Demon Saga - Part 2: The Second Coming

A collective chill of fear tingled through the Z-Fighters, the reality of the situation gripping them harshly by the throat and paralyzing them beyond words. They'd each been through their own life and death situations, knowing that one of them might not have lived to see the next day, yet none of them could truly comprehend the sudden death of one of their most respected.

"I.. I still can't believe he's gone…" sniffled Bulma, futilely trying to wipe away the tears cascading down her face. Gohan had been more of a grandfather to her than she'd cared to admit, helping her along the way and giving all his efforts into ensuring the Dragon Ball expedition was a success. Had it not been for his tactical strategy and strength, the heiress knew she wouldn't have lived to see this day.

"He… didn't deserve it," growled Tien, seething with rage at the callous murder of the elderly warrior. Though he hadn't known Gohan personally, knowing that his life had been ended prematurely by the demon king was all the reason enough to feel utter contempt for the monster. "I don't know what I can do to help, but you can count on me to back you every step of the way."

"Yeah, me too!" added Krillin, not wanting to be outdone. "I'll give everything I've got to stop that monster, no doubt about it!"

"I wish I could say I'd be able to lend a hand too," began Yamcha solemnly, leaning on his new crutches to support his equilibrium, "but I think I've been taken out of the action for the time being." He shot a knowing look towards Tien, but the triclops did nothing more than return the eye contact.

"Sorry for that, by the way," the Crane student offered to the former bandit. "Everything I put you through was my own foolish mistake; it was a battle where I was blind… really, everything I've done in this tournament are things I'd like to forget." He bowed his head in shame, unwilling to look into the eyes of his former prey back in the tournament.

"Don't worry about that, Tien. In the end, my leg will heal… however, the death of my master won't. That demon who killed him is still lurking out there, and I'll be damned if we're not able to take him down," scowled Yamcha, tempted to give chase despite his handicap. "I can't ask you for much, but I can ask you this… please, Tien, don't let his death be in vain…"

Upon hearing Yamcha's request, the triclops visibly tensed—he had no idea of how to respond to such a plea. It was ironic to have gone from one end of the spectrum to the other; in one moment he had broken the former bandit's leg, and in the next he was being asked to assist them in battle. Though he'd already given his word of confirmation to remain loyal to his fellow fighters, it seemed that the scarred warrior wasn't content with that—he needed to know that the demon who had taken the life of his mentor would be punished for his sins.

"If what Roshi says is even slightly accurate," Tien hesitantly began, not wanting to instigate further conflict, "then I'm not sure what kind of threat I can pose to our new enemies. Still, though, you have my word as both a warrior and a man that I will do everything in my power to repay justice toward him."

That seemed to be enough to satiate Yamcha's lust for revenge, as a confident grin soon adorned his expression. "Thanks, Tien… for everything. Despite you crossing the line and breaking my leg, you're a good guy deep down, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'll say!" Launch piped up, a smirk crossing her face. "Say what you will about being an assassin, but the way you jumped to Yamcha in his time of need really says something about you as a person, you know!"

"Well…" Tien started nervously, "don't be so quick to throw a celebration. While I owe all of you my thanks for helping me see the truth about Master Shen, the worst is yet to come. We've got to stick together if we're going to win, and I for one will not allow this to continue!"

"I admire your enthusiasm regarding the situation, Tien Shinhan," lauded Roshi sincerely, though a grim look contorted his aged features, "but as I've mentioned, brute strength just isn't going to cut it with a foe like this. We really need to take a moment and assess the situation."

"Right!" interrupted Bulma, wiping away the last of her tears as she regained full control of herself. "For one thing, when that demon killed Gohan, the ring announcer told us that he'd taken two things from him, right? One was the Dragon Ball—"

"—and the other was the record of competitors from the last few tournaments, which he's no doubt using as a list of targets on his hit-list to ensure they don't ever learn the Evil Containment Wave..." supplemented Roshi, his uncertainly growing with every passing second. "That means he'll be coming for us sooner or later. I never gave the Kame House's address, but I can say for certain that Piccolo is relentless. He won't halt his pursuits until he can subdue all his potential threats."

"So we're working on a limited schedule, then," noted Krillin quickly. "It's obvious that we've gotta make our move while we can keep the element of surprise on our side; however, we can't just jump in without a full plan."

"If that's the case, then we need to keep a low profile," added Tien as he nodded toward the ex-monk. "While we definitely can't afford to be sitting ducks, we need to be at peak fighting condition if we're going to take on Piccolo together."

Roshi nodded, finding Tien's logic to be sound. Though throwing the next generation into battle alongside him wasn't the most pragmatic option, he knew it was their best chance at victory. "That's a great point, Tien, but we also need to consider the Dragon Ball he now has in his possession. We can't tarry long at all if we want to stop whatever that monster's planning. There's no doubt that they're expecting to gather the Dragon Balls to make a wish for Piccolo's benefit, but I just can't help but think what he'd wish for…"

"With all due respect, Master, does it really matter what they're gathering them for?" asked Yamcha with a concerned frown. "If they're trying to round up the Dragon Balls, then the least we can do is gather up as many as we can before we make our attack. That way, even if he is able to kill us all, he won't be finding the Dragon Balls that easily, especially if I stay back and guard them."

"I think I should stay behind too, then," inputted Chiaotzu, his eyes steeled with courage and bravery. Despite his inability to help, he would do all he could to support his friends from the sidelines. "Yamcha isn't in the best fighting condition right now, so he could use any support he could get without taking away from our heavy-hitters."

"Yeah, plus, Bulma and Launch are going to need a few bodyguards until the coast is clear," added Yamcha. "We should at least stick together if we're not going into the field."

"That means the two of us should be tagging along with Roshi for the battle," said Tien as he motioned to Krillin with a wave of his hand. "I don't exactly like the idea behind putting all our eggs into one basket against Piccolo, but it seems like it's our only option at this point."

"Sounds good to me," affirmed Krillin with a confident nod of his head. Then, just as quickly, he turned toward his master, eager to hear what he had to say upon the matter. "When are we heading out, Master?"

"First, we need to wait for the audience to finish filing out of the tournament arena. The less the general masses know, the better," Roshi preached, recognizing the chaos that would surely erupt if news about Piccolo broke out on the streets. "Once they're all clear, we can begin collecting the remaining Dragon Balls before confronting Piccolo and his minions. I know it'll take Bulma at least half a day or so to produce a new radar, which should give Krillin and Tien enough time to fully heal from their injuries… but remember, even if we are able to defeat Piccolo, he can still throw the world into anarchy with word that he's been released."

Bulma sighed, the pressure of the situation causing her heart to begin pumping wildly in terror and anticipation. This wasn't like the various threats she and Gohan had faced in the past—if they failed here, not just their lives would be doomed, but the entire Earth would fall at his feet. "You're right… if the populace knew about Piccolo actually returning after his first rampage on Earth, all hell would break loose. There'd be riots and robberies all over the place in an attempt to stock up on resources, and it'd just escalate even further from there."

"Humanity turned its back on each other during Piccolo's first appearance on Earth," Roshi said grimly, much to everyone's chagrin, "there's no reason for them not to do so once more if he succeeds."

"Well, then, he's just not gonna get that opportunity, right?!" Launch interrupted boldly, curling her left hand into a fist. "We're all gonna do our part and take that son of a bitch down!"

"Yeah, you bet!" added Yamcha with a grin. "I can't do much, but nobody's going to take those Dragon Balls under my watch!"

"This time, Piccolo will go down for good," Tien vowed, cracking his knuckles in anticipation for the fight ahead. "Even if it takes giving my own soul to win, I won't rest until that demon rests in hell."

"We'll do everyone proud!" chimed in Krillin with an infectious grin. "Gohan may not be here to help us out, but the next generation can surely get things done without him!"

"We can only hope…" murmured Roshi to himself before he slid a smile on his face as well, hoping the facade would keep his fellow fighters' spirits high. "...but in the end, we can do it if we all assemble together."

In the skies above, while the Earth's fighters prepared their gambit, an aircraft remained stationary in the clouds as it waited idly for its master's next command. It remained just above the troposphere to ensure that there would be no collisions with fellow airplanes; the pilot wouldn't want to risk their precious materials being destroyed in the turbulent winds.

Inside this aircraft, an aged figure reclined back in his gargantuan throne, a smirk spreading his wrinkled mien as he viewed the shimmering sphere in his minion's outstretched hand. In addition to his son's success in obtaining the golden orb, it appeared as if the trio of sniveling cowards he'd spared previously would serve him quite well if they kept up their loyalty. Things were going quite swimmingly for him at the moment; he held all the tools he needed to achieve his ultimate goal. All that was needed was to collect the remaining six spheres before his goal would become reality…

"So…" the elderly figure began with his baritone voice, the low growls of his voice reverberating around the aircraft he was currently on. " that's the Dragon Ball…"

As his master marveled the sphere in his possession, the subordinate gestured over to the gang next to beside him. "It was located where they said it'd be—that old man they claimed to encounter in the past was looking for it after the tournament ended, so I killed him and gathered the items you requested, master."

"You see?! You see?! I knew it'd be there!" Pilaf cried out eagerly, hoping to show his new master he was reliable. Though he knew freeing his new overlord was risky at best, he seemed to be quite complacent with the current situation. If things kept up, the emperor knew he could accomplish his true goal of world domination.

Ignoring the imp's boasting, the head honcho of the pack focused his gaze solely on the Dragon Ball, grinning with sadistic glee as he recognized the power he was wielding. "When we collect all seven of them… I shall live for all eternity! Nobody will stop Piccolo's wrath!"

Pilaf and his two followers – a young dog by the name of Shu and a beautiful woman named Mai – nodded enthusiastically before speaking in unison. "Yes, master!"

"Also," interrupted the demon, annoyed with his fellow accomplices' incessant attempts to be in his master's favor. "I have here with me the list of finalists from the previous tournaments like you asked for."

"Excellent," Piccolo responded with a devious grin. "Put up the list. There is little time to be wasted before my plans come to fruition."

"Of course, my master," replied the demon, his devilish smirk remaining plastered across his face as he posted the fighters' pictures on the walls of the airship.

The demon glanced at the solid wall of the airship, his fists subconsciously clenching. "No fighter shall remain alive… not when the possibility exists of them knowing the Evil Containment Wave. If even the weakest man can learn to execute the technique, it's a ticket straight to that horrid prison once more." The memories of his soul being trapped in that rice cooker horrified him to no end, the ultimate hell for a demon such as himself. Any measures would suffice if it meant being free from that atrocious confinement, any method at all— even if it meant eliminating his opposition as quickly as possible.

"It'll be a shame not to personally inflict my wrath upon them for the time being… but it cannot be helped. Kill all of the remaining experts, Tambourine… and any other mortal that dares to stand in your way!"

"By your command!" Tambourine grinned, licking his lips lustfully as he savored the thought of killing once more. Then, just as quickly, another thought occurred to him. "But… wait. Who will guard the Dragon Balls in my absence?"

"I suppose I can't entirely rely on you to handle all the dirty work," mused Piccolo to himself, his aged brow lifting ever slightly. "Very well, then. I shall create another demon."

"M-Make another demon?" Shu asked, his eyes uncomfortably shifting over to the blue imp beside him. "W-What does he even… mean by that?"

"I don't know, Shu…" Pilaf murmured back, equally as confused as his anthropomorphic companion. "...but I think I just lost my appetite."

"M-Master!" came the cry of Piano, the first of the demon king's children. His pterodactyl-like figure nearly began to tremble at his master's claim, seemingly in fear. "Master, no… don't inflict such a pain upon yourself. If you lay another egg, you will get older and die before you even have a chance to take over the world!"

In response, Piccolo turned his cranium toward his child and gave him a reassuring grin. "Don't concern yourself with my health. I'll live… despite my containment in that wretched rice cooker, I'll be damned if I've lost that much of my power."

"I… I truly hope so, Master…" came the swift reply of Piano. 'There isn't any power that can rival the likes of Master Piccolo… but if he manages to kill himself with the spawning of this new demon, we're doomed!'

Piccolo tightened his grip on his massive throne, narrowing his eyes as he immersed himself in his subconscious. "Pokopen… pokopen… pokopen…" His jaw slackened from the strain, his insides feeling as if they'd been lit with the embers of a thousand suns. Just as quickly, his stomach constricted, and he felt a surge of pain ring through his intestine.

'Curse my damn age...' the demon king thought to himself with a scowl as he experienced the painful sensation of the egg traveling up his throat, temporarily cutting off his air supply. 'Had I been youthful, this would've been far, far easier… but all that time in that damn container has locked away my dormant strength in my earlier years. That won't be a problem any longer… not when I become this mudball's eternal ruler!'

"HYAKK!" Piccolo snarled, spitting out the egg in a coat of saliva and phlegm. It landed just abreast his throne, cracks already beginning to form and spread across the oval-shaped substance.

As the egg hatched, giving birth to a dinosaur-resembling monster, Piccolo wiped the excess spittle off his lips with his forefinger, panting heavily as he did so. "Awaken, young demon! Your name shall be… Cymbal!"

With his master's command, the newly-birthed demon looked upwards, grinning sadistically. His wings flapped twice in an attempt to flex its new muscles, which he found worked quite well.

"Are you a fighter?" Piccolo asked simply, waiting expectantly on his child's answer. It mattered not if he wasn't; the demon king knew it wouldn't take too much out of him to produce another… however, it was a process his body would require time to heal from. Even now, his internal organs felt as if they'd been crushed, an obvious sign that he was aging faster than he'd liked. 'Eternal youth… it must be mine soon if the plan is to succeed...'

"Yes, my master," Cymbal replied, rotating his arms and testing out a fraction of his power. "I know what is asked of me—I have more than enough power to deal with any fools who get in my way."

"Good, it appears you do know your role, then." Piccolo then bent forward, his obsidian pools of hatred glaring into his newborn's eyes. "Find the six Dragon Balls and bring them back to me immediately."

His head then whipped around at nigh-detectable speeds, a scowl playing upon his lips as he pointed towards his non-demon subordinates. "Find me the location of the next Dragon Ball!"

"Y-Yes, Master Piccolo!" Pilaf promptly replied, turning toward the large globe in the airship and quickly searching for the next sphere. It took him no more than five seconds to spot one, pointing toward its signal and immediately grabbing the attention of all on board. "Yes… this one appears to be the closest… yes, this is the best one!"

Cymbal nodded in response, identifying his target with the sinister grin of his father. "That'll be one of the six I have to collect… that's simple enough."

"You likely won't run into many fighters at all, Cymbal," noted Tambourine as he looked toward the list of fighters, "I'll be handling the majority of them. Now, there are so many choices… who to start with…?"

His gaze eventually settled on a young man wearing a turban and a rather traditional outfit. "Yes… he'll be just fine to kick things off with…" Tambourine grinned maliciously. "Now… his address is… perfect…"

"Tambourine. Cymbal."

Both demons immediately whirled to face their master, arms at their side as if they were being trained under the most strenuous and strictest of regimes.

"You'd best not disappoint me," warned Piccolo as he reclined back in his throne. "The second coming of the Demon King Piccolo is at hand, and I won't tolerate any sort of failure on my end."

Time had slowly passed after that whirlwind of events, each passing moment feeling like the longest of eternities. During this time, Bulma had hastily assembled a new Dragon Radar for the team, which Master Roshi, Krillin, and Tien took along with them to begin their journey. It hadn't taken long for them to amass three of the seven mystical spheres, their journey being unimpeded by Piccolo or his demons. They considered it a stroke of luck that they'd avoided them thus far, but little did they know that their fellow martial artists were paying the price for their easy expedition.

Nam was the first to fall to Tambourine's unmatched power, the demon swiftly ending his life as if he were a mere human. King Chappa was the next to fall to King Piccolo's merciless orders. Bacterian and Giran soon followed, the demon savoring each and every moment he spent toying with his prey. Man-Wolf and Pamput were the next targeted; they fared no better than their fellow fighters had against the monster.

As such, it was quite ironic that the one human with the power to match a demon's wrath had never participated in a single tournament prior.

Cymbal had followed his orders and pounced on the closest Dragon Ball, but contrary to Tambourine's belief, there was indeed a man in his path—a burly samurai warrior by the name of Yajirobe. Despite the demon's raw power, the human's technique and ability resulted in Cymbal becoming a cooked corpse in no time at all, which he would proceed to eat and marvel at its flavor.

Sensing the death of his son, Piccolo immediately contacted Tambourine telepathically and ordered him to investigate upon the matter. Tambourine immediately changed course and took off after the sphere's location, preparing to end the fighter's resistance against his kin.

In the story you all know, Son Goku, the eventual ultimate protector of the universe, would be able to fend off Tambourine's offensive and ultimately finish him off. However, in this universe, such a warrior was not present, forcing the humans to enter the fray…

"...Unbelievable…" Roshi murmured to himself, feeling one of the demon's power levels spiral downward until it could no longer be sensed. "To think… there could be such power in an untrained human…"

"Well, at least now we know where they'll be attacking," Tien said as he set down the one-star ball next to its two counterpart spheres. "They just lost a fairly significant power to a warrior they probably hadn't expected to run into, so they're likely to be bringing in the big guns now."

"I hate to say it… but I think we can throw the option of stealth right out the window this time around," commented Roshi, his face taut with worry and concern. "King Piccolo sent their strongest minion after that man who killed his other son, if my hunch is correct. If we're able to follow and intercept him, fighting alongside this new warrior, we can perhaps deal with him as well. That would leave Piccolo and his lesser minions left."

"M-Master, that's brilliant!" exclaimed Krillin, a surge of joy running through his heart. The odds of subduing Piccolo were truly slim to none, yet with the tacticality behind his master's plan, they had the chance to balance the odds in their favor. "Then let's go do it! Let's go take out that demon who killed Gohan!"

Tien frowned, his expression remaining perpetually stoic as he analyzed the situation further. "That all makes sense, but what are we doing with the Dragon Balls? We can't just risk leaving them in our aircraft while we're fighting with Piccolo, can we? Shouldn't we drop them off with Yamcha and the others before heading over there?"

"It's a risk we're gonna have to take, I think," Krillin replied, looking to his master for approval. When he received a firm nod, the Turtle student continued on. "Look, there's gotta be a reason that demon lurked in the shadows when he made his move—I don't think he can handle even the two of us. Having Master here is simply overkill when we're dealing with him, and this new fighter is sure to have his own tricks up his sleeve too."

"I suppose it's really the only thing we can do at this point, huh?" Tien asked, all three of his eyes following Master Roshi as he sat down in the pilot seat of the aircraft. He still felt uneasy about leaving the spheres in the aircraft, but at the same time he recognized that this was their prime opportunity to isolate Gohan's assassin. "Ideally, we'd be able to seal Piccolo away with that Evil Containment Wave you mentioned… but we don't have the necessary time to learn it, do we?"

Roshi paused a beat before answering, keeping his eyes focused forward as the aircraft began its ascent into the sky. "Even if we were to attempt the Evil Containment Wave on King Piccolo, it likely wouldn't work. Master Mutaito caught him off-guard the first time with the technique; however, Piccolo has centered his entire plan of attack around eliminating any martial artist with the capability of learning the technique. He would be more than ready to counter it, unfortunately."

"Hey, there's nothing that says we can't beat him the ol' fashioned way then, huh?" Krillin chuckled as he took a seat against the wall. "He may be strong individually, but let's remember that the three of us are Earth's strongest defense against him—if we pull no punches from the get-go, he's history!"

"That's assuming we can even get that far to begin with," retorted Tien, leaning against the wall abreast Krillin. "Physical strength does mean a lot in battle, I'll give you that… it's why I couldn't just finish you off so easily back at the tournament. But at the same time, we have no idea what kind of fighter Piccolo is."

"I wish I could give you my perspective on how he fought way back when," the Turtle Hermit said morosely, "but I'm afraid I haven't a clue myself, really. I was young and inexperienced back then—I could barely even track his movements at the time."

"Is there anything you can tell us about what we're going up against, Master?" Krillin inquired, hoping to gain some knowledge on his foe. "Any information can only help us at this point."

"I can only tell you this, you two…" Roshi started with a deadly serious inflection in his tone, "be prepared for one hell of a battle. This one is not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination, and it will take only the strongest shield the Earth can offer to defend against Piccolo's unbridled wrath."

The vast forest that had served as the battlefield only moments prior was now eerily quiet, the tension so thick it could be cut with only the sharpest blade. The battle had been fierce, a true test of skill, but the human had emerged from the battle with both a victory and a delectable meal.

"Delicious," Yajirobe murmured to himself as he licked his lips, content with the feast he'd just partaken in. "That monster was pretty dang tasty, if I do say so myself…almost makes me wish another one would come along later for my next meal."

"Oh, I think I can indulge you right about now."

Yajirobe immediately felt the change in the air pressure around him, whirling around and blocking a quickly-executed punch with his forearm before leaping backwards to avoid a rapid leg-sweep. Almost instinctively, the ronin slid into a fighting stance, his heart pounding from the adrenaline.

"You are rather impressive, I suppose," Tambourine acknowledged sincerely, rather impressed with his enemy's fighting ability. "Despite your outward appearance, you have a fighter's presence about you… I suppose I can see how you did kill Cymbal after all."

"You're his friend, huh?" came the brusque reply of Yajirobe. "Well, I sure hope you taste as good as he did—I dunno what the heck you guys are made up of, but it makes for some damn tasty grub."

"In that case, my apologies," retorted Tambourine with a devilish smirk as he assumed his own combat stance. "I regret to inform you that I happen to be stronger than Cymbal, and unlike him, you've made me rather angry. I don't exactly like having to put aside my mission to take care of one my foolish brother couldn't."

"Then you're after the same thing he was, huh?" Yajirobe gestured toward the sphere hung around his neck, watching as the demon's onyx eyes indeed locked onto the golden ball. "Too bad you're not getting your hands on it any time soon."

"Consider yourself lucky I don't have time to waste, human. I'd be able to enjoy this far, far more if I could really put you through the wringer… but I suppose this'll have to do…"

A slight twitch in the demon's wings caught the obese man's attention, prompting him to quickly throw up a defensive stance. Sure enough, his premonition was entirely valid as Tambourine launched forward with a taloned claw and attempted to rake out his foe's eyes; however, Yajirobe quickly guarded by shielding his face with his forearm and flinging his fist forward, burying it in the monster's exposed stomach and sending him tumbling backward in mid-air.

Yajirobe was quick to follow up on the attack, kicking off his foot and throwing a well-aimed punch at the scaled warrior's jawline. Unfortunately for him, his foe was just as quick to retaliate, tilting his head to avoid it before fighting back with a double-booted kick to the chest. As his foe staggered backwards, Tambourine performed a back-flip to create distance between him and his foe before firing off a quick blast from his maw, the small sphere colliding with the human's chest and knocking him flat to the ground.

"It's as I told you, human…" he snarled, his adrenaline running high as he prepared to pounce for the kill. "...you're mine!"

He dashed forward rapidly, a cackle ringing through the depths of the forest. Using his momentum to his advantage, he kicked off the ground before extending his razor-sharp claws forward. Then, maliciously, he grinned into Yajirobe's eyes and dove downward to finish off the burly man once and for all…

...however, just before he could impale the samurai warrior, Yajirobe had leapt up and connected with a rather ferocious headbutt to his skull, sending him skidding backwards as he clutched his head in agony.

"Heh! Nice try!" grinned Yajirobe, hoping to incite a reaction out of the demon. "I guess I'm stronger than both you and your tasty brother, aren't I?"

"S-Shut up…" Tambourine hissed. "I'll make mincemeat out of you, you punk! You'll regret having messed with me!"

Despite the very real threat of the demon being able to follow up on his promise, Yajirobe continued to gloat at the winged beast. "If you're gonna do that, you'd have to beat me first, right? I don't think you're gonna get the chance to do that, green bean! ...Hmm… wonder what you would taste like with some green bea—crap!"

He barely, just barely, was able to evade the demon's menacing claw, having rolled out of his path before drawing his katana in defense. Faster than the human eye could see, he flung himself forward and tried to cut through the winged warrior's stomach; however, the demon quickly leapt upward and raised his leg, kicking the pudgy fighter underneath his chin and snapping his cranium upward.

"Not so arrogant now, are you?" sneered the demon as he leapt backward, sizing up the human's dazed form. With another primal roar he barreled forward, connecting with a firm headbutt that sent Yajirobe tumbling backward until he righted himself with a quick flip upward. He then quickly launched himself back into the fight with another battle cry, testing his foe's defenses with a right hook before unleashing a swift combination that ended with the demon retreating, scurrying back as quickly as possible to create distance between the two of them.

"Don't think you're getting away!" Yajirobe sneered at his foe, quickly scooping up his sword from the ground and following in wild pursuit of his foe, swinging his blade in a diagonal motion and nearly disemboweling the demon. Had it not been for the winged beast's remarkable speed and agility, he would've certainly been done for.

However, the ronin was more than capable of fighting with more than just his sword, which he would prove by striking with an unexpected headbutt to the monster's solar plexus that knocked the wind right out of him. Quickly using Tambourine's pause to his advantage, he tightened his grip on his blade and swung, just barely managing to narrowly dig into the demon's lower hip before he kicked him backward out of reflex.

"Urrgh… you're going to pay for that one…" Tambourine vowed, clutching his fresh wound and trying to cauterize it immediately with his energy. "You're clever with your sword, human, but that's all that's keeping you alive right now."

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking," goaded Yajirobe, a small smirk spreading his features. "I guess all you've got left to do is run your mouth before it's over."

"D-Damn you!" Tambourine howled, again darting forward with a shrill howl, bloodlust the only thing on his mind. "I'll rip you to shreds and feast on your remains, just like you did my brother! HYAAAH!"

In preparation for the demon's attack, Yajirobe hastily sheathed his sword and took a combat stance before the monster's scaly arm shot forth and struck him across the skull. The demon then followed this up with a swift roundhouse kick that sent the burly fighter reeling, his vision beginning to spin as his foe viciously assaulted him with a flurry of punches and kicks. Finally, he gripped the ronin's arm and hurled him into the ground with a malicious grin, watching as he lay there unconscious…

...and then gaping in absolute shock as he flipped right back upward, nursing a fresh bruise on his rather chubby features.

"You know, that was a good shot. If you taste as good as you hit, this'll be another succulent meal," grinned Yajirobe as he stared into the horrified eyes of the demon. In truth, he was feeling a fair amount of fatigue, but he knew he could manage this pacing long enough to win so long as he avoided the monster's razor-sharp claws.

Across the battlefield, a scowl formed across the demon's face as reality dawned on him—the samurai's resilience was quite above the average fighter, perhaps even on his own level. Though he prided himself on his raw strength, Tambourine knew that his sheer force would not be enough to guide him to victory; it would take everything his father had instilled within him to emerge with his life.

"You may be a talented swordsman, but there's no conceivable way you'll be able to take me down in a sky battle!" Kicking off his foot, Tambourine ascended into the air, his wings flapping rapidly to keep him afloat. "Let's see how you handle fighting a foe you can't slice!"

Raising his palm, Tambourine generated a small sphere of white-hot ki in his hand before hurling it downward at the samurai, cackling madly as he watched it arc through the air and dash down toward his foe at a frightening pace. "So long, human!"

Yajirobe's eyes widened as he recognized his extreme disadvantage—he was in no way prepared to deal with an aerial battle. Despite his superior fighting ability when compared to the winged beast, he knew it was worth nothing in the slightest if he couldn't even strike his foe.

'But I've gotta try,' he inwardly reasoned, trying to will himself onward. 'If I don't, I'll miss out on another well-cooked meal!'

Just before the blast struck, the burly warrior was able to tumble to the side to evade it, feeling the heat of the energy radiate off the small flare as it tore into the ground. When he looked over, he saw the charred patches of grassland and inwardly shivered. 'T-That could've been me, dammit! I've gotta think of something, and I've gotta think of something fast!'

His attention was drawn onto the object in his grip, the metallic luster of the blade glistening due to the sunlight reflecting off it. Tightly clenching it, the obese fighter let out a baritone chuckle. "You may be able to blast me from above… but there's a way I can still bring you down."

"Enough of this! You've wasted enough of my time!" Tambourine howled, elevating his arm upward to generate another pulse of ki. "I won't stand for this mockery!" He fired yet another bolt of energy toward the samurai, this blast racing toward the ground faster than its predecessor, but the human was able to dodge his attack once more by running out of its path.

As he continued to run circles around his opponent, Yajirobe flashed him a grin. "C'mon, ugly, try it again! See how it works out for you, you green little punk!"

Tambourine seemingly indulged him, raising his arm and snarling like a rabid beast of nature. "In the name of my father, you will meet your end right here and right now!"

THACKKK! He was suddenly sent spiraling to the ground by an unseen force, his form smashing into the ground and tearing up the blades of grass upon impact. He hadn't seen or felt anything prior to the collision; it had simply felt as if a meteor had smacked the back of his skull and gravity had thrown him to the ground in the harshest manner it could.

Though the pain made his vision rather groggy, he still found the inner strength to pull his head up and focus on the new arrival. He was clad in purple pants and a red sash, seemingly having a third eye, which almost seemed to radiate his unbridled anger and rage.

The new arrival then descended to the ground, keeping a slow and steady pace as he approached Tambourine. "So… let me guess. You were the one to kill Son Gohan and who took the Dragon Ball, weren't you?" He threw a quick glance toward Yajirobe and nodded, seemingly communicating to him that he was on their side.

Despite fatigue afflicting him with numerous injuries as he stood, the monster still found it within him to smile maliciously as he recalled the elderly man's dying shriek. "And what if I was? Surely you don't think you'll be able to retrieve the sphere back, do you?"

Just as quickly as the triclops had arrived, two more figures darted in to flank his sides—one was a young child garbed in an orange gi, the other being an aged man wearing black garments. Both seemed to share the warrior's emotions, their glares piercing right through the demon.

'W-Were they all planning to intercept me like this?! H-How… how could all these martial artists possibly know who I am?' If the odds weren't against him before, they certainly were now. Four formidable fighters stood across the field of battle from him, each ready to strike in a moment's notice.

"I think we will, you monster!" came the high-pitched cry of the child's voice. "We're not gonna let you get away with any more murders! Give us the Dragon Ball right now, or you're going to meet your end that much faster!"

While he would normally flash a sadistic grin toward his opponent and retort with a taunt, Tambourine couldn't keep up the facade any longer—he was truly outmatched and he knew it. Acting smug would only diminish his foes' patience. "I-I don't have it anymore!"

"Let's be serious here!" Tien barked, clenching his fist and raising it toward the wounded demon. "I know you killed Son Gohan when you took the list of competitors for the tournament as well as the Dragon Ball. Now hand it over immediately before my friends and I are required to use force!"

"Oh, I'm afraid my loyal minion is telling the truth when he says he's no longer in possession of the Dragon Ball."

Master Roshi felt a chill run through the air as he heard that sickening baritone voice, the mere tone triggering the scent of death and the shrieks of horror that accompanied it. The hounds of war howled as soon as he heard that demonic voice, his worst nightmare all too real.

There, levitating in the blue sky of Earth, was the epitome of horror, the devil's favorite demon. He was garbed in a navy blue attire with the demon insignia on his back, the all too terrifying shade of green skin, and that same sickening grin that accompanied the death of thousands.

The Demon King Piccolo was indeed reborn, his power just as horrid and wicked as before.

"I believe I have the item you are searching for…" Piccolo began, reveling in the horrified gazes of the humans below him. "But are you willing to challenge my power to attain it?"

Thanks to all of you for reading the fifth installment of Turbulence, and what a chapter it was! Despite the lack of Kakarot and Nail in this chapter, a lot of plot development and action was covered in this chapter, ranging from the humans' banding together to Piccolo's ultimate introduction to the story. All of these events culminated in the birthing of this chapter, which is appropriately titled to give an allusion to the poem written by William Butler Yeats, an Irish poet of whom I am a fan. While I won't often name chapter titles after poems intentionally, this was an appropriate one that I feel really captures the threat of what could possibly occur if our heroes are to fail. It'll be exciting to see whether or not they can prevail next chapter!

Speaking of, I know that I promised to you all we'd get through the remaining portion of the DB era in this chapter, but this felt like the best stopping point to utilize. This chapter was already pretty lengthy where I did decide to stop it, and since it was a natural cliffhanger to end on, I decided to do just that. The conclusion of the DB era will surely be in the next chapter, as will be the inclusion of power levels(giving them here would be quite the massive spoiler).

I hope you were all pleasantly surprised with the role I gave Yajirobe in this chapter and how it played out. Admittedly, in the planning stages of this story, I hadn't exactly wanted to give him much of a part in Turbulence, but as I was re-reading the manga I've got at my house I recognized that he was actually pretty cool. I've thought up a role he can play in this story besides the "guy who always hands out the magical healing beans," and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I will.

Additionally, I hope you enjoyed the actual planning and plotting regarding our heroes' thought process. It was really important to me that the characters put actual thought into their approach, considering how in this continuity they have a full set of fighters(as opposed to canon where Goku just took off in pursuit of Tambourine). Consider this a preview of later sagas, as the fighters will be forced to think tactically in order to deal with these situations.

I would like to give you all my sincerest thanks for bringing this story to attain(at the time of this writing) 141 reviews, 85 favorites, and 97 followers. The success this story has been to all of us(because it's not just me who drives this fic, it's each and every one of you) has been astounding, motivating, and quite frankly, even heartwarming. I'm truly touched that so many of you are invested in this story, and I hope that you continue to follow it into the grand finale of the DB era and beyond!

-Nickolaidas: Finally! The 4th chapter! Filler be damned, I love everything about this series! Kamesenin sounds so fresh, so vibrant, despite his claims that he's getting too old for this. He's adventurous, has leadership skills, and is quick to dissect the situation before it spirals out of control. Krillin has to face his fears and claim responsibility in his duty as Earth's protector in the Earth Special Forces. The Crane students will do their part, and I'm really interested to see Yamcha's feedback in all this.

Piccolo will truly be an evil force to be reckoned with, and will undoubtedly be a lot darker than he was in canon (Tamboorine already seems darker ... and we haven't even seen the guy!)

Thanks for the thumbs up and subtle reference to the River of Fate, I'll be sure to return the favor! I sincerely hope you will begin to increase the frequency of updates, but I hope never at the cost of quality.

Well, unfortunately, due to Yamcha's injury, he won't be playing too much of a role in the remainder of this portion of the story. I'll be sure to check in with him next chapter, but I fear that's all I can do due to the circumstances. Roshi and the others are indeed going through their own trials as well, having to deal with all these sudden events and their characters being re-molded by them, which I find to be particularly exciting.

As for the updating speed… you're right in saying I'll never sacrifice quality for quantity. If I did so, the story would be released faster, but in the end it'll only hurt the product as a whole. That being said, my updating speed is primarily fueled by my muse and my writing time, and so updating speeds will unfortunately vary. As we grow closer to the Z arc and the various twists and turns I have planned, I believe the wait between updates will decrease.

-super mystic gohan: good chapter but you didn't mention yamcha at all is that coz he has a broken leg ? I would off though roshi would off included him in his thoughts and what he was saying?

and kakarot good all it is though him training and developing which is great but are you going to do a time skip with him and stay on corse with the z-fighters because im thinking you will be focusing more on the humans in abit then writing about namake and earth in the same chapter ?

Yeah, admittedly I wanted to sort of steer away from Yamcha at that point due to him not exactly being in fighting condition. I felt bringing his name up in Roshi's thoughts would disrupt the flow of his inner monologue, so in the end I ultimately refrained from doing so. Unfortunately, I didn't get to showcase Kakarot at all this chapter for the same reason - a scene with him would break the flow of the story, and right now, admittedly, I'm not too sure of whether or not I'll be able to fit something in with him. We'll see what happens, but trust me when I say we'll at least get one more glimpse into his life before we get a time skip.

-Jason9000: Piccolo Daimao is up next? Jason is happy.

While this chapter focused more on Tambourine than Piccolo himself, I hope you're excited to see Piccolo in action next chapter!

-Supersaiyaninfinitygohan: This chapter mostly felt like filler to me. Not that that's bad. Its understandable that not every chapter in a story must have a "Yorick Scene" if you will.

It was a generally solid chapter and a nice enough vibe to suck me in. There is still the issue where characters were using speech that is a touch too formal, this being extremely prevalent in Roshi and Krillin.

Other than that, as I said its pretty solid.

Good job.

Yeah, sometimes I'm unfortunately forced to include filler in order to have a proper story. At times it will be obvious(like the previous chapter), and others it won't be. Still, though, I'm glad to know I can keep everyone's attention during the breaks in action.

And also, while it's a struggle to avoid it with "wiser" characters like Roshi, I'll do my best to cut it down with the more "down-to-Earth" characters such as Krillin and Yamcha.

- Chaosconetic:Even though I knew it was coming, the manner of Gohan's death still came as a shock, getting clawed from behind, I hope Tambourine gets curb stomped for that; a tired Gohan might not have bested him, but a fresh Gohan could have, though with some difficulty, if Tamborine can sense Ki he probably realized that and opted for the sneakier option. What made the fourth chapter the best however was Roshi's actual show of emotion over his student's murder, I realize he's a practitioner of mental tranquillity and clear mindedness without emotional fog, but this added a great deal to his character and brings fourth one of those rare occasion where we see just how old Roshi really is; especially in his moment with Krillin, despite his grief he keeps calm enough to see the situation and explain it for what ti is. Things will be very interesting now that Crain and Turtle schools unite under a common goal.

Thanks for all your comments about Roshi and my portrayal of him. The truth is, while I don't plan for him to be a lasting fighter(or one who really gets much time at all following the Demon Saga's finale), I do want to make sure he retains a pivotal role in the story besides making the lecherous comment or a move at the ladies every now and then. Like I've said, Turbulence will attempt to give roles to the long-forgotten humans - even those who can't fight any longer.