Post by Pracross Yendatta on Aug 31, 2017 3:06:40 GMT
Thread PL: 3,774
In the middle of the woods...
Pracross crossed his legs, leaning against a stump. He had finally gotten to enjoy a nap and away from the noisy city, too! Pracross stood and stretched, taking slow breaths as he surveyed the area. A patch of pink and yellow flowers scattered the area, the trees formed a prefect circle around the clearing, and the stump was arranged as if it were meant to have a special purpose, like a legendary weapon or a speech stump. Did he just take a nap on holy grounds?!
After his stretch, Pracross popped his knuckles as he started to walk around, making notes of the trees and the animals running away when he approaches. A stag, a few does, a rabbit, a black and yellow snaked with ring patterns, and something furry with a thin tail, a cat maybe? It surprised him that so many different animals had gathered together and made peace to just... watch him sleep? It was such an odd subject to think about, so he released the idea from his mind.
Pracross took in one last deep breath and started to walk back towards Satan City, the city closest to where he had landed. He wasn't terribly excited, for the city was overly populated with loud mouths and complainers, just like home... He didn't want to think of home, it was too... shameful... So he shook his head and carried on his march.
Before his sleep spell in the woods, Pracross had fought a boy, a human seeking a training partner. The battle had been something... Interesting... Pracross had fought at full might at an unexpected time, losing his thought and causing him injury, forcing him to go to the hospital. He had felt so guilty, but that's how humans are. Most of them are weaker than most races, at least until they toughened up, like that human... Oh what WAS his name? The boy snapped his fingers and smiled. Pieter Wolfbane, I heard that guys a legend in the human culture! But then again, there were a lot of heroes in history, certainly many were forgotten. Though, all legends aside, he really did wish the best upon his new ally, for he may see him again and next time much stronger!
The path had seemed so clear before, why was it so cluttered now? There were still vines and brush on this path now that he did not remember before, though... Oh well, he had already walked so far in, didn't matter all that much now. Pracross ran a hand through his hair and buzzed his lips, making a quiet "Pthffff" as he walked. How far away was town? He remember that he had walked quite the ways to get too that clearing for the battle against that Earthling, which had surprisingly left a bruise in his back (The fight, not the walk).
Some time passed...
Pracross twiddled his thumbs out of boredom. He had to have been walking for at least half an hour, so he was certain he was lost. A long sigh erupted from his throat as he sat down. "I should've just flown home..." But that was when he heard it.
A solid Thump!Thump!Thump! not to far into the forest. Is that... an animal? No, that's a familiar sound... It was... the sound of someone punching a tree...?
Pracross turned and started to walk in the direction of the sound, finding a clearing with many booths and a fenced circle, filled with many semi grown trees, as if they hadn't been growing for a little over five years, like the ones you see line up in cities. Pracross's curiosity got the better of him and he walked up to a Q&A booth, eyeing the lady inside. "Hello sir, how may I help you?" she smiled, speaking loudly to attempt to be heard over the loud grunts of a man, attacking a tree furiously not too far away. "I wanted to ask what this was?"
"This is the local tree punching tournament, exclusive to west town's woods!" West town?! I walked all the way to west town?! His guess of half an hour turned out to be closer to 6 hours, meaning he walked really fast to reach cities such a distance apart... So... he was near the west capitol...
"So are you interested?"
Pracross looked at the lady, who was smiling cheerfully, but yet sarcastically, as if he father forced her to be there. "In... punching trees?"
"Well, yes, there a large cash money prize if you win, though that may not happen, the champion has an incredible streak and has won every tournament since age ----(I don't know what age we're in so however far back is 12 years)"
"Cash money?" The boys eyes lit up. "Yes yes, I'll do it!"
"Okay!" She said as she pulled out a slip of paper and handed him a pen. "Just put your name here and they'll call you for your turn!"
The boy wrote his signature and head to the food area, examining all the varying food types, all for such low prices! He bought something called a hamburger, baked beans, fries, and some soda that came as a meal from a some . Pracross sat a table with a red and white umbrella and took a bite into the burger and got starry eyed. It was... AMAZING! A creation made so well out of beef, bread, greens and sauces known as condiments?! And the CHEESE! Two different kinds blended together for a stronger combination! He then moved on the the baked beans, which he gorged down with a smile, then the fries, which he combine with the special sauce for an amazing blend. He'd never loved food this much in his life!
After his binge out, he stood up and walked around the event, examining children fighting to the "death" with sticks, teenagers giggling over relationships and games, men bragging about how they're going to win this year, and their wives saying whether they agree or disagree with their claims. He walked around for about five minutes, when the intercoms came on. It was a man around his young twenties on the stage announcing this years celebration on the Grand Maple, grown over 120 years ago that restored wealth to the Capitol, yadda yadda, who cares? Pracross probably didn't even hear that right but he didn't care much anyways.
They started listening names of people competing, he eventually heard his name among 23 other competitors, ending with the champion, who walked on stage and acted extremely cocky, acting like he was never going to lose... Pracross wanted to crush people like that... They're so annoying...
They called up 2 people after the introduction and they explained how this competition works. 2 people enter the ring at once and try to break down one tree as fast as they can. If one gives up, the other wins. If they both give up, the most damage wins. Pretty simple. Pracross was going to win this and get that money, he really needed it if he was going to survive Earth. He leaned back on the table and watched as the first two people walked up and started to punch away. One hurt his hand on the first punch and gave up immediately. Weak. The other one, though, worked aggressively and eventually after a long 5 minutes, it snapped and tipped over, falling next to him.
The next couple rounds were full of disappointments. Many failed to even dent the tree, one person broke their hand and had to go to the hospital, and now it was his turn against some... larger fellow... The bulking figure seemed to be showing himself off as if he could destroy anyone with his fingers. He even made a gesture to Pracross as if he was going to crush him. Pracross smirked and shook his head and walked to the ring, where he was addressed a tree. The fat man, who's named turned out to be Gradient, walked over to his tree and laughed at Pracross. "Who let a little boy participate in such a harmful activity? Shouldn't you be playing with dolls?!"
"Shouldn't you be in a donut shop, you fat lard?" Pracross snapped, whipping the ground with his tail.
"Why you-! You better be lucky I have respect and not go over there!"
Pracross laughed. He actually thought he was strong! "That's cute!"
A small amount of time passes and the two are requested to shake hands. Gradient attempted to crush the boy's hand, and when he failed, he raise his eyebrow, but shook his head as he turned back. Then there were three whistles, indicating the ready, set, go. After the third on, the large figure started punching the tree with extreme might, gasps all around. Hah! The kid must've broken his hand! Tried to tell him! The man took a couple more minutes, eventually reaching the point where the tree tipped over and fell, standing confidently and laughing as the judge stood with the microphone. "And the winner is... Pracross! Taking down the tree in a mighty 20 blows!" "Haha, I know, I'm great... Wait, what?!" The large figure turned to face the boy, who was enjoying a burger on the railing, saluting with two fingers to the man. "Heya, fat lard! What's wrong? You look upset!" Pracross smirked and walked out of the ring, the applause growing as he waved and sat down in the "winners" isle.
The rounds that followed included many people who failed to break down the tree, four that succeeded and the champion, who of course, passed. The rest of the competition seemed too weak for this, but three other individuals seemed to be stronger than the rest. Yodama took it down in one minute, Testu took it down in 49 seconds, and the champion took his out in one blow, a clean cut straight through. He had never seen any pure blood earthling this strong before, but he had heard legends. Was he one of those special breeds?! He had never considered it before but... maybe he was? He wanted to watch this closely. If there is someone that strong, he wanted to learn under them. That power is insane! How had he never heard of that name before?!
The next rounds went through, maybe people gave up, clearing out the competitors to six people, the only people who had successfully taken down trees. Now the rules were fists were not the only thing you could use, you could now kick the trees. Luckily for Pracross, his legs were much stronger than his arms and could pull out some heavy damage to the tree if he focused his power. It was time to test that out, since he was the first person. He was going up against Yodama, the person who took it down in a minute, exactly 32 blows. Now that kicking was allowed, those numbers may change, for both of them. Pracross had taken 36 seconds, so he would most likely win, but still, this guy was pretty strong. Pracross wondered if she would make a good sparing partner.
Everyone was on their seats for this, for this would be a quicker round compared to the boring matches previously. The two shook hands and went back to their respective trees and got into their stances. The whistles went off. Ready... Set... Go! Pracross didn't waste a second going at it. He planted one leg, snapping the tree fairly quickly, then another, almost breaking into the tree past half way, and for his last kick, he twirled around, his tail wrapping around him as he kicked the thin tree into another, causing the audience to go into an uproar while not to shortly after, Yodama kicked his down and the Judge stood up once again. "And the winner is... Pracross! Taking his tree in an astonishing 3 kicks! but let's not forget Yodama, who took his down in 7! You were both incredible, but only one moves on! Congratulations Pracross and we'll see you in the three man finals!"
Pracross was caught up in his waving when he felt a tap on his shoulder. The boy turned to see Yodama, smiling with her hand out. Pracross took it and smiled back. "Wow kid, you're strong! You a fighter? I'm guessing you're a saiyan with that tail of yours." Pracross nodded and pointed to her. "Good guess. You must be one really strong Earthling! You took that tree down pretty fast!" Yodama laughed and shrugged.
"Not really, not at strong as I want to be, but the reason I did so was is because I learned under the Crane school. You should try it!"
Pracross shook his head. "Sorry, I'm keeping to my own path, I don't think learning from a school would be for me."
"Alright, well if you change your mind, the dojo is on the northern side of the capitol"
Pracross nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Yodama"
Time passed, the next match was exciting, a guy with a black belt and white gi made an attempt to kick it down like Pracross and Yodama, but failed with the other person, who gave up when his knuckles started to split from so much stress against the tree, sending them both home... or to the hospital. Next up was the champion and that other successor from before, Testu. Chances were Testu was to lose, but maybe he had some hidden power?
They met up in the ring, the champion laughing as he shook his hand and whispered to Testu, who looked offended and pressed his lips, walking to his spot and popping his knuckles. Testu took a deep breath and got into a stance. Three whistles then took place, the champion smirked as he slashed at the tree and everyone took an uproar as he slashed through it in one slice while Testu worked at it with his fists, the entire thing caving in from his incredible punches, it was incredible to see someone deal so much damage in such a short amount of time.
A guy in the crowd was clapping really loud next to Pracross and nudged him when he wasn't clapping. "What's wrong pal? Isn't the champion great?!" Pracross crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "He's cheating."
"Pffft, haha, what? You can't possible say that! That's all skill!"
"hmph..." Pracross stood up and walked on stage to judge and pointed to the champion. "He's cheating, you know."
The Judge looked at Pracross and smiled. "What was that? Cheating? How could he cheat in a competition like this?"
"He has a blade device up his sleeve and he's using it to cut down the trees in one slice."
"Blade device? How could he have that, that's a ridiculous idea! Are you claiming he's cheating to get get out of the competition and win?!"
Pracross growled and points at the champion. "He's. Cheating."
"You hear that, folks! He thinks our champion is cheating! I think we should kick him from the game!" The announcer spoke through the microphone now, smiling. The crowd booed Pracross and cheered for the idea, that was, until the champion walked on stage. The man who was another case Hercule.
"Now, now everyone, he's just a little nervous so he's trying to get me it, don't get mad at him for trying, be happy that he's getting creative! Let's have a good fair match and celebrate just a normally!" The crowd went sensational over that small speech, setting everyone in a better mood, but Pracross was still certain of what he saw. The boy had no idea that Earthings were so... blind... that, or couldn't see movement that fast, either way, he was surprised. But it didn't matter. He planned to show these people what he was up to.
"And now here comes the final round! Our champion, Sherra, versus the challenger, Pracross! May the battle be in your favor!"
The two competitors met once more together, this time in the ring, ready to fight. The went to shake each others hands and the champion pulled Pracross in and whispered. "You shouldn't have said that boy, you better be grateful we're surrounded by people, otherwise you'd be in much more trouble than embarrassment..." Pracross looked him dead in the eyes. The boy had a very simple plan to make everyone see. Before he chopped the tree, he was going to catch his hand prove the existence of the device.
Pracross walked to his tree, the buffoon to his. This round was going to be difficult. This round they were to take turns one breaking down a full grown tree, enough that would injure anyone, even Pracross, who was up first. He had a minute to deal as much damage to the tree as possible. If he went full power and kicked the tree, he might maintain some damage into it. The crowd started to cheer as the counter went down, the three whistles to signal his start. After the third whistle, Pracross jumped up and started kicking at incredible speeds into the tree, immediately making dents into the wood. Luckily his flight technique allowed him to stay in place and surprise some of the watchers with his ability of "magic". Humans really were blind sometimes...
His time passed and he drops down onto the ground, taking deep breaths. Out of the corner of his eye, the judge stood up and raised his hand. "Within a minute, Pracross managed to kick his way a whole third of the way through the tree! That's just incredible! Congrats Pracross! Now, let's see our mighty champion work his own magic against the tree!" Sherra smirked and posed for the crowd. Pracross realized that he was just like the first person. Overweight and over confident, but this time he was cheating.
Pracross tried to sit up, but was completely out of breath, unable to move. This meant his plan for stopping the champion was going to fail, for his speed was now slow. All he could do now was watch...
"Three!" "Two!" "One!"
The champion laughed and chopped at the tree, hitting it and... there was a sound of a crack. Sherra didn't make a dent. In fact, he was holding his hand and biting his lip, holding back a yell. That's when Pracross saw it. The sharp blade on the ground, reflecting the mighty sun. He leaped for it with the last of his energy and grabbed it, forcing himself to stand up and hold it up.
"A cheater! He had this connected to a device to help him cut down those trees" Pracross yelled in anger, not realizing he was holding the blade too tight and he was cutting his skin. The crowd gasped and started an uproar of confused and angry talk.
"Why you little, lying again to get out of my handy work?! I didn't have such a device on my arm, you're just lying to get out of my turn!" Said Sherra, trying to win the crowd over this one sided argument, or that's what the boy thought until the crowd started booing Pracross. Are they really that gullible?!
"Fine, then if you don't need a blade, they break down that tree like you did the rest of them!" Pracross said, quick wittily.
"Pfft, haha, what? You doubt that I can?" Said the fat lard, starting to get nervous. "I don't have to prove anything to you!"
"Then why are you getting shaky? Plus, if you really want to convince these people you're the almighty champion, then break down this tree, one slice like the rest of them!"
"You're just being ridiculous! Judge, get him out of here! For all we know, he could be the one cheating and he's just pinning it me because he's scared!"
The Judge stood up and walked over to Pracross. "C'mon kid, time to go home." Pracross was enraged. Was this what Hercule was like? Extremely annoying and liar?! He was glad that his Earthling friend had taught him that not all humans were ignorant, other wise he would have obliterated everyone there. He slapped the hand of the judge and threw the blade to the ground. Pracross jumped back at Sherra and grabbed his arm, pulling down his sleeve, still feeling the fatigue from earlier. Pracross pointed to the device on his arm with a broken blade on the end.
"This is the device he used with the blade! Hey, you! Pick up the metal and put it against this, if it fits, it's my proof"
Everyone was quiet. The lady Pracross had pointed to walked over and picked up the blade and walked over to the champion. She carefully put the blade on, failed to make it fit, which made Sherra laugh and almost made him start ranting but Pracross shushed him with a finger, then motioned to the girl to turn it around, who flipped it and put it in, fitting perfectly. Everyone gasped like it was a surprise. "Ladies and Gentlemen, my proof that your Champion is a fraud."
Sherra laughed which made the crowd look around confused. "I don't know how you managed to slip that device on my arm but it's quite impressive, you must know magic really well, kid! But that doesn't forgive you for cheating!"
Everyone in the crowd "Oh"ed and clapped as if this truly was a magic trick. Pracross was sick to his stomach. The guy was a nut case and the crowd was full of idiots. He didn't know how much further he could go until a familiar figure stood from the crowd.
"No, that's the device he used to cut down the trees in once slice. He cheated so he could get the money, just like he does every year. He's not strong, he's just out to steal all of your fun!" It was Yomada, the crane girl from earlier. She was trying to side with him.
Another figure stood up, another familiar fighter.
"That piece of shit has been doing it for twelve years! He even whispered to me earlier that I was never going to win! He's been blackmailing me to keep quiet but..." Testu pointed at the large figure. "He's not even strong! He's just bullshit! He doesn't deserve anything but prison!"
Everyone was starting to get hyped. They were finally starting to see that he was an awful person, which scared Sherra. "I... Uh... no... it's... I've gotta go!" And he did as he said. He pushed Pracross off and took into the woods. The Champion with his pants down.
Tomada ran over to Pracross, hoping the fence, unlike Sherra, who had tripped over the entire thing. "Congrats, Pracross! You just embarrassed one of the worst west capital gang members" Embarrassed? Gang Members? Did he just scare a mobster? and no one arrested him? "If you're wondering, he's very good at making people believe what he says, he can find a solution out of any problem and yet his face is publicly known. If the people here would have realized, he could be in prison!"
Ah, I see... WAIT NO I DON'T! How can people be so blind to not see something right in front of them?! This was too much work for a simple solution! Pracross's anger made his face red, but he didn't think about it long when the Judge tapped him on the shoulder and escorted him, Yomada and Testu to the stage, where a placement platform now stood. Pracross was escorted to the top, Yodama to third and Testu to second. The Judge then walked over to the mic stand and smiled big.
"This year's winner, and savior, of the West City's Tree Punching Tournament is Pracross, The Horosha!" The crowd cheered for him, as loud as they had the champion. He felt honored. The lady from the counter stepped up and handed him a Capsule labeled "Zeni Prize Bag." The Boy held the prize up and everyone clapped as he smiled. The Judge approached Pracross and handed him the microphone.
"Pracross, will you join us next year for the grand tournament?"
"Haha, I'll see what I can do!"
The festival was reaching night and Pracross, with two new found friends just as strong as he'd hoped for, enjoy his night, filled with food, fighting, and stories.
But a dark time was approaching for him.
Sherra would return...
In the middle of the woods...
Pracross crossed his legs, leaning against a stump. He had finally gotten to enjoy a nap and away from the noisy city, too! Pracross stood and stretched, taking slow breaths as he surveyed the area. A patch of pink and yellow flowers scattered the area, the trees formed a prefect circle around the clearing, and the stump was arranged as if it were meant to have a special purpose, like a legendary weapon or a speech stump. Did he just take a nap on holy grounds?!
After his stretch, Pracross popped his knuckles as he started to walk around, making notes of the trees and the animals running away when he approaches. A stag, a few does, a rabbit, a black and yellow snaked with ring patterns, and something furry with a thin tail, a cat maybe? It surprised him that so many different animals had gathered together and made peace to just... watch him sleep? It was such an odd subject to think about, so he released the idea from his mind.
Pracross took in one last deep breath and started to walk back towards Satan City, the city closest to where he had landed. He wasn't terribly excited, for the city was overly populated with loud mouths and complainers, just like home... He didn't want to think of home, it was too... shameful... So he shook his head and carried on his march.
Before his sleep spell in the woods, Pracross had fought a boy, a human seeking a training partner. The battle had been something... Interesting... Pracross had fought at full might at an unexpected time, losing his thought and causing him injury, forcing him to go to the hospital. He had felt so guilty, but that's how humans are. Most of them are weaker than most races, at least until they toughened up, like that human... Oh what WAS his name? The boy snapped his fingers and smiled. Pieter Wolfbane, I heard that guys a legend in the human culture! But then again, there were a lot of heroes in history, certainly many were forgotten. Though, all legends aside, he really did wish the best upon his new ally, for he may see him again and next time much stronger!
The path had seemed so clear before, why was it so cluttered now? There were still vines and brush on this path now that he did not remember before, though... Oh well, he had already walked so far in, didn't matter all that much now. Pracross ran a hand through his hair and buzzed his lips, making a quiet "Pthffff" as he walked. How far away was town? He remember that he had walked quite the ways to get too that clearing for the battle against that Earthling, which had surprisingly left a bruise in his back (The fight, not the walk).
Some time passed...
Pracross twiddled his thumbs out of boredom. He had to have been walking for at least half an hour, so he was certain he was lost. A long sigh erupted from his throat as he sat down. "I should've just flown home..." But that was when he heard it.
A solid Thump!Thump!Thump! not to far into the forest. Is that... an animal? No, that's a familiar sound... It was... the sound of someone punching a tree...?
Pracross turned and started to walk in the direction of the sound, finding a clearing with many booths and a fenced circle, filled with many semi grown trees, as if they hadn't been growing for a little over five years, like the ones you see line up in cities. Pracross's curiosity got the better of him and he walked up to a Q&A booth, eyeing the lady inside. "Hello sir, how may I help you?" she smiled, speaking loudly to attempt to be heard over the loud grunts of a man, attacking a tree furiously not too far away. "I wanted to ask what this was?"
"This is the local tree punching tournament, exclusive to west town's woods!" West town?! I walked all the way to west town?! His guess of half an hour turned out to be closer to 6 hours, meaning he walked really fast to reach cities such a distance apart... So... he was near the west capitol...
"So are you interested?"
Pracross looked at the lady, who was smiling cheerfully, but yet sarcastically, as if he father forced her to be there. "In... punching trees?"
"Well, yes, there a large cash money prize if you win, though that may not happen, the champion has an incredible streak and has won every tournament since age ----(I don't know what age we're in so however far back is 12 years)"
"Cash money?" The boys eyes lit up. "Yes yes, I'll do it!"
"Okay!" She said as she pulled out a slip of paper and handed him a pen. "Just put your name here and they'll call you for your turn!"
The boy wrote his signature and head to the food area, examining all the varying food types, all for such low prices! He bought something called a hamburger, baked beans, fries, and some soda that came as a meal from a some . Pracross sat a table with a red and white umbrella and took a bite into the burger and got starry eyed. It was... AMAZING! A creation made so well out of beef, bread, greens and sauces known as condiments?! And the CHEESE! Two different kinds blended together for a stronger combination! He then moved on the the baked beans, which he gorged down with a smile, then the fries, which he combine with the special sauce for an amazing blend. He'd never loved food this much in his life!
After his binge out, he stood up and walked around the event, examining children fighting to the "death" with sticks, teenagers giggling over relationships and games, men bragging about how they're going to win this year, and their wives saying whether they agree or disagree with their claims. He walked around for about five minutes, when the intercoms came on. It was a man around his young twenties on the stage announcing this years celebration on the Grand Maple, grown over 120 years ago that restored wealth to the Capitol, yadda yadda, who cares? Pracross probably didn't even hear that right but he didn't care much anyways.
They started listening names of people competing, he eventually heard his name among 23 other competitors, ending with the champion, who walked on stage and acted extremely cocky, acting like he was never going to lose... Pracross wanted to crush people like that... They're so annoying...
They called up 2 people after the introduction and they explained how this competition works. 2 people enter the ring at once and try to break down one tree as fast as they can. If one gives up, the other wins. If they both give up, the most damage wins. Pretty simple. Pracross was going to win this and get that money, he really needed it if he was going to survive Earth. He leaned back on the table and watched as the first two people walked up and started to punch away. One hurt his hand on the first punch and gave up immediately. Weak. The other one, though, worked aggressively and eventually after a long 5 minutes, it snapped and tipped over, falling next to him.
The next couple rounds were full of disappointments. Many failed to even dent the tree, one person broke their hand and had to go to the hospital, and now it was his turn against some... larger fellow... The bulking figure seemed to be showing himself off as if he could destroy anyone with his fingers. He even made a gesture to Pracross as if he was going to crush him. Pracross smirked and shook his head and walked to the ring, where he was addressed a tree. The fat man, who's named turned out to be Gradient, walked over to his tree and laughed at Pracross. "Who let a little boy participate in such a harmful activity? Shouldn't you be playing with dolls?!"
"Shouldn't you be in a donut shop, you fat lard?" Pracross snapped, whipping the ground with his tail.
"Why you-! You better be lucky I have respect and not go over there!"
Pracross laughed. He actually thought he was strong! "That's cute!"
A small amount of time passes and the two are requested to shake hands. Gradient attempted to crush the boy's hand, and when he failed, he raise his eyebrow, but shook his head as he turned back. Then there were three whistles, indicating the ready, set, go. After the third on, the large figure started punching the tree with extreme might, gasps all around. Hah! The kid must've broken his hand! Tried to tell him! The man took a couple more minutes, eventually reaching the point where the tree tipped over and fell, standing confidently and laughing as the judge stood with the microphone. "And the winner is... Pracross! Taking down the tree in a mighty 20 blows!" "Haha, I know, I'm great... Wait, what?!" The large figure turned to face the boy, who was enjoying a burger on the railing, saluting with two fingers to the man. "Heya, fat lard! What's wrong? You look upset!" Pracross smirked and walked out of the ring, the applause growing as he waved and sat down in the "winners" isle.
The rounds that followed included many people who failed to break down the tree, four that succeeded and the champion, who of course, passed. The rest of the competition seemed too weak for this, but three other individuals seemed to be stronger than the rest. Yodama took it down in one minute, Testu took it down in 49 seconds, and the champion took his out in one blow, a clean cut straight through. He had never seen any pure blood earthling this strong before, but he had heard legends. Was he one of those special breeds?! He had never considered it before but... maybe he was? He wanted to watch this closely. If there is someone that strong, he wanted to learn under them. That power is insane! How had he never heard of that name before?!
The next rounds went through, maybe people gave up, clearing out the competitors to six people, the only people who had successfully taken down trees. Now the rules were fists were not the only thing you could use, you could now kick the trees. Luckily for Pracross, his legs were much stronger than his arms and could pull out some heavy damage to the tree if he focused his power. It was time to test that out, since he was the first person. He was going up against Yodama, the person who took it down in a minute, exactly 32 blows. Now that kicking was allowed, those numbers may change, for both of them. Pracross had taken 36 seconds, so he would most likely win, but still, this guy was pretty strong. Pracross wondered if she would make a good sparing partner.
Everyone was on their seats for this, for this would be a quicker round compared to the boring matches previously. The two shook hands and went back to their respective trees and got into their stances. The whistles went off. Ready... Set... Go! Pracross didn't waste a second going at it. He planted one leg, snapping the tree fairly quickly, then another, almost breaking into the tree past half way, and for his last kick, he twirled around, his tail wrapping around him as he kicked the thin tree into another, causing the audience to go into an uproar while not to shortly after, Yodama kicked his down and the Judge stood up once again. "And the winner is... Pracross! Taking his tree in an astonishing 3 kicks! but let's not forget Yodama, who took his down in 7! You were both incredible, but only one moves on! Congratulations Pracross and we'll see you in the three man finals!"
Pracross was caught up in his waving when he felt a tap on his shoulder. The boy turned to see Yodama, smiling with her hand out. Pracross took it and smiled back. "Wow kid, you're strong! You a fighter? I'm guessing you're a saiyan with that tail of yours." Pracross nodded and pointed to her. "Good guess. You must be one really strong Earthling! You took that tree down pretty fast!" Yodama laughed and shrugged.
"Not really, not at strong as I want to be, but the reason I did so was is because I learned under the Crane school. You should try it!"
Pracross shook his head. "Sorry, I'm keeping to my own path, I don't think learning from a school would be for me."
"Alright, well if you change your mind, the dojo is on the northern side of the capitol"
Pracross nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Yodama"
Time passed, the next match was exciting, a guy with a black belt and white gi made an attempt to kick it down like Pracross and Yodama, but failed with the other person, who gave up when his knuckles started to split from so much stress against the tree, sending them both home... or to the hospital. Next up was the champion and that other successor from before, Testu. Chances were Testu was to lose, but maybe he had some hidden power?
They met up in the ring, the champion laughing as he shook his hand and whispered to Testu, who looked offended and pressed his lips, walking to his spot and popping his knuckles. Testu took a deep breath and got into a stance. Three whistles then took place, the champion smirked as he slashed at the tree and everyone took an uproar as he slashed through it in one slice while Testu worked at it with his fists, the entire thing caving in from his incredible punches, it was incredible to see someone deal so much damage in such a short amount of time.
A guy in the crowd was clapping really loud next to Pracross and nudged him when he wasn't clapping. "What's wrong pal? Isn't the champion great?!" Pracross crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "He's cheating."
"Pffft, haha, what? You can't possible say that! That's all skill!"
"hmph..." Pracross stood up and walked on stage to judge and pointed to the champion. "He's cheating, you know."
The Judge looked at Pracross and smiled. "What was that? Cheating? How could he cheat in a competition like this?"
"He has a blade device up his sleeve and he's using it to cut down the trees in one slice."
"Blade device? How could he have that, that's a ridiculous idea! Are you claiming he's cheating to get get out of the competition and win?!"
Pracross growled and points at the champion. "He's. Cheating."
"You hear that, folks! He thinks our champion is cheating! I think we should kick him from the game!" The announcer spoke through the microphone now, smiling. The crowd booed Pracross and cheered for the idea, that was, until the champion walked on stage. The man who was another case Hercule.
"Now, now everyone, he's just a little nervous so he's trying to get me it, don't get mad at him for trying, be happy that he's getting creative! Let's have a good fair match and celebrate just a normally!" The crowd went sensational over that small speech, setting everyone in a better mood, but Pracross was still certain of what he saw. The boy had no idea that Earthings were so... blind... that, or couldn't see movement that fast, either way, he was surprised. But it didn't matter. He planned to show these people what he was up to.
"And now here comes the final round! Our champion, Sherra, versus the challenger, Pracross! May the battle be in your favor!"
The two competitors met once more together, this time in the ring, ready to fight. The went to shake each others hands and the champion pulled Pracross in and whispered. "You shouldn't have said that boy, you better be grateful we're surrounded by people, otherwise you'd be in much more trouble than embarrassment..." Pracross looked him dead in the eyes. The boy had a very simple plan to make everyone see. Before he chopped the tree, he was going to catch his hand prove the existence of the device.
Pracross walked to his tree, the buffoon to his. This round was going to be difficult. This round they were to take turns one breaking down a full grown tree, enough that would injure anyone, even Pracross, who was up first. He had a minute to deal as much damage to the tree as possible. If he went full power and kicked the tree, he might maintain some damage into it. The crowd started to cheer as the counter went down, the three whistles to signal his start. After the third whistle, Pracross jumped up and started kicking at incredible speeds into the tree, immediately making dents into the wood. Luckily his flight technique allowed him to stay in place and surprise some of the watchers with his ability of "magic". Humans really were blind sometimes...
His time passed and he drops down onto the ground, taking deep breaths. Out of the corner of his eye, the judge stood up and raised his hand. "Within a minute, Pracross managed to kick his way a whole third of the way through the tree! That's just incredible! Congrats Pracross! Now, let's see our mighty champion work his own magic against the tree!" Sherra smirked and posed for the crowd. Pracross realized that he was just like the first person. Overweight and over confident, but this time he was cheating.
Pracross tried to sit up, but was completely out of breath, unable to move. This meant his plan for stopping the champion was going to fail, for his speed was now slow. All he could do now was watch...
"Three!" "Two!" "One!"
The champion laughed and chopped at the tree, hitting it and... there was a sound of a crack. Sherra didn't make a dent. In fact, he was holding his hand and biting his lip, holding back a yell. That's when Pracross saw it. The sharp blade on the ground, reflecting the mighty sun. He leaped for it with the last of his energy and grabbed it, forcing himself to stand up and hold it up.
"A cheater! He had this connected to a device to help him cut down those trees" Pracross yelled in anger, not realizing he was holding the blade too tight and he was cutting his skin. The crowd gasped and started an uproar of confused and angry talk.
"Why you little, lying again to get out of my handy work?! I didn't have such a device on my arm, you're just lying to get out of my turn!" Said Sherra, trying to win the crowd over this one sided argument, or that's what the boy thought until the crowd started booing Pracross. Are they really that gullible?!
"Fine, then if you don't need a blade, they break down that tree like you did the rest of them!" Pracross said, quick wittily.
"Pfft, haha, what? You doubt that I can?" Said the fat lard, starting to get nervous. "I don't have to prove anything to you!"
"Then why are you getting shaky? Plus, if you really want to convince these people you're the almighty champion, then break down this tree, one slice like the rest of them!"
"You're just being ridiculous! Judge, get him out of here! For all we know, he could be the one cheating and he's just pinning it me because he's scared!"
The Judge stood up and walked over to Pracross. "C'mon kid, time to go home." Pracross was enraged. Was this what Hercule was like? Extremely annoying and liar?! He was glad that his Earthling friend had taught him that not all humans were ignorant, other wise he would have obliterated everyone there. He slapped the hand of the judge and threw the blade to the ground. Pracross jumped back at Sherra and grabbed his arm, pulling down his sleeve, still feeling the fatigue from earlier. Pracross pointed to the device on his arm with a broken blade on the end.
"This is the device he used with the blade! Hey, you! Pick up the metal and put it against this, if it fits, it's my proof"
Everyone was quiet. The lady Pracross had pointed to walked over and picked up the blade and walked over to the champion. She carefully put the blade on, failed to make it fit, which made Sherra laugh and almost made him start ranting but Pracross shushed him with a finger, then motioned to the girl to turn it around, who flipped it and put it in, fitting perfectly. Everyone gasped like it was a surprise. "Ladies and Gentlemen, my proof that your Champion is a fraud."
Sherra laughed which made the crowd look around confused. "I don't know how you managed to slip that device on my arm but it's quite impressive, you must know magic really well, kid! But that doesn't forgive you for cheating!"
Everyone in the crowd "Oh"ed and clapped as if this truly was a magic trick. Pracross was sick to his stomach. The guy was a nut case and the crowd was full of idiots. He didn't know how much further he could go until a familiar figure stood from the crowd.
"No, that's the device he used to cut down the trees in once slice. He cheated so he could get the money, just like he does every year. He's not strong, he's just out to steal all of your fun!" It was Yomada, the crane girl from earlier. She was trying to side with him.
Another figure stood up, another familiar fighter.
"That piece of shit has been doing it for twelve years! He even whispered to me earlier that I was never going to win! He's been blackmailing me to keep quiet but..." Testu pointed at the large figure. "He's not even strong! He's just bullshit! He doesn't deserve anything but prison!"
Everyone was starting to get hyped. They were finally starting to see that he was an awful person, which scared Sherra. "I... Uh... no... it's... I've gotta go!" And he did as he said. He pushed Pracross off and took into the woods. The Champion with his pants down.
Tomada ran over to Pracross, hoping the fence, unlike Sherra, who had tripped over the entire thing. "Congrats, Pracross! You just embarrassed one of the worst west capital gang members" Embarrassed? Gang Members? Did he just scare a mobster? and no one arrested him? "If you're wondering, he's very good at making people believe what he says, he can find a solution out of any problem and yet his face is publicly known. If the people here would have realized, he could be in prison!"
Ah, I see... WAIT NO I DON'T! How can people be so blind to not see something right in front of them?! This was too much work for a simple solution! Pracross's anger made his face red, but he didn't think about it long when the Judge tapped him on the shoulder and escorted him, Yomada and Testu to the stage, where a placement platform now stood. Pracross was escorted to the top, Yodama to third and Testu to second. The Judge then walked over to the mic stand and smiled big.
"This year's winner, and savior, of the West City's Tree Punching Tournament is Pracross, The Horosha!" The crowd cheered for him, as loud as they had the champion. He felt honored. The lady from the counter stepped up and handed him a Capsule labeled "Zeni Prize Bag." The Boy held the prize up and everyone clapped as he smiled. The Judge approached Pracross and handed him the microphone.
"Pracross, will you join us next year for the grand tournament?"
"Haha, I'll see what I can do!"
The festival was reaching night and Pracross, with two new found friends just as strong as he'd hoped for, enjoy his night, filled with food, fighting, and stories.
But a dark time was approaching for him.
Sherra would return...
