18 smirks as Trunks makes it to the stage, standing opposite of her. The young boy grins confidently and excitedly, looking just as proud and cocky as his father.
The fight begins, and the two ram into each other before quickly exchanging blows, Trunks desperately avoiding 18's strikes by dodging while attempting to hit her with his much smaller limbs.
"You must be nervous.." 18 quietly mocks. "This time your friend isn't here to help you little man…"
"I'm stronger this time!" Trunks retorts, barely dodging a palm strike to the face. "Sides, we really wanted to participate in the adult section! We had to disguise ourselves. Not our fault they had us fight a bunch of babies!"
18 chuckles. 'Fair enough…' She thinks to herself as she kicks Trunks away.
Trunks back flips, landing neatly on his feet before charging back in for a barrage of punches and kicks. They were all blocked or evaded by 18. The two move around the stadium causing sonic booms from their blows.
From their view point, Alluka looks on. "I think 18 is stronger…" she voices quietly, not being able to follow them too well, but Trunks was being hit far more than the woman. She can see him falling to the ground in a blur before blitzing back into the fight.
"He can't use super saiyan either…" Goten nods…"b-but he's smart. He'll figure something out…"
The barrage continues on, with 18 visibly overpowering Trunks.
"Go Mommy!" Marron squeals.
Bulma shouts out to her son. "Come on Trunks! Give it your best!"
Vegeta looked on, carefully reading the flow of battle. Trunks and 18 were just testing each other for now, and were just about to get serious.
Trunks ducks underneath a roundhouse kick, using his hands to push himself skyward for a kick to her chin. 18 manages to arch backwards before punching his stomach, sending him flying upside down.
He landed face first before squabbling to his feet and shooting out a massive energy beam. 18 deflects it with the flick of a hand.
Trunks attempts to keep her away by beginning to shoot out a barrage of energy bullets while slowly rising into the air, all of his energy pellets dodged or blocked by 18, with only a few grazes added to her skin.
She speeds past him and kicks him to the ground, creating a loud bang as his body collides with the metal platform. He charges back up, fists cocked before chraging right back at her.
Another barrage begins, with her overpowering him once more. She has to give him credit though, if he was allowed access to super saiyan, he would probably have had the upper hand by now. His technique had clearly improved since the last time they had fought.
Trunks' sayain biology slowly but surely helped him adapt to 18's moves. He blocked more, dodged more, but was ultimately still losing due to the gap in power between them.
Trunks decided to step it up and try a new strategy. He leaped backwards and began circling the robotic female, slowly trying to come up with a plan as he stepped around her cautiously. 18 merely watched with a curious glance.
Trunks sweatdropped as the two stood in a standstill, wracking his mind for anything that might give him an advantage.
After a minute or so, 18 decides he's had his time to plan, and quickly rushes toward him.
Trucks barely manages to block one of her punches, before being swept aside by a strong backwards roundhouse kick. He barely catches himself, dashing around and dodging 18 as she threw out attack after attack.
When he catches a brief glance of Krillin shouting out his encouragement toward his wife, his eyes widen in inspiration. He smirks as his mind conjures up a plan.
He turns around and attempts to kick 18, which she dodges and smirks. "Finally done running away?" She asks wryly.
"Laugh all you want!" Trunks declared, raising a finger and pointing at her. "I got the perfect way to beat you…"
"Oh really?" 18's eyes widened in amusement,which made the audience and opponents look on curiously. "Well then…Come here and show me what you're made of, little man!"
Trunks powered up his ki, focusing heavily as the ground trembled around him. 18 began charging up an massive energy beam, which, if hit, would surely knock Trunks out of the arena.
Wasting no time, 18 shot out the attack. Trunks's eyes widened, and he ascended skyward, trying to maintain his concentration and keep on charging. 18 met him up in the sky and attempted to smash him back down to the ground.
"Crud!" He groaned before being rocketed down to the ground by 18's attack.
"Did you really think I was just gonna stand there and let you charge something up?" 18 asked rhetorically.
He rapidly backed away from her to try and gain some distance. He desperately tried charging up his energy for his unknown trump card, but 18 continued to intercept him in every way. Making his efforts utterly futile.
"D-darn it!" He grunts, his arms and legs clenched together to block the attacks directed at him.
"If you're gonna invent a move, be sure to do it BEFORE the fight." 18 dryly remarks, continuing her assault.
Trunks falters and begins trying to push back, throwing what few punches or kicks he could whenever he wasn't too busy trying to dodge.
He backed away from her and used whatever small bits of energy he had gathered and recklessly launched out a miniature final flash. 18 stopped her pursuit, planted her feet firmly on the ground and launched her own attack, the two beams clashing together before creating a massive explosion. In that moment, Trunk's eyes widened at his mistake once he remembered a very dangerous fact about his opponent.
He couldn't sense her ki.
He exhaled softly to calm himself and lowered himself to the ground immediately, hiding his own ki. However, by the time he landed it was already too late, and 18 appeared behind him before beginning another assault.
Trunks was too disoriented form the blow to his head and 18 began bouncing him around the arena. He was pushed around the arena more until eventually, the boy was kicked out of the ring, creating a dust storm to spring up from the impact.
"Trunks has been kicked out of the arena!" The announcer said, waving over to the blonde after making sure the boy was alright. "The winner is 18!"
The gong rang, and with it the fight ended.
18 walked over to the side, offering Trunks his hand. "You held up better than I thought you would." She said neutrally.
"Whatever." Trunks clicked, taking her hand in a show of good sportsmanship. "I'll beat you next time though!"
"We'll see." she smirked.
The two walked back to the the entrance.
"So, what kind of technique did you come up with?" Goten asked after they congratulated the two. "You said it could help you win!"
Killua tilted his head, having already guessed the answer. "...It was that electricity technique baldy did, right?" He asked as the others around them talked randomly.
Trunks nodded as he looked away angrily. "...Yeah. She was right though, I should'a thought it up before! Ugh, I'm so stupid!"
"Just be sure not to repeat that mistake again." Vegeta states roughly. "Learn from this, and move on. At the very least be proud that you managed to put up a fight."
"Yes sir." Trunks nods at his father's words.
"FOR OUR NEXT MATCH…" The announcer begins again. "We have a returning fighter, the semifinalist of the the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, the literal son of the demon himself, a reformed fighter who has fought steadfast for Earth's defense, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for PICCOLO!"
Piccolo nodded, and stood up straight having previously leaned against the wall. "I look forward to our match. Goku had pretty high expectations for you. You better not disappoint me." He nodded stoically at Killua.
"Who says I will? You don't seem to think so. Look a bit green around the gills there, old man." Killua bit back, causing Piccolo to smirk back before walking towards the stage.
"Good luck Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan smiled, patting his mentor on the back as he marched forward…
"His opponent will be a newcomer to the world stage! A visitor to our world with quite the wit for his age. Give it up for KILLUA ZOLDYCK!"
Killua fist bumped Gon, the two giving eachother a knowing grin while Alluka hugged his side. "Good luck, bro." She smiled at him.
He nodded and began heading outside, while giving Goku a thumbs up back.
"Both of you do your best!" Goten grinned as Killua followed Piccolo.
The two stood on opposite ends, Piccolo confidently crossing his arms while Killua got into his own stance immediately, sensing just how powerful the Namekian was just with a glance. They both remained silent, looking each other dead in the eyes as they waited for the fight to start.
"Fighters ready…."
Killua charged up his nen, going into Ren while Piccolo's stance stiffened, his eyes narrowing in focus upon seeing Killua's aura. He allowed a small bit of ki to surround him.
The gong rang.
"BEGIN!"
The two fighters did not move, locked in a standstill while intently and carefully gazing at each other.
Piccolo could sense the difference in power, him far surpassing Killua. That said, there was a spark in the boy's eye, one that warned him to be careful. His instincts warned him that this boy was a very crafty fighter, one used to bloodshed and very analytical to boot. He could feel Killua's blue eyes analysing him like a supercomputer, probably working on overdrive on how to defeat him. Killua's aura emitted a heat that was far different from what he had felt training Gon.
It sort of reminded him of electricity…
He stopped crossing his arms in favour of getting into his own stance, his body ready to move at a moment's notice.
Killua began taking small steps sideways, slowly circling Piccolo's figure as he kept his young face neutral of emotion.
'I should save Godspeed for later. Test him out a bit. I don't think he's gonna knock me out quickly.' Killua thought to himself. 'He's probably curious about my abilities, maybe even wants to study them. He definitely looks like the brainy type of fighter.'
He takes a quick glance up at the sky, which only lasted less than a second before his eyes returned to the waiting Piccolo.
'Sky's clear blue. No chance of me using Raijin.' Killua confirms to himself. 'Well…That's fine. Not sure I'd be able to proceed with the tournament even if I did get it, considering the pain from last time…' Killua sweatdropped at the memory, suppressing a shudder.
Minutes felt like hours to the two, and eventually Piccolo grew impatient. He made the first move, shooting out a ki blast to test Killua's reflexes. He shot the energy out at around the same speed he did when he trained with Gon, clearly wanting to see just how different the two were…
Killua arched back, tilting his head and barely dodging the beam. His eyes widened in focus.
Piccolo nodded. Not bad. He began shooting out more, watching as the silver haired boy leaped around the arena, avoiding the beams easily and with grace. This opening attack confirmed Killua's thoughts about Piccolo testing him….
Piccolo increased the speed, only to see Killua still dodge them, not being hit once. 'From his performance, he's naturally stronger and faster than Gon, if only by a little bit…' He concluded, watching one of his faster attacks graze him. 'Now…Let's see if his technique is any better!'
Piccolo steps toward Killua quickly, closing the gap in an instant and back hands him, withKillua barely blocking the attack. Killua lands roughly, taking a second to skillfully roll backwards. He finished the roll and quickly regained his footing just before Piccolo approached him once more, the two beginning their clash.
Killua used his size to his advantage, ducking and acrobatically leaping around Piccolo's attacks while throwing out his own, the two are locked in a skillful visual display of martial arts.
The way Killua moved, leaping and dodging while attacking with practised ease showed a deep understanding of combat…But also, killing and death.
He could see that some of the moves Killua could perform were tailor made to knock out opponents, but they could also easily kill a normal man or woman with ease if they were just shifted a little more…
As he continued to test the boy's technique, Piccolo briefly wondered what sort of childhood he had gone through to be able to attain those movements…
Piccolo sped up his movement and quickly landed a hit on Killua, knocking him aside.
Killua skidded, looking at Piccolo and dodging another side kick, which dented the hard metal floor.
'His recovery is slightly slower than Gon's…But his movements are far more calculated.' Piccolo thought to himself. Each one of Killua's strikes had been aimed towards pressure points.
Killua hopped back, putting as much distance between the two while still being wary of the edge. 'Guess I was right about him testing me before, but it looks like he's gonna start upping it up now. He probably wants to see what kind of techniques I have.'
He backflipped of a side kick and attempted to punch Piccolo's knee, but the Namekian retracted just in time for Killua's fist to only touch an after image. Killua ducked under a jab and barely evaded a cross before throwing out a kcik to the side of Piccolo's neck, which Piccolo caught and threw Killua away towards the outside of the arena.
Killua used his newfound flight to stop himself midair, before being barraged by several energy bullets…All of which missed.
Gon's eyes widened in familiarity.
Killua clicked his tongue in irritation. 'Guess I have no choice…Time to use Whirlwind!'
His technique causes everything in his sight to appear much slower, but also immediately allows his body to react on heightened impulses, making him move instantly.
He begins narrowly dodging the energy bullets as they all move at the same time, his clothes grazing at their speed leaving him almost shirtless.
He ducks under and manages to avoid the last few, but is slammed into the ground from the debris above.
Piccolo waits for Killua to get back up, not leaving his battle stance.
"Your reaction timing is certainly impressive…" Piccolo complimented before his eyes narrowed. "...Or, whatever technique you used to enhance it."
Piccolo had been able to see Killua's electrical aura amplify his stimulus as well as everything else he had seen during that performance. Piccolo was truly impressed at the ki control this child display, and at such an early age…
"Thanks…" He smirked, finally up on two feet. His entire body began to become covered in electricity. "...You're tough…So I'm gonna stop holding back…You good with that?"
"Show me what you've got." Piccolo ordered.
With that, Killua activated godspeed, his silver hair standing on all ends as his body began to glow a faint blue light, sparkling with electricity.
Killua cracked his neck, and took a single step before moving out of sight.
Piccolo's eyes widen and barely manage to arch to his side as a fist comes flying towards him, slightly hitting him with the electrical discharge emanating from Killua's arm.
At that point, Piccolo was fully on guard, staring at Killua as he instantly zipped back to where he was standing.
"Gonna take me seriously now?" Killua smirked, his eyes rowing.
Piccolo could only tighten his stance in response.
From what types of punches he had blocked, Killua was certainly physically weaker than him, but the way he could control electricity made him dangerous. He could easily send an electrical impulse towards Piccolo's mind, instantly paralysing his entire body which would then allow him to simply toss him out of the ring.
Piccolo continued barely being able to evade Killua's strikes, often being grazed wherever the boy decided to aim. His body was acting nearly on impulse as the air around him became electrified.
Killua did not relent, aiming anywhere he could to hope to catch Piccolo off guard. The two continued this exchange for only a few seconds, which seemed like hours for them.
Killua eventually stepped back, putting several feet between them and smashing his palm into the metal ground, electrifying the entire arena. Piccolo was temporarily stunned, allowing Killua to land several punches and kicks. Piccolo's eyes widened, and barely managed to move with an attempt at a punch. However, Killua merely dodged before blitzing behind Piccolo. The electric feeling all but subsided just enough for Piccolo to rise skywards, barely dodging the attack.
Piccolo stops suddenly before looking down back at the electrified arena. With Killua standing on it emitting his sparks, he merely has to stay airborne.
This gave him the advantage at least.
He began shooting out energy beam after energy beam, forcing Killua to dodge.
"He's doing better than I thought he would…" Goku smiles, Vegeta looking at the two fighters with vague interest.
The assault continued viciously for minutes, the two fighters duking it out in midair, Piccolo shooting out energy beam after energy beam while Killua would shoot out bolts of lightning.
Eventually however, Killua's powerfull shine faded, making his eyes widen.
'Crap…' He cursed to himself. 'I forgot to recharge before the fight!'
Gon and Alluka's eyes widened, Goten looking at them both as they did. "What's wrong? Why did he…"
"That form drains Killua's electricity really quickly." Gon explained, his eyes not leaving the arena. "I remember now. He didn't charge up before the fight! He must have run out completely by now."
"Oh brother…." Alluka signed worriedly.
Piccolo's eyes widened as he saw his chance. He charged towards Killua, knocking him all the way back down to the arena, making him skid to stop his momentum.
'Something tells me by the look in his eye that he won't be using that again…' Piccolo inwardly remarked. "In that case, it looks like it's about time I ended this!'
Piccolo reappeared in front of Killua beginning an assault which Killua could barely bring himself to block. Killua attempted to hit back, however his muscle memory and need to block simply would not allow for it.
Eventually, Piccolo chopped the back of Killua's neck with just enough force to make him feel dizzy, before quickly kicking him out of the ring.
"Killua has touched the outside of the ring!" The announcer cries out, scrambling back to the metal platform. "The winner is PICCOLO!"
As their friends cheered, Piccolo walked towards the edge and looked at the struggling silver haired boy. "Can you stand?" He asked.
"Y-yeah." Killua huffed. "I got it." He grunts, dusting himself off as he massages his head.
With that, Piccolo nodded and began walking back to the entrance. "Not bad. Good work" He added, just loud enough for Killua to hear.
The two came back, everybody around them giving their congratulations for their match.
"Nicely done." Gohan grins at Piccolo. He then looks to Killua, giving an encouraging smile. "Both of you."
"You did great big brother!" Alluka hugged his side, while Goku ruffled his hair.
"Pretty reckless of you to forget to recharge Killua~!" Gon grins, playfully nudging Killua.
Killua snorts, nudging him back. "Shut it you…"
Alluka smiled, hiding her hidden dread as the announcer began addressing the audience once more.
"AND NOW FOR THE FINALE ROUND OF THE FIRST ROUNDS!" His voice echoed. "We have the legendary Master of martial arts himself, the most skilled warrior available to us in the history of humanity! Ladies and Gentlemen, MASTER ROSHI!"
As Alluka saw the old man getting ready, she remembered that after this match…She and Nanika would have to begin their plan. She rubbed her hands on her pants, wuping the sweat off.
"His opponent comes from the same world as Killua and Alluka, yet another visitor to our world!" The announcer adjusts his glasses. "A bright energetic and stubborn boy, he won't give up without a fight! Give it up for…GON FREECSS!"
Deep in her heart, Alluka tensed herself. She prayed that the fight would pass by slowly. She didn't know what would come from their plan, only hoping that it was all good.
She trusted Nanika. Surely everything would turn out alright…Right?
A/N
Hey everyone! Hope you liked the new chapter. The finale is coming soon, so stay tuned. I'll see you all in the next chapter of...Dragon Hunter ZX!