Popo's knees give in. His body shakes as he stares at the figure at the center of the library with an all-too-familiar presence. The sensation is the same as he remembers, yet, he still has to question the robed man that reflects in his eyes.
"S-sir...is that really you?" he asks with disbelief as tears fill his wide circular eyes.
Piccolo breaks out of his shock and doesn't doubt the mysterious energy that emanates from this figure. Much to Dende and the genie's surprise, they see the Namekian warrior step into the library first with a hardened expression. A thin white aura surrounds his body as he moves closer to the figure, his footsteps heavy against the library's polished, wood planks.
"You absolute bastard," Piccolo calls out, his teeth clenched.
Mikogami's attention shifts to the green man and his head rises with recognition. Of course, how could he forget about the lone green alien who came to him hundreds of years ago? That said, Piccolo is not the same as the nameless one who presumed the title of Kami. Like most, he also felt the change in the Earth's guardianship four years ago and that the two opposite souls had become one again.
"Piccolo, is it? It's good to see that you've made peace with yourself. It can't be healthy to have an evil half terrorizing the planet after all."
The amusement in his voice doesn't pass Piccolo's ears and he stops just a foot from the former guardian, staring down at him from his larger stature. He reveals a stiff smile and there's a noticeable vein sticking out on his green forehead.
"Is that so? You've been keeping up with the times, huh?"
Mikogami stares unabated by the Namekian. "You could say that."
The Namekian snorts and glances away before hands clench into a ball. Unable to resist any longer, his fist rises without another word.
Both Dende and Mr. Popo gasp as a sharp thud resounds into the library. They see Piccolo's fist swiping across the former guardian's darkened face and pushing the former guardian back a little. The guardian doesn't attempt to block or do anything even though any other fighter would have seen the aggression. Instead, the priest remains silent, lurching to the side from the force. He takes the physical greeting with calm and straightens up after a few seconds of silence, then his eyes shine like diamonds towards his former pupil.
"I realize this must be frustrating."
"Isn't that obvious!" Piccolo shouts, no longer able to stop his emotions from leaking out, "...you disappear without a trace. There were moments where I thought I felt you on Earth but it never led anywhere. Now, you just decide to come popping in after a few hundred years, is that right?"
Mikogami shakes his head, suppressing a small chuckle.
"There was never a need for my presence, Piccolo. You know that as well as I do that the Earth is now in more capable hands than ever before."
Piccolo scoffs, crossing his arms. "That may be so, but we lost one of our greatest warriors thanks to Cell. I wonder how much things would've changed if you had shown yourself earlier. If you had-"
"No, nothing would have changed," Mikogami cuts in with some force, "...The fact remains that Cell was an anomaly, a being that appeared out of nowhere and grew in power far too quickly. Even I could only hold him back to give myself time."
Piccolo remains silent for a few seconds, then closes his eyes. "Time, huh? So you faced him then."
"Only briefly to save another. In the end, it's past the point to regret about such things."
The Namekian emits a deep hum, then sighs, acknowledging that Mikogami's words are correct. While he might be upset, he's also energized in his heart to finally see the old man with his pair of eyes...although, "old man" might not be the right word to describe him. The feeling Piccolo is receiving from this priest is that he's stronger than what he remembers.
He smirks. "Well, by the looks of it, at least you haven't been slacking off."
The priest flashes a knowing smile. "As I said, keeping up with the times is quite necessary even for retired guardians."
"Retirement my ass. You're shady personality hasn't changed the least," Piccolo snorts, his smirk turning into a full welcoming smile. The tense mood appears to have lifted easily after the first punch was thrown and perhaps, a much-needed one for the reunion.
Mikogami lets out a light chuckle. "...and it seems you have."
"Um..."
Hearing the younger Namekian try to speak up, both former guardians turn their heads to the current. They see Dende's wide eyes as it slowly dawns on him who this robed figure is. Even though it's heavily implied with the genie and Piccolo's reaction, he can't help but reconfirm it as he steps into the library.
"Are you...a previous guardian?"
Mikogami stares at the younger Namekian before nodding wordlessly.
"This is..."
Dende is at a loss for words and he turns to Mr. Popo who recovers from his shock, joining the younger guardian's side.
"Mister Popo, you never told me about this!"
The genie smiles sadly and shakes his head. "I didn't know the fate of the former guardian. Once he transferred his responsibilities to the Kami-then, he disappeared. There wasn't an ounce of life force that could be felt. Not only that, I had to respect his final wish to not be searched for."
He finally looks at the priest, his tears no more but his open, circular eyes still moist. He smiles bitterly for a moment, before bowing.
"...but sir," the genie greets, "...I could never forget you or any of the guardians that I served. I'm so happy that despite being gone for so long, you're still well."
Mikogami shows a humble smile and lowers his head as well. "You've done well, Mister Popo. It's good to finally see you still unchanged as ever, my old friend."
"Yes..." Mr. Popo agrees as he lifts his head, holding back tears. He shows a most prideful expression as he now stands among three guardians he helped to assist and raise.
Dende breathes in a little, then quickly lowers his head. Realizing he might be showing disrespect in his behavior and attitude so far, he apologizes with fervency.
"I'm sorry! I've been lacking in awareness. Thank you for all you've done as a guardian!"
Mikogami lifts his hand. "There is no need, it is simply part of the role. It is I who should be glad we have a promising individual here at the Lookout."
He places his hand to his chest and lowers his head. "Allow me to introduce myself properly to Dende, the new Guardian of Earth. I am Tenmei Mikogami. You may consider me as nothing more as a hidden protector of sorts."
Dende lifts his head and reddens a little, unused to the formality and respect he's being shown. He gulps, then shakes his hands.
"No, please raise your head! The one who should be more respectful is me since I still have much to learn. I can't compare to the likes of you or Piccolo. After all, I'm more of a healer than a fighter."
The priest cocks his head and hums, further interested in this young guardian. "Is there a reason to compare? You're in a much better position than most with the current generation of fighters who are able to protect this world instead. Supporting them to the highest you can is the best thing you can do as a guardian."
He raises a thumb, pointing at Piccolo. "Plus, if you're able to not create an evil twin, you're already a better guardian in my book."
"Very funny," Piccolo grumbles, looking away.
Mr. Popo hums, stopping short of a chuckle while Dende can't help but break a small smile. He's glad that the former guardian of Earth doesn't seem too fazed or easily offended. Piccolo never really provides his opinions related to the guardian role even if he has Kami's wisdom, so for the young guardian, it's nice to hear a different guardian's opinion as he always questions himself.
With introductions out of the way, Dende knows there's a reason the priest has appeared after hundreds of years but he first takes in the grand sight of the cylindrical library. To him and everyone, it's obvious that there is a large magical surge that is constantly flowing around this place.
On each floor from the base they stand in, multiple bookshelves are spread perpendicular around the circular opening with two-meter gaps in between. The bookshelves are at least twelve feet high and extend out into the darkness of each floor with no discernible end. That is, even though the opening is cylindrical, the dimension itself may be infinite.
Every once in a while, a star twinkles in the darkness with varying intensity and Dende feels a burst of energy that disappears like firecrackers. His face is full of wonder and Mikogami hums, figuring he should explain their location first.
"Allow me to introduce this place," the priest begins, "...I call it the World's Library. Various writings and books by others around the world are automatically copied here. When you see a flash or sense a small charge of energy, it means a new book has been created or updated by someone in the world."
"Wait!" Dende shouts, his head snapping back to the former guardian, "...you mean...this dimension is constantly updating? How is it able to know about a book's existence?"
These are good questions as Mikogami nods and further explains. "Along with Mages who helped build this dimension, I set markers around the world to detect the presence of books every few hundred kilometers that resonate with the trees of the Earth. These markers are hidden in plain sight and they provide the backbone to this dimension. Without them, this place would collapse."
"That's incredible," Dende breathes before furrowing his brows, "...but how did you come here?"
"These markers also act as gateways to this dimension, right?" Piccolo lets his guess known.
Mikogami nods to the older Namekian. "You're correct. Any guardian actually, former or not, can open the door to this library if you're at the right spot. As you might figure, the Lookout is one such marker."
That would explain how the priest was able to come here despite nobody detecting his presence at the Lookout. While Dende and Piccolo absorb the existence of this dimension, the genie watches the surroundings carefully and hums as he notices something strange.
"It's not updating nearly as fast as I remember though," the genie observes.
The priest lifts his head in response and his chin pokes out as he displays a bitter smile.
"It's sorely outdated unfortunately. The Earth's technologies have grown faster than I expected and most books are hardly printed in physical format. As a result, there's been less updates but still plenty of useful information exist around here."
It makes sense but the dimension is still grander than Dende could ever imagine. Just thinking about all the knowledge he can look up excited him to no end, but there's something the priest mentioned that he can't ignore.
"You mentioned Mages," Dende recalls, "...and I know very little about them, but Mister Popo said they were an ancient group of people that helped lay the foundations in history. Does this mean you didn't create this library by yourself?"
Mikogami chuckles dryly and shakes his head, the thought being preposterous to him.
"I wouldn't have been able to focus on my duty if I didn't receive help," he acknowledges, "...perhaps the closest to Mages in this era are Witches as they are descendants of practitioners of Magecraft. Unfortunately, the Mages are a dead subrace and their knowledge became increasingly difficult to inherit as time went on. Some of their legacy along with records of the Old Humans can be found here, including some dangerous books."
Dende hums, looking down thoughtfully, then recalls that his assistant mentioned something similar. "Yes, mister Popo once told me how strong the earlier generation of humans were before they declined. So how does one search though this knowledge?"
Mikogami smirks. "Raise your hand to the sky and think of what you want."
The young Namekian is surprised, but it makes somewhat sense given this is a magical library. Eager to test, he closes his eyes and lifts his arm, thinking of the tennis game that he was so curious about.
Then, he hears a large group of flapping noises.
The young Namekian doesn't realize it before he hears Mr. Popo gasps. "Dende, look out!"
"Eh?"
However, it's too late as the young Namekian opens his eyes. He immediately comes to see a swarm of books come flying towards him like flapping birds and at an incredible speed as well. He freezes, unprepared for the amount of knowledge that would come to him in such a manner. The genie attempts to push him out of the way but only ends up getting hit as well as at least a hundred books floods them, causing dust to fill the air.
Mikogami and Piccolo easily step out of the way. While the priest lets out an amused hum, Piccolo's expression remains focused. He's not concerned about the buried two as he turns his attention back to the priest. After hearing the explanation of this place, Piccolo recalls more about Kami's first time stepping foot. While most books are simply replicas, there are several that are originals, hidden among the many copies that can't be easily called. These originals are the more dangerous as they can be anything from forbidden techniques to old Mage knowledge that would be dangerous if left in the wrong hands.
"This library...have you found more books of the Old Humanity?" he asks.
Mikogami nods after some silence, "Yes. After I left, I've wandered the Earth in search of more remanents and I was able to recover at least one hundred more books to add to this library, but it's far too little given the amount of time that has passed. Some of these books are buried beneath the Earth and hidden in ruins with dangerous traps. They can't be detected easily which makes searching difficult. In fact, one of the books from the Old Humanity was discovered by someone else before me in recency."
Piccolo frowns. "Who?"
"The Red Ribbon Army."
The Namekian's eyes widen and then he scoffs. "How long ago was this? Are you implying something?"
Mikogami sighs and stares up, a small regret hiding behind his hood.
"The book must have been taken and studied before the man you know as Goku defeated the army. Unfortunately, while I have my suspicions, it's not clear given how far humanity's advancements in technology have come on their own. The book contents was from a Mage back then who specialized in creating Homunculi. Whether that knowledge was used by the remaining scientists is uncertain."
Piccolo's face darkens. If such a book was discovered by the Red Ribbon Army early on, it may have indirectly influenced the advancements that they faced by Dr. Gero, especially if it's concerning something like artificial creation. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to confirm whether or not that's true now.
His main frustration though is the fact that even after gaining the wisdom of Kami, it didn't occur to him how the remaining knowledge of the past millenniums could be discovered by anyone, possibly threatening the peace again if someone had to resources to understand. His thoughts are broken as he hears a gasp from Dende.
"Puah!"
The young Namekian and his assistant break out of the pile of books. While the genie looks a little surprised, the younger Namekian doesn't seem to be fazed and brings his arms closer in while his eyes glimmer towards the priest.
"This is incredible, Mikogami! The existence of this library will surely help!" Dende exclaims, his antennas wiggling.
Mikogami laughs heartily in response. "Just tame your curiosity and start small. The more curious you are, the more this library will pile on you."
Quite literally.
Dende nods and then tampers his excitement in light of the conversation he heard. At the same time, the genie starts cleaning up. He lifts his hands and the books begin to fly around them like birds, heading back to their position on various floors. Only one book remains that Dende decided to hold onto after being buried.
"Regarding these original books," Dende begins, settling his book down at a table which appears to be a modern Tennis playbook, "...is this why you've come? You mentioned the Red Ribbon Army and I'm sure you're already aware that they're back."
"So you know as well. As expected of a guardian, but how much have you seen?" Mikogami questions.
Dende hums, recalling the moments of sensations he felt and events he's seen down on Earth. "Mostly what the people of Earth are already finding out with the army returning. The strange thing is that I'm unable to pinpoint where they came from. I first detected them in West City and then there was a tiny burst of energy."
Mikogami nods. "You felt right. I was there along with a helper to lure the Red Ribbon Army with a fake Dragon Ball at an auction house in West City."
He pauses, then his eyes shine ominously towards the guardian. "How much do you know about demons?"
Piccolo speaks up, his ears twitching and his eyes widening. "Demon? You don't mean..."
The priest hums and nods towards the older Namekian. "Yes, I mean real demons."
Piccolo now stands alert as his voice rises. "No, are you saying you've seen one?!"
Mr. Popo and Dende hold their breath. Nobody around the priest wants to believe what he's implying and yet, the robed man cannot mistake what he saw. They now come to the reason he's approached them after so long.
"Unfortunately, I don't know when or where this one originated from," Mikogami answers, "...The fact is that the tiny burst of energy you felt was a demon who hid as the leader of the gang that intruded the auction house. It's clear there are more but how many, I don't know. The obvious gates around the world are closed but that hardly means anything. We already had one gate open by a castle before it was closed. It's possible there are demons who were cut from their world from that time and are living among us."
Piccolo narrows his eyes. "You're referring to the gate closed by Goku. As a kid, he was the only other person who encountered the demons in order to save a princess."
"Goku did?" Dende questions, astonished.
The older Namekian snorts. "Yes, leave it to someone like him to happen to be there. He could've gotten himself killed and even admitted to me once that he got lucky."
Mikogami shakes his head. "Even if that was the most recent incident known, we can't assume so. A long time ago, this land was ruled by Demons before the Old Humans began hunting them and sealing their world away. The removal wasn't immediate and occurred over time with any number of demons being sealed or hunted by the Martial Artists and Mages back then."
Piccolo narrows his eyes. "So you're considering the possibility that there is a group of demons that were sealed in a hidden location and at some point unsealed somewhere on Earth."
Dende blinks. "Is this similar like with your father and the Mafuba technique, Piccolo?"
The Namekian flinches a little as sour memories fill his mind. He shrugs them off though and half nods, not bothering to get into technicalities since he's more of a reincarnation of his so-called "father".
"Yes, similar," Mikogami agrees as well, knowing of Master Mutaito that sealed the former Piccolo at the cost of his life, "...however, you can think of the power that sealed these demons and created these gateways greater. For the most part, it'll be difficult to reseal the demons or repair the gates without the existence of Mages. Let's pray that the damage is not something of recency."
He turns to the stacks of books he has been gathering. "As such, I'm looking to trace the areas that were recorded by the Old Humans where demons might have been sealed. In addition, I've talked with Uranai Baba to see if they can track down the demon's soul who killed himself and to alert the Kais."
Dende widens his eyes in surprise. "You think this is big enough to let them know?"
Mikogami nods. "At the very least, they should be aware. The Demon Realm exist just far enough in the universe and their power is nothing to underestimate. We need to quickly learn the situation and also find out if this Red Ribbon Army's revival is related."
Piccolo and the genie nods. If someone like Mikogami reappears after hundreds of years and answers are not available to him, it only adds to the severity of the situation.
It would seem peacetime is finally over.
Dende reveals a bitter smile, thinking something similar in his mind before he exhales and stands straight.
"Have you let anyone else know about this?" he asks.
"We have two more witches," the priest answers, "...one named Oyakata and her apprentice, Ruby. Oyakata specifically might find information in records she owns."
Piccolo furrows his brows. "Oyakata? That name sounds familiar."
Mr. Popo, whose memory bank is perhaps superior to most, confirms the green man's suspicion. "I believe Kami back then was wary about some of her plant monsters wreaking havoc on some cities. He visited about fifty years ago to give her a warning and I recall she harbored distaste for humans."
Piccolo hums but isn't able to recall fully. Despite fusion with the Kami four years ago and becoming whole again, the increase in wisdom isn't without gaps. Regardless, the only important question is...
"Can we trust these witches?" he asks.
Mikogami nods. "As far as Oyakata is concerned, she has greatly changed after her death since she was also killed by Cell. She's unlike the person you met before. As for her apprentice, there's equally no need to be worried."
"Many people I've discovered had a change of heart after their revival four years ago," Dende agrees, having already seen the results on a greater scale in humanity. Of course, regardless of the trustworthiness, Dende wouldn't question the help. If a former guardian like Mikogami trusted them, then that should be enough.
"Should we alert the others about this potential threat?" he adds.
The others being the Z-fighters however, Mikogami shakes his head. "There's not much we can do about an enemy we can't see or don't fully know. Right now, gathering information is the first step. My hope is that once I find or hear something from from the other witches, we can utilize the Pendulum room to better gain insight about any unsealing that may have occurred in history."
He raises his head a little with a knowing smile. "Besides, I believe the hero who defeated Cell has already met these witches. It'll be interesting to see what will happen."
Piccolo and Dende's brows rise in surprise and they look at each other.
"G-gohan! No, I'm not ready to part ways!"
Ruby cries out in despair, reaching out with worried tears as Erasa leads her out of the classroom with a giggle. "Oh come on, we have the next class together! I can't let a funny girl like you escape my sight!"
Gohan waves with a tear of sweat as he watches the witch being forced to tag along with the extroverted blonde girl. Although he won't have his next class with her, it seems Erasa has already taken a liking to the witch. It should be a good thing, right?
As for him...
'What's your next class?'
While people continue to stand up from their seats with class dismissed, he remains nearby as he stares at San's new note. He stops to think for a moment but finds it's pointless to not share if they happen to have the next class together.
"Physical Ed, I think," Gohan answers out loud, seeing there's no reason to stay quiet now.
Videl hears it as well and raises an eyebrow as she sits up from her seat. "So you're going to PE as well, huh?"
The half-saiyan raises his eyes at Videl, but before he can say anything, San holds up a sign to Videl with an excited smile:
'This should be interesting to have another player. Isn't the coach going to have us play a game of baseball?'
Videl harrumphs and her head turns to the half-saiyan who grows confused. "Hey, you any good with baseball?"
Gohan blinks, then realizes that the two girls will also be joining him. If what they say about the activity being baseball is true, then he's a little concerned. On top of not knowing how to play the game, he also knows he needs to hide his strength and he's not sure how good he'll be when playing a new game for the first time.
"Um, I'm not sure," he answers truthfully, laughing innocently, "...I've never played it."
Videl clicks her tongue and turns her head back to the mute girl. "You can have him on your side then. I don't want a greenhorn holding us back when we inevitably split into teams."
San shakes her head with pity and replies back with her notebook. 'You're so serious.'
The twin-tailed girl grows slightly red and scoffs. "What's wrong with that?! Also..."
She turns her attention back to Gohan and points with his finger. "...You still haven't hold me what you were doing running out of the mart a few weeks ago! Don't pretend otherwise, I want an explanation!"
Gohan takes a step back and chuckles nervously while raising his hands. "Um, hold on...why are you sure it was me?"
Videl narrows her eyes. "It has to be you! You're wearing the same attire from back then and also have similar hair! Not only that, but what's more suspicious is that you suddenly disappeared right before the golden-haired warrior showed up!"
Gohan's mind goes into high alert as he flinches. Even though he tried to take out the gang outside the mart quickly, it seems she still caught sight of him in his super-saiyan form.
'Darn, why didn't I pick a different set of clothes?' Gohan regrets in his mind.
As he tries to come up with an excuse, San pulls up a new note for Videl.
'Why are you saying he's related? It could be just a coincidence.'
Seeing the blue-haired girl defending him is surprising, but thanks to her, he's able to breathe a little. He nods fervently in agreement. In response, Videl hums while squinting her eyes.
"It's a very odd chance if it is a coincidence. Granted, I only remember seeing his back but it's still strange considering what I saw back then," Videl admits, continuing to stare at Gohan suspiciously.
'He's not even blond!' San defends harder with a big frown, pushing her notebook outwards.
Videl closes her eyes and sighs before reopening them. "Hey look, the golden-warrior is a different issue. What's more important is that I don't appreciate seeing people put themselves in danger."
San rolls her eyes and then writes a new note for the half-saiyan:
'Gohan, were you there or not?'
"N-no," the half-saiyan lies, feeling immensely ashamed but he knows he has to protect his identity. Even if he was somewhat truthful and tried to spin some excuse, he definitely can't let his current appearance relate to the "golden warrior".
Videl narrows her eyes, then closes her arms. "Fine...Since I can't prove definitively what I saw, I'll let this go but that doesn't mean I don't think it's an odd chance."
Gohan breathes out a sigh of relief while San beams appreciatively. The half-saiyan never expected someone like her to be so sharp and it seems he has even more reason to be extra cautious about his actions from now on...
...except, how?
'What do I do if something bad happens? Fang Fang might not care about being in the news, but I can't be like that! I can't just ignore everything in front of me either!'
Conflicted, his thoughts are pulled back as he feels San poking at his shoulder. He turns his attention back to the blue-haired girl who has a new message, kept below the level of the table so that Videl wouldn't see...
'If this were poker, you'd lose.'
The half-saiyan flinches then gulps. Of course, he barely got away with suspicion from Videl but there's even less chance with this blue-haired girl who has her own mystery identity. Despite that, he's now in her debt since she helped to support him.
"Come on, let's get going already," Videl urges, lifting her bag.
San nods with an eager expression and doesn't give Gohan time to recover as she nudges him along. Seeing as he'll be traveling together with them, he clears his throat and tries to start on a less suspicious note.
"So um...you two are friends as well?"
Videl smiles exasperatedly as she looks at the smiling San, then leans her head to the side. "Something like that."
San silently giggles and then scribbles a response. Impressively, she can walk and focus on where she's stepping while still writing. Considering this is how she's communicated for possibly much of her life, it makes sense she's able to multitask while still being aware of her surroundings.
'She tried to run for student president and I beat her. Since then, we've become friendly rivals of sort.'
"Oh knock that off, San," Videl groans, not wanting to be reminded of then, "...besides, it's good that you became the student president instead. I wouldn't have been able to find time with the calls I get from the police for help."
Gohan's eyebrows rise and he recalls the news earlier. "So you do this stuff frequently? What happens if you get a call in the middle of class?"
"Of course! The school would normally let me leave and come back," Videl answers before her expression sours, "...but, I'm not sure about our new director. It's common knowledge that she's always disapproved of me getting into danger. I'm the daughter of Mister Satan though, I have to help protect public order wherever I can!"
The half-saiyan blinks, surprised by her resolution. It seems she also regards her father highly. Although the credit of defeating Cell is undue, he has to admire her wish to protect.
"Aren't you worried though?" Gohan adds, almost without thinking.
Videl snorts. "I'm still here, aren't I? Don't take this the wrong way, Gohan, but you don't know me. I've trained most of my life in martial arts just like my father. I know I still have much to improve on, but I have the best teacher in the world! I'm confident in handling myself."
The half-saiyan waves his hand, sweating a little. "N-no, I'm not...uh, doubting you or anything! After all, I've heard what happened this morning with you and Fang Fang."
The twin-tailed girl's eyes twitch at the name of that bastard. Still upset, she growls and Gohan's face stiffens. He can already see he opened a can of worms he shouldn't have.
"God damn it! I hope I don't see that boy! Seriously, just remembering his girly face pisses me off!"
Gohan can only close his eyes and let out a weak laugh, feeling a little sorry for the said androgynous boy. Still, he isn't sure why she's frustrated this much over him trying to recruit her. Could it be she knows something?
While wondering, San's eyes widen and she quickly writes on her notepad with urgency, pushing it towards her friend.
'FLAG!'
Videl rolls her eyes and pushes the sketchbook back to her. "Don't be silly, San. If I do see him, then at least it'll give me a chance to vent some frustration. He might be a good martial artist, but I bet I can humiliate him at this game."
'FLAG!'
San pushes the same note again and Videl quickly swats it away, then stares at her blue-haired friend incredulously. "What do you mean flag? You think I'll be the one humiliated!? Who do you think I-"
'FLAG!'
San shuts her eyes tightly and pushes forward her note once more. At this point, Videl has enough and snatches her sketchbook away. She grins irritably with a vein pulsing on her forehead.
"Okay, that's it, you're asking for it! We'll see who raises the real flag in this game!"
San's eyes brighten, then she brings up her hands and nods with flames burning in her eyes. As if her expression isn't enough, she snatches back her sketchbook and writes a new page with a simple response...
'You're on!'
Videl smirks as the three arrive at the wide gym doors. Against the competitiveness between the girls, Gohan can only stay out of the way. He wonders if it's wise to make something of this activity bigger than it is but doesn't say anything seeing how it might be just a thing that occurs between them.
He takes a deep breath and tries not to think too much about the game, less he creates his own flags.