Most of the contestants Levos had eliminated so far were Earthlings, civilians who had entered the tournament simply for the right to survive.
Of course, mixed in were also a number of Frieza Force grunts he found particularly irritating.
Whenever he showed up in front of them and explained his purpose, they usually burst into tears and surrendered on the spot.
But what truly caught Levos's attention were a specific group of contestants, each marked with a demonic sigil on their forehead.
These people were disturbingly resilient. Even if someone snapped their necks, they regenerated in the blink of an eye.
It didn't take Levos long to figure it out.
They were Babidi's enslaved warriors, Majinized fighters.
He cast a glance up toward the glowing sphere in the sky. A handful of these Majin-marked teams were still mixed among the tournament participants.
Clearly, Babidi had dispatched these cannon-fodder troops to gather energy by hunting other contestants.
Levos had even attempted to tail a few, hoping they would lead him back to Babidi's hideout. But unfortunately, they all vanished the same way teleported away instead of flying back like in the original timeline.
Once transported, their energy signatures vanished completely, as if swallowed by the void.
While most Majinized fighters were average in strength, they were still formidable compared to regular Earthlings.
In a remote corner of the city, a chubby man had been surrounded by several of these Majin warriors.
"Monsters! I already surrendered! What more do you want from me?!"
Pale-faced and trembling, the man could barely keep his grip on his katana.
The Majin warriors sneered wickedly.
"Haven't we drained your energy once already?" one of them jeered.
"Didn't expect you to recover so quickly. But lucky us, time to offer Babidi your essence a second time!"
"Heh heh… and this time, we're keeping you alive. Gotta study what makes you tick. Keke!"
Roaring in desperation, the man swung his sword.
Splat!
A Majin's neck was slashed open. But instead of blood, a thick, black sludge oozed out… then quickly stopped.
The creature snarled and retaliated with a brutal punch to the man's face, sending him crashing through a wall like a cannonball. He groaned and barely managed to crawl back to his feet.
The other Majins chuckled coldly and began to move in for the kill.
"Enough playing around. Finish him," ordered what appeared to be their leader.
Instantly, one of the Majins pulled out a thick syringe-like device and stabbed it into the man's waist.
His strength drained rapidly. His pupils dilated. His limbs felt numb.
Shaking, he reached into his tunic with his left hand and pulled out a vibrant green bean.
Just as he was about to swallow it, a blur appeared beside him. With a casual backhand, the attacking Majin was sent flying.
"You…" the man stared wide-eyed at the stranger's face.
The man's face was sharp and stoic. He gave a slight nod.
"Do… do you know me?" the man asked, confused.
"No," the other replied with a calm smile.
The fat man blinked.
Meanwhile, the surrounding Majin warriors charged forward in rage, only to be kicked aside effortlessly, one by one, and knocked unconscious.
The stranger then yanked the syringe device out of the man's side, examined it briefly, and crushed it.
"Thanks… for the save," the fat man muttered. "Name's Yajirobe."
"Levos," the other replied simply.
At that moment, Levos placed his hand on Yajirobe's shoulder.
Suddenly, the entire scene around them shifted.
"W-What is this place?" Yajirobe gasped.
"The Lookout."
"The Lookout?! What happened here? Why is it so ruined?!"
Levos rubbed his nose awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "Is Korin still alive?"
Yajirobe nodded. "He's been down in the lower world searching for Earth's next Guardian. But just before the tournament started, he gave up and returned to Korin Tower."
If Korin was alive, then Senzu Beans could still be cultivated.
It was good news… though not immediately helpful. At least for this current crisis, the beans wouldn't play much of a role.
Back at the Lookout, everyone stared in shock at the two new arrivals.
Then they hurried over.
Dende asked curiously, "Mr. Levos, is this man your friend?"
"Something like that," Levos replied. "Dende, heal him first."
Turning to Yajirobe, Levos added, "This is Earth's new Guardian. You'll be safe here for now."
"A new Guardian? You mean Earth has a Kami again?!" Yajirobe's jaw dropped.
"Y-Yes, I hope I can live up to the role…" Dende responded modestly.
After settling Yajirobe in, Levos prepared to leave.
"Wait! Take this."
Yajirobe tossed him a single green bean. "Don't underestimate it. That's a Senzu Bean. Just one will keep you full for ten days, heal wounds, and restore stamina!"
Levos caught the bean with a strange look. "Only one left?"
"Hey! That thing's valuable! You better treasure it! It could save your life one day!"
Yajirobe seemed genuinely concerned that Levos didn't grasp its worth.
"Thanks," Levos said calmly before vanishing.
Yajirobe stared at the spot where Levos had disappeared and muttered to himself,
"That guy's seriously cool. He's got that same vibe Goku used to have…"
The memory made him nostalgic.
Back in West City, Levos checked the time. The meetup with Bulma and the others was approaching.
Just as he was about to make his next move, he heard a commotion nearby.
Frowning, he turned the corner and glanced toward the noise.
A large crowd was gathered, cheering around a caped man.
"Mr. Mark! Mr. Mark!"
"Mr. Mark, you're totally gonna win the tournament again, right?"
"Of course! He's already won three times in a row! He's the strongest martial artist on Earth!"
"Mr. Mark, you're our last hope! You have to defeat that demon Babidi and save the planet!"
"Absolutely! No one doubts Mr. Mark's strength!"
"Mr. Mark! Earth's strongest fighter!"
Mark?
Levos narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the caped figure.
The man looked around forty or fifty years old, tall and muscular, wearing a gold championship belt. His wild afro and confident smile gave him an air of bravado.
Too bad his balding forehead was shiny enough to reflect sunlight.
The man, Mark, grinned proudly as he soaked in the praise and cheers, striking a dramatic V-sign.
"My friends! Rest assured! I'll beat Babidi so bad, he'll be running home crying to his momma! Wahahaha!"
Levos blinked.
No doubt about it.
That was none other than Mr. Satan himself.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.
"Want to stay ahead of the game?Advanced chapters are up on my Patron. If you're enjoying the ride, swing by and check them out."
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"