Reborn as Baby

~ Omniscient Pov, the next day ~

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"Umm... Do you think he's still coming to fight? We've been here for a while now..." Saya turned towards Rei while saying this, wanting the opinion of her older friend.

"I hope so... He said he would be here." Rei said, looking around the place, wondering if they had both got stood up.

"OOIII!" Someone screamed from the balcony tops... Both of them recognizing the voice, felt some relief.

Michael made his way down to training grounds, with other Saiyans in the area looking surprised at him, most remembering the fight with the king himself, and actually putting up a fight in the first place... Their initial impressions of him implying he could defeat them wasn't entirely a bluff in their minds now.

As he landed, he stretched a bit, earning some bones and ligaments of his properly realigning, "Sorry for showing up so late, I was up meditating all night. I hope you guys don't mind it much... Hehe~"

Both of the female Saiyans didn't say anything, they only observed him... "You... What the daylights happened during those ours we didn't see each other?" Rei asked, genuinely wondering what, or rather, who she was looking at right now.

Saya was thinking the exact same, but she couldn't even begin to open up her mouth to respond...

'Hmm? They noticed that quickly?' Michael thought off-handedly. 

To them, at least when he had gotten close enough to realize, they found that his energy had a terrifying calmness to it now; not completely untamed as it used to be. The way how he even walked and breathed was also much different, being far more refined than compared to yesterday.

Being warriors themselves, this was a monumental change. The air around him was simply much sharper compared to what it was just a day prior. To an unbelievable degree.

"What... What the heck did you do to change so much..." Saya was the first to speak up this time.

Seeing no issue in telling them the truth, since it wasn't inherently a secret; Michael shrugged his shoulders a bit, "I simply did some mental training, against the king himself of course."

"That's, impossible. There's no way mere mental training can make you achieve that good of a result, c-can it?" Rei was strongly doubting herself at the moment; However, if this was really true, the effects were undeniable.

"Yes, I just did it a whole lot of time... I should mention this from now too... Over yesterday's fight, I've practically realized how much I HATE losing, with a passion I might add. Admittedly, I also seem to have an unhealthy amount of drive to overcome a specific 'wall' that's ahead of me... Take that as you will." Michael responded coolly.

"Hahaha~ Right... So, how many times did you fight, or even spar with the king to get results like this? A few hundred?" Rei asked. She knew of the effect with mental training. At a certain point, it didn't yield much results when it came to how strong they are, at least when you factor in for strength gains.

Mental training was practically reserved for those who wanted to gain insight from previous battles they had, and to increase their raw skill or battle intellect. Essentially making them more rounded fighters... However, Saiyans weren't too good at this technique for long periods of time, given their nature to fight and feel hyper-active.

"Well... Since you've asked..." 

Even other Saiyans that were around the training field were a bit curious as well, coming closer...

"I sparred with him around, 132 thousand times." He said, as if it was the most effortless thing someone could do.

The silence that followed his words was deafening. Both Rei and Saya stared at Michael as if he'd just told them he'd destroyed an entire star system with a flick of his wrist. Around them, the murmurs of the other Saiyans in the training grounds grew louder, a mix of disbelief and curiosity rippling through the gathered crowd.

"132... thousand?" Rei finally managed, her voice almost a whisper. She wasn't even sure if she believed what she'd just heard.

Saya blinked, her mouth opening and closing as if she were trying to find the words. "That's... that's insane!" she blurted, throwing her arms in the air. "You expect us to believe that? There's no way you could've done that many fights in one night! That's—what even is that?!"

Michael chuckled softly, his calm demeanor unshaken by their reactions. "I never said it was normal, did I?" he replied, stretching his arms lazily. "But it's true. In the mental space I created, time flows a bit differently. I had plenty of time to work things out... and spar with the king over and over."

Rei rubbed her temples, still trying to process what she was hearing. "So... you're saying you sparred with Talmos, in your head, for the equivalent of years?"

Michael nodded casually. "More or less. And it wasn't just the fights themselves. Every time, I analyzed my techniques, his movements, and every flaw I could find in both of us. Then I adapted, adjusted, and kept going. Though... I want you both to get something straight; it took me a few hundred tries to defeat him, but I was bored, and kept adding a new stipulation... like, why not just fight him without get hit? Then fighting him without being grazes, then fighting him being stronger than me, then finally fighting multiple clones of him..."

Saya took a step back, shaking her head in disbelief. "Th-That's insane. I mean, it makes sense now—why you're so... different. The way you move, the way you're carrying yourself—it's like you've been training for years, not just a night."

Michael's smirk widened slightly, his confidence radiating off him like a tangible force. "Exactly. And now..." He turned his gaze toward the training grounds, his eyes sharp and filled with purpose. "I'm stronger than I've ever been. Not just in my raw power, but in control, precision, and skill... I've got a very solid idea of what I'm capable of—and I know how far I can push myself."

Rei crossed her arms, her gaze narrowing as she studied him closely. "If what you're saying is true, then you're even way more dangerous than we thought..." She had mumbled the last part unintentionally.

Michael tilted his head slightly, hearing every word; his smirk softening into a more neutral expression. "Dangerous? Maybe. Or maybe I'm just prepared, perhaps a bit over-prepared...? It doesn't matter much."

Saya shook her head, letting out a low whistle. "Alright, fine. I'll give you this—Alright buddy, you've quite easily earned the title of 'absolute lunatic.' But now I really want to see what you can do..."

Rei nodded, her own composure returning as she stepped forward, her aura flaring faintly. "You've definitely changed a lot, Michael. But if you're as strong as you say you are, then prove it. Show us what all that mental training has done for you."

Michael chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "That's why we're here, isn't it?"

The energy in the training grounds shifted as the other Saiyans backed away, creating a wide circle around the three. The air grew heavier, charged with the anticipation of a battle about to begin.

Saya cracked her knuckles, her grin returning as she dropped into a fighting stance. "Alright, Michael. No holding back, got it? I want to see all of that '132-thousand-spar' experience in action!"

Rei stood beside her, her expression calm but focused, her ki spiking as she prepared herself. "Let's see how far you've come... A shame if you were to lose against me despite your advantage, no?"

Michael smirked, his aura flaring to life around him, sharp and controlled. "You wanted this little lady, remember. Don't say I didn't warn you... To make this fair, I won't even use my hands... Hell, I'll even close my eyes on top of all that, so what do you say?"

Saya blinked, her grin faltering for a moment as she processed Michael's words. "Wait... You're saying you're gonna fight both of us—without your hands? And with your eyes closed?"

Rei raised an eyebrow, her aura flaring just a bit brighter. "That's quite bold, even for you. Are you sure you're not letting all that 'mental training' get to your head? We aren't weak ya' know."

Michael chuckled, shrugging casually. "You tell me. Isn't this what you wanted? A chance to test my limits? Besides..." He tilted his head slightly, his smirk growing wider. "If you can't keep up with me like this, I might get bored."

Saya's grin returned, her excitement bubbling over again. "Oh, now you're asking for it. You're so confident, huh? Let's see how long you can keep that attitude!"

Rei's lips curled into a faint smirk as well, her stance shifting slightly as her focus sharpened. "Fine. If that's how you want to play it, we'll take you up on the challenge. But don't come crying to us if you regret it later."

Michael closed his eyes, exhaling slowly as his aura steadied, wrapping around him like a perfectly controlled storm... His voice was eerily calm; In fact, it was also even playful in nature. "Whenever you're ready."

The crowd of Saiyans watching from the sidelines murmured among themselves, the tension in the air almost palpable. They couldn't believe what they were hearing—a sparring match where Michael deliberately handicapped himself? Some of them whispered doubts, but others, remembering his battle with the king, watched in anticipation.

Saya didn't waste any time. With a burst of energy, she shot forward, her fist aimed straight for Michael's chest. The ground literally caving in beneath her as she launched herself with full force, her speed leaving a sharp whistles in the air.

But just before her strike landed, Michael tilted his body ever so slightly. Her fist had not even grazed his combat Gi, missing by a fraction of a fraction of an inch.

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"What the—?!" Saya gasped, her momentum carrying her forward.

Michael smirked, still standing perfectly still, his eyes closed. "Close, but not close enough."

Rei was already in motion, closing the distance in a flash. Her foot lashed out in a high kick aimed for his head, her movements precise and calculated. But Michael leaned back just enough to dodge, his movements almost lazy.

"You're both holding back," Michael said calmly, his tone almost mocking, no he was mocking them. "Is this really all you've both got? I'm severely disappointed if that's the case..."

Saya growled, recovering quickly from her missed strike. "HARGH!!! You're gonna regret saying that!"

She and Rei moved in unison this time, attacking from opposite sides. Saya went low, aiming for his legs, while Rei struck high, her fists a blur of motion as she aimed a rapid series of punches at his chest and shoulders.

Fwish~

Fwoosh~

Michael's body twisted and turned effortlessly, his feet barely leaving the ground as he dodged every attack with a precision that seemed almost unnatural. To the crowd, it looked as if he were dancing, his movements were incredibly smooth and fluid, completely outpacing his opponents.

The two Saiyan women backed off briefly, panting slightly as they regrouped.

"This is ridiculous..." Saya muttered, wiping sweat from her brows, "Damn it! He's not even trying."

Rei's eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed on Michael's calm, composed figure. "No... He's definitely testing us. Watching how we move, how we react. Even now, he's 'looking' at every opening we've been leaving."

Michael tilted his head slightly, as if he'd heard Rei's assessment. "Hmm? Not bad, Rei. You're starting to figure it out, somewhat. But recognizing the problem doesn't mean you can inherently solve it."

Rei growled softly, her Ki spiking even higher as her aura flared around her. "Oh yeah? Then let's see if you can keep dodging this!"

She shot forward, her speed doubling as she closed the gap between them in an instant. Her strikes came faster now, sharper and more focused, each one aimed at cutting off his movements. Saya followed right behind her, adding her own attacks in a chaotic flurry in attempts to cut off the Saiyan.

For the first time, Michael moved his legs, sidestepping gently as he avoided the combined assault. His hands remained at his sides, and his eyes stayed shut, but his control over the fight was damn near absolute.

The crowd developed at this point, and have now erupted in murmurs, their disbelief growing with every second...

Finally, Michael stopped moving, standing still as both Rei and Saya lunged at him simultaneously. At the last moment, he gracefully leapt into the air, flipping over them and landing behind them without even making a single sound...

"Alright." he said, his voice calm and steady. "I think I've seen enough from both of you."

Rei and Saya turned to face him, their breathing heavy but their determination were unshaken, in fact, they were even more fired up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rei asked, her tone practically filled with frustration.

Michael opened his eyes, his piercing gaze locking onto both of them. His smirk returned, sharp and confident. "It means, it's my turn."

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END