Gohan and Piccolo returned to the waiting wings, and Piccolo was set to rest against a wall. The Nameccian waved off any attempts to help him from either of his three students, and closed his eyes. With concentration, his wounds began to knit themselves.
While Piccolo healed, Gohan found himself in the arms of his wife, who was quick to embrace him, and run her hands along the few wounds he'd sustained. Erasa wanted to be stern, but she found herself smiling regardless. Gohan had put up a fantastic fight, and she'd enjoyed seeing her husband in action again more than she'd expected.
The healing was quick, and Piccolo was fully recovered in little to-no-time. He sighed. "That was a fantastic match, Gohan," said Piccolo with a grin. "I haven't felt that overworked since I fought your father; I may have trained you, but I saw as much of him in your movements as I did my own. The fierceness of a demon with the agility of a monkey," he quipped.
Gohan couldn't help but laugh. "You gave me quite a run for my money yourself, Piccolo. But more than that...you told me something I needed to hear. Believe me, I will carry your words into my future battles."
"Then I know you've learned your lesson," replied Piccolo with a grin.
"As much as I hate to cut across my fellow student having a moment, it seems the next match is about to start," interrupted Videl casually. "We're up, Erasa."
Videl wasn't simply being a spoilsport. The announcer had been calling their names for the past two minutes, announcing "Erasa vs. Videl" as the Round 3 match. Erasa removed her arms from Gohan, and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sounds like we're going to be late. Let's get out there then!" The two friends headed towards the exit of the waiting wings, and shared a look as they crossed the threshold.
"Are we going to settle things properly this time?" asked Erasa.
"Only if you don't slip up," replied Videl.
The two extended their fists, bumping them against each other. They stepped forward, and were picked up by the MatterWave lifts towards the Arena. Round 3 was about to begin.
"So...which one of them do you have your Zeni on?" asked Goten conversationally. "Personally, I'm rooting for Erasa. Have to stick with family, after all."
"Videl," replied Trunks stubbornly. "Piccolo put her through the ringer just as badly as us — it might have been worse some days — and she spent a lot of time training even into the early morning. She's had a lot of growth as a fighter these past ten years; and now we'll get to see it all."
Yamcha nudged Trunks in the side. "Are you sure you aren't just saying that because of your special circumstances?"
"N-No, that's not it at all!" stammered the young man. "I meant every word!"
"Regardless, this might shape up to be quite a match," said Tenshinhan. "Gohan and Piccolo was intense, but in terms of power, the odds were skewed in Gohan's favour to a point of unfairness—" Piccolo grunted, but didn't deny the statement "—yet I'm not sure how to compare Videl and Erasa's strengths. This will be my first time seeing these two fight."
"Goten and Trunks, you should pay attention to this fight more than the rest of us," suggested Gohan. "You might learn something from it; don't get complacent just because we're Saiyans."
The two young men nodded, surprised by Gohan's firmness. Did this have something to do with his match with Piccolo earlier?
At the top of the newly restored MatterWave arena, two sets of feet clacked onto the tiles. Erasa and Videl had stepped onto their new battlefield, and the two friends were taking their places at opposite ends. The announcer was breathing a sigh of relief; he had almost thought the two were going to forfeit the match, when it had taken more than two minutes for them to make it to the MatterWave lift.
"Ladies and gentlemen and fans of all ages!" he crowed into the microphone. "These lovely ladies are our Round 3 contestants! In the blue gi is Videl, the daughter of the well known Mr. Satan. She competed in the previous Tenkaichi Budōkai and put up a stellar display against Spopovich! Believe it or not, she doesn't look a day older than when she competed in the Budōkai ten years ago! The power of science is staggering!" He spun his microphone and pointed towards Erasa. "Clad in purple gi is Son Erasa, who also competed in the Tenkaichi Budōkai ten years ago! Her match with Rayo was something to see! It seems she's married Son Gohan, the contestant from the previous match, and now runs a school of martial arts herself!"
In the stands, Pen was still sitting in her paternal grandmother's lap. She had been ecstatic to see her father pull off his victory, but her eye were practically alight with her mother standing in the ring. "Go get 'er, Mama!" She cheered, and it was all Chi-Chi could do to restrain her only grandchild to prevent the little one from flying towards the barrier. "Knock 'em good!"
"The contestants are in the ring! The ring itself is repaired! LET THE MATCH BEGIN!" At the announcer's call, the figurative gong was struck; Erasa and Videl had received their OK. The two began to placed their left hands over their right fists, bowing ceremonially, before adopting their fighting stances.
Videl loosened her legs, sliding them across the tile before they reached an even distance; her right arm pointed forward, fingers fully extended, while her left arm was near her face, fingers clenched.
Erasa crouched slightly, sliding her legs a similar distance apart. She extended her right arm forward, flattening her palm, and bending her thumb inward, while her left arm was held at her side, palm and thumb identically positioned to her right arm.
In the end, it was Videl who moved first. She dashed forward across the raised platform, headband billowing in the wind. The woman struck, a powerful blow that shook the arena crashed into Erasa. To those who hadn't seen her move, it appeared only as if Videl had been there, and then suddenly had crashed into Erasa with the force of a beautiful bullet train. Despite that, Erasa was unperturbed. Keeping her palm flat, she had completely redirected the force of Videl's blow, forcing the girl off her balance by striking her fist with her palm.
The blonde ducked low, thrusting her arms forward. She struck Videl with a double palm blow, and the girl was blown backwards by the force. Videl flipped over in the air, righting herself and skidding along the virtual arena. Tiles cracked and shattered beneath her, disappearing into nothingness as she tried to maintain her presence within the fighting stage.
Videl was forced to keep pace with her friend, who was now pursuing with relentless vigour. Videl avoided another palm strike, striking back with a powerful blow of her own. Erasa parried using the back of her palm and struck again. The exchange of blows — strike, avoidance, parry, strike — repeated itself in the form of a dance. It was clear Erasa and Videl were familiar enough with each other's movements that they were constantly reading one another easily. The two dashed around the stage, fists locked; when Erasa would strike, Videl would block, and when Videl struck, Erasa guided the blow away. Beneath them, the stage cracked and began to wear apart.
The blonde martial artist flung her left leg forward in a devastating kick. Videl, anticipating this, blocked the blow with her own kick, which shook the stage. The audience and announcer were agape. The two separated, gaining some distance to reassess the battle.
"L-Ladies and gentlemen, I am astounded!" he cried. "If you were expecting a relaxing match between these two women, you were sorely mistaken. They've unleashed an immense display of power right from the start that's left me breathless!"
Videl ran her hands through her black tresses, and then rushed forward. Dashing at incredible speeds, her hands began to shine with small glints of light: needles. She flung these senbon, sharpened and hardened threads of hair, towards Erasa. The blonde leaned backwards, letting the senbon fly over her easily, and then backflipped with a single hand on the tile, righting herself easily.
Yet it was an opening that Videl had counting on. The moment Erasa had finished placing some distance between herself and a rushing Videl, the latter had released a volley of red kikōha. The bombardments hit Erasa with surprising power, and the spheres exploded at the instance of collision. It was in the explosion that Erasa became distracted, and Videl found her opening. Erasa's eyes widened when Videl rushed through the smoke, and caught her by the torso; her feet left the ground, and suddenly a knee connected with her gut.
Erasa let out a gasp, the wind forced from her body. She was flung from where she stood, and slid to the near end of the fighting stage. Her body fell from the edge, and the woman's hand clasped tightly to the rim of the arena. To say she was surprised was an understatement, yet Erasa didn't have time to rest on her laurels. Focusing her strength in her arm, she forced herself up into the air—but was met with the powerful impact of Videl's descending kick.
The impact rocked the interior of the barrier, and Erasa shot towards the ground like a meteor. She crashed into the ground outside of the arena, a plume of smoke erupting from where she collided.
"And Erasa has been thrown from the ring!" shouted the announcer. "I didn't think I'd see it here folks, but the leader of the Shinma Dōjō is out of the arena in the match's earliest moments! I'll begin the count! 1...2..."
The smoke was thrown from its cloud formation, and Erasa rose, surrounded by a vibrant white aura of ki. She was unscathed, both herself and her clothing, making it clear she'd used her aura as a defensive manoeuvre to buffer the damage. She lifted off with immense speed, creating a small shockwave, and landed back in the arena without much fanfare. Erasa dusted herself off, grinning at Videl.
"That was impressive," she said cheekily. "Piccolo's training has done a number on you these ten years, but I can see it was for the better."
"Please," replied Videl, returning the smile. "We both know neither one of us was serious in that exchange. I shouldn't have thrown you from the ring that easily."
"No, but a slip-up is a slip-up, regardless," replied Erasa, brushing off her friend's attempt to make excuses for her. "But all things aside...it certainly got the blood flowing."
Down in the waiting wings, Trunks looked confused. "They're just warming up? I felt for sure that Videl had the advantage the moment she pushed Erasa back out of the ring."
"That would have been your mistake," replied Tenshinhan. "It would come down to their differences in style. Videl uses an overly aggressive style of martial arts. It's nothing to her detriment; it suits her personality well, and she learned from Piccolo. Even Gohan's style has shades of this; I suppose that's simply how the Demon Style Dōjō works. But Erasa's Shinma Dōjō teaches a style that suits her."
"But didn't she base it off of Piccolo's school?" inquired Goten.
"Yes, but she's deviated from my style enough to make it her own," said Piccolo. "Think of it by looking at your brother; he uses the Demon Style in his fighting. However, he also trained with your father. His style is a blend of my fighting methods, and the Kame-Sen Style School that Gokū uses." He folded his arms, looking from Gohan to the fighting stage, where Erasa and Videl were locked in battle. "But it deviates even further from there; as a martial artist grows and develops, their style will change to reflect their experiences. Gokū and Yamcha do not use the Kame-Sen Style in the same way that Muten Rōshi in the past years. Just like Gohan did not simply blend two styles, but he made them his own; his combat style is unique.
Erasa is the same. In the ten years since Bū was defeated, she's redeveloped the Demon Style to suit her needs, and it led to the Shinma Dōjō's Style that she wields and teaches to her students," Piccolo was grinning now. To him, he was witnesses history by seeing Videl, Gohan and Erasa fight the way they did. The evolution of fighting principles into something entirely new was something a martial artist could revel in. "That is why this isn't a simple clash between two Demon Styles. I suspect, that through this fight, Videl will begin to see how she should use my teachings. In doing so, her usage of the Demon School will change as well. And she will grow."
"That's...amazing," Goten replied. "I've never looked at it that way."
"Consider it something to look forward to as you evolve," said Yamcha. "Martial arts never stops changing, and those who practise martial arts must grow with it."
High up on the fighting stage, Erasa and Videl had resumed their battle, unaware of the discussions between their friends and family. A punch cut through the air to strike Erasa, but the blonde used her palms to guide the strike out of her path; she clenched her fingers of her free hand, and retaliated with a powerful forward thrust. Videl felt her body lurch; the force of Erasa's strike had more power behind it than the woman had expected. Yet Videl didn't falter, and pooled ki into her feet to act as an anchor. Firmly latched to the tiles with her energy, Videl retaliated with a powerful spin kick.
The blonde ducked, Videl's foot cutting through the air above her head. The sound was deafening, though Erasa muted it through sheer willpower. With the movements of a spiral, Erasa struck Videl whilst rising. Piccolo's pupil attempted to defend herself, but her ploy wouldn't work any longer; Erasa shattered her guard and lifted her off of the ground.
"Amazing!" shouted the announcer. "It seemed as if Videl had a steadfast hold to the tiles, but Erasa is proving that you'll need more than a super-glue defence to keep her at bay!"
Videl's face worked in frustration, and the girl, now afloat from Erasa's attack, switched to her ki, held aloft by the Sky-Dancing Technique. She proceeded to flip through the air, bringing her feet forward to meet Erasa's chin; the blow collided, sending Erasa flying upwards like a rocket. Videl was quick to pursue, and the battle became a quick-paced aerial match. The black-haired woman struck speedily, attacking Erasa with a flurry of kicks and punches.
While the blow to her chin had certainly stung, Erasa regained her composure, and utilised the gliding of her palms to parry the blow. Videl expected this — it matched Erasa's movements on the ground — even so her eyes opened wide when Erasa struck her face with a sudden straight punch a second later. Spittle shot from her mouth, and she felt her head pressed back from the force of the strike.
She switched styles?! Videl thought in a panic. That was a heavy strike!
A shout escaped Erasa's mouth, as she thrust her palm forward. A massive torrent of ki, invisible but immensely powerful, shot forward, crashing into Videl with the force of Erasa's physical power. The kiai pushed Videl downward, and the woman raised her hands above her head to shield herself. It felt like all she could do to defend.
In the waiting wings, Trunks and Goten were only further confused; they had seen Erasa's elegant flowing style while she battled Videl on the tiles just moments before, but when the battle had shifted and taken to the air, the aggressiveness of Piccolo's fighting methods were coming to light.
"It's just adaptability," explained Gohan when the two had asked just what Erasa was doing. "Her regular style is well-suited towards grounded fighting, where she can maintain the flow of the battle within her sphere of influence. Erasa's combat involves circle-walking and adjusting the tide of battle so that it flows in her direction, so to the speak. In the air, however, we behave almost as if we're weightless, and this style becomes more difficult to employ. She's adjusting to fit the situation."
Videl's defence proved to be sufficient, and the woman avoided being forced back to the arena's tiles. The girl ascended higher into the air, rising above her friend. She cocked her hand back, a red ki sphere forming, trails of light drifting from it. "Take this!" she cried, flinging her arm forward. The sphere she held erupted into a beam of energy, and the kikōha barreled down towards Erasa at immense speeds.
That's huge! Erasa thought, blue eyes widening. She cupped her hands at her sides, and a light blue ki sphere began to form. The energy bled through her palms, bathing her in a blue light. "Ka...me...ha...me..." She focused on Videl's kikōha, waiting for the precise moment to unleash her own.
"She's stalling!" said Trunks.
"She's not!" replied Goten.
"HA!" Erasa thrust both arms forward, releasing a blinding blue kikōha from both hands. It rushed upwards to meet Videl's own and the two energies melded and clashed; a purple storm rushed around the centre of the arena. Lightning snapped and crackled, bouncing off of the barrier that protected the now newly amazed spectators. Erasa's Kamehameha was notably smaller than the attack Videl had unleashed, yet it seemed to pack as much power, holding the larger attack at bay with ease.
"Ladies and gentlemen, now we've got on our hands a struggle between two large masses of ki!" crowed the announcer. "It seems that Erasa and Videl have decided regular martial arts can't decide this, and are pouring their efforts into these powerful kikōha! We're even bearing witness to the legendary Kamehameha from one of these lovely ladies!"
At first, the two blasts seemed even; incredibly so Videl's blast held its own against the Kamehameha. Their ki continued to meld, clashing against each other as the entire stadium began to shake.
High in her hoverbooth, Bulma was once again monitoring the fight with interest. Her good hand moving swiftly across the MatterWave keyboard once again, her MatterWave screens projected specific data and imagery within them. This time, the surge of ki that came directly after the build-up and preparation of a powerful kikōha.
Erasa's ki spiked, sending a burst of power through her Kamehameha. The struggle was decided in that very moment, as Erasa's Kamehameha swallowed Videl's attack and rushed forward, enveloping the woman. Videl's eyes widened, and she let out a yell, enveloped entirely by the Kamehameha. The blast collided with the barrier, causing it to tremble and shake, but the defence held. An explosion of blue ki soon followed, accompanied by the crackling of lightning. When the blinding flash died down, Videl was surrounded in smoke, her body bruised and battered.
There was a complete and utter silence between the two. Erasa watched Videl with a careful, but observant eye. She knew Videl well for her temper; the woman was prone to rash decisions when backed into a corner, and Erasa could practically see her mind working feverishly. Videl clenched her fists, and let out a cry into the air. It wasn't one of frustration; it was a battle cry. Light exploded around her a vibrant red rush of ki engulfed her in flames.
There it is...! Erasa thought, grinning. Her ki is rising up!
Videl's battle cry died down, and her arms came to rest at her side. The conflagration of Videl's ki came to a rest around her body, the red blaze licking at her like flames. It was her turn to grin. "Erasa! Here I come!"
"Let me have it!"
The black-haired woman rushed forward, clad in red. She closed the distance between herself, almost manifesting in front of Erasa. Without mercy she unleashed multiple punches into Erasa's gut, forcing the girl back. Revolving, Videl clenched her fist, placing her spare palm onto it and pressing down, aiming a powerful elbow slam towards Erasa's head. Erasa flung right arm upwards to block, deflecting the blow and pushed both of Videl's arms downward. Whirling around, Erasa crashed her left foot into Videl.
Videl parried with her right arm as well, before following up with a powerful punch. The blow hit home, striking Erasa in the chest. With eyes wide from shock, Erasa failed to parry an incoming knee to the chin; the blow forced her jaw shut, and it was only due to her training that she suffered no lasting damage. Her head spinning, she fought through it, focusing her vision with willpower. Something shone in her eyes; a certain kind of determination.
Her ki, richly white, engulfed her body. She lunged forward, pressing a thunderous right cross forward. Videl warded the blow off, pushing herself forward with her retaliating blow. Erasa avoided it, shifting her weight to the side and letting the blow pass by her easily. As if caught in a sudden explosion, the two began a fierce exchange of blows, each one of them looking for an opening. Videl would strike, and the back of Erasa's palm would ward it away. Erasa retaliated, and Videl would repel the blow with intensive force.
A crushing diagonal knee strike met Videl's ribs, and their clash was broken with Erasa taking the helm. The woman applied pressure to her best friend, and rushed them towards the MatterWave tiles, which had been relatively untouched while they clashed high above. A final push sent Videl rocketing downward, breaking Erasa away from her as the latter descended to the tiles herself.
"You really worked hard for this, didn't you Videl?" called out Erasa from the other side of the stage. "You tried to come at me right from the start of the battle before I could get into it, didn't you?" She leapt lightly from side to side, fists clenched. "But I always fight at my best. You've missed your chance."
The black-haired martial artist paid no heed to these words, and broke her fall with surprising ease, flipping backwards and sliding along the tiles unencumbered. She wasted no time in rushing forward, raising a hand to her side. Her aura dissipated, but a solid blade of ki formed within her palms, moulding into the shape of a katana. No longer was it the snapping, crackling firestorm condensed into a blade that she once wielded. It was far more rigid and polished, like a finely crafted ruby giving only the finest hint that it was made of energy.
Erasa responded in kind, summoning a glimmering golden blade of her own by moulding the shape of her ki. Unlike Videl's, Erasa's was shaped more in the manner of a broadsword, edged on both sides, still she wielded it with one-hand without issue. Her's was even more refined than Videl's; if Videl's was a polished ruby,then Erasa's was scapolite, finely cut, shimmering and made to fit her hand.
The two gemstone-blades clashed, creating a powerful shockwave the blew apart the ground where the two stood. MatterWave tiles broke apart and dissipated, and the colours of their ki melded once more. Flickers of yellow and red broke off in all directions, but in the centre of the clash was an orange flame. The two pressed their blades forward, before breaking apart and coming to clash again. Videl delivered a powerful downward slash, and Erasa used the flat side of her broadsword to block it, pushing Videl backwards. They began to circle each other in a revolving explosion of strikes. Erasa's broadsword swung forward, and the back of Videl's katana parried it off, thrusting her blade forward in reply.
"The match has taken a completely unprecedented turn!" roared the announcer. "Erasa and Videl have formed swords out of their energy and are in the middle of a furious clash! We are witnessing an intense display of splendid kenjutsu here at the Tenkaichi Budōkai!"
The blow missed Erasa's face as she avoided the slash, and leapt high into the air to gain some distance. Videl gripped her sword, and dismantled the solid shape of the ki until it took on a more nebulous shape. The ki became orbs that floated above all ten fingers, scarcely the size of marbles, and she tossed them high into the air. They rushed towards Erasa, display of red light following like comets.
As Erasa moved, the kikōha followed. So these are the tracking sort? She pulled upward, and the orbs followed suit. Erasa clenched her fingers, firmly grabbing one of the ten orbs and tossing it back to Videl. She grabbed two more, still in continuous motion, and flipping in mid-air, tossed them back. An elbow. A slap. A kick. Her palm twice more. With utter control, she sent all ten of Videl's blasts hurtling back towards their master. Videl's face set, and she managed to repel each and every blast that Erasa had reversed; reversing the reversal and bringing the situation full circle.
"Simply sending them back at me won't cut it, Erasa!" shouted Videl as her attacks rushed upwards once more like a bat out of hell.
Erasa smirked. She knew that, of course. A game of ping-pong wasn't going to decide anything. However, all the same, she deflected one with a powerful palm blow, and another with a flipping kick. As she continued to deflect the spheres back towards Videl, who in return sent them back towards Erasa, a momentum had begun. Yet during this exchange of ki, Erasa would slip her own kikōha in the shadow of Videl's. As the process repeated, Erasa sent more and more of her own ki into the mix, and the number of kikōha grew.
Ten.
Twelve.
Fifteen.
The fact that the number of attacks had increased wasn't lost on those in the waiting wings. Gohan and Piccolo realised Erasa's ploy the moment she sent the first additional kikōha into the mixture.
Soon, Erasa and Videl were batting back twenty individual volleys, and the latter was becoming notably frustrated. Her performance began to slip, the kikōha beginning to bombard her, exploding on contact. Within moments, the full rain of kikōha was pouring down, masking Videl in a cloud of smoke. The arena quaked as each attack landed, Videl defending herself as best she could. Erasa raised a hand to her side, forming a sphere of ki much larger than any of ones Videl had attacked her with, and lobbed it towards Videl as the coup de grâce.
A far larger explosion was triggered, setting the stage ablaze with a veritable explosion of ki. It spun out of control, before spiraling into a whirlwind that dissipated when Videl forced it away. Her body was considerably marred, her hair frayed and clothes tattered but intact. She was breathing heavily, but her eyes burned with a determination as fiery as her strength.
"All of this, and in the end, you're still holding back," observed Erasa. The woman brushed the back of her hand against her chin, wiping blood from it. It seemed one of the kikōha had grazed her during the battle. The red stained, but she ignored it, addressing her friendly directly. "I'm not judging you. Control and measure of one's power in battle is certainly a smart tactic...but, I don't think it's going to work in our match-up." She sighed. "It's been a decade, but I'm still ahead of you, Videl. So put all your cards on the table, or this fight won't end the way you want it to!"
The younger-looking woman frowned. "Don't get me wrong," she replied breathily. "It wasn't like I was trying to hide it. You're right, it's been ten years. And in those ten years, I've had to develop my own way of beating you. I wasn't gifted a teacher like Gohan at such a critical moment. I wasn't given mystical water to drink. I had to develop a power myself, one that was suited to fighting you. But even in ten years, I haven't mastered it. I've never even tried it in a real battle."
Videl's eyes flashed, and she tugged the headband away from her forehead. The 'M' she Babidi had bestowed on her a decade ago — the magical spell that pushed her beyond her initial limits for the first time — was still emblazoned plain to see. Erasa, for one, was not fond of that mark. "I wanted to save it, if I could. To see if I could beat you without it. But you're right," she breathed. "This match won't end in my victory unless I show you everything!"
Erasa suddenly sensed it. A massive shift in the flowing of Videl's ki. It wasn't an expansion. Not in the way that the Super Saiyan worked. It wasn't a separation, the way her power worked. The flow itself shifted entirely.
"Kūmaken!"
Videl's voice became a roar, yet it paled in comparison to the torrent of ki that erupted around her body. Pure white light, rushing and fluid, whirled around Videl in a near torrent. Erasa felt the gust of wind even from her distance, and it was then that she felt the ki within Videl's body burst forth in a vast expanse, nevertheless the new flow did not alter. The martial art's teacher's eyes became round as she took in her best friend, who stood within the centre of the gale. Her hair blew in all directions, the gust picking up her gi and causing it to billow as if caught in a storm. Pieces of the arena began to crumble, rising into the air before fading away due to their MatterWave nature.
"This is what I developed on my own," Videl said. "This is my power."
A/N: So this was a chapter I wanted to get out for a bit and I was super happy to get to write it. Erasa and Videl's rematch, the first proper one in ten years. With the fact that this is a two-part chapter, that means this will be double the length of their first match easily, if not more. I had a lot of fun describing their fight, and specifically showing how Erasa has come to the stages of mastery as martial artist. From her shifting styles, composure, and control over ki, I think it all panned out well. But Videl was the real fun; the technique she uses is called the Kūmaken (空魔拳, Empty Demon Fist). You'll see more on it in the next chapter, when the second half of the fight begins and ends. To anyone who is a fan of Dragon Ball Multiverse, you'll recognise that ki exchange scene. As always, let's thank Demod20 (and Firegod00 this time too), who proofread the chapter to make sure it was ship-shape. I'll see you all soon in the next exciting episode of the Erased Chronicles.