Escalation
Chapter 22: All Things Must Pass
After the brutal end to Yamcha and Kakarot's match, the announcer tried to spin the situation as best as possible- which included removing Yamcha from the stage as soon as possible. For the second time this tournament, Krillin and Rayne found themselves running towards the medical wing. Out of the five of them who had decided to compete in the tournament, three were now confined to hospital beds. En route to Yamcha's room, Krillin and Rayne checked in on Retu and Launch. Retu's condition hadn't changed- he was still in a coma- but Launch gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up coupled with a grin- a grin that quickly soured when she heard the news. A minute of bickering and hopping later, Krillin and Rayne, each supporting one arm, helped Launch into Yamcha's room.
He was, surprisingly, awake. He didn't turn his head when they entered.
'Yamcha?...' a hesitant Krillin asked, uncoupling himself from Launch.
Yamcha sighed- an acknowledgment of them entering the room, and turned his head slightly in their direction. 'I'm so dumb.' he said, softly.
When he didn't continue, the three of them came to his bedside, concern plain in their eyes. 'Yamcha,' Rayne said, 'you gave it your all…'
'But it wasn't enough,' he interrupted, 'nothing I could have done would have been enough. I tried everything I could think of, and I didn't even scratch him. And for my effort I was rewarded,' he verbally retched the last word, 'with a broken leg and wrist. My femur, snapped in two. It'll be months before I can even stand.
Yamcha exhaled the last sentence, seeming to run out of emotional energy. The room grew uncomfortably silent. Before anyone could say anything, Yamcha went on. 'Kakarot, losing to him… I don't know, it almost feels like it was fated to happen. Like nothing I could have done would have changed the end result.' Yamcha, disillusioned in himself, flitted his eyes towards them, then back.
None of them really knew what to say. At a few seconds, Launch hobbled forward and actually punched Yamcha in the shoulder. She nearly lost her balance from the effort but at the last second an astonished Krillin came up and steadied her.
'Hey!' Yamcha yelped, 'they gave me painkillers but that doesn't make it okay for you to hit me!'
'This is how you're going to take defeat?' she said. 'Sit and stew and say it was destined? Don't you have any pride in yourself!'
Taken aback, Yamcha could only frown as he tried scooting away from Launch in his cot. 'Shake yourself out of it!' she yelled, 'you fought damn well out there- if you were a bit stronger your moves would have won you the match!' Launch moved to punch Yamcha again, but this time Rayne came up behind her and grappled her, bear-hugging her and preventing Launch from raising her arms. Rayne exchanged a nod with Krillin before dragging a kicking and hissing Launch from the room. Yamcha watched them leave with a terrified expression.
'Launch's heart,' Krillin said once they were gone, sitting on Yamcha's bed near his feet, 'is always in the right place.'
The former bandit watched the door for a few more moments, as if to confirm Launch wouldn't storm in again. Satisfied, he replied to Krillin's question. 'You understand what I'm saying, though.' Yamcha's previous dourness returned to him. 'In that fight- it was barely a fight, actually- I felt so helpless. Like I knew what fate awaited me, and there was nothing I could do to avoid it.'
Krillin didn't reply. Yamcha was voicing concerns he himself has had in the past- concerns he would certainly have if he was in Yamcha's position, having fought an opponent so much stronger than himself. 'That's… the way things go sometimes,' he offered feebly. 'I wish I could be more upbeat than that. That might be the life of a martial artist, though; confronting bigger and bigger challenges. And there'll always be some fights that you can't win- at least, not at first.'
Yamcha seemed to consider this for a few moments, gazing past Krillin towards one of the sterile white walls of the room. 'you were right before, you know.'
'Right about what? When?'
'Way back at Capsule Corp, when we were planning the assault on the Red Ribbon Army, you said that I had slacked off in training. And you were right. In the three years between the last tournament and this one, I didn't train nearly as much. I started spending more time with Bulma. I found with her… a normalcy, a routine that I liked.'
Yamcha chewed on his lip, then went on. 'I never told anyone this, but the reason why I trained so hard for the last tournament- why I was able to surpass everyone- was because I was driven by such a fear of Kakarot. That battle with him, way back when… I would wake up from nightmares, just at the moment Kakarot would break my arm. I trained my hardest because I never wanted that to happen again. At the last tournament, when I took Jackie Chun to his limits- I felt that I had reached that level of comfort. Where I could defend myself against whatever came my way.'
'So,' Krillin said quietly, 'that's why you didn't train? Because you didn't feel the need to?'
Yamcha shook his head. 'No- I'm sorry, I'm not explaining this the right way. I did feel the need to train, but that need wasn't motivated by a desire to get stronger, or to improve myself- it was motivated by fear. I was afraid of getting weaker; letting myself being ravaged by people like Kakarot. Training was a means to manage my own terror.' Yamcha sighed, as if he had just relieved a burden from himself. 'That's why this next decision; effectively the decision I took with Bulma, is the right decision. Because I don't want to interact with that fear in the first place.'
Krillin furrowed his brows, confused. 'I don't understand. What decision, Yamcha?'
'I'm done, Krillin. With everything. This fight settled it. I'm giving up on being a martial artist.'
The former monk sat motionless at the foot of the bed. Yamcha… Krillin wanted to say something, anything, but before he could think of something, Yamcha began again, more authoritative than before. 'I think Bulma is outside, Krillin. Her ki- Could you let us be alone? I want to talk to her.'
'But- Yamcha-'
'Krillin,' Yamcha said sternly, 'please.'
HIs eyes distant, Krillin nodded, rising and walking over to the door. Right before he placed his hand on the knob, he turned to say one last thing- but the drained expression on Yamcha's face, his hollow eyes looking at him, stopped him in his tracks. Instead, Krillin exited the room quietly.
Outside, Bulma was standing with her arms folded in concern. Her face looked ready to explode into a hundred different emotions at once. Wordlessly, Krillin gestured Bulma inside. She nodded thankfully, then entered, closing the door.
Alone in the hallway, Krillin felt a loneliness he hadn't felt in years.
0o0o0
This is all wrong. None of this should be happening. Jackie Chun had watched, with agony, as another one of his students was carted away with a debilitating injury. I enabled… all of this to happen. I trained them. I instilled in them the necessary righteousness to fight. I set them on this path of pain.
I have done this myself. Understanding flooded his mind, dripping into every nook and cranny. He felt his hands tremble, even though he had balled them into fists. Concentrating, he brought his hands together behind his back and folded them. Is this what Mutaito felt, when he watched Shen and I be decimated by the Demon King Piccolo? All those centuries ago- did he feel what I now feel? Is this how all teachers feel when their students torture themselves through their own passion? I should have learned my lesson with Gohan. Every student is just another victim.
A tide of counter-thought swelled in his mind, rising in retaliation to his last thought. No, it's… not that simple. There's so much gray. They suffer, but for their suffering they save innocent lives. They choose a path filled with pain and hurt, but it is a path they chose for themselves. I did not force them to learn, nor did I trick them into believing they had a responsibility to protect others from harm. No- those drives were in them all along. I simply prepared them for their grim responsibilities as much as I could. If I had not taught them… another would have, for certain.
A dusting of was finality was descending on his thoughts. He had spent so much of these last three years riven by doubt, fear, and dread. But now, here at this tournament, with everything laid in front of him, he felt nothing but an acceptance and ease for the events to come. He had decided a long time ago the paths that awaited him here, should Kakarot appear and try to make good on his morbid promise. There was nothing left to do now except to wait and see.
One more fight to watch. Then, he would decide.
0o0o0
After she had forced Launch back into her bed, Rayne had walked back to the competitors' area. She had seen the dark thoughts running through Yamcha's mind- and she could tell that, whatever thoughts Yamcha was expressing to Krillin right now, he had been stewing and thinking on them for a long time. He reminded me of myself. Makes sense, then, that I would recognize it.
This tournament felt completely different from the last one. What with the Crane students, not to mention Kakarot- everything felt wrong. She realized that she missed that first tournament; it was pervaded by a care-free spirit and thrill that this tournament was sorely missing. Defeat then didn't mean a crippling injury or an onslaught of pain- it was simply a verdict of your training and power when pitted against your opponent's. She wondered whether she would ever compete in a tournament like that ever again. Seventeen years of age and I'm already reminiscing about my childhood. Jeez… I guess I should consider myself lucky that I lost to a kind opponent. She looked over at Jackie Chun, who had his hands tightly folded behind his back. He was eyeing Kakarot. He looks… concerned? No- it's something else. Is he… anxious? She tried to read into whatever emotion was playing across Jackie Chun's features, but he seemed to notice her and subsequently turned away to regard the ring. Damn, Rayne thought. What was that?
As she was running the last few moments through her head, someone tapped her on her shoulder. She turned, expecting Krillin- but it was the tall Crane fighter, Tien. He was as stoic as always- though she thought she saw his mouth twisted at one end. 'Is your fighter okay?' he asked.
Rayne eyed him suspiciously, then said, 'He broke his femur. Other than that- he's peachy.'
Tien frowned. 'I don't mean to be-'
'It's too late for you to "be" anything,' she snapped. 'You have some nerve asking whether one of our friends is okay when you let another one be sent into a coma.'
Tien's eyes widened at this. 'He's- he's in a coma?'
Rayne said nothing- but her glare answered his question. 'I hope you're happy with what you've done.' With that, she turned and stomped away from him.
Gears turning in his mind, Tien stood there for some time. Eventually, Chiaotzu floated over to him. He looked similarly stricken. 'Did I hear that right?' he said, 'a coma?'
Tien nodded grimly. 'A coma,' he pronounced, as if he was still coming to grips with the word itself.
Chiaotzu was silent for a moment, then said, 'this is wrong, Tien. I know Master Shen never taught us to concern ourselves with stuff like this- but we harmed these people. We owe them a debt.'
'I know, Chiaotzu, I know. I- damn it!' Tien twisted his face in anger, stopping just short of flaring his ki. 'I feel so manipulated! None of this feels right! Shen keeps whispering into my ear in every match- it's like he doesn't trust us. And there was no need for us to act so belligerently to the Turtle students. I feel so… dirty, like I carried out someone else's grudge at this tournament.'
'Tien,' Chiaotzu said slowly, 'we need to rectify this. We need to make things right. I think- I have an idea. Listen…'
0o0o0
The silence of the spectators was deafening to Chi-Chi. Not a single person had cheered or applauded Kakarot winning his match against Yamcha. Even the announcer was at a loss for words until Kakarot had fully walked off the ring. Brutality of this degree was of a sort no-one at the tournament had ever seen- needless, indifferent brutality. There were no tournament rules against such displays, of course, but everyone felt that Kakarot had violated some essential norm of fighter etiquette- really, some aspect of basic human decency.
Chi-Chi had watched the entire fight, unflinching, from start to finish. She was not going to ignore the consequences of her actions. No- she had to observe them, for herself and others. Yamcha deserved that much, at least.
Kakarot was a monster. That was no longer arguable- it was indisputable. Any sort of redemption, reform- the damage and harm he would cause to get there was unfathomable. How could I let myself be so blind? I saw firsthand what Kakarot did to the Red Ribbon Army- I, of all people, should understand his nature.
The chance that any of them would defeat Kakarot in the tournament seemed extremely unlikely; to make matters worse, four out of six of them, including herself, were too injured to take on Kakarot anytime soon.
Master Roshi still hadn't appeared. For the first time since meeting him, Chi-Chi began to doubt Master Roshi. Why isn't he stopping this from happening? Why fight in the tournament at all at this rate!
With her ruined shoulder and her boxed-in position within the stands, Chi-Chi hated feeling useless.
0o0o0
Krillin, on his walk towards the ring, was surprised to see the tall Crane fighter waiting by the exit. He was eyeing Krillin intently. As soon as he was within speaking distance, Tien said, 'I need to talk to you.'
Krillin barely brushed Tien as he walked past.
Balling his fists, Tien set off after him.
The announcer looked a bit more collected than before- he was reestablishing his ebbs-and-flows of call-and-response with the crowd. As soon as he saw Tien and Krillin emerge, he practically jumped with excitement. 'It looks like we're all set for the first semifinal match! I hope everyone is as excited to watch this as I am!' Tien and Krillin gave him their customary nods to start.
Beaming, the announcer spun to face the crowd. Some life was returning to them. 'I hope you're ready for what looks like to be a very high-quality match! Krillin and Tien, if their gis are anything to go by, are the last fighters representing their schools! Who here wants to see a good, ol' fashioned grudge match?'
The crowd grew louder, somewhat rocking with approval. Krillin regarded them for a moment, then set his eyes back on Tien. Yea, let's go with that. Grudge match.
'The first semifinal- Krillin vs. Tien- begin!'
Krillin immediately charged Tien, leading with a drawn back fist. Right before he reached him, Krillin revealed it as a feint and pivoted, swinging his left leg against Tien's lower body. Tien barely caught the blow with his right arm- but then, weirdly enough, he placed his other arm on Krillin's shoulder, as if they were talking. 'Krillin! Stop for a sec-'
Frowning, Krillin twisted away from the arm and swung a double-fist into Tien's side that, again, was barely blocked. Krillin launched into a complex, fast set of attacks; a fluid series of movements from the Turtle student kept Tien on the defensive. Every time Tien tried to speak, Krillin would cram another fist into a block, silencing the Crane fighter. Krillin's shorter stature eventually enabled him to perform an impressive move; he hopped back a few feet and then came at Tien aiming for a high elbow strike to Tien's chest. At the last moment, however, Krillin pressed down to the ground, entering a slide. Too low for Tien to counter, he was toppled forward as Krillin slid under and behind the Crane fighter. Krillin then used his ki to stop himself short and propel himself up and backward. Flaring his elbows behind him, he landed two simultaneous strikes to Tien's still falling body, slamming him face first into the ring. A small amount of dust flew up from the impact- Krillin had put a lot of force into his attack.
Tien quickly climbed back to his feet and faced Krillin. Though he had been hit cleanly, he looked more angry than injured. 'Stop! Let me talk!' Tien complained.
Dismayed by his attack's ineffectiveness, Krillin figured Tien had earned a chance to speak. 'Make it quick.'
'Well, first, I'm sorry.'
Krillin glared at Tien. 'Go on.'
'Second; I want to make you an offer.'
Tien felt a buzzing sensation on the edge of his hearing- Shen, no doubt, wondering why I've stopped fighting- but he resisted it, blocking out his master. Not now. This is our fight, our decision- not yours. 'You can either fight me properly, and the winner between us will go on to possibly face Kakarot in the final- which is an important thing for both of us, if I understand correctly- or you can beat me by resignation. In other words, I'll get out of your way so you can have Kakarot all to yourself.' Tien definitively felt Shen circling his mind now, but still, he pushed his master away.
Krillin's eyes seemed to bounce with consideration, before reassuming a hostile glint. 'And what's to stop me from simply beating you into a pulp now,' he said, 'and still getting the right to cream Kakarot in the final?'
Tien actually smiled- the first time ever Krillin had seen him do so. 'You're welcome to try- but I would bet that either of us emerging from this fight would be weaker if you had just advanced automatically to the final. You can fight me- but then both of us will be weaker for it.'
Concern crept onto Krillin's face. That's the fear, isn't it? That we both grind each other to nothing, and there's no one left to face Kakarot. And if Kakarot wins this tournament outright- well, if I understand him right, the bloodbath begins. He can't be allowed to win...
...yet… Krillin glared across at the Crane fighter- a small smile still was still on his face. As much as his offer to resign makes sense, and even though it would be the best chance to defeat Kakarot- I can't ignore what he did to Retu. If I made a deal with him now, I'll never forgive myself for passing on the opportunity to right the wrong he did. To right the wrong I did by letting Retu learn martial arts in the first place… He deserves justice.
Gritting his teeth, and throwing out one arm to his side in frustration- it was such a good deal, too…- Krillin barked, 'I can't let you get away with what you did! Kakarot deserves to pay- but you deserve to pay just as much! I'll beat you, here and now, and still go on to defeat Kakarot in the final!'
Tien started, making a brief expression of surprise before uglily twisted his face. 'Are you serious? You'd throw away your best chance to defeat Kakarot, just like that? Don't you understand the significance of what I'm offering? A clean shot at Kakarot?!' The Crane side of Tien was in an uproar- how could he refuse my gesture? Throw away my respect for him like that? Crane students never abandon a mission- that idiot! 'If you want to be angry, fine!' He lowered himself into a distinctive Crane guard- he appeared many times more serious than he was before. 'I don't mind teaching midgets their manners!'
Even though she was at least a hundred feet away, Rayne winced when she heard Tien's last insult echoing across the stadium. This is going to be an ugly match, after all.
Practically snarling at this point, Krillin yelled as he rushed Tien. They were easily moving two to three times faster than before as knees, elbows, feet and hands disappeared into the frenzied exchange between the two. Limbs would detach from this blurring mass for moments at a time to be countered by a block or a dodge. This was easily the most visually impressive contest any of the fighters present, including Jackie Chun, had ever seen. Damn! These youngsters have got a lot of spunk!
It was a true display of styles- Tien's Crane style of offense, which emphasized decisive and injuring strikes, was naturally countered by Krillin's Turtle style of defense, which included tactical blocking and tanking to maximize the number of hits that could be taken in a fight. The tension between Krillin's offense and Tien's defense was similar- Krillin's flowing attack style was neutralized by Tien's continual small and quick defensive adjustments. It was no coincidence that their styles were so antagonistic to each other. As their dance continued, Jackie Chun and Shen made eye-contact with each other, each seemingly bragging on behalf of their student.
Their moment was broken by a strike that rung across the arena. Tien had dodged a palm strike aimed for his chest and had sneakily cocked his leg, releasing it in an arc to slam Krillin in his side from the left. Krillin spun for a few yards before stabilizing, falling to the ground with one knee. He held one hand to his struck side, panting.
Tien was doing the same- he breathed cautiously, trying not to agitate the multiple points where Krillin had hit him against his blocks during their last engagement. He's proving to be a much stronger fighter than I figured… still, the fact that last tryst ended from my strike, not his, is telling. No need to get cocky, though…
A few feet away, Krillin was having much the same thoughts. He definitely has a slight edge over me in raw strength- that strike was just a little too strong, a little too fast, for me to counter. The gap isn't unbridgeable, though. It'll come down to the intangibles…
The two fighters eyed each other for a handful of more heartbeats, each drawing in as much breath as they could. Then, on cue, both of them charged each other again, launching themselves back into the fray. Krillin spun around a punch and delivered a quick jab to Tien's gut, momentarily stunning him. Then, Krillin extended his hands towards Tien and yelled, 'Aha!' as tiny arcs of lightning jumped from his fingers, enlacing the Crane fighter. Tien was momentarily terrified- until his expression abruptly changed and he flared his ki. The arcs of lightning immediately dispersed from his body. 'Was that…' he asked, confused, 'was that supposed to hurt me?'
Frowning, Krillin meekly lowered his hands. Damn cat! I knew that move was just for show! On to the next one, then. Ignoring Tien's question, Krillin said, 'Wanna see something cool?'
Tien didn't even bother to respond, instead falling back behind his guard.
Krillin again raised his hands in front of him- but this time he flattened his palms, as if he was touching a wall. Ki started to swirl around Krillin, curling around his body, before being drawn towards his hands. Then, the energy started to take on an outline of a wall, characterized by a blue-white color and a semi-transparent sheen. Pausing a moment to finish, Krillin fully pressed his hands to the wall of ki and then started running towards Tien.
Crap! Tien braced himself, digging his feet into the ground. On impact, Tien felt- and he suspected this- the pressure from the wall greatly exceed whatever pressure Krillin had been exerting. The former monk had created a solid, wall-like ki blast! Immediately, Tien felt his feet scraping against the tiles as he was quickly pushed backward by the attack. A few feet away from the edge of the ring, Tien roared, pulling one golden-edged hand of ki back, and swung it into the wall. The ki blade pierced the top of the wall and a great hissing sound filled the ring. The wall immediately shattered, the cohesion of the energy broken by Tien's incision. It half detonated, half dispersed, as a small blast erupted between Tien and Krillin, while a thin disk of dissipating blue energy shot out in a semi-circle to their sides. Smoke and dirt were thrown up into the air- out of which Krillin was knocked backward, skidding across the ring on his back. A thin scorch mark on his skin- the gi in that spot was burned away- was prominent on his right chest. The smoke and dirt cleared a bit more; Tien was standing with one arm and finger outstretched, a wisp of smoke trailing from the smaller appendage.
Huffing, Tien emerged somewhat more out of the blast area. It was obvious he had taken the worse of the explosion- his entire surcoatwas charred and burned, completely disintegrated at the edges. Noticing the worst state of his upper clothes compared to his pants, Tien casually pulled off his surcoat and the shirt underneath, opting to go shirtless. 'I have to admit,' he said as he tossed his clothes onto the grass surrounding the ring, half-seeing Krillin climb to his feet, 'to do an attack like that, the amount of ki control and insanity you would have to possess… it's impressive.' Despite his injuries, Tien found himself smiling. This is a proper fight!
Krillin held up one hand to where Tien had point-blank blasted him. The way he probed his injury with his hand indicated that it looked worse than it actually was. That attack blast was… surprising. Even though he threw it up with no preparation- it still managed to do some legitimate damage. I need to watch myself around this guy's ki attacks. Leveling his gaze with Tien, Krillin regarded his opponent silently for a moment, before sliding back into a guard, encouraging Tien to continue.
Obliging, Tien ducked his head and threw himself forward.
0o0o0
The fighting resumed wholesale; evidently both fighters had decided the time for warm-up was over and were committing themselves in earnest. Krillin edged forward, losing his balance for a second- and Tien descended on him, driving home a number of jabs and chops to Krillin's body before the former monk caught a heavy punch with a forearm block. Twisting from the force of Tien's attack, Krillin spun and slammed a leg into Tien's exposed right side. Cursing, the Crane student backed off a few feet, then yelled and reengaged with Krillin.
'Chi-Chi,' Bulma said, 'do you have any idea who's winning right now?' Tien and Krillin were, to Bulma's eyes, practically god-like with their endurance in maintaining their current pace. 'They both look pretty evenly hurt.'
Chi-Chi squinted her eyes, at the same time feeling the battle out with her ki. It was true- both Tien and Krillin looked battle-worn. Krillin's gi was tearing at the shoulders, and his arms were matted with bruises. And even though Tien had discarded his surcoat not a few minutes ago, already a number of recent welches and cuts were welling up on his torso and back. By all accounts, they looked spent.
Hmm… Chi-Chi struggled mentally, trying to latch onto their kis. The fight obscured their power; their auras were dispersing and mixing chaotically in the area around them. It also didn't help that Chi-Chi was injured herself. Damn! C'mon…
In the ring, Tien drove Krillin back with a strong elbow- but then the Crane fighter retreated, backpedaling towards his end of the ring. He held up one hand, clenching and unclenching it repeatedly, while he angled his body perpendicular to Krillin. He then held up one entire arm at Krillin, palm outstretched. Chi-Chi could feel some swirling power, real power, start to emanate from Tien. He was holding that much back?... A faint outline of Tien's aura appeared, oscillating between gray-white and gold in its color. Slowly, he brought his other arm to brace the original one, as golden energy started to coalesce in his palm- pointing directly at Krillin. 'You've proven yourself a capable fighter-' he yelled across the winds buffeting the ring, 'but there's more to a fight than skill!' Krillin braced his arms in front of him, feeling the waves of power roll over him. The Turtle student pressed his palms together and angled them towards the imminent attack. 'It takes power, too!' Tien screamed, as a blast ballooned in his hands. 'LANCING BLAST!' The ball of ki shot out of Tien's hand, a sizable tail of gold following it across the ring. Krillin tilted his head down and leaned all his weight forward. Then, an answering blue blast of erupted from Krillin's palms, the force pushing Krillin himself back momentarily.
The blasts raced towards each other, and met in the center of the ring. Blue and Gold collided and mixed, swirling, until detonating in a brilliant show of light. Even the announcer, with his dark sunglasses, shied his eyes away from the intensity of the light produced.
The glare dissipated, revealing both Krillin and Tien haggardly facing each other, their bodies identical to how they were before launching their attacks. Both of them took a moment to catch their breath, then slipped on a mask of steely determination, approaching each other once more.
Tien couldn't fight off a rising feeling of respect for his opponent. He had never expected anyone outside of the Crane school could have challenged him as much as the Turtle student opposite him had. I learn more with each passing minute here, it seems. Tien was still in control, however. There was still a bit more power he was holding back- and he hadn't even used any of his special techniques. At this rate- Tien looked over Krillin, who looked exhausted by their previous beam collision- this should be over in a few minutes.
Krillin stopped a few feet away from Tien, then straightened his body, ignoring the protests of his muscles. Yep. That ki attack put me on reserves. Great… He had to think of something, and soon, if he was going to stand any chance of winning. Hmm… well, there is one more move I could try- though if I don't win with that- Krillin was jolted as Tien closed with him, thrusting down a chop that Krillin barely had enough time to block- But I sure as hell know I'm not going to win this way! Krillin sidestepped an overhead elbow and backed off more, stopping about twenty feet away from Tien. Wary, Tien planted his feet in the ground, one arm extended in a block towards Krillin.
Taking a deep breath, Krillin brought his arms to his sides and began channeling his ki. He felt every muscle, every part of him become enlivened with energy, as he used the very last reserves of his energy to invigorate himself. Dust and small pebbles skidded away from Krillin's bent form, as his energy continued to rise. Fearing the worse, Tien began adjusting his ki to his front- he expected a powerful strike to his defenses any moment now. He must be nearing his limit.
But Krillin's ki kept rising. And rising. It rose far, far past what Tien expected- then it rose past his own limits. Krillin remained motionless throughout this, not making the slightest indication of attacking. This can't be right! Tien's mind raced, It's like he's using the natural amplification of a ki attack to enhance his entire body. Krillin's head lifted up- and there was a smile stretching across his face. Wait! Tien mentally panicked, NO!-
Krillin fell to the ground, energy swirling around him. When he touched the ring, all at once the tiles rattled and shook, and then Tien saw a wall of ki rise up around him, enveloping him. It was a ruse! Tien was helpless as he felt his entire body be lifted and then shot into the sky. He disguised his attack by doing that showy power-up! Tien found himself streaking into the sky, easily flying fifty feet into the air and rising. Tien flung his ki outwards, slowing his upwards momentum. But he should have known that I could fly! Tien came a stop in the air, hovering under his own power. He saw Chiaotzu do it- and I briefly used it in the quarterfinals-
A closing ki signature screeched across Tien's mind. He looked down- and saw the back of Krillin rapidly approaching him, a small, thin blue beam shooting out from underneath him. Tien couldn't move- his body was still in the process of stabilizing his position in the sky. He knew! He knew I'd be vulnerable!...
Tien had no time to think anything more as Krillin's body slammed into his own, knocking him even further into the sky. Krillin's momentum was broken by Tien's body, and the former monk began to fall back to Earth. Reeling from the attack, Tien could do nothing but follow the plummeting Krillin back towards his ground. Damn!... He forced out what little ki he could to slow his descent, but due to his higher maximum height, he knew he would hit the ground faster than Krillin.
The two fighters plunged to the ground, their bodies crashing down one after another as Tien's body cratered into the ring a few feet and seconds away from Krillin's. The announcer hung back tentatively, as the dust thrown up by the impacts took its time clearing. A minute passed- the dust cleared- and neither fighter was standing.
One heartbeat. Two. Then, after a flurry of movement within his crater, Tien rose up, looking worse for wear but standing steadily on his own two feet. He scampered out of impact zone and edged cautiously towards the other crater. The announcer began the count.
Tien reached Krillin at the 5-count. Krillin had his eyes opened- but every indication showed that he couldn't move. He was too far embedded in the ground and too weak to free himself. Upon seeing Tien, Krillin furiously tried to pull himself clear- but a handful of fruitless moments later, it was over. Tien had won.
He wasted no time unearthing Krillin from the earth.
Pointedly- but not antagonistically- Krillin pushed Tien away once he had broken clear of the ground. His clothes were in tatters, his skin stained brown by the dirt underneath the tiles, but most of all, his face was ravaged by the strain of holding back his humiliation. It took every ounce of willpower he had to keep an even face and give the customary nod of acknowledgment to his opponent.
The announcer bounded up to them, grabbing Tien by one arm. 'Winner! We have a winner! Tien will compete for the title of the World's Strongest! Everyone, give him a hand!'
As the crowd cheered the conclusion of the match, Krillin began edging backward. He turned, but then he heard a whisper float across the ring. 'Hey'.The former monk cast a look back towards Tien, who was still at attention for the crowd. 'I meant what I said- before, that is.' he stated. 'I'll finish this. For both of us.'
Frowning, Krillin considered what to say. 'For us,' he replied after a moment, and walked off the ring.
Tien watched him go and let the announcer parade his battered body for the crowd. I promise, Krillin...
0o0o0
Jackie Chun had watched Krillin and Tien fall from the sky, and knew Krillin had lost before they even reached the ground. He just didn't have enough in the end...
So be it. He had prepared himself for this moment. To his right, Rayne was tensed, glaring out towards the far-away Tien out on the ring.
Master Roshi had pieced together what was going on between Tien and Krillin during their fight; at some point, the Crane students had allowed Retu to get hurt. He did not fault them for that. Of everyone still alive, Master Roshi alone knew Shen best, and understood the machinations of his mind. If these students had been studying under Shen for a long time- then they couldn't be blamed for their actions. Losing any and all good conscience happens when you live under a wicked man for so long.
He felt the urge to pull them aside, talk to them about how Shen has poisoned their minds. Yet… he saw Tien immediately help Krillin get to his feet. The seeds were there. And, at the same time, Master Roshi could see Shen fuming in the crowd. They begin to see the truth without my help.
Krillin hobbled past Jackie Chun, entering into a quiet conversation with Rayne. Across the room, Kakarot eyed Jackie Chun. After a moment, the Saiyan broke off and walked out onto the ring.
One last thing, then. Jackie Chun strode over to Krillin and Rayne, who turned with surprise as he approached. 'You two should know,' he begun, 'that before you two- and everyone else- had come along, I was, admittedly, lost. I had spent so much time simply passing the time, seeing the world continue to change around me as I carried on as an old man. I hadn't taken on students in decades- I thought I was done with that part of my life, and was better for it.
Krillin and Rayne looked absolutely bewildered. They'll get it eventually, Master Roshi thought, and went on, 'I was wrong. Training students-training you- reinvigorated me. Even though we spent our time together while threatened by one of the gravest evils this world had ever seen, I don't regret a single moment of it. I am, and forever will be… proud.'
He turned then, walking out for his semifinal against Kakarot. He flashed a grin as he left them; a grin that was so characteristic that it snapped Krillin out of his utter confusion.
...Jackie Chun!... is Master Roshi!...
0o0o0
Stepping into the ring, Master Roshi felt an absolute calm wrap around him. That was easier than I thought it'd be. Though I imagine, he glanced towards Kakarot, crouched as if ready to pounce into action, the worst is yet to come.
Just like before, the announcer kept his distance from Kakarot as he ran through his introductions. Kakarot wasn't even listening at this point. Another fighter I've beaten before. I'm itching to get to the final and fight that bald one! He could feel adrenaline race through his veins- he yearned to get through this match as quick as possible. No holding back, then. I'll end this fast.
Jackie Chun bent his knees and crossed his arms in front of him- he wouldn't hesitate this time. With a growling yell, he summoned his ki, pulling it from his reserves and forcing it into his muscles. His body burned as an aura burst into life around him, raging and flicking the tiles with clear white tendrils. His wig flew off in the process, revealing his bald head underneath. Master Roshi crossed a threshold- and his muscles exploded outwards, shredding his black robe into ribbons and bursting from every inch of his skin. 'Haaah!' he let out one last yell as his power stabilized, pulsing through his limbs. He flexed his massive muscles, and positioned himself to clash to Kakarot.
The announcer gaped and completely forgot his planned pre-match antics. 'Begin!' he hurriedly said.
Kakarot dived forward, holding back his elbow for a heavy blow to Master Roshi's center. Master Roshi ducked underneath the strike and throttled a punch into Kakarot's block, the strength of the strike forcing Kakarot back a few steps. Grimacing, Kakarot rushed forward, but in doing so he ran straight into Master Roshi's arcing leg, taking a blow to his stomach and sending him rolling across the ring.
Incredible. Master Roshi relaxed, rolling his neck and stretching a few muscles in his back and legs. My power in this form has improved much more than I thought. I might be able to beat Kakarot in a straight-up fight, after all.
Kakarot rose from the ground, his face creased in an extremely unpleasant grimace. He hovered close to the ground- and then struck out around the ring, jumping from spot to spot around Master Roshi. His form blurred as he closed his circle of movement closer around Master Roshi.
Unimpressed, Master Roshi flung out his arms with a massive kiai, momentarily halting Kakarot mid-jump. At that moment, Master Roshi surged forward, delivering a chop to Kakarot's head, stunning him. He followed that up with a cascade of punches and kicks to Kakarot's unguarded body, before kicking him away once more. Master Roshi still commanded the center of the ring.
'Chiaotzu,' Tien said, his eyes dead-set on the match in front of them, 'you see it too, don't you?'
Another blow- Kakarot's chest had been smashed to one side by Master Roshi's double-fist. 'Yes,' Chiaotzu replied, 'it wasn't clear before, when he was dominating his opponents- but Kakarot's form- it's like he doesn't even have one. Look!'
Tien saw Kakarot leap forward to try and catch Master Roshi with a heavy center kick- once Master Roshi had moved out of the way, however, it was laughably easy for the old master to deliver a quick succession of punches to Kakarot's wide-open body before he could land and properly defend himself. 'His entire fighting style- it seems cobbled together, improvised,' Tien observed, 'well suited for crushing a weaker opponent; however, against an opponent stronger in strength, then…'
Kakarot rolled away from another deceptively quick kick, a few hits glancing off his body. He stopped ten feet away from Master Roshi, who eyed him menacingly.
This wasn't going at all how he imagined. To think he's improved this much… Yet!... Kakarot crouched down to the ground like a cat, voicing a nasty growl that was growing louder, It won't be enough!... An aura licked out from under Kakarot, enveloping him in a sickly pink-blue aura. Yelling, he sprinted towards Master Roshi, his aura raging around him. Their attacks traded, flew faster than before, as the intensity of their fight increased. Kakarot moved through a punch from Master Roshi- it landed painfully on his shoulder- and delivered a series of quick blows to his opponent's stomach. Instead of winding him as intended, however, Master Roshi shifted forwards, pressing Kakarot's arms against his own body, and with a great roar, he brought both fists to Kakarot's head simultaneously, landing on opposite sides from each other. The Saiyan's head was momentarily squeezed with all the force of a nutcracker. Horribly disoriented from Master Roshi's attack, Kakarot was easily launched away by a jumping knee strike.
Master Roshi's mind remained completely focused on the fight in front of him- not a single moment was wasted in commentary or analysis. I won't be distracted. Not this time.
His body a bloom of bruises, Kakarot steadied his vision as balance and sensation slowly returned to him. He was near his limits- he gazed across the ring, through his spinning sight- and his opponent didn't look damaged at all. Kakarot's blood boiled- though not from the excitement. No, he was feeling something else entirely; indignation.
I am a Saiyan! How could I be bested by this fighter! He was outraged- the mere idea that he could be bested by a fighter he had defeated before was ludicrous! He couldn't take it- his anger and his frustration were breaking to the surface, as he half-noticed his outline reappear around him. HIs eyes scanned the stands madly. For this to happen here- this is unacceptable! I won't allow it! With his arms raised in front of him and his feet level with the tiles beneath him, Kakarot noticed words were tumbling out of his mouth- 'You're beneath me! You're all beneath me!' and he felt ki begin to collect in his palms.
Across the ring, Master Roshi turned to the side, cupping his hands behind him. At a whisper, he began, 'ka….'
Power flared and sputtered around Kakarot- he was too enraged to try and force as much ki as possible into the blast, and thus energy shone and wavered around his body, creating a miniature storm at his end of the ring.
Through it all, Master Roshi remained still, determination shining in his eyes. He continued to whisper to himself.
Krillin and Rayne covered their eyes from the light- 'Unreal!' Krillin exclaimed- to think that Jackie Chun had this much power!'
Rayne instinctually thought of the other fighter. 'His power is unreal…'
Tien stood unfazed by the imminent clash of ki, while his eyes darted back and forth between Kakarot and Master Roshi. They parked on Kakarot. He noticed Kakarot was pointing one hand downwards, farther back from the other one that was pointing towards Master Roshi. Ki was welling in both hands. He can't- no- he is! Leaping into action, Tien started bounding across the grass towards Kakarot's edge of the arena, focusing his mind and ki on Master Roshi. Work, damn it! He felt a click- then burst into Master Roshi's mind, saying, 'Kakarot's going to destroy the ring- and kill everyone watching!
His entire body jerking from the revelation- everything became obvious to Master Roshi. Kakarot's nervous eye movements, interspersed between Master Roshi and the ring in front of him- the small light blooming behind the Saiyan. Krillin, Rayne, and Chiaotzu's growing expressions of realization- and terror. Master Roshi and Tien had a split-second to convey their actions to each other before Kakarot pounced.
A number of things happened at once. Two pink energy blasts erupted from Kakarot- one flying across the ring at Master Roshi, the other arcing downwards, aiming to burrow into the center of the ring. Master Roshi released his Kamehameha instantaneously, the amount of ki contained within it easily surpassing the combined ki of Kakarot's two attacks. Master Roshi then dove forwards, sliding towards the center of the ring- and where Kakarot's second blast was speeding towards. Tien stopped behind Kakarot, and braced his hands in a triangle in front of him.
The Kamehameha collided with Kakarot's first blast in the air, blue briefly intermixing with pink, before powering past Kakarot's attack- to barrel straight towards Kakarot. Kakarot, however, had obviously planned for this; he had already begun moving to one side once he had launched his attacks. His body was badly signed and burned on his right side as the Kamehameha passed by him- but he succeeded in evading most of the blast. As such, Master Roshi's attack was now hurtling towards the crowd, punctuated by spectators' cries of panic. Just then, a deafening yell of 'TRI-BEAM!" erupted out of the percussive chaos and a golden, triangular blast shot up from the Crane fighter. The Tri-Beam collided with the Kamehameha, meekly detonating against it- but the attack succeeded in nudging the arc of the Kamehameha upwards, up and away from the crowd. As it cleared the stands, Master Roshi- sliding on his back- shot two dual ki blasts upwards, colliding with Kakarot's second blast. Despite their impromptu nature, Master Roshi's blasts briefly struggled and forced Kakarot's attack upwards- but eventually, Master Roshi's ki attack lost steam, and began shredding itself with ribbons of pink energy. Their blasts wobbled, then shimmered and exploded ten or so feet above the ring. Because of Master Roshi's last-minute effort, the detonation spilled up into the sky- but a sizable amount exploded down and to the sides of the ring. Tien was briefly licked by the ensuing heat- closer to the blast, Kakarot was very nearly knocked off the ring as the detonation enveloped his body- but Master Roshi took the blast head-on, only having time to raise his arms in a desperate defense. A massive amount of light and wind poured out from the ring, rushing over stands and the audience. Puar had to be grabbed by Bulma so to prevent her from being blown away by the wind. Chi-Chi shook in her seat- the ground below her momentarily heaved from the blast.
Slowly, the entropy from those rapid series of events diminished, their light and sound petering off into the distance. The ring was revealed to be intact- the tiles seemed to be made out of stronger stuff than people figured- and both Kakarot and Master Roshi were present. Kakarot was in bad shape; the right side of his body- and to a lesser extent his front- was seriously scorched, blistering in some spots. Master Roshi, however, was worse- His entire front was heavily blistered, red stretches and burns pocking his still incredibly muscled body. He climbed painfully to his feet, his entire body wracked with deep-set agony. Damn him! DAMN HIM! Master Roshi brought his arms to his front, seeing Kakarot shake off his own pain and approach. The pain was overwhelming- still, he forced his arms into a guard, creasing every inch of his face.
It was clear to Krillin- clear to every ki-sensing fighter- that Master Roshi had lost a significant amount of his power. Unable to contain his disbelief, the former monk whimpered, 'How? How could this happen?...
Rayne twisted her face in surprise- but there was anger there, too. 'Kakarot played us,' she said bluntly. 'He manipulated our concern for the crowd to force his opponent to tank a blow that, under normal circumstances, wouldn't have hurt him. However, after spending so much energy in such a short amount of time- Master Roshi was defenseless.' She actually spat with disgust, then began striding forwards. 'I'm stopping this, now. I won't stand by while another one of us is brutalized by Kakarot.'
She made it a few feet before Krillin clamped down on her arm, halting her. 'Rayne, wait! If we intervene- I think Master Roshi has a plan.' He motioned towards the ring with his free hand. 'Look.'
Rayne looked back at Master Roshi. It was true- Master Roshi, despite his grievous wounds, was webbing his hands around him in some sort of ritual attack. A small rice cooker was present on the ring in front of Master Roshi. Green energy began to outline the old master.
Kakarot saw this, and charged forward- when Tien, callously and efficiently, appeared in the ring behind Kakarot. With clinical precision, Tien rammed his elbow into the Saiyan's neck. Kakarot's eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ring, unconscious. Master Roshi froze, and quickly dispersed the green aura forming around him. He said something wordless to Tien, who glared back angrily at the Turtle Hermit.
Visibly confused by this turn of events, the announcer quickly ran through a number of rules in his head, before bursting out, 'Tien is disqualified! Ten seconds have passed! Jackie Chun is winner by knockout! Thus- Jackie Chun is the winner of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament!'
When the crowd heard this pronouncement, their collective reaction was the strangest mix of anger, frustration, and cheering ever heard by human ears.
0o0o0
Yamcha hobbled down the halls of medical wing, using his ki to assist him to hop on one foot. Though he was trying his best to proceed carefully, he still felt occasional agitation from his freshly casted leg. Screw my femur, I need to know what's going on! He had felt Master Roshi's ki drop off precipitously, accompanied by a similar- though not as large- diminishment from Kakarot. Even in his weakened state, he couldn't ignore the storm of energy that was assailing his senses.
Not a single person was wandering the halls- he assumed everyone had gone to watch the final match of the tournament, it being the final and all. It was… lonely here. He was lonely. I could have joined them earlier, if I wasn't so obsessed with hiding in my own misery. The medics provided me with a wheelchair, after all. Kami, I was so- so stupid earlier! I should have forced Bulma to wheel me out to Krillin to apologize... so damn poisoned by my own thoughts…
I can't stop fighting- I couldn't leave them on their own out there. Even if I have to fight from a freaking wheelchair, I'll-
Yamcha dimly heard a scuffle of feet behind him. He turned, and suddenly, a pair of hands gripped his head, immobilizing him. He struggled, pressing his hands against the scaled figure holding him, until he felt a snap from somewhere in his body- though it didn't feel right. It felt like- it didn't feel like anything- he couldn't feel anything. Yamcha's mind floated away, swallowed by an all-consuming… nothing.
A/N: That's it for the Escalation Arc, folks. Next chapter we start our next arc- King. See you then.
Reviews:
Guest: Yea, she's seen too much of Kakarot to see him as 'just' a destroyer. You can see in this chapter, however, that she's starting to view his effects on the world more clearly.
LWexe: I hope you like fighting because there's a whole lot more coming up.
KnightLawn: Thank you for the kind review!
