c46: The Tragic Leping Again
After the intense battle between Krillin and Piccolo concluded, the third quarterfinal match began: Li Xu vs. Yamcha.
"Li Xu, give it your best!" Bulma called out from the sidelines.
"I will," Li Xu replied with a grin. He hadn't expected to face Yamcha again. At the last Tenkaichi Budokai, their match had also taken place in the quarterfinals history was repeating itself.
As Li Xu stepped into the ring, Yamcha stood across from him, clearly uneasy. He clenched his fists, knowing full well the massive gap in strength. Though he had trained hard, Li Xu was on another level.
"Don't hold back," Li Xu said casually. "I don't feel like dragging this out."
Yamcha didn't argue. He inhaled deeply, steadying his energy.
"Why isn't Yamcha moving yet?" Krillin asked from the stands.
"He's charging his ki," Goku replied, sensing the spike in power.
"Spirit Ball Attack!" Yamcha shouted, launching his signature move—the Sōkidan—a homing energy ball that responded to his hand gestures.
Li Xu's face remained calm. He shifted slightly, easily dodging the initial strike. But with a subtle twist of Yamcha's fingers, the Spirit Ball looped back around.
Li Xu sighed and turned his head. Without even raising his guard, he reached out, snatched the ball mid-flight, and casually crushed it in his palm.
BOOM!
A small shockwave rippled outward. Li Xu stood amidst the smoke, completely unfazed.
"No way!" Yamcha's jaw dropped.
"He crushed it barehanded…" Goku's eyes lit up with excitement. "That requires insane ki control. One wrong move and it would've exploded in his hand!"
"I forfeit," Yamcha said, lowering his arms. He looked down, shoulders slumped. His ultimate move had been treated like a toy he had no chance of winning. In fact, just being matched against Li Xu was bad luck in itself.
"The Yamcha contestant has surrendered! The winner is Li Xu!" the announcer declared energetically.
Li Xu stepped off the stage and returned backstage.
"Li Xu, you're incredible!" Bulma said, clearly proud.
"Didn't you already know that?" Li Xu smirked playfully, flashing her a teasing grin.
"You rogue!" Bulma blushed and lightly punched his arm.
The fourth match followed: Tien Shinhan vs. Chiaotzu. But Chiaotzu forfeited without a fight—he had no intention of going all-out against Tien and knew he wasn't strong enough to challenge him.
The semifinals and final matches were scheduled for the following day. Li Xu and Bulma left together instead of staying with the others. He valued their time alone, not wanting it disrupted by the rest of the group.
The next morning, Li Xu arrived at the arena with Bulma by his side. However, she had noticeable dark circles under her eyes. Concerned, Li Xu asked her to rest more, but she stubbornly insisted on being there to support him.
"Lack of sleep leads to wrinkles," Li Xu warned with a grin.
"Hmph! Whose fault is that?" Bulma snapped, her cheeks flushed. "You were like a wild beast, and you didn't even get tired! If I hadn't begged for mercy, it might've lasted till sunrise!"
"You didn't seem to mind last night," Li Xu replied smugly.
"I'm not talking to you," Bulma huffed. She crossed her arms, and with two fingers, spun in a full 360° pose her classic gesture of irritation. Then she added, "Besides, I already have eternal youth, remember? I won't get wrinkles."
"How could I forget?" Li Xu chuckled. He'd nearly forgotten that he had made a wish to Shenron, granting Bulma eternal youth one of the most indulgent uses of the Dragon Balls.
When Li Xu arrived at the arena, Son Goku and the others had already taken their seats.
The first match of the day was Piccolo vs. Son Goku a battle that Li Xu was genuinely looking forward to. It was shaping up to be the most intense and thrilling fight of the entire tournament.
"Contestants Son Goku and the second-generation Piccolo, please enter the ring!" the announcer called out with fervor.
Son Goku and Piccolo both leapt onto the stage, their auras already radiating power.
"Son Goku, this time I will defeat you," Piccolo declared, his eyes gleaming. He had waited for this rematch ever since their showdown at the previous 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, where Goku had narrowly defeated him.
"I'm excited too," Goku replied, grinning with anticipation.
"Let's get serious." Piccolo shrugged off his weighted cape and turban, and as they hit the ground, they created a thunderous crater.
"He wore weighted clothes against me? What a monster!" Krillin gasped. During their time training under Kami at The Lookout, they had all used weighted clothing, but none had imagined Piccolo would wear his during a tournament match.
"Guess I'll take mine off too," Goku said with a chuckle, removing his gi top and wristbands. As they hit the ground, they made an even larger impact than Piccolo's—showing that Goku had been carrying an even heavier load.
"They're both monsters," Krillin muttered. He then glanced at Li Xu, wondering if he too was concealing such a handicap.
Sensing Krillin's curiosity, Li Xu smiled and replied, "I'm not wearing any weighted gear. That stuff doesn't do much for me anymore."
With his current strength, weighted clothing was more symbolic than useful. He only used it during training when he deliberately enhanced gravity levels.
Back on the ring, Piccolo suddenly extended his right arm like a whip—his Namekian physiology granting him elastic limbs. He tried to grab Goku, but Goku caught the arm with both hands and hurled Piccolo skyward.
Without hesitation, Goku launched after him.
Piccolo stabilized midair, splaying his fingers to fire a rapid energy blast downward. Goku raised his arms in time to guard.
BOOM!
The explosion engulfed Goku in smoke and flame.
As the smoke cleared, Goku emerged unscathed, though his uniform was tattered from the blast.
"Goku, behind you!" Krillin shouted.
Piccolo had appeared behind Goku, his hands raised to slam him downward. But just before the strike landed
Whoosh!
Goku vanished.
He reappeared behind Piccolo and delivered a spinning roundhouse kick.
BANG!
Piccolo was sent crashing into the arena floor, creating a small crater and scattering debris. Several stone fragments flew toward the audience, but Li Xu flicked his fingers to intercept and deflect the ones heading toward Bulma.
"Phenomenal! Absolutely phenomenal! Contestants Son Goku and Piccolo are delivering a breathtaking performance from the very start!" the announcer exclaimed, voice filled with awe.
The crowd erupted in cheers, completely captivated by the high-speed action.
Goku landed gently, peering into the crater at Piccolo. "Come on, that's not enough to take you down."
Piccolo leapt out, wiping a line of blood from his mouth. "You're as strong as ever… but I will defeat you."
"I won't lose either!" Goku replied, his face gleaming with intensity.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Both fighters vanished again.
This time, only blurs and shockwaves could be seen on the stage. The ferocity of their exchange sent tremors through the ring.
"They're so fast!" Tien Shinhan said grimly. Even with his third eye, he struggled to follow the rapid movements of Goku and Piccolo. It was clear now: both fighters had surpassed him.
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