Papaya Island.
The sun beat down on the tropical island, baking the concrete of the martial arts temple. The air smelled of sea salt, sweat, and fried noodles. The crowd roared, a deafening wave of excitement that vibrated through the stadium seats.
High above the bleachers, hidden in the deep shade of the stadium's overhanging roof, two figures watched.
"It's hot," Suno whispered, tugging at the collar of her light summer dress. She had traded her parka for civilian clothes, but she looked uncomfortable without the biting cold of the North.
"Heat is energy," I rasped, standing perfectly still in the darkest corner of the rafters. I wore a heavy, hooded cloak over my fused armor, masking my terrifying appearance. Even in the shade, the tropical sun felt like a physical weight pressing against my Netherrealm physiology. "It makes the Ki easier to taste."
Below us, the match was underway. Yamcha was fighting Tien Shinhan.
"That guy has three eyes," Suno noted, pointing. "Is he a monster like you?"
"He is a human who has unlocked his third eye through enlightenment," I corrected. "Though his techniques are brutal. Watch."
In the ring, Yamcha unleashed his Wolf Fang Fist. It was fast, feral. But Tien stood calm, blocking every strike with minimal effort.
Scan, I commanded my internal senses.
My glowing green eyes—hidden deep within my hood—narrowed. I wasn't just watching the fight; I was dissecting it. I was Bi-Han, the Grandmaster. I learned by observing.
Technique Acquired: Wolf Fang Fist.
Analysis: Rapid strikes. Beast mimicry. Focuses on overwhelming the opponent with wild rhythm.
Application: Useless for me. My fighting style is precise. But the 'wild rhythm' concept... I can apply that to the Legion. Make the clones attack unpredictably.
Tien countered. He moved so fast he vanished, reappearing to deliver a chop to Yamcha's neck. He then broke Yamcha's leg with a cruel, calculated stomp.
The crowd gasped. Puar flew down, crying.
"That was mean," Suno frowned. "Yamcha was already down."
"Tien is an assassin," I said, my voice devoid of judgment. "He fights to disable. To ensure the threat does not rise again. I respect it."
I focused on Tien.
Technique Acquired: Solar Flare.
Analysis: Ki converted to pure luminosity. Blinds opponents.
Application: I can invert this. 'Shadow Flare'. Instead of blinding with light, I can plunge the arena into absolute darkness.
"Saibot," I whispered.
My shadow rippled on the wall behind me. Master?
"Record the movement patterns of the Crane School. Their flight technique is superior to my jet-propulsion. They float. I want to float."
Recorded.
The Semi-Finals: Goku vs. Krillin
"Go Goku!" Suno cheered, leaning over the railing. I grabbed the back of her dress to keep her from falling.
Goku and Krillin squared off. They were best friends, but they fought with serious intent.
I watched Goku move. He was faster than he had been in the Shadow Realm. The gravity training had stuck. He moved with a lightness that defied physics.
Then, something happened that made me lean forward.
Goku disappeared. Not with speed, but by circling Krillin so fast he created afterimages.
Technique Acquired: Afterimage Strike.
Analysis: Speed-based illusion.
Application: I can combine this with my clones. A mixture of physical shadow clones and optical illusions. The enemy won't know which one can hurt them until they are stabbed.
Krillin grabbed Goku's tail. Goku didn't weaken. He slammed Krillin into the floor.
"He trained his tail," I noted. "Good. He listened to my warning about weaknesses."
Suddenly, I felt a gaze.
I looked across the stadium. Sitting in the VIP section was Master Roshi (disguised as Jackie Chun). He wasn't watching the match. He was looking up at the rafters. At me.
He couldn't see me—I was cloaked in shadow magic—but he could sense me. The sheer density of the Chaos Reactor in my chest was impossible to hide completely from a master like him.
Roshi narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses. He tapped his fingers on his knee.
"He knows," I murmured.
"Who knows?" Suno asked.
" The Turtle Hermit. He senses a demon in the rafters."
"Should we leave?"
"No. He won't act. He is curious."
The Finals: Goku vs. Tien
The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the ring.
"Finally," I said, the green veins on my chest pulsing happily. "My element."
The fight was brutal. Tien and Goku were evenly matched. They traded blows that cracked the foundation of the arena.
Then, Tien flew up. He formed a triangle with his hands.
"TRI-BEAM! HAAAA!"
The square beam of destruction hammered down.
"The Kikoho," I whispered, entranced.
I watched the energy flow. Tien wasn't using ambient Ki. He was burning his own life candle. He was converting his very lifespan into concussive force.
Technique Acquired: Tri-Beam (Theory).
Analysis: Life-force conversion. Maximum impact. Unblockable.
Application: Dangerous. If I use this, I burn my battery. But... I have the reactor. I have the stolen energy. I can use a variant.
New Move Unlocked: Chaos Cannon.
Instead of a square beam, I can fire a concentrated blast of Netherrealm energy that rots matter on impact. It won't push; it will erase.
The fight ended in a ring-out. A car hit Goku. He lost by luck.
The crowd cheered for Tien. Goku laughed it off, bruised and battered.
But then, the mood shifted.
Krillin didn't come back from the locker room.
I sensed it before anyone else. A sudden, sharp spike of malicious intent. And then... silence. A life force was extinguished.
"Krillin is dead," I said.
Suno froze. "What?"
"Someone killed him."
Below, Goku screamed. It was a sound of pure, unadulterated rage. He ran into the locker room and came out holding Krillin's body.
"Tambourine," I realized. "King Piccolo's minion."
This was the start of the King Piccolo Saga. The world was about to go to hell.
"Suno," I said, standing up. "We are leaving."
"But Goku! We have to help him!"
"Goku is about to go on a rampage," I said, opening a portal in the shadows of the roof. "He will run off blindly. He will lose his first fight against Tambourine because he is hungry and angry."
"Then help him!" Suno grabbed my arm. "You're strong! You can beat the green monster!"
I looked at her. Then I looked down at the arena. Goku was summoning the Nimbus.
"I cannot interfere yet," I said. "If I save him now, he won't meet Yajirobe. He won't climb Korin Tower again. He won't drink the Ultra Divine Water. He needs to lose to unlock his potential."
"That's cruel!"
"That is war," I rasped. "But..."
I looked at the sky where Tambourine had flown.
"I can secure the perimeter."
I picked Suno up and stepped into the portal.
Muscle Tower: The War Room
We materialized in the throne room. I immediately walked to the map.
"Saibot," I commanded. "Mobilize the Legion. Full deployment."
The Demon King is awake? Saibot asked.
"His children are. Tambourine is hunting martial artists. Cymbal is hunting Dragon Balls."
I pointed to the Northern Region on the map.
"Jingle Village is here. If King Piccolo decides to conquer the world sectors, he might send a demon North."
I turned to Suno.
"You are grounded," I said.
"What?!"
"You stay in the tower. Or in the village bunker. Do not go outside. The world is no longer safe."
I walked to the armory I had built. I picked up my Sickles. They glowed with a hungry green light.
"I'm going hunting."
"Where?" Suno asked, scared by my tone.
"There is a list," I said, looking at the data regarding the participants of the tournament. "Tambourine has a list of martial artists to kill. I'm going to find the ones on that list..."
I put on my hood.
"...and use them as bait."
I didn't want to save Giran or Nam because I liked them. I wanted to lure a Demon Clansman into a trap. I wanted to see if a Namekian Demon could survive the Netherrealm.
"Wait," I paused.
I sensed something else.
A Dragon Ball was moving. Fast. Toward the North.
"No," I corrected. "Not a demon. A human."
Yajirobe? No.
The signal was erratic.
I walked to the window.
"Change of plans," I said. "The war is coming to us."
I looked at Saibot.
"Prepare the Chaos Engine. We might need to eat a demon tonight."