Tsugi No Level

Chapter 24: Arrival

It took a hour but eventually Ten came out of his room. He sat next to Demo who was still looking at the lights pass them by as they were in hyperspace. Demo looks at Ten as he sits down.

"You good?"

Ten looks at Demo and nods. He then looks at some of the screens in the cockpit. And with his eyebrow raised slightly he ask a question.

"You have any idea where we going?"

Demo just shakes his head.

"All I know is that Li-On said to go meet his friend."

Ten sees this as the perfect opportunity to ask Demo what exactly happened. And Demo tries to explain to the best of his capabilities what went down.

"The Palindra used strategies and were strong enough overpower gym members. That doesn't sound right."

"Yeah, Li-On said something similar."

Their conversation is interrupted by the ship's AI announcement.

"We are approaching our destination. Please prepare landing procedures."

The ship comes out of hyperdrive and they arrive in front of a very big planet. The planet seems to have green patches of land, but its seas seem to be all red.

"Red seas. This is Hominidae ..."

The ship enters the atmosphere of the planet and seems to have a landing place already set in its coordinates. It takes but a few moments before their landing spot comes into view. It's a big building which seems to resemble that of a high-class school. There are courts and many students in uniforms walking around. The students look up at the unusual sight of a spaceship landing on the roof of the school. But they don't seem to be extremely shocked as if this rare but not strange. The ship lands on the roof and as the dust settles the door of the rooftop entrance structure opens up. A well-dressed woman comes through and stands in front of the ship. She has her hands behind her back and a very bored and nonchalant look on her face.

She is clearly waiting for the doors of the ship to open so she can welcome the visitors.

Demo looks at Ten with a very serious look on his face.

"Do you know the reason I lost to that clone and the soldier?"

Ten shakes his head in confusion as he awaits the answer that he believes is going to be profound and deep.

"It's because their entrances were so epic, I believe they startled me. And that stopped me from showing my full power."

Ten looks at him as if he just heard the most nonsensical thing anyone has ever said.

"What?"

Demo however is dead serious.

"I've figured out how to become stronger. I need better entrances and opening lines."

"Wait ... Wha..."

Before Ten can finish his train of thought Demo rushes towards the closed door. And instead of pushing the button to open it, he gathers his strength and kicks the door. The door comes completely off the hinges and flies through the sky. Demo leans his head back and looks down at the well-dressed lady and takes a power pose as he stares her down.

"Bring me the strongest fighter you know!"

Tens jaw falls to the ground at the ridiculousness of the situation. He is at a complete loss of words. He wants to stop Demo because this is not a good first impression. But the lady on the other hand seems completely unfazed. Her bored nonchalant look was still there as she replied.

"Here I am."

Demo's eyes open up as if he just heard an invitation to attack. His goal is to become stronger, and the only way to do that is to fight those stronger than himself. The fact that she stood there unfazed must mean she is strong. Demo jumps up and prepares to throw a punch which will hit once he lands. He figures that if the lady is strong she will either parry, meet his punch with her own attack, or dodge in a cool way. And if she is weak she will just cower and he will just land in front of her without attacking.

The lady sees Demo jump. She uses her insight which she gained from years of training to discern that Demo doesn't have a Cover-Up. For someone to attack her without a Cover-Up is just rude in her mind. How dare he underestimate her to such a degree. Her nonchalant look is slightly disturbed as her eyebrows twitch in anger. She decides to teach this insolent brat a lesson in humility. She brings her hands to the front of her body and gets ready to receive Demo's attack.

Demo sees this and is delighted because it's now clear that she is indeed strong enough to face him. But since this is just a spar he doesn't intend to hit her but hit the ground instead and then see how strong she really is. The two are now only centimeters away from each other as Demo is about to hit the ground. But right before he can hit the ground the lady's hand starts to glow with a red energy. Her hand touches Demo's arm. And a flash of red light blinds Ten who is watching the whole ordeal from the ship.

The lady looks down with her eyebrows frowned and her face scrunched up. She can't believe what she is seeing. Demo landed ok, but the impact of his punch never happened. He looks at the ground unclear as to why there isn't a big hole beneath him. Confused he looks at his arm and there it is ... a baby arm. His arm has been turned into a baby arm. His eyes pop open, his jaw drops and he looks at the lady who did this to him. He can't say a word but he can't believe what just happened.

The lady on the other hand is in disbelief of what just happened. She intended to make his entire body into that of a baby. She can't believe she failed at such a simple task. But there was something off with Demo's body. It was as if the density of his body wasn't normal.

Ten who has heard of this recognizes it as the way people of Hominidae use Higher Reasoning. Instead of turning items into other items, they use body parts to either enhance or change the shape it. He knows that based on the rules of Higher Reasoning, what is transformed can be returned to its original form. He rushes down to make sure this doesn't escalate any further.

"Stop, wait!!!"

The lady looks up and sees Ten running towards her. She looks down at Demo who is now completely depressed at the sudden baby arm on his body. She then puts her hands behind her back and assumes her casual demeanor once again.

"I'm sorry for my friend. Please turn his arm back. I promise he will behave."

She looks at Ten and slowly blinks her eyes as if she is assessing if Ten is actually capable of following through on that promise. But since she isn't here to fight or create turmoil she obliges Ten. She leans down and with her red energy hand once again touches Demo's arm. It turns back to normal to Demo's delight.

She stands back up with her hands behind her back, turns around, and starts walking to the rooftop entrance.

"Follow me."

Demo is now sulking at the fact that he lost in way he doesn't understand. But Ten comforts him as they follow the lady into the building.

Chapter 24 Fin