Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Fight fans, I'm sure you all are in a frenzy after the thrilling tournament we've witnessed the last few days," The announcer began his rant the next morning, the final day of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. "As the final match of the tournament closes in on us, we have our reigning Champion, Son Raditz, winner of the last tournament! In what promises to be as exciting a match as we've ever seen in the arena, he will take on the unpredictable Tien Shinhan for a chance at doing what only a handful of other competitors have done in history by securing back to back World Titles! Folks at home, be the first to guess this trivia question for tickets to the next Budokai Tenkaichi: who was the last fighter to win back-to-back titles?"

In the weight room that the tournament provided to its participants, Raditz had been stretching with the help of his girlfriend, Bulma.

"Are you ready?" The bluenette asked her lover, holding his leg straight as he sat on the floor stretching. A small smile flashed across her face as she saw her raven haired boyfriend finally arise at his name being announced through a nearby speaker. "To think that you'd go from isolated in the woods to fighting for another title in front of the largest crowd I've ever seen. Everybody's counting on you my love, show that crane guy what the turtle school's made of!"

"I'll be sure to, as long as you're in the crowd," The Saiyan replied, giving Bulma one last peck before he walked out of the tunnel opening and onto the stage, a standing ovation awaiting him in the form of loud cheers of his name as he walked up the stone stairs and onto the tiled arena floor. It was crazy. To think he had come from being secluded where not a single person even knew of his existence to this.

Tien watched as the young Saiyan ascended the stage floor and walked to the corner opposite of him. He knew the young fighter had the hearts of the audience. They had seen him breeze through two tournaments worth of fights! As the two fighters hunkered into their respective fighting stances, their eyes never seemed to leave the other corner. Of course he was still angry at the man for ruthlessly killing his teacher but this was different. Tien knew that even if he wanted to kill Raditz, the Saiyan wouldn't make it easy! This was going to be the ultimate test of his strength and assassin training. This win would be for Master Tao.

Raditz's eyes contracted and his nostrils flared as he watched the triclops fall into his Crane fighting style. After all of the broken bones, cheap tricks, and wasted words that he'd seen the crane student endure from his fellow Turtle school fighters, it was finally time for the Saiyan to try his hand at "convincing" Tien to fight honorably. If that was what you wanted to call him, beating the enlightenment out of the triclops' third eye.

"I hope you came ready to lose," Tien Shinhan chanted as he clenched his fist, pumping his muscles and flaring his clear aura around his body. His eyes narrowed at his foe and began to scan for flaws in his stance to no avail. "Fight me at your best or you might not survive this fight!"

"So, no warm up?" Raditz retorted, nodding at the announcer who then signaled for the match to begin. Instantly powering up and causing a sonic boom as his indigo aura flared around his pumped muscles, the Saiyan took a step forward and taunted. "Try to keep up, this might be over quicker than you can keep up with!"

Stepping backwards to ready himself for the approaching warrior, Tien threw up his guard in an attempt to block whatever the young fighter was planning. Though shockingly, Raditz shot forward at lightning speed and his fist found a path to the triclops stomach. As the punch found its way into Tien's gut, he was doubled over as he lost his breath.

Tien's eyes shot open as he felt Raditz's tail find its way around his ankle and his body was pulled into the path of a knee to the face on the Saiyan's part. Unable to even keep up with his opponent's movement, the Crane student was firmly struck uncontestedly in his face and sent flying into a statue at the corner of the arena. The cement structure gave way as Tien's body crushed into it and crumbled onto the triclops.

"I'll start the countdown now," The announcer said as Tien was trapped underneath the rubble. "One… two… three… fo-". He said into his microphone until the mountain of rubble was blasted apart and Tien climbed out from under the stone prison.

"It won't be that easy," Tien said with a frown, wiping blood from his busted lip with his wristband. "If that was the best you had, you won't be winning this!" He grunted, shooting back at the Saiyan with a roundhouse kick. Forcing his opponent to absorb the brunt of the kick, Tien threw his weight forward with a punch as he taunted the young fighter.

"You talk more than you fight," Raditz countered, flipping forward and throwing another punch at the triclops. Pushing forward relentlessly, he left very little time for his opponent to counter or dodge with an almost flawless offensive display. Pushing a kiai blast outwards of his palm as he pulled back a feint, the Saiyan added. "I'm just getting warmed up."

"Try this on for size then," Tien said, flipping backwards as he was flung back by the gust. Putting his hands to shoulder level as he charged his ki, the triclops felt his power split into four. "Multiform." He shouted as the fission completed.

Immediately the four Tien separated to surround the Saiyan just as Yamcha had been done. As four fingers pointed at Raditz, he heard Tien cry out the name of his attack as each of his clones charged a Dodon Ray straight for him. Jumping at the last instance, Raditz forced his energy outwards as a dust cloud covered the arena.

"Not this trick again," Raditz said as he hopped out of the cloud at one of the Tien. Unforgivably throwing uppercuts into the clone's gut, another Raditz hopped out of the smoke cloud as Tien's first clone disappeared, followed behind a third and final Raditz.

"This seems even, does it?" The three Saiyans snickered at the three flabbergasted Tien. "Your technique is a mirror image of my Tri-Form skill."

All six fighters charged at one another, appearing like green and blue blurs to the crowd of Earthlings. As sonic booms echoed through the arena and fists collided with fist and skins, the excitement of the crowd never seemed to die down as Raditz and Tien continued their brawl for minutes on end until just one clone of each fighter hovered in the air.

"You know, you're actually skilled," Tien shouted at his opponent, panting while holding his broken ribs. He snapped his neck and spat out a blood mixed loogie as he focused more of his energy into his body to support himself. "I haven't had to use this technique in forever." He added as he screamed out in pain as two arms shot out of his shoulder blades with the ancient Four Witches Technique exclusive to his people.

"It doesn't matter how many arms you have," Raditz grumbled as he hunkered down into his fighting stance and jumped back as Tien pounced at him.

Moving with twice as much intensity as before, the triclops shot an arm out each time he got close to the Saiyan. Some the Saiyan were hit with but with his high adrenaline they barely bothered. Others Raditz managed to avoid and counter, flaring his energy, Raditz lunged forward at Tien in close quarters and just as the triclops raised two forearms to block, the Saiyan vanished and quickly reappeared above him, charging a Kamehameha attack whose color flickered from blue to a deep gold as the Saiyan poured every last ounce of his ki into it. "I'll win regardless of the tactics you try against me!" He screamed as he unleashed the Kamehameha Wave onto the stone arena.

Power Levels

Raditz: 620

155 (2 clone Raditz's each, Tri-Form)

310 (real Raditz, Tri-Form)

750 (adrenaline boosted Golden kamehameha)

Tien Shinhan: 500

125 (Multiform)

600 (Four Witches Technique)