A New Opponent Appears! (Ryouji vs Cell)

It was early morning and the sun had yet to rise completely. The rays of light that spread across the horizon pushed back the shadows of the night and gave rise to all the creatures of the day. The birds fluttered through the sky, chirping as they tried to find food for the little ones still fast asleep in the nest. The morning dew on the tall blades of grass were still as fresh as they had yet to feel the warmth of the sun.

That is where Ryouji stood; a meadow, surrounded by the tall grass. He patiently waited, his eyes closed softly shut, for the perfect time to start. He normally trained here, in the meadows just South of West City. It was only a few kilometers from his home and it provided the perfect atmosphere for early morning training.

Slowly, Ryouji stretched his arms outward, his eyes remaining closed. He began to move, almost dancing around. His movements were so fluid that it was almost as if he himself was a blade of grass swaying calmly in the breeze. Then, with a quick spin, he sent drops of water flying up around him. His eyes shot open and his arms swirled around. Now at first it seemed like he was just wildly slicing the air with his hands, but in reality he was on the mark with every swipe, breaking the droplets of water with precise thrusts and slices of his open hands.

Once the last of the dew had fallen back to the ground, Ryouji stood silent once again. He brought his arms back to his side and reached into one of his pockets. He pulled out one of the breakfast bars he ate regularly. The youth twirled it around in his hand and slammed it against the side of his leg, opening the wrapper by pushing the bar out. He took one bite of it and sighed.

“Still not quick enough,” he muttered to himself. “but still better than last week.”

Ryouji closed his eyes as he sensed a nearing power. He was mentally prepared for a quick little bout and was happy to not have Broly there to hog all the fun.

(WC: 368)

Cell came withing view fairly quickly. After all, he sensed a completely new powerlevel that seemed to be a good distance from the city. As long as it wasn't suppressing it's power level, he figured he had found a good target. Some prime grade A meat. He was feeling the old hunger to consume something powerful and gain it's strengths. He was also feeling a new hunger, he wanted to learn all that this creature had to offer. He could not simply do that by eating him, he needed to fight him and experience all he could. He just hoped that it would not end up causing too much of a scene. Maybe some nice blood splatter prints and a few satisfying cracks. Maybe, just maybe this guy wouldn't have abilities that destroyed everything within a few miles. Cell obviously had forgotten his bad luck.

He soon stood in front of the young human who was kind enough to turn around as he approached. Cell had found that some who had power did not realize how meaningless it was. They felt they were gods among men, even though Cell found that statement somewhat lacking in description. After all, men generally were pathetic and self destructive creatures. Then again, his last efforts had brought about his own near-demise. He really hated the human cells floating around in his body.

He wondered how the man would react to his current form. After all, it wasn't everyday that someone was approached by a seven foot tall humanoid bug was it? Well, it wasn't for most anyways. This planet probably held things much stranger than the human made monstrosity. He often pondered what it was about this planet that caused so many great things to converge. It mattered little at the moment. Right now, he was standing in front of a man who seemed to him, to be a fine dinner.

With that in mind, He let out a slight "hmph" sound before dashing forward at the man. He was not in the mood for games at the moment, and decided he would end it quickly. It was early, and he was hungry. He first came in with his left hand whistling through the air as he aimed his claws for the mans right eye. He figured this would be dodged, and so regardless of if it hit or not, he would spin around slightly, and aim his needled tail for the Purple headed young man's heart.

WC: 413

Ryouji watched as a strange creature landed before him. What was this guy? He stood at least seven feet high and his face was ghastly. His overall form resembled that of a green insect. His eyes sharp and thin, like that of a serpent, his ears more or less gaps in the side of his head. The boy could make out a set of wings on the bug’s back and a long tale protruding from his back. On the end of that tale was a long needle. It was obviously used to impale by the looks of the length, but Ryouji felt that there was more to that tail than just a weapon. Needles weren’t designed to just pierce, they were meant to inject and siphon. But what could it be that this creature needed this tale?

Without so much as a warning, the green bug charged toward Ryouji, claws at the ready. Now the young man was not as adept at close range as his comrade Broly, but if there was one thing he had learned to do from their countless spars, it was how not to get hit. Ryouji flung his right arm skyward, knocking the creatures hand away before it could reach his face, deflecting the blow.

The green bug plunged his tail toward the boy’s heart. Ryouji could easily see the attack coming. Why did this creature seem so slow to him? Was he doing it on purpose? Or maybe Ryouji had reached that level of power after training with Broly for so long? Whatever it was, he couldn’t risk a death by impalement. Ryouji raised his left hand casting a barrier around himself. This caused the tail to simply ricochet of the force field and away from the young man.

“Tell me warrior,” Ryouji lowered his hand, causing the barrier to fade away. “what manner of creature are you?”

Ryouji liked to understand his opponents before revealing too much of his hand. He wanted to make sure they wouldn’t have any chance of surviving. The boy sensed the creature was genuinely a weak fighter, but there was something off about him. His energy signature, though rather weak, moved strangely. Each particle felt like it had a mind of its own, moving and shifting at different angles and velocities; it was very counterproductive.

Ryouji wanted to see just how adept at combat this creature was. He also wanted to see how the bug’s energy behaved when being used. The boy jumped back and into the sky, quickly flying backward. He raised his right hand and pointed his palm at the insect. A magic circle formed around his wrist and started to spin clockwise. The symbols, within the circle lit up as a ball of energy formed just in front of Ryouji’s palm. With a snap of the circle, the ball of energy flew at the strange creature, aimed directly for its chest.

(WC: 486+368=854)

If the monster had the ability to frown, he would be doing it at that moment. The boy had not only easily countered his attack for his left eye, but also easily blocked his tail stab. However, his curiosity peaked as he looked from his tail to the man once again. His tail smoked from coming into contact with the shield. It wasn't a normal barrier made of Ki or electricity, but it felt similar. He was just preparing to attack again, when the man he was attacking spoke to him. This was bad, it meant that he was confident enough in his own power eclipsing Cell's that he could talk leisurely in combat.

However, Cell had noticed something about the boy. He was inexperienced when it came to dealing out close quarters damage. If he was, he would have attacked at that moment. Drawing from how well he defended however, he was used to being attacked at that distance. He must train with someone who normally depends on those types of attacks. There was still a flaw in the manner in which he handled himself. He was moving too much. With the strength Cell felt at the moment of contact, he didn't need to use that shield. He also didn't need to move as much. He could have moved his head slightly and avoided it all together. Deflecting his attack wasted energy relatively.

Cell had found a small advantage, and he knew right away that he would have to use it to either win, or keep himself alive. The boy was not adept at close range defense in general, but against a particular kind of opponent. One that always used heavy and direct blows. He moved too much and thanks to Cell being able to drawn upon the collective knowledge of so many A-class fighters, he normally did not make these mistakes. He honestly hoped that would be enough.

The creature that was Cell then spoke after thinking this out. It's speech coming out in more of a hiss than a normal human's voice. Still it was understandable and clear. "To be honest, there are too many answers to that question. To simplify it, I would say that I'm the ultimate biological creation you humans have ever even attempted. I was built by a scientific genius, but a fool of a man. "

He then let out a chuckle before speaking again " Tell me, Who are you and what exactly are you using to defend yourself...I can tell that it's not ki, at least if it is, it's not the normal variety. It makes my hunger reach new levels." He said and just as he did, the purple haired boy took flight. He was not going to give his close range advantage up that easily. He took off as quickly as he could to keep up with the boy, though this proved too slow. He had flown upwards in a way that coincidentally minimized his profile making his chest a much smaller target.

It helped greatly, that the attack took a moment to charge. The outstretched hand, the strange symbols surrounding his wrist and energy was charged and readied for release. It telegraphed exactly where he was aiming. If Cell moved too soon, the boy could simply adjust his aim. He knew that the blast itself would be very quick and probably relatively powerful. He couldn't beat it using his own right now, but that did not mean he would simply take it and be happy he lived if he did. Instead, he waited until the moment the ring of symbols broke and signaled it's firing time. Like the hammer on a gun was the reason the bullet fired, this required the breaking of the circle at the right time. He was lucky indeed. The instant it left his hand, he would spin to the left. Even as he continued forward, he could feel the immense heat the attack had made. It might have been a 'weak' attack overall for the human warrior, but cell knew. He knew that it would have hurt like hell if it had hit him dead on. This made his adrenal glands swell far beyond what a normal human's could and so he redoubled his efforts without ever showing a slowed moment.

Closing the distance in the few moments after the orb exploded on the ground and left a large pillar of smoke, Cell was on the attack again. Most fighters would have looked back to see what kind of destruction they were dealing with. He honestly did not care, he knew enough already that it was the kind he did not want touching his body. He could not waste time trying to deal lesser wounds, he needed to kill his target in one strike. If he did this long enough, if he could hold out long enough, he might just make a mistake that Cell could capitalize on. He once again used his claws to aim a slicing sideways 'chop' motion with his right hand that cut the air as he hoped it would cut his opponents neck to ribbons. He doubted this though, and was already preparing for his next attempts.

He continued his motion into a turn, plunging his tail downward at an angle so as to pierce his opponent in the soft spot between his shoulder and neck. Even this was done really only to move him forward into his last attempt at this point. As Cell was completing his spin, he was bringing his left hand around. He waiting until his index finger was pointing directly at Ryouji's mouth. Thanks to the way his Ki moved in his body it allowed nearly instantaneous attacks of this level.

Ryouji would have just enough time to notice that at the end of the finger, a very small orb of energy had formed. Coincidentally, it was the same shade of purple as his hair, just glowing and instead of being hair it was a potentially deadly amount of focused ki. Cell let loose the attack in less than a few seconds from when his finger leveled with his opponents mouth. Firing off a very speedy beam of piercing ki energy. He figured by his knowledge of the human body, that it was aimed well enough to pierce the spine just under the brain stem. What he was truly curious about however, was how well those shields could deal with an attack like this. He hoped the boy would have a tough time and either reveal more information about his shielding ability, or die. Dieing was the best option for Cell, but he had noticed his luck was on the shitty side today.

WC: 1120
Total: 1533

The creature’s voice was shrill and high pitched and it matched his eyes more than his body. What did he mean by biological creation create by humans? He was definitely not like any android he had seen before. If only his comrade Ace wouldn’t have gone missing, perhaps he would have had some idea of any new creations of Red Ribbon. He was after all one of their top generals. In any case, androids were more artificial than biological; perhaps this creature was a clone. But a clone of what? The creature was unlike any he had seen before. If he was a clone, it couldn’t have been from this planet.

The insect also seemed to be able to taste Ryouji’s energy by simply beating on his barrier with his tail. Could the tail have something to do with energy consumption? Ryouji was familiar with an androids ability to absorb energy through their palms and if this creature was created by Red Ribbon, surely they would not let such a useful ability go to waste on a new creation.

“I draw my power from the Realm of Magic,” Ryouji responded as the ball of energy left his hands.

It was obvious by the creatures next few evasive maneuvers that he was no stranger to combat. With a spin, the green bug was able to evade the technique will closing the distance simultaneously. The explosion sent shockwaves through the air, bending and swaying several of the nearest trees in the area.

The creature brought his tail downward as to pierce the boy’s shoulder. Ryouji moved quickly, he shifted his body back, narrowly avoiding the downward attack of his tail. The bug’s movements were so fluid that Ryouji had hardly noticed the second attack; a point blank blast his mouth. As quick as he possibly could, Ryouji bent backwards as he let himself fall from the sky. The orb of energy nicked the tip of nose and cut through his hair.

The purple haired youth crash landed on his back, the grass cushioning his fall a bit. His heart was pounding, that had to be the closest he has come to death with someone other than Broly. He had to be wary of this creature, though he is not powerful right now, his efficiency in combat was astounding. Every move the creature made had a purpose, and every attack always led to something greater. Ryouji had to be especially wary of this warrior. Perhaps his skills would be better utilized for his own goals.

Ryouji jumped to his feet and looked directly into the serpent eyes of his opponent. For a moment he tried to read his opponent, to get a sense of his overall demeanor. Through what little conversation they had, he did not seem to like to play around, he was all business.

“Tell me bug,” Ryouji called out to the creature, in a most authoritative tone. “What shall I call you? Then tell me what is it that you wish to accomplish in this world?”

[506+854=1360]

Magic, now that was not what Cell was expecting. Then again, he didn't have much in the way of expectations about a situation like that. This intrigued him. Magic apparently held similar designs to ki from the little he could infer. It also could be used offensively and defensively. After having fought this boy, he could guess that he was not entirely human. Firstly, he could use magic, and most of humanity seemed to have lost that ability. Imagine, the first really useful thing they came across, and they forgot. He fucking hated humans.

He made the closest thing to a 'che' sound that he could with his beak. Oh how he longed to have a mouth again. It was True that beaks were great for biting and tearing into flesh, but they were terrible at chewing and using for speech. Teeth and lips seemed to do both jobs well enough. At least humans had that going for them. He would say that this human had a lot more going for him than the rest of his race, but he for some reason felt sure they we was a hybrid. He didn't move or think like a human normally does. His reaction time was better, and he could use magic. Humans also generally preferred close quarters combat, while this guy seemed to prefer ranged combat.

Looked looked down at him while he spoke. He dropped down to his level and did his best to look him in the eye. It sometimes bothered his neck that he looked down on people so often. Then again, he was seven feet tall, what could he expect? While he assumed there would be a small lull in battle, he was not going to let an opportunity escape him. He damn sure would not be caught unaware. His tail slammed into the ground hard, throwing a few small rocks into the air as it seemed to lodge itself there. "Do NOT take such a tone with me. You seem to value information, I respect that. I've pretty much accepted that my breakfast today will not come from you, but that does not mean I will not kill everything in that city over there." He said as he pointed north from their location to West City. "Just to kill one thing you care about. In fact a city of that size would probably give me something equal to what you would so it's already looking to be a damn good prospect boy." He spoke in a threatening, if high pitched, tone.

"If you want my name, it's Cell." he said, but he refrained from answering the next question, at least for a moment. He had to think for a moment on how to explain it. He still had the same goal as before, to reach his perfection once again. However, he didn't know how to explain his new goal in proper terms. He decided he would just simplify it as much as possible. "As for a goal...I wish to attain power but not just strength. Strength, is not enough." He said, and he left it at that. During this time, he was slowly moving his tail underneath the ground, extending it somewhat as his gene's allowed him to do. He had positioned it directly under his adversaries feet. If the boy began a hostile movement, or displeased Cell enough, he would make another attempt to kill him.

That said, this creature in front of him had done something that had not happened in a while. He had truly sparked curiosity in Cell. He was not sure how to react, and felt that killing this target right away would be fool hearty. He also felt that if it continued in the manner it was, Cell would lose. He might not have taken damage, and even managed to draw first blood from the very tip of the boy's nose. That had simply taken too much effort to make this fight a worth while thing. He suspected that even if he won, he would need all of this boy's biomass just to repair the colossal damage he felt this child could inflict on him. That realization pained his pride as it put a smug on it.

He also understood that he just might be able to value more for this purple hair's life that he could his death, at least at the moment. Time could only tell, but the instincts of the many races and people inside of him, all seemed to agree. That was rare. He gave only another moment of thought before speaking again.

"If I'm correct that magic of you command can do a lot more than simple bolts of energy, which means you're holding back. What is your name, and why are you not defending yourself in kind to my attacks? Why are you so curious about me?" He asked, leaning down a bit as he tried to examine the child. He looked human, but something was off even about that. Was it his eyes? They were an unnatural color for humans for that the most part, but that could just be a mutation couldn't it? He had to know more, his hunger for knowledge increases in folds as this battle had gone on.

It infuriated him to no end that he could not get the information he required to sate this hunger in the simple manner he was used to. Just stab something with his tail, absorb the biomass, and become stronger. No, he couldn't understand thoughts and the intricacies of creatures in that manner. He would have to take his time, become more patient. He seemed to remember it had been easier before. Was it this form's imperfection that caused that? He could not be sure but he was sure he damn well did not like it. Hell, maybe if he was lucky this boy would be able to help him find answers outside of what he was wondering right now. Perhaps his luck was not as bad as it as seemed today.

WC: 1011
Total: 2533

The creature landed before him and tried to intimidate him by threatening to destroy the city. Ryouji didn’t care what he wanted to do with the people. Humans were the scum of the universe, a plague upon all beings in the realm and the next. They were corrupt and immoral people filled with flaws and imperfections. They were a disgusting race.

“The destruction of the city and its citizens matter little to me,” Ryouji responded earnestly. He doubted there was really anything he truly cared about other than his own vision for the future and that was something that wouldn’t simply roll over and die.

The creature called himself Cell. Was there a reason for that name? What was it that formed his unique body and why did he seem like he was a combination of different species? Eyes of a reptile, tale of a scorpion and wings of an insect, just what was he?

“My name is Ryouji Nakashima,” The youth introduced himself with a slight bow. “and yes you are correct. I do control the ancient ways of magic. Why I refuse to defend myself? Perhaps it’s the way you move, flawlessly and efficiently. That is something I admire.”

Ryouji did admire the creature for his unique set of talents, his ability to move flawlessly without error. He was adept in a combat far beyond someone with a power has weak as his. Just how did he get to know how to move so fluidly on the battlefield when he barely had an ounce of experience?

“If it is power you wish for then join me,” Ryouji offered his proposal like he did with two others before him. If there was one thing Ryouji was known for within his small group of comrades was his charismatic speeches. “With me you can gain that power you long for. I will change this world, no, all of existence into a reality deemed worthy of us. Even the gods will look down upon our reality with envy.”

Ryouji knew that with this creature, this warrior, his plans would be one step closer to fruition. Soon the Inquisition will rise, and with it many will fall. It was the fate of the weak to die out as the strong took their rightful place.

“With your talent and my abilities, we could shape the entire universe into a reality we want. A reality where we will bridge the gap between worlds and transcend the boundaries of race and creed. It is with you and our comrades that this reality will be made, join me now and let’s your ascension into the realm of possibilities begin.”

(WC: 441+1360=1801)

The creature listened intently to everything that was being said. His mind absorbed the information as it presented. This boy was telling him plenty about himself. In all likely hood the creature in front of him had no idea that he was letting Cell know more than he intended. He was sure now, this man he was looking at was at least partially human. No other creature in the universe could take the destruction of it's own masses so lightly.

Ryouji was his name, apparently. At least now he had a way to identify him as more that just another creature he felt the need to consume. He felt that need for almost everything.That need was starting to take hold more strongly when something strange happened. He had been paid a genuine compliment. Cell honestly could not remember another time that had ever happened. He was completely unsure how to act at this point. Even more so, he realized he was having a conversation with something he considered food. This somehow dumbfounded him for a moment. Why did he consider this creature to be worth his time even talking to?

It was at this point, that the man started his speech. Once it was done, cell looked on with almost a glazed over look. He had practiced that. How many people he used that on? Was is practice or experience that he had this gift of the tongue. No, he knew where it came from regardless of either of the two.

"You are most certainly at least partially human...no other creature could disregard a mass slaughter, while at the same time wanting to do things that sound...'good' and 'noble'. However, you can use magic...and you aspire to things no human with sanity could. You are most certainly not insane." He said, almost as if disregarding the man's speech. The creature let out the closest thing to a sigh he could before responding in earnest.

"You want my assistance...Frankly, I don't care. If you can provide me with the things I need, I'll help you. I require Biomass to sate my hunger, and I require more knowledge. If fact, help me, and I'll even answer those questions swimming around in your head about what the hell I am." he said, almost as if reading his new 'friends' mind. It wasn't that he could do anything of the like, it was just that he really would be insane if he just accepted that something like Cell existed.

Something dawned on the monstrosity at that moment however. Looking at the nearby city and back to Ryouji, he had to ask a simple but important question. "I do have a question though. How exactly do you plan to transport me around that city that I assume you live in, without people...you know...running in terror. I'm quite good at causing terror in most normal people." He said a bit disappointed that he hadn't done that with Ryouji.

Cell realized also that this would be the first time he had ever worked with with another individual. He had no idea exactly how to do that. He didn't like the idea of following orders, but he assumed he would probably have to do a lot of things he wasn't accustomed to. If it became a problem, he would simply leave. Maybe even suck the biomass from Ryouji's body right before doing so. Sounded like a good send off to a bad relationship. He would have to keep this in mind. He walked towards the city without hearing the answer. If he didn't have one, he'd just kill anyone that saw him. After all, Ryouji had made it clear he didn't care.

WC:621
Total: 3154