Duo Halfbreeds
Chapter Sixteen: The Stranger
As consciousness gradually crept in, a sudden jolt of icy water ripped through the haze, leaving Gohan gasping and disoriented. Panic seized him as he realized he was submerged in water, but before he could fully comprehend what was happening, he was yanked out of the water.
The world spun around him as he coughed and sputtered, struggling to get his bearings. Gradually, his vision cleared, and he found himself on the ground next to a metal tub filled with water. His heart raced as he tried to make sense of the situation, but his mind was still foggy from sleep.
Through his blurry vision, he saw a shadowy figure looming over him, wearing a hooded cloak that concealed their features. He strained to focus on the figure, but they remained a mystery even when his vision returned.
Gohan blinked a couple more times as he regained his composure then immediately became defensive. "You jerk!" He shouted as he lunged at the man. He was quick to note that it was him who dunked him in the water. He went high and swung a clawed formed fist but the cloaked man was quick to counter.
He blocked Gohan's fist with the palm of his hand then grabbed Gohan and hurled him on the ground. "It appears I'll have to teach you a lesson in respect!" The cloaked man snarled. As Gohan got back up, he was swift to jump back at the cloaked man, throwing several attacks, each one missing with ease.
It made Gohan angrier and more frustrated as he tried to swing his foot high and slam it onto the cloaked man's head. However, the cloaked man grabbed his leg and threw him ten yards away, causing Gohan to push dirt up as he slid across the ground for the last few yards.
The commotion brought attention from the other inmates as they watched Gohan struggle to beat the cloaked man. Gohan jumped back up again, darted to the side and lunged from there but the cloaked man took a single step forward, vanishing into thin air as he did.
When he reappeared not even a second later, a fist from him struck Gohan in the back, sending Gohan into the ground by his feet. Gohan growled angrily and pushed himself off the ground as he tried to send his foot against the cloaked man's head, easily missing yet again.
The cloaked man backed a few inches away instantly, and sent a powerful kiai wave against Gohan to cause him to go flying yet again.
"Persistent…" The man chuckled. Immediately Gohan got back up, bouncing off the wall by him as he torpedoed the cloaked figure, throwing a barrage of attacks that were blocked with ease. "You should know your place." The cloaked man grabbed Gohan's head with the palm of his hand and pushed him into the ground.
The ground beneath him cracked and crumbled, covering his head in rubble. A short moment later, Gohan tried to push himself back up but felt weak, and all he could see was the figure walking away and the words of other inmates before blacking out.
Those watching were shocked and left agape. "Hey, the new fish took out that little brat!" One shouted. "I can't believe it!"
"No way! That kid has been nothing but trouble these past months!" Another added. "It's about time someone put him in his place!"
The next morning…
The mysterious figure was shrouded in a cloak and perched atop a peculiar rock formation, clutching a bowl of steaming soup brimming with an assortment of peculiar ingredients. Just as he was about to savor a mouthful, he abruptly halted and set down his spoon, flinging his hand out in a swift motion as Gohan launched himself at the man.
Gohan crashed a few feet away on his back to the ground. He seemed extra angry today, enraged if you will, most likely because he was humiliated yesterday and refused to let this go by. So as he got back up, Gohan flipped forward and did a flying kick, aimed at the man.
The cloaked man sighed, placing his spoon down again before he could eat. He threw his right hand, deflecting Gohan's kick, causing Gohan's body to rotate and his head facing the ground but before he could fall into the ground, the man unleashed a powerful kiai wave.
"I am trying to eat." The cloaked man said. "If you wish to challenge me again, you will wait until I am done." He grabbed his spoon once more, pulling it to his face until he sensed the movements of Gohan. He sighed to himself, placing his bowl down on his rock formation, then vanishing from sight.
He reappeared behind Gohan as he was midway launching towards where the cloaked man originally was. He grabbed Gohan by the neck tightly and slammed him into the ground once more. He turned around and headed to return to his breakfast.
"Disrespectful brat…" He muttered. As he walked back, he could feel Gohan once again lunging at him, but the cloaked man inched away, making Gohan go right past him. He sat back down, grabbing his bowl and spoon, beginning to eat it.
Of course, Gohan charged at him and this time the cloaked man had an idea. He sent Gohan harshly into the ground, then placed his foot onto Gohan's back, rendering him immobilized. Gohan struggled to get up, growling angrily as he did but failed.
"Get off me so I can rip that face of yours off and stuff it in your damn mouth!" Gohan snarled.
The cloaked man arched his brow. "How are you going to stuff it in my mouth if you rip my face off?"
Gohan growled viciously. "Shut up!" He still tried to struggle and break free but failed to do so.
The cloaked man sighed. "Could you stop moving around, I'm trying to eat." He said. Gohan scoffed at him and ignored him, as he tried harder. Again the man sighed and pushed Gohan further into the ground, rendering him unable to move. "Much better."
For the next week passing by, every morning and every evening, Gohan continued to try and take down the cloaked man but only failed miserably, making a fool out of himself more and more. As each failing battle went, more inmates started to believe Gohan wasn't as tough as they thought he was.
After that week, in one particular morning, having beaten Gohan, the cloaked man saw something, noticed something in Gohan that he wanted to unleash.
"Persistent little bastard you are, but…" The cloaked man paused. "I have to give credit where credit is due. You're strong, kid." Gohan scoffed in response, as he tried to pull his weak body the rest of the way out of the rubble. "Let me teach you…train you, I can make you the world's strongest and most powerful fighter."
As Gohan finally pulled himself out, he walked away. "Not interested." He replied.
The cloaked man was surprised at Gohan's response. "Huh…" He said. "Stubborn kid…" He formed a smirk on his face as he sat down. "He'll come around eventually."
A day later, Gohan was challenged by one of the inmates who were beginning to believe Gohan wasn't as strong as seemed…
Standing at the height of six feet and two inches, and weighing over a thousand pounds, this particular inmate had an armored hide that was grayish in color and stronger than metal. He had a massive horn on his snout, his head shape was a combination of sharp angles, strong lines, with a chiseled and defined jawline.
The man's cheekbones were high and pronounced and his forehead was broad and angular. He stood in Gohan's way, giving the boy, who was currently on all fours, an irritated look.
"Move." Gohan growled.
The man ignored his demand and smirked. "No. I got a better idea, fight me you little brat."
Gohan looked at him, unamused, and scoffed. "Not interested." He tried to move in a different direction but the inmate got in the way again. This pissed Gohan off, so Gohan lunged at him, throwing a fist but the man blocked the attack, only being pushed back by an inch.
"There's gonna be some new rules around here, kid! From now on, you're taking orders from, I, Tapirage now!" He hurled a fist forward but Gohan leaped out of the way, narrowly escaping the powerful fist. Tapirage huffed steam from his snout as he turned, charging at Gohan.
He rushed forward as Gohan landed on the ground with his two own feet, and shoulder bashed Gohan. Gohan crashed into the wall behind him, causing it to crack slightly. As Tapirage came forward to attack Gohan again, Gohan pulled himself off the wall, and ducked below, spinning slightly as he did.
Tapirage stopped a few inches before the wall and turned to face Gohan, however Gohan reacted quickly, sweeping his feet to try and knock Tapirage down, failing to do so. Tapirage's strong and robust body allowed him to keep a sturdy balance.
Tapirage kicked Gohan in the chin, causing Gohan to lift off ten feet in the air, going for several yards away, but Gohan stopped himself before reaching the dead end. Gohan saw Tapirage charging after him and he dropped to the ground, leaping away, coming out of the overhang and into the sunlight.
Tapirage turned to go after Gohan, jumping forward and aiming to slam his elbow down on Gohan, leaving the young halfbreed to narrowly backstep from the attack. Gohan growled ferociously as grabbed the large horn on Tapirage and swung him over to the other side and on to the ground.
"Don't mess with me!" Gohan hissed. As Tapirage quickly shot himself back up, Gohan lunged forward, aiming to send his whole body against Tapirage's gut but the rhino-like man thrusted his massive knee into Gohan's gut before he could.
Taking this opportunity, Tapirage slammed his fist into Gohan's face. From the distance, the cloaked man from before had been watching the entire time, intently, closely. Each attack Gohan tried to throw became more and more sloppy and futile, as Tapirage sent powerful blows to his cheeks, his stomach, his abdomen, and even his back.
Gohan bounced off the ground, rolling for yards before coming to a halt, pushing dirt behind him. With a vicious growl, he pushed himself up, locking his gaze on Tapirage, baring his fangs in a fearsome snarl.
Lunging towards his foe, Gohan vanished at the last moment, reappearing behind Tapirage. With a fierce strike, Gohan slammed both legs into Tapirage's upper back, sending him hurtling forward. Tapirage fought for balance, planting his feet in the ground to steady himself.
He struck the earth with a heavy fist, causing the very ground to tremble and spike upwards, hurtling towards Gohan with lightning speed. The last spike grazed Gohan's chin, sending him hurtling back ten yards.
Gohan tried to rise but found himself weak and bloodied, vision blurred with a cough of saliva and blood. Tapirage seized his moment, slamming his foot into Gohan's back, sending him crashing back into the ground with a short scream of agony.
Tapirage laughed. "I don't know how anyone ever had trouble with you!" He slammed his foot again onto Gohan's back, and again, and again. Each time more powerful than the last, a couple of times causing blood to erupt from his mouth again. "This is getting hilarious! I should crush you into fine dust!"
He stomped yet another time, this time it caused a loud crack to emerge from Gohan's back. As Gohan screamed in agony, a memory triggered into his mind, one he couldn't quite make out, but it vanished quickly as it came.
As the cloaked man watched, he started to worry. "Is…he not going to make it?" He wondered. Before deciding to step in, he observed longer.
Tapirage kicked Gohan's side causing him to go flying til he hit a nearby pillar back first. As Gohan's consciousness faded in and out, he started to see different things, memories, and a figure he recognized. "Priamus?" He mumbled.
Tapirage looked confused. "I don't know what the hell you're mumbling about, but whatever it is, it ain't gonna help you." Tapirage swung his foot into Gohan's gut again, causing him to gasp for air. As Tapirage continued to send blow after blow, what Gohan was seeing became clearer and clearer, as he watched, reliving the moments of his master's demise.
His demeanor changed as he snapped, vanishing without a sight from Tapirage's next blow, making Tapirage confused and stunned, before he reappeared, slamming his foot into the back of Tapirage's neck then bouncing off right after. Tapirage stumbled forward, stopping himself a second later, he turned to face Gohan but by then Gohan disappeared again.
Gohan reappeared in front of him, striking a powerful blow into Tapirage's gut, powerful winds and a shockwave generated as he did, causing Tapirage to be lifted off his feet and go flying.
The cloaked man's eyes widened. "His power shot up." He thought.
Before Tapirage could reach the ground, Gohan lunged forward, hurled several fists, one against his chin, which sent him a few feet higher, several against his cheeks, then as a final to this chain of attacks, Gohan connected his two hands together, giving a double ax-handle to Tapirage's forehead as he slammed his hands down.
Tapirage fell into the ground and as Gohan dropped to the ground, he slammed both of his feet into Tapirage's gut, causing Tapirage to release a short scream before gasping for air. Gohan jumped off of his gut and slammed once more into his chest before sending several more blows into Tapirage's face.
Gohan lifted Tapirage up, one hand raised and his chest placed down. He threw Tapirage on the ground a few feet away before lunging again and letting loose a primal roar, slamming his fists against Tapirage continuously until he heard something break.
After several minutes of a merciless rampage on Tapirage, the cloaked man stood up, walking up to Gohan, grabbing Gohan's arm as he aimed to throw a fist.
"That's enough." The man said.
Gohan turned to face him and growled angrily. "What're you doing! Let me go!" He struggled to break free from the grip.
The cloaked man shook his head. "Like I said, you've done enough." He answered. "He can't even defend himself anymore, no point in attacking him anymore."
Gohan snarled fiercely. "I'll stop when that horn of his is in his own eyeballs!"
The cloaked man rolled his eyes, sighing, softly clicking his tongue. "Fighting someone who cannot even defend themselves shows no honor." He replied. "Am I gonna have to teach you another le-" Before he could finish, Tapirage shot up with every ounce of strength he had left, aiming for Gohan as he grabbed the halfbreed's throat tightly, pushing him into the ground several yards away.
Gohan was immediately unable to break free, struggling to shake him off. He gasped for air but that only caused him to gag and he quickly began to think this was it, until Tapirage was knocked off.
"Rude as hell!" The cloaked man yelled. He turned to face Tapirage. "I was teaching him something, mind your damn business."
Tapirage growled angrily as he slowly stood back up. "You were stepping in my business first, punk!" He charged forward, aiming to attack the cloaked man, but the cloaked man simply pushed his index finger forward to Tapirage's forehead and….
"BOOM!"
Tapirage crashed through the thick layers of the prison wall, easily knocked out. Once he knew it was for sure, the cloaked man turned back to Gohan, handing him a hand but Gohan pushed it away, getting up himself on his own.
"I didn't need your help." Gohan grumbled. He began to walk away but the cloaked man blocked his way.
"I didn't give you help, I did merely what benefited my own interest." The cloaked man replied. "Now, why don't you come with me and-"
Gohan hissed. "Not. Interested!" He turned the other way, heading to the inner prison. The cloaked man was a bit flabbergasted but the refusal only challenged him to make Gohan accept his offer.
The cloaked man chuckled. "You wanna play it that way? Fine."
For the next few days, the cloaked man relentlessly pursued Gohan, doing everything in his power to persuade him to accept his offer. He made a habit of blocking Gohan's path everywhere he went - the doorway to his cell, the entrance to the training yard, and even the inner prison's entryway. Every time Gohan tried to get past him, the cloaked man would reappear, wearing his annoying smile.
But it wasn't just about being in his way. The cloaked man would knock Gohan's food and water out of his hands, obstruct his cell door, and interfere with his fights. On multiple occasions, he even intervened mid-brawl, knocking out both fighters with a single blow.
Gohan was losing his patience, but he remained stoic. However, his temper flared up when the cloaked man started throwing greasy food at him during fights and getting in the way. Frustrated, Gohan lunged at him, throwing a punch. The cloaked man evaded with ease, disappearing from sight, only to reappear several yards away.
"Get over here so I can rip that stupid cloak off of you," Gohan growled, charging towards him. But his attacks all missed as the cloaked man dodged with ease. The cloaked man let out an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes. He aimed his fist at Gohan, who managed to dodge the attack just in time.
Gohan attempted to hit him again, but the cloaked man kicked his leg, causing him to stumble. Gohan quickly regained his footing and disappeared from the spot, appearing above the cloaked man. He created a fist with both of his hands and aimed at the cloaked man's head. However, the cloaked man anticipated his move, jabbing his elbow into Gohan's gut before he could make contact. Gohan fell to the ground, gasping for air and clenching his fist.
"If you keep coming at me like that, you're never going to get anywhere," the cloaked man advised. "You need to get better if you want any chance of fighting me, let alone defeating me." He walked away, leaving Gohan to catch his breath and vent his anger by clutching the dirt tightly in his hands.
Two weeks later…
A noise emerged from the speakers around the prison, almost like a siren or something, immediately every inmate was out in the yard, wondering what was going on. Shortly after, the door to the main facility opened and Duran walked outside.
"Listen up!" He shouted. The prisoners looked in his direction. "Due to certain difficulties from a month ago, as you all know we don't exactly have an arena, so as a temporary solution, we've set up a smaller but suitable arena for you all to fight in. In exactly one hour from now, we'll start selecting fighters!"
Leaving the inmates to discuss this "new development" themselves, Duran started to walk away, however that was before the cloaked man stopped him.
"What do you want?" Duran said, his teeth stay closed. "Make it quick."
The cloaked man smirked. "You remember those conditions I mentioned?" He asked.
Sweat dripped from Duran's forehead. "What…"
One Hour Later..
The five chosen fighters, including Gohan, were escorted outside the prison for the fight. They were cuffed with energy-restricting restraints, ensuring they couldn't use their powers to escape. When they arrived, they saw two massive circles, each five miles in diameter, created by metal poles. Surrounding the area were bleachers, made of smooth white wood and lined with a soft red cushion, capable of holding thousands of spectators.
As Gohan stepped into the center arena, he noticed the ground was made of a yellowish rock, resembling sandstone. He was one of the first selected, along with a random inmate whose appearance was jagged and gray.
Suddenly, a van arrived on the other side of the circle, and Keylo, a familiar face to Gohan, stepped out. Gohan's body tensed as he bared his fangs.
Keylo chuckled wickedly as he entered the ring."The first fight I'll have since entering that hellhole, and it's the stupid brat that got me put there in the first place!" Keylo sneered. "I can't wait to run your face into the ground!"
Gohan made a low growl as he flashbacked all the times Keylo hurt him. "Run my face in the ground?" He said quietly. "No…I'LL CRUSH YOURS!" He vanished from sight. Keylo whipped his head around, wondering where Gohan could've gone. Gohan reappeared behind Keylo, aiming to throw a double ax handle from high above against Keylo's shiny cap.
However as Gohan neared, Keylo turned and dashed back. He grabbed Gohan's chin as the boy leveled and threw him far.
"You think it's gonna be that easy?!" Keylo yelled. "You have no idea the horrors I had to go through! The unending nightmare that place was!"
((Flashback))
"No you can't do this to me! Don't throw me in there!" Keylo shouted. He was trying his best to cling onto the van. The area behind him looked like some kind of bottomless pit, or at least it was seemingly bottomless.
Keylo struggled to hold on to the van but the guards gave him a jolt of electricity with their tridents which caused Keylo to become momentarily paralyzed as he fell into the pit. Keylo screamed as loud as he could, his body falling, falling, and falling.
He blacked out after several minutes, having no idea how long he'd fallen when he woke up way later. When he woke up, he arrived in this dark, nearly pitch black area, filled with intense heat, he could hear sounds, strange unidentifiable sounds, some sounded like crying and screaming, others sounded like the most vicious thing in the world.
In no time at all, Keylo was surrounded by several strange creatures he could not identify due to the low-light circumstances. One attacked Keylo from behind, giving a vicious bite, Keylo reactively screamed but quickly grabbed it and threw it, only to be struck by another right after, and several more.
He tried his best to fight them off, but it quickly became overwhelming. "N-No!" He yelled. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" He tried to unleash a burst of energy but to no avail.
((Flashback End))
Keylo rushed forward and aimed a fist at Gohan as he got up but Gohan dodged the fist, darting away to the side. Gohan lunged forward and leaped high, slamming his foot at Keylo but Keylo sidestepped, avoiding Gohan's attack.
Gohan stopped himself mid way, making a rebound as he spun around and shot a powerful energy blast straight at Keylo. The blast was massive, easily the size of a boulder, but Keylo didn't flinch. Instead, he charged forward, his body glowing with a bright white aura, dodging the blast.
As he closed in on Gohan, Keylo swung his massive arm, unleashing a devastating blow that sent Gohan hurtling through the air. Gohan quickly regained his composure and blasted back towards Keylo, his fists crackling with energy.
Gohan's fist clashed with Keylo's, causing a quick gust and a charge of electricity to spark the second Gohan retracted his fist. Gohan moved in closer and hurled another fist, aimed at Keylo's chin but Keylo inched his head away and hurled a fist at Gohan.
Gohan dropped to the ground, avoiding the attack. He aimed his fist at Keylo's abdomen but Keylo swung his massive leg before Gohan could. Gohan went several feet back but quickly gained ground. Keylo rushed forward and threw his fist at Gohan, making contact with the ground instead as Gohan leaped up.
The earth quaked and trembled, as the ground collapsed and rubble formed. Chunks of earth leapt into the air, before crashing down in a thunderous roar. Keylo whipped around to find Gohan, launching a spinning kick towards him. Swift as a panther, Keylo sidestepped the attack, slamming his two fists together with a resounding crack against the side of Gohan.
Gohan yelped in pain, crashing to the ground at Keylo's feet. Seizing his moment, Keylo kicked Gohan's back with brutal force, sending him hurtling through the air like a soccer ball. Gohan flew for over sixty yards, his body tumbling and rolling until he came to a halt.
Gohan struggled to regain his footing, but before he could even stand, Keylo appeared once again, launching a brutal attack that sent him soaring higher and higher into the sky. Keylo moved with the grace of a predator, darting himself to hover above Gohan before bringing down a double-ax handle with all his might, striking Gohan's cheek with a bone-crunching force.
Gohan's body was sent hurtling towards the earth like a falling star, crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact that shook the very earth beneath them. The force of the collision created a crater that spanned three hundred feet in diameter, and rubble flew everywhere like deadly shrapnel.
For a moment, everything was still, as the dust settled and the echoes of the impact faded away. Then slowly, Gohan began to stir, pushing himself up from the ground with a low groan. Gohan spit to the side, a mixture of saliva and blood before he darted to Keylo.
Gohan hurled his fist aimed at Keylo's left rib cage, Keylo inched to the side and tried to counter with a fist at Gohan's face but Gohan ducked and swung his foot high, aiming for Keylo's abdomen. Keylo backed a few inches and grabbed Gohan's leg.
He lifted Gohan high over behind him, and aimed to throw Gohan to the ground but nearing the ground Gohan pulled himself closer to Keylo's arm and overpowered Keylo, grabbing his arm and throwing Keylo behind him.
Keylo landed on his back, the harsh impact made a slight groan escape him and caused him to flinch but Keylo recovered swiftly after, quickly jumping to stand on his own two feet. He realized he'd lost track of Gohan, he looked around for Gohan as fast as he could but had only found him after he struck a blow to his chin.
Gohan launched a flurry of punches at Keylo, striking him in the lower rib cage and both cheeks. With lightning-fast reflexes, Gohan dropped to the ground and sprang back up, driving his knee into Keylo's face and pulling his head into the impact with his hands.
Moving with incredible speed, Gohan circled behind Keylo and delivered a devastating kick to the back of his neck. Keylo stumbled forward, but quickly regained his footing and spun around to face Gohan. With lightning-quick reflexes, Keylo struck Gohan in the abdomen with a powerful punch, causing him to double over in pain.
Before Gohan could recover, Keylo struck him in the right cheek with another punch, then unleashed a massive energy sphere that sent Gohan hurtling hundreds of yards away. As Gohan crashed to the ground, the sphere exploded in a violent burst of energy.
The deafening explosion dissipated, leaving a thick cloud of smoke and dust in its wake, obscuring Gohan from view. Keylo charged forward, wading through the choking haze, until the debris finally began to settle.
Through the haze, Gohan was visible, struggling to pull himself to his feet. His body was littered with second-degree burns, and the lower half of his armor had been completely destroyed in the blast. He had sustained deep cuts on his left knee and a small, straight cut on his forehead. However, the most severe injury was a third-degree burn on his right shoulder, which had completely obliterated the jumpsuit in that area.
With a thunderous charge, Keylo barreled towards Gohan, his muscles rippling with fury. He crashed into Gohan with bone-shattering force, sending the Saiyan hurtling through the air, his body sliding mercilessly against the rough terrain.
Gohan struggled to rise to his feet, but before he could gather himself, Keylo was upon him again. With a savage punch to his chin, Gohan was launched ten feet into the air, his body soaring back over sixty feet before slamming mercilessly into the ground.
As he laid there, battered and broken, Gohan felt the pain coursing through his body, each ache and wound a testament to the brutal power of his adversary. But even as his body cried out in agony, Gohan steeled himself and pulled himself up again only to have his stomach slammed with a fist into it.
Gohan clutched the area around his stomach as he tried to power through the pain, a pained groan escaped his mouth, and shortly after a mixture of saliva and blood erupted from his mouth. Keylo began to chuckle wickedly and that chuckle quickly evolved into laughter.
"I've waited for this day for so long!" He slammed his elbow into Gohan's head, pushing Gohan back down into the ground. Gohan heard ringing in his ears, barely able to make out what Keylo was saying. "To get my revenge! To make you suffer after what you did to me!"
Keylo placed his foot on Gohan's head and slowly pressed down, causing Gohan to utter a short scream of agony. "All those months, those agonizing months, they felt like years! Every single day I had to feel nothing but pain!" Keylo shouted. "And now! NOW! I have a chance to stay out of there permanently and take you down? Like I'll give that chance up!"
"Once I realize this dream, I'll come for that piece of trash coward, Priamus!" He smirked. "I'll make him pay just like I am making you pay now!" Gohan's eyes widened, his anger slightly rising as a burst of energy unleashed from him, but the small burst wasn't enough to shake Keylo off.
Keylo pressed his foot into Gohan's chest with a sadistic grin. "You don't deserve to be angry, little brat. Your pathetic master was a blight upon this world and his existence was a curse to us all." The words dripped from Keylo's tongue like venom, each syllable laced with malice and contempt. "But fear not, soon enough I will rid the universe of his stench, and your insignificant resistance will crumble to dust."
Although Priamus was long gone, the mere thought of anyone taunting him caused Gohan's blood to boil, and anger to consume him. His face contorted in pain and anguish, only to be replaced by a fierce expression, baring his fangs as he grabbed Keylo's ankle.
A menacing growl erupted from Gohan's throat as he pushed Keylo away, causing him to stumble. With lightning speed, Gohan rose to his feet, his eyes fixed downward, his fists crackling with a powerful surge of energy. The earth trembled beneath him, unable to contain the immense force building within him.
Keylo looked stunned for a short second but quickly snapped himself out of his demeanor as he rushed forward to throw a fist against Gohan head-on, however, Gohan deflected Keylo's fist to the side and hurled a fist of his own into Keylo's abdomen.
The powerful blow caused a minor shockwave, the part of his ribcage by his abdomen to crack and Keylo to double over. "Don't you ever!" Gohan snarled, jumping up and slamming his leg down on the top of Keylo's head. "Talk about Priamus that way!" Gohan rushed to Keylo who went flying for about a hundred yards and slammed his fist against Keylo's face.
Gohan's fury burned like a raging fire, fueling his unrelenting assault on Keylo. Blow after blow, he hammered his opponent, each strike fueled by his righteous anger. Keylo's body was battered and bloodied, his consciousness ebbing away with each passing moment.
But just as Gohan raised his fist to deliver the final blow, a powerful force seized his arm, halting his attack. Gohan struggled against the unseen restraint, only to see the cloaked figure from before. Hatred seethed within him, his voice dripping with venom as he demanded the figure release him.
Fury raged within him, his voice dripping with venom as he demanded to be released. "Let me go!" he hissed, baring his fangs at the man. But the cloaked figure held his grip firm, his eyes boring into Gohan's with a steady gaze.
"No," he replied calmly.
Gohan snarled in response, trying to break free with all his might. "Let. Me. Go!" he growled, using his other arm to try and pull his gripped arm out.
"Why should I?" the man asked, his voice low and measured. "What're you going to do once I let go? Kill him?"
Gohan bit his lips and gritted his teeth. "He…He should pay!" He said, resisting the urge to spill tears.
The cloaked man raised his eyebrow. "Perhaps he should but this isn't the answer." He answered. "Is that the path you wish to choose? Do you wish to go down that rabbit hole?" Gohan swallowed hard, keeping his gaze averted. "Tell me! Is that what you want?"
Gohan clenched his fists and huffed angrily. "T-That's ..They need to pay!" His voice trembled. "If it wasn't for them, Priamus would …he'd still be.." His breathing quickly became heavy.
"Alive?" The cloaked man asked. "Or is that what you want to believe? Is this what he would want you to do?"
The cloaked man's words hung in the air as Gohan considered his response. "No," he finally muttered through clenched teeth, his frustration evident. His gaze remained averted, and a frown etched on his face.
Assuring that it was safe to let go, the cloaked man released his grip. The cloaked man continued, "If you wanna follow the monster of appetite, then you better start digging two graves. One for the man you killed, and the other for yourself, for the unquenchable thirst that you won't be able to satisfy."
"Revenge is a dark path and it's not one to be taken lightly. There is no honor in it." The cloaked man said. "Your master was teaching you to be a warrior not a murderer, so start acting like it." The crowd began to boo upon the realization of no bloodshed. "Why are you booing?!"
"I wanna see some bloodshed!" One yelled. "I didn't come for moral lessons and some stupid silly speech!"
"I just gave his opponent a fate worse than death! And you're gonna boo at that?" The cloaked man shouted. "I thought you all would like the fact that he's been humiliated and beaten by a child!"
The crowd stopped momentarily. "Hey…." One said. "That's kinda funny!" Before anyone had guessed, the crowd began to laugh, and more specifically at Keylo.
"Meet me back at the training yard." The cloaked man said. "And I will train you there." Gohan nodded silently in response, his mind elsewhere. As Gohan began to walk away and the Cloaked man moved to a different ring, Keylo slowly regained his consciousness, he heard and saw laughter.
Quickly he realized this laughter was towards him. "T-They're…laughing? At me?!" Keylo gritted his teeth angrily and pushed himself to his knees. "This is the last humiliation I will ever suffer! GET OVER HERE YOU BRAT!" He charged towards Gohan, launching with every last drop of his power but before he could even reach Gohan, the cloaked man blew him away, appearing from thin air and unleashing a destructive kiai wave.
Keylo went for miles beyond miles, disappearing from everyone's site. The crowd was stunned and Gohan as well. The young halfbreed's gaze moved towards the cloaked man with shock and awe, wondering who he could be.
Gohan shook his head and continued back to the van his group was taken in, he'd been so focused on his own fight, he didn't even realize other fights had simultaneously gone on. The next two fights however went swiftly by, not even a minute after the first few.
To be continued…