Faith vs Power, The Inquisition Rises

Ryouji stood silently on the hill just a kilometer from his mansion staring down at the city. The warmth presented by the sun caused waves of heat to roll over the pastures as the city succumbed to the altering visual effects of that heat. Slowly the buildings of West City seemed to wave about and dance in the heat, but alas it was just the waves of heat that made the city tremble like that.

Ryouji contemplated on the effects his actions would have upon the world. If one thing was certain it was that soon enough he and his comrade Broly would change the world. Their actions would spread like a wave of heat altering everything that it came across. Whatever actions they did, Ryouji meticulously considered the consequences of each one.

Whatever the two would do in the future it would be only to further their own goals, each one different, but at the same time their goals were the same. The time for them to begin their change was fast approaching, soon the Earth would be theirs and then they would spread out across the galaxy in order to extend their ideals across the vast and mighty universe.

Ryouji looked up at the sky as he sensed an all too familiar power level. He was beginning to come into focus now. The boy was surprised to see how fast the man’s power increased, he was a beast sent straight from Hell to take over the world. If it were not for Ryouji, the man would have surely devoured everyone on the planet as well as himself.

(WC: 269)

Broly descended to the ground a few feet away from his ally, his arms crossed. He had been considering several things over the past few days, and none of them were things a regular man would have told his mother. He was pondering on the increases in power he'd been subject to, the rapid increases of strength that had begun to characterize him. For the briefest moment the thought had pleased him immensely, but then he'd remembered that the other fighters on Earth were also growing in leaps and bounds. Of course, his growth was outstripping most of them at rapid pace...but there were still a small handful whose power exceeded his by a good portion. There was even one he could feel off planet somewhere, vaguely in the distance as if waiting for him to approach and rip it to shreds. The thought was appetizing; he would have loved nothing more than to rip another powerful warrior to shreds. Especially one who wasn't from Earth for a change. Lately all of his prey had been from Earth.

Yes, that was what he considered those that others would call his peers. He also considered his superiors as much; nothing but Prey. He was the predator, the shark in a sea of bloody water. He would devour anything that he saw fit to devour, and envelop anything he wanted. That was another characteristic trait of the legendary warrior; he was not one for fooling around or wasting time. He was one who specialized in doing things quickly, tearing through them with a ruthless precision and fatal fanaticism. For some, it was troubling; nobody enjoyed being murdered. But damn if Broly didn't enjoy murdering. To him, destroying a man in his entirety was the single most satisfying thing in the world. He had to admit, there were no pleasures he valued as highly. Sex? He didn't care to seek a mate; most women were weak creatures. Mental stimulation? As if he needed something so trivial and ineffectual upon his status as a warrior.

However, as he landed before the youth, he had no questions on his mind as to why the child was still alive. Broly was now stronger than the kid, a reversal of the situation they had originally met under. Then, Ryouji had been the stronger one by far. Hell, he could have destroyed the Saiyan without much effort (not that Broly would admit to such). Now; that question was significantly harder to answer. Though Broly far exceeded the child in raw power, the child was wily, crafty. He knew what to do in damn near any situation; it was clear to him that Ryouji was a natural strategist, who would be able to develop a plan to topple the mighty warrior at any moment. He sometimes wondered if he hadn't already begun to do so, but did not bother to openly question such a thing. If the boy ever wanted to betray him, he would betray him. Such a thing would have been dealt with when the time came, if it came and however it came.

"My power has once again increased, child...But, so has yours, I see."

It was true. Ryouji's power felt as though it had increased since the last time they'd met. It was such a thing that had drawn him here; he wanted to test out exactly what had given the boy so much growth.

WC:582

"My power has once again increased, child...But, so has yours, I see." Broly stated coldly.

It was true; Ryouji had attained a far greater strength than he had before, mostly thanks to his visit to the Realm of Magic. It wasn’t just strength however; the boy had also attained knowledge of new techniques that he found invaluable to his plans. He and Broly were different in that way, Broly saw power as a measurement, with unwavering numbers. While Ryouji saw power in strategy and imagination, where one decision can affect those numbers dramatically. Even a mouse can kill a cat if he is cunning enough.

“I have learned quite a few nifty tricks in my time,” Ryouji responded with a smile. He was a bit hesitant to show Broly all of his techniques, just in case the man decided to turn on him. There was only one sure way to guarantee the beast’s loyalty, but that time and place was far from his reach right now. He would have to revisit the Magic Realm if he wanted to know more.

“Let’s start this,” Ryouji shouted as he jumped back, two magic circles forming around his wrists.

He took to the sky, firing several ki blasts at his comrade as he circled the sky.

(WC: 213+269=482)

"Yes, boy. Let's begin!"

Broly watched as the youth took to the skies, keeping his eyes trained on those dangerous hands of his. Whatever emerged from Ryouji's hands was best classified as a lethal weapon, whether it be a blast or a well timed strike, it promised to be lethal to most if not all beings. The child had been well educated by someone, whether it was a mentor of some type or his own damn self, Broly cared little. The Saiyan had acquired his power through years of work and pain, battling through bloody body after bloody body, he had worked his way up to the level which he had attained. He had fought his way up the ladder, scratching and battling his way up every fucking rung. He had no idea how the child had attained his current strength, but he knew that the boy must have had some reason for being so calculating. Something had forced him to be that way, whether it had been his upbringing, or forces unknown. Regardless of what had caused his might, Broly knew that his convictions were stronger than the child before him. His strength was proving that by the second.

The warrior watched as his ally's energy exploded from his hands, rocketing toward him at high speeds. His energy had grown stronger as well, as it seemed. The blasts were laced with dangerous and obviously explosive energy, likely capable of tearing chunks out of concrete without the slightest bit of difficulty. As curious as he was of their potency, he was not too keen on discovering what they could do to his body if they were to meet. His muscles tensed as he watched the bolts race through the air toward him, his legs preparing to jump out of the way. There was no way in hell he would let those hit him. As they came closer, the warrior kicked off to the right in order to evade them. As his body escaped their detonation range, he could hear them tearing the earth apart in response to his evasion. They would have easily done the same amount of damage to a body. He would have to be careful, then. Despite his advantage in power, the boy's strength lay also in his surgical precision.

As his speed increased, the warrior changed his direction to better target the child. His hands were cocked back at his waists, finger tips flexed to provide the optimal shaping of energy. Glittering green sparks of energy were fluttering and dancing across his knuckles, slowly melding together to form a two small balls that were quickly growing to encompass his hands. A cocky smirk began to spread across his face as the bolts of growing power started to scream in his hands, ready to blow away whatever it was that his target could have been. Of course, to the warrior, it was obvious enough. He was going to slam both bolts into the child's face, in a dual effort. Not only would it reduce the levels of stress he'd been feeling as of late (with his recent transformation), it would also give him immense satisfaction to watch someone feel pain. Something about seeing a man hunched over in unimaginable pain brought him a feeling that could best be described as joy. Was it the look of shock and disgust that was often displayed on their features?

No. It was the satisfying impact of his fist upon bone and flesh, the sight of his energy searing through somebody's skin. It was that Broly simply enjoyed watching people suffer. He was not human; he was not someone who felt remorse. He wasn't bogged down by the emotions that they felt, held back by the strings they attached to every damn thing they came across. It was remarkable to him. The only thing that kept him from destroying all humans was the potential that was commonplace in their species. Meanwhile, the Saiyan race was filled with those who were deemed of low value. The low class, the ones who would never amount to anything no matter how hard they tried. It was hard for a Saiyan to distinguish himself; thankfully, Broly had already done that almost since birth. He had been born to kill, born to become a juggernaut and the embodiment of what he was becoming; chaos itself. His strength was already nearing that of a force of nature itself.

How much stronger would he end up becoming?

Those kinds of thoughts were dashing through his mind as he released the two pulses of energy in Ryouji's direction, his body emerging from it's high speed movement as he tried to close the gap. He wanted to get in close and fight it out with his fists, as opposed to entering a long range stand off.

WC: 806
TWC: 1,388

Ryouji watched carefully as Broly evaded the attacks with relative ease. That was a good sign, his comrade had gotten faster since their first encounter. When the two of them first met, Ryouji could have lobbed a stone his way and Broly would have been too slow to evade the rock, but now, his speed may have been greater than his. It was obvious to Ryouji that Broly was stronger than him in every aspect of power, but power can be attained. Power can be found and power can be learned.

The only thing that kept Ryouji confident in his abilities was his mind. He calculated everything. He did not leave one thing to chance and if something couldn’t be calculated or measured he simply destroyed whatever it was to remove it from his equations entirely. It was through his struggled past, that he learned the power of the mind. As a young boy of eight, he discovered that with a little imagination and creativity one could leave the cold damp basement of a family who only adopted you for the monthly checks and venture into your own land of make believe. Where the sun was always shining, the flowers had the most appealing aroma, the birds constantly chirped and inside his large home a family who loved him waited for him to return. From then on he had always found the mind a fascinating thing, imagining everything that could be done to make the world a perfect place.

Broly threw at him two large ki balls and closely followed behind them. It seemed he wanted to get up close and personal, exactly as Ryouji wanted. Quickly, Ryouji stretched his arms out to the sides and a purple barrier shot up around him. When the ki balls were hit they were simply absorbed into the barrier.

Watching the massive man close the distance, Ryouji moved his arms in front of him with his palms facing the brute. He slowly twirled his arms around in a circular motion, weaving them into and through one another. A purple mist started to form around his hands, creating trails of violet light that followed the movements of his hands. Suddenly the light exploded and a magic circle appeared beneath Broly’s feet. An orb of energy started to form around the man in an attempt to close him into an inescapable barrier.

(WC: 397+482=879)

As Broly's blasts collided with Ryouji's barrier, the Saiyan allowed his disgust to be broadcast across his features. Something about seeing his energy defeated bothered him greatly; it made him feel inferior, severely lacking in worth. He was not one who frequently met defeat, and for him defeat was completely disgracing. Time seemed to slow down as the sparks of emerald energy began to fizzle when presented with the royal purple that constituted Ryouji's barrier, which while it provided a grand light show, did little else for the warrior but provide a softener for the displeasure he was experiencing. That must have been the same barrier the child had used to help them ascend through the clouds, the purple one that had been a launching platform for their general ascension. Of course, Broly's energy had been weaker than it was now at that point. That meant that the boy was finally experiencing a period of growth, where his energy was set to rise like a high tide crashing upon a shore. Repeatedly, without fail or deterrence. Unfortunately, Broly was in the same type of state.

His energy was not waning, it was waxing like a moon in the night. It had been growing at high speeds as of late, showing few signs of slowing down or pausing in general. He would not let it stop, he would not let it cease. Broly was going to experience all of the might that he needed to experience on his path and anything that felt it could stop him? It would pay the most dire of debts, ultimately culminating in death. He did not stand for such bull shittery. That explained a portion of his rage as he stopped in the air, his body jerking to a halt in order to evade slamming into the child's defensive technique. Something told him he didn't want to hit that thing going as quickly as he was; it would just provide him with unnecessary pain and delay. Clenching his fists, Broly slowly straightened up his body as the boy's arms began to twirl. Something about the motions felt foreboding, dangerous and deadly. Though he doubted the child would attempt to kill him in a training session, he could never be sure.

"What is this you're doing, boy? This is a battlefield, not a dance floor!"

Narrowing his eyes in order to follow the boy's elaborate movements, the warrior straightened his back. He was going to need to be ready to move anywhere once whatever he was doing went off. From the looks of it, it wouldn't be a very pleasant experience to get cornered by it. However, it was the focus upon the boy's palms that forbade him from noticing the growing orb of energy that was to surround him, the light beginning at his feet before slowly traveling upwards. By the time it reached his line of sight, it was too late. Broly still threw on the jets, shooting waves of emerald fire from his boots as he tried to accelerate higher in an attempt to escape the barrier that was encircling him. He had only made it a few inches before it came to an abrupt close over his head, slamming shut and trapping him within. Was this the technique the boy had been preparing? Undoubtedly, it had to be. What an interesting trick the child had managed to concoct. He truly was a tactical mastermind, then. It mattered little to Broly, though. He would still make him pay for this once he was released.

Energy began to explode from every pore, slamming into the walls of the barrier as his hair was lifted by the winds being generated inside of the orb. His voice rose over the roar of his power, screams only allowing him another venue for energy to escape from. He was trying his damnedest to escape the barrier before the child tried to do anything troublesome. If he could overload the thing, then perhaps the child would be left with one fewer trick to try in the future. Broly would never run into battle with a one trick pony, though. It was obvious that he'd have some kind of dangerous contingency. Still, defeating this one would be a morale victory if anything else. Hopefully, it'd teach him to use more direct tactics. Broly did not believe there was anything capable of defeating pure might on the battle field, something that was clearly illustrated by the excessive amounts of ki he was excreting in an attempt to shatter the sphere around him. The emerald light was beginning to fill inside of Ryouji's orb, surrounding the inner walls as the Legendary Warrior's screams increased in volume. He was clearly not one to allow defeat.

WC:796
TWC: 2,184

Ryouji was ecstatic to see his new technique work so well, though he did not let his face express it. It was the test run for the technique and it worked beautifully. It did take a bit of time to summon however and on more agile opponents, it may not have worked. This technique he so amply dubbed Imprisonment Ball was one he had learned while in the Realm of Magic and it suited his needs well. The technique would imprison his foe for a time as it gathered energy from the area. Then, once it had enough energy, it would explode dealing a significant amount of damage to the occupant inside. However while the sphere gathered its energy, Ryouji was free to do with the ball whatever he see fit. He had to stick with physical attacks as those that dealt with energy would simply cause the orb to explode prematurely, and no one like those that prematurely explode.

With a grin on his face, Ryouji drew back his leg. A bright purple glow surrounded his foot and leg. Unlike Broly, he did not attain his incredible strength through plain old muscle building. He was able to make up for his lack of strength by embedding magic within his muscles, strengthening each strand of tissue a hundred fold. This allowed him to punch harder, run faster and think quicker.

With a swift kick upward, Ryouji sent the ball flying high into the air. Quickly he followed the ball and got on top of it and sent a crushing blow to the center of the sphere sending it flying downward back to the ground. His combo was not done yet, he had been told it took several seconds for the technique to detonate, so he figured a combo of three moves would be his way to salvation. He pointed his arms downward, toward the falling sphere, and two purple magic circles formed around his wrists. They began to spin as a bright violet orb formed between his two palms. With a crack of the circles, the orb was sent flying down upon his comrade.

It was a strong technique, but he knew that with a beast such as Broly. It was nowhere near enough to defeat him. He just wanted to keep the brute remembering that he wasn’t the only person who could deal the damage.

(WC: 396+879=1275)

Broly frowned as the boy sent his blast spiraling down toward his position. That ball of violet was clearly intended to do more than just impact the orb harmlessly; it would probably set the damn thing off! Narrowing his eyes as he ceased his previously incessant screaming, the warrior prepared himself for impact. He could tell that the explosion was going to be very painful, otherwise the boy wouldn't have wasted his time attempting to do it. Broly crossed his arms over his face as the blast approached the impact zone, trying to guard his head from any severe burns or the like. He would also have to deal with the ground impact, a likely byproduct of the explosion caused by the attack. He was familiar with explosions; the heat and smoke, the mushroom cloud that resulted of them. Though he wasn't anywhere near as acquainted with being in the center of those explosions, he was positive he'd be able to endure such a thing. It wasn't as though he was as fragile as his frame made him seem; he was not human, despite his looks. The tail wrapped around his waist proved that.

It also proved his heritage. Broly was not like Ryouji; he was almost the exact opposite. Where the child focused on mental power and intelligence, Broly literally could not have given less care towards them. He prioritized might and strength, speed and skill in the face of danger. He had not survived by being cunning; he had survived this long off of instinct and raw power. He would not be beaten by an attack so trivial as an energy prison. As Ryouji's blast finally connected with the orb of energy, the world seemed to erupt around him. The blast created a hole in the Imprisonment Ball, forcing it's way in as a drop of water did to an ocean. Broly tensed his muscles as he felt the incoming rush of energy, which slammed into his body at high speeds. At first all it did was scorch his arms, singe some hairs; then however, things quickly began to spiral out of control. The orb began to destabilize as it slammed into the ground, burning away any grass that had been below it. Turning his neck to catch sight of the impact zone, the warrior grunted.

Broly felt the heat erupt around him as the world seemed to explode in a blaze of heat and personal glory for the human. He could imagine the smug look on the boy's face already, and would not be the one to allow him such a victory. As the world exploded into fire, Broly kept his arms crossed despite the harsh pain that was being inflicted to every portion of his body. The blast had produced a crater and an incredible mushrooming cloud of fire and smoke, which was carrying embers through the air as if they had been carried by a divine wind. He could see them glimmering and shining through the cloudy haze, dancing through the skies as Ryouji's energy proceeded to burn the grass and scorch the soil; it was an impressive display of the boy's might. The guards on his wrist began to burn and cut into his skin as he slowly uncrossed his arms, doing his best to ignore the sensation of stinging pain that was traveling throughout his body. He would not show any displeasure for the boy to thrive on. One sign of weakness would likely turn the boy into a shark.

As he stood up, Broly cocked his hand at his waist. So, that was over with. Keeping his left hand at his waist as he released several spiraling pulses of light from the center of the cloud, Broly waited until they had left the cloud successfully. As the energy trailed into the sky, the warrior vanished from the crater in a whisper-like emission of energy. His body was traveling at speeds above his regular level, utilizing a high level evasive technique known as the "After Image", or a portion of the "Mirror Image" technique. As his body emerged from the high speed movement, he appeared behind the human child in the air. Whispy fingers of smoke were still lifting lazily off of his chest and shoulders, when his fist suddenly went to force it's way against the boy's spine. It was packed with an explosive amount of energy that he had been building up during his motion, with the intent of seriously damaging the child. He did not take shit like that imprisonment lightly; nor was he a man to go easy on somebody. It was clear that Ryouji had managed to irritate the warrior; something very easily accomplished.

It was called, in some circles, the Ultra Punch. In others, the "Crippler". To Ryouji, if it connected it would likely be called painful.

WC: 815
TWC: 2,999 (SERIOUSLY).

He was excited to see his technique had worked so flawlessly and everything seemed to be going well. That was until the ball of energy collided with the sphere creating a large explosion in the process. It was a massive explosion, sending dirt and debris in all directions. For any other person the attack would have been lethal, but Ryouji knew that his comrade would survive the explosion and his death was not his goal. He wanted to test out the usefulness of the technique and it had failed to meet his expectations.

He could beat the sphere around a bit, but his preference lay in far range combat and instead of energy freely passing through like he had hoped, the orb instead absorbed the energy and detonated early. If he couldn’t land a powerful energy attack while the person was immobile, it was a useless technique.

The smoke from the explosion started to clear and he could see Broly standing there with a few scrapes and bruises, but still as tough as ever. Suddenly the man became clear. Ryouji could see right through the man, like he had become a ghost. Without warning, Ryouji felt a solid impact to his backside. The impact stunned the boy for a second as he struggled to look behind him only to see Broly standing there with his fist deep into the boy’s back. What trickery was this? How could Broly have learned such a technique. He was growing much faster than he had anticipated.

Whether his back was broken or not, all Ryouji knew was that he was in a massive amount of pain. The sheer pressure from the punch had cause the boy to spit blood from his mouth. There was definitely some internal injuries. After the shock wore off, Ryouji plummeted to the ground, crashing into the scorched Earth with a loud thud.

He had never taken a direct hit from Broly and now he knew what it was like. Those poor souls that came across Broly’s fist never stood a chance. If only they had pissed off the mafia instead, maybe they would have gotten a less harsh a punishment. Though this was only training, Ryouji knew the man did not hold back and he could have easily died. Even a repercussion from an attack not aimed for the boy could kill him. Perhaps it was time for Ryouji to invest in a policy to insure his own safety, not from his enemies, but from his comrade.

“Very good Broly,” Ryouji struggled to lift himself off the ground. His body felt so heavy, the pressure on his back enormous. He had to have Chiyu look at it once they returned home.

It’s not that he didn’t want to continue his spar with Broly. He didn’t think he could. Such a savage man is surely something to be wary of. It was his own fault though; he should have made preparations to protect himself better at close range. It would seem as though some more combat training is in order; specifically in evading and countering melee combat techniques.

“Perhaps I should do away with that technique, it didn’t serve the purpose I had intended for it. My apologies comrade.”

(WC: 539+1275=1814)

Broly pulled his fist and body back, as he recoiled from the child in the air. He shook his hand wildly, as if trying to shake the sensation that had overcome his fingertips. It was as if he'd punched the boy directly in the spine, a result of his usually lethal aim. Any other fighter would have admitted the harsh treatment he had just given his ally, but Broly knew better than to apologize for a warning. That was the type of treatment Ryouji would become used to if he ever crossed the Saiyan, or ever made even the slightest hint that he would be willing to do so. Broly was not a warrior who allowed himself to be betrayed, nor was he one who usually allowed himself to ally with anything in general. The fact that the child was even alive was almost a walking contradiction in itself; very few people survived conflicts with the warrior. Even fewer had come out on top by enough to tell about it. Soon enough, the world would be severely lacking in the number of people who could say such a thing. Broly could already feel their power levels on the horizon, amassing in an ominous gathering of power.

Though they were not actually coming together, Broly would have sworn they were all preparing to gather against him. There was no possible way that he had been growing unnoticed; his strength was enough to turn the staunchest of heads in his direction. What was worse was the fact that it was still growing. He had not yet reached the peak of his growth, nor the peak of his refinement. Broly, not through his own conscious effort, was picking up the skills of other combatants. He had picked up the After Image technique, after watching a boy named Crono utilize something similar. He had managed to craft his ki, in a manner akin to Ryouji's magic control; in short, Broly was learning. Through no honest effort of his own, he was starting to think like his enemy, beginning to take up their tactics. Was it something he wanted? He couldn't tell. Was it something he would ever admit to? Never in his fucking life. Broly was not one to sympathize with the human race, nor was he one to openly accept them.

That was part of the reason he allowed Ryouji's presence. The boy was smart enough to realize his lesser half was a parasite. Humanity celebrated and basked in their own culture, but the pair knew better. Humanity was little other than scum, living on borrowed time until the day where the Inquisition would work their way to destroying them. The thought of humanity, the entire species, crawling on their bellies and begging for mercy...That brought a genuine grin to the Legendary Warrior's face. For some reason, he enjoyed that moment of complete domination, where the opposition was shattered by fear and force. It was a beautiful thing, to see a man pushed across the brink like that. Not many things could make a grown man beg for their lives, but Broly was certainly capable. He was actually over qualified. Had he been asked to, he could have easily shown such certification to the proper authorities.

By fucking murdering them.

"Don't worry about it, child. It did little other than piss me off.", he said it as if it were something that happened every five min-Oh, wait.

WC: 581
TWC: 3,470