The crowds of unruly demons shuffled, washing out a meek human from amongst their midst. One donning shades and a suit and still clutching to the microphone in his right hand as if it was a blade of righteousness to crave some demons up. Whether it was or wasn't it did not matter. The man clutching to it was far too puny to do such a thing in any case. Even to the measly, malformed weaklings surrounding him and chanting for blood and guts.
"Oh, hey, it's you…" Chayote mumbled, recognizing the tournament announcer.
"Ah! It's all of you guys!" the announcer gasped in surprise but then his voice settled down somewhat, realizing that the only humans crazy enough to not flee upon the first sight of explosive and demonic trouble had been the crew he knew and respected a great deal. "No way! Am I seeing a ghost right now!?"
"Huh?" Krillin took off his cap and scratched his bald head before recalling the fact that made the announcer so frightened. "Oh, yeah… Chayote cashed in a favor and I got to come back to life."
"Well then… I was not aware that was an option…" the tournament announcer took out a hanky from his front suit pocket and wiped the sweat off his face. While the skies remained cloudy and dark, at least the rain had stopped temporarily, making it an easier time for everybody ever since the demons emerged from their hole in the sky.
"Enough chit-chat, human." Shura shut the small-talk down. "You are here because you are an experienced staff member for the World Martial Arts Tournament. We shall require you to oversee the Tournament of Doom in a transparent manner so that there are no questions raised after it as to who truly rules this world."
"Excuse me but… What is going on here?" the announcer turned to the humans for comfort and reason in this troubling time.
"These guys appeared from the sky and started shooting lasers from their eyes. You better do as they say, until Chayote and Goku kick their butts, at least." Bulma advised the announcer, looking mighty uncomfortable by the current situation and the composition of demon-to-human rating in the audience.
"So you want to fight it out fairly then?" Goku asked Shura directly.
"Of course, one on one combat, whatever the rules for the World Martial Arts Tournament are, we will accept them." Shura clutched his fist out in front of him, showing his teeth in displeasure that Goku questioned his honor.
"Are you sure about that?" Garlick Jr. glanced at Shura with a cheeky look. "Your tribe is especially weak to sunlight, isn't it? You're not at full power outside the Demon Realm."
"That is why I've had humans that enjoyed their brief time under Demon King Piccolo's rule do some errands for us and ensure that this planet does not see sunlight as long as we reign supreme." Shura pointed at the gloomy sky. "That way all shall be fair."
"Not really…" Chayote spoke up, demanding the attention of everyone around the ring. "Saiyans possess a transformation under the light of a full moon. Without seeing the sky or the moon, we will not be able to access it."
"That's hardly relevant when the current moon phase is the crescent moon, isn't it?" the announcer pointed out.
"Hey, whose side are you on, exactly!?" Bulma shook her fist over her head, brimming with anger.
"Hey, I was given one task and you told me to perform it to the best of my abilities. I am merely attempting to be a professional here." The announcer pressed his knuckles to his sides and posed proudly.
"That's fine." Goku spun his arm around warming up. "I would hate to fight under the sunlight anyway, I wanna fight you guys at full strength. You don't even use that transformation, do you, Chayote?"
"Oh, well, whatever…" Chayote shrugged. "I just want to punish some demons."
"So then… I think we might need to draw lots, how many contestants will be taking part in the competition?" the announcer wondered while he scratched his head and turned to look at an entire bustling army of demons showing their fangs and swiping their knife-sized claws, making mean and scary faces.
"I do not care how many humans take part. Only the strongest demon generals of each tribe will take part in the competition. The weaklings are unfit to decide over the fate of our race. Is that okay with you, Garlick Jr.?" Shura turned to the floating shrimp who just shrugged.
"Fine. I only brought my minions with me anyway. I'd rather that the humans would also place some limitations on their competitors. It would be troublesome to slay every weakling that makes their way onto the stage…" Garlick Jr. sneered at the human competitors.
"What do you think, Piccolo?" Shura turned to his most powerful fighter. "Should we limit the number of humans to challenge us? There are eight of us total, four of Garlick Jr.'s crew, me, Mera and Gora and you."
"If we had eight contestants, it would be easier to draw lots. It makes for a fine number of contestants, in fact." The announcer pointed out before being instantly silenced by a growl of demons objecting to him talking over their overlord who asked Piccolo of his opinion. The poor man shriveled up in fear for his life though none of the demons as much as touched him, afraid that Shura would punish those that harmed the official ruling over his little tournament.
"Whatever. Come at us all at once, for all I care, it won't make a difference. It would be for the better if we killed everyone that tried to make trouble and object to our rule. Let it be known that those that want to challenge the Demon Realm must fight now or stay obedient forever." Piccolo Jr. stated with a cold expression at first but the more he gave the matter thought, the more emotional he became, finishing the statement with a tight fist raised by his face.
"That's just fine. I don't see any other fighters here but us that are willing to go at it. There are eight of us too, counting in Yajirobe." Goku pointed at the row of combatants alongside him.
"Ya fool! Don't go 'round countin' me in! I was just standin' around, scopin' the situation out, ya know!" Yajirobe, still in his ridiculous mask, shook his fist out while yelling at Goku from the other side of the demolished building. He had counted on Goku not noticing him, without a doubt, as he hid behind a wall of rubble but Goku had always had him counted into the fold.
"Very well then… Though there is still a minor issue, the building with the lots seems to be destroyed. How shall we determine the order of the fights?" the announcer scratched the back of his head, the stress of realizing he might mess up his one job made him pour with more sweat that he had to promptly wipe off his face again.
"Hmph… There is no need for lots. We shall determine this matter how demons always settle their differences – a survival tournament. A fighter with the most guts takes it onto the stage and then fights all of the challengers until they cannot fight anymore. The winning tribe is the one with the last combatant standing." Shura ruled.
"That's fine, let's do that." Chayote broke her stance and walked out of the line, taking the first step onto the fighting arena. "The more demons I get to beat on at once, the better."
"Wow… She… Really doesn't like demons, even more than it seems normal." Krillin whispered to Yamcha's right side.
"Maybe something happened out in space? Chayote got a decent bit stronger after returning from space so maybe she fought space demons at some point?" Yamcha shrugged, failing to provide the explanation that Krillin sought from him as someone who was Chayote's training companion for a long time.
"No." Tenshinhan shook his head. "She lost to Demon King Piccolo and that doesn't sit well with Chayote. Who would have thought that someone so fresh to martial arts would be so prideful in her status as a martial artist, although, my pride as a martial artist has also been shattered so I can only hope that Chayote will give us a chance to prove ourselves as well."
"You're heading out first?" Goku leaned back on his arms. "Come on, Chayote, don't be that way, let the others have some fun too…"
"Fun? Goku-sa, these demons are trying to take over the world, you know! You should take this more seriously. If they take over the world, we cannot celebrate our marriage with a feast and guests." Chi-Chi objected to Goku's laid back nature.
"I'd like to say that it's fine, let Chayote crush all the demons like she wants to but… This might be our very last chance to fight it out like this." Krillin spoke up. "I am sure that everyone would like to show off the fruits of their training and contribute to saving their world."
"I don't care 'bout that, go ahead and break a leg if ya want to. Just make sure to invite me to that celebration that chick spoke 'bout." Yajirobe waved his hand in dismissal.
"Yeah, just let Chayote murder them all!" Bulma shot her fist out into the sky.
"It might not be the best choice to have Chayote fight first." Muten Roshi objected, instantly receiving the attention of every human, Saiyan or demon alike. Despite the measly attempts of the army of demons around him to strike fear into the old man's heart, just a glimpse into the face of the old martial arts master made the demons crawl back and leave a circle of empty space at least a meter wide around the old man and his friends in the audience.
"But why? Isn't she one of the strongest fighters we have?" Oolong wondered.
"Yeah, if she defeats all the demons, nobody else needs to get endangered." Puar joined in.
"If these demons fight anything like Demon King Piccolo and his sons, they'll be tricky combatants with a respectable level of strength to boot. It would be wiser to reserve our most powerful fighters until Piccolo Jr.'s turn comes, to have them observe and learn the fighting styles of these demons. I implore you, Chayote, for the sake of the faith of this planet, please soothe your rage and silence your impatience just this once and let it simmer until it is needed." Muten Roshi pleaded with the Saiyan who just looked back at the old man with eyes brimming with rage as well as disbelief that she was being called back by a majority vote.
Since when did she listen to anything those weaklings had to say? She was a proud Saiyan warrior and those demons had done nothing but humiliate her and wash away her pride every step of the way. They have trampled over her sense of self and her strength, both inner and physical, testing and torturing her while mocking her every step of that gruesome peril. They made her feel useless again, for the first time since she made her way down to Earth, they made her question if she ever belonged anywhere at all and they made her feel weak and powerless, King Piccolo sealed her inside a damned rice cooker!
"Hurry up and send out somebody for me to thrash!" Chayote climbed all the way onto the stage and yelled out at the demons.
"Hey, Demon King Shura, can I fight now, can I!? All this talking makes me all drowsy and I wanna have a good smashing before I go to bed!" Gora turned to his master and asked for a turn on the tournament stage.
"Very well, go and have your fun but be careful. She is no mere human. They spoke about this woman as if she's the strongest fighter they have." Shura nodded, awarding his trusted mace with the honor of fighting for his Demon King first.
"Make her show as much of her true power and techniques before you lose, or else I'll kill you myself." Piccolo Jr. hissed out to the giant demon lumbering his way onto the arena. To one as large as Gora, stepping onto the ring was almost like taking a small step up the stairs two tiles wide.
"I'll make mincemeat outta you!" Gora pulled out an obsidian staff decorated with emerald ornaments, preparing to rush at Chayote. It didn't even feel like it mattered if he deserved what he would get in the end, someone of his power level should have sensed the tremendous difference in strength anyway.
"W-Wait! Weapons are not permitted in the tournament!" announcer objected but it was to no end. Gora charged at his opponent nevertheless, had it not been for the sudden peak of interest from Shura's side and the Demon King calling off his house-sized brute, Gora would have just run at Chayote and accepted the consequences.
"Wait, Gora, drop your weapons and fight with your hands!" Shura demanded.
"Hmm…" Garlick Jr. smirked. "May I suggest something? Demons tend to use weaponry in combat. My subordinates Nicky and Ginger both also use swords. It is a fundamental part of our fighting style so getting rid of them weakens us."
"Well, that's too bad, but weaponry is forbidden in the World Martial Arts Tournament. It is one of the oldest rules ever recorded. If you wish to fight under similar rules, you must disarm your fighters." The announcer got lost in his role as an official and spoke against a demon, had it not been for the fact that he argued with a demon that wasn't a part of Demon King Shura's crew, he might have gotten punished by a wilder soul amongst the midst of the demons in the audience.
"That is fine, though perhaps you would allow a slight modification of the battlefield, in that case, to even the odds?" Garlick Jr. wondered. "You see, in my experience, the hidden potential of us demons is truly drawn out while fighting underneath the abyss of the Dead Zone. Just a hint of the atmosphere of that vile place summons the worst in us."
"Well… I don't know, what would you say about this, contestant Chayote?" announcer turned to Chayote for her opinion.
"I don't care! Do whatever you will. Use whatever techniques you think will shield you from me. If they will make this weakling strong enough to last longer against me, that's even better, the more I get to kick him around the better!" Chayote yelled out, making a threatening gesture by raising her fist up in front of the announcer. At that moment he might have been more frightened by the Saiyan youth rather than her oversized demonic opponent.
"V-Very well, contestant Garlick Jr. please summon your Dead Zone in that case!" the announcer turned to Garlick Jr.
"Hey, Garlick Jr., you don't truly intend on opening the Dead Zone, do you? I won't allow you to swallow up my world like that! I won't rule over a crumbled bunch of space rocks." Shura objected.
"Oh, don't worry, I am fully aware of the destructive potential of that dimension. I will merely convert the energy of the portal to the Demon Realm into the atmosphere prime for the opening of the Dead Zone. The Dead Zone is the source for all my strength, I can mold and manipulate its energy freely, open and close it as I deem fit. Don't worry, I don't intend to be a Kami of a bunch of rocks sucked inside the Dead Zone either so a mere harmless fissure to the Dead Zone, without any of its more volatile tendencies, will be enough to multiply the power of all demons under its atmosphere tenfold." Garlick Jr. smirked.
"Tenfold!? That is so powerful it feels dirty." Demon King Shura admitted.
"Dirty? Hardly, it is a matter of our demonic physiology. Don't you wish to prove that us demons are more fitted to rule over the world than humans, incapable of drawing out such power? That is just the way our superior bodies are put together…" Garlick Jr. shrugged as if it was just a harmless change of scenery.
"You, vampire-shrimp! Hurry up and power this useless trash up!" Chayote's yelling broke Garlick Jr's concentration, forcing the leader of Garlick Jr.'s tribe of demons to sigh and raise his hands over his head.
"Very well, if you are in such a hurry to die, human. Prepare to gaze into the Dead Zone and feel its noxious fumes, its crushing pressure, and malevolent atmosphere empower your murderer and bring out his worst features. Don't ask me to undo it for you will be begging mercy from a demon and all you will achieve from such a fruitless venture is embarrass yourself!" Garlick Jr. chuckled as malicious, mahogany-colored aura defined his overflowing aura, leaking out in the shape of outreaching tendrils that appeared to rise up like smoke into the sky and turn the doom and gloom that had been encompassing the Earth for months now into a layer of clouds matching the color of Garlick's aura.
The rift to the Demon Realm, black with an oddly lucent outline began morphing, pulsing with a carmine glow but, as a powerful pull began gathering the debris scattered around the tournament grounds and sucking them up into the heavens that possessed an open rift straight to hell, that same pull died out and let the powerless Earthlings that couldn't keep themselves from ascending and becoming food to the Dead Zone fall right back down when the wound bleeding the Dead Zone atmosphere closed up into a shape of a fractured fissure instead of a gaping hole.
Bolts of black lightning conjured up by Garlick Jr.'s evil Ki appeared to stitch the bleeding out Dead Zone up and limit its destructive tendencies to suck up everything in its path to the minimum. The poor souls that had been forced upward by the pull did not have enough time to ascend high enough to where they would have been killed by the fall for they grasped onto anything underneath their reach to stay grounded for as long as possible.
All that Chayote could look at and think about was the growing size and drastically skyrocketing power level of her opponent. Gora's eyes had whited out, his muscles swelled to where they ripped out of his already far too tight attire while most veins present in his body formed a grotesque and unnatural, net-like formation and Gora's demonic yell of the physical strain and a sadistic enjoyment of the massive increase in power turned to a more low-pitched and infernal tone. It was as if something more primal, more dastardly spoke from deep down in Gora's chest.
While her opponent was a far more frightening adversary in his current state, his power surpassing his previous strength tenfold, just as Garlick Jr. promised, all that this transformation had achieved was made this brute a more attractive enemy for Chayote to destroy and unleash her vengeful rage on.