The Values of Life and Death [Flashback, Rukia Only]

It didn't take long for her knock to get answered. Although the greeting she got was rather unusual to say the least. The first being to greet her was vibrating at such a fast speed that it was a little hard to make out. They then quickly flew over her head and out of view. Although not quickly enough for Tomina to turn her head to the side and identify the alien.

{"I didn't expect to see a Supidoan here of all places. This individual has managed to but together quite the menagerie of creatures. Are they building an army? It would be a formidable one if that was the case."}

The next person to greet her was the one with the really strong power level. They… looked like a teen human. Although her energy signature indicated that she was much more than that. When they commented on her knocking, Tomina let out a snort.

“Ha! I’m not desperate enough to join your oversized orphanage for extraterrestrials. I just knocked that loudly so that you couldn’t complain if you didn’t answer the door and I had to smash it in. That's a good one though, I’ll have to admit. It is an impressive structure though. Where did you travel from to settle down here?”

Tomina had never encountered a Vampire before. She didn’t even know the word “vampire” existed. She assumed Rukia was an immigrant since all the strong individuals on Earth weren't native to the planet. Tomina decided to get to the point of her visit.

“I don’t like beating around the bush, so I’ll just cut to the chase. I’m here for you and your power. Do you believe in the afterlife?”

Tomina slid her hands to her waist, waiting for this individual to respond to her unusual question. It was a strange thing to ask out of the blue, but Tomina didn't know of a easy way to transition into the subject matter she wished to talk about with this person. This was probably going to be a pain to explain no matter what she did.

---

The Saiyan hybrid chuckled at the Vampire’s crack. This individual seemed to have a more serious demeanor then she did, but that didn’t stop her from being as quick on her feet mentally. It was rare that Tomina ran into someone who she couldn’t outpace easily.

“Well you aren’t wrong. Me and my comrades pretty much made the northern half of the planet uninhabitable. Caesar demolished South City from the sound of things. And now most recently East City has been destroyed as well. Since you were in the area at the time, I presume you had a role in that. I would say you should just find another planet to live on, but planets have been blowing up on a regular basis lately. So living anywhere with breathable air is dangerous at this point.”

Tomina stared at Rukia with a bemused expression when she told here that not only was she born on this planet, but she was also from Earth. Not only that, but her species was born on this planet? How was that even remotely possible?

“Your kind originates from here? Earthlings are supposed to be weak though. I don’t know anything about this new one, but their previous Queen couldn’t do anything against us. We slaughtered her easily, and she was one of the stronger Earthlings I’ve encountered. What exactly are you?”

Tomina still managed to keep her head in things despite how baffled she was by the fact that an Earthling had powerful comparable to some of the stronger fighters of the Saiyan race. Although her eyes widened for a moment as this person let slip just exactly how much she knew about the afterlife. Cornatto hadn’t mentioned this individual before, so he couldn’t have already told her about it. So where had she got this information from? She supposed she would find out soon enough.

The Saiyan hybrid could see that this was not a subject that they weren’t going to enjoy talking about. Well, she was just going to have to swallow it down like some nasty tasting medicine. Although like medicine, she would feel better after taking it in.

“Heh, you’re good at getting information I see. You’ve even told me some things that even I didn’t know about the afterlife. This makes it easier though: I don’t have to waste time trying to convince you that it exists. Since you told me things that I wasn’t aware of, I’ll return the favor and fill in some blanks for you. Although I’m going to have to give you a bit of context first.”

Tomina felt the girl’s energy increase as her eyes turned red. She had released a bit more of her power when she had started talking about the afterlife. This individual appeared to be level headed, although their powers seemed to be tied to their emotions as well. It was one of those things Tomina stored in the back of her head: how people responded to certain things.

Tomina increased her own power accordingly. She entered what she liked to call her Super Saiyan Crimson form. Her hair turned a bright crimson, flowing out behind her like dancing flames. Her sea blue orbs changing from deep blue to a golden shade. The air around her got just a bit warmer as her power increased. It was a very simple message to this individual: I can keep up with anything that you can do.

“I am a member of the Saiyan Galactic Kingdom. We recently invaded Earth and planted the Tree of Might, which was a bio-weapon that sucks the energy from a planet and bears fruit that you can consume to become more powerful. Of course, the inhabitants of this planet didn’t take kindly to that. Which was why the Alliance and their friends came to stop us. Even a God of Creation took part in things. They tried to stop the fighting by saying that the universe had a low Morality Level and it was going to be destroyed if we didn’t stop killing each other. I of course thought it was a bunch of crap. I mean, they were the enemy, so of course they’d want us to stop fighting.”

Tomina scowled as she recalled the ill-fated battle between the two forces. She had gotten a power boost from the fruit, and had come out of it stronger than ever due to a Zenkai boost. It had come at her expense, and the expense of those in the kingdom had died. It was a defeat that Tomina wouldn’t forget. It only made her all the determined to get stronger.

“After we lost and were forced to retreat, an Alliance Saiyan we murdered appeared on our ship and approached me. He confirmed everything that Kai said and told me that he wanted to recruit me for the Tournament of Power. Which involves the strongest fighters of our universe facing off again the strongest of another universe. Apparently both our mortal levels are low, so the losing universe will be erased from existence.”

Tomina gave it time for that to sink in for this person. She knew that she didn't have to explain the distinction between death and being completely erased. There was no way of coming back for the latter. That was how dire the situation was.

“This recruiter was chosen by the God of Destruction herself apparently. Despite her being the most powerful being I’ve ever encountered,she and the rest of the Gods seem to be terrified over this, and the contestants who have been chosen are working with people who they loathe, myself included. I despise all but one person chosen for that tournament. Although that might be about to change.”

Now they were getting to the heart of the matter. Tomina looked the Vampire in the eye, her gaze unwavering before the blood red orbs. She wanted to convey how serious she was about this next part.

“I want you to come and meet the recruiter so that he can include you as a part of the team. You don’t have to go if you don't want to, but the stronger our team, the higher our chances are for survival. But if self-preservation isn’t enough of a selling point to you, there's also a prize that gets handed out to the fighter that performs the best. A wish with the Super Dragonballs. I don't know much about them, but apparently they're more powerful than any other set of wishing orbs. So what say you?”

Tomina did hope that she could convince this person to fight for their universe. This person was not only strong, but cunning as well. She would be quite the valuable asset. Still, there was one more elephant in the room to deal with.

“Caesar is currently one of the fighters in the tournament of power. Given that he’s being forced to participate and thinks the universe should just be erased, it wouldn't surprise me if he turned on us. I don't like the idea of letting Nakiya run amok. If she isn't picked for the tournament, then she could take advantage of the strongest fighters being gone to launch an attack. That is her M.O. after all. She attacked and destroyed Saiya while we were invading Earth. She isn't exactly the most brave of individuals.”

Tomina clenched her fist, the heat around her slightly increasing. The Kingdom had completely lost in more ways in one the day they assaulted Earth. It was a humiliating defeat for every Saiyan in the Kingdom.

“You are right that death is practically meaningless. Well, it is for powerful beings such as you and I. We could break out in a heartbeat. That being said, beings that threaten the existence of the universe must be dealt with. Just simply killing those beings won’t be enough. Even if we win the tournament, the Universe’s mortal level would still be low. Which brings us to the other reason why I came here today.”

Now where was when Tomina decided to go into plans that Cornatto and the others knew nothing of. She was going to go above and beyond once the tournament had concluded.

“First I need to know what your stance is on this issue. Would you do whatever it takes to preserve the Universe? I know you have goals and inspirations. Only the most ambitious beings work to acquire the power that we possess. As long as they don't threaten the existence of the universe, I don't care what they are, nor would I try and interfere in your business like the self-righteous scum tend to do.”

When it came to others being ruthless and committing actions that people with high morals would object to, Tomina didn't judge people for it. She only had issues with them when they put her race in their crosshairs. There were certain people she loathed for a few different reasons, but simply being ambitious was something that Tomina understood.

Tomina didn't know this individual yet, but the pursuit of power was something that she could relate to. The more strength you had, the easier it was to change things. That was the absolute truth of the Universe. The strong could do what they want, and the weak either obeyed or perished. That was the way it had always been, and it would most likely never change.

---

Tomina enters her Super Elemi form.

Tomina could feel the presence of some of the other inhabitants of the mansion get close. Even if Tomina didn’t intend on fighting anyone, she always did pay attention to her surroundings. It was the natural state of mind of a Saiyan who grew up in the Empire such as herself: she was constantly on alert, even when she seemed like she was at ease. Only very rarely was she so focused on one activity that lost awareness of everything else.

Although Tomina could honestly say that this was one of those rare instances where she wished she didn’t have to focus on everything at once. When she was just having a conversation with someone. The Elemi hybrid grinned widely at Rukia’s disdain towards beings she didn’t like. Finally, someone who wasn’t a Saiyan was speaking her language!

“So, those rats were scuttling about on this planet? I’d love to send my regards to those demons and that cowardly bitch that they call a Queen, but the tournament plays presidence. Those demons think they’re safe in their little dimension. Rats take comfort in hiding in the walls. But you can always force them out, and then they’ll have nowhere to go.”

Tomina was absolutely furious about what the Demons had done on Saiya. Fortunately she had vented out most of her rage at their actions back on the ship. Besides, she was enjoying the rest of the conversation too much to be bothered by it for long. While she would have to be careful in how she handled things, the demons would suffer the consequences for what they did.

“Beings like you and I shouldn't have to deal with annoying inferior beings. We both have duties and ambitions we wish to fulfil. Whether it's demon scum or a weak Earthling over their head, they need to know their place. From of the sound of things, this new Queen of theirs doesn't realize where things stand. With how much you seem to hate her, I’m surprised you didn’t just kill her. Even if she came back, you would have been rid of this blonde for a time.”

That was the way most many Empire Saiyans dealt with people they didn't like. If you hated someone, you killed them. If for some reason you couldn’t kill them, then you made their life a living hell. Tomina had experienced the latter back in her youth. The best way to deal with that kind of thing was to get stronger then all of them and the return the favors with interest. Well, that was the nice way of putting it. Needless to say, no one gave her crap for being a hybrid after her display of superiority.

This person then talked about her race to her. Before Tomina would have dismissed this as bogus. A race composed of undead people was a ghost story you told around a campfire. Now that she knew about the afterlife and a bit about how the Universe functioned, she was much more open to the existence of unusual beings, among other things.

The name of her race was Vampire. Well she would look into it later, as this individual suggested she should do. Tomina wasn't surprised to be informed that the previous Queen of Earth had no formal training. It was clear that she had been out of her league.

“Inaccuracies or not, I should be able to learn about Vampires from sources on Earth. I’ll sort out what's right and what’s wrong once I witness what your kind is capable of. It isn't just humans that are weak on this planet though. That Queen looked like she was part… fox. Yeah, that's what that creature is referred to on this planet.”

Tomina knowledge on things native to Earth had a few holes in it. When it came to most other planets in the Galaxy, she was practically a walking encyclopedia. You could ask the Saiyan hybrid anything about alien worlds and their inhabitants, and she would give you very detailed responses. If she felt like divulging that information to whoever asked the question.

Barring a few exceptions, she was well versed in the abilities and capabilities of other races. Traveling to many planets and taking part in countless battles meant that she picked up quite a few things. Not only that, but she was also one of the few Saiyans who studied their enemies as much as possible. Tomina had poured over data files filled with information on other species. This way she would be more prepared for a battle.

Yet there was surprisingly little information on Earth. All Tomina really knew is that they were supposedly weak individuals who they could easily conquer. Her mother had very adamant on the matter, saying that they only lost because of the treacherous Natto turned on them in the middle of the fight. Queen Lettis was more than confident about taking Earth, right after she had dealt with the Alliance. Tomina had just assumed she was right and didn’t question it. She would see for herself when they invaded the blue marble.

Now Tomina was starting to get a different picture of things. The wretched Tomoroko had told her that Earth had produced mechanical fighters that were on par with the Super Saiyan Two form. Tomina had dismissed it as Alliance propaganda: there was no way Earth could produce such fighters. That belief was thrown right out the window the moment the Vampire informed her of her origins. That meant that Tomoroko might have been telling the truth. Which annoyed the Saiyan hybrid quite a bit.

Tomina felt like many of her beliefs were being debunked. It was a rather unpleasant feeling in a way she wasn't used to. Tomina pushed forward and continued talking about a Earthling who only had the strength that most Saiyans thought Earthlings had.

“She tried disrupting the charge attacks of our stronger warriors. She must have known she was.outmatched, and yet she kept on doing what she could against us. I wonder what possessed her to fight and not run off before our might. Did she feel safe with strong comrades around her? Was the Earth so important to her that she wanted to do all that she could? Did she had people she cherished so much that they were more important than her own life? What would possess someone to dive headfirst into a situation that was essentially suicide?”

The arrogance of weaker beings that thought they could challenge the Saiyans was laughable. They had the gall to think that they could actually stop them. They could sense that they were out of their league, and yet came at them anyway. It was annoying for any powerful Saiyan seeking a worthy opponent: sometimes they had to squash some insects. While that was fun in its own way, it got old pretty quickly.

“I understand strong beings fighting to the bitter end to keep their planet. Yet she was so weak her attacks only served as a distraction. She did force us to use a charge to kill her, so I suppose her death had meaning behind it. It was maddening though. Earth is a planet where the majority of people don't even know what ki is. Yet they have remained a free planet, completely defying the natural order of things.”

Tomina’s hair glowed briefly for a moment, a few embers flying off from the end of it. Since Tomina was part Elemi, her body often betrayed her and gave out cues that people could pick up on. It was clear that she was agitated when bringing this subject matter up.

“The strong do as they wish and the weak obey or die. That rings true everywhere else in the universe. Despite all the invasions, the Earthlings still have free weaklings living comfortable lives. Where were all these “heros” when we needed them? No one helped us in our two hundred year war against the Kold Demons. Our planet was destroyed and we were pushed to the brink. We used the dragonballs and brought our people back. We acquired the Super Saiyan transformation for the first time in centuries! We earned our freedom, our world with our strength!”

Tomina clenched her fist, squeezing her palm tightly as her voice grew louder. There was a tinge of pride in Tomina’s voice when she was talking about her heritage. She was proud of who she was. Her disdain for Earthlings was becoming quite apparent as well. Tomina lowered her voice back to normal as she continued onward.

“Earth’s freedom is infuriating. They’re all weak beings that should have been easy to subjugate. If they were all strong like you, I could accept that. But no, they have their guardian angels watching over them. They’re an entitled race that takes everything for granted. We had to become powerful to crush our enemies and to protect our worlds. Earth has the luxury of other beings protecting them though. You should know how I feel: that blonde Queen you’ve been insulting claimed a title that should be rightfully yours. You're the strongest Earthling I’ve ever encountered, so you deserve to rule this planet.”

A few more embers flew out from her hair, sputtering out as they hit the ground. Yes, this was a something that got Tomina fired up. Fortunately she was starting to get a little better at controlling herself. Things were made easier when the conversation shifted back to a more fun subject matter. Tomina smirked at the Vampire as she brought up how disappointed she was in demons.

“Well what do you expect? They have fairly strong individuals among them, and yet the majority of them are cowardly beings. They only fight when they feel like they have a huge advantage. The first time Queen Nakiya and her forces fought us on Brench, she was backed up by Caesar’s lackies. The second time she attacked Saiya, she waited until all of our strong warriors were gone to launch an assault. They’re a race that lacks courage of any kind of honor.”

Tomina had accepted that they had made a tactical error and sent all their major forces to Earth. In hindsight that seemed like the right move to do, since even with their full might they still lost the fight. Earth was too well defended to afford leaving someone behind. Yet if there had just been one or more strong people holding the fort, they might still have a planet they could call home.

“I think Demons are like this because Makai is in another dimension. Since their homeworld can’t be accessed by other species easily, they feel like they can cause any kind of trouble they want and then return safely to their home. They’re rather fond of hit and run blitz strategies. Makai’s existence pisses me off as much as Earth does. If it wasn't on another plane, we would have defeated them long ago. The day will come when they won't have that world to fall back on.”

Tomina’s lips curled into a particularly cruel smile. It was the expression she gave when she was looking forward to slaughtering a mighty foe. Dethroning that Queen was going to be particularly enjoyable.

“I’ve learned how to open portals to their realm. The Saiyan race can now access that world at their leisure. Their dimension will be obliterated and their leaders killed. They’ll probably come back, but it will be to a universe that hates them with no place to hide. Of course we have to make sure we don't kill too many of them. We don't want the mortal level to drop much further than it already is.”

Tomina hated the fact that she now had to be more careful on how she approached things. Once upon a time, things were simple for her. See an enemy, kill them. That's how it used to be.

Now she strategically had to plan things to avoid as much casualties as possible on all sides of a fight. Which enemies they killed and spared was now necessary to ensure everything remained in existence. Still, this wouldn't stop her from striking a major blow against those frightened mice.

“Losing their world will crush their spirits. Oh, I have no doubt they'll try and strike back at first. But all it amounts to is just a fish flopping about on dry land. It will get them nowhere and they will no longer be able to do anything. Once they're permanently separated from their natural environment, they will eventually lose the will to fight. The demons shall be taught their place in the universe, and will be stripped of their safety net and live in this cruel universe with the rest of us.”

Tomina scowled, her face darkening the moment Rukia brought up Flare. Oddly enough, she had gotten over yet another planet that comrades were on was destroyed. Flare on the other hand was a sore subject that she had not gotten over yet. Her hair waved more wildly, like flames that created a mighty inferno.

“My aunt isn’t qualified for any type of leadership position. She’s strong for sure: she possesses more power then she deserves. You want to know what kind of leader she would be? Then listen to what I have to say about her.”

Tomina was still enraged over how her fight with her aunt had played out. God how she hated that woman. She hated the fact that she was related to her at all.

“She admitted to whoring herself out to Caesar. From the sound of things it was a part of some type of deal to keep him from hurting the people of Earth. Well that didn’t stop Caesar from attacking regardless. I could sense her arrive along with the arrival of a few others. When the Saiyan Galactic Kingdom invaded, most of them went to engage Nasu. Once Chris entered the fray, Flare was the only one remotely close to Caesar’s level on the scene. She had two fairly capable allies there that could have tipped the balance in their favor. So what does this self-proclaimed defender of the Earth do?”

It was taking quite a bit of effort to not lose herself to her emotions. She normally would have exploded already, but she wanted to be able to control her emotions so that she wouldn’t have a repeat of her fight with her aunt.

“She left her comrades and the Earthlings of that city to die. I mean I don't give a rats ass about the lives of those people. But to come spouting all this protecting my home crap while abandoning others in their home and making it easy for Caesar to destroy the Earth if he wanted to. This planet has the longest streak of good luck I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Tomina took a deep breath, closing her eyes and thinking of pleasant things to calm her down. Fortunately Tarro was a stable, happy part of her life she could now hold onto. The air cooled down slightly, her hair dimming a bit. Tomina opened her eyes, once again addressing the powerful vampire.

“My aunt may have a strong power level, but she is a weak woman. Someone who preaches about defending their home, but isn't willing to put her life on the line to protect what she cherishes the most. I imagine fighting me was a more favorable thing to her as opposed to fighting Caesar. She was a good deal stronger than me in pure power. I still had control of the fight though. She only beat me because she acquired a new transformation and defeated me in an instant.”

The memory of that was still a painful one for Tomina. She had given it her all to make up for the overwhelming disadvantage she had in that battle. Her experience and techniques were enough to close the gap. Yet she had lost without being able to do anything. All her preparation, all her training, and she had been defeated by an unstable relative that she couldn't stand in the slightest. It was a humiliation that she would never forget.

“She only beat me through sheer brute force. And this is the woman you think should be Queen? Pure strength doesn't cover up her glaring faults. I haven’t even known you for an hour, and I don’t know your name. Yet I already know that you're much better fit to be Queen then she is.”

Tomina simply nodded when Rukia mentioned that they could have had less casualties. On the one hand, things could have been handled better. On the other hand…

“We were too prideful to give up. While enjoying the fruit after Nasu destroyed the tree, both sides didn't back down. Nasu had a chance to leave alive, but his pride wouldn't allow him to leave. I would have made the same decision probably: backing down from a fight is cowardly, and only acceptable if you stand to gain a lot from backing down. If it's just our lives on the line, then it isn’t enough to make us flee.”

The conversation then switched to the Anubians. Fortunately Carva had informed her on what they were called when he got into contact with her. So she knew exactly which race Rukia was talking about.

“Two of them showed up to defend Earth. One of them was defeated handily. The other one killed one of my subordinates. He managed to break out from hell, so things worked out. Because this otherworld seems to have only one security guard watching things, going by how easy it seems to be to come back.”

Tomina listened with interest as the Vampire conveyed her thoughts on the Tournament of Power. It was not what Tomina had been expecting at all. Then again, knowing what to expect when it came to this person was a challenge in itself. Tomina didn't let any of it phase her though.

“It doesn't matter if it hurts or is painless, being wiped from existence means everything will be gone forever. Why this tournament is happening doesn't matter either. We just have to deal with things as they come along. I don't know what, if any, limitations these super dragonballs have. The recruiter implied that the person who did the best in the tournament would get to make the wish, regardless of their strength. There is much that I still don't know though. I intend on acquiring as much knowledge as possible. If I’m to move forward with my plans, I need to understand how the Universe functions.”

The Vampire then explained to her how Earthlings spent their final moments. Tomina chuckled, shaking her head from side to side. These Earthlings never ceased to amaze her.

“They either just sit around and wait to die, waste their time doing nothing, or just go all out and have their fun? Shit, humans are even more pathetic than I thought they were. Understand that last one: if I was a weak human about to be obliterated, I might as well make the most of it. Coward away or doing nothing significant with their last minutes is dumb. It completely baffles me that they’re survived as a species for this long.”

Then the Vampire brought up a subject matter that made her eyes widened. If Nakiya wasn't picked for the tournament, then what was to stop her from taking advantage of it and take over everything. Tomina reached up and rubbed the side of her head, a habit she tended to do when carefully thinking about something.

“You’re right… that vindictive bitch would definitely do that. The tournament takes place in a very short window of time, but if she decides to lead an all out assault.... I néed to alert as many people as possible. Maybe convince the higher ups to either send warriors back when they lose their fight or directly coming down and stopping her like they tried to stop us. Maybe it would be a.good idea to have you watch over things. our top 5 warriors are monsters, myself included. If the remaining 5 members are at least decently strong, we should be able to get through it without you. Still, if universe 4’s warriors are all monsters, then you might be needed to guarantee our victory. What should we do…”

While Tomina was pondering how they should approach things, there was some interesting information that she picked up from the Vampire. This person was telling her more things about her own kind. Specifically, how their transformations worked. More info to file away for later.

“I’m mostly interested in what kind of warriors they have. Will there be species I’ve never encountered. They better be as strong as they're hyped up to be. Power is always consequential, even if it doesn't curse others the way yours does. It affects everyone around you, and their perception they have on you. Even if it doesn't harm them just by being near them, a power vastly greater than their own instills fear in them. Sometimes even when it's your own comrades.”

Tomina thought back to how scared Luffy was of her back on the ship. He had endured being around all those strong powers, but broke into a cold sweat when he was near her. A big part of it was because she had revealed who her mother was. The woman widely regarded as the most ruthless and cruel Saiyaness to ever exist.

Tomina’s power was now comparable to her mother's, so of course some Saiyans were scared of her. She would use this reputation to its full advantage: it made it all the easier to make her enemies fear her.

The vampire released more power. This time there was a very notable change in her appearance. She appeared to be older than before. Were each of these transformations like this? If they progressively made her look older, it would be interesting to see what she looked like at full power.

Tomina entered her next transformation, which was a more refined version of her current one. Tomina’s red hair acquired a tinge of orange, making her hair resemble a fire even more. The jump between this form and the last one was bigger than the jump Rukia did with her new transformation. The fiery Saiyan hybrid folded her arms together, raising an eyebrow at the vampire. Surely this wasn’t all she was capable of.

“Caesar did not join this tournament because he wants to be there. He's made it clear that he’d would rather that everything would end. He is the strongest being out there besides Nasu though, so it doesn't surprise me that the higher ups went to such extremes to force him onto the team. It also wouldn't surprise me if Caesar turned on us.”

That possibility was why she had sought out the vampire in the first place. They needed a very good fallback in case the worst case scenario happened. Although Tomina had begrudgingly admitted it would be better if one strong person was left behind to keep things in check.

“Nakiya plans on going forward with her plans no matter what. Queen Kinoko is convinced that Nakiya is just going to keep sitting back and subtly influencing things. There's no reason not to hold back at this stage of things though. Nakiya is going to come out swinging full force. And there's a possibility Caesar betrays the team and helps her. Everyone has to prepare for the worst case scenario.”

Tomina unfolded her arms, sliding one down to her hip. She leaned slightly to the left, regarding the vampire as she spoke up about the main problem they would have to deal with afterward the tournament of power. For even if they pulled through that, they wouldn't be out of the woods yet. Fortunately a plan had been brewing in Tomina’s mind for awhile now.

“I’ve come to realize that our universe has entered a never-ending cycle that has sent us on a downward spiral. The cycle of hatred, vengeance, and self-righteous. Going back to the 200 year war we had with the Kold demons, they were the ones who struck first. They were determined to subjugate us. We once were justified in our anger. That hatred has never gone away though. Even now I despise all of those bastards.”

Tomina clenched her his again, staring down at her gloved hand. She thought about all the fights she had been in, all the foes she had faced over the years. Since the Planet Trade Organization was comprised of many species, Tomina only view her own people as her allies. She had to look at the bigger picture now though.

“I will always hate them, but I don’t have act on it. Even if we could erase everyone's memory it would only be a temporary solution. Hatred would still exist. The Kold Empire attacked us. In our fury we attacked them, winning and forming our own Empire. That Empire was overthrown by the Alliance, who hated us our abhorrent actions. Caesar has taken over and or destroyed multiple planets for god knows why. We chose to use the Tree Of might on Earth in part because we hadn't forgiven this planet for the wrongs they inflicted on us in the past. Nakiya and her allies have attacked us Saiyans multiple times. Now a war between Saiyans and demons looms on the horizon."

Tomina looked up into the sky, her hand stroking her hair again. She thought of everything that had led her to this point. Things had certainly turned in directions Tomina didn’t even know existed. She had given things a lot of thought, and had come to one conclusion.

“The strong keep on coming back from the dead. The weak who are killed will be stuck in the afterlife and reduce our mortal rating further. It's become clear that this has gone out of the Gods control. When we invaded Earth, one of the Kais had given a fusion technique to Komatsu and Chris, combining their powers to defeat Nasu. They have resorted to using mortals to try and fix things. As such, salvation does not lie within the heavens. It must be created with our own hands. I intend on bringing an end to the cycle. Which brings us to the other thing I want to talk to you about.”

Tomina turned her gaze downward, staring at the Vampire as she took a couple of steps forward. She was still a comfortable distance away from her, but at this distance it was easier to take in all the little details on each of their faces. Tomina’s brow had furrowed, indicating that she was serious about what she was about to bringing it up.

“I plan on founding an organization with the intent to raise the universe's mortal level, and to make sure the universe doesn't relapse into its current state. You would be a prime candidate for this organization. You wouldn't have to take orders from me. You and I would be “Gods” so to speak. We each would have the right to select disciples to work under us. God wouldn't be able to order each other around, or give out commands to someone else's disciples.”

Tomina wasn't vain enough to think herself an actual Goddess. The term “God” was a title that the beings from the other worlds used. God of creation, God of Destruction, God ki users… with the possible exception of the second one, each of those could die like anything else. Tomina and the other Gods would simply shape the universe the way it was supposed to be.

“Of course we would all come together on important issues and deal with them if necessary. Although that would be for situations we couldn’t handle on our own. Whether it's subtly influencing things or having to use brute force to deal with certain individuals, we’ll stride towards our ultimate goal: doing what the Gods are supposed to be doing and running the universe ourselves.”

Tomina turned around, folding her hands behind her back and turning her gaze upwards once again. What she had in mind was a long term plan. Although she would stop at nothing to ensure the universe stayed in existence.

“The end goal is to raise generations who can coexist with one another, and run the universe ourselves. I would prefer it if I could initiate peace talks with Nakiya and the Saiyans and arrange for a treaty for a hundred year ceasefire. However I suspect that no one will be willing to compromise, especially Nakiya. Which is why I suspect that Makai will have to be destroyed in order for the demons to be brought into line.”

Tomina turned around, once again looking at Rukia. She seemed to be entirely focused on the Vampire once again. Things were becoming more clear for the Saiyan hybrid.

“Before things move forward, I need to fully understand how things work. I will do all I can to learn how this universe operates, to make it easier to run. What other universes have done right, everything that us and Universe 4 did wrong, as much information as I can. I will also attempt to recruit compatible members if the Universe 7 team once the tournament is over. This will give you time to think things over.”

Tomina watched the Vampire closely, not wanting to miss even the smallest reaction to what she was saying. She wanted to get even the most tiny insight into what this individual was thinking. This person was tricky to gauge, so anything to work with would be important.

“I’d prefer it if I didn't get an answer right away. When I return, I’ll be able to accurately assess you on where you stand on things. If your final decision is not to participate in the tournament, then only a couple of people would be able to stand up to you. The actions you take when no one else can stand in your way will be very telling. As I said before, I don't care what you do, as long as your actions don’t threaten the existence of the universe.You're the first person who isn't a Saiyan that I actually tolerate. Who knows what the future might being? It would be such a shame if we became enemies.”

Tomina wasn't exaggerating by any means. From the day she was released from the incubation chamber to the present day 15 years after that, she had never encountered a non-Saiyan that she didn't hate for one reason or another. This Vampire was the first alien she had a conversation on equal footing with. And it was actually playing out like an actual conversation. It was refreshing to say the least. The Vampire next brought things back to my tournament of power. Tomina nodded her head in agreement.

“It would be a good idea to have a bit of variety among of team members. A good chunk of the people picked so far are at least part Saiyan, myself concluded. I’ll bring the idea of a Namekian or some other strong being who can regenerate up to the table. Although the final decision ultimately isn't up to me.”

Tomina let out a sigh when Rukia inquired into why the strongest wasn’t the leader of the team. She was getting a headache just recalling her first encounter with her fellow teammates.

“I suspect they picked someone more neutral to be the team Captain to try and ease tensions. If the strongest was picked, then that would be Nasu. Who recently invaded Earth, if you recall. While the team Captain Cornatto seems to have been able to put his feelings aside, Flare definitely still holds hard feelings towards him, and probably Komatsu as well. Considering that potential candidates might have been involved in the war in the north, I’m sure other people would have hard feelings towards him leading them.”

Of course, that wasn't even the most frustrating part. If it was just a hatred of one person, maybe it would be manageable. But things went deeper than that.

“When I arrived on this planet, the team only had 5 confirmed members. And already they were at each other's throats. Pretty much everyone there loathes Caesar, except the team captain for some reason. Komatsu was treating Flare like crap, and they’re supposed to be allies. I despise most of the people on that team too. But this is not the time to deal with personal grudges. I swear, all of them are a bunch of children. Hell, Caesar literally has the body of a child right now. It's why it would be nice to have another voice of reason on our team.”

Tomina rubbed her face in her hands, still amazed that putting their aside their differences even for a 45 minute period was going to be hard. Seriously, she could hold off from incinerating them for an hour. Why couldn't they just cooperate without too much in fighting?

---

[WC=5,610][TWC=8,022]

Tomina has transformed into her Attuned Super Elemi Form

Tomina honestly wasn't too surprised to hear that demons were scouting planet Earth. The demon queen was now on the move. With Saiya destroyed, Earth would be one of, if not the first, targets. Although from the sound of things, they seemed to have been here for awhile, only now making a move against East City. It wouldn't be long before the rest of the demons followed and arrived on the planet.

"That doesn't surprise me. From everything I was told about her she usually takes a slow, cautious approach to things. She's probably sent out spies to all the major worlds, all while in the comfort of her own personal dimension. It must have been so convenient for her, not having to worry about retaliation from other species. As I said before though, that's about to change. Here, have a peak at the demon realm and see for yourself!"

Tomina held out her hand, and a portal the size of a large door opened up in front of the Vampire. Rukia would be able to see a red sky with jagged mountain ranges and desert wastelands. A castle could be clearly seen off in the distance.

Tomina knew that the demons would be able to sense her and Rukia, given how much they had powered up. Tomina wanted to instill fear into them though. The demons were already preparing for a war on the Saiyans. Sneak attacks weren't Tomina’s way of doing things typically. Besides, it would probably only have given them a slight advantage. Tomina was sure Nakiya had prepared for the possibility of her own realm being invaded. After all, Kinoko had betrayed her.

Giving them terror was much more important to Tomina. Now they would know for sure that the Saiyans now had a way into their once safe realm. They would now live in constant fear of the Saiyans coming in and exacting their vengeance on them. For they knew that the strongest warriors in the universe were Saiyans, and now nothing could stop them from bringing the fight to the demons.

Tomina waited a good, solid minute before closing the portal. Not only had she given the Vampire a long, hard look at the demon realm, she drove home a certain point. Makai was not as impenetrable as the demons thought it was. It was something Rukia would have to take in account when making her alliances.

"If you or I had actually gone through, I would have to wait a month before opening a portal again. Crossing through dimensional boundaries is tricky business. Once the Tournament of Power is done with, the demons will probably find themselves homeless."

Tomina lowered her arm, a look of annoyance crossing her face as the Vampire explained why she couldn't have made a move against the blonde. Politics were such a necessary chore.

"Tch, you too huh? I've had to be a little more conservative as of late. Having to take orders from people I don't want giving me commands and having to worry about annoying hero types to stop me. You have to take many different alliances into account though, so it's harder for you to do something without pissing someone powerful off. If you aligned with one side it would make things a little simpler for you"

Tomina rubbed her temples with her fingers. She knew all too well what it felt like to having to play things carefully for the sake of alliances. Sometimes she missed the good old days where she could kill people without having to worry about all this crap. Although as it turned out, it ended up biting everyone in the ass.

"See, this why you either do things yourself, or put important matters in competent people you can trust. I ordered a subordinate not to go Earth prior to the invasion. Cause Earth was hostile territory to us. Another one of my subordinates who should have known better convinced him to disobey my order and come here anyway. I spent time and effort training those two, and they go to enemy territory and immediately got detected and intercepted. Because apparently neither of them knew what a fucking stealth drive was."

God, she still couldn't believe that they had been actually that dumb. Rensu was a naive kid, she understood him making impulsive decisions. Carva should have known better though. She hadn’t directly given him the order she gave Rensu because she assumed he was old enough to know better. Apparently he needed to be told in very specific detail what he should and shouldn’t do. Tomina was going to punish the both of them at the next ample opportunity. Particularly Carva.

"They only got out of that due to sheer luck. The Earth defenders could have killed them on the spot yet they spared them. Which I'm sure they regretted the moment we invaded Earth. Still, apparently I couldn't trust them to just do nothing and stay out of danger they didn't have to face. Without telling anyone where they were going. They were insubordinate on a whim."

It was eerie how much she could relate to the vampire right now. Why couldn't people just do what they needed them to do? Things were already annoying enough to deal with when others incompetence wasn't making things more difficult. She lowered her hands down again, having alleviated a bit of her headache.

"Still, can you really call this new queen a problem? Considering how much more powerful you are then her, she should just be an annoyance at worst. She's just a fly buzzing next to your ear. All you have to do is wait for the right time to squash her."

Tomina asked that with a completely straight face. She really didn't see why Rukia couldn't just squash her at the opportune moment. If she didn't go to the tournament of power, she could kill this queen and no one would be the wiser. Although part of why Tomina was here in the first place was to convince her to join the tournament.

The more she heard about them, the more impressed she was. If the majority of could reach this level of power, they were a force to be reckoned with. Of course Saiyans were superior to all other races, but Vampires seemed to be up there with the significant ones. They just seemed to keep to themselves for the most part.

"That's a fairly efficient way of handling things. We also weeded out the weak when I was growing up in the Saiyan Empire. Although we were a bit more indirect most of the time. If you died on a mission, it meant you either ran into a strong opponent, or were too weak to be of any value. I would hold off on culling your weaker brood for the time being though. Hopefully we can get the moral level up to a good level in the future. I hate not just being able to dispose of people I need to. It makes life so much easier, you know?"

Tomina would certainly be looking into a lot of things while at the Tournament of Power. Hopefully when she got back, she would have a good idea on how to handle things. Maybe one day she wouldn't have to worry about offing a few people now and then. Genocide was off the table forever, but getting rid of some people she didn't like now and again would be nice.

The Vampire then spoke of an experience she had on Namek. That must have been where the Alliance had gone to after Natto was destroyed. She wondered why the Vampire has gone to Namek in the first place, but decided to inquire into it later if that never came up. Although she had an inkling of what that might have been.

"I mean, what’s the point of having power if you don't use it at least every now and then? Regardless of that you believe in, if you hate how someone acts, get stronger then them and stop them. This Saiyan and this Cambia person clearly were not on par with you. You've missed your window of opportunity, having to play nice. Killing the people you hate with your own hands is extremely satisfying, trust me."

Tomina grinned at the Vampire. She was liking this person more and more the longer she talked to her. She could have easily see them being comrades if they had grown up together.

The Saiyan hybrid let out a chuckle when the Vampire brought up cultural differences in mothers. Now there was a fun topic for her to dive into.

"It really just depends on the person. Even before my mother conceived my brother, she wasn't exactly a reasonable person. She wasn't protective of my and my half-sibling in the way you typically think a mother is."

The conversation moved back to the new queen of Earth, who really was irritating incompetent from the sound of things. Tomina shook her head in amusement.

"She's a dumb blonde for sure. That's not how the world works at all. You’re only the ruler if you can hold onto your title through your own merit. I'm technically a princess, but that title is now worthless since my mother is dead and the Empire is history. I don't envy the rebuilding she'll have to do, especially since things can be destroyed again in a heartbeat."

Tomina was again in agreement with the vampire over another part of the discussion. Earthlings tended to be very weak indeed. The Vampire didn't sugarcoat things in the slightest, despite being born on the same planet that humans resided on.

"Well it wouldn't be noticeable, except it turns out they're the pillars that hold up the strong like you and I. So their existence does have a purpose after all: keeping the relevant in existence."

This person hadn’t been around for very long, or only began prying into Galactic history recently. Well, it was time to inform her about one of the bloodiest periods in her races history. And that was saying a lot.

"The Kold Demons have fallen on hard times, but there was a time period where they ruled nearly the entire galaxy. So the humans are hiding there eh? I'll admit that the idea you propose is tempting. At this point I wouldn't even need to fight to take over that place. Although what would I do with the humans? I could think of some uses for the Kold Demons, but all humans are good for are manual labor and maybe breeding stock. Saiyan hybrids turn out powerful and our population has taken a hit as of late."

Tomina had a thoughtful look on her face as she stroked the side of her head with her finger. The idea was rather tempting, if only just to make use out of the Kold Demons. It was another thing to file away for later.

Tomina's eyes widened as the vampire mentioned the blonde's power level being around a million. That was ridiculous for a human to have.

"No wonder she was so cocky. She's stronger than most humans by a power difference of 999,995. This magic must be quite potent to be able to elevate a human up to the level of a Super Saiyan. It must have been jarring for her to meet up with you, since she isn't likely used to people being stronger than her."

Tomina didn't disagree with how Earthlings perceived demons. As far as she was concerned, any species with "demon" in its name were mortal enemies of the Saiyans. Although...

"Demons, Saiyans, Earthlings villainize quite a few species. They should be excluded, but we're not the ones calling the shots... yet."

One couldn’t say that Tomina wasn't ambitious. Tomina let out an exasperated sigh as Rukia brought up why she thought Flare would be best suited as a temporary candidate. Well, it was sound logic, except...

"I don't know about what the humans think of either you or Flare, but the Alliance is no longer on good terms with my aunt. The truth is that most of these "good" Saiyans are just like the Saiyans that they claim to be barbaric. The only difference is that don't enslave other beings. It's just part of their denial though. Honestly at this point you would be a better ruler and would have a better reputation then Flare does. As I said before, Earth is a hub where aliens gather and protect it for some reason."

Tomina let out a bitter laugh when Rukia inquired into Nasu’s strength. There was no mistaking the resentment she had in her eyes.

"It would be one thing if he were as strong as either as those two. But he's the strongest being I know of besides that God of Destruction. He's in a class of his own. It's the main reason they disregarded Caesar despite the threat he posed: Nasu is just that monstrously strong. I'll surpass him eventually though, even if I have to train for a hundred years."

Tomina clenched her fist again, gritting her teeth as she thought about how strong Nasu had become. Honestly it defied logic, much like that purple bitch. Speaking of the mutts though, the Vampire brought up how she didn't want Anubians getting stronger, which was yet another matter that they agrees on.

"Yeah, that God of Destruction is more than enough to represent their race. We don't need any more on that level wondering about."

Tomina nodded her head at Rukia’s comments about the tournament of power and her involvement in it. It seemed like she was leaning towards not joining it. Not to mention she was right about the organizers of the tournament. Nothing could change their mind: all that could be done now was to win or perish.

With that out of the way, the conversation switched back to the possible invasion of the demon queen. This was one thing she didn't completely agree with the Vampire on.

"Caesar participating in the tournament like he's supposed to, makes an invasion by the demon realm less likely. But Nakiya is a cunning bitch who performs twisted experimentations. Who knows what she has hidden up her sleeve. She showcased some of them when the Kingdom invaded what was then Brench."

The disdain in her voice and the glint in her eye were unmistakable. She had encountered what once had been proud, Empire Saiyans reduced to mindless, mutated beasts. Even if she had to keep the mortal level into account, Nakiya had a lot to answer for.

Well there was yet another reason why this Vampire wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of multiple universes. This twin universe theory was interesting, although not essential to their survival. So the Saiyan hybrid just shrugged her shoulders.

"Whether or not this twin universe theory is true, or that the universe we’re fight is our twin, if it is doesn’t really matter. I’d extend their significant fighters to the top 5, although even how the lower matches play out is key. Battles flow from one into the next one. Which means the stronger fighters will have to use more energy to finish off fighters from the universe who has taken the lead. Even if the bottom 5 aren’t that powerful, those fights are still important.”

Doubt was indeed a treacherous foe sometimes. Even for a race as persistent as the Saiyans, there were still some moments where you questioned your own power or feared someone else's. Unnecessary doubt was even worse though. It meant that you were questioning things that didn’t even need to be questioned in the first place.

“Well in my case it isn’t just my overwhelming power. My mother is quite a controversial subject among the Saiyans alive today. Just mention “Queen Lettis” to any of them, and just watch what happens. And I’ve seen that happen many times. You had to fend for yourself back in the days of the Empire. You still have to do so to a degree in the Saiyan Galactic Kingdom.”

Tomina noted that Rukia didn’t power up further in response to her transformation, which she found a little disappointing. She was hoping to coax more out of her so she would get a better idea of how strong the vampire was. Well, she could tell she was holding back quite a bit, and that was enough for now.

Again, they were on the same page on things it seemed. Both of them wouldn’t be surprised if Caesar suddenly did decide to turn against the Universe and helped Nakiya with her conquests while the others were fighting for the existence of the Universe. It really spoke to the state of affairs that they needed the help of possibly the most nihilistic person in existence to help save the universe.

The Vampire being here was certainly a factor that made things uncertain. Depending on what position she decided to take, Nakiya may only invade part of Earth, or just decide not to go after Earth until Caesar was back again. Where this individual stood would determine quite a few factors.

“I doubt she’d want to fight you if she didn’t have to, so she’d probably try to make some type of deal with you if she does come here. But be wary and on your guard: being direct about things isn’t her prefered style, so she might try and set things into her favor as much as possible using whatever means she has at her disposal. Things are never as they seem when it comes to dealing with demons.”

Tomina blinked, then bent over laughing at what the Vampire said next. She slapped her knee a couple of times, having been in complete hysterics by what was just mentioned. The Saiyan hybrid was laughing so hard, she was bringing tears to her eyes. Finally she straightened up, wiping her eyes with her gloves and trying to bring herself under control.

“Well no shit that’s idealistic. Although even a year would be valuable time to rebuild things. I suspect in this case that the negotiations aren’t going to go well and that it’s going to take force in order to deal with the demons. I have a few ideas on how to move forward, but you’re right. All we can do is wait until after the tournament when things are made more clear from the both of us.”

Tomina grinned widely at the vampire when she mentioned that she would vaporize a Majin who she thought was going to try and go for more power. She didn’t know what they were, but she liked the sentiment the Vampire was saying.

“Hey, if these Majin are destructive or detrimental enough and if vaporizing them won’t cause a significant drop in the mortal level, then indulge yourself if you run into a problematic Majin. I know you’re trying hard to keep up an image, but you’ll think twice about bothering with that once you blast apart someone you hate. It’ll be a blast.”

Yes, Tomina had just made that pun. Hey, she was in a particularly good mood right now. Even if this Vampire didn’t agree to join the tournament, she was having a productive conversation with someone very powerful. It certainly was much more of a productive conversation than any she had with the rest of her team thus far.

“A large part of the reason we’re in this mess is because the universe has powerful beings who hate each other and can’t agree on anything. I hope that the other half of the team won’t be controversial. It would really help if we had more people who could help defuse tense situations.”

Ironically she had ended up taking the role of peacekeeper alongside the team captain. Which was a position she never saw herself taking. She was a Saiyan bred for battle, not a person who was good at calming things down. It seemed like the fabric of reality was unfolding: almost nothing made sense to Tomina anymore. Hopefully things would make sense again once she understood how things truly worked in this bizarre system of multiple universes.

Well Tomina didn't disagree with that, at least in part. Those actions would more than likely get the attention of Caesar. Although he was so unpredictable it was hard to tell what he would or wouldn't do. At least for most people anyway. Maybe Nakiya had an idea on how his thought process worked, but Tomina doubted even she knew what made him tick.

So this Vampire wanted to do things her own way. In a sense she did understand her, yet not fully relate to that. She understood the desire to do what you wanted without others interfering. If the Vampire leaned towards any one side, it would make her enemies of another faction and get involved in battles she didn't necessarily want to take part in.

The Saiyan hybrid had no such qualms though. Even if you took out her love of battle, the environment she was born into and her heritage made it impossible for her to be neutral even if she wanted to be. She was associated with a certain ideology and people who knew the significance of her identify would most likely be unable to view her without tying her to those beliefs and side. So she responded to the Vampire not knowing what it was like to be in a neutral position.

"You know, sooner or later you're going to be faced with two choices. You're either going to have to pick a side to align yourself with, or establish yourself as one of the great powers of the Universe and make your own ideals clear. Some factions have ambitious individuals who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. People will now be considering you as a big player: a variable they have to consider. You've become too powerful to remain unnoticed in the background. Which begs the question..."

Tomina leaned forward, peering at the Vampire’s face. This was something she wanted to get a get look at. Her reaction to her upcoming question would be very telling.

"Why have you become so strong? People who have obtained this level of power always have a driving motivation. Your neutrality makes it hard to pinpoint what that motivation is. You don’t seem to be the type to seek vengeance, and you're certainly no hero of justice either. Do you want to rule this planet that badly? You did express interest in the throne to me earlier. I'm interested in what would make you push yourself to get to this level. Even a fighting genius would have to go through hell to obtain the power we have."

Tomina stood up straight again, regardless of Rukia’s reaction to her question. The Vampire was being fairly open with her, so it was possible she would divulge that particular information about herself to the Saiyan hybrid. The conversation shifted over to the lenient policies that both Earth and Namek had regarding letting others come there. It was really a wonder how these two planets had remained free over the years, especially since they both had incentives that would attract many shady characters to them.

"Yeah, those places are just asking for trouble. For Namekians it kind of makes sense I suppose. They live in a bunch of tribes with their only piece of technology being their spaceships. So I suppose they're just happy to get any kind of guests. Earth being as lax as it is confounds me though. This planet has been attacked multiple times, and they still haven't bothered to set up defenses like a orbitary defense system. Granted we would have trashed it like we did the Brenchian's, but you'd think Earth would have one as well by this point."

Tomina gave the Vampire a smirk when she brought up the hypothetical situation of them fighting, once against citing this encounter with Cambia. Man, this blonde really pissed off the vampire.

“Alliance Saiyans love riding on their self-righteous rhetoric. Although this Cambia took things a step further and used Komatsu as a shield. She relied on the power of another to go against you. Although I will admit that I would love to take a crack at you someday. Not many people have my amount of power, and I want to see what kind of tactics Vampires employ."

A spar might be a good way to figure out what her abilities were. Although she would be at a disadvantage since she was deliberately holding herself back from achieving the same power her aunt used against her during their fight. As such, she would most likely stick to conversing with the Vampire for the time being.

Just talking about insubordination annoyed Tomina: she still was mad at the foolish actions that Carva and Rensu had taken part in. The worst part of it was that nothing was gained out of it. A couple of small sparks flew out from the hybrid's fiery hair.

"In my case I got nothing but the embarrassment that comes from your subordinates disobeying you and screwing up. The people who work under you know their place. As did the Saiyans in the Empire. They stayed in line, since the punishment for disobedience was usually death. Even before this Mortal Level deal, I couldn't just replace them like that. The Saiyan population is low enough as it is without me blowing away lower ranking ones to smithereens."

That was before Nakiya destroyed Saiya as well. Although the Saiyan population wasn't the only group of people discussed in such a manner, as their focus shifted back to Earth.

"Well normally I would agree with you with how foolish coming to a planet alone when you're expecting a fight. In her case though, it was actually the right call. The smartest option would have been for her to stay on Bris and not return to Earth until she had the strength to hold it, but if she was to come when she did expecting a fight, coming alone was the only way she could do it."

This seemed to be crazy at first glance. Why would it be smart to come for a fight alone? Tomina’s logic was made clear soon enough though.

"You and I have the luxury of having strong allies. As have all major powers in the galaxy. Excluding you along with Flare and company, Earth doesn't really have a strong fighter. In most organizations someone the strength of a Super Saiyan is considered above average."

Despite being of Earth, the environment the Vampire oversaw was remarkably similar to most galatians civilizations. Earth was a strange exception in how it was structured in terms of hierarchy.

"That level of power is freakishly strong from Earth's perspective though. So any allies she could bring would just get tossed aside like rag dolls. They aren't even strong enough to be a distraction. So this new queen would have still lost East City and more people on top of that had she brought any. They would have just been a burden to her. Still, I question her sanity by coming back to this place. Considering the state the Kold Empire is in right now, it probably would have been easier to take over Bris. I suppose home is where the heart is. No planet will ever take the place of Vegeta for me."

Tomina would never be able to return home though. It was gone, all thanks to Caesar and Nakiya. Tomina walked over to the wall, turning around and leaning on it. She was only a few feet away from the vampire now.

"The main reasons why it's so hard for everyone to gather together and cooperate briefly to save the universe is a combination of deep rooted hatred and resentment towards other people, and how selfish some individuals can be. Caesar had to be practically dragged to participate in the tournament. He would rather just let everything end if he didn't have some people he's fond of. He also wants to get back the powers that the higher ups took from him. Even at the possible threat to existence itself, the rest are truly selfish people who put their desires ahead of even self-preservation."

Tomina let out an amused chuckle, turning her head to look over at the Vampire. Despite being a resident here, she appeared to be under valuing her own homeworld.

"Well maybe you'd change your tune if you knew how valuable this rock actually is. In retrospect I'm glad that Nasu destroyed the Tree of Might before it drained the entire planet of its life force. Turns out the dragonballs aren't the only useful things that this backwater world has to offer. You'd want to rule this place too if you know what you would own if you did."

Ironically Tomina probably knew a little bit more about Earth's resources than the Vampire did. She doubted she knew about the time chamber for instance. The dragonballs were fairly common knowledge at this point though.Tomina briefly lifted her head away from the wall. She folded her hands behind her skull, leaning back against the wall and staring up at the sky.

"That's a trait that Saiyans as a whole share no matter what faction we're a part of. We aren't a very forgiving people. There have been instances where we held grudges against entire races for several generations for things that happened a century or two ago. We never really thought in terms of the very long term. That seems to be something that has to change though. It would be problematic if a bunch of loudmouths went around fighting anyone they didn't like, as you pointed out."

Like Tomina had mentioned earlier, the blonde probably wanted Earth in part because it was her home and she likely had attachments to it. Still, all of this came down to just one thing.

"She's made many risky and haphazard choices. She's putting faith in the Kold Demons for holding up their end of things, and expected everyone on Earth to just fall into line. She plays things by the rules while assuming everyone will follow them as well. She must have lived a sheltered life to have that kind of naivete."

Tomina turned her head and stared at the Vampire incredulously. Did she really just casually suggest to move the entire human race off of Earth that casually? Even if it was just a hypothetical scenario, this woman said those words without blinking an eye. A very wide grin spread across Tomina’s face.

"If you're trying to propose to me, then I have to inform you that I already have a mate. Cause damn! If you helped move all the Earthlings to another planet permanently and we go to settle here, it would be one of the best gifts I've ever received in my life. You have idea how much I want to control this planet. My mother invaded this planet at the height of her power and failed to take it due to treachery. Taking the planet that escaped her grasp is something I've dreamed about for a long time."

Tomina didn't even know the name of the Vampire, yet found herself talking to her the way she'd speak to a close ally at a bar. She hadn’t even know this person that long and was already taken a liking to her. Tomina's smile faded slightly though, as she slid one hand out from underneath her head and stroked the side of her hair with her fingers.

"Although that would mean living on a planet with a region that is entirely uninhabitable. That isn't too much of an issue since we lived on Saiya even after the God of Destruction blew off a chunk of it. The real problem is having to deal with all those defenders of Earth who would crawl out of the woodwork. Then they'll be like Stop going after Earth! and "You're turning back into the Saiyan Empire and are doing just as Lettis did! And my personal favorite, I'll have to beat some sense into you to get through your egos! You're all ignorant or thick headed to attack a fucking peaceful planet! My aunt in particular had quite a few choice words for us."

Tomina tried doing impressions of Chris, Komatsu, and Flare respectively. Her Chris and Komatsu ones barely sounded like them, while her interpretation of Flare was pretty spot on. Tomina rolled her eyes, snorting as she recalled all the self righteous crap thrown their way.

"I love a good fight, but even if the mortal level wasn't an issue, Earth is defended by the biggest concentration of self-righteous bastards in the universe. It would only be worth it if the dragonballs were active, but apparently Earth's set is inert. So it would be easier to claim literally any other planet besides Earth."

Tomina’s mood shifted up again when Rukia once again talked about the new queen. Boy, she really didn't like her at all either. Tomina just shook her head with an amused smile on her face.

"Yeah, she's a shitty queen and you have a seething contempt for blondes. I don't think much else needs to be said about those two."

Alas, they couldn't focus on the fun parts forever. Now they had to get back to business. There were quite a few vital things to be discussed.

"That's my aunt and her friends in a nutshell. Eternal peace would be boring for sure. Although the mortal level needs to be raised and the overall destruction controlled. The amount of devastation of late has been too frequent and widespread. Yes, those 'good' Saiyans will always stick their nose into things. That's just how they are."

Yeah, that was preaching to the choir. Tomina let out an exasperated sigh as she slid one of her hands over, pressing it against her forehead.

"It’s one thing if they fought to protect people and places that was important to them. It’s natural to hate people who threaten those. But when you do crap like abandon one part of your planet and then constantly bitch and moan to your enemies about things like attacking while they were being distracted by the other threat, then they have no right to talk down to you like they have the moral high ground on you. Like, no shit we took advantage of an opening. It’s called strategy, and going by how they handled things during the invasion, they don’t even know what the fuck that is.”

Granted, Tomina had some issues with how Nasu left Saiya vulnerable enough for strong enemies to take advantage of. At least he had a strategy though. Those defenders of Earth were the most disorganized fighting force she had ever seen. The fusion technique was something that God gave them to begin with. If it weren’t for that, they likely would have lost. They couldn’t even had won that fight without their hands being held.

Tomina lowered her hand, looking over at the Vampire as the conversation shifted back to Cambia. The Saiyan hybrid was grateful that they were talking about this subject matter again. She still got angry every time she thought about how the fight on Earth had played out. Dissing blondes she had never met before helped her calm down.

“It could have just as easily been the Saiyan blood within her. One thing Demons and Saiyans have in common is that we don’t typically compromise. It’s either our way or the way of the blade: I’m willing to bet Cambia would have bisected you if she had the strength to do so. It’s something else you should keep in mind when dealing with Nakiya: she isn’t exactly the compromising type either.”

Speaking of the Demon Queen, the conversation went towards her experimentation. God knew what twisted abominations she planned to unleash against the universe. Although Tomina knew a little bit about her experimentation.

“She does seem to use DNA samples of notable beings for her experiments to increase their potency. Nasu’s mate Queen Kinoko was a Saiyan that Nakiya genetically engineered before she betrayed her creator. She uses samples she gathered during the Alliance Empire war for her Saiyan creation. Kinoko was created using samples from multiple Saiyans, and there was plenty of material to work with. While some of the Saiyans today far surpass the generation before them, the era where the Alliance and the Empire were at the height of their power had the largest concentration of powerful Saiyans in modern history. I’m fairly sure Lettis’s DNA was used to make Kinoko, and I can speculate as to the other samples that Nakiya used. It is a long list though.”

Tomina hoped that Nakiya hadn’t used Natto or Tomoroko’s DNA to create Kinoko. Considering that they had a kid… no, she didn’t want to consider it at all. It would just be all kinds of messed up. Tomina shook her head to clear it of those disturbing thoughts. She managed to shift her focus to a much more pleasant subject: the tournament that would decide the fate of the universe.

“It means that we have to be as efficient as possible. How much energy each fighter has left is crucial. There has to be a few wasted movements as possible. Since healing items are not allowed, there is virtually no room for error in this competition either. It all comes down to the little details.”

There were some legacies that far overshadowed your own achievements, despite becoming strong herself. Queen Lettis was long dead, yet her presence loomed over the Saiyan race like a dark cloud. This person talked about the difficulty of carrying a name, although she had no idea what that was truly like. Especially since there wasn’t an Earth equivalent to her mother.

“Lettis has gone down in history as the Wicked Queen by most of the Saiyans alive today. Five decades ago she became the first of my race to achieve the Super Saiyan transformation in the modern era. Until that point, the transformation had become nothing more than a centuries old myth. She led our race to victory against the Kold Empire, ending a war that spanned 200 years. She owned nearly every planet in this arm of the galaxy at one point. That is the legacy that I must live up to, and the person who’s shadow I must escape. That name carries weight among my kind, even to this day.”

So, the demons seemed to be the equivalent of her mother in terms of mythical figures of evil reputation. Granted both reputations were probably well deserved. Tomina lifted her head again, sliding both hands into her pockets before leaning back against the wall.

“Well, I guess I got to get cracking and get some light reading down one of these days. You should do some research of your own and look at records dating back 30 years ago. That was the year my mother tried to take over Earth. This planet was the only one to escape her grasp while the Saiyans were still a united people.”

More sparks flew off of her head, a flash of anger glinting in her eyes for just a moment. It was a brief glimpse into her bitter resentment towards the blue planet. It was just that though: a fleeting moment that most people would have missed.

“The demons have mythical status here it seems. Although there is always a glimmer of truth in old legends. The Super Saiyan transformation was thought just to be a wild myth past down through generations. Oh, I doubt that nonsense of blessed items or whatever religious drabble the humans have has any merit to it. However, Demons do seem to be fond of various means of control. Kinoko informed me on one such method that Nakiya employs. She has access to a substance known as cursed water. It’s a potent substance that gives the drinker a power boost. It’s so potent in fact that it warps the drinker into a partial demon, giving them access to some of their abilities. It comes at a few costs though.”

Tomina figured it was best to let Rukia know of the risk of the cursed water before she encountered Nakiya. It was quite possible that the demon queen would try and get Rukia on her side using some more nefarious methods.

“It completely corrupts whoever drinks it, magnifying their very worst traits. The type of corruption varies from person to person according to Kinoko. It warps your physical appearance, making you take on demonic traits. And it allows for Nakiya to influence you mentally. It isn’t full on mind control, but she’ll be able to influence your emotions and actions to a degree. It’s interesting that the humans actually have an accurate depiction of a tool that the demons have at their disposal. “Summoning a Demon in exchange for your soul” is an apt description of the cursed water. Don’t drink it if you value your free will.”

Tomina raised an eyebrow, sliding down the wall slightly as Rukia divided into what she knew about the Majins. Tomina was skeptical to say the very least. Admittedly she had encountered some pretty strange entities and had everything she knew about the universe pulled out from under her recently, but a line had to drawn somewhere.

“You’re quite the storyteller yourself. Creatures that absorb other beings power and turning things into chocolate? That’s a tall tale rivaling the stories that humans have written about demons. If there is an entire race of beings capable of absorbing others for power, why haven’t I heard anything about them? You’d think that a creature with those kind of abilities would be able to amass power quickly.”

Tomina’s eyes widened as Rukia brought up the possibility of an Anubian joining their team. It wasn’t that the idea of one of those creatures joining the team was shocking in itself. It was the fact that she instantly knew the identity of the next person that Cornatto was going to recruit. And she didn’t like it one bit.

“Oh fuck me. It’s going to bethat Anubian. For a brief moment I thought there would be someone on the team I didn’t hate in some way. But nope, now I’m going to have to tolerate the flea-infested mutt who killed one of my subordinates.”

Tomina buried her face in her hands. The low groan that came out of her mouth was audible despite being muffled by the gloves. There was no reason to suspect that it wouldn’t be him. He was a very strong individual, and had fought against the Saiyan Galactic Kingdom when they planted the tree of might. Cornatto had participated in that same battle as well, so he both saw the Anubian and felt its power. Oh, this was just great. At this rate there was only going to be one person on the team who she wouldn’t want to stab in the eye with a hot poker. Oh, she liked this Vampire enough to fight beside her without any qualms towards her at the event. But it didn’t seem likely that she was going to join the team, despite the hybrid’s best efforts to bring her onto it. Fan fuckity tastic.

Well this individual didn't seem to be all that worried about over exposure. As long as she kept herself neutral anyway. Which was a good attitude to have if you were inevitably going to become a major player in things.

"It isn't on it's own. In fact having a well known reputation and being acknowledged for your strength is a good thing. It means the strong ones will take you seriously and the weak will tread lightly. Well, most of the time. It can be detrimental if your reputation leads to others acting against you. Which is part why you've worked so hard to remain neutral as much as you can."

Well it definitely seemed like this person wasn't going to join the tournament. It might have been a different story had she not slipped under Cornatto's radar. The topic also shifted back to the blue haired madman, much to Tomina’s annoyance.

"I suppose I should have expected this kind of answer since neither of us has given the other our names. You and your kind prefer to remain in the shadows from the look of things. I don't really blame you since Cornatto didn't ask you himself. Caesar is much stronger than those Gods of Creation. Although the God of Destruction is just on a whole other level then him."

Honestly Tomina didn't really have a proper comparison point that could make the Vampire understand just how outclassed Caesar was compared to the only two people she knew that were stronger than him. It was something that the Vampire would just have to witness firsthand to comprehend it.

"The only way he's getting away with disrespecting her the way he has lately is because she needs him to survive, and he knows it. At this point his emotions aren't the thing pitting him against everyone: At this point, I'd be surprised if there was was anyone outside of his Empire and Nakiya's camp that doesn't despise him."

Tomina really wouldn't envy the blue haired... child? When the tournament ended. He wouldn't have any leverage over Lagerus at that point. He had been shamelessly checking her out, among other things. Tomina didn't think the God of Destruction would forget about that anytime soon.

Well, honestly Tomina didn't know what she expected. Of course this person wasn't going to open up to her completely so easily. Although studying her, Tomina didn't think she was lying. Although it was hard to tell with this one.

"It's usually not as much as a long shot as you think it is. Every strong person I know of has not had a happy childhood, to say the least. If you grew up normally, then it makes me all the more curious as to why you've pushed yourself to become this powerful. I suppose I'll have to remain curious though, won't I?"

It was then that she saw the Vampire smile for the first time since she met her. That was strange in itself, but what was even weirder was that Tomina couldn’t tell if it was a genuine smile or not. It seemed like something that was deliberately planned out. Yet from Tomina’s experience, faking emotion was something you did to deceive someone. And they were being fairly straightforward with one another with whatever they decided to diverge to the other. Tomina hoped that this person wouldn’t be nearly as hard to read in an actual fight if that ever happened. That would be much more difficult to deal with then the Vampire’s already powerful strength.

It appeared that they were both on the same page about claiming Earth as its Queen. As it was right now, it would be a lot of effort to own a whole lot of nothing. The comment about Namek was an interesting one, although actually going there...

"Ohhh joy. I can't wait to be hated by Alliance Saiyans and told how evil I am by a judgemental blonde. Even if the tournament wasn't about to happen, there's only a few things that would make the experience tolerable."

Tomina snorted, rolling her eyes at just the thought of dealing with those irritating Saiyans. At least the prospect of a spar in the future would be interesting. Tomina wondered what the Vampire was capable of, and would most certainly want to see what they could do in combat. Each species had their own special abilities and traits, and she knew nothing about what a vampire could do in combat. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen today.

“A spar with you would prove to be a good fight, I have no doubt of that. Sadly I already I have a particular training method for the tournament in mind, and I don’t have time for anything else. A spar with you later down the road is something I want for sure. In fact, there’s something in particular that I’ll need to test on someone strong.”

Tomina kept what she meant purposefully vague for good reason. What she wanted to test wasn’t something she wanted to go into right now. It was good that she got the conversation as far from Namek as she could get it right now. On the bright side, when she eventually did have to deal with the Alliance Saiyans again, it would probably be a more tolerable experience then what this blonde Queen had gone through. Having the strength to deal with people who didn't like you made all the difference.

"I suspect she expected Flare and the others to intervene like they did for the tree. I suppose East City wasn't that important to them with the amount of people left in it. That blonde lost that gamble yet somehow lucked out."

Tomina crossed her arms, herself looking cross at the idea that her squad members had not known any better due to a lack of exposure to strong powers. Honestly, it happened for no reason.

"There are plenty of strong powers in the Kingdom, so my subordinates had plenty of exposure. I'm sure that blonde felt the powers fighting at the Tree of Might, so she had exposure too. Higher level demons could certainly wipe the floor with her."

Tomina’s face broke out into a wide grin at the Vampire's reasons for not visiting the lookout yet. Well, it looked like she was about to have a lot of fun with the current conversation they were having.

"Oh come on, there's no need to hide it under that kind of language. You want to go the lookout, but are just too shy to come out from your Dari mansion. It really is a shame, cause you're missing out on quite a few interesting things on that lookout. But alas, the constant crowds foil you so."

Tomina chuckled, likely more amused by her own human much more then the Vampire probably was. It wasn't easy for Tomina to stay too serious about things for too long. Or rather, she didn't want to stay focused on the more annoying things their conversation focused on.

Well, she had tried. It looked as though the conversation just kept on going back to the blonde. Oh well, at least it was a interesting subject matter. The Vampire didn't have to describe Cambia's clothing to be on the same page as her.

"Dressing in very revealing clothing is a sign of confidence, whether it's in just your looks or other things that make you comfortable enough to wear them. It's also a cultural thing: we're more comfortable with showing more skin. I prefer not to show too much off in public though: I only want people looking at me on my own terms, and not ogling me as they please."

So, the humans had fled to Bris? No wonder she could barely feel any energy on the planet outside of West City. Tomina felt a bit of satisfaction in that: the humans were forced to flee their homeworld for once.

"Well they still have a homeworld. They’re clinging desperately to the possibility of returning home. Rebuilding things will take a long time without using the dragonballs. I have no idea how they'll be able to fix the North. It's more inhospitable then the icy wasteland they've taken shelter on. Relying on the Kold Demons for charity: now that's true desperation right there."

Tomina found it odd that they were just casually talking about conquering planets and admitting that they wanted to kill certain people. The Saiyan hybrid wasn't complaining though. It was a breath of fresh air to run into someone this open minded. She could talk to her freely about things most people would have an issue with.

"I know! I mean, I love a good fight, don't get me wrong. But these days people keep sticking their nose into things that aren't their business. Nakiya and Caesar’s forces attacked us while we were in the middle of invading what was previously Brench. They had no reason to get involved in that fight. The Cerulean Empire had just suffered a major defeat on Natto and Nakiya could have just stayed in Makai and done nothing. And don't even get me started on self-righteous people who defend planets because it's wrong to invade them."

The Vampire casually shrugged her shoulders, much to the hybrid's interest. Between this and the smile she wondered if she was getting comfortable talking with her. If that was the case, then Tomina was making serious progress.

"Everyone blames someone else for wrongs that befall them. There's always someone who has wronged them in some way who they direct their hatred towards. And often times they become the vocal point of their hatred. I'm quite familiar with that feeling."

Oh god, Caesar was procreating. Granted that didn’t really surprise her since he pressured Flare into having sex with him and was shamelessly eyeing the God of Destruction. It seemed like he put his dick into any hole it could fit in.

Tomina visibly shuddered at the thought of him spreading his offspring throughout the galaxy. If he wasn't one of the main contributors to planets blowing up, then he would be contributing to the mortal level by a significant amount. He probably had a lot of children, which was something Tomina did not want to think about.

Rukia was being a little bit optimistic about her future interaction with the demon queen. It was amusing since Rukia had called one of her ideas idealistic earlier. Well, if that was the mindset she would take interacting with Nakiya, then Tomina wasn't going to stop her. Things probably wouldn't end well though.

"Well it depends whether or not she cares about the mortal level. Caesar is living proof that there are people who don't care whether or not they exist. From what I've gathered, she had a logical way of approaching things though. Nakiya isn't the type to have a friendly spar. If a fight erupts, it will be the real deal."

Well that was unfortunate. Tomina's mind had shifted back to Caesar spreading offspring everywhere. It couldn't be helped with where the conversation had shifted to.

"I am going to live a good two thousand years at least, so dealing with multiple generations is something I'm going to have to get used to. I will keep a watch on the children of notable individuals as much as possible. Although that might prove to be a challenge. I'm not worried about dealing with them in a fight if it comes to that though."

Tomina let out a huff of annoyance. She received yet another reminder of one of the things about the invasion that had gone horribly wrong for the Kingdom. A lot of things had gone wrong for them.

"It was more preferable to the cursed water. Nasu destroyed it in the middle of the fight though. His opponents got into his head and he blew it up to make a point. Since it didn’t finish the cycle and produce another seed, it's gone for good. Nasu could have at least forced our enemies to expend energy by letting them destroy it. Oh well, at least I got two fruits out of it."

The more she heard about the Majin, the weirder they got. The explanation as to why she likely hadn't heard of them was odd to say the least. They seemed to be heavily entwined with Earth, like a lot of alien life forms. Tomina still didn't understand it.

"These Majin sound like they're living time bombs. I can see why you don't want a rough member of their race running about unchecked. They would become a problem if they destroyed and absorbed anything they happened upon."

So Rukia had encountered this Anubian before. And he seemed to be weaker when she ran into him. No doubt a big factor in his increased strength was the time chamber that she had recently learned about. Tomina gave the Vampire a wry grin, looking at her in amusement.

"Is that why we're still talking in the front yard? You've been awfully rude to me since you haven't invited me in or given me your name. Why did you invite people to your mansion to begin with, and what made you stop? I'm also curious about what you and the Anubian talked about. What was your impression of him?"

Despite calling the vampire rude, she didn't seem all that offended. She was engaging the other woman in playful banner. Tomina straightened against the wall, her smile fading a bit as she moved onto a more serious subject matter.

"It looks as though you aren't joining the tournament, but there's still some things to discuss. You seem to want a few people dead, but you don't want to ruin your reputation. One of the purposes of the organization I plan on founding is for members to help each other out with their operations. For example, you wish you could have killed Cambia. If you asked me to kill her and if I was interested in doing that, then I could help you with that. I don't have to worry about an image problem."

Tomina was far from trying to get Rukia on her side. Having an ally of her strength would prove to be very beneficial later down the line.

“That's just one of the many perks of the organization: you'll have people who can potentially help you do things that would be troublesome for you to go. It's something to consider when debating whether or not you wish to join."

Once again, Tomina carefully studied the Vampire to see how she would react. As she said before, she didn't want an answer until she came back after the tournament. But her response here would be very telling. Personally Tomina hoped that they would get along and work together with the Vampire. She had decided that she liked this person a lot. She wouldn't mind calling her a friend if things went well. That was all up to the Vampire now. Did the Vampire at least tolerate her enough to work together with the Saiyan hybrid?