A World to Small [Invite Saizomaru]

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It had been a long while since Saizomaru had decided to come and visit Jingle Village. It was many years ago that he had helped in a rescue operation after an avalanche came crashing down from Mount Frappe, hitting not only this village but the many others that were settled this far up north. The people here called it the Frostfall.

Fortunately, his visit was not required for something as treacherous as that, but treacherous it was. Ever since the events of Central City, the android had his old military squad keep an eye on Sensoa, the demon who instigated the attack, and track his movements. Saizomaru didn’t know whether it was out of necessity or curiosity, but he felt the need to go and see what exactly Sensoa was up to. Things had been silent on both ends, so he couldn’t be up to anything bad—at least for now.

The air turned frigid and the skies grew darker as the android soared towards the northern mountains at a fast yet casual speed. It didn’t take him too long before he had reached the plateaus and snow-caped flatlands where the people here set up civilization. Slowly he descended as to not disturb the snow below, padding his boots against the white carpet.

His attention turned to one direction. He knew where to follow. Ever since the retaking of Satan City, he had some disturbing affinity for sensing and tracking demonic energy. It stood out far more than anything else. With a lock on who he was looking for, he made his way through the streets, passing by the people who wandered around so late at night. Some of them were nice enough to give a smile or a wave or a ‘hello’. Others were drunk, barely able to stand on their own two feet; the icy pavement didn’t help matters either.

Then, Saizomaru stopped. Sat upon a bench was a large man covered head to toe in black clothing. The only distinguishing features visible from a sideward glance was the long ears that poked through the top of his hood. It was the only identifying features the android needed. He had found who he was looking for.

Casually he made his way over to the figure. Twisting his torso, he took a seat beside him, back reclined against the rest with his arms draped over the top of it. He folded one leg over the other as he tilted his head back, gazing up at the stars above.

”Nice night tonight, isn’t it?” he said with a calm voice. ”Lots of stars. Lots of planets out there. Can’t see the North Star, though.”

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The android cocked his head to one side as he let out a hum. His fingers gently tapped on top of the back rest of the bench as he pondered those words of the demon. ”Yeah… One Earth,” he repeated in a slow, audible murmur. One Earth. One Namek. One Konats, Vegeta, Arcose—one of every planet. Yet, for some reason, it seemed that this planet drew more attention than any other.

Why? It was a thought that trekked through Saizomaru’s mind more times than he could count, making circuits around its track. Why Earth? Why a planet that has only recently made intergalactic travel commercial while Namek and Vegeta had this technology for centuries, if not millennia? What exactly made Earth… special?

He never really gave it much thought, let alone a reason to seek an answer. Even if he wanted to do that now, he was caught back into reality once he saw that Sensoa had extended an arm to him. The android reached out with his own, palm placed on the tear of bread for a moment. He then gently pushed it back towards the demon. ”I’m good,” he assured. ”I don’t need food. A rare luxury of androids, I guess.”

Androids. It was a word left with little brightness. Saizomaru recalled that time in Central City. Sensoa had labelled him a creation of war, fit only for combat. For all intent and purpose, it was true. He was given a new life to continue his time in Earth’s military, made better than ever. He was a machine designed for conflict and his body was only proof of that. In truth, he was a weapon far beyond then. He was a warrior born since birth. It was his destiny to be that.

Yet even he was able to break that mould and become more. Shifting his gaze to Sensoa, he glanced at him. He watched his posture, he ticks, and his motionless. He was, for lack of a better phrase, done. Maybe he could now change his path just as Saizomaru did.

It felt more likely than not once Saizomaru heard the words pour from the demon’s lips. So much was said of what he had done, yet all gift-wrapped in the bitter sweetness of regret and an urge to perhaps make things right. The android knew of those things. His own hands weren’t exactly clean but, even now, he strived to do what he could to try and make the world a better place.

He had told his adversary of their similarities. Those similarities just continued to grow.

”We all make our mistakes,” spoke Saizomaru in a calm, gentle, assuring voice as he leaned forward. He delved into his pocket and pulled out his electric cigarette. A press of the button made the strawberry-flavoured liquid fizz before he pressed the nozzle to his lips and took a drag on it. Vapour poured from his pale lips as he continued, ”You took a different path to me. You took the longer one but, in the end, you reached the same conclusion as I did.”

His blue eyes trailed out into the distance. He watched as the few people who still roamed the street so late a night made their way through the village. So many people who were ignorant of what was going on around them. So many ignorant of the dangers and threats that could affect them at any moment. ”The world may not need saving, but it does need protecting. It needed protecting from people like the Stargoons… from people like you.”

Saizomaru gave a small chuckle as he lightly tapped his hand on the larger man’s shoulder. ”But that’s over and done with now,” he said nonchalantly. ”No point in dwelling on the past. We can’t change it, as much as we would like to. The past can only form what we are now and we can use that to form our future.”

His eyes shifted to Sensoa, peering through the curtain of hair that framed his face. ”So… what will you do now? I’ve heard you made a bit of a living for yourself out here. Still, with someone of your strength, the Earth could always do with more protectors.” The android leaned back again as he took another drag of the vape. ”You may not be its saviour, but you can always be one of its protectors.”

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It came as a bit of a shock to the android to learn and understand what Sensoa had just told him. He wasn’t any sort of prince, not raised as a weapon. For all of his life he was lied to. But the question was why? Why would he be fed this sort of falsehood and delusion of grandeur? Was it simply to affect his mentality and brainwash him to become a living weapon of war? Was part of it simply to motivate him into becoming a stronger person to better perform his ‘duties’? More so, who was it that wanted him to become what it was? So many questions, especially towards how Sensoa learned to discover the truth behind it all.

Then, once again, that name cropped up once more—Kayen. Saizomaru had learned of that name a while ago. This person was apparently friends with Kohlra, his partner. They were the one who scarred Tarch both physically and mentally, instilling within him a phobia of swords. Now, he was beginning to learn that this demon was beholden to them in some capacity.

Whoever this person was, was quite influential. And the android was not liking it one bit.

”Making amends for the actions you’ve taken.” The android hummed softly before he took a drag of the vape. Smoke poured in thin veils from his lips as he continued, ”Right now, that’s the best thing you can do. I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I still continue to do it even to this day. Half of it comes from that; the other, from a sense of duty to this planet. I was raised to be its protector, after all. Still, I can’t judge my own effectiveness at it. That’s for other people to decide.”

Such was the way of life. One could try and justify to themselves about how their actions were for the good of the people, for the good of the world, but, at the end of the day, the only thing that mattered was trying to justify those actions to the people around them. Everyone likes to think that they are the hero of their own story. How many wars and conflicts were started because of that mentality, so Saizomaru thought to himself.

How many more would come because of it?

But Sensoa already had his path laid out before him now, and the android listened with keen intertest and attentiveness. So many words yet all told the same story—to make things right. Saizomaru smiled a little as his listened, relieved by the fact that the demon was now beginning to understand what he was saying all along.

”Well… there is something else you could do instead.” The nozzle of the electric cigarette pressed against his lips as he exhaled. He turned his head away to blow the vapour away from in front of them. ”Don’t go back. Postpone your little meeting for a good while. Do what you said you were gonna do and do it quickly. Why settle for losing your life on an exchange that your team will help mend the bridges you burned when you can mend those bridges yourself? You can help much more alive than if you were dead.”

If was almost depressing listening to this once proud and debatable honourable warrior talk like the samurai of old. Samurai warriors who would kill themselves under the proxy excuse of ‘regaining one’s honour’, to run away from one’s failures, instead of continuing to live to make amends and to right their wrongs. That was the way a true warrior would regain one’s honor.

Saizomaru gave a small smile as he leaned back against the bench. ”Hey, I don’t need an apology,” he replied as he held his arm up and gazed over it, pivoting it from one side to the other. Then, he looked back at Sensoa. ”Nanomachines, son. They give me a pretty good healing factor compared to other humans. Another benefit of being an android, though. One of many, I would say. And…”

His arm lowered. He sighed as he continued to look at the demon’s obscured face. Then, he looked up at the stars. ”I’m sorry, too. Sorry for not being able to help you as much as I wanted. And, I guess, sorry for being envious of the fact that Carro was able to get through to you while I couldn’t. I guess I need to work a bit more on my persuasion skills—put more ranks into it or something.”

The android hummed for a moment. ”Actually… there’s something I need from you. Information, to be more precise.” His head turned to the demon once more. ”Who is this ‘Kayen’, exactly?”