XXV
The smoke was clearing away by the time Gohan found his father's ki signature. He breathed a sigh of relief, checking over his shoulder to make sure Tien felt it too. He did and was showing it with a big grin planted across his face. Then it turned downwards as he felt a very bad thing. Goku's ki was much lower. It felt as if the geritsoudan had taken it for a nosedive, but Diamao's energy was low as well. It's not like he could just dish out that much energy and not feel anything, after all. Gohan stared down at the emerging shadow that was becoming apparent through the smoke, which was undoubtedly his father. Diamao stood far away from him, panting. Tien smiled at that, it showed that Diamao couldn't keep up a power level higher then Goku's for long without draining himself too.
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The saiyan's head pounded and his arms were shouting in outrage as burn marks appeared across them. But he was alive, and that wasn't good enough. His energy was way down and, although Diamao's was too, it wouldn't be enough for a quick defeat.
"Darn! I hadn't expected him to do a kaio-ken attack in the middle of the struggle! I can tell his ki is much lower now though, it took a lot out of him. At least he can't stay stronger then me using that thing much longer. Sooner or later I'll wear him down. Hopefully sooner. I don't know how much more of this I can take," Goku thought to himself. He was still in his defensive posture, but now his muscles were a little bit tighter and a little bit weaker. His gi was torn in multiple places, leaving his pants torn into jagged shorts just below the knees. Luckily his boots were made of stronger stuff, otherwise he'd be out in bare feet in the middle of a battle atop jagged rubble. Which would, of course, be bad.
The bridge that was left between them was crumbling as they stared at one another, at least, the parts that hadn't been disintegrated by the two attacks was crumbling. The area between both Goku and Diamao looked as if it had been completely decimated, jagged edges protruding from both sides like daggers.
Goku lifted his head and lowered his arms. One of his gi straps on his wrists came apart at the movement, falling away to the ground in shreds. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, trying to get some feeling back into them. They hurt.
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Vegeta smirked in Other World, feeling the new developments far below him.
"So, Kakkorot is fine. I guess I might just lose my chance to erase Diamao after all. Of course, unless that damned Kai heals me soon, all of it will have been a waste anyway. I can't do anything in this weakened condition," Vegeta mused in his mind, watching Gotenks sleeping in the tournament ring. Drool drooped from his mouth. "Disgusting brat."
"Vegeta, dude," the Grand Kai called down from the stands. "I think I have enough power to restore your ki now, if you dig it." The saiyan prince looked up at him in contempt.
"Damn right I 'dig it'!"
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"It's your last chance, Diamao. Give control back to Piccolo now and this can end. All of it can end right now," Goku told the namekian as he walked towards him, closing the distance rapidly. Diamao watched as the mighty saiyan approached confidently. But as Diamao already knew what was going on.
"You can't fool me, Goku. I've searched Piccolo's mind; I know what you're doing. You're much weaker then you're letting on. I'll bet you can barely stand to move any of your limbs after taking a blast like that. In fact," Diamao went on, "I'll bet you can't even summon the strength to fight on."
"Not even close, Diamao. Sense my energy, it's still a bit higher than yours. Even after all that you did to me, I'm still stronger then you are. Face it, you can't beat me. I'm..." he trailed off, looking at Gohan, then to Tien. "I'm doing the right thing."
"That's nice, Goku. Now let's get on with it," Diamao told him, lowering his weight onto his hind leg. "I'm ready."
"Your choice," Goku muttered, lowering his weight onto his hind leg too as he crouched to the ground. The two stared at one another, gauging their strength. Then they leaped from their separate platforms and flew towards each other.
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"Come on, Goku. Just hold on. Just hold on a bit longer," Piccolo cried, trapped in his own mind. "Just a bit longer."
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Goku and Diamao's forearms met, locked in a struggle of power. The two beasts were completely even now; Diamao didn't want to risk using his kaio- ken attack again unless he absolutely had to. The kaio-ken x10 had put to much stress on his body.
They broke away, jumping backwards only to land floating a few feet apart. Goku leapt farther into the air above his opponent and dropped behind him. Diamao turned quickly, but not fast enough to avoid Goku's elbow as it crashed into his jaw. The namekian staggered back a few feet before he regained his bearings. By then, Goku was fully prepared. He kicked Diamao in his jaw, where his elbow had landed, causing the green skinned monster to scream in agony. When his leg was lowered, Goku threw his fist forward, impacting it onto Diamao's barren chest. A small indentation appeared there, letting him know he was at least doing some damage. The saiyan was ready to attack again, but Diamao grabbed his wrists, twisting them down so that the bones ground together.
"Aaaaaaargh!" he roared, throwing his head back. Goku jumped up a few inches and shot his knee straight into Diamao's jaw, forcing him to let go. Diamao sat for a few seconds, then launched forward, planting his fist into Goku's cheek. The saiyan's eyes opened wide in shock at the blatant attack, but he let to much time pass before he put up his guard again. Diamao grabbed his hair and swung him into a building's ruins behind him. Diamao put two fingers to his forehead and powered up with a quick burst of ki energy. A green aura surrounded him as he powered up his favorite attack.
"Demon ray!" he screamed, throwing the two fingers forward. A yellow spiral beam shot forward, the "Special Beam Cannon," as Piccolo called it. It cut through the air quickly, leaving a humid feel through it. The attack barreled straight into the concrete after Goku.
"Big bang attack!" Diamao heard someone yell from above him, just before a blue ball of energy encompassed his entire field of vision, stopping his connection with the demon ray.
The smoke was clearing away by the time Gohan found his father's ki signature. He breathed a sigh of relief, checking over his shoulder to make sure Tien felt it too. He did and was showing it with a big grin planted across his face. Then it turned downwards as he felt a very bad thing. Goku's ki was much lower. It felt as if the geritsoudan had taken it for a nosedive, but Diamao's energy was low as well. It's not like he could just dish out that much energy and not feel anything, after all. Gohan stared down at the emerging shadow that was becoming apparent through the smoke, which was undoubtedly his father. Diamao stood far away from him, panting. Tien smiled at that, it showed that Diamao couldn't keep up a power level higher then Goku's for long without draining himself too.
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The saiyan's head pounded and his arms were shouting in outrage as burn marks appeared across them. But he was alive, and that wasn't good enough. His energy was way down and, although Diamao's was too, it wouldn't be enough for a quick defeat.
"Darn! I hadn't expected him to do a kaio-ken attack in the middle of the struggle! I can tell his ki is much lower now though, it took a lot out of him. At least he can't stay stronger then me using that thing much longer. Sooner or later I'll wear him down. Hopefully sooner. I don't know how much more of this I can take," Goku thought to himself. He was still in his defensive posture, but now his muscles were a little bit tighter and a little bit weaker. His gi was torn in multiple places, leaving his pants torn into jagged shorts just below the knees. Luckily his boots were made of stronger stuff, otherwise he'd be out in bare feet in the middle of a battle atop jagged rubble. Which would, of course, be bad.
The bridge that was left between them was crumbling as they stared at one another, at least, the parts that hadn't been disintegrated by the two attacks was crumbling. The area between both Goku and Diamao looked as if it had been completely decimated, jagged edges protruding from both sides like daggers.
Goku lifted his head and lowered his arms. One of his gi straps on his wrists came apart at the movement, falling away to the ground in shreds. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, trying to get some feeling back into them. They hurt.
------------------------
Vegeta smirked in Other World, feeling the new developments far below him.
"So, Kakkorot is fine. I guess I might just lose my chance to erase Diamao after all. Of course, unless that damned Kai heals me soon, all of it will have been a waste anyway. I can't do anything in this weakened condition," Vegeta mused in his mind, watching Gotenks sleeping in the tournament ring. Drool drooped from his mouth. "Disgusting brat."
"Vegeta, dude," the Grand Kai called down from the stands. "I think I have enough power to restore your ki now, if you dig it." The saiyan prince looked up at him in contempt.
"Damn right I 'dig it'!"
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"It's your last chance, Diamao. Give control back to Piccolo now and this can end. All of it can end right now," Goku told the namekian as he walked towards him, closing the distance rapidly. Diamao watched as the mighty saiyan approached confidently. But as Diamao already knew what was going on.
"You can't fool me, Goku. I've searched Piccolo's mind; I know what you're doing. You're much weaker then you're letting on. I'll bet you can barely stand to move any of your limbs after taking a blast like that. In fact," Diamao went on, "I'll bet you can't even summon the strength to fight on."
"Not even close, Diamao. Sense my energy, it's still a bit higher than yours. Even after all that you did to me, I'm still stronger then you are. Face it, you can't beat me. I'm..." he trailed off, looking at Gohan, then to Tien. "I'm doing the right thing."
"That's nice, Goku. Now let's get on with it," Diamao told him, lowering his weight onto his hind leg. "I'm ready."
"Your choice," Goku muttered, lowering his weight onto his hind leg too as he crouched to the ground. The two stared at one another, gauging their strength. Then they leaped from their separate platforms and flew towards each other.
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"Come on, Goku. Just hold on. Just hold on a bit longer," Piccolo cried, trapped in his own mind. "Just a bit longer."
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Goku and Diamao's forearms met, locked in a struggle of power. The two beasts were completely even now; Diamao didn't want to risk using his kaio- ken attack again unless he absolutely had to. The kaio-ken x10 had put to much stress on his body.
They broke away, jumping backwards only to land floating a few feet apart. Goku leapt farther into the air above his opponent and dropped behind him. Diamao turned quickly, but not fast enough to avoid Goku's elbow as it crashed into his jaw. The namekian staggered back a few feet before he regained his bearings. By then, Goku was fully prepared. He kicked Diamao in his jaw, where his elbow had landed, causing the green skinned monster to scream in agony. When his leg was lowered, Goku threw his fist forward, impacting it onto Diamao's barren chest. A small indentation appeared there, letting him know he was at least doing some damage. The saiyan was ready to attack again, but Diamao grabbed his wrists, twisting them down so that the bones ground together.
"Aaaaaaargh!" he roared, throwing his head back. Goku jumped up a few inches and shot his knee straight into Diamao's jaw, forcing him to let go. Diamao sat for a few seconds, then launched forward, planting his fist into Goku's cheek. The saiyan's eyes opened wide in shock at the blatant attack, but he let to much time pass before he put up his guard again. Diamao grabbed his hair and swung him into a building's ruins behind him. Diamao put two fingers to his forehead and powered up with a quick burst of ki energy. A green aura surrounded him as he powered up his favorite attack.
"Demon ray!" he screamed, throwing the two fingers forward. A yellow spiral beam shot forward, the "Special Beam Cannon," as Piccolo called it. It cut through the air quickly, leaving a humid feel through it. The attack barreled straight into the concrete after Goku.
"Big bang attack!" Diamao heard someone yell from above him, just before a blue ball of energy encompassed his entire field of vision, stopping his connection with the demon ray.