Continuing The Battle Between Kuzuku and Stark...
Kuzuku and Stark didn't move from their positions as carnage filled the background behind them. They waited for each other to make a move first, hoping to predict it correctly in order to punish accordingly so they can gain an advantage. It was nerve racking, the hairs are many of the audience's backs standing up in anticipation. Kuzuku took a chance and darted his eyes towards where he can sense his wife fighting. He had to admit, he is a little concern but from what he can tell from that distance: she is winning so far. He smirked, turning his eyes back at Stark, "You better gather all the power that you can muster. From here on out, things are about to get rough!". The Saiyan cracked his knuckles while slipping out of his shirt and letting hang along with his Gi thus revealing his full muscular build.
"Are you trying to intimidate me? Don't think that a mere show of muscle will help you win this fight," Stark warned, taunting as he stood firm and well on his guard. Kuzuku chuckled in a low tone, his voice giving off a slight cocky sound to it.
"If that's the case, get ready." Kuzuku replied, his fist drawn back for a punch. Immediately he punched the air, unleashing a pure stream of air pressure toward his opponent. Stark leaped backwards, avoiding the immense air pressure as it broke ground like a grenade had exploded. But this lead him playing into the Saiyan's hands, allowing him to teleport behind him. With quick reflexes, Stark turned around swiftly and threw a counter punch to which it was blocked easily with the palm of his hand. It didn't take long for a pain to begin to settle into the universe 2 warrior's gut when Kuzuku kneed him directly in his stomach. He then punched him across the face while also leading two kick across the opposite side, only to wrap his tail his neck in order to toss him through several boulders. Kuzuku waited for a moment to where it was long enough for him to spot a few sparkling lights in the smoke. Readily, he moved out of the way: anticipating the barrage of energy waves coming towards him. However, within the concealing cloud of dust, Stark muttered, "Rinkaku Arts Variation! Fifth Kings Radiance: Pursuing Relentless Flash Cannons!".
Just immediately after he uttered those words, a barrage of energy waves came flying out of the smoke, dispersing it so that it could be clearing visible for all. At first, it looked as if they were going in a straight line until Kuzuku noticed that they were beginning to bend towards his direction. His eyes widened with utmost realization, "Shit they are homing!". Hurriedly, his feet began to pick up pace as it struck the ground rapidly. He ran faster and faster as the waves chased him wherever he went. Kuzuku looked back as he saw them getting closer and closer. He cursed under his breath once he was forced to flip over one of the waves that nearly struck his foot. Once he regained ground, his feet skid, allowing him to gain enough time to place both fists on the ground. He looked up at the pursuing energy waves and began to vibrate his Ki rapidly.
"Kami's Dragon Tremor!" Kuzuku roared, the vibrating Ki dispersing against the ground with a momentary pause in not only the aftermath but also Stark's relentless energy blast. In mere milliseconds, the energy waves and ground both shattered into nothing, a violent earthquake shaking the arena with it generated force. Kuzuku breathed in relief once it all settled down but he wasn't out of the clear just yet. He looked towards the air, noticing that Stark had already taken the high ground. The universe 2 warrior fired numerous energy blast at the Saiyan, hoping that he didn't notice his aerial advantage but little did he know that he did take notice. Kuzuku avoided the several energy blasts with a series of flips, retaliating not too long after with several Ki blasts of his own. Stark began to fast fall to the ground immediately, performing several aerial flips in order to avoid a direct hit. Once he landed on the ground, he noticed quickly that he was surrounded by several afterimages of Kuzuku each one performing a different movement.
"You think that's enough to trick me?" Stark asked, not believing for a second that this would be anywhere near close to catching him off guard. He began frantically firing several Primary Flash Cannons at the afterimages in an attempt to draw out the real one. But once he fired the last one, he soon realized the predicament he was in, especially when he looked upwards. The thing he saw was a pouring rain of light before it came crashing down on him, explosions happening continuously as they clashed against the ground. Meanwhile, Kuzuku floated above it all, his body slowly descending to the ground as flight was disabled. At first he thought he got him with that little trick he just pulled. From someone who knew Goku long enough, they knew that was similar to the move he used to pull when he was a kid in those tournaments long ago. Despite that, his moments of success was short live as out of nowhere, Stark had kicked him in his back, pushing him through several pillar before blasting him with a energy wave. Kuzuku howled in pain, colliding into a rock structure that would soon collapse on top of him. Stark landed not too far from the collision sight, only to have the debris get blown off the Saiyan before his very eyes. Kuzuku dusted himself off and straighten himself while spitting out some blood in his mouth.
"Now that was impressive speed...," Kuzuku complimented, cracking his neck as he was now stiff in some areas.
Stark let his aura emit a bit, "Now you see the trouble you're in? I was already strong before but thanks to the complete master of the Ninth King's Radiance, the flow of Rou has drastically increased thus amplifying my power to new heights.". Kuzuku chuckled, crossing his arms at his statement.
"Don't think I am giving in yet...," Kuzuku warned.
He uncrossed his arms and powered up some more, startling Stark with the sudden gust of wind, "You'd be surprise, this is nowhere near my limit!". Kuzuku roared, power up his aura to where it first double and then tripled in size. The ground began to shatter each time before he got ready to dash. Stark's eyes widened, side stepping just before the Saiyan took off towards him. His speed blew the dust away to the side as he passed by, leaving the universe 2 warrior to stare at the Saiyan who stopped abruptly. His eyes darted back at the warrior, the orange glow oozing off some light.
"All I need is one fatal opening and it's all over!" Kuzuku claimed, the tone of his voice growing even more serious. Instantly, the two vanished, only to appear to have clashed fists. A large ball of energy enveloped them both until it revealed them to be exchange blow for blow at high speeds. Having the advantage of instant transmission was handy in this situation as Kuzuku teleported behind Stark in order to kick him away while firing several energy waves. Stark flipped himself several times, the blasts missing by a slight hair due to his flexibility until he landed back on his feet to unleash another energy wave. He extended out his finger, this time a slightly static energy ball appearing on it.
"Rinkaku Arts Variation, First King's Radiance: Merciless Primary Cannon!" Stark roared, firing a larger version of his previous incarnation of that attack. Not only that, it was also unbelievably fast for some reason, forcing Kuzuku to do nothing else but cross his arms in hopes that it doesn't hurt to much. The wave collided, pushing the Saiyan back through several pillars of debris and exploded in a straight line. Stark watched the dust clear slowly, it suddenly bursting away due to the immense flare of Ki that erupted. It was faint but he could tell who it clearly was. He was bruised most definitely but he still had a lot of fight left in him.
Kuzuku relaxed his muscles while also calming his Ki, "Now that hurt, but you better hope that wasn't your strongest attack.". Without warning, Kuzuku closed the distance between them, his fist already near his face. Stark quickly blocked the punch with his forearm, the ground breaking due to the impact. The Saiyan smirked, pushing his arm to the side and locking hands to create some sort of struggle. Stark growled, throwing another punch but it was easily caught, the excess energy shattering the ground again. Kuzuku then took the opportunity to smack the side of his ribs with his tail, causing him to keel over to the side a bit to allow him to uppercut him in the chin. While he was stunned, Kuzuku side kicked him in his stomach to get some distance to continue the rush. Little did he know that Stark had flipped backwards while preparing an attack of his own.
"Rinkaku Arts Variation, Third King's Radiance: Radiating Tempest Shredders!" Stark shouted, kicking his legs upwards to unleash more violent energy slicers. Kuzuku grumbled, jumping side to side to avoid the first two while leaping over the last one. He landed back on his feet, blocking the upcoming kick aimed to the side of his head. Brushing off his kick to the side, Kuzuku took the chance to deal in some blows, decking him twice in the face before kneeing him in the chin while getting him a few times in the stomach with a couple of side kicks. Kuzuku spun around once he dealt the last kick, unleashing a powerful shockwave with a Kiai that sent him flying back a bit. He then teleported behind him with instant transmission, blasting him in the back to where he was flown into the air. Kuzuku chased him, not letting up his assault for a second. But it was short lived once Kuzuku felt his arm being grabbed before he had even thrown the punch. He caught a glimpse of Stark's glare before he was thrown to the ground, crashing like a meteor falling from the sky.
He groaned, the smoke covering his vision slightly, "Okay, now that's a new wake up call...". He knew that this wasn't going to be an easy fight but he'd didn't expect it to be this chaotic.
Back With Gohan And The Others...
Gohan and 17 didn't have much of a struggle dealing with their match up. For instance, Bollarator attempted to launch a rapid fire of punches at the Saiyan but none of his attacks made it's target, leaving him open for a strong jab at his metal body. The robot tumbled backwards, leaving some distance between them. Gohan's eyes darted behind him, noticing that Koitsukai was behind him, the green eye shining blue. The half-breed noticed this quickly, dodging out of the beam he had fired. The beam exploded on contact, forcing Gohan to shield with his arms crossed, though, not too long after: Bollarator jumped through the rubble with his long arms spinning in a rapid motion. Without much time to prepare, Gohan was dealt continuous blows to his guard, his posture nearly faltering. The half-sayain closed his eyes to bare with the pain until he roared, breaking the robots attack with his sheer power. Gohan's eyes shot open, his face turning into a scowl, "Now it's my turn! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!".
He unleashed a relentless barrage of punches that pushed him back before kicking him right into a wall. To maintain control of the fight, Gohan rushed towards him with speeds that would dwarf how he was moving before, his leg ready to make a dent in the robot. But unexpectedly, Bollarator moved out of the way, almost predetermined on what Gohan was going to do. His eyes widened, his leg crashing into the wall that Bollarator was previous leaning on with no trace of him. As the rubble fell around him, Gohan looked around desperately, his hearing at high alert. It didn't take long for him to turn around to block the punch from behind. His feet skid, trying to hold back the robot from pressing further. That was when he forgot about his friend, only noticing him when he felt a burning sensation on his back. He howled in pain, looking behind him to see Koitsukai continuously blasting him in the back. After a dozen or so shots, Gohan decided he had enough.
"I'VE. HAD. ENOUGH!" Gohan roared, flaring his Ki to even higher levels. The mere shockwave blew them both back as he powered to new levels. 17, who was fending off Panchia with his barrier, noticed the son of Goku getting all fired up in the heat of battle. He smirked, knowing that it was just like father and son. He turned back to his opponent, his face going from a easy-going expression to a serious, deadpan one. His barrier deactivated, leaving him to leap over one of Panchia large punches before disappearing from his sights. Panchia looked around aimlessly, unaware as to where 17 went. One after another, without rest, 17 began to leap from rock to rock in almost untraceable speeds. The robot couldn't seem to perceive what was happening until it's body collapsed to one of its sides. It looked down to see that it's leg was scraped. Then it's left torso, and then the side of it's head, until it finally dawned that it was being attacked from all angles. 17 was so much faster on his feet that it didn't notice at first that he was continuously moving around the open area, abusing the rubble and dealing in blows without it noticing. It didn't take long for the robot to fall to both of it's knees, allowing 17 to leap forward with a Ki blast in hand. At first, you'd think it'd be over with just that until Panchia miraculously deflected the attack to the side, shocking the android a bit before he was knocked away with a punch to the gut. 17 crashed into a wall, the rubble and debris falling on his head. He moved it out the way to see Panchia standing in it's previous position.
He paused, taking in on what had just happened, "It countered, even when the metal body was damaged greatly. It didn't seem like it could keep up with my speed but it waited for a moment where it could strike and dodge with minimal movement.". Panchia took a step forward, it's eyes displaying something weird. 17's mouth became agape a little bit before he smiled.
"I get it now...," 17 muttered, getting up and dusting his sleeves off. The two dashed toward each other, a blind clash erupting from them both. On another side of things, 21 was dealing with the cyborg with a flurry of punches. Bell through some back but he had a slight difficulty keeping up which was why he went for a roundhouse kick to her thigh. However, 21 flipped over him in time, managing to get his behind him with his back wide open. The cyborg grunted, turning around just in time to cross his arms and block the flurry of punches again. With each blow, his feet moved progressively backwards until he was now stuck in a corner. 21 smiled, believing that she had victory in her grasp. With one last push, her fist hurled towards his face. However, her eyes were shocked when he managed to weave out of the way. The rock behind him shattered as the two locked eyes, one completely bewildered and the other gaining a smug look to it. Within a fraction of a second, 21 felt a energy pulse rocket her through several boulders before she collided into a pillar. She gagged, not knowing what had exactly happened. Piles of rubble laid beneath her as she tried to hoist herself up. Once she managed to do that, she saw Bell coming towards her again. Believing that it was a fluke, she dashed in carelessly, exchange blow for blow with the cyborg. This time, she was now having difficulty keeping up, her punches and kicks either missing their target or countered with utmost precision all the while taking in hits to open parts of her body. Bell snickered, side kicking her in the gut and knocking the wind out of her. She gasped for air as she flew back a bit, clutching her stomach to ease the pain. She landed on her feet, looking up to reveal blood leaking out of her mouth while one eye was closed while trying to cope with the pain. At first, 21 obviously noticed the satisfied face that Bell was wearing, but, she noticed that his eyes had various symbols as the green implants began to glow. She was confused, until she figured it out herself.
21 couldn't help but mutter in realization, "An analytical/data interface implanted in the eyes?". Bell's face turned into a surprised look as to how she had figured that out so quickly.
"You're quite observant," Bell noted, her observation skills still leaving him in awe.
21 stood up, clutching her arm but she never took her eyes off him for a second, "Well I am a scientist myself. But from what I can assume, the fact that you were able to somehow counter effectively and keep up with my speed without getting much stronger was because you were gathering data. Data on things like habits, body language, movements, eye coordination, strength and weaknesses, anything that allow you to gain an edge of your opponent.". Bell paused for a moment before applauding sarcastically. He even laughed a little, annoying the majin a bit with his attitude.
"Bravo! You've figured it out! The implants I've received not only made me stronger but also I am able to collect data on my opponents through observations. The three creations of the great Paparoni also have this function and they relay the fight data to each other as well," Bell explained, his amused demeanor dialing down. He looked to the side, noticing that despite that, Bollarator, Koitsuke, and Panchia were still having trouble dealing with Gohan and 17.
Bell shrugged, "But it seems that despite that, those two are well beyond their capacity. I'll just have to finish you quickly!". Bell took a stance, getting ready to charge in until a voice called out to him from behind.
"There will be no need for that, Bell!" The mysterious voice commanded. 21 peered up to who was talking. What she saw was old man with purple skin and pointed eyes holding a staff. His white hair was curly with a matching goatee. His white business suit and red neckerchief all went well with the fancy look he was going as his monocle reflected the light to where his right eye was barely visible.
Bell turned around and got on one knee, bowing in respect at the scientist before him, "It's a pleasure to be in your presence, Doctor Paparoni.". Paparoni twirled his staff before placing the wooden end on the ground, snickering with utmost confidence.
"You're humbleness always oozes my heart Bell. You'd need not to worry about my three prideful creations. They are capable of one last thing. Behold!" Paparoni exclaimed, raising his staff into the air. The blue orb shined brightly, gaining the attention of Gohan and 17 who had kicked away their adversaries. They looked up in union, wondering what exactly was going on until the three robots flew into the air with their jet rockets. First Panchia retracted it's limbs and connected on top of Bollarator before Koitsuke finished the transformation on top. Upon completion, a powerful tornado formed, covering the robot's new appearance as it landed on the ground. Gohan and 17 felt their feet slid against the ground as they shielded themselves from the winds, only catching a glimpse of a green light coming out of the tornado. The wind structure dispersed, revealing the combined form of the three robots.
"What is this?!" Gohan wondered, troubled by the combination they had just witnessed.
Paparoni began to laugh maniacally, "Behold the creation formed by combining my three, brilliant masterpieces together. Now, Koichiarator! Show them why you should be feared!". Koichiarator's eyes shined, taking off in a dash towards the two warriors of universe 7. His speed took them off guard, leading them before to be arm slammed through several piles of debris. Gohan and 17 groaned before simultaneously blasting the robot in it's ribs, losing its grip so they can break free by leaping into the air. The two landed individually on separate rocks, both observing the robot turn around to look up at them. Koichiarator then fired a green energy beam at the two, forcing them to jump out of the way. They watched the rock they were previously standing on get disintegrated into nothing but this left 17 wide open for a attack from behind. Koichiarator displayed speeds that you would commonly misjudge for its size, sneaking up on the android and smacking him to the ground like a volleyball spike.
"17!" Gohan cried, unaware of the fact that he was struck across the face with its giant fist. The half-breed hollered, rocketing through several pillars as his back sound slide across the ground. He impacted into a red boulder, the smoke covering his status and condition but from what 21 could tell: that attack definitely hurt. She watched as the robot inched closer and closer to where Gohan was. A Kamehameha shot out of the rubble, colliding into Koichiarator and pushed it back a bit before exploding. The smoke surrounding Gohan faded, revealing some scratches on his body. Meanwhile, Koichiarator was also revealed to be fine as well.
He growled, gritting his teeth from the results of his attack, "He's now got a sturdier body as well. This is most certainly not going to be easy.".
"Well, we never expected that it was going to be easy at this point of the tournament now did we?" 17 replied, landing next to him almost unscathed. Gohan could only assume that he managed to put up a barrier for a split second in order to minimize the damage.
"Yeah you could say that again...," He muttered. They watched Koichiarator take step by step towards them, the cloud of smoke covering its feet.
Gohan took a stance, powering up even more, "I guess we'll just have to fight him straight up with no tricks!". The two dashed at him at the same time, their fists instantly colliding with the robot's enormous ones. In less of a second, they broke out into a all out clash, neither side letting up the aggression. Paparoni watched the spectacle, snickering to himself in amusement.
"Everything is now going accordingly. Bell, I'll leave this to you. With your victory, universe 3 will be one step closer to victory!" Paparoni proclaimed, leaving them to go observe Koichiarator's fight more than his. Bell smiled darkly, cracking his knuckles. 21 didn't change her expression, only popping her shoulder back into place before getting ready to fight again.
Now With Caulifla and Cabba...
"RAAAAAAAAAAAGH! Take this!" Caulifla roared, kicking Ribrianne in the side of her stomach with bone crushing force. Ribrianne cried in pain before landing on the side of a rock, leaping back towards Caulifla who was chasing her down. The two clashed in the middle, their arms generating enough force to break the surrounding rubble.
The two broke out in a clash within the smoke with Caulifla gaining the edge. In one fell swoop, she deflected a punch to the side and decked the magic girl in the face. She rocketed to the ground, falling hard enough on her back to create a crater. Without giving her much time to recover, Caulifla rammed her foot into her stomach, causing her eyes to bulge before kicking her upwards so that she can kick her again into a wall. Ribrianne groaned, her back sliding against the rubble a bit before she looked up to see a red energy wave coming towards her. She quickly jumped out of the way, leaving the wave to disintegrate the pillar behind her but before she could realize it, she noticed it heading straight towards Rozie who was gasping for air.
Her eyes widened with shock and she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Rozie, move out of the way!". But it was too late, by the time she turned around she was already doomed. Cabba was quick enough to react, jumping over the wave as it pushed Rozie across the arena. She screamed, unable to do anything about her current situation. There was nothing left she could do, leaving her to fall off the stage to be eliminated. Ribrianne landed back on the ground, tears filling her eyes from her friend's demise. She turned around, scowling at the female Super Saiyan.
"How dare you! In the name of love, you'll pay for that dearly!" Ribrianne shouted, rushing towards the Saiyan women with her pink fiery Ki. Caulifla smirked until she felt herself get grabbed from behind. She turned her head to see a old man with dressed in a red hero suit and white cap.
He glared daggers at Caulifla, "You'll will not hurt our mistress!". Ribrianne smiled happily that he was still around, holding her adversary down so she can get in a free hit.
"Thank you, Zarbuto! We'll avenge Rozie together!" Ribrianne cheered, spinning around rapidly until she looked like a bowling ball. Caulifla struggled to get free and almost succeeded until someone came out of nowhere to interrupt, kicking Zarbuto out of the way and allowing her to leap away. Ribrianne rolled past her and the mysterious warrior who saved her target, stopping to see who it was.
"Sorry, but he just left himself wide open," the man said cheerfully as he watched Zarbuto fly across the stage and out of bounce. Caulifla turned to see who it was, her eyes widening a bit. His spiky hair and blue shirt along with the orange pants were all too familiar.
Caulifla step forward to confirm her suspicions, only to have it to be true when his black eyes turned to her, "It's you!". Goku chuckled, scratching the back of his neck as he was found out right away. Cabba, who was not too far away, awed at the Saiyan's entrance. So much so that he didn't notice Zirloin and Rabanra trying to attack him from behind.
"Move you idiot!" a voice cried out, warning Cabba of their presence. In one swift motion, the Saiyan ducked under the punch aimed at his head and kicked Rabanra in the gut while spin kicking Zirloin into him. He flipped backwards, firing his Galick Gun at the two, blasting them both off the stage with ease. He sighed with relief of the fact that he could of been eliminated right then and there. He heard footsteps and turned around to see who was approaching, only to meet eyes with the prince himself.
He ran over, stopping in front of the prince of Saiyans, "Master, were you the one who warned me about those fighters. If so th-!". His sentence stopped abruptly as soon as he felt a knee placed firmly in his stomach. Cabba gagged, coughing out saliva and wheezed heavily.
"Pathetic, don't you dare go letting your guard down like that again! You hear me!" Vegeta scolded. Cabba groaned until his facial expression morphed into a smile. He chuckled, despite the harsh treatment he received he knew that this was his way of training him.
"Righ...Right! Master...," He groaned, getting himself up from his knees. He stumbled a bit, the effect of the blow taking its toll but still he stood strong. Vegeta huffed, turning his back to walk away. Cabba became confused. He wanted to run after him but he know he couldn't. In fact, he didn't have to. Vegeta stopped momentarily and turned towards his so called "student".
His gaze was something of a wild animal, one with enough determination and will to achieve what it wants, "Remember this Cabba. Until the very end, fight. Fight with every ounce of strength you have left, win or lose. Just know that when all this is over, I'll obtain the Super Dragon Balls and revive your universe so you can keep the promise you made to me.". With that said, Vegeta disappeared, leaving the young Saiyan to soak in his words.
Back with Caulifla and Goku, the two shared a moment of silence as they waited for Ribrianne's next move. She was all alone, and at this point she might as well jump off the ledge. Caulifla was perplexed, unknowing as to why Goku had returned. It was almost annoying, "What do you think you're doing! I don't require your help with this, I had it all under control!". Goku chuckled again, point his finger at Ribrianne who was glaring daggers at the two.
"If that's the case, mind taking her down for now? Then after that, I'll explain why I am here." Goku pointed, reminding her that Ribrianne was their last fighter. Caulifla was about to protest before complying with his request, firing a large energy wave past Goku and towards the remaining fighter of universe 2. Ribrianne panicked, unable to move away in time as the blast consumed her. She screamed in agony as she flew off the stage, thus becoming the last elimination. Pell and Jerez looked with shock at the fact that in a span of seconds, their last five fighters fell one by one. The Grand Priest cleared his throat and raised one hand into the air.
"Universe 2's 10 fighters have been eliminated. Thus meaning they are now going to be erased from the tournament." He declared, signaling both Zeno's to commence the erasure. As their bodies began to glow, they sat in silence as the 3 magical girls were reverted back to their normal 's eyes were locked upon the fallen universe her were getting ready to say their goodbyes.
Ribrianne's expression was blank, her hair shadowing her face but yet, a smile formed, "Everyone, I guess this is as far as our love will take us. Thank you, for fighting alongside me in the name of love.". Rozie and Kakunsa looked at her comrade with teary eyes and hugged her, the three of them crying as fate would have it but smiling to be together one last time before...
*Whoosh!*
They were gone, nothing left of them. But judging by their facial expression, they at least got erased with a clear conscious. From what had just happened, it showed that even having numbers meant nothing to someone or something that had overwhelming power. In a fraction of a few seconds, a universe's team was dismantled. In a fraction of a few seconds, a universe was erased. But despite all that, the remaining fighters continued to hold on to their fighting spirits, hoping that they'd make it out of this alive.
Caulifla then turned to Goku, her eyes tempting him to answer her question now, "Now tell me, why are you here.".
"Well...," Goku said in a low tone, turning his attention to a sudden explosion nearby. The Saiyan women also did the same, realizing the real reason why he was there. Somewhere else, away from their own battle was another one that became raging hot with intensity that could be felt miles upon miles away. A battle between two people who had the will to keep on fighting to protect something they cared about.
A/N: Well at least universe 2 is finally gone. You could say they met a quick end with pretty much a few blasts and punches but the point was to show how fast a situation can turn for the worse. Not only that, I don't think you guys would of wanted to see fights with Ribrianne of all people and I originally wanted to add the pretty black hole scene but I felt that at this stage, it wouldn't have mattered considering Vegeta or Frieza would of taken them out considering how active they are.