Chapter Sixty-one: The Last of Mercenary Tao

The wind whistled through the trees beneath Korin Tower as Mercenary Tao scaled the wall. He did not clamber on hand and foot, but rather simply ran straight upwards without looking down or to the side. He was climbing faster than the fastest vehicle in all the land could drive on a flat plane, and yet still he could see no sign of the top.

'All this hard work.' he muttered 'You'd think they could carve some steps.'

Below Yamcha's wounds were being tended to. The bleeding had been stopped, but nasty marks remained on him. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. 'Puar, any chance this isn't going to leave a scar?'

'Sorry Yamcha.' said Puar 'You're lucky he didn't put out an eye.'

'I can't take all this waiting.' said Upa. 'There has to be something we can do.'

'Forget it, kid,' said Yamcha 'the sacred water isn't going to do Tao any good. If you ever climb up there yourself you'll find out why. I didn't want to keep fighting him with blood covering my left eye, so I figure I'll let him exhaust himself climbing up then beat him to a pulp once he gets back.' He stood up. 'Hey Puar, let's go hunt something. It's been a while since we camped out hasn't it?'

'Yeah Yamcha,' said Puar 'I kind of miss the desert.'

'Well we can go back sometime.' said Yamcha. 'When all this is over.'

Later as they eat a newly caught meal of meat in the dying light, Upa did not seem to eat as enthusiastically. Actually, he wasn't eating at all. 'Something wrong, Upa?' asked Puar.

'I'm really worried.' he said 'I'll bet he's made it all the way to the top already.'

'Don't worry about it.' said Yamcha 'I told you, he's only wearing himself out.'

'Oh I get it.' said Upa 'The sacred water must only work for good people like you, Yamcha.'

'Sure let's go with that.' said Yamcha 'Hey, I'm going to bed. Wake me up when Tao gets back.'

'Okay.' said Upa.

Tao. Was. Still. Running.

It was dark now. The dead of night and yet still he scaled ever faster to no avail. On and on it went and no matter how hard he pumped his legs there was still more tower to climb. Morning dawned as his legs ached in exhaustion. Finally, he saw it and smiled.

'Ah, at last!' he cried. 'The tower! The water is mine!'

Leaping through the entrance he found himself within what appeared to be a living room. It was not what he had expected, but he did not much care. 'Who in their right mind would live in such a place?'

Turning to scan the room he saw three jars capped with wooden tops. 'Ah, here we are.'

He approached the center jar and removed it. There was water within, but there was nothing special he could see about it. Nor could he sense it. 'Looks like tap water to me.'

Then something strange happened. He suddenly saw the body of a man. A man he had killed with a punch. Soon there came another, and another, and another after that. A parade of corpses cut down in all stages of life seemed to dance past his eyes. Men, women and children. None had been spared.

He had killed them. Slaughtered them all without a second thought?

Why did it suddenly matter to him? They were weak, and therefore worthless. He saw the most recent of them, the tailor and then the savage. Then it was gone. Tao was left, mulling it over. Something about what he had seen troubled him, and he did not know why.

'What is this thing?' he asked.

'Yeah,' said a sarcastic voice 'does a number on a guilty conscience, doesn't it?'

Guilty conscience? Was that what he was feeling? He turned around to see a fluffy white cat, carrying a staff. He did not seem as he appeared. 'Who might you be?'

'I'm Korin,' said the cat 'keeper of the tower.'

'Korin?' asked Tao 'You?' What a remarkable anticlimax.

'That's right.' said the cat 'You're not from around here are you? You'd be nice to show some respect.'

Tao moved forward and put his hands behind his back. Once again the images went through his mind and he tried to shake them off. 'That's quite an ego for a little kitty.'

'Kitty?' asked Korin 'Is that supposed to be your idea of a joke?'

Tao pushed aside the images and reached out to snatch Korin. But the cat seemed to move without moving and was just out of reach. 'I've had enough of this conversation.'

'The sacred water is powerless without me.' said Korin 'Strange to find someone you can't afford to kill, isn't it?'

'Hand it over.' said Tao.

'Fine then.' said Korin 'Kneel over there and look at the wall. Now.'

'You can't order me around.' snapped Tao.

'No ones allowed to see me draw the water.' said Korin 'That's just the way it's done. You got a problem with that head back home and face my last customer.'

The cats disrespect irritated Tao. It infuriated him, and the images of all those he had killed still wormed through his memory. He decided he'd just cooperate. 'Get on with it, then.'

Walking over to the wall Tao sat down crosslegged.

'If I recall correctly I told you to kneel!' snapped Korin.

'Whatever,' snapped Tao 'but don't try to give me some fake stuff or it's filet meow for dinner.' He shifted his position to a kneel while he let Korin work.

He really hadn't had to kill them, had he? He didn't feel bad about killing them, they had been insects. But Yamcha had been right. Mercenary Tao did not need the money he got from assassinations. Nor did it provide him with any meaningful practice. He did not benefit from his trade. His early life had been one mad scramble for greater power, and then when he had achieved it he had become an assassin to pass the time.

Should that mean something to him? Had he just been wasting his time?

'Here you go.' said Korin.

Tao turned around and saw a simple cup of water. He snatched it from the cat and looked at it. 'It's real sacred water?'

'Yes,' said Korin 'made from the very same batch which made the bandit stronger.'

Tao growled. He shouldn't have to go through all this just to beat some kid. He'd have to take steps once he was done here. Tao put the cup down.

'Not to your liking?' asked Korin.

Tao stood up. 'No, I need to test my strength first.'

'You really don't want a piece of this.' said Korin, readying his staff.

'No,' said Tao, looking around. 'I'll spar with that pillar over there!' He raised a finger to the pillar. 'Dodon ray!' The beam shot from his finger and hit the pillar. It washed over it.

Then nothing. Not a scratch. That had been Tao's strongest blast. What was this place made of? 'Now that's a strong column.'

'Well, it is sacred stone.' mused Korin 'It doesn't get much stronger than sacred stone.'

'So if the water is genuine and I drink it I will be able to break the pole to bits with no trouble at all, right?' asked Tao.

'I'm sure you will be very happy with the results of your little test.' said Korin.

Tao took up the cup and raised it. However, as he did so he heard the sound of a drop hitting water. Looking to the jar he made his way over to it. There, at the base of the tower, Tao saw a boy. The boy he had left fatherless without a second thought. He hadn't even needed to kill him, his father could not have even inconvenienced Tao for all his strength. Why had he done it? For pride? Wrath?

Sadism. Tao enjoyed others helplessness. He liked affirming that he was greater than them, greater than anyone. That he was the greatest. And their fear was that affirmation. It hadn't always been like that. Once he'd been young, ambitious, but he hadn't regarded those weaker than him as worms in the mud. Had he truly made progress?

'One of the brats.' said Tao.

'It seems hopeless…' said the boy 'By now he must be ten times stronger. Yamcha won't be able to beat him anymore.'

A vision of Bora, yes that had been his name, impaled with his own spear and falling beset Tao and he took a step backward. What was this Tao was feeling? Guilt? Sympathy? Unacceptable. He crushed it downwards and turned to Korin, keeping his composure. He was not so weak as to have second thoughts now. How to make use of this vision?

'Hmm,' he said 'he happens to be standing in just the right spot. If the water doesn't work out, and you'd better hope it does, I'll drop this pot on his head.'

'That's a pretty weird and disgusting idea, big guy.' said Korin.

'Well, why don't we see if I have to resort to that?' said Tao, and he drank from the water. The guilt passed. The hesitation passed. All remnants of sympathy and weakness were purged from his mind as he downed that water.

He threw the empty cup down and it shattered.

'Now the proof!' snapped Tao.

'Remember that it's a very thick column.' said Korin.

'It's the moment of truth.' snapped Tao.

He fired it dodon ray and it hit the pillar head-on. There was an explosion and the pillar remained where it was. It cracked slightly. That was it? That was the extent of the improvement? White hot rage rushed through his veins.

'You will pay dearly for trying to fool me?!' roared Tao.

He turned to the jar and picked it up.

'Just settle down.' said Korin, voice holding a note of contempt.

'I'll calm down when you produce the sacred water!' snapped Tao.

'Listen,' said Korin 'the so-called sacred water is only plain tap water and that's exactly the same thing the bandit drank when he was here.'

Tap water? Was it possible that the bandit had gained such power merely by believing he had it? Ridiculous! 'I'm done playing around!' roared Tao 'Stop lying or I swear I'll drop this thing!' And he hoisted the jar.

There was a crack and Tao turned. Behind him, the pillar had splintered and broken into thousands of tiny pieces.

'Wow, look.' said Korin 'It just took a little while for your ray to take its full effect on the stone.'

Pleasure surged through Tao and he put down the jar and smiled as he stood to his full height. 'I'm going to pulverize that miserable bandit this time! You can count on it!'

Turning away from that fool Korin he made his way over to the exit. It was time to pay back his dues, once and for all.

'Wait.' said Korin, voice holding an authority. Tao found he was almost forced to turn round to face the cat. 'You want a lift?' He raised a staff and out from the sky came a large black cloud. 'I offer free limo service.'

'I'm supposed to ride on this?' asked Tao.

'Coming down from here is almost as tough as going up.' said Korin 'You don't want to waste all your energy on the way down, do ya?'

Tao leaped on in satisfaction. Part of him wondered why Korin should provide such help. However, he crushed it down. He was invincible now. He leaped onto the cloud. 'It looks like the bandit's date with destruction has arrived early.'

And he surged away and down towards earth.

Yamcha awoke that morning and began to stretch in preparation for his rematch. As he did so Upa and Puar watched in worry. When he had finished he looked at them. 'You guys alright?'

'Yamcha,' said Puar 'what if the water does work for Tao? What then?'

'Puar,' said Yamcha 'it's fine. There is nothing to worry about.'

Korin stared down at the world in a contemplative mood. It had been a long time since he'd seen someone cross over into a state of pure evil. It was more than merely doing evil acts or a mindset. To become pure evil one had to totally alienate oneself from everything good. To complete devote your soul to the doing of evil in one way or another.

Of course, Tao had been on his way there for years. He'd never exactly been what one could call a saint, but he'd had good qualities. Over the years he'd beaten them down beneath wave after wave of misdeeds. That look into the well had rallied them.

It hadn't been that threatening Upa was the worst thing that Tao had ever done. It was his mindset. For the first time in years, the assassin had listened to what his conscience had to say, listened to that little voice in his mind that had always been there. He'd heard it out, considered it, and then went right back to atrocities.

His pride was too great to change.

Not that Korin had been placing any bets on Tao's redemption, but it was still a bit depressing. It made what he was about to do all the sweeter, however. It had been quick thinking lending him Korin's pure evil Nimbus Cloud. He didn't need Tao getting any stronger from the trip down.

The Nimbus itself had been something Korin had learned long ago. He'd learned to use it by forcing himself into a mindset of pure evil. It hadn't been easy, and getting out of it had been a real chore. A very unpleasant business, but like most unpleasant things Korin learned from the experience. Which is more than could be said for Tao.

Tao was now very near the ground. Near enough, so he could be seen.

'And now!' said Korin.

The Nimbus abandoned Tao, and Mercenary Tao fell to earth with a cry. He arose and looked up. 'I'll get you for that furball!'

Yeah, Korin was just shaking.

Yamcha had to admit he wasn't expecting Tao to reach the earth in quite that fashion. He must have taken a misstep towards the bottom. Either way, his loss was Yamcha's gain. He took a stance. 'Enjoy the climb down?'

'I'm in a hurry to finish you off.' said Tao. 'You fool! Now get ready to be annihilated!'

'Sure,' said Yamcha 'and I'm sure the sacred water did you a lot of good.'

Tao was shaking with rage. His expression, once stoic, was now showing his anger and Yamcha found he could read the mans thoughts easily. Now the only question was whether Tao would get control of himself.

'Do you have any last words?' asked Tao.

'I'm not going to dignify that with a response.' said Yamcha.

'Witness the power of the sacred water!' roared Tao.

The assault from Tao was sudden and predictable, but it came on much faster than Yamcha was expecting. He took a blow to the face and reeled backward. As he did so a foot struck him in the chin and sent him flying. A flying punch sent him spiraling downwards toward the ground. The pain surged through him and before he could work through it Tao was on him like a wild animal, punching him repeatedly. Then gripping him by the shirt he raised him upwards he kicked Yamcha into the air.

Yamcha was in a daze, but vaguely he could sense Tao coming. Before he could move the assassin was above him with a psychotic smirk on his face. 'This is the end!'

An elbow took Yamcha in the gut and he was sent spinning down to earth. He landed with a crash and groaned painfully as Tao came down with a knee and smashed it into his gut with an aerial assault.

Tao laughed and stood up. Yamcha played dead. That had hurt. It had hurt a lot. And the hurting was really only starting to kick in as his nervous system recovered from being knocked out of whack. Ow.

How the hell had Tao done that?! He'd spent days running up the tower just for tap water? Any strength increase he got from the climb should have been outweighed by his exhaustion. Was this the placebo effect? Had Tao become stronger simply because he believed he was stronger?

'That little glass of water made a world of difference!' cried Tao 'You're out of your league! It's too bad that you never learned to stay out of the way! You should have left the fighting to the professionals!'

Yamcha got up and savored the moment as Tao's confidence turned to a virtual freakout. The assassin made a strangled noise from his throat as Yamcha stood to his full height. He raised a sleeve to wipe the blood from his mouth. 'I wasn't expecting you to get any stronger from that. Guess that'll teach me to declare victory before I've won.'

'You're alive!' cried Upa.

'Yay, Yamcha!' said Puar.

'I've got to be dreaming!' cried Tao.

'I've been listening to you.' said Yamcha 'You're breathing makes you predictable. Now that I'm prepared for your increased speed and strength, this'll be a cinch.'

'I will crush you!' roared Tao.

Yamcha charged with a cry. He moved aside from one of Tao's punches and got him in the stomach in return. The strike sent him sliding backward, leaving a trail of dirt behind his feet. As he reeled Yamcha leaped into the air and came down, roundhouse kicking Tao in the face, then catching him by the foot as he flew backward. Swinging the assassin around like a ragdoll he smashed him against the ground.
'Great job!' cried Upa.

'You're the best Yamcha!' said Puar.

Tao arose, eyes wide and bruised all over. He struggled to even arise beneath the beating he'd received, while Yamcha was hardly affected. Yamcha considered giving the man the chance to back down. Then he remembered Bora lying dead on the ground.

'WOLF FANG-'

'I give up!' cried Tao, falling to his knees. 'You win. I admit my defeat. Please forgive me. I'm sorry.' And he bowed.

Yamcha halted. He wanted this guy dead. Kami knew the bastard deserved it, and there was a good chance this was just a trick. He'd probably come back to attack him later. Yet… Tao could have had the exact same reasoning when Yamcha had barged into that room. One move and he'd have been dead.

'I'll never hurt anyone again.' said Tao.

Yamcha looked to Upa, who didn't say anything.

'Please let me go.' said Tao, voice pitiful.

'…Get out of here.' said Yamcha 'If I ever catch you hurting people again I'll cut you to pieces.'

Then Tao laughed and arose, drawing out a grenade. 'Accept this apology!' He hurled it and leaped into the air. 'Sayonara you fool!'

Yamcha had no idea if the device might actually hurt him, but he wasn't going to take the chance. With a movement, he caught the device and with a spin redirected its momentum straight towards Tao.

The notorious mercenary let out a scream that was cut off by an enormous explosion. The trees shook and bent beneath the force as a light greater than the sun flared across the countryside. Yamcha shielded his eyes as it passed, then looked up. When he gazed upwards there was no sign of Mercenary Tao.

He looked to Puar as the smoke settled.

'You won!' cried Puar 'You beat Mercenary Tao!'

'Hooray!' cried Upa.

'Yeah,' said Yamcha 'and I'm not done yet. Right now there's nobody in the world who can stop me and I know where I'm going next.'

'Where?' asked Puar.

'We're going to rescue our friends.' said Yamcha 'And destroy the Red Ribbon Army once and for all!'

'But how are we going to find them?' asked Puar.

'Easy,' said Yamcha 'they've got a whole bunch of dragonballs right now. So I'll just follow the radar to them. Don't worry kid, as soon as we've got our friends and the dragonballs back we'll come back here and wish your dad back.'

'Great!' said Upa 'You're an awesome warrior, Yamcha.'

'Um, okay…' said Puar 'Yamcha.'

'Yeah?' asked Yamcha.

'We may have… kind of… sort of… lost all our capsules in the crash.' said Puar.

'Oh.' said Yamcha 'Erm… Upa do you have any plane capsules?'

'What's a plane?' asked Upa.

This did not bode well.

Authors Note:

Okay and Mercenary Tao is out of here. I quite enjoyed writing this chapter, even if it was somewhat delayed. I like writing villains in a contemplative mood, and this chapter gave me a chance to examine Tao. There were a couple of additional minor alterations to canon. For one thing, I'm pretty sure that Tao doesn't climb the tower in the original manga. Moreover, Korin never really gets caught by Goku in canon, he just makes a misstep.

I thus decided to portray Korin as being totally in control of the situation and more or less humoring Tao, since logically Korin should have been able to give Tao a run for his money in a fight.