Chapter 080 - Babidi and the King of the Demon Realm
"They're landing!" Kaioshin cried over the whistling gusts. Indeed it seemed Yamu and Spopovich, who were both only a little ways ahead of the group, were starting to descend to the ground. That meant they were now nearing their destination; Babidi and his mysterious but deadly monster lay just before them.
"Down there!" Gohan spotted a small type of building protruding out from the ground, Yamu and Spopovich approaching it on foot. The group quickly descended onto a tall outcrop overlooking the building.
"Everyone, suppress your ki," Kaioshin ordered.
"Odd, we checked this area before..." Kibito muttered more to Kaioshin or himself than anyone else.
Corset landed on a rock and peered over the ledge, lowering her ki down to zero. From what she could now see in front of them, there was a small white building, the building that'd been spotted on the approach. The ground around it had clearly been disturbed, possibly dug up because of the lack of grass or vegetation that grew. Not too far away from the strange building was a small house, alone and surrounded by daunting, steep mountains. Corset was a little anxious to see three small mounds lay sprawled across the ground near to the home; two smaller ones and one larger one. She didn't have to examine them much to realise they must have been the people who'd lived in the house. She also didn't need to search for any sign of life to know they were all dead.
In front of this small building were Spopovich and Yamu; another person stood in the entrance to this building and seemed to be talking to the two. Corset raised an eyebrow in confusion; judging by the size of this building there was only one room!
"I see someone," Goku mumbled quietly, "Is that Babidi?"
"No, just one of his minions," Kaioshin answered.
"... The ground looks like it's been dug up," Gohan mused.
"Of course!" Kibito realised. "Babidi must have buried his ship underground; that's why we never found it!"
"That means Babidi must know we're here," Kaioshin added grimly. "Why else would he bother hiding his ship?"
"We should make our move before they can use Gohan's energy to resurrect Buu," Piccolo decided.
"No, they'll come outside to resurrect Buu so their ship isn't destroyed," Kaioshin shook his head. "We'll make our move then."
"Someone's coming out!" Piccolo gasped, all eyes once again fixated on the small building before them.
Corset spotted them; two of them. The taller one had red skin and wore primarily blue and had a white cape. The shorter one looked like a bug and wore unusual clothes. She could sense the taller one had far more ki inside of him than he let on and began to shiver...
"Dabura!" Kibito gasped. "Babidi even has the king of the demon world under his power?"
"This'll make things far more difficult than I thought," Kaioshin gulped.
"Which one's Dabura?" Goku asked.
"The tall one," Kaioshin answered.
'So the short one must be Babidi,' Corset glared more closely at the tiny insect-looking being. Sure enough he had a tiny amount of ki compared to the warriors around him and his appearance gave off the impression he was weak, just as Kaioshin had said. She wondered just how strong his wizard-like powers were...
"You don't become the demon king out of niceness!" Kaioshin grumbled bringing Corset back to reality. "You may be the strongest in this world but in the demon world, Dabura has won every contest."
"D-Demon world?" Krillin spluttered nervously. "There's a whole other world of evil? I really don't like the sound of that..."
"So the short one is Babidi then?" Gohan asked though it didn't really need to be asked.
"Yes," Kaioshin nodded.
"... Hard to believe he's the one responsible for all this..." Gohan mumbled bemused.
"Don't let his physical appearance fool you," Kaioshin warned, "after all, his magic has managed to turn even Dabura into his minion!"
"His magic can overpower a foe such as him?" Piccolo asked worriedly.
"No, Babidi manipulates the evil already inside the person's soul," Kibito explained, "Dabura is an ideal candidate; his heart is full of evil intentions. That's what makes Babidi's magic so dangerous! You can't have any evil within you if you plan to fight him otherwise he'll use it to his advantage."
'No evil...' Corset gulped and glanced over at her shoulder, first to her father and then to Piccolo. She was growing concerned. Her father and Piccolo were both strong fighters and she knew if Babidi saw the potential in either of them and they turned, she wouldn't have the heart to fight them, evil or not! They were all going to have to be on their guard from the sounds of things.
"We hadn't bargained on Dabura being here," Kaioshin muttered, "This'll make things very difficult..."
"... You don't think we can win?" Vegeta muttered unimpressed. The lack of an answer brought a smile to his face, "... and the world will end if Buu is resurrected, right? Forget that; I'm not losing to them!"
Corset had to admit she agreed with her dad for once! She was worried about him and Piccolo potentially being turned against them but felt at her current state, if Dabura was the best Babidi had then they were ok. She was sure she could probably beat him by herself at full power; the question that needed answering was just how strong Dabura was really and what were his true capabilities? Power wasn't everything; if he had some strange powers such as Babidi then who really knew how things would turn out. It wasn't exactly imperative to listen to Kaioshin and Kibito from the sounds of things; they seemed to regard Dabura with high caution and a little fear; she couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Then again it would be unwise to ignore information from the two people that seemed to know much about their opponents.
"Krillin, you'd better go back," Goku warned, "It sounds like it's too dangerous."
"M-Maybe I should..." Krillin nodded, "I-I mean I doubt I could be of any use to you guys..."
There was a loud scream. Corset's head whirled back around towards the ship, jaw agape when she spotted Spopovich inflating like a balloon! Blood poured out of his face as his body continued to puff out. Spopovich's body exploded with a terrifyingly loud bang.
Yamu took a couple of steps back and suddenly took off.
The man who'd greeted Spopovich and Yamu stepped forward and extended one arm out; his ki charging until he eventually fired off an energy attack straight for the fleeing human. Yamu didn't stand a chance; it reached him and exploded on impact.
None of the observers on the rocks could believe their eyes. The brutality of both their minion's executions had sent a bitter wave of fear through Corset's body and she continued to stare with revulsion and disbelief etched across her face. It hadn't been the first time she'd seen someone kill another from the same team and she doubted it'd be the last.
"... They killed them... How could they?!" Gohan asked baffled.
"Once Babidi finds no more use for his minions, he kills them," Kaioshin answered bleakly.
"... So he uses them?" Corset asked. "... What a selfish jerk!" she felt her fists tighten as the words left her mouth; this Babidi guy certainly fitted the evil criteria. What felt worse was how he used other people to do his dirty work rather than do it himself; something about that didn't sit well with Corset. No doubt if he had no minions left he'd quiver like a coward!
"... Hey, they're all going inside except for Dabura," Goku noted nervously.
Corset watched as Babidi and the minion went inside the tiny room. Dabura shifted and turned around. She could have sworn he was looking straight at her...
"They know we're here!" Vegeta gasped.
Dabura was quick off his feet, flying straight for them. In a flash he was in front of Kibito, palm outstretched in front of the stunned man's face.
'He's fast!' Corset gawked.
With a roar Dabura fired off an energy blast, killing Kibito as his body was reduced to ashes.
"Kibito!" Kaioshin cried.
"D-Darn it!" Goku glared at Dabura, putting up his guard.
Corset stumbled to her feet and glared up at the laughing fighter, still amazed with his speed. Kibito apparently hadn't seen it coming.
Goku charged up towards Dabura; Dabura dodged Goku's oncoming attack and turned in anticipation, blocking Vegeta's punches. In the confusion he glanced back down and jerked his head forwards a couple of times.
"Watch out -!" Kaioshin gasped. "Don't let his saliva touch you!"
Corset saw nothing come towards her; saliva striking both Krillin and Piccolo. She looked around horrified as she heard both of them scream, watching in disbelief and fear as both slowly turned to stone! "Wh-What's going on?! Piccolo! Krillin!" She screamed. Indeed it seemed the demon king really did have some unusual and bizarre abilities; perhaps it was right to regard him with a hint of fear after all.
"Darn it!" Goku rushed towards Krillin, "Krillin, what's wrong?"
"Don't touch them!" Kaioshin yelled. "They've been turned to stone! If you break them they can never return to normal."
"There's a way to turn them back to normal?" Corset asked cautiously picking at Kaioshin's words.
"Yes..." Kaioshin nodded yet seemed disheartened, "...You'll have to kill Dabura."
"Is that all?" Goku smiled confidently. "That's gonna be easy!"
"You'd better run home!" Dabura jeered as he headed away from them, "No one can defy Master Babidi!" With that he took off back to the ship and walked inside the building, vanishing into the darkness.
"Let's go and kick his ass!" Corset protested itching to follow the monster. "Come on, we've gotta get Piccolo and Krillin back to normal!"
"She's right," Gohan stood up, "We are gonna go after him, right Dad?"
"What else?" Goku nodded. "Let's go."
"Wait, you mustn't fall for their trap!" Kaioshin cried panicked. "They want us inside their ship – that's why they did nothing to you four!"
Ignoring the Kaioshin's pleas, Corset leapt forwards off the rocky outcrop alongside Gohan and Goku, grabbing the bandana on her head and ripping it off. She knew the Kaioshin was probably right but leaving Piccolo and Krillin as statues for the rest of Dabura's life was not an option. She landed close to the entrance of the ship, Gohan and Goku close behind her. Cautiously the trio approached the entrance and peered down into the darkened room; it looked like an elevator shaft. It was so dark she could barely see anything.
"Let's go down and check it out," Goku suggested, Corset noticing her father landing behind them. Following Goku's lead, she jumped down the hole before them unsure of what they'd find. The wind rushing past her cheeks was warm and she could see something below them. The shaft was quite deep and eventually they came to the other end, landing in a strange round room. There were no windows; just one door to the left.
"... Where are we?" Goku asked observing their surroundings. "This room is empty!"
"Why would Babidi lure us here?" Corset was confused. "Is he gonna gas us or something?"
"There's a door over there," Gohan pointed out, "Let's break it down."
The sound of footsteps tapping the floor caught Corset's attention; she was surprised to see Kaioshin had joined them.
"So you decided to come?" Goku smiled.
Kaioshin glared back at them, "Only because of your own idiocy! Now we won't be able to leave the ship until we beat Babidi." He spat.
"We'll just destroy this place if we have to," Vegeta smirked.
"No!" Kaioshin barked. "Any unnecessary jolt could wake up Majin Buu! Even if he doesn't have his full power restored to him, he'll still be able to kill us and destroy the planet!"
The door to their left suddenly began to creek as it opened. Corset watched with caution as a figure appeared, soon revealing itself to be the man from before who'd killed Yamu. He stood confident and stepped out with a smirk.
"Welcome all of you, I am your first opponent Pui-Pui," he introduced himself, "Master Babidi is on the bottom floor. However you won't be able to progress any further until you defeat me. You've reached the end of the line!" He began to cackle with laughter; his laugh rather annoying to Corset's ears.
"Sorry, I disagree," Goku smiled back, glancing over his shoulder at the others. "Alright, so which one of us goes first?"
"Let's ro-sham-bo," Corset suggested. "Whoever wins gets to fight this guy."
"Sounds fair enough," Gohan smiled.
"Let's do it!" Goku nodded.
The ro-sham-bo contest began. It took a while before the winner was decided...
Vegeta smirked triumphant, "Looks like I go first."
Kaioshin stepped forwards in shock, "W-Wait, don't tell me you plan to fight this guy all by yourself!" He spluttered.
"You think I can't handle it?" Vegeta asked.
"It'll be alright," Corset smiled, "Dad's got this win in the bag."
"Master Babidi told me to be careful but you guys are all fools!" Pui-Pui snorted.
"Babidi's the fool," Vegeta retorted, "He should know not to pick a fight without doing his research! He's just taken on the strongest beings in existence!"
"The stron..." Pui-Pui started to laugh once again. "You're insane! There's no escape for any of you now!" He began to teleport around the room, "This room will convert any damage you suffer from into energy which will be channelled into Majin Buu's shell."
"Is that so?" Vegeta asked. "So you won't be able to get any energy if you don't hurt me?"
"That's right," Pui-Pui nodded finally coming to a stop, "It's not very likely though." He seemed confident in his abilities though everyone else within the room apart from Kaioshin knew the rude awakening he was about to get.
"Well let's just see, shall we?" Vegeta smirked and put up his guard. "Welcome to the end of your life – and I promise it's going to hurt!"
Pui-Pui smiled and dashed forwards; kick completely blocked by Vegeta's fist. The shocked fighter stepped back and threw his fist out, again Vegeta catching his attack with minimal effort.
'He's definitely outmatched,' Corset smirked and folded her arms.
Pui-Pui's attack continued but to no avail as every strike was dodged. One kick was stopped as Vegeta grabbed him by the ankle. In a flash Vegeta's kick sent Pui-Pui crashing into the ship wall. He landed with a heavy thud on his face.
"There you go; it's like Corset said," Goku smiled at the amazed Kaioshin who kept his eyes on the one-sided fight before them, "Vegeta can take care of himself."
Slowly Pui-Pui rose to a kneeling position, spotting Vegeta standing right in front of him. A strike to the jaw sent Pui-Pui flying up into the air; he rebounded off the ship ceiling and landed on his feet, glaring back around. His jaw was bleeding.
'Outmatched in strength and speed,' Corset noted; Pui-Pui clearly had no idea where her father was judging by his behaviour. He seemed to be frantically searching for something.
"You looking for me?"
Pui-Pui turned to once again be beaten down by Vegeta.
"He's good..." Kaioshin muttered coolly.
"He's really good," Gohan praised, "It looks like he's gotten a lot stronger."
"Well that's what happens when you spend seven years doing nothing but training!" Goku smirked as his rival continued to overwhelm his unfortunate opponent.
Vegeta continued to dominate the fight, more or less using Pui-Pui as a punching bag providing the fighter could manage to stay on his feet! Another punch knocked him down to the floor.
"Dad could win this with his hands tied behind his back," Corset smiled. "That guy's got no chance of beating him; I feel sorry for him!"
Without warning the ship's walls suddenly vanished. Corset blinked flabbergasted at what she saw. It was windy, it was dark and it definitely wasn't Earth! They were now on some desolate plain, no signs of greenery or plants to speak of and apparently no atmosphere, though oxygen was present much to her relief. At least they wouldn't suddenly die from suffocation.
"Where are we?" Gohan asked confused.
"It's Babidi's magic," Kaioshin explained. "He magically transported the room; it seems he's trying to give that fighter the advantage."
"Should be interesting," Goku folded his arms in anticipation.
"It isn't Vegeta he's giving the advantage to!" Kaioshin hissed.
"Yeah, I know." Goku responded; his reaction concerning Shin.
Pui-Pui slowly got to his feet, he seemed to be feeling more confident. "Welcome to my home planet. This is the end for you! You may have noticed but the gravity here is ten times stronger than Earth's."
"He's finished," Corset muttered.
Vegeta smirked, "... Maybe if this was four-hundred-times times gravity you might have the advantage, but ten? Do you think that means anything to me?"
Pui-Pui gasped, "... You're bluffing!"
"Maybe I am," Vegeta retorted, smile still unwavering from his face, "Hard to tell."
"Enough!" Pui-Pui spat with frustration as he charged and went to attack Vegeta. No strikes hit the Saiyan; one kick connecting with Pui-Pui's chest sent him shooting off into a nearby boulder, knocking loose fragments from the rock as he impacted and stopped. The beaten warrior managed to free himself and landed on his feet.
Vegeta was right in front of him, hands placed on Pui-Pui's chest. In a flash of light Pui-Pui vanished inside Vegeta's energy blast, vapourised before their very eyes until nothing remained.
"Alright!" Gohan cheered.
"Knew he'd win," Corset smiled.
"I'm amazed Babidi would send such a weakling!" Vegeta snorted.
The sound of machinery moving caught the group's attention and they noticed there was a hole opening up in the floor near to them.
"Hey the floor's opened up," Goku peered down, "It looks like an elevator… Come on." He jumped down into the hole.
"This is like a video game!" Gohan smiled as he followed his father.
"A moronic game," Vegeta muttered.
The shaft was just as narrow and dark as the one before it. Eventually they reached the other end of it, landing in a room identical to the one above.
"It looks the same as before," Goku muttered.
"I bet he'll change the room again with his magic," Gohan added.
"... Exactly how many of these rooms do we need to go through anyway?" Corset asked. "That Pui-Pui guy said Babidi was on the bottom floor; just how many floors below us is that?"
"He never really said," Gohan shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess we'll just have to keep on winning to find out," Goku smiled as the Kaioshin landed behind them. "Whoever it is on this floor, I hope they're stronger than the guy Vegeta had to fight! I wonder if it'll be that Dabura guy?"
"I doubt it," Corset replied, "He's supposed to be the strongest guy Babidi has, right? I would have thought he'd save him until last... unless he has no other minions stronger than that last guy."
"Well whoever it is I hope they get here soon!" Goku grinned. "It's my turn to fight next!"