Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

"Since that's the case, then take it as your acceptance of the challenge."

The light from the Pegasus transformed into the outline of its wings, illuminating the entire space.

Under the combined effect of Originium Arts and the manifestation of Ki, light that eclipsed even the sun poured out like flowing liquid, seeping through the walls.

The anomalies on the training platform naturally drew the attention of others.

Moreover, the phenomenon that has occurred this time is unprecedented and is literally “remarkable”.

"Wow... such strong energy! What on earth is happening there?! Instructor Tomat won't let us in!"

People dared not move forward casually, and could only speculate about what kind of amazing thing was happening in that small space at that moment.

"I am neither Margaret nor Maria..."

Maria had no weapons at hand.

Moreover, given her current strength, there may not be any weapons or equipment on Rhodes Island that are worthy of her.

It's likely that with just a wave of her hand, those forged products, infused with countless technological prowess, would be no different from dry reeds, snapping in the wind mid-air.

Therefore, she adopted only a simple and unadorned charging stance.

This is the Kuranta people's most basic and most important fighting technique.

—A mounted charge.

However, Maria did not ride a lance; instead, she held a spear of breath tightly in her hand.

A golden aura flowed across it, while an even greater power condensed within the gun's body—a unique application method similar to that of a spirit blade.

Even for Margaret, who is stronger than the other sister, this is a level she has not yet reached.

Extremely high control, compression, and sustain of breath; air blade techniques have always been considered advanced applications of air due to these qualities.

"I am the one who will soon defeat you!!!"

This move could have been used for throwing.

But Maria preferred to hold it and launch a full-speed charge.

How fast is a Kuranta's full-speed charge?

They were so fast that before the enemy archers could even nock their arrows, they would be pierced through the chest by lances.

They were so fast that they could move as a whole knightly order, achieving a level of mobility that even conventional mechanized troops could hardly match.

The Silver Spear Pegasus, with Pegasus blood flowing through its veins, can unleash even stronger short-range burst damage and long-range sustained damage.

So, what about the fusion warrior who combines the pure Pegasus bloodline of the two sisters with Margaret, who can be considered one of the best among Pegasus?

Footsteps travel faster than sound can travel.

She stepped on the flowing light, like a celestial being from legends whose path even the sun paved for, and charged toward Tomat.

Her footprints were as straight as the sharp edge of the sunlight, just like her unwavering will.

The roars and shouts that echoed during the charge are now only visible on her face; the sounds that were left far behind can no longer be heard.

Tomat appeared to be frozen in place by that speed.

"...It is quite fast."

But they heard the voice of Tomat, which should have been inaudible.

The light vanished in the next instant.

Maria suddenly felt her vision split into two parts, left and right, and even her thoughts began to diverge, making it impossible for her to concentrate.

"Huh?"

"Ok?"

Maria sat down on the ground, looking confused, while Margaret sat opposite her, frowning as she looked at Thomas.

Thomas retracted his raised fist, which had been hovering in mid-air, roughly where Maria should have been.

"what happened?"

"Ah...I see."

Maria was still confused, but Margaret seemed to have completely understood everything. Her brows were tightly furrowed, but this did not mean she was relieved, because the unwillingness in her eyes was still visible.

"The fusion warrior can sustain itself for thirty minutes based on the premise that there is not much consumption."

Thomas's explanation also allowed Margaret to verify her own conjectures in her mind.

"Excessive energy consumption or excessive damage can lead to premature disintegration."

In other words, Tomat defeated the two sisters' fusion warrior with a single blow, which is why it disintegrated.

Maria may still lack a sense of reality and not know how powerful the power was in the previous fused state, but Margaret does understand.

That power was unparalleled in the world.

Even so, he still ended up being killed in one punch.

It's reassuring to have Tomat as a companion.

However, the utter defeat left her feeling resentful.

Maria didn't pay much attention to the matter, nor did she notice the expression on her sister's face. Instead, she asked, somewhat puzzled:

"Then why didn't you do this during the previous fusion practice? It would have saved a lot of time, right?"

“I think I’ve answered this question before—'I don’t want to destroy the confidence that I’ve worked so hard to build.'”

Thomas said it very bluntly, yet it was difficult to refute.

"If I had made it clear from the beginning that I had the power to disintegrate you with one punch, you probably wouldn't have paid much attention to this technique."

"Because no matter what, even Instructor Nearl might subconsciously compare his acquired power with mine, and then conclude that 'even someone this strong can't be compared to me'—and then fall into doubt, just like now."

Margaret looked up at Thomas's words, and Maria noticed her expression at that moment.

"Phew... I'm really ashamed."

Margaret said in a self-reflective tone:

"Although it was only for a moment—I did succumb to the reality that I am not strong enough, and it seems that I still lack firm beliefs."

Looking at Margaret, Thomas understood to some extent that fusion might become one of Rhodes Island's tactics in the future, and for this reason he specifically said:

Consider this my advice: don't be too concerned about the power gained from fusion. It's just a temporary solution to problems and doesn't represent your true strength.

“When necessary, it’s not a big problem to use a ‘shortcut’ like fusion to gain power. However, if we keep relying on similar things instead of steadily exploring the path to becoming stronger and constantly enhancing our own strength, we will inevitably fall behind others sooner or later.”

By relying on the Great Ape transformation instead of focusing on improving basic strength, Tomat is not only giving the two sisters a warning, but also, in a sense, spurring himself on.

Don't rely on shortcuts; that's how the Saiyans declined.

"You two have become much stronger than you did at the beginning. Just keep going."

Thomas also offered some timely guidance, and in this respect, he did quite a bit of what an instructor should do, even though one of the people he was guiding was another instructor.

"Don't worry too much about being defeated after merging. You should think of it this way: only by merging can you defeat an opponent you haven't even defeated yet. Sooner or later, I will rely on my own efforts to defeat them all by myself."

"At least, the two users I know have this idea in mind, which motivates them to become stronger and solve problems without relying on fusion."

Of course, the two people Tomat mentioned were mostly due to one of them being absolutely unwilling.

[Main Text] Terra Battle: Chapter Sixteen - Training Ends

"It's not that I'm against you using fusion to solve problems, but in terms of effectiveness, it is indeed more useful."

Tomat looked at the two sisters and understood that, whether it was the two of them or the entire Rhodes Island, they were not Saiyans, a warrior race. There was no need for them to excessively pursue personal strength. For them, strength was just a necessary means to solve various hardships, so solving problems through fusion was not unreasonable.

However, for Tomat, the attitude of "not using fusion unless absolutely necessary" is a kind of "restraint" that comes from the Saiyan nature.

Thomas also tried to convey the wisdom contained in this "reserve" to the two sisters:

"In special circumstances or when there is an urgent need to solve a problem, I would be happy to help you by using integration as an emergency measure, just like your participation in this competition."

"However, if your goal is really to become stronger, don't rely on it too much. This kind of time-limited trick is just a small trick in the end. No matter how strong the product of fusion is, it's not worth being complacent."

"To put it bluntly, a piece of trash who 'aims to become stronger but still relies on fusion' won't become much stronger even if they fuse. When they encounter a stronger opponent, their proud little tricks will become worthless."

They gained temporary power and considered themselves invincible, or they became intoxicated by this short-lived power and developed a dependence on it.

This situation will inevitably be crushed by a more tangible and powerful force sooner or later, and that is the message Tomat wanted to convey.

Knights are also warriors, and Margaret and Maria both understood similar principles.

Flashy techniques may bring temporary advantages, but what you can truly rely on is a solid foundation.

Only when fundamental skills are equally developed can techniques maximize their value.

Otherwise, the limited gap that skills can bridge will eventually allow those who are addicted to it to experience the terror of overwhelming sexual violence.

"I benefited greatly."

Margaret nodded respectfully in thanks, while Maria, standing beside her, was reminded of something else by Thomas's words:

"Mr. Tomat's situation sounds like those athletic riders who overdose on drugs."

Whether it's long-term intake or temporary use before a competition, the use of banned substances by competitive riders has become an open secret.

The fanatical emotions, the bizarre expressions, and the accompanying, almost superhuman, physical abilities—the association knew, and the audience knew, that certain dangerous drugs had already been circulating among the knights.

However, their matches after taking drugs only added some exciting moments. Apart from a few viewers who couldn't believe the outrageous performance of the drug users and felt sorry for the losers, not many people would really investigate whether they had used drugs.

After all, everything can be explained by "significant racial differences," citing an example of someone who is very powerful without medication, to exonerate those who are suspicious.

There are even rumors that the government was involved in providing the drugs. As for whether any knights relied on them, there's no need to say more, because for those who are only after fame and money, the harm caused by the drugs and the risk of their activities being exposed are not worth mentioning at all.

"Using drugs... I thought commercialization was enough to render the name of knights meaningless, but now there are still such despicable acts." Margaret said in a calm tone, her words containing both emotion and sorrow. However, this was not surprising news to her at the moment. "Such abnormal things have become the norm because of things like profit."

But then, Margaret changed to a slightly more relaxed tone and said:

"But this kind of thing may not last long."

"Huh? Could it be... that Rhodes Island has gotten involved in this as well?"

Upon hearing this, Maria immediately looked at her sister with a surprised expression, while the latter remained silent without comment.

Whether it's an outside company arbitrarily entering the competition or forcefully interfering in the arena for infected individuals, either of these actions are tantamount to wielding a knife over the Business Federation's head, dividing up—or even smashing—their cake.