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Chapter 18:
THE FINAL FOUR
It's been about a month or so since I've updated this story. Reasons? Well, I was preoccupied with other things and had to take a short break to recharge my creative batteries :D. But despite the short break, I'm not sure how often a month I'll be updating. I will try to go for 2 chapters a month but no promises. Am kind of focusing on other things at the moment, so the story might be a little neglected. It's easier if I receive some feedback; it's additional motivation :).
Last time on Consumed by the past:
Goku and Gohan have managed to advance all the way to the semi-final. Both encountered some weak and some formidable opponents, but nothing that could match their firepower. As they were nearing the grand finale, both were anxious to finally fight one another. But before that, they need to defeat one more opponent each; Goku Shinten and Gohan Soldier. How will the fights go and is there a chance one might not make it to the finals - continue reading.
Semifinals
The number of contestants decreased even more and now only 4 remained: Goku VS Shinten and Gohan VS Soldier. The winners of these upcoming matches shall reach the final, where only one will emerge victorious and be the Champion of the Other World Tournament. Neither Goku nor Gohan have had a strong opponent to fight. There were a few surprises like Tanhan, Myriad and especially Kenshin who actually managed to inflict a wound on Gohan's shoulder. But who were the fighters that made it to the semifinals?
One is Shinten, a highly skilled martial artist, at least what he's demonstrated so far. He is about the same height as Goku but a bit slimmer. His body is covered with a uniform: black shirt and a dark purple vest over it, black belt with some sort of insignia on it, dark purple pants, black fingerless gloves and dark grey boots. His specialty: hand-to-hand combat and Ki manipulation; or in other words, a perfect opponent for Goku. He hasn't demonstrated much up until now; just that he's fast, dexterous and strong to a some degree; the same approach Goku and Gohan have also used.
The other contestant was only known as "Soldier" as he hasn't provided any other personal information about himself. Unlike Shinten, he was tall and muscular; even more than Goku. This fighter also used the same tactic as the aforementioned; hiding his true strength and potential until facing the right opponent. It wasn't just Gohan who kept observing this fighter, it was also the other way around. Soldier kept a close eye on the boy like he was trying to find a weakness in his defense or just simply wanting to figure out his true strength. His outfit was nothing special; just a dark blue t-shirt covered by a light blue vest and he wore dark blue gloves. His pants seemed like jeans, but they were actually dark blue rigid military trousers with brown boots. Everything about him felt familiar to Gohan but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember why.
. . . . .
The wait was over and the first semi-final match was about to begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen. The first semi-final match will be between Goku and Shinten. Fighters, please step into the ring and get ready!" the announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena.
"Well... this is it." the older Saiyan said to himself and took off towards the ring.
His son shouted behind him "Good luck, dad!"
Both contestants entered the ring and the crowd cheered wildly. The tension was rising as the tournament was getting closer to the final battle. The winner of this one shall earn his place in the grand finale. Both Goku and Shinten landed in the ring, eager to fight their opponent. Shinten had closely observed Goku and his son during their matches and knows they are most probably capable of dishing out a lot more power. Gohan's tail intrigued him; hence the question to Goku.
"You and the boy are Saiyans, right?"
"You know of them?"
"Who doesn't? And I also know you've been hiding your power. I've seen what Saiyans are capable of."
"You're pretty strong too but I'm certain you haven't shown your true strength yet."
"Then I guess we both still have surprises up your sleeves."
The announcer finally gave the signal for the battle to commence and Shinten didn't waste a second. He pushed himself off the ground and attacked Goku with shocking speed. Their right arms clashed, creating a weak shockwave that really got the crowd's attention. After the initial assault from Shinten, he continued his ferocious attacks against Goku. Both participants started exchanging blows both in air and on ground; none of them having an obvious advantage. The intense battle reached the point where both were giving their best, unintentionally wrecking the ring which was full of cracks and holes. At one point both just floated in the air, having a safe distance between them.
"It seems we are an even match." Goku commended Shinten.
"For now. But I grow tired of this. I suggest we skip this little warm-up and go straight to serious fighting."
"By all means. Shall I go Super Saiyan then?"
Shinten was surprised "You can? Let's see it."
Goku clenched his fists and released a sudden burst of energy; transforming into a Super Saiyan. The crowd was shocked by the transformation and Gohan's face had a little smile on it.
Things are starting to get serious, he thought.
"I'm impressed, but now, it's my turn." were Shinten's word.
He started shouting and powering up until his body was devoured by a blinding white light. When it dissipated, Goku and Gohan were stunned; Shinten had become a Super Saiyan too!
"W-what? You too? I didn't know you're a Saiyan." Goku's eyes shot wide open.
"I'm not... I'm a half Saiyan, half Shinzoku."
"That's explains why you know so much about us and why your Ki manipulation is as good as mine. You have a tail too?"
He smiled and his tail unraveled itself from around his waist, under his uniform until it protruded from his pants at the back.
"As you can see, I do. And please, spare your efforts trying to grab it; I've trained it."
"Heh, I'm getting really excited about this battle. Let's start round two then."
They disappeared from their current location and started fighting in the air all over the place. The crowd couldn't keep up with their speed; they could only hear and feel the shockwaves Goku and Shinten were causing with their kicks and punches. While their fighting was going on, Gohan didn't have any difficulties seeing them.
He is a half Saiyan AND a Super Saiyan!? His power is impressive but I doubt he's using his full strength. He seems to be as strong as dad but I know he is definitely holding back; his power at the moment isn't even as high as when he had fought Cell.
Right at that moment someone slammed into the ring, causing a crater and a mild shockwave. Parts of the ring were sent flying all over the place and a big cloud of dust engulfed the point of impact. Gohan knew who had crashed but the crowd went silent in the anticipation of finding out who it was. When the big cloud of dust dissipated, the figure that had crashed was revealed; it was Goku! He lifted himself back on his two feet and wiped off a bit of blood from his mouth. Meanwhile Shinten was charging one of his energy attacks and unleashed it against his opponent; it was a green energy wave that resembled the Kamehameha. Goku had no choice but to use his Shunkanidou, however, when he tried locking on to Shinten's energy signature, he couldn't for some unknown reason. In the last second he crossed his arms in front of him and took the blast head on.
When the beam collided with its target, it caused an immense explosion that engulfed almost the entire ring. After the bright flash subsided, Goku was still standing, although all scratched, burnt and with tiny wounds on his arms, face and neck. The top part of his gi was gone and only the dark blue shirt remained; all burnt and a bit torn.
That was close. I could have been blown right from the ring. Why couldn't I lock on to his energy signature?
His son also noticed what had just happened but decided to remain quiet. He knew his dad was an excellent fighter with lots and lots of experience but taking an energy beam like that head on; something just didn't feel right.
Shinten remained floating in the air "I'm impressed. You managed to withstand my attack and still stand on your feet."
"Don't worry, I'm not planning on becoming your target practice."
His opponent smiled back, knowing that Goku, since he's a Saiyan, most probably hasn't shown his true strength yet; and the same thing was going through Goku's mind as well. The Saiyan dashed towards his opponent, ready to start "round three" of their intense battle. Right before he reached Shinten, he fired an energy blast right at him, forcing him to deflect it, while he surprised him from the left side, slamming his right fist into his cheek. Goku immediately roundhouse kicked him in the chest and landed an uppercut to Shinten's chin; sending him a couple of meters further into the air. The Saiyan followed in hot pursuit, trying to use the Shunkanidou to surprise his opponent, but, again, was not able to lock on to his energy.
Shinten recovered from Goku's onslaught and was determined to return the favor. Goku's power and speed did increase but the demi-Shinzoku powered up to his max, revealing his yellow aura around his body, matching his opponent's power. The battle had just become even more intense as both Super Saiyans clashed with an enormous amount of power. They engaged in hand-to-hand combat, delivering punches and kicks at an unbelievable speed. The crowd had lost sight of them; even the announcer was baffled.
"Ummm I'm not sure what's happening or who's winning, but from the sound of the shockwaves, It must be an intense battle!
Finally they appeared just above the ring in a locked hands position, struggling to overpower one another. Now even Shinten's uniform was a bit cut and torn from the battle, missing a piece here and there that were incinerated by Goku's blasts. Clearly Shinten started struggling and Goku had noticed why. He head-butted the demi-Saiyan, making him stagger, then slamming his right fist deep into his stomach and kicking him to the edge of the ring, not far from where Gohan was watching the fight.
He's reached his limit; no use in prolonging the battle, dad, Goku's son thought.
The full-blooded Saiyan, surprisingly, was thinking the same thing. Meanwhile, Shinten was angry and upset by how poorly he performed against Goku and decided to use his secret technique.
"What's the matter, Saiyan? Come at me and finish the battle. I will never yield."
"You've fought very well, but you're right, it's time we end this."
And just as Shinten wanted, he pushed himself from the ground, charging at his opponent with full speed.
Shinten smiled when Goku was almost upon him, when he extended his arms and unleashed a strange yellow-white electricity-type attack that hit Goku and almost completely paralyzed him; grinding his movement to a halt.
"Argghhh, what's this? I can hardly move."
"You fell right into my trap." Shinten laughed. "I've managed to paralyze you with my ultimate technique, rendering you defenseless."
He started charging energy in his left hand, clearly going for the finishing blow. Goku was running out of time fast but there wasn't much he could do; he could hardly move let alone defend or attack. He flexed his muscles and started powering up; trying to break free.
"I'm afraid you're too late. I'm ending this... NOW!" Shinten said and fired a huge Ki blast from his hand.
The energy wave shot through Goku's location and flew out of the arena, exploding high in the sky. The crowd went silent from shock and anticipation. A few seconds later the announcer declared out-of bounds for someone.
"Winner... ... ... Goku!" shouted the announcer with an exciting voice.
Shinten was on the ground next to a cracked wall behind him which he had hit just moments ago.
"How?! How did you manage to teleport?!" was his first reaction.
Goku smiled "It took me a while to figure out what was happening, but in the end it was clear that you somehow managed to block me from locking on to your energy signature."
"That still doesn't explain how you teleported away from my blast."
"I managed to break free from you technique... if I hadn't, I would have lost for sure. And because Gohan was standing not far from you, I used his energy signature and teleported between you and him and used my Kamehameha to blast you from the ring."
"Tsch, I hate to admit it, but that was hell of a plan."
Goku landed near Shinten and helped him up "None of that would have happened if I hadn't broken free from your attack. You're one of the best fighters I've ever fought against. It was a privilege."
"Heh, I guess I was a bit too arrogant just because I ascended to a Super Saiyan. Guess I still have quite a few more tricks to learn. Thank you for this wonderful battle and I wish you good luck in the final against whomever will win the next match."
Goku leaned closer and whispered "I already know my son will win."
"That's your son? Now that you mention it, there is some resemblance. I don't want to sound rude, and thank heavens he doesn't have one, but he doesn't have a halo which means he's not dead."
"Oh yeah, that; it's a long story. Maybe next time when we meet again I'll explain." the Saiyan smiled.
"And you think he can beat that Soldier guy?"
"To be honest, I think he can defeat me too, hahahaha."
"Heh, you truly are a very peculiar character. Well, good luck then."
. . . . .
"Wow, you really had me worried for a second, dad." his son said the moment Goku landed in the waiting area.
"Yeah, I know. That technique really caught me by surprise. Luckily I was able to break free and use my Shunkanidou to teleport away.
"Umm, about that. You had plenty of chances of using it before, but you didn't. I know there's a reason because you'd never take a blast like that head on without a reason."
"I don't know how to explain it, but I could never get a lock on his energy signature; it's like he is able to block the attempt or instantly suppress it... I honestly don't know. If it weren't for you standing here, I wouldn't be able to teleport."
"Huh? You mean you used my Ki to teleport right before the blast hit you?"
"Yep. Luckily I was able to teleport just the right distance from you so I was still close enough to Shinten. and blast him out of the ring."
"Very clever, dad." he smiled.
During their conversation, the "technicians" started repairing the ring... again. It was mostly cracked and parts of it were missing because of Goku's and Shinten's intense battle. Once it was completely repaired and in "working" order, the announcer's task was to step in it and continue the tournament.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Now that the arena has been repaired... again, I would kindly ask Soldier and Gohan to step into the ring. This is the last semi-final match. Whoever wins will go against Goku for the title of Grand Champion."
"This is it, son. The last obstacle between you and me. Don't underestimate your opponent." was his father's advice.
Gohan nodded and made his way to the ring.
. . . . .
Both contestants entered the ring and the crowd was a bit skeptic. Soldier was practically towering over Gohan and to the untrained eye, it seemed that this battle was extremely unfair: a boy versus a muscular giant. The demi-Saiyan couldn't stop staring at him; it was like their eyes were locked onto one another the moment they stepped into the arena. The announcer was a bit hesitant and also looked at Gohan, but the boy nodded back, giving him a signal to start the battle. With that said, the announcer lifted his arm and the battle commenced; but the fighters remained stationary. Neither of them spoke or moved for a couple of seconds, until Soldier broke the silence.
"Don't you remember me?"
Gohan was a bit surprised by the question, "You look familiar, but I can't remember from where."
"You don't remember? YOU DON'T REMEMBER!? Let me refresh your memory. Wanasa."
The moment Soldier mentioned Wanasa, Gohan's mind felt like it hit solid ground.
"Oh no, you're... you're..." he stuttered.
"That's right, I'm one of the many you slaughtered not long ago. You MURDERER!"
The boy relived the whole event in his mind in a fraction of a second. It sent shivers down his spine and his eyes shot wide open.
"I'm... I'm terribly sorry... I... my words will never be enough to express my deepest apologies for what I've done on Wanasa. I was... controlled by Endou and couldn't help myself."
"Tsch, I don't want to hear your excuses. And let me tell you something you probably don't know. We weren't a military institution, we were a research facility for the betterment of our race. The only military thing were our defenses which kept us safe for hundreds of years. And I was a part of that defense, a self defense force if you prefer. The facility had a peaceful mission; to improve the quality of life of Wanasans; researching new technology to help us repel invaders and to make our lives better. We are a non-aggressive race; all the military was for defensive purposes only and they had helped numerous species who asked for assistance either for protection or medications, food, shelter and so on. The Super Soldiers, as we were called, were noble soldiers who enrolled into the augmentation program; we helped our people with anything they asked for, protected them from enemies and were loved by our people - we were heroes. Until you came and killed us... them in cold-blood."
The boy started having flashbacks; clearly remembering the screams of all the people he literally incinerated with his blasts. Some were pleading to let them live, but he didn't listen nor did he care. It all started coming back; the guilt, the emotional pain, the helplessness.
Soldier turned to the announcer, "Hey you! How can a murderer compete in this tournament? We've all done a lot of good in our lives, that's why we're allowed to keep our physical forms and fight here. But him... he massacred my people!"
The announcer scratched his head, "Well, ummm, you see... the North Kaioshin allowed him to stay and participate. That's all I know and there's nothing I can do about it. Kaioshins are above all; they make the rules."
The crowd was silent; trying to hear the conversation between Gohan and Soldier.
"Murderer!", someone shouted from the crowd.
"You slaughtered us. Ban him! Punish him!" someone else said.
"He killed my brothers and friends with his bare hands." another one yelled.
"Please, guests, there's no need for comments like that. I'm sure the East Kaioshin has a good reason for this. I can't disqualify him unless he is out-of-bounds or can't fight anymore." the announcer tried calming down a few angry individuals.
Goku knew very well what his son had done on Wanasa and it seemed that Soldier guy was right in the middle of it when it happened.
"GOHAN! Don't listen to him. We both know what happened and it's not something you're proud of. You were controlled and used. Focus on the battle at hand and after the tournament, you'll help the East Kaioshin catch that Shingo character."
His son had heard his words and turned to him, "I... I know... I'll..."
The boy couldn't finish his sentence because Soldier had already rushed to him and head-butted Gohan right in the forehead, making it bleed instantly; knocking him on the ground near the edge.
"I'll defeat you no matter what!" Soldier shouted while preparing for his next attack.
He's faster than ever. I can't beat him unless I turn Super Saiyan.
As this was his only choice, he clenched his fists and instantly transformed into a Super Saiyan. His power skyrocketed but Goku felt something was different; Gohan's energy felt, well, not entirely his own. It was like it was a bit altered; but only slightly.
Hmmm, that's strange. That's not the energy I remember; he's changed. I sense the presence of another Ki signature in him; intermixed with his own energy. What have they done to you, son?
"I was waiting for you to transform, but you look different now. The last time your aura was purple and now it's yellow." was Soldier's observation.
"I'll be honest; I can't beat you unless I transform. And as for the color, this is the real deal; the purple color was there because I was mind controlled."
"Explain yourself all you want but you're still a murderer to me!"
Gohan prepared for another of Soldier's attacks; the guy was enraged and determined to beat Gohan no matter what. Their fists clashed in an extremely quick and fast battle. The crowd lost sight of them both as they started fighting above the arena. Even though Soldier was tall and muscular, his speed was rivaling Gohan's. The hand-to-hand battle was intense; both being equal in speed and power. Gohan tried punching him in the gut, but Soldier blocked the attempt ant took a swing at the boy with his right arm which Gohan managed to deflect with his left one. Since Soldier was much taller, his arms and legs were longer than Gohan's, giving him the upper hand of being able to strike from a greater distance than the boy.
In the midst of their battle, Gohan's opponent managed to grab his shoulder, still injured from the previous match, and squeezing it as hard as he could, making Gohan scream in pain; losing his concentration, hence receiving a punch in the face and a knee directly in to the stomach. Soldier again tightened his grip on injured shoulder but Gohan managed to withstand the pain this time. Sadly, his opponent had noticed his little rebellion and slammed a powerful Ki blast into his chest, causing him to hit the ground with such force, it created a shallow and wide impact crater. Such an attack, of course, didn't have much of a effect on the little boy, except for a burnt shirt and gi on his torso. His right shoulder, on the other hand, was a little less lucky - Soldier managed to deepen the wound and make it a bit worse.
Gohan was angry while getting up from the ground. Not because Soldier had surprised him with the initial attack, but because how he exploited his shoulder injury. He grabbed the injury, trying to at least partially stop the bleeding. His opponent had a smirk on his face; enjoying every second of the fight. His feet touched the ground seconds later but his arms remained crossed on his muscular chest.
"Does it hurt, boy? I sure hope so!"
"Tsch, that was a very dirty move. I should have anticipated something like this."
"I must say, for a boy, you're incredibly strong. But I know there's much more to your power; I've seen it. Unless you were stronger when that creep was, how did you say it, mind-controlling you?"
What's Gohan doing? This isn't him. The way the opponent surprised him; he should have anticipated most of his attacks and counterattacks. Is he afraid or is that guy just playing mind games with him? Either way, that shoulder injury could pose a disadvantage if he doesn't defeat his opponent in the next few minutes, was going through Goku's mind.
"I can't take back my actions... I'm deeply, truly sorry. It's not easy for me either; constantly hearing those voices in my head and remembering everything I've done on that day. I've seen it all but could do nothing about it," Gohan apologized while looking at the ground with tears in his eyes, "but believe me, I would never do such a horrible thing on my own. I'm... so sorry."
"Not easy for you? For YOU?! The compound also had the best hospital on the planet... where... where my son and daughter were located."
Gohan's eyes shot wide open and his pupils shrunk from the shock.
"They were diagnosed with a rare disease and were accepted into the institute's medical facilities. The scientists had developed a cure for it just weeks prior that. Both were being treated when... ... the building was blown up by you! They DIED along with other Wanasans in there. YOU KILLED THEM ALL!"
Goku's son was standing motionless, just staring at a random point behind Soldier. His expression had shock and despair written all over it. His hands and feet started shaking the moment tears began pouring from his teal eyes. Soon after, he fell on his knees and arms; powerless - the shock practically paralyzed his entire body.
. . . . .
Meanwhile, Kaio-sama joined Goku in the waiting area besides the ring.
"This is not looking good, Goku. It's all coming back to him and It's only been days since he had witnessed those horrors. His mind and spirit are far from healed."
"I know, Kaio-sama, I know. He's been through so much in the past few months. First Cell, then that Endou person and now this. I hope my decision to stay here wasn't a completely idiotic one. I just wanted the Earth to be safe but is seems I've done the quite opposite and made Gohan the new target."
"You can't blame everything on yourself, Goku. Gohan is adapting to the changes that are occurring in his life - your decision being a major one but not the only one. As far as the others have said, he's been trying to carry on your legacy and he won't settle for anything less. He's growing up and is determined to protect the ones he loves, but his is still very young and needs to learn from his mistakes."
"I know what you mean. His fighting style is completely different from the one I thought him; it looks like a mixture of mine and someone else's. His movements are more precise and swift, but I'm probably only scratching the surface here. He still hasn't gone Super Saiyan 2 or shown any special attacks or techniques. He's saving all that for me which is smart thinking but if he doesn't get his emotions under control, he's going to lose the match. That guy is strong enough to send him out of the ring in an instant. Damn, I wish I could help him somehow, but I can't."
"Well, there is one thing, actually." he smiled.
"What is it, Kaio-sama?" the Saiyan said in surprise.
"Despite that the Earth and Namekian Dragon Balls are incomplete, but when Kaioshin-sama will get the two missing ones back, the Namekian ones can be used to revive the Wanasans and then the Earthlings, who were killed by Cell. That's the only way I can think of for Gohan to redeem himself and bury the hatchet with the Wanasans."
"You're right! We just need to get the stolen Dragon Balls back and everything will be fine." Goku's face lit up. He started shouting to his son, "GOHAN! The Dragon Balls! We can use them to revive everyone!"
. . . . .
Soldier decided to end Gohan's struggle and charged at him with full speed. Up to this point Gohan was completely powerless - the guilt was, again, too much for him. But alas, his ears received a message from his dad which reignited a spark of hope. As his mind was processing Goku's words, time practically stopped for the boy.
The Dragon Balls? B-but they are incomplete... How can we use them? ... ... ... Kaioshin-sama and Kibito, of course! With their help I can get them back from Endou. ... Endou... I will NEVER forgive you for what you've made me do. I'll find you and the stolen Dragon Balls!
Time "resumed" and Soldier was almost just in front of him, ready to knock the boy out of the ring. The moment he wanted to kick Gohan out, a golden aura engulfed the boy. A surge of power made its way to every part of the demi-Saiyan's body, lifting his fighting spirit. He blocked Soldier's kick with his right arm, which sent debris flying around both of them; creating a little cloud of dust and crushed parts of the ring. The crowd went silent - no one knew what had actually happened since their vision was obscured by the cloud of dust.
"How did you do that?! You were almost defeated... almost lying on the ground!" Soldier said immediately after his attack was blocked.
"It doesn't matter All that matters is that I never wanted to fight or kill Wanasans."
Soldier retreated a few steps back, almost admiring Gohan's golden aura and the power it was emitting.
"But you did it anyway. I can't forgive you for that nor I ever will. You might have powered up but I'm not a quitter."
"Just hear me out," the boy shouted, "I can never undo my actions BUT I can bring everyone back."
"You're lying. How dare you say something like that!"
"It's true! We have something called the Dragon Balls which can grant any wish. As a matter of fact we intend to resurrect my people too."
"I don't trust murderers. I'm here to defeat you in any way I can. That's at least what I can do for my people!"
"FINE! Let's end this right now!"
The boy rushed to his opponent with shocking speed and Soldier did the same. They grabbed one another's hands which then became locked - it was a stalemate, or so it seemed. Soldier tried kicking Gohan, since his legs were much longer, but the boy just defended with his own.
"There's only one way you'll listen to me." the young Super Saiyan told his opponent and started pushing him back, slowly.
Soldier mustered all his strength and managed to stop Gohan's advance but the half-Saiyan had another surprise. He sent out a short scream, making his aura flare even more and started pushing his opponent faster and faster. It was too late now; his power couldn't be matched nor could he get his hands free; or do anything else for that matter. When they reached the edge of the ring, Gohan made one final push and just slammed his opponent into the ground, making the announcer shout out-of bounds.
"Soldier is out, Gohan is the winner!" he shouted.
The boy immediately powered down to his base form and took a step back.
"Now, will you please listen?" he asked.
"Like I have a choice."
"What I said in the ring is true. It will take some time... I don't know how long actually... but I promise I will bring back all those people, including your daughter and son. And again, I'm so sorry for what I've done."
"I must admit, I never imagined you'd win by just pushing me out. I guess you really don't want to fight me in a way I wanted to fight you. I'll be honest; I don't exactly trust you, but if there is a slim chance you can really bring them all back, I'm willing to take that risk."
Gohan made a deep bow, "Thank you. I will ask Kaio-sama if he can keep you informed."
"Now go and get ready for the final match. I intend to watch it." he said and walked away from him.
. . . . .
Gohan landed next to his dad and Kaio-sama.
"Phew, you had me worried for a second, son. Especially in the end; I thought you kinda, ummm, lost it." he smiled.
"I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, dad."
"Ah, don't worry. I'm glad everything turned out alright. I have to say that was some power and you didn't even go Super Saiyan 2."
"You know I'm saving everything for our match." the boy winked at him.
"That makes two of us, heh."
Gohan turned to Kaio-sama, "Kaio-sama, I have a little favor to ask. My opponent, I promised to wish back the people that... khm... I killed. Will you be able to maintain contact with him on my behalf?"
"Sure, Gohan. If there's anything you would like to tell him when you're back on Earth, feel free to let me know. You did the right thing. I hope you'll get the Dragon Balls back soon."
Just then, the announcer approached them.
"Congratulations you two for making it to the final round. If you don't mind, our rejuvenation team will take a look at those injuries before you begin your match. We want both of you to be in your tip-top shape for the grand finale. "
A team of healers escorted both of them to a chamber while the announcer stepped back into the ring.
"Ladies and gentlemen! We are taking a short break before the grand final. Please use this time for snacks, beverages and bathroom breaks."
Notes:
I know, I know, you probably wanted to see Gohan and Goku fight in this chapter :D. I was thinking of putting it in, but the chapter just got so long, so I decided not to and just have their fight as a separate chapter. As I have said at the beginning, I will try to go for 2 chapters a month. Frankly, the last few chapters got very few reviews which is definitely not a motivation, but I can't blame you, the readers, for anything :). I hope you liked this chapter, even though it was overdue about 2 to 3 weeks. Please leave a review if you like/disliked it :). Cheers.