~ Michael's / Baby's Pov ~
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"Huh!?"
The word slipped out before I could catch it. I wasn't expecting this, not so soon. A fight? Against him? Wasn't this supposed to be a tour, or a conversation to figure out what I was about? Instead, the king was practically throwing me into the deep end.
I blinked a few times, quickly trying to cover the surprise on my face... "I mean... isn't it a little early for that?" I asked, doing my best to sound calm. "I just got here, after all."
Talmos raised an eyebrow at me, and I swore I saw a flicker of amusement behind his stern expression. "Too early?" he repeated, his tone mocking. "I assumed someone with your power would welcome the opportunity to prove themselves."
Great. He was baiting me. And judging by the way Vegeta smirked at his father's words, they were both enjoying this a little too much... This was one thing Saiyan had, and that was partial arrogance. He didn't know what I was capable of, yet he was initiating a fight against me?
I took a deep breath, keeping my expression neutral even though my mind was pondering about all this so far. This wasn't just a random challenge—it was definitely a test for me. A trap, maybe? No... The king wanted to see what I was capable of, sure, but he was also feeling me out, trying to figure out if I was more of an ally, or potentially a threat...
I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on me—the guards, Vegeta, and especially Talmos. They were waiting to see how I'd respond to something like this, and I couldn't just out right refuse either...
I forced a small laugh, shrugging like it was no big deal. "Fine. If this is what you want, let's do it. But maybe next time, a little heads-up? It's not every day I get challenged by a king."
Talmos smirked at me slightly, "If you're as strong as you seem, you shouldn't need any warning."
He stepped down from the dais, his movements slow and deliberate. Every step he took seemed to carry weight, like the air around him was shifting to make room for his presence. The guards immediately stepped back, clearing a space in the center of the throne room.
Yup... This was happening. Whether I liked it or not.
I rolled my shoulders a little, trying to focus as I walked toward the center of the room. My mind was running through every possible scenario on how I would go about this little tussle. I needed to show enough strength to impress him, but not so much that I gave away everything...
Talmos stopped a few feet away from me, his sharp eyes locking onto mine. "I'll keep it simple..." he said, his voice calm but commanding. "No need for formalities. Show me what you can do."
I smirked, though inside I was still calculating. "Alright, King Talmos. Just don't blame me if your throne room ends up with a few new cracks."
That got a reaction. Vegeta scoffed, clearly unimpressed, while Talmos' smirk widened just a fraction. He raised his hand, gesturing for me to attack.
"Whenever you're ready." he said.
I hesitated for just a second, weighing my options. This wasn't just a fight—it was a balancing act. I needed to come off as strong, but not too strong. Confident, but not cocky. Every move I made would be scrutinized, and one mistake could give away too much.
Alright. Play it smart. Keep it simple.
I moved first, dashing toward him with a burst of speed. The floor cracked slightly under my feet, but I held back just enough to keep the impact controlled. My fist shot forward, aiming for his midsection, but Talmos reacted faster than I expected.
With a swift motion, he sidestepped my punch and brought his arm up to block my follow-up strike. His movements were smooth, practiced—like someone who had fought a thousand battles and won most of them...
"Not bad~" he said, his tone almost casual. "But you'll have to do better than that."
I didn't respond, instead using the momentum from his block to spin into a kick aimed at his side. This time, he didn't just block—he countered, grabbing my leg mid-swing and tossing me back.
I landed on my feet, skidding slightly as I absorbed the force. My eyes narrowed while I assessed him. He was stronger than I'd anticipated, but that wasn't the surprising part. It was the way he moved—like he was holding back, testing me just as much as I was testing him.
Alright. If that's how you want to play it...
I charged at him again, this time mixing in feints to throw him off a bit. A punch here, a kick there, each one designed to probe his defenses. Talmos met every strike with the same calm precision, his expression never really changing.
"You're holding back, aren't you..." he said suddenly,; we exchanged a few more punches before he said something again... "Why?"
Though, I smirked a little, stepping back to put some distance between us... "You're one to talk." I responding, backing off a little bit, giving myself a bit of space... my tone light but pointed. "You haven't exactly shown me your full strength either."
He chuckled, a low, deep sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Fair enough. But if you want to see my full strength, you'll have to earn it."
His aura then flared to life, a brilliant golden light that filled the room with decently intense pressure. Just from that little light show, the ground beneath him even caved in, and even the guards standing at the edges of the chamber were a little shaken up... I don't blame them for it. Talmos was strong.
I clenched my fists a bit, I felt my own energy rising around me in response to his own. Alright, I, my, "Let's see what you've got, old man."
The tension in the throne room was down right palpable, the only thing that was making any sort of sound was Ki's being emitted with energy while King Talmos' yellow tinted aura flared around him. His power was immense, radiating like a controlled inferno, and it made the ground beneath us tremble.
I didn't flinch. Instead, I let my own energy rise in response, my crimson aura sparking to life around me. The sheer pressure in the room was enough to make the guards stagger, but neither of us paid them any attention. This was a battle between two titans at this point, and nothing else mattered...
Fwish~
Talmos moved first, vanishing from sight with a burst of speed that sent literal shockwaves rippling throughout the chamber. My instincts screamed at me, and I barely had time to raise my arms before his fist collided with my guard...
BOOM!
The force of the impact sent me skidding backward, my feet carving deep grooves into the stone floor. My arms throbbed from the sheer power behind his strike, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. He was already coming at me again, his movements a blur.
"Grhh!!" I grunted, ducking under a vicious right hook and countering with an upward knee aimed at his ribs.
Talmos twisted mid-motion, his arm snapping down to block my strike with an audible CRACK. I retaliated with a flurry of punches, each one aimed at vital points, but he weaved through them effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise.
"Too slow!" he barked, slamming his fist into my gut with enough force to lift me off the ground.
"Guh!" I gasped, the air knocked from my lungs as I flew back. I twisted mid-air, planting my feet against the wall and launching myself toward him like a bullet.
This time, I didn't hold back.
"Take, this!" I roared, my hands thrusting forward as a torrent of crimson energy erupted from my palms.
SHOOOOOM!
The blast tore through the air, the sheer heat warping the space around it. Talmos didn't dodge. Instead, he raised both hands, catching the attack head-on. The collision sent a deafening boom echoing through the room, the force of the blast shaking the walls and scattering loose debris.
"HRAAGHH!" Talmos growled, pushing back against the energy with his bare hands. With a surge of power, he deflected the blast upward, where it exploded against the ceiling in a shower of sparks.
The instant he deflected my attack, I closed the distance, appearing in front of him with a burst of speed. My fist shot toward his jaws, but he leaned back just enough to avoid it, lucky bastard. I spun into a roundhouse kick, but he caught my leg with one hand, his grip like solid iron.
"Not bad." he said, a hint of respect in his voice. "But not good enough!"
With a roar, he swung me like a ragdoll, slamming me into the ground with enough force to crack the stone. Pain shot through my back, but I ignored it, using the momentum to twist away and land a counter-kick to his side.
WHAM!
The impact made him grunt, but he barely stumbled. Before I could follow up, his knee slammed into my ribs, the force of the blow sending me crashing into one of the pillars.
"Grahh!" I groaned, the pillar crumbling around me as I pushed myself up. My body was aching a whole lot, but the more I fought, but I felt my energy surging even stronger than before... I was growing...
I looked up, smiling through the pain, it felt good! "Haha! I'm not done yet!" I snarled, vanishing from his sight and reappearing above him. My fists rained down in a relentless barrage, each strike faster and more precise than the last.
Talmos blocked most of them, but I could see the effort it took. His aura flared brighter as he countered with a punch that grazed my cheek, the sheer force behind it sending me spiraling back.
BOOOOM!
We clashed again and again, the throne room was becoming a literal warzone. The floor was littered with countless craters, and the walls were scorched from stray energy blasts. Every time we exchanged, we grew more ferocious, our movements must've been a blur while we both pushed each other to the limit.
Finally, I poured everything into a single strike, my fist colliding with his in an explosion of energy that shook the entire castle. We both staggered back, panting, our auras flickering wildly.
"This... is what I've been waiting for." Talmos said, a grin breaking through his normally stern expression.
I didn't reply, my focus entirely on him. I could feel it—his power was incredible, but we were nearly evenly matched. Nearly. He had a slight edge, and I couldn't ignore it, could I?
Then, without warning, I lunged forward, my fist aiming for his chest.
But, he caught it?
"W-What?!" I struggled against his grip. His strength... it had surged even higher? Just what's going on here?
I looked up, and my breath hitched at my throat. His eyes had changed.
They weren't the sharp, commanding gaze I'd seen just moments before. They were wild now, glowing with an intensity I recognized instantly...
"I-Ikari?"
My mind racing as I pieced it together. This wasn't just Talmos. This was Talmos tapping into the primal power of the Saiyan Ikari form—the Wrathful State. A form that only Broly was supposed to possess. Just how did he even get it?
Before I could gather my bearings. His grip tightened even further like a damned vice on my fists, and I could literally feel the pressure rising around him, his aura was constantly shifting from gold to a deeper, more primal hue...
"You've done well to push me this far..." he said, his voice carrying a feral and dangerous edge to it, "But now, you'll see what a true Saiyan king is capable of."
I was in much deeper waters than I expected... "Haha... Yeah~ hey Talmos... Let's call this a good match, eh?"
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END