Chi-Chi walked through the tournament corridor at an easy pace.
The Ox-King followed close beside her, his presence filling the narrow hallway. He glanced down at her, pride written plainly across his face.
The Ox-King folded his arms, a deep laugh rumbling in his chest.
"Bwahahaha! That's my daughter out there! Mine! I raised her! Strongest woman in the world! "
"Papa, lower your voice. You're embarrassing both of us!" Chi-Chi lowered her voice, glancing at the people passing by.
"Eh—? O-oh… r-right, right!"
He immediately hunches his shoulders, lowering his voice far more than necessary.
"Ahem… s-sorry."
The Ox-King scratched his beard, eyes lingering on her.
"Funny thing… when I look at you now, I don't see that kid who used to tear through the mountain anymore. You grew up strong. Stronger than I ever was."
He nodded firmly.
"And not just these muscles… but in here."
He tapped his chest.
"That makes me proud."
Chi-Chi slowed her steps, her expression softening just a little.
She didn't look at him right away.
"I wasn't strong back then," she said quietly. "I just didn't know when to stop."
Then she glanced up at him.
"Everything I am now… I didn't get there alone. You taught me to stand my ground. To protect what matters."
A small pause.
"If there's any strength in here, it's because you showed me what it means to carry it without losing myself."
Her lips curved into a restrained, almost shy smile.
"…So yeah. I'm proud too. To be your daughter."
The Ox-King froze for a second.
His eyes widened. His lips trembled.
"…Ch—Chi…?"
The next moment—
"BWAAAAAAAH—!"
Tears burst from his eyes like waterfalls as he lunged forward, scooping her up in a crushing bear hug.
"You're too good with words! Way too good!" he bawled, voice echoing down the corridor. "You're gonna give your old man a heart attack!"
He squeezed her tighter, sniffling loudly.
"Raising such a kind, strong, thoughtful daughter… I don't deserve this!"
He pulled back just enough to look at her, tears still streaming down his beard.
"I'm so proud I can barely breathe! My chest hurts!"
Then he hugged her again, even tighter.
"Ahhh! My daughter is too amazing!"
Chi-Chi stiffened in his arms.
"P-Papa—! That's enough!"
She tried to pry his massive hands off her, cheeks faintly red.
"You're squeezing too hard! And stop crying like that, people are staring!"
The Ox-King sniffled loudly, tightening his grip for half a second more.
She finally managed to push herself free, turning her face away and crossing her arms.
"I just said the obvious. Don't read too much into it."
A brief pause followed as they walked.
"For three years… all I could think about was getting strong enough to face him."
"Goku?" the Ox-King asked.
"Yes. I wanted to prove I could surpass him." Chi-Chi nodded, eyes fixed forward.
Her steps slowed, just a little.
Memories surfaced uninvited—Goku cheering for her during the fight with Tien, the absolute seriousness in his voice when he promised he wouldn't hold back.
"But seeing him today… he's not just wild anymore. There's focus in him now. Control. Everything he does has intent."
She hesitated.
"When I look at him now, I don't see a reckless kid."
She stopped walking.
Heat rushed to her face all at once.
Chi-Chi looked down at her boots, fists tightening at her sides, refusing to say the word out loud.
I see a man.
The thought alone made her heart stumble.
"…It's annoying." she muttered, starting to walk again before her father could react.
"You see what? A rival?" Ox-King asked, tilting his head.
Chi-Chi stiffened.
"N-nothing!" she snapped, turning sharply, heat rushing to her face.
"I'm just… thinking out loud. Forget it. Let's go to the ring."
"Oh! That reminds me!"
he Ox-King suddenly clapped his massive hands together.
"Goku forgot something!"
Chi-Chi blinked.
"Forgot what?"
"The octopus dumplings! Takoyaki! Fresh, piping hot! I brought a whole box for you before the finals, but that boy was so fired up about the match he ran off without them!"
"I already took a Senzu Bean, remember? One of those fills you up for days. I couldn't eat another bite even if I tried."
"But they're your favorite!" the Ox-King protested, already turning around. "
You can't fight on an empty stomach—well, not an emotional stomach! A father's love is stored in food!"
Chi-Chi glanced at the clock mounted on the wall.
"Papa, the tournament's already been delayed two hours. I need to check in before they call my name."
"Nonsense!" the Ox-King waved her off, lumbering back toward the waiting area.
"It'll only take a moment! You stay right here—I'll grab them!"
"Papa—!"
Too late. He was already halfway down the hall.
Chi-Chi exhaled slowly, staring at the floor.
"…Unbelievable," she muttered, cheeks still faintly warm.
She watched his broad back disappear down the hallway, unease settling in her chest.
The feeling crept in quietly, raising the hairs on her arms. It wasn't nerves, and it wasn't the cold—just a dull sense that something was off.
Don't let him go.
A voice inside her whispered.
What was that feeling?
She wondered.
Maybe I'm just nervous about fighting Goku...
She shook her head, forcing the ominous feeling away.
It's nothing. I'm just overthinking.
Chi-Chi walked toward the door labeled "Contestant Preparation."
Inside, the World Tournament Announcer was pacing back and forth, looking at his watch nervously. He brightened up as soon as she walked in.
"Ah! Contestant Chi-Chi! Thank goodness you're here. The repairs on the ring are strictly temporary—we filled the hole with rubble and put a mat over it—but it's usable. Are you ready for the final match?"
Chi-Chi opened her mouth to say yes, but the lingering unease in her gut made her hesitate.
She glanced back at the closed door. Her father should have been back by now.
"Actually, Mr. Announcer... could you give me just a few more minutes? My muscles are all healed up, but they feel a bit... tight. I need to do a quick warm-up routine to make sure I don't pull anything during the finals."
The Announcer looked torn.
"Well... we are already behind schedule... but I suppose we can't have the finalist cramping up. Fine. But please, make it quick! The audience is getting restless."
"Thank you," Chi-Chi nodded, moving to the corner of the room to stretch.
"Chi-Chi?"
Goku, who was already in the room tightening his wristbands, walked over to her. He tilted his head, looking at her with confusion.
"You okay? You don't usually need to warm up twice. You look kinda... distracted."
Chi-Chi let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"I'm fine. It's just… Papa ran back to the waiting room. He remembered he brought a huge box of octopus dumplings and insisted on getting them."
Goku's eyes instantly lit up, his tail wagging slightly behind him.
"Takoyaki?!"
"Yeah. He said we should eat something before the match. So I'm just buying a little time until he gets back. You know how he is… he'd be crushed if we started without his lucky snack."
"Awesome! The Ox-King's snacks are the best. I hope he gets here soon, I'm starving."
The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly.
Five minutes passed.
Then eight.
Then ten.
The door remained closed.
"Maybe he forgot? You know how the Ox-King gets. He probably saw a friend in the crowd, started talking, and went straight to the stands to get a better seat." Goku suggested, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
Chi-Chi stared at the door handle.
"Maybe..."
"Contestant Chi-Chi, Contestant Goku." the Announcer pleaded, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"I really cannot delay this any longer. The audience is chanting. The TV networks are screaming at me in my earpiece. We have to walk out. Now."
Chi-Chi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing her shoulders to relax.
Goku's right. Papa's just scatterbrained.He probably set the dumplings down somewhere and got distracted, shouting himself hoarse in the stands.I'm overthinking this. It's just the adrenaline messing with my head.
"Okay." Chi-Chi said, opening her eyes and turning away from the door.
"You're right. Let's go."
"All right!" Goku cheered, pumping his fist.
"Let's have a great match, Chi-Chi!"
They began to walk down the long, shadowed concrete tunnel that led to the bright sunlight of the arena.
The roar of the crowd grew louder with every step, a wall of sound waiting to greet the finalists.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Chi-Chi tried to focus on the match. She tried to visualize her opening move against Goku.
And then, she stopped.
The chill hit her all at once. She stopped mid-step, eyes widening before she even understood why.
"Chi-Chi? What's wrong?" Goku stopped, looking back at her.
Chi-Chi didn't answer.
She couldn't.
Her thoughts jumped back to the summit of Korin's Tower.
The thin air, the blindfold pulled tight—she remembered both.
"Don't rely on your eyes, girl." Master Korin's voice echoed in her memory.
"Eyes can be fooled. Ears can be tricked. But Ki... Ki never lies. Every living thing emits a signal. A fire. The stronger the being, the brighter the flame. But some fires... some fires are not warm."
For the past three years, she had trained herself to sense it—usually no more than a faint hum at the edge of her awareness.
This was different. It drowned everything else out.
It was power, unmistakable and immense, but nothing like Tien's focused pressure or Goku's open, familiar energy.
This felt wrong. Cold.
And it was coming from the waiting room.
From the same direction her father had gone.
"No... This Ki... it's evil." Chi-Chi whispered, her breath hitching.
She turned on her heel and ran, leaving the tunnel behind as she headed deeper into the stadium.
"Chi-Chi!" Goku called after her, clearly confused, but she was already moving.
She didn't stop to explain or look back.
"Hey! Wait! The match is that way!" the Announcer shrieked, clutching his microphone and chasing after her a few steps.
"Where are you going?! You'll be disqualified!"
Chi-Chi didn't slow down.
She pushed past the startled staff, barely aware of their reactions or the burn in her chest.
She took the corner too fast, almost lost her footing, and then the white corridor opened ahead of her.
Her thoughts were already there, far ahead of her steps.
It's not Master Shen—no.
I know his Ki. I felt it during the fight.
That presence… it's different.
This… this feels wrong.
The power didn't feel human. It felt old—and empty.
It carried no sense of rivalry or revenge, just a cold intent that had nothing to do with martial arts.
"Papa!" She screamed, her voice echoing down the empty hall, cracking with panic.
"PAPA!"
Chi-Chi reached the door. It was ajar, swinging slightly on its hinges as if a draft had just passed through.
She didn't hesitate.
She slammed her palms against the wood, throwing the door wide open.
"PAPA!"
The scream never came. Her breath caught, sharp and painful.
The room was quiet. The pressure she had felt was gone, leaving only a heavy stillness and the low hum of the lights.
There was no one there.
Just the floor.
A box of takoyaki lay overturned by the door, a few pieces scattered across the tiles, still warm.
Beyond them, the Ox-King was on the floor.
He wasn't moving.
The man who had been laughing with her moments ago now sat slumped against the wall, his glasses broken nearby.
"Papa...?"
Chi-Chi's eyes widened until they burned. Her pupils trembled, unable to process the image before her.
Her vision blurred, the world tilting violently on its axis.
He didn't answer.
He wasn't breathing.
His hands lay still at his sides, and his eyes were open, fixed on nothing.
The Ox-King was dead.