DB Multiverse

Interworldly Politics

— Cool, we’re going to be working together!

— Yes, but I am still your superior, Brie, so you’ll have to behave.

— Watch it, Missie. If I see you abusing your power, don’t expect me to pay you coffees anymore. Then you’ll die of thirst.

— Abricota Prunus Armeniaca Rosidae Plantae, is that bribery I hear?! These threats will not go unchecked. Know that that you’re just about this close from termination, and that you will end up jobless, on the street and alcoholic, needing to snatch old bars of katchin from public bathrooms to sell them on the black market to feed your addiction to crack.

— That’s out of the question. I’ll sleep with the dealer to get my crack free of charge.

— Fancy that.

— I’ll still be stealing bars of katchin, though, so I can beat you with it in a dark alley, during a night of full moon, to exact my revenge. I’ll steal your keys and go to your appartment to get all your left shoes! Then, I’ll start a black market for one-legged persons.

— I can only comply... It would be too immoral for you to start a market for one-legged people.

A little farther into the exchange, the last few members of the meeting had arrived and it could finally begin.

— We have gathered here to discuss a crisis the likes of which we have never been faced with before. For centuries we have remained under the Frost Empire’s radar and have only established short-lived communications with rebels, but our presence is now known to them. On the other hand, thanks to the Saiyans, or rather one of them, we have become the most powerful force in the universe to oppose the Demons. We must now determine what is the best approach to take in dealing with them now.

It was the president who had spoken. Formerly elected, he had governed over the Tsufuls for 17 years and represented the government.

Do note, dear readers, that we will not list all those present that no one really cares about. So as to facilitate comprehension, they will be referred to by their role or function.

— We are 49 gathered here, physically or virtually, he continued. I will only refer to those of greater relevance. I represent the state and its budget. Xxx of the polls represents the general opinion of the Tsuful people. Yyy of Saiyan studies represents the public opinion of the aforementioned people. Ms. Chiin-Lee of the Millennial Saiyan project represents the “Millennial” Saiyan who killed the Frost Demon Chilled. Next, we have non-Tsuful guests. Zzz on this screen here represents the rebellion against the Frost Empire. Aaa here is an expert who will tell us how the Demons will react. The conversation from their end and to us will be filtered by a translator. Please speak distinctly and refrain from using Tsuful expressions, cynicism or strong undertones.

The president swallowed before resuming.

— To begin, we’re going to share our intel on certain facts and answer a few questions. First question; Is Chilled really dead? Yes, he is. Next, is the Empire aware of this? Yes, they saw everything through video, including the battle. The Emperor reacted strongly but is yet to take any action. He is currently gathering his sons. Aaa will give us an update on the Demons.

— Greetings. The Demons were five in number. The Emperor, Blizzard, is the father. He hasn’t moved from his armchair for years, until he saw the video. He might be able to battle, but we are doubtful. Next are his four sons. In order of age starting with the oldest, Frosty, Snower, Chilled and Ice Kurima. The oldest is most likely the strongest of them. Now in regards to their strength...

The Demon specialist paused for a second then continued on: it may be a secret, but the Demons can transform, greatly increasing their strength. Each have one or many additional appearances, and we don’t know the exact number for each of them. This implies that the level of power we know of likely isn’t their full strength.

— The Emperor’s army is far from being the most formidable, began another extraplantestrial. They are spread across the system, and have rarely ever dealt with rebellion. Indeed, the Demons or their strongest fighters, named warrior of the court, are each worth an entire army in their own right, and do not hesitate to nuke an entire nation or continent in the event of conflict breaking out.

— But we have our own secret army, continued another, which is getting ready. With our combined forces, we could match a tenth of the Emperor’s, which is absolutely huge. Do keep in mind that these numbers don’t account for the warriors of the Emperor’s court.

— Given the unlikelihood of having to meet their army in its entirety, and the element of surprise, it should be clear that the scales of the first battle will be tipped in our favor. That is, if neither of the Demons themselves are present. With our initial victories and a staunch rebellion will come the support of other planets. Strategy could secure us victory, but only if the Demons and their court are halted. Here’s one of our questions: Is this warrior of yours one of a kind?

— Yes, answered Chiin-Lee, who could finally speak. Even with our strength-enhancing drugs, we haven’t been able to produce a warrior nearly as powerful. Clearly, this transformation, which closely resembles that of the Millennial Warrior isn’t exactly the same thing. We compared their DNA strands, and we couldn’t find in her what made the other so “Millennial.” Her case is unique. And we don’t have the means to reproduce such results.

Their expression were visibly distraught.

— On the other hand, she continued, her DNA isn’t completely different. No sign of disease or mutation. To put it simply, it is theoretically possible that other Saiyans could transform the same way into what we call a Super Saiyan. We just have yet to find out how.

— We would like for you to continue researching this theory. It is vital to our plans, and could entirely change the change the tides of power in our favor. Another question: can these warriors be manipulated?

— Yes, said Chiin-Lee. They will fight for us. She will fight for us.

— I disagree, intervened Yyy. While they will fight to protect their planet, they won’t care less about anything else, and won’t take orders from anyone but their own. Should we try to manipulate them, it could prove disastrous if they were to realize it.

— The Super Saiyan is different. But I’m not going to start a debate with Yyy. I do agree that it is going to be difficult to convince the Saiyans to go to war in space for us. But not impossible.

— Are we in the process of planning a universal-scale war against the Empire? asked an alien.

— If there is so much as shred of hope in annihilating the Frost Demons, then it is a gamble worth taking, answer another.

— “One shred of hope” to sacrifice billions of lives and entire planets, I say! In a full-scale war, the Frost Demons do not hesitate to destroy a planet whose population isn’t giving 100% of their resources to the Empire. Declaring war is a death sentence to an entire species!!

— We have to act with finesse, said another alien. If we launch an attack against the Demons with Super Saiyans, our forces and general insurgency will be enough to bring the Empire into line.

— Even if the Demons and the court vanished all of a sudden, it wouldn’t stop a stray quantic warhead from destroying a planet. Their entire army isn’t containable in just one day.

— If it takes only a billionth of our population to put an end to the tyrannical reign of a 10,000-year old empire, I say the loss is well-worth the gain.

— Listen, said the Tsuful president, we’re going to put our every effort into creating as many warriors, er... Super Saiyans, as possible. But we cannot guarantee the success of such an endeavor. Once we know for sure, we will be able to determine how good an opportunity this is. For the time being, there are more pressing matters. What course of action will the Frost Demons take in the days to come? If all four of them were to come to our planet, we would be completely annihilated!

— Exactly, said the Demon specialist. If they were to come in numbers, it would be absolutely imperative to take yourselves and your warrior and hide somewhere. That’s not going to happen, though. The Demons are full of themselves, believing that it would only take a single one of them to take your Super Saiyan down, which could bear some truth to it. Besides, for them to leave together would be unusual, exposing their crisis to the people. However, if another of them were to die the same way, their methods will change.

There was a short silence. The thought of several indestructible demons making their way to the tiny planet that was Plant sent shivers down the spine of many Tsufuls. Furthermore, they had seen the recording and while the Super Saiyan was stronger than the Demon, he was indeed in the process of transforming, his strength increasing exponentially.

— You did say, added one of the Tsufuls, that the court’s warriors aren’t nearly as powerful as the Demons. They are capable of taking down huge battleships, but a Saiyan trained by us, not even a “Super Saiyan”, surely can do the same, can’t he?

— I see, answered an alien who had briefly looked away from the screen. I’ve just learned of the characteristics of your enhanced and trained Saiyan, and I must say, your results are nothing short of impressive. Definitely a match for most of the court’s warriors. But not for the elite.

— Do you not have any elite fighters of your own?

— A few, yes, but not enough, I must admit. No other species yields stronger fighters than your Saiyans. Apart from the Namekians, of course.

— Namekians?

— You can read up the files we have on them later, said the president. Who else has questions?

— Are you prepared for war? asked an alien to the Tsufuls.

— Well, that is to say... Began Xxx of the polls and public opinion. Our planet is faced with a sizeable threat… We have an army, and we have citizens aware of said threat. Yes, we are ready for war.

All of the Tsufuls sitting around the table could feel the tension building up in the room. It had been said. They were faced with a threat and had to go to war. Beginning production of vessels and arms. Putting their lives on the line.

They then discussed their short-term plans. It was estimated that in ten day’s time at most that an Empire’s vessel will be making its way to Plant, carrying a few of the court’s warriors, or at least an army of comparable strength.

The Tsufuls were advised to train their Saiyans and begin production of heavy weaponry and make the necessary preparations to receive allied warships. The latter group were stealthily making their way towards Plant.

Finally, it was decided that the Frost Demons should know as little as possible of the situation (in the event they could get another kill in before they can act cautiously), and so preparations had been made to sabotage their means of communication upon their arrival on the planet.

The meeting had reached its end with the exchange of intel on what mattered to all; the Frost Demons, the Saiyans, and all about the universe that the Tsufuls were lacking.

— The Namekians are really amazing! exclaimed the Tsuful projecting all the information on them.

— Regenerative abilities, they’re really something, said Chiin-Lee, who was looking at the monitor from over his shoulder.

— They have strange magical abilities, can fly, and have crazy strength, even with their gravity being less than ours. All that with strong intelligence, lifespan, telepathy… and materialisation???

— The ability to spawn objects from nothing.

— But that’s impossible!

— It probably doesn’t work as simply as it sounds. But look at this: wisdom, might, and… complete autarky.

— Don’t leave their home, coordinates of the planet unknown?! They are known throughout the universe, and yet have hidden their planet even better than we have?!

— They have no technology. Completely undetectable. Only a few of them venture into the empire. They are stubborn and cannot be dealt with.

— They prefer the peace of their home rather than sending their fighters to die against the empire. Understandable.

— Too bad for us..

— Furthermore: no violent tendencies. They’re like Saiyans, but without the collateral baggage!

— Still, they’re a lot less interesting than them...

— Really? Why?

— Look at this, ended Chiin-Lee: asexuals.

Corrne had gotten up early and was flying towards the capital. Once there, hours later, completely exhausted, he realized that he had done well to rush.

The city was full of excitement. Colorful fireworks exploded in the sky periodically to announce the important events to which all were invited. The surrounding cities were already relaying these signals and Corrne had seen two storytellers swiftly leaving the capital to spread news, which he could already guess.

He could tell by their disgruntled expressions that they were disappointed by the fact that their profession obligated them to leave the capital and miss the opening battles to determine the new King.

He went straight for the large stadium which was, as expected, swarmed by crowds of spectators. In addition to the circular bleachers, several spectators had to stay afloat around the arena. But Corrne, tired as he was, sought a place to rest on the ground, even standing up if needed. Naturally, there weren’t any good spots left. He nevertheless managed to find an adequate spot.

The fight had long begun. But Hanasia was nowhere to be seen. He could see an unfamiliar face challenging a general. The fight didn’t last and the challenger had to give up. Then other bout succeeded each other, each between different Saiyans.

The principle had changed. Competitors had to register in advance, and rather than having everyone fighting until the point of exhaustion, the fights were organized. This meant that each winner would face another.

There was an interlude, and the counsellor began to speak using the magical orb (a mic) that allow his voice to be heard everywhere at once, a contraption those living in the capital were used to seeing and always avoided the question of how exactly it worked.

— The preliminaries are over, with thirty-seven competitors left! We are now readopting the old tournament format, where the winner stays in the ring. Each fighter will challenge the one in the ring for 37 bouts. The winner will be made King, at least until tomorrow!

The Saiyans were used to tournaments for the crown taking several days because some of the fighters would come from afar, taking several days to get to tournament grounds. But, asked Corrne to himself, why readopt the usual system, in which several worthy Kings had lost due to accumulated fatigue to opponents weaker than themselves, when the preliminary format was clearly more balanced?

Corrne got his answer soon after. The first to enter the ring was Hanasia.

— You’ve only seen her for a short moment in the preliminary rounds, here’s Hanasia! You can all bet! I’m sure we’re looking at our future Queen of the Saiyans!

She wasn’t wearing her boorish clothes from her village, but wasn’t dressed like a Queen, either. For all it was worth, administrative services in the capital had been acquainted with her, and had given her a simple colored cloth dress.

— Allow me to recount her feats. A few weeks ago, she was the one to stand up against the terrifying Millennial Saiyan Warrior! And just yesterday, she was the one who killed the invincible invader from the world in the sky, the one responsible for the death of our former liege.

Obviously Corrne had missed a few things.

— All you need to know on these invaders in this very stadium tonight, concluded the councillor.

Many in the bleachers were surprised. They were already well into the afternoon, and 37 bouts, that could take a very very long time. But Corrne and the tournament planners knew that that wouldn’t be the case. He then understood that these preliminary rounds were meant to showcase fights that were more or less evenly matched, so as to not frustrate the crowd. Indeed, what was about to follow wasn’t going to be very climactic.

— Azgamar of a village in the Southern Plains is her first opponent, said the councillor as a beefy Saiyan entered the ring.

The Saiyan assumed a battle stance before attack. He charged Hanasia, who remained stoic and didn’t show any sign of defending herself.

The instant he reached her, she lifted her arm at such high velocity that it sent him flying in only a single blow miles away from the arena.

— Next up is our second challenger, said the councillor looking at the black dot fading in the distance like the rest of the audience. Romanakib, of this very capital, lieutenant to the King’s army.

An agile-looking Saiyan entered the ring. He jumped into the air and began to fly towards Hanasia. On the way, he sent a few energy blasts towards her way in order to distract her before striking himself. But where she stood, there was nothing left but the ring for the blast to crash against. She reappeared in a perpendicular fashion to his position and kneed him in the stomach, all while keeping her arms crossed.

Romanakib wasn’t ejected out of the stadium, but fell to the ground, his groaning faintly, before fainting himself.

The longest parts of the fights were the entrances of Hanasia’s opponents...

Only five challengers would fight battles that could be remotely described as honorable, in which Hanasia has to uncross her arms, but in each and every case, they were clearly all overmatched.

— We’ll be back with more powerful challengers tomorrow, and again next week with the strongest Saiyans on the planet! concluded the councillor. After a long pause, the corpses of some of the invaders were displayed, and a summary of recent events was given.

The invaders had come from a world above the sky, and maybe more would follow.

Because of them, the rebuilding of the Saiyan army began and all those willing were welcome to enlist, once again in exchange for more advanced training.

Many Saiyans were excited by the mere idea of fighting monsters from other worlds and some enlisted for the sheer thrill of those battles.

Military quarters needed to expand just as much and the barracks built for the battle with the Millennial Warrior were already in the process of having extensions built.

Corrne entered the castle. He was a renowned storyteller and didn’t need to fight with the guards to proceed. He made his way directly towards the royal chambers and, reaching the quarters reserved to the King, was confronted with another pair of guards.

— None shall pass.

— I am Corrne, I am Royal storyteller, he replied.

— I know who you are, I know you, retorted one of the guard, a jacked up royal guard who would probably wouldn’t have any issue dealing with Corrne if he tried to pass forcefully. But you’re not coming in. There’s a lot of work for new Kings, and they’re not here to be distracted by everyone.

— I just got back from the Queen’s village. I’m her acquaintance.

— Well then, here’s what we’re gonna do: you wait here, and you can say “Hi” to her when she comes out.

Corrne could only yield. He walked away to find a sport to sit down.

— And don’t even think about trying to break through the walls, added the other guard.

— Don’t worry about it. I’m not an idiot.

In this world of Saiyans were everything was fragile, touching castle walls resulting in strong reprimanding. The capital was equipped with sensors and no vandale has ever been left untried by a good beating for wanting to make his own entrance. While entering restricted premises through holes in walls was punishable by death, beating the crap out of the guards and inviting yourself in was totally allowed.

The storyteller was used to waiting. When flying at high speed, not having a radio, he would use the landscapes he passed by to ease his solitude, even if he already knew them too well. Staring blankly without necessarily thinking about this or that was much needed rest for his mind while his body was hard at work trying to move as quickly and efficiently as possible.

He looked at the sky through a window and thought of nothing. This could have taken an hour, he didn’t know.

Noise came from the royal apartments. Many people walking and talking while reaching the door. Corrne got up and saw Hanasia coming out, along with some old Saiyans who since long managed what was around the royal affairs.

— I said I wanted to see the Tsufuls now! Hanasia said.

— We can not do everything at once. Please wait a few days...

— You told me that I could see them.

— You're not even Queen yet!

— Hi, Hanasia, said the storyteller by putting himself on their way.

— Hey! She replied. Co... Co...

— Corrne. He finished.

— Yes that's right, she said without admitting that she was about to say "You there". You're already back from my village?

— Well, yes, I wanted to know why you had disappeared, and I am not disappointed!

— My village... I have to tell them everything... They must be worried!.

Corrne dared not to answer that, in fact, it wasn’t so much the case.

— Messengers left, said the counselor. In a few days they will give all the news to your village.

— A few days? You came back faster than that.

— They have to step in more intermediate villages to tell, said Corrne. And well... I'm pretty fast.

— I’ll go myself, then. So call the Tsufuls by then.

— You must be back by tomorrow morning! worried a general.

— Don’t worry, old man. Corrne, you come with me.

A big smile lit up the face of the storyteller.

— Because I don’t know the way.

The smile faded a little.