Last time on Dragon Ball: HPA, after training up with Vegeta, Gohan and the other eager students of Hope's Peak Academy had arrived at the World Martial Arts Tournament. Now, 16 combatants, almost all of them members of the Z-fighters and students of Hope's Peak Academy, stand ready in the greatest tournament the planet knows.
The tournament has kicked off and the first match is between Kotomi Ikuta, the fiery Ultimate Cheerleader and veteran martial artist Krillin.
"Kotomi took a martial arts stance any of the Z Fighters would recognize. It was a perfect recreation of her one and only master, Vegeta."
With Vegeta's training under belt, will Kotomi be able to prove that this new generation of Ultimates, empowered by the wish made on the dragon, have what it takes to tackle the Z-fighters, or will Krillin be a measure of the wall they face. The tournament begins now on Dragon Ball HPA!
Episode 4: Fire and Lightning Are Very Frightening!
Kotomi and Krillin stood across from each other, waiting for the match to give its official GONG of approval. Kotomi looked like she was chomping at the bit to get in there, while Krillin looked apprehensive. Even after training Akane, he didn't know what kind of training Vegeta had put the kids through. Was he really ready for this.
Braaaaaaaaaaaa! Went the gong.
Kotomi gave Krillin no further chance to think on the matter and darted towards him at intense speed, screaming! Krillin blocked her fist with his palm, barely able to contain the force of her blow. Using his shorter stature to his advantage, he went to sweep her leg, but she leapt over the maneuver and kangaroo kicked him in the face.
Krillin stumbled back and, deciding he didn't much care for the taste of shoe leather, rushed into Kotomi's intimate range, throwing out punches in a rapid flurry, hoping the sheer speed would overwhelm her.
However, Kotomi seemed to have little trouble maneuvering around Krillin's rapid fire fists, blocking them tactfully. However, her swift counterattack was just as easily blocked. She brought her right leg up to kick Krillin in the neck, but he blocked with his arm. He'd seen it coming.
"Man, you're really good. Vegeta's really taken you kids to the next level," Krillin said.
"Yeah, well, what can I say? At first I wasn't sure about this whole thing," she said, lowering her leg, "But when I felt the storm of power raging inside me, I became addicted to it like a drug." She spread her legs and tucked her fists by her waist. "What do you say we take this up a notch?"
Uh oh, Gohan thought, watching from the competitor's area. Kotomi didn't exactly know the meaning of the word "restraint" when she got fired up. Akane too, but that was a different kind of a lack of restraint.
Kotomi began to scream and power up. Fiery energy coaxed around her body like a wildfire. The ground below her began to buckle and cave in as she left a notable dent in the ring before she charged towards Krillin again, more fired up than ever.
Krillin crossed his arms to block, but though the strike landed against the center of his defensive stance, he was still sent flying out of the ring. However, he did not land on the ground or use the wall to push off. Instead, a burst of white ki energy coated his body and he flew back into the ring against Kotomi.
Krillin's fist met Kotomi's shin in midair. A loud BOOM echoed through the stands as a shockwave ripped outward and made Piccolo's ears hurt from the volume.
"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Kotomi roared as she and Krillin began throwing punches and kicks so fast that it was difficult for the crowd to keep up with their movements. It was hard to tell where Kotomi started and Krillin ended. Only the somehow very loud sound of bone hitting bone and flesh hitting flesh could indicate to the crowd that the fight was raging. Most jaw dropping was that somehow the two combatants were floating in midair with no support at all.
"What is happening ladies and gentlemen?!" The announcer shouted. "First contestant Krillin seemed like he would be rung out, but now he and Kotomi are floating above the ring!"
The crowd watched in awe at the display as Kotomi suddenly interlocked her fingers and hammered both her fists into Krillin's face, sending him careening towards the edge of the arena.
Krillin, not one to simply go down without a fight, moved faster than even Kotomi could notice and got behind her, planting his foot square into her back, bringing them both to the arena floor and rocking the whole stadium, making it shake.
"Whoa! Do you feel that everyone?!" the announcer shouted. "It's a good thing we invested in a sturdier ring this year!"
"Hmph, that ring can be as sturdy as it wants. If Krillin doesn't end this soon, it'll be nothing but rubble," Piccolo commented, arms folded. He was leaned up against a wall and facing the opposite wall.
"Well then you have three things wrong, Namekian," Vegeta stated. "The idea of that one finishing this soon against one of my students is, quite frankly, laughable. Second, Bulma was the one who was commissioned to reinforce the ring herself at my request."
Even Gohan was shocked to hear this. "What? Really?"
"Yes, really. Is there a problem with that? We need someplace to stand even if we can fly, boy!" Vegeta sneered.
"N-no," Gohan stuttered.
"Thirdly, I've only known Kotomi a month, but I also know she's not going to let this battle end without giving it everything she's got. Do you honestly think one of my student's would stay one of my students if they didn't know the first thing about their own pride?"
"Spare me," Piccolo stated, not wanting to hear it from Vegeta any further.
At that moment, Kotomi grabbed Krillin's leg and hurled him towards the edge of the arena where Krillin stopped and hovered, glaring, waiting for her next move.
Kotomi sneered and then launched herself at Krillin in a flurry of rapid kicks. He managed to block the majority of them before she landed a lucky one into his chin and launched him into the sky. Then, much to Krillin's shock, energy began charging in Kotomi's left pam.
Is she nuts? Krillin thought.
Perhaps, but that had no bearing on Kotomi's next move. "Summer Blaze!" An energy blast looking distinctly like a fireball rocketed up and out of Kirumi's hands and straight towards Krillin.
"What is that?!" the announcer shouted.
Krillin attempted to deflect the energy blast higher into the air, but in doing so ended up singing his own arm upon contact. "Agh! What…is she actually conducting intense heat with that blast?"
From the ground, he saw Kotomi smirk as she got even with him in the sky. She spread her arms out and shouted. "Roaring Steel!" Instantly a dozen of these fiery energy blasts were launched from around her body and beelined it in a convergent path towards Krillin.
He had no choice. He had to counter Kotomi's energy blasts with his own.
Quickly and making sure to fire with precision, Krillin blasted blast after blast at Kotomi's blasts. The blasts exploded in midair as Kotomi capitalized on the opening Krillin had left to concentrate on her energy blasts. Her foot slammed into the center of Krillin's stomach, launching him backwards as he coughed up saliva.
Kotomi then concentrated on the air in front of her as she drew in heat from the surrounding atmosphere as she charged her ki, causing her hair to billow around. "Goooo! Shiii! Saaaaan! Niiiii! Ichiiiii!"
Krillin righted himself just as Kotomi seemed be finishing her attack. "GO! KASAI!"
An exceptionally large heated ki blast rocketed from Kotomi's hands in the shape of a strawberry.
Krillin was blown away by the attack further across the air, so much so that the crowd lost sight of the fighter in the sky above.
Kotomi scanned the horizon for Krillin's falling body. She was sure that'd burned him pretty good. However, rather than watching Krillin fall and hit the ground, she was instead alerted to the charging of energy from behind her. She turned just in time to see Krillin charging a yellow energy blast and blast it towards her.
"Countdown Strawberry Flare!" The technique Kotomi had used earlier sprung to life to match Krillin's attack in a beam struggle, albeit with much less power and fanfare than before.
Krillin, desperate to end this before anyone got hurt, powered up his own attack, pushing Kotomi back.
So much energy, Kotomi thought, muscles burning, struggling to contain the blast. Krillin kept pushing though, forcing her towards the ground.
Not gonna end…not…here. Kotomi's eyes squeezed shut and then, when they opened they were shining and seemed to be literally full of flame. Suddenly, instead of pushing against Krillin's attack, she pulled back as, for the briefest moments, she seemed like she had multiple arms as a fiery aura coated her entire body.
So, she's finally hit her limit, Vegeta thought, knowing what was coming next.
Kotomi's ki blast disappeared as Krillin's rocketed forward into her. However, like a ballistic missile, Kotomi flew straight into and through it, the fiery aura around her protecting her from all sides. Her fist connected with Krillin's jaw, launching him higher into the air, the aura only then dissipating, but the fire in Kotomi's eyes did not. Krillin had no idea what was happening, but Kotomi gave him no quarter. Spinning her body, she drove a spinning uppercut into his chin, flame surrounding her body in the shape of a spiral for the briefest of moments. She then tore off towards Krillin in midair and began to hammer him with a flurry of blow from only one arm. Defenseless, Krillin took the hits, trying to have a moment to mount a counteroffensive, but Kotomi was giving him no opportunity. Then, spinning around him like a tornado of fire, Kotomi left one leg out, the side of her foot bashing into Krillin as she seared him with the heat of her ki, lapping him three times.
Once she was done, she then rose higher into the air than he was, her back to the sun. She spread her body out in spread eagle position, an ki aura like that of a Phoenix accompanied her for the briefest of moments as the fire in her eyes intensified and she began to gather all the ki she could into her fist and tore down towards Krillin.
However, this was the momentary opening Krillin needed and, letting his own ki wrap around his body, he was ready to face Kotomi head on. Fiery wings of ki emitted from her back as their fists were on a collision course with each other.
An explosion of flame ripped across the sky and forced many of those wearing hats to use them to shield their eyes.
Then, like a meteorite, one figure came careening out of the air and embedded themselves in the grass around the arena, tearing through the topsoil and landing, burnt out, no pun intended in the ground.
Almost everyone that had been able to observe the battle was shocked to see who was lying in the dirt. Everyone but Vegeta, who simply nodded his head.
"CONTESTANT KOTOMI IS OUT COLD AND OUT OF THE RING!"
Krillin landed methodically in the center of the ring, arms folded.
"What happened? I thought Kotomi had him right where she wanted," Gohan exclaimed, blinking.
"Her inexperience proved to be her downfall," Piccolo stated as Krillin walked towards them. "Kotomi's strong, but she used up too much energy too quickly." He looked at Vegeta. "When that final burst of energy came out, you knew it was already over."
Vegeta nodded. "She has a lot of work to do. She knows how quickly that technique—which she hasn't even named yet—drains her energy. It's her last resort."
By this point, Krillin had finished walking back towards the group. "That was great, Krillin," Goku complimented. "Need a Senzu Bean, buddy?"
"Nah, I think I'm good. I'm not that roughed up. Nothing a little first aid won't fix before the next round." He then laughed nervously.
Kotomi was carried out unconscious on a stretcher. She wasn't even injured and she was breathing normally, but she was completely out of it.
"Man, that's one scary kid, Vegeta," Krillin commented as she was carried by. "What are they feeding these Hope's Peak students? If she wasn't so inexperienced, I might've actually lost that."
"It's an elite school for humans with elite abilities. You really think I'd waste my time on small-time amateurs? Please. She's strong because I made her strong."
Piccolo rolled his eyes. He wasn't convinced of Vegeta taking all the credit.
"Jeez, if she was that tough, I'm scared of how strong Akane's gotten," Krillin said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Which one's Akane again?" Goku asked politely, still having trouble memorizing the new people's names.
Vegeta pointed with a finger at the suntanned girl in the orange gi currently stuffing her face, having carted more food away from the buffet area even while all the matches were going on.
"Oh, right, her," Goku said, now remembering events that took place earlier that same day. "Boy, she's got one heck of an appetite. I'm already full and she's still going at it. I'd say she's making me hungry again, but my stomach's still queasy."
"Better get some tonic water in you before the big match," 18 said with a smirk. "No excuses when the mighty Goku falls because of a tummy ache."
Goku laughed nervously.
After a quick commercial break, the second match was announced. "Ma Junior and Femme Fury! Your match is about to begin!"
Piccolo leaned up from off the wall. Him versus some woman in a costume? This was going to be easy, he figured.
"Well, this ought to be interesting," Vegeta said, smirking and turning his head away from the arena.
Piccolo stared at him. Vegeta's smarm was impossible to read as to what he meant by that. If Vegeta's concern was that Piccolo didn't know how to fight a lady, he was sorely mistaken.
Piccolo's thoughts were interrupted by the mysterious Femme Fury patting him on the back. "Might wanna take off the training weights before you step into the ring Big Green," she said, offering a mischievous smile as she headed towards the arena.
Piccolo didn't know how she knew or why she knew, but something was suddenly off about this mysterious woman. Piccolo immediately discarded his weighted clothing before stepping out into the arena to face off against his opponent who was doing some light arm stretches.
"Oh, look at that, we're both wearing purple. We match," Femme Fury said to him.
"Who are you?" Piccolo demanded to know.
The woman puffed out her chest and placed her right knuckles against her hip, using the other hand to make the V for Victory sign. "I am…the mysterious heroine of love and justice!" she raised her left arm to the sky, index finger pointing up, "Defender of the meek! The guiding light that stands above all! I am…" she said, spinning around and then made a V with her arms as she bent over, "Femme!" She then snapped upright and made a sideways V in front of her left eye. "Fury! Your adversary!"
Members of the audience clapped.
"Thank you, thank you," Femme fury said, bashfully waving at them. "Please, hold your applause, and please, no autographs."
"Wow," Videl proclaimed, eyes glazed over. "Dorky much?"
"Dorky?!" Gohan felt insulted. He thought it was cool.
Vegeta groaned and slammed his face down into his awaiting palm.
"Who are you really?" Piccolo demanded. "You're clearly no ordinary fighter."
"Says the big tall slug man," Femme Fury responded.
Piccolo sighed internally. Clearly, if he wanted information, he was going to have to get it from the battle itself.
Braaaaaaaaaaaa!
Silence settled as the audience watched carefully to see what would happen. Piccolo's guard was not down for even a moment…only to suddenly feel pain in his stomach and a violent urgh to heave. He looked down and saw Femme Fury with her fist in his stomach. Worse, she was getting farther and farther and farther away. He was flying backwards.
Piccolo stopped short and flew up before flying forward so that he was above Femme Fury in the center of the arena. "There aren't many people that can take me off guard." Vegeta's reaction. That's the key. Wait! Could she be…?
His opponent did not give him a chance to think it over as her fist nearly connected with his face. Piccolo skirted back in the air and blocked her fist with his palm.
So she can fly too, Piccolo noted and swung his fist at hers, but her knuckles met his. Yup. What he had originally considered a cakewalk was now about to become a fight possibly more difficult than Krillin's against Kotomi.
Piccolo and Femme Fury pulled back their fists and then kicked at each other. Their legs slammed into each other and both seemed to have equal power.
Piccolo took to the offensive, trying to land blows on Femme Fury with sheer speed, but she didn't block any of them. Instead, she dodged all of them. A well-placed kick found its way into Piccolo's stomach before Femme Fury let loose an uncharged blast of white ki energy that crackled like lightning. The strike actually tore straight through Piccolo, causing Femme Fury to gasp. "Oh my gosh!"
"No," Piccolo said smugly, healing his injury in an instant. "Don't worry about it. I deliberately lowered my guard. If I hadn't, I could've taken that without damage, but the fact that you can do that to me at all says a lot about you as a fighter." He scowled. "Which means I'm not going to take this easy on you!" Piccolo charged towards Femme Fury, but she vanished just as his fist almost connected through her face and he began to fall through the air. Her shin slammed into his forehead just below his antenna followed by her elbow driving its way into the back of his shoulder. Then, the back of Femme Fury's fist smashed itself into Piccolo's cheek before her foot connected with his hip, sending him hurtling back in the opposite direction of the stands, towards the combatants' entranceway.
Piccolo righted himself in the air. This one…she's really dangerous. Her ki control is astounding. I've never felt anything like it. Right now her energy is basically nothing, but right before any of her attacks or blocks, it spikes instantaneously. I can't get a read on her at all.
"Thinking about the battle, won't help you win," Femme Fury suddenly got right in Piccolo's space, close enough to touch his shoulder. The flat of her hand came careening down onto it in the next moment. Piccolo rose his arm to block. Had he been a normal human, Femme Fury would've taken his entire arm off just now. She would've sliced straight through with strength and ki alone. No, he might've actually watched the entire thing vaporize before him.
As it stood, his muscles burned and his bones were cracking inside his arm. Piccolo swung at Femme Fury's face, but, with amazing flexibility and aerial control, she spun upside-down, blocked the punch with her leg and drove her foot into his face, knocking him back, albeit not that far. She then rose an arm upward and a clap of thunder echoed as white, lightning-like ki gathered in her right palm. The blast was bigger than last time, forcing Piccolo to speedily dodge the attack to the right. Thankfully he and Femme Fury were so high up, the attacked sailed harmlessly over the horizon.
He had no time to think on it. His opponent already was in his space and her leg was in swift proximity towards his body. He blocked with his arm, but went sent flying above the audience. No one in the stands could see behind them at what was happening next.
Piccolo saw Femme Fury smile sweetly, taking him off guard as she was suddenly behind him, her arms swiped outwards in a V.
"Swallow tail."
Blood spurted from Piccolo as if he'd been sliced with two swords, but no such thing had occurred. This was pure, tamed, finely controlled ki. He quickly regenerated his injuries and flew back over the arena, encouraging Femme Fury to give chase. She came slamming towards him, slamming her shoulder into his body.
That was when Piccolo made his move. "Got you," he said smirking. Loosening his arm like a rubber band, he used the stretchiness to ensnare Femme Fury as his free hand glowed green.
Femme Fury struggled to break Piccolo's grip, but it was to no avail. She may as well have been trying to stop the tide from coming in.
"Light Grenade!" Piccolo shouted and blew up the attack in point blank range, consuming them both.
Smoke covered the area above the arena, obscuring both fighters. Femme Fury landed on the stone ground, banging her shoulder and rolling towards the edge. Piccolo landed not long after, his right arm all mangled up having been blasted by his own attack. He quickly regenerated his injury and panted. He knew better than to fly towards the edge impulsively. That's what she wanted him to do.
Before the announcer could even think to count to 10, Femme Fury was already on the offensive. Striking low, she attempted to sweep Piccolo's legs out from underneath him, but he leapt over the sweep and unleashed a ki blast right in her face. The attack exploded, but Piccolo didn't get very far after that. Femme Fury's arm reached out and grabbed his leg as she bashed him into the arena floor and then hurled him at the audience behind her. Two thunderclaps emitted as she conducted more white ki in her right arm.
She's not going to send that this way, is she? Piccolo was gravely concerned for the audience he was flying towards. Quickly he made to get right above her and fired attack after attack after attack down at the arena. He was not expecting Femme Fury to weave through his assault with speed and calculated precision he'd never seen from any of the Z-fighters. Goku and Vegeta would've most certainly blocked or countered, not evaded in such a clean and pristine manner.
But now he had a big problem, Femme Fury was right in his face and she still had an arm's worth of ki to unleash. Her fist connected with his chest and zapped him all over, wrecking his upper body.
"Piccolo!" Gohan shouted, concerned for the Namekian's safety.
Numb and limp, Piccolo was at Femme Fury's mercy after that attack. She took the opportunity to grab him by a part of his torn up clothing and hurl him at the ground.
Fortunately for Piccolo, his body responded just before he hit the ground. His sudden stop was nearly met with Femme Fury kicking him in the neck while he was still upside-down. He managed to right himself and avoid the attack just in the nick of time as the wind pressure carved its way into the wall of the arena. Piccolo then swung his leg out to kick Femme Fury in the neck, but she blocked with her arm as she floated upward and smashed him in the jaw with a rising fist. Piccolo flew up and back not of his own volition as Femme Fury retreated to the center of the arena and pointed one arm down at the ground, lightning-like ki coursing all around her. Then, with both hands, she unleashed a monstrous, white ki blast angled upward so it would neither hit nor affect the audience. Piccolo, unnerved, barely had a chance to dodge it in time as the attack rocketed out into space.
Femme Fury then pounced before Piccolo had a chance to soak in what just happened. Her attacks were merciless. With every hit, he could feel his body straining to contain the force of her blows.
There's no way I can beat her in a straight up fight surrounded by people like this. I have to get her to hit the ground out of the arena. I can't win any other way.
Piccolo proceeded to attempt to punch Femme Fury in the neck, but she dodged her head to one side and then high kicked him in the jaw. She then followed up with a wicked blow to the chest, sending him flying back.
Piccolo knew enough was enough. He had to push himself if he wanted to win. Conserving his strength for round 2 and beyond was not an option now. He began moving at immense speeds, too fast for the audience to possibly see. Only his friends should be able to keep up.
And yet in this flurry of fast movements and touch and go tactics, Femme Fury matched his every blow, the two glancing past each other. Their speed was so intense, it was creating a whirlwind of purple and green around the arena.
How? How is she this fast? How is she this strong?
Piccolo began to fight by blocking out all extraneous stimuli. The world around him became dark. All that was left to him was him, Femme Fury and the howling wind all around them.
He dodged back as a downward punch cracked the arena before Femme Fury was gone the next second. He then attempted to kick where he thought his adversary was, but he missed. This tactic continued in what Gundham Tanaka would call a Maelstrom of Blind Confusion. However, the more exchanges of this nature that happened, Piccolo was getting closer to gaining the upper hand.
That was when he felt it. For the briefest of moments, time seemed to completely freeze, not because his opponent could stop time, but because, just for a fraction of an instant, he felt her true power.
…Wh-what?
It was like an ocean, no a tsunami, no, more than that.
How can she keep holding back this much energy? Piccolo wondered. Who is she?
He didn't get the chance to contemplate that further. The next kick from Femme Fury slammed into his neck and sent him careening out of the arena, slamming into the wall, causing debris to fall on him.
Everyone, including the Z-fighters were stunned silent. The audience had no idea what happened. A whirlwind had consumed the arena and the next thing they knew Ma Junior was making close, personal friends with the wall.
Femme Fury slowly lowered her leg. "Phew," she said as her foot touched the stone.
"Contestant Ma Junior has been eliminated by ring out! Contestant Femme Fury advances to the next round!"
Krillin gulped, figuring that he might actually want a Senzu Bean later.
The wind blew at Femme Fury as she looked at the rung out Piccolo. However, he was not unconscious and when he stood, he simply walked out to leave through the combatants' entryway.
"Hey, Piccolo, what was that?" Gohan asked.
"I don't know, Gohan, but don't underestimate her. She's a lot stronger than she's letting on."
"How much stronger?" Gohan asked.
"If this weren't a tournament and we met out in the open and it was a matter of life or death," Piccolo prefaced before glancing over his shoulder and adding very gravely and seriously, "She could've killed me right at the start of the fight."
Piccolo then walked away, leaving Gohan struck speechless. The Z-fighters had heard that clear as day.
"Who…is that woman?" Gohan thought as he stared at her at the center of the arena.
Piccolo has been eliminated from the World Martial Arts Tournament by the mysterious and vicious Femme Fury. With power and speed to match the Z-fighters and Piccolo claiming she could have easily killed him at the start, who is this mysterious masked martial artist and can she be defeated?
The Z-fighters all watched as Femme Fury very casually walked back towards the entrance, met Vegeta's stare and kept walking. He didn't seem intimidated by her, but that wasn't the point.
As she passed by, Goku of all people, flinched and took a step back to let her march off into the distance. The Z-fighters watched her disappear into the shade of the area.
The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament has barely begun and the intensity of it has already been proven. The battles continue next time on Dragon Ball H! P! A!
(Writer's notes: Kotomi's attacks have puns in them "Summer" (Natsu in Japanese) sounds close to Netsu, which means Heat. Blaze also sounds a bit like glaze. Roaring Steel: Ryori in Japanese means cooking, which sounds like Roaring. And the Countdown Strawberry Flare was self-explained as an in-series dubism since the Japanese would be a mouthful when she's not charging it up. She counts back from 5 and ends with Ichi and then go which, when put together means Strawberry. As for Femme Fury, Swallow Tail is a type of butterfly and the reason she uses lightning is because of the old idiom that a butterfly flapping its wings in America creates a storm in Japan).
