15 Conniving Bastard (15)

Aspa stumbled, all traces of ki leaving his body.

Celery became hopeful as she saw this and charged towards the remaining trees.

"N-N-No!" Aspa said weakly.

"HNNGGGAAARRRGGGHHH!" Celery roared, defiantly resisting fatigue.

The ki around her body swelled increasing three-fold, she was at the last stretch and as long as she didn't mess up here she would win, she could taste victory.

Large volumes of ki enveloped her hands as her blood vessels dilated and her muscles swelled. She threw the remaining trees consecutively, her aim throughout the competition was on point. She simply did not miss.

"It was close but it appears Celery is the winner," Paragus said pre-emptively. He saw the five huge trees arc in the air, flying in one row towards the Capsule Cube.

It was at this moment something happened.

Someone in the environment changed.

Aspa who looked as if he was about to faint had been still and quiet for a long time.

"ARGH!"

With a sharp and simple shout, all of Aspa's ki that was blinking like a dying fire roared back to life. His whole body was enveloped in thick ki that rivalled Paragus.

"H-HOW?" Celery roared in confusion.

Aspa wasted no time, leaping towards the first tree that was on course to Celery's Capsule Cube.

"Hmph!" Aspa struck the tree edge, stopping it in its tracks before using it to beatdown the second tree. Now that he had more breathing room, Aspa gripped the third tree trunk by its base with both hands, he then like a batsman swung the tree fiercely at the fourth, both trees colliding loudly. Aspa didn't loosen his grip as he turned his body whilst he swung, turning both trees towards his capsule cube.

"YOU CONNIVING BASTARD!" Celery said vehemently, supercharging her whole body with ki.

Aspa released his swing at just the right time so both trees were absorbed into his cube before he could even take time to catch the last tree, he saw Celery dashing towards him.

Aspa thought quickly, in all honesty, he had forgotten the score but from the way, Celery was behaving he could assume he was winning.

Aspa eventually decided to take a risk.

He picked up two trees, one in each arm.

"NOOOOOO!" Celery roared, flying towards him with urgency.

However, Aspa did the unexpected.

Celery blinked and Aspa was at her Capsule Cube.

Before she could begin to understand what was happening, Aspa deposited them into her capsule cube.

She blinked again and Aspa was in front of her.

In between the two of them was the remaining tree.

"Why did he throw the game?"

"It's rigged!"

"I call shenanigans!"

"Don't hog the popcorn!"

"We fight for the last one," Aspa said, his mischievous demeanour nowhere to be found.

Celery was astounded for a moment but she quickly regained her composure.

She adopted her fighting stance and Aspa did too.

"You're an idiot!"

...

10 years ago

"HELP! HELP ME! HELP!" Aspa screamed as he ran through the woods.

Behind a nine-foot pitch-black muscular alien chased him, remaining completely silent as it did so.

"What have you done?" Olivia replied confusion clear in her voice.

"Hiyaaaa!" Beets charged bravely, using his smaller stature he weaved passed, Aspa who was running and attacked the alien that was called a Grino with all of his strength.

The Grino switched targets from the lanky cowardly man to the small muscular man. Beets seeing his attack was not effective infused his fist with ki and swung at the Grino's chest. This time the attack was more effective and the Grino was sent a couple of feet back.

"FALL BACK!" Beets commanded boldly, as he charged forward to attack the Grino.

"How did you find one that was so big?" Celery asked, her face full of distress.

"I-I-I don't know, I was trying to escape from the 7-foot Grino's when they started making strange noises and the 9-foot Grino came from a cave," Aspa said hurriedly running at the front of the group.

"Where's Paragus?" Olivia said with audible concern.

"Since the mission briefing only mentioned 5-foot Grinos, he was confident that he would be able to clear them out on his own," Celery said matter of factly.

"I just hope Beets can make it out without any severe injuries," Olivia said hopefully.

Among the five Saiyans that made up the battle squad the oldest, most experienced was Beets by far. He was a Saiyan of the older generation tasked with assisting the younger generation in their induction missions. Unfortunately, this planet was far more dangerous than they had previously imagined and as a result, they had to call in impromptu retreat.

Paragus was a rising star among the younger generation with a power level of 8,345 at the age of 21. Olivia was the third strongest in the group, also had a power level of 7,925 at the age of 23 which was not shabby at all. Celery would be next having a power level of 6,384 at the age of 17 and Aspa was the youngest and the weakest having a power level of 5,460 at the age of 16.

Aspa among the retreating trio was at the front, running much faster than the rest.

"Why are you only good at running away?" Olivia asked Aspa with noticeable contempt.

"Because he's an idiot who only knows how to flee, we truly have bad luck to be partnered with him." Celery said critically.

Aspa turned a deaf ear to their curses, he was used to the verbal abuse from his fellow Saiyans and was more than dulled to any type of criticism.

Instead, another sound was caught by Aspa's ear.

Aspa turned his head back, peering past the two angry faces looking at him, he saw them in the distance.

Three tall pitch black humanoids running towards him at full speed. Specifically, a 9-foot one followed by two 7-feet ones. Noticeably the nine-foot one had considerable scratches on it, appearing as it had just escaped a battle. The two shorter Grinos that followed lacked scratches but had considerable volumes of blood that dyed their fur a red colour.

"He's dead!" Aspa said with fear thick in his voice.

Celery and Olivia's eyes widened as they saw the scene behind them.

"Aspa, go find Paragus! Olivia and I will escape from the Grinos by ourselves!" Celery said quickly.

"No! If he encounters a Grino on his way, he might die! Celery you go instead, Aspa can run away and I have enough confidence in myself to escape. GO!" Olivia said giving an alternative if Aspa really did die before he could alert Paragus, the situation would be really dire. She also believed Celery was smart and strong enough to find her way to Paragus.

"Ok!" Celery said before darting off into the woods, Olivia was the most senior member present so her word had priority over her own.