Yo! Son Goku and friends! Saiyan Saga (Chapter 28)
Yulin VS Muramasse
Objective: Not many other objectives at the moment!
Tien emitted a fierce anticipation, all three eyes strained on the new person of interest. She took on a pseudo crane stance. She stood tall on her right leg and cocked her left into a raised position even though it looked like a compromised stance, arms tucked at a 90 degree angle each at her sides.
"Can she fly? Why is she posed like that?"
"We'll see." Raditz responded, also gaining interest.
Muramasse just stood with arms out wide, his large stature stood even taller and wider than Giran's. His purple samurai armour and green sash a formidable defence, especially compared to Yulin's loose green toga-like fit and chest wraps. Yulin's left leg stalled in the air with a lot of hang-time before it tapped rhythmically on the ground, her muscles flexed and the veins starting to show clearly. She stared with an insurmountable amount of fire in her eyes. Muramasse nodded and let out a stray breath through his nostrils. Yulin's previous red skirt and black boots were gone in favour of yellow kung fu pants with a crane design on the sides in black, matching with her black kung fu shoes that looked suspiciously like PaoPao's.
Tien couldn't take his eyes off this match, trying his hardest to remember.
"Who is this girl?"
"Hah-Hah! Yes! She sounded pissed too! I wonder what you did to scorn her, Three Eyes!? A former lay, perhaps!?"
"No. You idiot. I don't even have time for stuff like that." Tien shook his head at the bombastic laughter from Raditz.
Mic blinked a few times then lowered his shades in a dramatic fashion before shoving them right back into position over the bridge of his nose.
"You know you guys can fight now, right!?"
The pair endeavored to continue their staredown well after The Announcer tried to force the issue.
"Looks like we have an old fashioned draw! Which one of these westerados will draw their gun first!? Our competitors have been all action today so this is a welcome change of~"
As Mic was talking Muramasse sniped the moment Yulin tapped her left foot on the ground, launching from his starting position to pressure the shift in footwork.
WHUMM!
It didn't work, Yulin slamming her left leg into his stomach off the rebound and toppling the beast in one critical blow. She smiled with some swagger and backed off.
"Ha-ha-Haa~" She cackled like a witch before spinning back around with a dancer-like flair to her movements.
"Wow! One! I can't believe what I'm seeing! In one hit she just brought him down like it was nothing! Two! Three!"
Muramasse twitched and put his bear claw on the tile, standing up in a slight daze.
"Four!" Mic shouted, his eyes showing with some optimism.
The bear shot out a nod, much to Mic's fervor.
"We're back on! Fight!"
Yulin waited for no one this time around, dashing with reckless abandon, straight at her foe. In an impressive display Muramasse knocked her one right back, his meaty left fist crunching her nose up like a paper bag before blasting her onto the tile. The spirited Jiang Shi practitioner kipped off the tile in a backhandspring before rubbing her nose with her right hand, a sharp brow and a scowl accompanying the action.
She stood up straight and cracked her knuckles before rearing her hand back in a 90 degree angle. All three of Tien's eyes lit up immediately in response.
"Dodon Ray!" She screeched in a definitively feminine shrill and the yellow line passed right through his shoulder, a spray of blood shooting out sharply.
Muramasse grunted and Yulin wouldn't let up, covering as fast as she could in four strong skips off the tile. The bear attempted to break out on his right side, but somehow, Yulin already stood parallel with the bear before dashing in another kip off the tile, landing a distinct left elbow on his maw as she maintained eye contact with the audience.
"I…" Tien grunted while furrowing his brow.
It was made clear enough as she reared back her hands into crane beaks and launched a veritable volley of jabs with her index and middle fingers. Yulin walked Muramass off the steps and onto the bricks calmly, the only thing Muramasse was able to do was sit there and watch. Tien raised his brows with an even more impressed look about him. It was almost as if he was watching in slow motion. His third eye was so focused, he saw it.
Every strike Yulin launched out of her barrage was slower than how Tien utilised it, not just because she wasn't as fast or anything but instead, Yulin deliberately cocked each jab in the Dodon firing stance before striking causing more ebb and flow in place of the machine gun like impact.
In a last ditch effort Muramasse winded back his wide wingspan to grapple the mysterious crane practitioner but Yulin's attacking style was well implemented, as soon as she saw him twitch, her left jab she had prepared shifted gears.
"Dodon Ray!"
"Of course!" He shouted involuntarily. "How could I be so stupid!?" He proclaimed.
He legitimately didn't know who Yulin was, only criticising his own lack of creativity.
"That's the form." He nodded, crossing his arms as a declaration as the second thin beam passed through the bear.
Yulin turned to the side and thrusted a harsh left leg onto his samurai armour, denting it inwards as he fell onto the bricks.
"What a fast match! That's just how determined this woman is! Great job, everyone raise your hands for YUUU-RIIIIIN!"
Yulin shook her head once before walking in a b-line towards Tien, her sly smirk saying a lot without having said anything. Tien just blinked a few times as she filed in next to him.
"You're next."
Tien said nothing, preemptively walking into the ring with a headbanger of a nod.
Tien VS Sapa
Objective: Try out the validity of this form!
Battle Power
8,400
"Welp. Uhm… I was going to introduce Tien second to hype him up, but here we go! He's the winner of The 22nd Budokai! Give our champion a warm welcome!"
Tien made sure to bow to the audience on all of the three sides they inhabited around the ring. His left hand clasped around his right fist as he gave respect.
"This next one'll be an interesting match-up! He's a new face but he comes from another former champion! Give it up for SAAAAAAAA-PAAAAAAAA!"
A humble brown man with masculine facial features walked with slow strides past the archway and then up the stairs.
"This power… I fear I stand no chance. How can one even learn it? The gap seems impossible…" Sapa's thoughts fired at a mile a minute as he approached the stone steps with reluctant feet.
He wore a white gi bottoms with no shoes as well as a white skirt that hung around his ankles and overtop his pants, his head recently shaved and brandishing a solitary red dot in the middle of his forehead.
"Sapa is the eldest son of King Chappa! The 20th Budokai's champion!"
The stadium screen displaying Sapa's battle power of 128 shifted to that of Chappa himself in the crowd. There wasn't just another man with a red dot, but an entire family surrounding, and even a little boy about Gohan's age. Chappa bowed his head, his impressive mane of an afro shimmering before the camera panned back to the ring. Sapa walked onto the tile and bowed to Tien, The Crane returned the favour immediately before Mic spoke up again.
"This match will determine if the machines are broken or if those pesky numbers on the screen even matter at all! A cool 8,000 points separate these two fighters but Sapa doesn't sweat it at all! Let the final bout of the first round… Begin!"
Tien took a moment to compose himself as Sapa sidled in closely. The Crane ran the calculations in his head and walked the line towards his opponent with his third eye open, miming the crane jabs beforehand. He rigidly locked his arms in position before practically teleporting before the man and harshly pointing at his guard. Sapa winced as Tien ran the trial run of his new technique. Eventually there was no more stadium to walk and Tien had already forced Sapa out of the ring.
"My days! It looks like The 22nd champion is challenging Yu-rin! He used her finishing move on his opponent in the same manner!"
Sapa looked down at his reddened arms, not really sure what happened. He blinked and it was over.
"Tough luck for the Chappa family! Looks like they'll have to wait til next year before they get another shot at championship status! Give a round of applause for our winner!"
The crowd's exuberancy didn't reach as far as previously, the nature of the squash matches not being as exciting as the first two bouts.
"Or don't. No sweat off my back." Mic straightened his tie and a bead of sweat swam down his forehead.
Tien returned back to his spot on the line and Yulin shot daggers at him, he just smiled like a bastard.
"Well folks! It's about time for an intermission, we've cleared the first round and we'll be on our way to the semi-finals in just a few! Give another round of applause for our contestants! They all fought their hearts out!"
PaoPao
Yamcha woke up dazed and confused, two green men, Goku, Krillin, and a stranger stood in front of him. The Wolf attempted to shake off his grogginess as he stood but it barely worked.
"Easy now, buddy." Goku caught Yamcha as he faltered forward, throwing The Wolf's arm over his shoulder.
"Eh-heh." Yamcha cough-laughed as the younger brother brought him over to the railing.
Goku smiled wide as he looked out into the arena.
"I lost, didn't I?"
Goku shifted his focus to Yamcha and smiled.
"You did great."
He looked down solemnly as he put his hands on the rails.
"My gosh." The girl across Krillin spoke matter of factly as she covered her mouth. "I had no idea…"
"We've been in the line of fire before, Pao, it's not new to us."
"But that's a permanent change."
Krillin nodded his head to the side.
"Can't disagree with you there. But I've already gone a year without it so I know I've got it in me."
She looked somewhat starstruck, unable to stop herself from double-taking at his arm.
"A yea'?"
Piccolo just grinned and shot a single antagonistic smile at The Wolf before he turned back around. The Demon chuckled at his pain for a moment before the taunting fun wore off almost immediately.
"How can yuu speak so casuarie about it?"
"I don't know, it's just how we are. Goku, Tien, Yamcha... all of us. I can't remember the last time we were playing it safe." The nostalgic memories he recalled forced a giggle out of him.
Goku responded in kind, laughing as well, coercing a wide grin to form before he turned to make eye contact with her.
"Your english has gotten really good."
"Yuu mean it?"
"Yes. So much better." He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he had to turn the whole way to do it since she was on his left. "I'm proud of you, learning a language is hard work. I know it'd take me forever to do something like that."
"I don't think so…" She almost whispered, blushing a little as the words left her mouth.
Krillin turned to look at her.
"Why do you~"
"You're going to live the rest of your life without dat. Dat takes determination, skill, persahverince. Erearning to get used to doing things uncomfortabrie."
"Thanks, hadn't thought about it that way."
The pair just shot curious glances back and forth for a while before Krillin stated the obvious.
"Your match is coming up in a few, you sure you don't want to get back down there?"
She tapped her index on her lip a few times before answering.
"You're right." She blinked before turning back to face Krillin. "It was nice catching up with you, friend. You really helped me back then."
"Nah. That was all you, maybe I did give you motivation but at the end of the day, it's your own hard work that gets you where you are. My friend Yamcha has come a long way in these past two years. He's that guy over there."
Yamcha raised a highly skeptical brow and he turned to face the stranger, his crossed arms still glued to the railing.
"If he didn't put in all that effort I'd be missing a whole lot more than just one arm."
"Thanks, Yamcha." PaoPao said as she waved at him from across the top box.
The Wolf blushed and turned back towards the ring.
"You're welcome."
"Well, I've got to go. Nice seeing you."
"Good seeing you too, Pao."
"Are you not going to take me down?"
"Oh! He-Hah! My bad."
Krillin swept her off her feet and leaped off the balcony, descending slowly just before the grass. She giggled before hopping out of his grasp. Pao waved one last time before lining back up near the contestant area. The turtle student floated back up slowly and was met by Piccolo's sly smile.
"You like her a lot don't you?"
"Shut up."
"Heh. Mongrel and Mongrelette, what a cute couple."
"Some new insults would be nice Piccolo, getting kind of tired of Mongrel and little man."
"Well you're both of those, Krillin, so I'm just trying to be as accurate as possible."
"Damn, that's about as crazy as Yamcha's ligma."
Piccolo raised a curious brow.
"What's ligma?"
"Ligma balls."
Yamcha absolutely lost it, stomping on the floor and totally returning to a good time instead of the doom and gloom he had.
"I can't Be-Lieeeeeeve you just did that to him, bro~" Yamcha walked over to give him a high five. "That was so fucked up and he doesn't know."
"Tcheh."
"See, Kami? He thinks he's So not whack and yet he fell for the dumbest shit Ever." Yamcha wiped away a stray tear with his finger. "Oh mah-heh-heh."
Raditz VS PaoPao
Objective: You could have probably guessed by now but we'll play nice, to win!
"What a breakout performance our two new women have had! Give it up for PAO-PAOOO!"
Pao broke out into a run and threw up two peace signs on each side as her battle power displayed on screen.
"Pao-Pao here is the clear underdog as shown by Tien, whose strength was enough to clear the hurdle that was his opponent with ease! Who's gonna reign on top this time!?"
The crowd deflated. Unease and trepidation trickled throughout the arena in soft whispers. Mic straightened his tie again and announced the other fighter.
"Raditz is another rising star whose first entry into The Tenkaichi Budokai is this year! Another breakout performance might I add as well! Well get ready contestants because it's time to~" The Announcer frantically left the ring and signalled for combat. "Begin!"
"Sorry sweetheart, but it's going to be me and my friend in the finals. You could give up now and I don't have to hurt you."
Pao just stared back with intensity before dashing with high spirits. The ring gasped in horror as Raditz backhanded her into the stadium wall without any real consideration. Krillin breathed out a harsh sign and his lip squirmed at the uncomfortable sight.
"Sorry Pao, welcome to our world."
"Uhm… Maybe we should make more subdivisions."
"Boo!"
"This ain't cool!"
"You like beating up women!?"
"Come on!" Raditz' booming voice echoed and shut the crowd up. "She entered this contest knowing the possible outcome! You're all hypocrites! Why don't you come down here and shut me up, hooligans!? OH! That's right! Because you ain't got it like I do!" He waved his hand against the crowd as if to silence them.
Goku cringed audibly as his brother strutted back to the archway with swagger. Yulin gulped down harshly after seeing Pao get slammed into the wall. Kami used his magic to prepare the wall and Piccolo fetched her unconscious body from the wreckage with a wiry limb.
"Time for our next bout!" Mic was visibly lacking in confidence now. "Let's not~ waste any time! Tien VS!"
The Crane walked out with heavy strides until he reached the ring.
"YUU-RIIIIIN!"
Tien VS Yulin
Objective: Find out who this girl is!
Yulin stared at Tien with malicious intent.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Begin!"
"No."
There was a killer pause as neither of them entered a fighting stance. Everyone could see the two conversing on the big screen as it zoomed in from above the two 'fighters'.
"But I know what you are. Crane school."
She nodded plainly with an ice cold demeanor.
"How do you know me?"
"You said women could never be real martial artists."
"I said that..?"
True confusion exited out of his being until Yulin unlocked a memory deep in his subconscious. Tien recalls the time he started his training with Master Shen at the Crane School.
"Huagh!" Tien cried out harshly as he kicked a random tree on the path. The strong roots were nonetheless uprooted with ease, scaring a nearby girl behind him.
Tien gave her a once over with a murderous scowl.
"What the hell do you want?"
"I uh…"
"Teh. I don't have time for this."
"Wait!"
"What!?"
Tien's frantic movements intimidated her as he turned around and stared at her with his menacing three eyes. He was much younger and shorter, not a toddler, but clearly not a man either.
"I thou~"
"..."
"I thought that~"
His furrowed brow provided her with great difficulty.
"I thought that you looked really cool out there today and I wanted to know if you'd train me in the crane style."
Tien shook his head, it didn't even really look like he was angry so much as he was simply checked out and annoyed.
"Look, my goal is The Tenkaichi Budokai! The crane school martial arts are the best in the world and I'm going to show everyone one day! I'm not going to waste my time showing my martial arts to a girl! Have you ever seen any women make it to the finals of The Budokai!? Never! Cause they're not strong enough! Beat it!"
"Bu- bu~"
"That's what I thought."
Yulin stood there with her tail between her legs as Tien walked away, his not-so-broad shoulders and slightly muscular back tensed up in frustration.
Tien was brought back to reality.
"That was you?"
Yulin just gave back a cold stare.
"I'm sorry…"
She neglected to answer him, taking on her stance with her left foot rhythmically tapping on the tile.
"I was a different man back then. I apologise."
She waited and the crowd leaned in with anticipation as she geared up, tapping her foot faster now.
"I don't think I'll be able to make it up to you so I'll stop trying. But I will say this: that was wrong of me, and I don't think most of those kinds of thoughts about martial arts anymore." Tien pressed both hands together and let his head hang low in shame before standing back up again.
Yulin just shook her head, even more pissed than she already was, eyes straining with bloodshot streams tightening their roots. Tien sighed deeply and slammed his left leg onto the ground in a declaration.
"Let's go!"
In a flash it was all over. Tien leaped at her and effectively just pushed her out of the ring instead of making proper contact. He held onto the top of her green gi for just a moment before he pushed her onto the grass in a declaration.
"My friends can teach you to hone your skills, if you want to compete with us you have to train with us. Though that's probably the last thing you want to hear." Tien imparted some knowledge onto her and walked away coldly, his large back facing her once again.
Yulin put on a brave face but as soon as he walked out of range wells of tears broke through their foundation.
"Da-hamn it…" She grit her teeth and tried her hardest to stop them from waterfalling, doing a pretty good job all things considered.
"It looks like we have new blood for Grand Finals! Tienshinhan's second tournament victory is a real possibility this year! Who would have thought it!? We're going to have another brief intermission to let our fighters get ready!"
The crowd was a mixed bag after the 2nd round, some hesitant while some were still genuinely excited to see the conclusion. Goku and the others spared curious glances at Pao as she rested in the back behind them.
"Relax, Krillin."
Krillin sharpened his brow at Raditz after he turned around.
"I heard him from up here, he gave her a fair warning. Her fault for not heeding it."
Krillin shot a sharp stare at The Demon and just let it be, letting the tension drive out through his lips as he exhaled.
Raditz VS Tien
Objective: Win The 24th Tenkaichi Budokai!
"This is what we've been waiting for! The final match of The 24th Tenkaichi Budokai! We've seen some ups and some downs from our fearsome competitors! Let's see if they can continue to amaze and inspire! On the left side of the bracket is…"
Raditz walked calmly onto the stage once more, taking in the sights and breathing deep.
"Hmm." He pondered as he gazed out into the many unknown faces. "The first time they seemed so impressed…" He locked eyes with the many 'fans' surrounding the fighting square, each with their own disagreement of his existence written in slightly different languages on each of their faces. "I feel like they hate me now."
"RADITSSSS!"
The older brother flapped his new hot pink hawaiian shirt and regular khaki coloured khakis. He checked his sandals by bringing them up ankle sided first.
"And his opponent on the right side of the bracket is none other than The 22nd Budokai winner… Tienshinhan!"
Tien walked to the ring much the same way, each step seeming to have careful deliberation as he peered out into the crowd. The stadium was a little appreciative but not nearly as much as the start of the day without question, at least the champion let his lesser lose while retaining dignity, and didn't yell at the crowd to shut up. At least not yet.
The Three Eyed Man marched into the middle of the ring. As he did so, Kami readjusted the tile, fixing it into position and sharpening up the more mismanaged edges. Tien hiked his left leg up and slammed it down before assuming the crane stance. Raditz responded in kind, loose and limber on his feet, bouncing up and down as he had both hands raised in an open stance.
"I have a good feeling about this one folks, let the final match of The Tenkaichi Budokai… Begin!"
Tien dashed off the tile in two short bursts trying to go all in at the start.
"This here is to determine the strongest under the heavens! 24 times we've been here! 24 times this ring has housed those who want to be the best!"
Tp. Vsh! Whump.
Raditz caught the early advance with a thumping left roundhouse. Tien palmed it in the pocket of his neck with his left hand. The Crane lifted up his foe's leg slowly and started piling on the crane jabs, he only got in three as Raditz cartwheeled off the air with his flight, the Ki sending shockwaves at Tien. As soon as The Saiyan touched ground he dashed off the tile as well. Raditz came in low and reared back his right arm to hammer in an elbow strike. The Saiyan knocked harshly against Tien's guard on the left side once before slamming it in again, thrusting The Crane's left forearm down and away.
Dmm~DMM!
"All action right away! As seen from the last two matches these fighters always put their heart in it no matter what!"
"Come on, Raditz!" Goku hollered from their high up seating.
"It would appear that The 23rd finalist wants Raditz to win! Interesting development!"
The Saiyan stepped in close as could be as he once again reared back his right arm. Tien's left guard was exposed and Raditz came crashing through with a right backhand square on his teeth. Tien forcibly stumbled to the left, following the path of his opponent's strike. Raditz smiled briefly as he gathered a small modicum of Ki in his off hand, firing at the awkward positioning his opponent held. Tien's third eye sniped the maneuver and his legs moved on their own, jumping off the tile with fervor. Raditz grit his teeth and pursued the evasive maneuver only to be stopped in his tracks.
Tien rushed down using a kick off the nothingness that was the air, slamming his left forearm against Raditz' right. They held their lines like they were clashing swords before Raditz locked in his left chamber and punched it. The Kiai impact was nonexistent and Raditz raised his brow for only a moment as The Crane bent his back and legs into a scorpion like contortion to dodge the air pocket blow. Tien yelled like a madman and brought it back in, sending his previously contorted knee into Raditz' face, launching him down to the ring in a hurry. The Saiyan's back made harsh contact on the tile before he got up in a quick rebounding backhandspring.
"These guys aren't playing around! It's time to win it!" The Announcer announced as Raditz backed away from the crater he just formulated. Kami endeavored to fix the newly remodeled space as soon as he could at each pugilistic development.
Mic's in-it voice hyped it up. He was a full grown man and he was on his feet, jumping for joy with a microphone locked into his hand. Tien landed with grace, soft winds spilling out onto the ring. Raditz hopped into position and held his bouncing muay thai stance, locking his two eyes with Three Eyes. They let it rock, dashing in wildly and clashing strikes off of each other. The wind rocked and cut sharply to the outsides of their majesty.
"I can not believe it, folks! This is as intense as Goku and Piccolo's encounter last time! They are at each other's throats!"
Tien won the exchange by shifting his weight and pivoting under a right elbow strike by Raditz, his left crane leg sliding along the tile.
Skweeeeeeeeeeee~
Tien dipped in low and jammed his own elbow into Raditz' right armpit causing an uncomfortable noise to come out of The Saiyan as he lifted off the tile.
"Ehuhnn!"
"Nail! Hammer!"
The Crane punched Raditz high into the sky after jabbing a crane strike into his adam's apple. Powerful gales rippled off the strike and Tien pursued his mark as The Saiyan flew through the air. Raditz couldn't come up with a solution in time and Tien chopped at his neck again in the same spot, a spray of spit shooting out like a water bottle as he missiled back towards the ground just as quick as he came.
"HUAGH!" Tien roared as his right knee caved in not just the tile, but ripped up the dirt and grass just outside.
Raditz barely backhandsprung in time, slightly off axis as The Crane drew his sharp eyes onto position. The sound barrier broke in a sonic boom as Tien dashed off of the now uneven corner piece of the ring.
Vsh! WHUMP! Ka~KrrrrrrrrACK!
Raditz caught Tien's advance with a spear, tackling The Crane at the pit, pecks, and neck from on his right side. Tien's eyes widened tremendously and the pair upheaved the whole layer around them, Ki tapering off and almost impacting the arena goers.
"Isn't that what it's all about folks!?"
The contact knocked Tien for a loop, spilling his ass to chalky crumblings of what was supposed to be a four-cornered arena. Raditz wiggled to his feet, almost tripping as he stepped up to the other 3/4ths of the ring. Bated breaths and sweat poured out of him in droves as he stood idly by. Tien wasn't seeing the midday clouds as The Announcer started his countdown, only stars.
"One! What an astonishing development! Two! This one has been hands from the jump!"
The arena had been kicked up to full gear, they were on their feet and cheering for this match as Tien struggled to sit up.
"Three! Oh! He's still with us! Four! Better get up, buddy, you don't have all day! Five! How about that!? We've never known any of our champions to give up so that checks out! Fight!"
Tien cracked his neck as he stepped over the threshold of the lower-lever corner and the two of them squared up once again, rotating in a tight circle on the balls of their feet.
Wsh~Fash!
Raditz went for a full commit double left roundhouse, following through and spinning in a 360 to launch the attack. Tien guided the first attempt with his right hand and ducked the high roundhouse while stepping through. He punished the offensive maneuver with a right elbow, forcing the Saiyan to tumble forward from his poor footing. He kept going with his offence, realigning Raditz with a left roundhouse of his own to stand him up front and center.
"Yeagh…" Raditz clamored through grit teeth, rebounding into position at the behest of Tien's strike.
"huuuuuuuuuAAAAAGHHH!" Tien roared like a jet engine as he rained down crane jabs from every direction.
"Oh my!" Is all The Announcer could get out under the sheer intense volume of the machine gun jabs.
Ratatatatatatatatatatatatatataatatatatatatatat~ WHOMP!
The Saiyan showed his true warrior's tenacity, knocking his head against The Crane's. The leftover claw marked wounds The Wolf gave him hours earlier opened up, shooting out bullets of blood to the tile, and Tien wasn't even the one that hit him.
"De-hahuh…" Tien gasped out as he tumbled back.
Red marks and welts were all over Raditz but he didn't care, rearing back and slamming a mean right hand onto his face to double up.
WHOKK! Skweeee~ Tomp. Tp. Tap.
Tien slid back a ways on the tile, kipping up dust as Raditz stomped heavily in chase.
"This is my tournament!" The Saiyan screamed.
Tien kept it together, clenching his teeth down hard like he wanted to crack them or something, tightening his fists to feed the tension.
"Huagh!" Fwt~WHOKK! Fwt~THOKK! Tien parried Raditz' right hand with his left, jamming in his own right to counter. The Saiyan ate it up, throwing a left cross to keep him on his toes. Tien's third eye snapped on target and he got low to duck, the whiff exposing him big time.
Raditz backpedaled after Tien's right upper and The Crane walked forward gracefully, shooting out his right leg like a piston, causing The Saiyan to fall to his knees in anguish.
"I'm, I'm~ speechless. Oh! My bad! I should have been counting! One!"
"Uooooofff…"
Raditz groaned and groaned, wheezing his heart out to get the air back in, it scampered up his wind pipe but didn't accomplish much.
"Two! Three! Four! Raditz has been kneeling in front of the champion without moving so much as an inch! That blow really rocked him! Five!"
Raditz wobbled like a booey in the ocean, fighting for every bit of it.
"What a competitor! Six! He's not gonna give up that easily! Seve-Screw it, fight!"
"Dodon Ray!"
"Yes, that's how you do it, Tien!"
"That's so crazy to me that you're really giving a shit about these mortals. You've got me all the way fucked up."
"Go back to drinking your boba and don't talk to me."
"Moody today aren't you?"
"Ah-hem."
Raditz palmed The Dodon Ray in his left hand and it sizzled greatly under the pressure, drawing a trickle of blood to the surface. Tien wouldn't let up, immediately capitalising on the weakened Saiyan with a knee lift. Raditz crumpled over, reeling from the blow. The Crane showered Raditz with a three-piece of right elbows, rocking him thoroughly and sending him toppling backwards.
THMM~DMM~WHUMM!
"Ggeh…" The Saiyan winced as he backpedaled.
"Come on, Raditz!" Goku yelled from aloft, raising his hands and jumping in a frenzy.
Tien came in close to follow-up but was sidelined as Raditz brought up his hand in a wave, sending a powerful pink Ki blast right onto him. Tien guarded just in time, rushing through the smoke with a cross arm block, thrusting the defensive stance right onto The Saiyan's collarbone. Raditz let out another grunt of discomfort during the harsh contact and Tien looked ready to finish it.
"I think Tien's ready for this to end! The crane style punches are in full force, he wants to ring out Raditz just like he has for his last two opponents! How long can our newcomer hold out!?"
The rapid fire jabs pressed against Raditz' right guard and The Saiyan grit his teeth, looking for the right angle.
"Kaio-Ken." Tien stated calmly as he rained down crane beak after crane beak, slight embers of flame tearing at his third eye as he went.
The Saiyan grunted, the veinage on his forehead ready to burst at any moment as he was pelted by the relentless offence. There was no time, Raditz went for broke, screaming his heart out in a vocal Kiai, sending winds out in a cone from his mouth.
"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAGHHH!"
Tien weathered the storm with his hands clasped together, his second pair of arms sprouting from atop his shoulderblades.
FWUOOOOOOSH! Skweeeeeeeeee~
"Volleyball fist!"
Tien prepared for his maneuver and Raditz tried to call it out by jumping preemptively.
With Kaio-Ken localised in his third eye, Tien could practically see the future.
Already in the air, Raditz was stunned and subsequently snuffed out by a fearsome chop by two right hands. The Saiyan showed true heritage resiliency by catching the winds just before ringout by grass but Tien had backups, charging up the finish.
"Kamehame~ HA!" Tien chanted quickly, unleashing a smaller, more compact version of the blue beam between his two left arms.
Raditz somehow, someway, front rolled off the air and back onto the tile in time, the grass and ground uprooted by the potent technique.
SVYUUUUUU! Ka-KOMM!
"Dah!" He cried as he threw out a chamber punch from below.
Tien realigned to meet the wind bullet but was blasted back into the aether even with four arms up to block.
POKK! Vyeeeeeeeeeeeew!
"SHINING FRIDAY!"
Tien looked on in horror as the pink hellscape of energy exploded in a volcano upwards. The Crane saw it in time, flying high above the arena and escaping just outside the blast zone. He waved off his two arms into nothingness and also to cool off the burns he sustained on his right arm as he exited. He winced as he checked his crispy wrist and forearm. Tien's Kaio-Ken was still ongoing, his third eye increasing in its bloodshot appearance and as such saw the Kiai in time.
FWUuuuuuu~
"He can shoot from all the way down there?" Tien questioned rhetorically, in awe of the accuracy.
At the last possible moment, Tien's third eye sniped Raditz coming from out of the smoke pillar up above.
"Dynamite Monday!"
DMM~WHOPP!
Tien caught the first punch skillfully, but the sheer speed caught him off guard with the second, sending him plummeting through the air.
"How telling! Half the time we couldn't even see what was happening in our previous tournaments, luckily for us we partnered with Capsule Corp!"
The big jumbotron in the middle displayed a different camera angle, completely capturing the fight with sweeping cinematography. Tien's Kaio-Ken started wearing off as his third eye actually bled, live on video, people audibly gasping.
"Damn, my man need some eyedrops!"
"HaHaHa!" The crowd around the jokester laughed in unison as the pair threw punch after punch, parrying and dodging at odd angles.
"DAH!" Raditz roared as he connected a fearsome right hand, arcs of hot pink electricity trailing off of it, Tien's Kaio-Ken flames dissipating fully.
The last blow was enough to return the fight to the arena and the first thing Tien did was backdash off the tile, using his left hand for extra oomph. Raditz landed on his knee in a statuesque pose. The Crane closed his third eye and a loose trickle of red swam down his forehead and nose as he maintained eye contact with his opponent.
"Sparks are flying in this match! Neither one of them is giving in! Who's gonna go all the way!?"
They dashed in time with each other and connected forearms.
DUMM!
They were each blown back and sidled around looking for their angles.
Fwsh~Fsh!
The air cut as Tien struck first, missing by hairs with a straight crane jab with his left hand and an upper using his right. The Crane's right arm was exposed while in close range and Raditz looked to punish the attempt, rearing back his head and thrusting a God-fearing headbutt against Tien's temple.
THUMM!
Raditz went all in trying to wrestle Tien to the ground with a judo throw, stepping past and in between his footing before turning back around to swing him. The Crane caught it expertly, scorpioning it and planting his feet flat. He shot his left leg up high, smacking The Saiyan on the brow and forcing the release of the hold. Tien spun around expertly using his flight and caught the ground in a pushup before dashing at Raditz.
"Huagh!" Tien belted as he smacked his crown onto The Saiyan's square jaw.
The Crane landed with grace and followed through with a brutal combination, setting up his finishing attack with a flurry of crane jabs into a double axe handle to the tile.
Ratatatatatatatatata~KRrrrrrrrACK!
The ring spat out chunks of concrete and stone as Raditz crash landed from the weighty knockout.
"Can you believe it!? One! What a performance! Two!"
Raditz twitched and squirmed, much to Tien's dismay. He shook his head as streams of sweat flowed down his tender skin like a river.
"You've gotta be… kidding me…" Tien laughed out, a smile in tow. "Just like his brother, huh?"
"Three! It's been an electrifying match from the start, no shame in having it end here! Four! Five! But I don't think Raditz wants it to go out like that! Six!"
The burly Saiyan hobbled to his right knee, shaking and gyrating like mad.
"Grrrr…"
"Seven!"
"I'm up, BITCH!"
"You heard the man! Fight!"
Tien was already on him, the two downs piling on quick and before he knew it Raditz was back on the ground.
"This is one for the record books! Could anyone here even see that punch!? I couldn't! One! Two! Things aren't looking so hot for our newcomer!"
"Come on!" Goku screamed his heart out, jumping down from his little alcove and onto the grass.
"Three! Whoa! The 23rd finalist is here! It's not against the rules so long as he stays on the grass! Four! Why is the man so invested!?"
Raditz looked over at his brother hollering from the sideline, jumping up and down.
"I know you can hear me!"
"Five!"
"Heh. No cheers for me, Goku?"
"Uhm… Good job, Tien." He gave a congratulatory thumbs up and smiled kind of goofily.
"Huh, who is the last champion really cheering for..?"
Tien rubbed his nape and laughed sheepishly.
"Never mind that, Six!"
"I've lost plenty of times in the tournament, Raditz!" Kakarot yelped, his brother barely comprehending as he sat up shakily, maintaining eye contact. "But is this all you can do?"
The earnestness with which his brother delivered the comment forced him onto his legs.
"Seven! What a warrior, he's standing! Eight!"
"Let's get this over with." Raditz wiped some stray blood from his mouth, Tien audibly sighing from the affair.
"Raditz is up! Fight!"
The ground underneath them trembled lightly as Kami fixed and shaped it with his magic. The pair danced around the arena and Goku got in low, almost as if he were fighting as well, dodging out of the way of attacks that definitely weren't aimed at him.
"Yeah!" Goku yelped as he front rolled over a move in time with his brother.
Tien pursued Raditz from the back after he front rolled, rearing back his right elbow.
"Damn it!" He cried out in his mind. "I don't have any Ki left! This sucks! And I just KNOW this bastard has been saving his pool for his fight after this!"
Tien clocked him right on the mouth, forcing him back. The Crane's wherewithal was difficult to handle in his weakened state and he was forced on the backpedal once again, the crane jabs walking him to the ends of the ring.
"Our 22nd champion really believes in his ring out capabilities! He'll've won the entire tournament through ring out if he forces Raditz onto the grass!"
Raditz lifted up his right knee high but Tien's third eye opened up sharply and he sidestepped with grace, blood flicking off from it. Raditz' eyes widened and Tien finished the job by bunting the burly Saiyan onto the grass with the back of his left elbow.
"And it's all over! We have a two-time champion in our midst!"
Goku squatted down low next to his brother.
"Well."
"..."
"Did you give it everything you had?"
"I… think so." He said in between gasps.
"Then we're not worrying about it, great fight, bro. NIMBUS!" Goku replied, hoisting up his brother and walking with him before jumping on the poofy orange cloud. Raditz almost fell through before his brother clung to him tightly. "Hee-hee."
"I did not come here today expecting this, I'll say that much! Everyone give our two time champion a round of applause!"
The crowd rained down support for The Crane but all Tien could do was think of the disarray of his home life.
"Phuuuuuu~" He let out in almost a whistle through his cheeks before returning through the electronic hallway, displaying his battle power of 7,360 to the audience.
"Interesting! We've seen their battle powers fluctuate all day, I wonder what that means!? Sorry folks, but we're going to have to put a pause on the matches for a word from our sponsors!"
Tien shifted his tongue around in his mouth as he looked on at the tourney goers but he couldn't keep a lid on it for long.
"Man… I don't have time for a rematch. Launch is more important than some silly prideful engagement. I won the tournament. I proved all I needed to."
The Crane walked out of sight and vanished into the blue beyond. Advertisements from Capsule Corp. played on the big screen for a long while, Oolong staring at Bulma as he sat next to her.
"What?"
"Doesn't that kinda ruin it?"
"I don't think so."
"Of course you don't, everything's goin' corporate and it's giving me tha' chafes. Can't believe you got the world martial arts tournament to sell out."
"Everything can be bought out, Oolong."
"That's what scares me."