Chapter 093 – The Hour
Trunks and Goten had been in the Room of Spirit and Time for half an hour now and for the time being Buu was keeping himself occupied watching the sand drop from the top half to the bottom half of the egg timer. The tense silence on the lookout was unbearable as if some invisible force was pushing down on everyone. Chichi's remains still lay close to Buu; a clear reminder for all those almost held hostage on the lookout that this monster would not tolerate any of them if provoked. Not even the daughter of the World Champion Mr Satan would keep Buu at bay forever.
Nearby to the Majin, Piccolo and Corset stood keeping a close eye on him muttering amongst themselves quietly. It had been half an hour; they were half-way there but to Corset it felt as if she'd already waited for an eternity. Knowing the enemy was right in front of them was incredibly daunting but part of her was still itching to charge him. He'd killed everyone down below, he'd killed Chichi. He'd killed her father and Gohan. He had to be beaten so they could restore the planet back to normal!
"... Half an hour to go..." Piccolo spoke quietly and grimly, Corset nodding silently.
Right now, she, Piccolo and Krillin were the only older fighters here who still trained. Krillin was only human and despite his impressive array of attacks he could not compare to Buu. Piccolo was Namekian but Corset feared even he would be outclassed by Buu. It was up to her and the two boys to beat Buu. All three of them were Saiyan-human hybrids; something that granted them unusual strength and capabilities. She didn't like the idea of leaving it up to the younger boys; that left just her as the one who had to beat Buu.
That was a daunting feat, one she felt she couldn't achieve even with her training in the Room of Spirit and Time. It made her nervous but she knew she had to do it; everyone needed her right now.
"Excuse me?"
Both Corset and Piccolo turned to see Videl approaching them. "Buu seemed to know my father. Do you know why?" She asked uncertain.
"Simple," Piccolo responded, "Mr Satan is the only human Buu has ever made friends with and trusted. While we have been trying to overpower him with strength, your dad instead chose to befriend Buu."
"What?" Videl gasped.
"If you want proof then Buu has just wiped out all of humanity but he has left your father alive," Piccolo added. "Even after becoming this monster of destruction, some memories do remain."
"... I can sense him," Corset mumbled only just realising the man was still alive! "His ki is the only one down there... Apart from two others. Maybe it's Tenshinhan and Chaozu?"
Piccolo ignored her mumblings and continued to speak to Videl, "Your father may not have the strength that he claims but he truly does deserve the title Champion of Earth."
"... My dad...?" Videl asked, looking a little unsure.
"Guess he's gotta be given some credit for trying," Corset was just as sceptical but the fact was the man was still alive. It seemed there was some truth to Piccolo's words.
None of them had noticed the ever increasing irate look on Buu's face as he'd grown impatient with the sand falling. His anger was quick to boil to the surface and with a grunt he threw himself up straight and screamed: "NO MORE WAITING!"
A powerful gust almost knocked Corset straight into Videl almost knocking the poor girl over! She turned; Buu had risen and was expelling an incredible amount of his energy in rage. Corset bared it, grasping onto Videl's arms in an attempt to keep her on her feet. Through it all she stood defiantly, thoughts racing through her mind. What was he up to?
"I'm tired of waiting!" Buu snarled. With a strong swish of his arm he smashed the hour glass to pieces scattering glass and sand across the floor.
"W-Wait, it's only been half an hour!" Piccolo cried frantically. "Just hold on a little longer please, Buu!"
Buu's face calmed so slightly as he held out a hand aiming straight for Piccolo. His ki started to rise.
Corset gasped, "Don't!"
The ground shook violently at her feet as Buu fired his attack, terrified Piccolo had just been hit. She opened her eyes and was relieved to see her mentor still before her. There was a large hole in the lookout before his feet; a warning signal. Buu had had enough. Corset felt her body shudder with anticipation and adrenaline. Something drastic was about to happen.
"I fight now!" Buu demanded, his face burrowing in another bout of rage. "COME OUT!" He screamed, again releasing another torrent of power. The lookout trembled under the force; rattling the trees and the foundations of the palace.
Corset peered over at Piccolo through all the commotion. Things were desperate and she had to do something before everything they knew and loved were destroyed. The weaker humans wouldn't be able to stand up to this much longer; her mother was one of them! "... I'm sorry Piccolo; it's now or never!" She spoke loudly.
"Don't be a fool!" Piccolo yelled over the howling gales. "You won't be able to beat him!"
Corset kept her eyes peeled; spotting the tiles before Buu slowly breaking under the pressure, tunnelling across the ground straight for the trio.
The boys weren't ready; Buu couldn't fight them now. With this in mind, Corset began to power up an energy ball in both her hands, jumping into the sky to avoid the oncoming rubble. With a battle roar she bolted forwards towards Buu, throwing the blasts forwards. Each one struck its target, Buu's loud yells overpowered by the explosions as he was engulfed in light and dust.
Piccolo had grabbed Videl and both had avoided the oncoming attack; a quick glance back to her former mentor and she jolted back up to the sky, powering up as fast as she could. The electrical aura and yellow flash surrounded her body as she transformed straight into a Super Saiyan Two.
Buu emerged unscathed as expected; his sight still set straight ahead of him. The screaming and powering up had stopped and there was an eerie glare on his face. Corset descended to the lookout floor, standing between Buu and the others. "I'll try to last the thirty minutes," She muttered. "Piccolo keep everyone else back!"
"Are you sure you can last that long?" Piccolo asked, placing Videl on her feet; the girl slowly backing off.
"... I'll try," Corset answered unconvinced. "We need to get Trunks and Goten all the time we can give them; I'll fight Buu; just keep everyone else at a safe distance!"
After a moment Piccolo slowly stepped back, giving a small nod.
Buu stood before her, still staring straight ahead.
'I can't beat you Buu but I've gotta try!'
With adrenaline raging through her body Corset charged forwards, spinning and throwing her leg back to Buu's face. With a terrific loud clap, Buu's head was knocked to the side; the elasticised properties of his body stretching his back to an unnatural length as the rest of his body followed suit. He twisted in the air before coming to a stop, face indifferent as Corset closed in with a fist, striking him clean between the eyes in mid-air causing a small grimace of annoyance to come over Buu's face. In a flash Corset's knee connected with his, moves blurring as the fighters began to duel rapidly. She kept up with him, blocking his attacks which she noticed were a lot stronger than the previous Buu's moves. That was to be expected; this Buu seemed more capable of fighting compared to the other Buu. He was definitely far stronger than his fat counterpart but Corset was stronger too. His fighting style was similar to when she'd fought him before; this was something Corset was thankful for. She knew of his capabilities; she just had to stay on guard as best she could.
With a clash both fighters shot backwards; Corset halting in mid-air, rubbing her sore cheek. From the feel of it Buu's strike had just chipped a tooth; she could feel and taste the iron in her mouth and grimaced. She was bleeding and the inside of her mouth was now throbbing.
Buu seemed unharmed.
Corset spat her gathering blood out and wiped her chin, eyes kept on Buu. She almost missed his movement. Hurriedly she ducked under Buu's fist, jaw cracking loudly as something else struck her sending her shooting backwards.
A kick? When had that happened? She could hear her mother screaming; she had to keep going. Corset stopped herself, again dodging Buu's punch, tossing an open palm into his face forcefully. The blow did little to Buu; Corset couldn't see anything as Buu's hand closed in on her, grabbing her by the face. Instinct kicked in and she began to fire off ki blasts, continuously striking Buu in the stomach and showering the area in a bright yellow light. Corset wasn't sure if her attacks were having any effect; all she knew was she had to release herself from Buu's grip! On and on she kept blasting him with her energy.
Buu's grip loosened; Corset fired one last blast and dashed backwards to what she thought was a safe distance, watching the large cloud of smoke as it billowed around, slowly dispersing. Inside she was pleased with herself; she hadn't been able to last this well against fat Buu and here she was doing an alright job against the better Buu. She was glad she'd gone into the time chamber for more training.
The dust cleared; Buu was still very much alive. His body was lined with dozens of holes, looking rather like Swiss cheese. Corset smiled to herself, 'Good, that ought to give him something to think about!'
Buu's body began to judder; the holes rapidly closing up.
Seizing her chance Corset dived forwards, delivering a strike to Buu's stomach. She was suddenly shooting down towards the ground; with a couple of flips she landed heavily on her feet, cracking the tiles below her. Confusion hit her; what had happened? She suddenly glanced up and jumped backwards across the lookout floor; Buu's feet narrowly missing her as he stomped through the floor, vanishing.
Corset stayed off the floor, deciding to make a dash for the sky.
A crash from somewhere below caught her ear; she was too slow as Buu's hand grabbed her ankle yanking Corset straight through the floor and below. Suddenly she was being tossed through what felt like an endless supply of wall, her body crashing through solid building with incredible force. Amongst the endless onslaught she felt her body be flipped, falling face-first into one of the hardest objects she'd come across so far. Pain was all she felt, seemingly centring around her face, continuing to be struck all over. She felt air cooling her skin and her hair brushing against her cheek, striking something hard once more with a heavy thud.
It was only then Corset realised just how much her body was stinging. She could feel blood dripping from her nose down her chin, she could feel her heart pounding in her rib cage threatening to burst free, her breathing shallow. The voices of those nearby sounded concerned and jittery. Corset slowly opened her eyes and managed to sit up, realising Buu was standing before her. Indeed she'd taken a good few injuries, noticing the scratches on her arms and knees.
"You're not the fighter I was promised," the monster muttered disappointed. "I want my real fighter! Where is he?"
"Piccolo!" Corset yelled before the Namekian could speak. She got to her feet and put up her guard, noticing how shaky she was. "I'm your opponent right now, Buu!" She spat defiantly.
Buu grimaced and stared down at Corset. "I've beaten you before."
"You'll just have to beat me again." Corset replied calmly. "I'm your first opponent. There's another one but only if you beat me."
There was that hint of annoyance again. In a flurry of movement Buu had gone on the attack, Corset countering with her own offensive. The fighters were once again locked in rapid movements. Corset could feel herself straining, body joints and muscles ached from the onslaught she'd just been put through. A slap in the cheek sent her tumbling to the side, tripping and falling to her knees. She quickly righted herself, pushing against the ground and charging back towards Buu. A flash of pink left Buu's mouth. Corset had little time to react; arms extended out, the beam slamming into them, slowly forcing her across the tiles. Corset struggled, concentrating her strength to her limbs.
The palace and the others were behind her, she couldn't let go!
With a howl Corset began to gather more ki to her hands, gripping the ball and tossing it above her head, hundreds of metres above the lookout. The ball of ki boomeranged back towards them, Corset realising it was heading straight back for them. This was bad, now everyone would be caught in the explosion when the blast would hit! The Super Saiyan Two's hand shot up as she screamed. In the same instant the ki ball exploded; destroyed by her kiai. Several scared screams reverberated from behind as the lookout violently shook, struck by the harsh shockwaves from the explosion of light.
Corset's glance turned back to Buu, breath hitching in her throat as her eyes widened with alarm. Everything went dark; something clasping tightly around her face. She was pushed off her feet, shooting once more through the air at the mercy of Buu's elasticised arm. Her scream was muffled as she felt herself be thrown skywards. There was a shudder and crack as the lookout struck her; Corset barely heard or felt anything.
For a moment nothing happened. She couldn't feel, hear, or see. Everything was silent and calm. Pain slowly seeped back in, as did sound.
Corset realised she was face-down on the floor, buried in tile fragments. Her whole body pounded, her heart thumping in her throat. Nothing seemed to want to move. She felt tired, having to inhale painful gulps of air. She possibly had a broken rib but she wasn't sure.
'Get up...'
Her body was sluggish and barely responded. Corset managed to sit herself up, glancing over her shoulder. Piccolo had approached Buu and seemed to be talking to the Majin.
'The boys!'
Panicked Corset stumbled to her feet, stumbling to the left. "N-No! I'm not done yet!" She yelled through a horse voice which surprised her. Had she really taken that much damage? Her fringe was dark and down before her eyes; she'd reverted back to her normal state. This was bad; she didn't know if she'd be able to last much longer against the monster but she had no choice. She needed to help Goten and Trunks buy time to train. She wouldn't let her loss of power put her off from doing what she knew she needed to do, even if it cost her own life.
A stunned Piccolo had his eyes on her; Buu indifferent to her.
Corset grinned in an attempt to hide her pain and suffering and began to walk forwards with a stumble at first, quickly breaking into a run before dashing off the ground straight for Buu, transforming to a Super Saiyan. "Like I said you're gonna have to beat me first!" She bellowed. Her body cried out for rest and to stop but her mind told her otherwise. She was on a surge of adrenaline and would make the most of it before it faded. She slammed head-first into Buu's stomach; surprisingly knocking him over the edge of the lookout.
The tired girl landed feet in front of Piccolo, short on breath and wincing slightly as pain shot up her arm.
"Don't overdo this; remember we need to keep you alive!" Piccolo warned. "Can you really last against him much longer?"
"I'm gonna have to," Corset replied with a grin, though she quickly hissed through gritted teeth as the pain intensified, reaching into her torso throbbing as if there was a nerve problem; the pain sharp and almost crippling her.
Piccolo saw through the confident smile and could see the pain, no matter how hard she was trying to hide it. "Don't be so rash – this isn't like you! The boys have already had a week – maybe even more than a week now – to master the fusion!"
"I said I'd try to last thirty minutes to give them some more time didn't I?" Corset retorted looking directly at her former mentor, fire burning in her eyes. "I can still fight; I'm gonna fight! Those two boys weren't the only ones training to beat Buu you know – I was too!"
Buu had long since corrected himself. He smiled and suddenly started to bend his body up into a ball.
Corset raised an eyebrow. '... What's he doing? That's gotta be painful!'
With a high-pitched squeal Buu shot forwards.
She saw him coming, she knew she had to dodge. Corset's body responded – not quick enough. Buu struck her clean in the face, sending her shooting across the lookout tiles. Her mind was as keen as ever but her body was sluggish; Corset crashed onto her back and skidded across the floor. The landing was rough but did not keep her down for long. Determined to buy as much time as she could and defying her body's screams to stay limp, Corset rose to her feet, hunched over.
Another strike from behind to her left shoulder-blade pushed her violently forwards. Nose struck the tiles with a crack as she landed face-first, crying out in pain. Buu slammed into her hip, sending Corset tumbling and rolling across the ground. In the flurry she regained her control and pushed off with two strong arms, narrowly dodging yet another strike as she bolted into the sky. Her hand touched her nose, flinching at the overwhelming pain. A broken nose?
Buu was shooting straight for her. Corset dodged, keeping the monster in her sights. Her vision darkened for a brief moment, her body fell limp as her ki started to drain away. Confused and bewildered Corset brought herself back with all of her might.
Buu connected with her stomach, goring the Super Saiyan through the air. Corset screamed as she slammed through one of the palace walls...