… hm…
"Alright, when do we start?"
"We could start now if you want. A trial run you call it."
"Alright, I'll see about reserving a sparring room or-"
"I took the liberty of already doing so." Who was this guy? No matter. We went up to one of the sparring floors and went to a room that was in fact reserved.
I went ahead and stretched a little as the guy took off his hoodie to reveal a tank top whilst he wore sweatpants. Something about this guy felt different. I couldn't quite place it, but he was almost too clean… It could just be because he was literally carved stone and not meat and bone. But that explanation didn't quite scratch that itch.
"How do you want me to start?" I asked once he stood ready. I wasn't going to bother questioning his background as long as I could safely beat him.
"Let's start slow, give me a few testing blows before going all out." I had a feeling he was saying that more for my benefit, but we were already on the timer. Even if he begged me off, I'd still beat him for wasting my time.
"Slow start then." I cracked my knuckles and stepped up to him. I stared into his stone eyes and hit him. He didn't budge. He looked unimpressed, even if his face hadn't changed. Something about that blank face made me think he was looking down on me. Next hit was a little serious, he shook a little, exhaling a bit of air.
"Still good?" I ask cautiously.
"I can handle that much." He sounded almost, disappointed…
"I'm gonna give you a serious punch now." I say as I roll my shoulders. He looked, confused now. And it brought a smile to my lips. When I said serious, I meant serious. No ki enhancement, just a good old slug. I breathed in and exhaled. And once more to let my body loosen up. I took my stance slowly. And like a piston slamming down my foot slammed the ground, anchoring me, the floor below crackling just a bit as my fist slammed into the stone statues chest.
For an instant, I imagined my fist would just slam through him. Rip through him and kill him on the spot, but the lack of concern he showed me, the lack of respect, the way he looked down on me. It made me want to teach him; he should be glad I didn't use a ki enhanced punch. Oddly, he didn't die.
My punch slammed into him, he went flying and smashed into the wall and bounced off it almost comically before impacting the ground with a weighty crack. For a moment, I thought he was dead. Then his figure shuddered, a wheezing sound curiously sounding like an H-
"H-H-H…" I thought he was going to say help me, or something… A downer, but I walked up to him prepared to help him up and get him to a doctor. Only to freeze as I bend down, his eyes looking at me with a crazed expression.
"HIT ME!!!" My monkey brain barely processed it before I found myself slamming him in the face. His face, the expression just made me shudder. The realization of what I was doing sent my skin crawling as I recognized the shudder along his body, the moans as I kept hitting him trying to get him to stop.
He was heaving, his stony exterior almost tinged pink… I found myself… Myself… Wanting to hit him more!? I didn't hold back as I wailed into him. I let out my built-up aggression and anger out on him. Soon enough, I couldn't deny the feeling… I enjoyed hitting him!? He was just… Just… SO PUNCHABLE!?
He began screaming, crying out in bliss as I found myself laughing. The room shaking, the sounds no doubt bleeding out into the hallway beyond and the nearby rooms. It… I don't think it sounded good. I felt like weird rumors would begin spreading about me!? I'm not a sadist!? Am I? AM I?
The answer was clear as day… I was apparently a sadist now.
"YOU FUCKER!!!" I screamed louder, tears in my eyes as I kept punching. "WHY ARE YOU SO GOOD TO HIT!?" He replied incoherently, a strangled scream as his body spazzed out like some fish on land. Before long the session ended. The both of us panting…
…A Certain Sparring Partner…
I am a simple man. Like many of my kind I seek to improve myself, to gain more power, to become more durable like those in our legends. Granaights get denser, tougher, shinier the more we hit. The sensation of slowly being beaten into form was a pleasure beyond compare.
We are neither male nor female, only identifying ourselves and shaping ourselves according to whim and whimsy. Our exteriors are naturally rocky and blank, as such we make great strides to visit famed artisans and carvers to craft our faces and bodies. We are not numerous, our species relatively rare due to our needs. We procreate by breaking pieces off our core and letting it grow in a special mineral bath.
The toughness of our children, their capabilities determined by their parents' toughness. Each child cutting away at our durability, and our children inheriting our own weakness. The weak grow weaker, their children so brittle even light hits can break them. Not all of us are capable of hiring out or finding people willing to beat us. Often relying on animals or machines, but those methods are nowhere near as effective as simply getting pummeled with a fist.
I am always seeking stronger people, stronger hitters, and even if she isn't much, I must admit that my new partner has improved my density. Even then, I almost called off our usual sparring meeting. It's been weeks since we started, and I could feel myself already hitting the limits of her strength. No longer did her hits give me nearly as much pleasure or strength as before.
Her stamina was near endless at times, her awareness almost prophetic as she hit the weakest part of me like a master masseuse. Maybe that's why I chose to show up today in the familiar place. The stench of the cavern threatening to stick to me as I wear my commoner clothes, fitting in with the rest of those here. I could tell that she didn't believe I was one of them. The way she acted and behaved made me think she was either informed or perhaps inferred I wasn't just a random citizen.
I walked through, waving at the staff guarding the elevator and let through without a fuss as I mused. I had heard Bruiser saw a near exponential increase in prowess since his fight with Rettas. I even got a hold of video footage of his newly acquired power. It made my skin flake at just the thought of being on the receiving end of those fists. Perhaps I could pull a few strings and get him to practice on me?
Either way, today was likely the last sparring session with Rettas. I expected her usual grin, that look that used to send chills down my spine as she relished punching me. Not many enjoyed hitting me, some fighters were always hesitant even as I expressed my joy as my body cracked and split. Many grew tired after repeated sessions, forcing me to offer more and more benefits just so they'd stay interested in the monotonous beatings. Rettas though, was perfect. She enjoyed it with a zealous passion matching, no, surpassing my own for getting beat.
Today though, she looked pensive, frowning. Her usually exuberant tail swinging low like a pendulum as she watched me come in.
"Gran…" She started, her nickname for me, not that I ever told her my name. Her disregard for me, the way she looked at me like something that existed only to beat on… Perfection. Today though, it was appraising, she bit her lips apprehensively as her eyes looked back and forth. I knew the look, was she going to ask for benefits? Was she getting bored? I didn't think she would, but it's bound to happen. People change, evolve, develop.
My thoughts proven partially true as she asked, "Would you perhaps know of a better sparring room?" I wasn't too sure what to think, but I think I understood. In just a month or two Bruiser's power has escalated to the point of smashing apart the strength machines. A monster. I had heard Rettas could too, but I wasn't sure if it was a fluke or not as her current power didn't exactly give me machine destroying vibes.
"Can I ask why you want a better sparring arena?" Was it for better equipment? Trainers? I wondered as I stared at her, the way she fidgeted almost nervous. There was a flush on her face, likely embarrassment.
"Because, I don't think I can hold back anymore." The words she said, her voice, her body language. I felt something in my crystalline mind short circuit, not quite able to put it together. Like a puzzle with a misprinted piece.
"What?" I said stupidly, confused. "I mean… I don't think I can pretend anymore." She fidgeted, rubbing her thighs as she looked at me. "I want to hit you harder and harder. With everything I have." The way she said it made my diamond core hum in anticipation, even as my mind told me that there was no way she could. "And I don't want to destroy the tower." Those words were the final spark, the push I needed.
"If you're that strong, I do have a sparring arena we could use, but… I need a test, a taste." Just a little tease. If she failed, I'd just ghost her, but if she was actually stronger… I never got to finish that thought. The whole room shook, nay the tower did as she moved into my personal space, that gleam in her eyes, that hungry grin. I only got a glimpse before I felt myself fly back, impacting the wall and through it, continuing through the side-room smashing and breaking apart countless exercise machines before stopping half embedded into the wall.
My whole body thrummed, my out layer breaking off as my inner core expanded just a little from just one punch. More progress in a single hit than a near months' worth of sessions. I could also tell; this wasn't her all. My experience telling me she had held off, just enough that I wouldn't find myself on the street below. I had to silence my thoughts, that persistent urge to get hit as I carefully articulated my words.
"I can take you to the sparring space now." The two of us almost ran to the elevator and down to the ground floor. Moving with purpose. My core thrumming like a giddy schoolboy on his first date. I could see the anticipation on her face, the way she avoided my eyes. In a way, it was like we were in a clandestine meeting. Two lovers rushing to the nearest hotel to sate our needs. Except in this case, it wasn't anything so biological. Instead, it was our need to hit and get hit.
I ignored my subordinates awaiting me at the edge of the zone. Ordering them in a clipped tone to bring us to my private sparring room. They didn't question me, only taking one look at the girl following me before deciding to just do as I say. She didn't look that old, barely in her late teens. Her body was built as if carved from stone much like some of my kin. In fact, I imagine some of my kin would be happy to mimic her form. Such was how perfect it was, symmetrical as if carved from hands of gods. Not a single thing out of place or misplaced.
Before long we arrived at my sparring center, both of us ignoring the fact we were no longer in the cavern, instead on the surface. We ignored the curious eyes as we moved with purpose. The sparring center was a personal project. A place for weapons and powerful people to be placed within to help me improve. It had sat unused for a while. Not even Mecha is able to give me a rise.
Rettas looked around the room, her eyes appraising, testing. She clenched her fist, looking to the floor and looked at me as if asking, can I? I couldn't deny her, I nodded. She punched once, the whole floor vibrating. She punched again her fist denting the floor, her eyes wide. She breathed, the air growing heavy as she once more punched, impacting and denting into the floor as it cratered around her. Within a few breaths the floor vibrated and slowly healed.
She looked around watching, tapping her feet, eyes wide. For a second, I felt her fervor fade, something new coming to the fore.
"What is this stuff? It almost seems connected. When I hit the floor, I felt my blow be redirected and shifted through the whole place." She was smarter than she appeared, and far stronger than I could hope. I had feared she would be beaten by the new improved Bruiser, but now I saw the folly in that statement. She would win without a doubt.
"It's a special metal capable of absorbing blows well beyond its capabilities, expensive, but ultimately worthless. Mainly because the metal is useless if you manage to match the frequency it vibrates at."
He nods in acceptance. "I'll make sure not to match it." Her confidence oozed out as if she believed she could truly do it if she wanted, a confidence I found myself more than willing to believe in. "Thank you, is this enough?" She smiled and for a second, I thought I saw an angel. Only for me to blink and realize I was bouncing off the wall, my whole body vibrating with the force as it reverberates under my skin. The pleasure of my core steadily growing denser too much to handle as my mind went white.
We stopped, only because my body couldn't handle more. Our next session planned as I spent the next few days gorging on rare minerals in anticipation of our next meeting. A cycle that continued and continued. Each day my density improving at an astonishing rate. My exterior growing softer on the surface, more lifelike as we continued, but becoming stronger as I felt myself slowly getting closer and closer.
In a few months' time, I was beginning to once more see the edge. I couldn't help but wail at the thought. I didn't want this to end, but I also held a certain anticipation as I came to our usual sparring's, my people having picker her up and delivered her to my center. I was not disappointed.
"How strong is this center?" She asked almost casually, my core rocking and humming in anticipation already growing thrice its size in the months prior.
"It can handle military arms, to an extent. Missiles, explosions and such."
"How about a capital ship laser?" I expected many things, but those words shook me to the core. "I… never saw the need to prepare it to handle such." She clicked her tongue, and I felt at a loss. Her big fight was coming soon. The details were still being decided, but it was everywhere. Her next fight was against the new improved Bruiser. As she was, she could win. This I had no doubt.
Nobody told her though, I was certain, that Bruiser was upper tier, but he was by far the most mundane of the champions. Her rings champion was a true monster, and with Bruisers sudden surge in strength, if she won… Every monster would crawl out of the woodwork to challenge her. Could she win? Even as she was, I highly doubted she could win against some of them.
I tried many times to secure their services, but the mere thought of helping me or even hitting me made them shy away. They were secretive, unwilling to show their strength and power. Choosing to hide it rather than express it. Whereas Rettas had no such compunctions, or so I thought. So convinced of her own power that she even had the audacity to suppress it. Perhaps I would advise her to stop holding back after this? Warn her of the true monsters in waiting…
Even still, why did I feel like my preparations were not enough? Could she really compete with a capital ship's main gun? Could she? "Certainly, it can handle fire from smaller vessels though." I tested, and she thought about that. Her tail swishing as she contemplated my words.
"Well, may as well test it. If you would, I'd prefer you not to leak this out though. I'm more or less trying to keep this under wraps." Under wraps? Whatever she had I doubted it was a big deal, but… "That's a deal. If you can deliver on your words, well… I'd be an idiot to destroy your trust." I really would be, and such a promise did little to harm me.
"Okay then…" She said and held out her hand. I wasn't sure why, but then I saw it… I couldn't be sure what I was seeing. It was yellow, it glowed. And something about it almost sent me in anear frenzy as I realized what I was staring at. An energy bomb. Something only capable of being unleashed by higher tech weapons usually only employed by special outfits. Expensive, and highly regulated. Or very powerful psychics…
And she could… Materialize them? Suddenly, he understood exactly what it was she was doing. Why she was so concerned about it getting out.
"I suggest you brace yourself." I did just that as it launched out and hit me. The blow itself wasn't much, but what followed was a slowly ramping up barrage of explosions that sent my skin flaking and shaking. Even as I felt the energy course through me and into my core. This wasn't near enough to cause problems for my base, and I could see she was just testing, but the mere thought of a person being able to generate energy like this, materialize it without being a specialized psychic.
If people knew she'd be instantly regulated. She and all her species would be likely blacklisted as mobile weapons of mass destruction. The thought only made truer as the force of the blows increased more and more. Until she was firing beams that scarred and scorched my sparring room's walls. She laughed and I could hear the pent-up emotion within her being released as she let out more and more energy.
Our session only ended as I sat crumpled on the ground, a special cigarette lit to help fortify my body as I stared at my now ruined sparring center. We were both on the ground panting. Letting the afterglow of our respective needs met fill the air. For the first time since I had this place built, I realized just how woefully prepared I was… This center was trashed, and it would take months, if not years to build a better one…
I also realized; this girl had nothing to worry about. No, rather, I could see why Bruiser improved having felt her bloodlust in those moments. The sheer willingness to kill. Had she bathed him in that? Woken his true potential as he faced something so beyond his ken? I mused, knowing what I had to do. The debts I owed and would owe.
"I'm going to guess you don't have more sparring centers?"
"I wish I did, and it would take years to rebuild this place, let alone make it better."
We sat, commiserating in silence as we both came to terms with this likely being our last meeting. I was the first up, wiping away the dust and shreds of my prepared training attire.
"It was a pleasure sparring with you Rettas." I said as calmly as I could, my hand extended. I thought for a second, she'd slap it away, ignore me. But she grabbed it, letting me pull her up as she grinned at me.
"Truthfully, I found it a pleasure myself Gran. It's not often I can beat someone and have them be fine let alone enjoy it. In fact… Think we could, uh, maybe…" My eyes widened inadvertently at the usually calm collected girl breaking down as she stuttered, trying to speak. And in that instant, or perhaps it really hit home who this girl was. This girl could take down spaceships with little trouble. Compared to most things, she was a god. She could fly, and she could likely murder every last person on this planet.
How many people did she actually have that she could really call friends? Equals? Even if those beatings don't make me stronger in the typical sense, I do get denser, harder to break, tougher. Perhaps that'll change like the legends say, but… In a way, couldn't I likely be her first ever friend? Her story of her background, sent to a world to fend for herself. Constantly on the move, fighting, growing stronger. Her childish wish to be recognized as strong.
No, was it childish? He couldn't consider it. Seeking acknowledgement was something all people do.
"I'd be more than happy to exchange contacts with you." I interrupted her failed attempts. "And if you would, I'd be more than happy to call you a friend. If, you would have me." She hesitated, squirmed even before bowing and thanking me. Her confident almost callous demeanor melted away as she appeared so meek in that instant, lost. Only for it to vanish in a heartbeat as she took her breath. A familiar mask covering her figure, the callous almost cruel girl coming back, the Saiyan, the warrior.
"Good, if we're ever in the same system after I leave give me a call." I nodded and assured her I would. I see her off and proceed to my subordinates.
"You're looking especially shiny today, sir." I would call the man a kiss ass, but he was right. I got into my ride, donning the prepared suit as I once more prepared for work, the job that paid my need to grow stronger. My outer covering had an almost white crystal-like sheen. I likely needed to get it carved again as I was beginning to look rough around the edges.
I got out at my business, a tower on the surface. Subordinates bowing as I walk through, compliments constantly echoing out, buoying me despite my melancholic mood. I took my personal elevator up, walking out and to my desk as usual.
"You have a visitor in your office sir." The secretary said in an almost worried tone. I had a feeling about who it might be, those feelings proven true as I stepped in. Facing a familiar person. A woman, dangerous and conniving. The same woman that led me to Rettas. The owner of the cage ring. Boss of her manager.
"Fera. Your early." I said as I walked around to my desk. Taking care not to step on her long-extended tail. Her skin covered in thin scales, her eyes almost blinding, her fingers tipped with retractable claws holding a small glass of alcohol taken from my reserve. Her species bred for war, only recently earning their freedom among the stars.
"I merely wanted to hear your thoughts on your sparring partner. And how she would do in the ring." I was beginning to think she'd never ask. She never even came to check on me since handing her off to me. I was curious if she thought I'd go for The Bruiser now that he's gained so much strength.
"Rettas will win without a doubt. And no matter her opponent, she will win." I acknowledged, Fera looked at me in confusion. "Such high faith for the mysterious alien?" She looked me over, noting my fine sheen and rough appearance.
"Hmm… if you say so." Despite sounding unsure, I could see the glint in her eye. In fact, …
"I must say though Fera, our deal. It needs to be renegotiated." She frowned, showing me steel shredding teeth as she did so.
"Backing off now? I thought she would at least perform acceptably?"
"It's not that she underperformed, rather she overperformed. Exceptionally so. Our original deal that you introduce a fighter capable of helping me improve in exchange for some support is no longer acceptable."
I let that hang in the air, her slit eyes narrowing.
"Instead… I shall endeavor to provide you with every possible resource at my disposal to help you in your cause. I will flood the casts with your ads, I will pay every corner shill to praise your name, I will make sure everyone knows what you intend to do for our planet."
Her eyes widened in shock, inadvertently crushing the glass in her hand, the precious liquid wasted as it dripped to the floor.
"You can't be serious?" She sounded almost afraid. "She couldn't have done that well, could she?" She mumbled more to herself. "Are there truly no strings attached no conditions?" I folded my hands together.
"Just one."
I smiled, letting it sink in as I gave my one demand to her. A demand she more than willingly accepted. After all, it was a win-win. And what friend doesn't help another friend in need?