AN: I feel like I have been unclear before, so I'll make it clear. This story is not power level friendly. Power levels are silly nonsense. The last recorded power level in canon is "1", which was the dude who then proceeded to curb stomp the last big bad immediately afterward. Eventually they even get to a point where they could be full-power and still read 0 because they're not using the same thing that the scouters measure anymore.

So. It's considered flavor text and not important to this story, as Toryama always meant for it to be. (No one wants to go into a story and read "His power level is 3,056, hers is 3,050 - fight over")

Now that's out of the way!

The Next Dimension Over

Chapter Seventy-six

Maybe it was a little disappointing he didn't get to fight Ino in the first round.

But it wasn't like he was in a hurry, anyway. At least it wasn't Goku or Yamcha, and he'd get to take her down next. The best part was...he'd get to fight Goku in the finals. Honestly, he couldn't think of a better way to take the title. Even if it would have been good to get to fight Yamcha...they'd been training together for years, now.

"Hey, I guess this means you won't get to fight her this time, huh?" Krillin glanced over at his friend. "Sorry about that, but I guess she's mine this time."

Goku gave a little shrug, and then offered a bright smile. "...It's okay. We'll still get to have our fight afterward!"

...For some reason, he felt a little relieved. Last time, he was pretty sure Goku had been betting against him.

Well...it wasn't like Goku to wish bad things on people out of jealousy, anyway. So there was that.

He frowned and glanced over at his future opponent. It wasn't really a surprise to see her talking with Yamcha. Since she'd reappeared it seemed like Yamcha had been really keen on keeping an eye on her. Which was weird, because...weren't he and his girlfriend still together?

He squinted at the pair.

"So I'm fighting a monk, huh?"

The voice came from somewhere behind and...almost startled him. Well, it wasn't like the guy screamed in his ear or something, so he definitely didn't actually startle him. He'd seen a gigantic wish granting dragon appear out of thin air after boarding a flying death ship. He wasn't that easy to startle anymore.

He glanced over his shoulder.

Man, though, his opponent was tall. Not even hulking tall like some of his older ones, either. It looked normal on him. He was just...tall. It was a little bit disappointing he wouldn't get to fight the other short, bald guy in the room. If they couldn't stick together the least they could do was fight.

He scrunched his...face. "Not anymore. I left the temple years ago."

The man laughed, though he really wasn't sure what part of that was funny. "Good thing. I might feel a little bad beating up a holy man."

"Yeah? Well you won't say that when it means I'm not bound by a vow of peace anymore!" The fact that the temple was populated with warrior monks, not peaceful ones, didn't need to be spoken out loud. Besides, he'd gotten way stronger as a consequence of leaving anyway, so it wasn't wrong.

"But...weren't some of your old monk friends in the last tournament? Isn't that what a 'vow of peace' means?" Goku spoke up from behind him, voice filled with confusion. "Did they leave the temple too?"

"Goku!" Why'd he have to go and remember that of all things - from years ago?!

The man chuckled as he walked toward the stage. "Take a good look around before you come out. It's going to be your last."

...On second thought, he was really starting to get behind fighting this guy in the first round.

"Hey, Krillin."

He glanced over at his friend. Whom he had yet to forgive for not backing him up a few moments before.

"Hurry up and beat him so we can fight, okay?"

He grinned. After all the training he'd gone through? It would definitely be a quick fight. "You just try not to lose before I get to you, got it?"

Goku nodded in excitement, like he was the one who was about to be in the opening fight of the finals. "Yeah!"

(*)

She'd forgotten how annoying Yamcha's impromptu interrogation sessions could be. Surely he'd had other things to say to her the last time they'd interacted. Otherwise she'd have enjoyed punching him into a wall more than she had.

Now she was starting to hope she might get the chance, even if it meant Goku might lose to him.

"I wonder..." The voice of the man who she'd fight after Krillin's match broke through her thoughts (she was beginning to think Yamcha and he were in a sort of tag-team alliance). "Is it wise to disregard your opponents before battle?"

She glanced over at him. Running out to go and watch Krillin's fight too quickly wouldn't be wise, anyway.

He didn't smile.

While the others in the tournament didn't really matter, considering she wasn't here to compete, as much as be an obstacle for Krillin and Goku (and perhaps Yamcha, now) to overcome, perhaps she was showing too much obvious favor toward those two. After all, Ino had very little reason to be overly interested in them, didn't she? "...Well, it's rather difficult to take the measure of a stranger who recognizes you, isn't it?"

If he'd had his name spoken aloud, she'd simply never paid enough attention to remember, now.

For a moment, his expression turned thoughtful. Then he gave a small nod. "Very well, perhaps I have been remiss in my introductions." He placed a hand to his chest and gave a shallow bow. "I am Tao Pai Pai. Famed hero, slayer of many a monster. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

'Famed'? She'd never heard his name before.

"Where I come from doesn't receive much interesting news."

"Ah, that's right. You're from somewhere 'small', didn't you say?" His smile sharpened. "Well, I admit it isn't what I'm most known for."

She shook her head. "This place is all of the outside world I have the time to keep track of." Traveling the world for three years might have gotten her more comfortable with it, but considering how much of wilderness and forest they ended up traveling through, it didn't acquaint her with the famed and popular people of the world any better than she'd been before.

"When our battle begins...I will be certain to let you know what it is."

She didn't miss the ominous tone to his words. It wasn't nearly as important as the fact that Krillin and that man...what was his name?

"What was the name of the one Krillin's fighting?" She glanced up at Yamcha as she walked to the doorway. Goku already climbed the wall to watch the fight from above, and she wasn't about to shout a question that wasn't likely to matter for that long, anyway.

"Tenshinhan, I think. I wasn't really paying attention."

"There's no need for such formality." Tao Pai Pai must have followed her out to watch the fight as well. He appeared at Yamcha's other side, watching as the tournament announcer ran through his opening statements. "He will respond to 'Tien' just as readily. And you may even have the opportunity to finish speaking it."

Yamcha rolled his eyes. "Yeah...I don't think that's gonna matter. It's his bad luck to get Krillin in his first fight."

The man chuckled. "We shall see."

"Begin!"

(*)

Now...

Things were serious. Maybe this wasn't an opponent who he was looking forward to fighting (much...), but the tournament had really started.

Last time nerves and inexperience got him. He'd panicked, and he'd lost because of it.

This time...

This time wouldn't be the same.

"Hey...do you want me to go easy on you?" The man, Tenshinhan, smirked down at him like it was part of some kind of a stupid inside joke. He didn't even bother to get into a defensive stance!

Damn it. He wasn't just going to humiliate himself this time! He'd improved by leaps and bounds now, and he was going to prove it!

"Worry more about what I'm gonna do to you!"

"Begin!"

He didn't stop to worry about what his opponent did first. He was going to win.

He kicked himself off of the ground, shot across the ring, and almost took his own head off with his opponent's arm. He managed to jerk his body backward, ducking under the arm that stuck in his path just in time.

Ugh-!

He hadn't really expected anyone but his friends (and that girl) to be a challenge, but...that was fast. A gust of air tugged at his uniform, and he barely managed to turn around in time to block a sudden kick.

So...getting distracted clearly wasn't going to be an option. Man, the opponents improved just as much as he did!

"Do you have prayers memorized for losing?" The man hadn't lost his smirk. He slapped the other man's arm out of the way, keeping a pressure point strike from landing on its mark.

He grit his teeth. "I'll say them for you when you're on the ground."

He dropped to his feet suddenly and swept the other man's feet out. This close, the much longer legs and arms of the other were getting in his way. He needed a little more space. As the other man flipped onto his back, he sprinted away, across the ring.

The ring trembled, and he leaped through the air, bouncing off of the wall still connected to the ring. Which... was... not good.

Stop running.

Can't win by running away.

His feet smacked against the stone of the floor hard enough to sent hair-thin cracks through the tile he'd landed on. He'd improved. He was definitely going to win.

He snatched the arm that swung down at him, and let the force of the attack carry his weight into the air. As he spun, he lashed out with his leg. It connected with the side of the man's strange three-eyed face pretty satisfyingly, if he did say so himself.

The man stumbled backward, and he landed once more with barely a sound.

"Yeah...sorry about this, but...I've got a tournament to win. If you think little attacks like that are gonna scare me, you're wrong."

The other straightened then, and his expression twisted into disdain. "Well...if you're not interested in a warm up match, then...I suppose I'll just have to start trying."

(*)

"This...isn't good." Yamcha sighed, arms crossed.

She glanced over at him, away from the fight. Krillin had improved. His attacks were better thought out, and his strategy wasn't terrible. The one fighting with him was clearly toying with him. Tenshinhan - Tien - whoever, hadn't taken openings that his speed clearly demonstrated he could have used. He didn't even seem to be pretending to try.

Just why hadn't she and Goku come across anyone this strong on their travels? Except the time that they briefly glimpsed him, anyway.

"Who is this guy, anyway?" Yamcha grumbled. "What the hell is a 'crane' school? I've never even heard of it!"

"Show a little more respect." Tao Pai Pai's voice cut through the other's complaints with an open edge of irritation. "As a student of the Turtle Hermit you should already know."

She frowned over at the man, and Yamcha glanced over at him as well. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yeah..." Yamcha squinted at the "I've never heard of it."

The man's brows knit heavily, and his lips turned down into a scowl.

Before he could speak, something solid slammed into the tournament wall with enough violence that it drowned out the sound of the crowd entirely.

"Krillin!" Goku shouted in alarm, and she turned her head back to the fight.

Krillin stumbled drunkenly back into view, nasty wound on his head, arm hanging at his side limply. It didn't look broken from where she stood, so the impact must have temporarily paralyzed it instead. Despite that, he readied himself for another attack.

The man, Tien, struck again, leg contacting with Krillin's chest and sending him bouncing off the wall again.

Krillin stood again, swaying slightly.

"Damn it..." His opponent didn't look injured or tired at all. He needed to forfeit or stop, not keep fighting. Not like that.

The man said something, but she didn't catch it.

Krillin jumped into the air. The other followed. His knee bent Krillin double. Blood spattered Krillin's chin and sprinkled the ground beneath.

Stay down this time, damn it...!

The boy dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. Though his fingers and arms twitched, he mercifully made no attempt to stand again.

She grit her teeth in frustration. Goku she'd trained for three years, taught him techniques and things that the old man never bothered to. Krillin...she never got the chance. Really, it wasn't a surprise, no matter how fast or strong the training made him...there was more to a fight than that.

Still...she'd hoped to at least give him a chance.

The man landed next to Krillin, arms crossed, and the announcer began his delayed countdown.

Without warning, his leg flashed out again, landing a vicious kick on Krillin's prone form. His tiny body flew through the air at startling speed, and with a terrible crack, slammed into the stone platform that replaced the previous screen between the arena and the contestant relaxation area.

"KRILLIN!"