Readiness (Hwa-Jae/Nasu - Near Korin's Tower)

Nasu had done his very best to stay awake and functional after his battle with his mother and, after that he even tried to keep on going towards the lookout, but he only managed to fly for a few miles before plummeting to the ground like a rock, creating a large crater in the middle of the woods, where he remained unconscious. He didn’t seem all that injured. He was wearing just his blue jumpsuit, gloves and boots because his battle suit had been completely shattered by Tomoroko’s final attack, and that stopped her attack from breaking his spine in half, to his luck. His tail wasn’t wrapped around his waist in the belt-like fashion the saiyans used because of how he felt, so that already gave away his identity as an alien to anyone who would end up finding him.

Other than that he had a broken nose and that was pretty much it; most of his damage was internal injuries caused by the overflow of energy that hurt his body when he transformed into a super saiyan three. That form was heavily taxing and he needed to get used to it, otherwise every time he used it, the result would be catastrophic, and that rendered the form extremely dangerous to be used in combat, save for a short while.

Anyway, when the red-haired woman approached asking if there was someone out there, he heard her voice in the back of his mind, almost like when you are heaving a very deep dream and someone talks to you and you end up thinking that it’s either part of a dream, or you can’t figure out. Nasu groaned a bit, giving away his location, but other than that he didn’t say anything or move; it wasn’t like he could do any of those yet. So, there he was, one of the stronger – if not the strongest – of the universe in a completely vulnerable state.

– Ugh… - he moaned again when the red-haired woman approached him, kneeling by his side and slowly picked him and slung him over her shoulders, floating away from the crater. Although of muscular build, Nasu wasn’t particularly big, with a modest height of only 5’7” and lighter than what he would seem to be. He was still struggling to regain consciousness and he could feel the pain echoing from all of his body, still the price he was paying for having ascended to the super saiyan three form while his body was severely tired from the intense duel against Atsuko, on Paprika Wasteland, the place where those titanic powers were clashing less than a day ago. On top of that, his fight with his mother also injured his body who was still stressed from the power up from the Zenkai trait.

When she leaned his back against a trunk of a redwood tree, she mentioned that she could still feel his ki, and asked if he could say something. Nasu slowly opened his eyes, seeing the woman in front of him for the very first time. He could barely sense her power level, but that was because it wasn’t particularly high and he was still very dizzy and couldn’t focus enough. He tried to move, but his body was way too injured and he leaned back against the tree, sighing. ”Dammit… I feel like shit…” he thought to himself; Nasu remembered that he had told the members of the Saiyan Alliance to start looking for him if he took more than two days to come back and, right now, he was wasting this precious time. He needed to find Cambia, and he needed to go to the Timeless Lookout soon, but there was just no way he would be able to do it right now and that was overly frustrating.

He kept on staring at the woman until he was sure he could actually speak. – W-who… are you? – he simply asked her. His voice still shuddered a bit, but he was getting better, at least on the remaining conscious department. His body was aching entirely and he couldn’t move without feeling this huge and incapacitating discomfort.

The red-haired woman had manners and, once she said that it was good Nasu was capable of speaking, she bowed in a respectful manner, and that made him wonder the reason she did that. ”Is it because of my power? Or is it just the way she acts normally?” but he couldn’t come up with a definite answer, so he reached the conclusion that analyzing that was absolutely useless and dropped the subject within his own mind. Following the bow, the woman introduced herself as Seuta Hwa-Jae, a quite odd name, he thought, but those earthlings did indeed have weird names. She even offered him a less formal way to call her name before saying that she had found him in a crater nearby and that made him sigh a bit, slightly embarrassed and to gaze away for a second. ”Dammit… To think that I would fall before reaching the Lookout… it’s so shameful!” he thought, feeling rather disappointed and frustrated with himself, but it couldn’t be helped; his body was in no condition to keep on flying after his battle, and his stubbornness made him pay.

When he stared back at her with the corner of his eyes, he saw that she carried some primitive medicine and then pointed out his broken nose, making him frown his brows a bit and instinctively touch it, noticing how screwed up his mother’s knee strike left it. When she started tending to his wounds, he just grimaced a bit while she spoke, saying he needed a proper medical care, but he had no time for that. – My name is Nasu. And I can stand, but I would rather just fly… And I know I look like shit, I’ve been fighting for a whole day. – he said in a sulky tone, but then, as he stared at the woman, he sighed. ”Yeah, great… Go being absolutely rude to the person who helped you…” he reprehended himself. – I will return the favor one day… For… Doing this… - he said in a slightly embarrassed tone, and it was obvious that it was his way of thanking her, but he wasn’t used to such a thing, and that was crystal clear at this point.

This amount of kindness was something Nasu wasn’t really used to, so he was starting to feel slightly embarrassed by it all. When she mentioned that she wished they’ve met under better circumstances, he scoffed and gazed away for a second. ”Well… I can’t see that being good in any way possible…” he thought to himself, remembering the impressions the earthlings tend to have of saiyans. Speaking of which, it was really odd this woman wasn’t freaking out for the sole reason of Nasu being a saiyan, and that bugged him, making him stare back at her with a rather curious expression on his face, that could be easily masked by the expression of pain mixed in it. The red-haired woman stepped away from him in order to start a fire, but he didn’t pay enough attention to how she did that and, when she returned next to him, mentioning that the fire would keep him warm, he couldn’t help but to feel weird deep inside; it had been ages since a stranger showed him this much kindness. He hmphed, but only because he felt too embarrassed to thank her. In fact, Nasu wasn’t very used on thanking people for doing favors for him. – I guess… - was all he accomplished to say.

When Hwa-Jae mentioned food, his belly reacted immediately, making a loud noise, denouncing he was indeed starving. That noise, however, caught him off guard and made him grit his teeth in shame, getting all red.

”Damn stomach!” he cursed inside his mind. Luckily, she was quick to change the subject, asking about the person who did this to him. Nasu sighed briefly and stared to the skies for a moment, thinking of his mother and then closed his eyes. – The person who did this to me is dead… - he limited himself to say that, and he wasn’t lying; his mother was dead. He knew it could be interpreted in a whole different prism from what really happened, but he was fine with that. – You don’t have to worry about that person… - he added, slowly opening his eyes with a much more serious expression on his face, as he managed to get back to his slightly tan skin color.

Then, she mentioned his powerful ki signature and he scoffed again, not meaning to be rude, but maybe she would see it that way. – This is nowhere near my full power… I can increase my power level manifold. – he said in a rather blunt, but oddly honest tone. After that, she asked if he was heading to Korin’s Tower, the place where he had stolen a couple of beans on the last period he stayed on Earth and he shook his head. – No, I was heading beyond that… To the place known as Timeless Lookout… In fact, I should be going there as fast as possible… But I don’t want to go there in such a sorry state… - and the reason behind it was that Nasu believed he may have to fight people, or at least make a good display of power and intimidate them; he couldn’t see a scenario where the Z-Fighters would be welcoming him. Following that, the woman started tending to his wounds again and that made him blush and hmph again, but he didn’t resist; he knew all too well that he needed it. When she explained about the things she was using, he just nodded. Although he didn’t know this earthling medicine, it couldn’t be all that bad, right?

Finally, she surprised him again with a question that possibly explained a lot of her attitude towards him: she didn’t know what he was nor the reason he had a tail. Nasu stared at her deep inside her blue-colored eyes with a rather serious expression on his face. – Because I’m not an earthling… I’m a saiyan! Don’t you know what a saiyan is? – he asked her.

Nasu didn’t particularly care on how the medicine worked, as long as it worked in the end, so he paid little mind to Hwa-Jae’s explanation on that matter, just scoffing a bit once she finished explaining about it. Following that, the red-haired woman laughed of him a bit, saying he was rather grumpy, telling him that, although the food didn’t look all that tasty, it would be better than nothing, but Nasu didn’t really care about how it looked; he wasn’t a man of fancy taste on food, especially not after his first attempt at conquering a planet, on his teenage years, where he had to resort to eat pretty much anything he could hunt in a faraway planet. When she handed him the bread and the meat, together with the canteen of water, he was quick to devour it without any manners, just like a saiyan would do. ”God, I’m starving!” he thought to himself as he ended the food in seconds, sighing in relief once he finished it and drank the whole canteen in a single gulp. – Ahhh! – he exhaled.

As it was to be expected, the woman seemed to abhor the idea of killing, hoping she would never have to kill anyone. Nasu stared at her with a serious, yet curious expression on his face. – I’ve slaughtered thousands in my life… Still… Lately, I’ve been killing all that much to be fair… Oddly enough, I don’t miss blood all that much… Maybe I’m really getting softer… - and he didn’t seem to be bluffing or exaggerating in the slightest. In fact, he spoke of it in such a casual manner, that only seasoned killers would be able to, showing he had indeed claimed countless lives. He didn’t know how she would react to that information but, considering how kind and considerate she was being to him, she deserved the truth at the very least, since he couldn’t give her kindness. When she asked if there was something above the tower, he just nodded briefly. ”Volcano? Why would she go there anyway… Well, none of my damn business…” he thought, scratching the idea of asking her that.

Then, his bad behavior seemed to finally get to her and she said that he should be nice to a person being kind to him, and he couldn’t help but to hear Karota’s voice in the deepest part of his mind, together with his mother’s voice, echoing in such an annoying tone, that he had to close his eyes and massage his temple for a short while. She also said that she didn’t know what a saiyan was and that he looked like a tailed human. Nasu would be offended in the past, but, right now, he just didn’t care all that much and just sighed in mild annoyance as he would be having to explain quite a lot to her. Before he could do so, though, she said that pride came before the fall, and it reminded him again of how badly he was beating by his mother. He sighed yet again and stared back at her with a serious expression on his face.

– I didn’t ask for help, but obviously I needed and I intend to repay you for that, and I’m a person of word. – and that was a way to say thank you without saying it, and it was already quite obvious that he had plenty of trouble in showing gratitude or weakness. – And, for your actions, you deserve to know. I’m indeed an alien from the strongest warrior race in the whole universe. We are prideful and powerful, with a ruthless nature, so… You can’t expect for the average saiyan to be kind, especially not a saiyan ruler, such as myself. – he revealed and, with that revelation, he cracked a mischievous grin on his face.

– I’m Nasu, the Overseer of the Saiyan Alliance, the strongest faction in this whole universe. Our ranks are filled with super saiyans, legendary saiyan warriors who can surpass any natural body limitation and increase our powers manifold! – and, with those words, Nasu got back to his feet. It still hurt to do that, but he did nevertheless; the medicine and the food where enough to make him functional again and, although he still couldn’t show her his fullest power – otherwise he would most certainly die – he was now strong enough to show a little bit of it, that should be more than enough to make her understand just how much power she was dealing with. Nasu’s hair bristled and then grew spiked, as he exhaled deeply, his hair became light golden in color and his pitch black eyes became teal. His skin also became paler and his power level increase so much that seemed completely absurd as he reached his fully powered super saiyan form.

[Super Saiyan Full Power. Current Power Level: 7,229,552]

– Now this… Is a Super Saiyan! – he said. His tail, however, remained brown, due to his dominant saiyan genes. The newly restored strength in his body felt absurdly good and the transformation into that form made him feel much better, although he was far from being in perfect shape. Still, he didn’t fail to notice how powerful he was now. ”I’m as strong as when I turned super saiyan two for the first time…” he mused in awe, but then he focused on the woman again and, sighing briefly, he returned to his base form, making his hair become black again and his power level to drop to its base.

– I think I’m good to go to the Lookout now. Your medicine was good. – he admitted. – And the food. – he added. Then, he stared towards the Korin’s Tower. – Would you like to accompany me? Since you said you didn’t even know the lookout existed. – he asked that out of the blue.

The girl had a lot of sayings and proverbs, and Nasu was beginning to notice that, but, still, he wouldn’t make any comment regarding that. But of one thing she was definitely right: the universe was a cold and cruel place, and those who lacked strength were destined to be swallowed by those who had it. Saiyans, while a strong warrior race, weren’t beyond being threatened and killed if they weren’t trained enough to tap into their potential, and, therefore, they needed a faction like the Saiyan Alliance, where they could live and develop, sheltered from the harms of their enemies, such as the Kold Empire and the Planet Trade Organization. After transforming and reverting back, Nasu, remembering the question about the saiyans she had made prior, he began to explain a bit more. – We are originally from a planet called Salad. That was our native planet almost a millennia ago, but due to our internal conflicts, we destroyed it. Like I’ve said… Saiyans are naturally belligerent and warriors, so we tend to be aggressive. We are much more peaceful now, but, still, you wouldn’t want to irritate a saiyan. – he remarked, pausing briefly before continuing. – Then, once Planet Salad was destroyed, the survivors fled it and we found another planet, then called Planet Plant. It was inhabited by a cruel race named Tuffles, who enslaved us and left us to rot in the wastes. But they didn’t know about our power and, when the fullmoon appeared, we crushed them all in a single night. After that, we claimed the planet as our second home and named it after the leader of our race and it became Planet Vegeta. Then, after many years and long wars… The saiyan race split up into two factions and the second faction, sick of the traditional saiyan’s bloodthirsty ways, found another home, called Planet Natto. That’s where I come from. – he was making the story much shorter than it actually was, but, if she was really interested, he could go into details later.

Then, to answer her about the super saiyan form, there were so many questions, anyway. Nasu inhaled a bit and then began explaining again. – Not all saiyans are capable of transforming into a super saiyan, but they all have the potential if they grow strong enough and find the right emotional trigger. Also… - he paused once again. – This isn’t the only form we can ascend to… No, this is actually only the first form. I’ve reached another two forms that further increases my power. In the end, I can get about three times stronger. – he added, in an honest tone, being pretty clear he wasn’t gloating or bragging about his power. Then, when she said she couldn’t compare to that power, he chuckled a bit. – Well… Saiyans are the stronger race in the universe, but I have to admit, some of you earthlings can get pretty strong. It’s about the right training and dedication. - Then, after she spoke again, he sighed, closing his eyes for a bit, with a far more serious expression on his face now.

– I can’t tell if there’s a place for you there. I don’t know if I will be seen as an enemy or an ally when I get there. I have to admit, I may gave considered blowing up this planet a while ago. I’m wasn’t the best of a person, but someone important to me made me promise to look after this planet so… Yeah…. Anyway… You’ve helped me Hwa-Jae. If anyone go as far as to point a finger at you, they will face complete obliteration. – and he didn’t seem to be exhagerating. – So, if you are willing to tag along… - he added and then, Nasu frowned his eyebrows, as something touched his mind. It was Cambia, his half-sister and she didn’t seem to be happy or anything, but, oddly enough, she was summoning him to the Lookout. The saiyan Overseer exhaled deeply again and stared at the red-haired woman, to see what her answer would be.

Nasu couldn’t help but to relate to his father’s and his master’s teachings on both the Soy and the Wolf School. In the end, martial arts, no matter how different they were, had similar principles and they were the base needed for a good progress. Nasu nodded briefly, agreeing with her words. – Yes, will is a key factor in evolving and that can be applied to any race. Of course some have more potential than others, but, in the end, you can at least try evening the odds. – he said and he truly believed that. Not in a thousand lives Nasu would place some races such as the earthlings on the same esteem as the saiyans, but he knew better than to outright underestimate them. And, on top of that, although yet unknown to him, Hwa-Jae wasn’t an earthling, or at least not entirely.

Then, she said that she would be going with him and he nodded. He would have smiled if it wasn’t for Cambia’s telepathic message to him. Once Hwa-Jae had spoken, he just rolled his eyes in his orbits a bit, exhaling a bit. – It’s a shitty place in my opinion, but… Be my guess… Anyway… I won’t fly at my top speed, but try to catch up. – he said and, then, without wasting any more time, Nasu flared his ghostly-white ki aura around his body and soared into the skies, heading straight towards the lookout, sensing Cambia’s newly increased power level. On top of that, he felt another power approaching quickly and that made him narrow his brows. ”Komatsu had just arrived there…” he realized.