Tien, having been made aware of Piccolo's return during the prelims, had to prepare for his battle. Glad to be the second fight as it gave him some time to get ready for his next match with the reincarnated demon. The young warrior soon heard of Yamcha's defeat and Tarble coming out looking like he just walked out to the ring while Yamcha looked defeated. Breathing in to focus his mind.
"Hey." Tarble stopped as Tien headed toward the ring. The two locking eyes for a moment, having intense moment. "Give it everything you got." Tarble finally said, not knowing his plan but saw Tien was not going to just give up. He watched Tien head toward the ring and took his place.
Piccolo landed onto the ring with a smile, as he remembered the face of the warrior. The one who cause his father to lose, blocking his attack at the right moment and allowing the giant beast to blast him. This time it was a one on one fight, and Tien had yet to prove himself an equal or even a threat.
The announcer called out for the match to begin, the two simply standing at a distance at first. Piccolo then closed the distance, only to suddenly be blinded by a Solar Flare. Tien took advantage of his few moments, striking heavily into Piccolo's body hard and fast with several blows. Lastly, he knocked him to the ground with a double handed smash. Piccolo growling as sight returned, twisting his body and attacked Tien's legs to force him away and took his chance to right himself.
"Looks like rushing you is a bad move." Piccolo said with a smile. "Just means I need to bring you to me!" he thrust his arm forward, it suddenly stretched and grabbed Tien by the throat. The human's eyes widening as he was not prepared for his kind of trick. Lifted off the ground and whipped back down to the stone arena, before being dragged to Piccolo's feet. A raised leg soon brought a stomp down toward Tien's chest, only to be grabbed last moment and minimize the impact.
Tien couldn't risk the prone position much longer, struck Piccolo's elbow and making his grip weaken on his neck. He then used his third eye to make a small blast to knock Piccolo back and allow himself back to his feet. Taking position and summoning his energy and used his multi form technique to make four more of himself.
"Looks like your luck has run out! Now you fight not just one Martial Artist, but five!" Tien called out as two charged forward to begin force Piccolo into the defensive. One took to the air to keep an eye on the arena. The last two circled around and began their assault on Piccolo's flank. This made the demon keep focus as the four opponents kept him busy, impacts felt on his body weak but believed at first they were just off their mark.
But slowly, Piccolo began to realize that it was not just he simply was evading and blocking easier. The human's combined effort was the same as if he was one, and the human did not seem to realize this weakness. The demon just smirked as he began retaliate once more as he started getting the rhythm of battle with Tien's duplicates. Sending one flying into the inner wall along the ring, not knocking him out of the ring, but slightly buried.
Tien surprised by the sudden growing strength of Piccolo, and slowly realizing his own strength was waning in battle. The last three dashing away suddenly, allowing the Tien in the air to finally fire down a blast he was gathering energy for. The Arena heavily damaged, but Piccolo stood only with damaged cloths and a few new wounds himself. But a smile showed that the attack seemed to do little to his overall strength. Tien realizing, he was completely outmatched, slowly landed as his clones gathered together, even pulling out the buried one.
"You ready for another go? Or do you realize just how poor of a warrior you are compared to me." Piccolo mocked with an evil grin, exposing his chest and widening his stance as if daring Tien to take a chance to attack him.
"I can tell already, you are stronger then I could imagine." Tien said, his clones gathering back into himself. He would need all his focus for his next attack. "But I will still defeat you… with an attack that not even you can handle." Pulling from his belt a small jar, with the characters of 'Evil Containment' written on it.
Piccolo seeing this jar, his eyes widen in surprise. "That is right Piccolo, I know it is you and I shall seal you away for good! It is time for the Mafuba!" Tien called out, positioning his hands as the green energy began to swirl and gather. Piccolo seeing the attack slowly coming toward him. Only for his worried look shift, a smile on his face that befitted a demon. "Mafuba Gaeshi! (Evil containment wave reflection)" The Mafuba bounced back, Tien unaware of a way to defend or that the attack would contain him.
Tien caught up in the attack, swirling with the energy himself. Piccolo leading the energy toward the jar. But suddenly the jar toppled over, and Tien's body was instead slammed into the ground. Piccolo's eyes shifting up and seeing Tarble with his finger pointing to the jar. Tarble's eyes glared to Piccolo as the demon glared back, Tien taking this moment to surrender. But was found with audience murmuring and the announcer confirming what Tien called him. Piccolo's attention snapping and announcing the ride of the new demon king Piccolo, Causing the audience to run away. Clearing the area with everyone except for Goku's friends, and Chichi who hide away to pray her future husband can defeat the monster.
The announcer, very diligent at his job, calls out Tien's surrender finally, and calls for the next fighters. Goku and Tarble, both looking at each other and nodding as they got to the ring. Goku remarking that the arena is damaged from the last fight, Tarble agreeing. The announcer remarking that the finals were coming soon, only one more round. Asking only his mic who would be the man to fight Piccolo in the end!
What will be the outcome of the two power houses trained on the lookout, Will they go all out and risk Piccolo taking out a weakened opponent? Let us find out next chapter! Chapter Sixteen: Anti-Climatic Semi Finals! Champion of the 23rd tournament found!