.

Chapter 17:

THE TOURNAMENT

Last time on Consumed by the past:

Gohan was found unconscious on the planet KB-0807 by the East Kaioshin Kaioshin and his attendant Kibito. The (lack of) evidence pointed the blame on Gohan but the East Kaioshin Kaioshin was certain Endou was involved too. Wanting to know more about Gohan, Kibito teleported all three of them to Dai Kaio's planet where Kaio of the North now resides. With his and Goku's help, they were able to learn who the boy was. Upon waking him up, Goku managed to calm him down and convince him that the East Kaioshin Kaioshin and Kibito were friends, trying to help. After Gohan explained what had happened, his "punishment" was decided - to redeem himself by helping capturing Endou and Shingo. The Other World Tournament was just about to begin, so Goku kindly asked the East Kaioshin Kaioshin if Gohan could stay and participate; his wish was granted and after two days have passed, the tournament began.

The suspense reached its peak when Kanashi and Gandor started fighting. Kanashi resembled an alligator-like humanoid with green scales and sharp teeth but was adept at martial arts. Gandor, on the other hand, was a blue giant, almost 3 times the size of his opponent. The crowd was cheering wildly, trying to encourage both fighters to give their best. Gandor tried hitting his opponent but always missed as he was too slow for him. Each time he attempted hitting him, the crowd held its breath like it was expecting the hit to connect, but sadly, were always disappointed. When Kanashi had enough, he rushed towards Gandor, evading his attacks and finally punching him in the stomach, sending him from the ring in just one blow. The crowd was stunned and completely quiet. The announcer confirmed the out-of-bounds and declared Kanashi the victor of this match. At that point, the crowd went wild, applauding and cheering.

. . . . .

1st round

Over the course of numerous matches, Goku and Gohan were getting a little impatient. Both were anxious to fight their opponent; seeing the best the Other World has to offer. Goku was the first one to fight and his opponent was a fighter named Bull; and he actually looked like one, well, more like a minotaur. As soon as the match began, Bull charged towards Goku, who dodged the last moment and landed at edge of the ring. His opponent charged at him again and the Saiyan dodged with ease, causing Bull to fall out of the ring and slam his horns into the wall. Both the crowd, the announcer and Goku were shocked, to say the least.

"Wow, he's not that bright, is he?" he asked the announcer with a drip of sweat on his left cheek, showing his embarrassment.

"It's not the first time. Sheesh, you think the guy would have learned by now. Winner - Goku!"

The Saiyan left the ring disappointed because of the extremely short match but didn't lose hope; he still had a lot of opponents to fight. Gohan was far from impressed, to say the least. Like Goku, he, too, was hoping to fight some really strong opponents. And after a few more matches, his wish just might get fulfilled. He had heard the announcer say his name and his opponent's too - Myriad. A rush of adrenalin surged through his veins as he got excited. His first match in the Other World; what's not to get excited about.

. . . . .

His opponent was already waiting for him in the ring; and it was a lady with long dark brown hair, green eyes and a slim physique. She was wearing a white ancient tunic with a belt and a yellow shirt under it. Her feet were protected by light brown boot sandals with heels. When the boy walked into the ring, the announcer was surprised by his halo or more accurately, the lack of it.

"You're not dead?" he asked him.

"Hehe, luckily no. I hope that's not a problem." the half-Saiyan answered.

"Ummmm, we haven't really had a case like this."

"Kaioshin-sama has brought me here and allowed me to stay and participate."

"Oh... I guess that takes care of the rules. Just be warned that you're the only one who can actually die."

"I know." Gohan smiled.

"Very well, if you insist in competing... Ladies and gentlemen, after a slight delay, the match is about to begin. Competitors, get ready!"

When the match began, Gohan prepared himself and so did Myriad, but no one moved an inch. The boy was a bit confused but eventually pushed himself from the ground and attacked her. Myriad lifted her left hand and suddenly a geyser of water hit the half-Saiyan, knocking him to the edge of the ring.

Well that's something new, he thought.

Before he could attack again, the whole ring started filling with water; higher and higher until the water level was about as high as the ring's width. Not a single drop spilled over the edge of the ring - it was like an invisible wall was containing it inside. Gohan was of course swimming on the surface but Myriad was still standing at the bottom, clearly unaffected by it.

"Hahaha, now you're trapped. I can breather under water and can fight more effectively too. Now yield or I'll pull you under."

Wow, what arrogance. I guess she's never fought an opponent who can fly.

Gohan just flew out of the water so he was just barely above the surface.

"W-what? You can fly?!" she was flabbergasted.

"Yeah and this battle is over, sorry."

He extended his arm and fired a very weak Ki blast into the water, causing a shockwave that sent the water flying all over the crowd and knocking Myriad out-of-bounds.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, it's just what we needed after all those intense matches - a nice cool shower. The winner is Gohan!" the announcer officially ended this battle.

. . . . .

2nd round

Both have had their first battle if we can call it a battle at all. Two easy, quick wins for the Son family without revealing their true strength. The wait for the next match felt like an eternity but it was eventually over. Goku's next opponent was giant who was about 10 times taller than him. Like always, the Saiyan was excited about the upcoming battle and was hoping that this opponent would be really strong. When the battle commenced it was clear right away that the giant named Toshiro was slow and clumsy. Goku made a few dodges and started running around his feet until the giant got dizzy and in all confusion stepped out of the ring, falling flat on the grass. It was another unordinary victory for the full-blooded Saiyan and he wasn't very happy about it but the thought of fighting against his son in the final kept his spirit up.

A few more matches went by when it was Gohan's turn. His opponent was named Kento - a well built fighter, about Goku's height with blonde hair and orange skin. His uniform was light blue with a sleeveless top and pants.

I can hardly sense any energy from him. It could be a trap, was going through the boy's mind at the start of the battle.

The announcer lifted his arm, signaling the start, when Kento started running towards Gohan and attacked him with swift and precise punches and kicks. Not a single one connected with his target; the boy had dodged them all with ease. At one point Kento yelled and put all his strength into one powerful punch which hit Gohan, or to be more precise, hit his right palm. He had blocked the punch, then grabbed Kento's hand and threw him from the ring. It wasn't an intense match but Gohan just wanted to get it over with, without showing any of his techniques or strength. He wanted to reveal as little as possible until he, hopefully, would fight his dad in the final.

While they were waiting for their next match, both used this intermission time to get some food from the nearby stands which were conveniently placed for the competitors. Of course Goku was famished as he hadn't eaten for a few hours; whereas Gohan was more interested in snacks and having something to drink. Time flies when you're... err... eating like a Saiyan? And boy did time fly; so fast that Goku's next match was here.

"Next match: Zero versus Goku. Contenders, please step into the ring." the announcer interrupted Goku's desert.

"Already? Sheesh." the Saiyan was surprised and devoured his desert in a matter of seconds and rushed to the ring.

"Good luck, dad." Gohan shouted behind him, hardly containing his laughter.

. . . . .

3rd round

The first one to arrive was Zero while Goku stepped or almost crash-landed into the ring a couple of seconds later. As usual, he observed his opponent; he could see a fighter about his height; broad shoulders and well physically built; just like himself. His skin was beige and his hair black; he was wearing a blue uniform which consisted of a sleeveless top and pants; connected with a white belt.

"Yo." Goku greeted him but received no answer, just a formal greeting - a deep bow.

"Serious from the start, eh? Very well."

The announcer waved his arm, signaling the start of the match. The Saiyan jumped and rushed towards Zero who elegantly blocked his punch and in return wanted to kick Goku in the stomach but the dexterous Saiyan evaded Zero's attempt and jumped back to a safe distance.

"You're strong. You blocked my attack." he complimented Zero who still remained quiet. "Still not talking? Fine, then let's get serious; it's time for round two."

He increased the speed and ferocity of his attacks, forcing his opponent to do the same. They started exchanging blows: punch for a punch and kick for a kick but Goku started seeing openings in Zero's defense. He blocked his punch and kicked him in the stomach, making him skid across the ring, to the very edge. As Zero tried to regain his balance, the Saiyan appeared on his right, quickly crouching and tripping him with his low kick and kicking him out-of-bounds. The crowd once again cheered for both of them, but mostly for the victor - Goku, who flew to his opponent and offering to help him up.

"It's seems I wasn't strong enough." Zero spoke, catching Goku by surprise.

"Oh, so you speak after all."

"I apologize. My people have a tradition of not speaking during an honorable battle. It's... dishonorable, to say the least." he explained and grabbed Goku's arm to help him up.

"It was a great match. I really enjoyed it." smiled the Saiyan.

Zero bowed once again and returned to the contenders waiting area.

. . . . .

"That was a nice fight, dad." his son complimented him when Goku returned to the waiting area.

"Thanks, but we both know these early matches won't be difficult. I'm more eager to see what you're capable of." Goku smiled.

"The feeling is mutual." his son winked at him.

A series of matches unfolded before it was finally the boy's turn again. Both saw a number of skilled and less skilled competitors, giving their all or barely anything. A lot of them displayed some degree of Ki manipulation while a handful have demonstrated quite a mastery in it. One particular fighter caught Gohan's attention. He - as he was tall and muscular - reminded him of someone but he couldn't remember where from. It was like déjà-vu although an unpleasant one as it sent shivers down Gohan's spine. Just as he was searching his memories, trying to remember why that fighter looked familiar to him, the announcer stepped into the ring and lifted his microphone.

"It was a wonderful match, indeed. And now, the next contestants are... Toma versus Gohan. Both fighters please step into the arena."

"Well it's your turn, son. Go easy on the poor fellow." Goku said while putting his hand on Gohan's shoulder, who seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure. I'll make it quick." he responded a bit stressed.

. . . . .

Toma was already waiting in the ring when the demi-Saiyan was walking up the stairs to it. This opponent was the opposite of the one Goku had faced. He was small with an average built body, human-like color and wearing some sort of battle armor colored in black and with white outlines. If there's one thing Gohan had learned from all his battles, especially with Endou, is, that looks can be deceiving. The funny thing was that both were about equally tall, but Gohan was a lot younger of course. Toma wasn't as friendly as Zero; his expression was serious; it even showed a bit of disappointment. It looks like he wasn't happy with his opponent - a mere boy.

"I'll go easy on you, boy. Or even better, I suggest you forfeit. You don't stand a chance." Toma mocked the half-Saiyan.

"Agreed." smiled the boy.

"You're smarter than you look." Toma replied while crossing his arms on his chest and smiling.

"Agreed to go very easy on you." Gohan continued with a smirk on his face.

"Haha, don't make me laugh. A boy like you?"

The announcer interrupted their little "chat": "BEGIN!"

Toma prepared himself for battle and said: "Time to say..." but was suddenly kicked out of the ring, falling on the grassy ground.

"Goodbye." Gohan finished his sentence.

"Wow, that was one of the fastest out-of-bounds I've ever seen. The winner is Gohan!" announced the announcer.

The boy left the ring, walking past the confused Toma: "Nothing personal, but your attitude could use some improvement. And never judge your opponent just by his appearance."

Toma just nodded, confused and shocked by how fast he ended up outside the arena.

When the half-Saiyan reached Goku, the latter was a bit shocked.

"Another one-hit knockout."

"I just wanted to get it over with. I mean, I respect my opponents but the more we stall, the longer we'll have to wait for the final to start."

"I know what you mean, but you should try and give your opponents a chance. Who knows what strange techniques they might reveal. The more attacks you see, the less surprises you can encounter." Goku explained himself.

"Maybe you're right but I'm here to fight strong opponents and not lose time with the ones who are clearly a lot weaker." was his unexpected answer.

"Sheesh, you sound like Vegeta." his dad said with a surprising voice.

"That's silly, dad. Never mind, let's continue watching the matches." the demi-Saiyan suggested, clearly not wanting to reveal his training sessions with Vegeta.

. . . . .

Quarterfinals

With each match one fighter was eliminated; so the number slowly dwindled and only 8 fighters remained. Both closely observed the ongoing battles but have yet to see someone really powerful. Most likely they were hiding their true power, just like Goku and Gohan. It was again Goku's turn to step into the ring. The announcer called him and a fighter named Tanhan to step into the ring. Goku's steps were quick as he was eager to fight his next opponent.

. . . . .

Upon reaching the ring, the Saiyan starting stretching his body in preparation for the fight. Left leg, right leg, upper body, shoulders and... done. When Tanhan arrived, he greeted Goku and he greeted back. The announcer waited for a moment or two and lifted his left arm to signal the start of the match. Both opponents rushed to each other and started fighting. Kicks, punches, blocks and parries were coming from both participants, revealing their equal strength. This fast-paced battle went on for a couple of minutes until Goku jumped into the air and started preparing a Ki blast when Tanhan flew to him and surprised him with two of his own. The Saiyan stopped charging his and deflected Tanhan's into the air, causing a mild explosion in the sky.

"Not bad. Your Ki manipulation is much better than what others have demonstrated so far." the Saiyan commended him.

"Thank you and likewise. But that's not all." Tanhan smiled and landed in the ring.

He started charging an energy attack in one of his hands. The light from his palm emanated more and more until he fired the attack at Goku.

"Energy canon!" he shouted while unleashing a big energy wave from his hand.

Goku smiled back and extended his arms and caught the beam but it's power was a bit overwhelming. It seems he had underestimated it's intensity but when he was about to power up and redirect it into the sky, Tanhan appeared alongside him and wanted to slam a Ki blast right into his back but the Saiyan used his Shunkanidou and teleported away which resulted in Tanhan almost getting hit by his own blast. At that moment he felt a surge in power - Goku had powered up but not transformed.

"I knew you were hiding your power." Tanhan smiled while looking at his opponent.

"I underestimated your attack, which won't happen again."

Tanhan closed his eyes and replied, "You're a very powerful fighter; much more than I have anticipated. I forfeit!"

"Wait, what!?" Goku's eyes shot open.

"There's no way I can win against you. I know when I'm severely outmatched."

The announcer wanted to make sure he had heard Tanhan right, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I forfeit."

"That means that Goku is the winner!" the announcer's words were heard all over the arena.

Tanhan flew to his opponent and bowed before him, "It was a great match but alas, I stand no chance."

"Um, sure. Too bad we couldn't finish it."

Tanhan landed inside the ring and make his way back to the waiting area. Goku was disappointed for not being able to fight him more seriously but he respected Tanhan's decision. After all, it's a tournament not a death battle; anyone can forfeit if they feel like it, there is no shame in that.

. . . . .

When he landed next to Gohan, the boy wanted to cheer him up.

"Don't worry dad, I'm sure your next opponent will be much more powerful."

"Well I hope so... this guy had potential but I guess we'll never know how strong he really is."

"If it's any consolation, I would most probably have kicked him out way faster than you."

"Like you did with your second opponent? What's the point then? You don't get to meet new fighters, see their fighting styles and techniques, not to mention any special attacks of their own."

"If I want to push my limits, I need opponents as strong as me but ok, I'll give your advice a try in my next fight."

His dad laughed: "Isn't Super Saiyan 2 enough?"

"Good one, dad. But you know the saying: like father, like son." the boy winked at him.

"In our case: like son, like father." he said while scratching the back of his head.

After their little short chat, they focused their attention on the ongoing tournament. With each round, fewer contestants remained and with each fight, Goku's and Gohan's next match was drawing near. The half-Saiyan was hoping his next opponent will be someone "worthy" of his time. Just as he was thinking about that in his mind, the announcer finally said the words he was waiting for.

"Next match is Gohan versus Kenshin. I kindly ask both competitors to join me in the ring."

"Good luck, son." the older Saiyan wished him while giving him a thumbs up.

. . . . .

Both fighters stepped into the ring and both were silent and serious. Kenshin had seen what Gohan is capable of when he observed his battle with Toma. Unlike him, he wasn't going to let his guard down, not even for a second. Kenshin looked like a hybrid between a wolf and a human; sharp teeth, yellow eyes with black pupils, dark blue fur and sharp black claws on his hands and feet. He also had a tail, like Gohan and was standing upright. A grey armor with red edges and shoulder straps, similar to a Saiyan armor, protected his torso. Gohan, on the other hand, wasn't worried at all. He had seen Kenshin fight, but his strength wasn't all that impressive and his Ki manipulation is mediocre at best; only having the ability to fly and perform basic energy attacks. The announcer lifted his arm and signaling the start of this battle.

Gohan took a deep breath and attacked his opponent but his kick was deflected and Kenshin's sharp claws went straight for the boy's stomach. Luckily, Gohan was fast enough to dodge out of the way, catching himself with one arm on the ground and kicking the human-wolf hybrid in the stomach, pushing him to the edge of the ring. Thanks to his claws, he managed to stop himself before falling out-of-bounds. The half-Saiyan was surprised how Kenshin managed to parry his kick, but didn't concern himself with that.

"You're strong and really fast for a boy." his opponent commended him.

"I know, but that's just the tip of the ice berg."

"I see. Then I guess I'll just have to find out how strong you really are."

Kenshin's expression turned into a smirk while he started powering up. His eyes began glowing yellow and the arena was starting to be engulfed in a very thick mist. Gohan couldn't see his hand in front of him, that's how thick it was.

"These tricks won't work. I can sense your energy, you know." the boy stated.

"That won't help you, I'm afraid."

Gohan definitely could feel his opponent's energy; but Kenshin's body started transforming, becoming transparent more and more until he practically melded with the thick mist. His energy signature was all over the place and little Gohan could not pinpoint his exact location.

His Ki... it's like it dispersed throughout the fog. He's everywhere.

Out of nowhere, his uniform was sliced on his back, leaving four distinctive claw tears.

It seem the mist is masking his energy. An interesting technique...

Kenshin attacked again and sliced through Gohan's left pant, but, surprisingly, not cutting all the way to his skin. It's like he was trying to intimidate him. Soon the third attack happened and Kenshin's claw was stopped by Gohan's arm.

"W-what? You can see me?!" he opened his mouth while being blocked.

"Yes and no."

The boy grabbed his arm and threw him into the center of the ring, but Kenshin again disappeared into the mist. Before he could even attack, Gohan had felt the disturbance in the mist where his attack was about to emerge. He again blocked his attempt, or more accurately, attempts, as Kenshin had attacked with all four limbs.

"It's no use. It's ov..." the demi-Saiyan tried saying.

Kenshin had already bitten his right shoulder and was holding it tightly. Gohan tried using his Ki surge to push him away but was unable to concentrate - his Ki was being drained from him. Kenshin's eyes started glowing red and flashing as he sucked more energy from Gohan. The mist started dissipating and the crowd could finally see what's going on. They were all shocked; even Goku's eyes shot open.

"That's bad. He's draining Gohan's power."

Kenshin continued to drain his opponent's power, making his eyes flash faster and faster.

I can't concentrate my Ki properly, it's like I'm paralyzed. Who or what is this guy?

Suddenly the human/wolf hybrid began changing: his muscles increased in size and his body was getting bigger. When he had absorbed all the energy his body could handle, the grip with his mouth loosened and he jumped away from the boy, now standing bigger by a almost a third and his power skyrocketing.

"I've taken all the energy my body can process. You should give up, there's no way you can beat me now."

Gohan grabbed his bite injury which was covered in a thin layer of blood. He actually managed to hurt me.

"Your energy... it's so powerful, so potent. I've never felt something like this. Behold my new power, thanks to you."

He tightened his muscles and powered up all the way, creating a strong gust of wind in the process.

Wow, that's some power up. I guess the fact that I'm alive has probably given him even a bigger boost. I'll need to get serious and finish this quickly.

Kenshin attacked with such force that the ring cracked beneath his feet. The boy caught his arms, locking both of them in a struggle but Kenshin used his long feet to try and kick the half-Saiyan away. He missed as Gohan had jumped into the air and kicked him in the face, then letting his arms go and kicking him again in the stomach. When the wolf hybrid regained his balance, he opened his mouth and shot a big yellow energy blast from it. The half-Saiyan firmly held his ground and waited for the energy projectile; when it was about to hit him, he deflected it with his left arm, sending it into the air where it exploded and caused a bright flash of light.

"Is that all? With all that power inside you the attack should have been a lot more powerful."

"As you wish; your power will be your undoing."

Kenshin started charging his attack once more, but this time, he gathered all the energy he could. The ground was shaking, parts of the ring were floating around him as the attack was growing stronger. Upon reaching its peak force, Kenshin unleashed it with all its might directly at Gohan. Just like Goku, his son also extended his arms and managed to stop it and hold it in place. The arena below the boy's feet started cracking and chunks of it were incinerated by Kenshin's blast.

Time to end this, his mind was made up.

Gohan started pushing the blast back with his own energy that was coming from his hands, creating a beam struggle. Kenshin put all his power into the blast but Gohan powered up, sending even a bigger one back at his opponent until it engulfed him and sent him flying out of the ring and into the wall. A moment later, Kenshin transformed back to normal as he had used up his power boost and was all burnt and scratched.

"H-how is this possible? I've taken away much of your power."

The demi-Saiyan stepped to the edge of the arena: "You've only taken a bit, actually. It was a nice match none the less. But you should really focus on using your own power and not stealing it from others."

"Winner... Gohan! Ummm I'm afraid the next match will be delayed for a few moments until our swift "technicians" fix the ring." shouted the announcer.

. . . . .

"That was some match, Gohan. You feeling alright?" Goku asked when his son returned from the ring - what was left of it.

"It's just a scratch, dad, nothing to worry about."

"I've never seen a technique like that before. Concealing his Ki in the mist AND taking your energy. How did you manage to block his attacks?"

"Well at first I didn't as you can see," and pointed to his cut gi, "but then managed to concentrate enough to feel the movement of his Ki in the mist. The point of his attack caused a very short disturbance in the mist, and I managed to sense that and act accordingly."

"Nice thinking. You sure you don't want to get that shoulder checked?" Goku insisted.

"I'm fine, dad. Really." the boy was slightly annoyed by the fact that his dad was so worried over a little scratch.

In the meantime, the ring had already been fixed by the swift magic "technicians" and the matches were again underway. Since less and less fighters remained, both had to wait less time for their next fight. Over the next dozen of minutes, both focused their attention on the upcoming battles. The fighters were becoming more formidable as they made their way closer to the final. The one who really caught Gohan's attention was a muscular male, about the same height as his dad. It was the one that seemed familiar to him, but the demi-Saiyan couldn't remember from where. He tried sensing his Ki, but the fighter kept suppressing it because there was no need for him to power up as his opponents were no match for him.

He looks so familiar, yet I can't remember from where. I bet he knows I'm watching him, that's why his energy is being suppressed all the time.

Notes: There it is, the 17th chapter :). I have to say I've had some trouble writing this one because of so many matches taking place. The first two (for each) are short, just so you can see what happened. I didn't want to stretch it too much so I made them a little funny and goofy; strong fighter vs an entry level one. I've taken more time with the next pair of matches, since the opponents were stronger but still didn't want to spend too much time on them; just enough :D. The chapter ends just before the last pair of matches: Goku vs Shinten and Gohan vs Soldier. I decided to end it here since these matches AND the final one will be long enough to be in the next chapter: The final four.

Like always, please leave a review and let me know you opinions and thoughts :). If you see any mistakes or errors, please don't hesitate to let me know :).