Round Two - Tulip VS Koldar

    Tulip's head jerked up, as cracks spread throughout the blade she held her palm against. The blade shattered and dispersed into ki, as the Arcosian shot out through the remains. His shout reached her ears, as the woman started to stumble back. His advice was solid; moments later, all of the other blades vanished, as her armor shifted into a darker shade. All of her ki returned to her body, as the woman prepared to repel the incoming warrior.

     His first elbow was a blur, slicing through her helmet like wet cardboard. Her head was knocked back, as a knee slammed into her stomach. Her attempt to throw out threads to gauge his assault failed, due to the ferocity and speed he wielded. More attacks rained from either side, forcing the woman backwards as the seemingly berserk warrior cracked and broke her armor. She finally broke away, using the chains from before to drag herself to the far side of the arena. Falling to one knee, the woman stared across at the Arcosian Warrior. She had no idea if her words would be able to reach the man, or if trying to communicate was worth it.

     “Koldar...if you win this tourney, what will you wish for? I just want to gauge if my wish is worth it or not...” Slowly rising to her feet, the armor she was so proud of began cracking. Pieces fell to the ground, dissolving into nothing as the woman underneath was revealed. Her appearance was bruised and tattered, evidence of her abuse during his onslaught. The helmet finally shattered, letting her messy brown hair spill out across her back. Her emerald gaze fell on the warrior, as she reached into the pocket of her jacket. Inside were her capsules, containing various tools, her ship, and clothes. But, her hand brushed something strange, an object she didn't recognize.
    Pulling it out slowly, the woman found herself staring at a letter. Ignoring the fight, the crowds around her, and her opponent standing across the arena from her, the woman opened the letter, reading the simple message there. It was addressed simply and legibly; 'The Nice Lady'. She could feel her eyes starting to blur, as she opened the letter slowly.

    Mommy told me you had to make my big brother and daddy go away, because they did bad things. She was crying when she told me, but said that you had saved my life. It was medicine that friends from another planet brought! I'm not sure what kind of scary things happened to you...but I want you to know that I thank you for everything! You gave me a second chance; so when you come back, come visit our flower shop! I'll have a lovely tulip waiting for you!

     The letter was crumpled into her fists, as tears began falling to the metal ground below. The woman realized that, in focusing on all the evil she had committed, the woman had forgotten about the good her actions had created. She didn't remember putting a letter in her pocket, or seeing a girl when she left Woatera. Then, it dawned on the young fighter; her friend, the young farmer, had washed and patched all of her jackets that had been damaged during the fighting. His last words were, she realized in shock, a promise and a seed of hope.

    ”Whenever you finish at the tournament thing, be sure to come home. And if things ever get too hard, I'll always be there to support you...even if there's a universe between you and me. Just think of me, and you'll find an answer.”

     A soft smile touched her face, as the woman finally realized her true purpose for being here, the thing that would be worth every pain she suffered through fighting in this tournament. Grabbing her braid in one hand, the woman tossed the long ponytail back, before a single, gleaming blade shot through the air and cut it. Her now-short hair scattered in a tidy mess around her head. Her gaze, clearer than it had been throughout the entire fight, met Koldar's. Speaking firmly, the woman thrust her hands out.

     “I'm going to wish for happiness; a universe where fighting is only done for fun, and everyone can live in peace. Can you match my resolve, Ice Breaker?”
    Dropping her hands to either side, metal coalesced into gauntlets that made the air heavy with energy. Dropping into a boxer's stance, the woman waited for Koldar's next move.

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    Tulip's eyes remained on the Arcosian, as he responded to her question. His answer was simple, one forged by and through the current reality. Her lips tightened, as her fists shut firmly with a resounding locking of metal. His simple refutation of her sincere wish was both heartrending and frustrating. He finished speaking, turning his back and pacing away.

     “What I want isn't to erase all other emotions...”
    Tulip's voice crossed the gap, as the woman lowered her hands. Her gaze was clear, as she continued speaking.

     She suddenly blurred, ground cracking as the woman sprinted forward. Her steps were carefully paced, ensuring she instantly closed the gap between herself and Koldar but maintained a boxing distance. Her gauntlets made the air heavy with ki, as the hybrid halted in a southpaw's stance. The metal shards cracked and broke, her entire body straining to remain standing while she held aloft her weapons of choice; her fists, burdened with her years of pain, battles, and blood spilled; her gauntlets, a symbol of her growth, struggles, and perserverance; and the weight, created by her dreams, hopes, and determination.


     Ignoring the pain stabbing through her muscles, the woman threw a right jab, the same jab she had thrown at the beginning of the fight. The difference from before, regardless of whether the fist landed or not, was when the arena shattered in a narrow crater, tracing a straight line from the origin of the strike to the far side of the arena. The sheer momentum created from the weight of her gauntlets being thrust at such a high speed produced a force that was unmatched. Her left followed, tracing another line across the arena. Her feet joined the dance, as her punches traced lines of destruction across the metal arena. She didn't know how many of her hooks, jabs, or uppercuts would land, but her body continued throwing attacks. Tulip couldn't fall, until the Arcosian recognized her resolve. Her mind reached out weakly, trying to detect the fighter in the middle of the web of lines.

    This pain, it's something I've dealt with since time immemorial. Someone of my height and build can't be strong; it's an irrefutable truth I was told since birth. But I proved, through training and perseverance, that even a small woman like me can fight with titans.

    Unfortunately, I can't keep this up forever; my body is going to shut down before I win. I need to hit him with a round-sealing attack.

    Stepping back as metal shards danced through the air, the woman crossed her arms in a guard. With a low whistle, she began focusing all of her ki into her body, preparing to win the match if she managed to remain standing. Her gauntlets remained on her fists, causing a tremor to run through her already-fatigued muscles. Her eyes looked through the dancing shards of black metal, waiting to see the Arcosian's response after her spontaneous assault.

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    Her mind, fuzzy from fatigue, barely registered the Arcosian's words. For a match that had only been going for about five minutes, it felt like an eternity. Her entire body felt like a burden, muscles barely registering the energy she tried to force through it. Koldar's heavy breathing wasn't lost on the smaller woman; she could tell he was also feeling the effort of their battle. Her gauntlets dissolved into nothing, lessening the burden on her already-exhausted body.

     “You're right...Greed and desire will always exist. Even if the wish is all-encompassing, there will come a time when that magic fades, and people with evil desire will rise up.”

     Her voice was slow, broken, as she struggled to maintain her stance through her exhaustion. Tears tinged the corners of her eyes, precious water her body couldn't waste but still produced. Her emotions were a wreck; the last fight had been a roller-coaster of emotions. She relaxed her fists, before clenching them again. Staring at the old warrior, she could appreciate the power in his stance, the experience that guided his body through his motions. Sliding her feet apart, relaxing her hands, the woman assumed the same stance the Arcosian used, fatigue making her motions shaky.

     “But, even when those with evil in their hearts rise up, there will be those who seek happiness and peace capable of safeguarding that peace. I'm...one of those people. If my wish can bring about that happiness, however fleeting, for our entire universe, I'll fight with my entire life on the line.”

    Her voice was still slow, but there was a certain conviction with each line spoken. She began stepping through the forms, almost perfectly mimicking the Eps Purah Kahnsh Koldar had used to completely demolish her armor and weapons. Stopping in the same stance Koldar now stood in, with her energy still building, the woman spoke softly, but firmly.

     “Even if I have to steal everything each fighter brings to this tournament, I won't let my dream end here. Your strength is second to none, Ice Breaker. I wouldn't have wanted any other opponent, to help me find my true goal. So...let's finish this match in a way that'll make every universe respect ours for the potential we wield.”

Her energy was still building, as silver sparks began crackling down her arms and over her body. She kept her gaze on Koldar, not moving until he did.

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    Her energy was still building, as silver sparks began crackling down her arms and over her body. She let her hands drop, as her building energy crackled throughout her entire body. Bringing both of her hands forward, a single, gleaming sword formed in her hand. A blade which was unlike every sword she had brought into the fight thus far, the classic sword reflected her visage as she stared at the edge. All of her growing energy shifted from her body into the sword, as the woman slid her feet apart. Her gaze met Koldar's, before a small smile crossed her face.

     “You're holding back, Ice Breaker. My vitality is almost spent, to the point where even trying to go Super Saiyan or the form beyond would simply force me into unconsciousness after a few moments.”

    Holding the blade high above her head, the woman gripped the handle firmly. A single, dancing bolt of silver danced down the sword, as the woman's clear, emerald gaze met the older warrior's. Stepping forward once, her foot crushed through the metal arena floor as the woman swung down with the katana. The energy contained within the blade shot forward, reaching the heavens and splitting the clouds above. A pillar of silver energy shot forward, cutting dozens of feet down into the metal ground as it tore a devastating line towards the Arcosian warrior. The wall of energy shot towards the Arcosian, bringing with it enough energy to tear asunder the warrior.


     Her hair danced in the wind created by the powerful attack, as her eyes shifted to a lighter blue. Blue energy danced across her body and hair, as her hair shifted to a more spiked stance and turned a golden blonde. Her muscles bulged, as a new energy filled them. She couldn't bring her energy any higher than the technology allowed, but her body's composition was capable of changing through the legendary transformation one step beyond Super Saiyan. Chasing the silver wall of devastation she had created, the woman waited till it collided with the warrior and brought her sword forward to stab through, to target the Ice Breaker when he finished dealing with her previous, powerful attack.

In that single instant, when his attention is fixed on my strike, I'll pierce his shell with this blade, and bring him down in the same instant. They'll wish him back with the Dragonballs; it is only a temporary death.

     Throwing aside her momentary reluctance, the woman stabbed her blade forward, using her Ascended Super Saiyan strength to propel the sharp blade even faster towards the Ice Breaker. Her vision was already darkening, as her strength bordered on snapping. She would only have this one shot, before her body gave out completely.

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