c48: The Unsuspenseful Competition
"The finals of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai are about to commence! Standing before us are two formidable warriors Son Goku, the reigning champion of the 22nd tournament, and Li Xu, the previous titleholder who missed the last event. Which one will emerge victorious this time?" the announcer's voice boomed across the arena.
The crowd erupted into cheers as Goku and Li Xu walked calmly onto the stone platform. Their every step reverberated with confidence.
"Li Xu, I've been waiting for this rematch!" Goku said cheerfully. He had been disappointed that Li Xu hadn't participated in the previous tournament, where Goku had battled Tien in a match that ended with a narrow defeat due to a ring-out.
"I can see how much stronger you've become," Li Xu responded with a nod. "But don't hold back. I'm not interested in half-measures."
Though Goku's growth since his last appearance was astonishing having trained under Kami for the past three years Li Xu sensed that their power levels were still far apart.
This match, he thought, was already decided.
"Alright then get ready!" Goku said earnestly. He respected Li Xu's strength deeply.
"Come," Li Xu replied simply.
A surge of white aura erupted around Goku, stirring fierce winds that sent dust flying and forced Krillin and others to shield their faces.
"Whoa, Goku's gotten crazy strong!" Krillin exclaimed, both proud and frustrated. The difference between them was vast, even after Krillin's own rigorous training.
"Tch… I'll surpass him next time!" Piccolo muttered, fists clenched. He hadn't even pushed Goku to his limits during their semifinal match.
Had Goku fought all-out from the start, Piccolo likely wouldn't have lasted ten seconds.
Zzzt!
Goku vanished with a shockwave, launching himself forward with incredible speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
He appeared in front of Li Xu, unleashing a barrage of lightning-fast punches and kicks, each powerful enough to shatter boulders.
But Li Xu remained eerily calm, slipping through the attacks like a phantom.
"Incredible! He dodged everything!" Krillin shouted, eyes wide.
"He hasn't even countered yet," Tien Shinhan added, squinting. "Just how far does his strength go?"
"My turn," Li Xu said with a smile. He raised a hand and flicked his finger.
Thunk!
The flick struck Goku squarely on the forehead, sending him skidding backward through the air.
After flipping in midair, Goku caught himself and returned to the ring.
"Ow… That flick really hurt," he grinned, rubbing the sore spot. It had come out of nowhere and he couldn't dodge it.
"Li Xu, you're incredible!" Goku said with pure admiration. A real challenge always thrilled him.
"I know you've been holding back," Li Xu replied flatly. "Use your Kaio-ken already."
"You've heard of that technique too?" Goku asked. "So you've trained under North Kaio as well?"
"Kaio-ken's become useless for me," Li Xu said. "After achieving Super Saiyan, the boost it gives is minor. Worse, stacking them nearly destroys the body."
He recalled his past experiments trying to combine Kaio-ken with Super Saiyan had resulted in devastating internal strain. Even he couldn't withstand it for more than seconds.
Only Goku, through relentless training, could use Kaio-ken x10 in the Super Saiyan Blue form something Li Xu found baffling.
"Kaio-ken? What kind of move is that?" Krillin whispered. "Sounds intense…"
"Kaio-ken!!" Goku roared.
His white aura burst into a blazing red glow. The pressure around him intensified his power doubled, and the tiles beneath him cracked from the force.
"Here I come, Li Xu!"
With renewed speed, Goku charged again. His movements became harder to follow even Tien struggled to track them.
But Li Xu kept dodging, his expression unchanged.
"Double's not enough," he said calmly. "Push beyond your limit."
"Fine Kaio-ken times five!"
Son Goku continued to increase the Kaio-ken's intensity, and with it, the immense strain on his body rose sharply.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With afterimages trailing behind, Son Goku launched a high-speed barrage of attacks, his fists breaking the sound barrier but still, he couldn't so much as graze the edge of Li Xu's gi. Despite the Kaio-ken's immense boost, Li Xu remained at ease, clearly far from reaching his limits.
Clenching his fists and pushing his muscles to the brink, Son Goku roared, "Kaio-ken… times ten!"
"He's insane," Li Xu thought, frowning slightly. Having trained under King Kai himself, he understood the toll a tenfold Kaio-ken could take even for Goku, whose body had been tempered by countless life-or-death battles.
"Li Xu, are you just going to keep dodging?" Goku asked between gritted teeth, frustration slipping into his voice. He hadn't landed a single hit and hoped to provoke a counterattack.
"Well then, I suppose it's only fair I show you a glimpse of what I can really do," Li Xu replied with a faint grin.
In the next instant, Li Xu vanished from sight.
"Where did he go?!" Goku's widened eyes darted around the ring, but even with his sharpened senses, he couldn't pick up any trace of Li Xu's presence.
Boom!
Appearing out of nowhere, Li Xu's punch sank deep into Son Goku's abdomen, knocking the wind from him. The red aura of the Kaio-ken flickered and sputtered as Goku collapsed onto the tiles with a heavy thud.
"Goku!" cried both Chichi and Krillin from the audience, alarmed by the sudden and devastating blow.
"Referee, start the count," Li Xu said calmly, lowering his arm.
"One, two…"
"Come on, Goku! You've got this!" Krillin shouted from the sidelines, desperately cheering his friend on.
"It's over," Tien Shinhan said solemnly, watching Goku struggle. "The difference in power is just too vast. Li Xu barely used any effort. Even if Goku stands up, he won't turn this around."
"…Eight, nine, ten!"
"Li Xu is the winner! He takes the title of Champion of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai!" the announcer declared, his voice booming with excitement — though he was clearly stunned by how one-sided the final had been.
"Goku!" Krillin rushed onto the ring, quickly pulling out a Senzu Bean and placing it in Goku's mouth.
Li Xu casually floated down from the stage. For him, entering the tournament had been a diversion the trophy and title held no meaning.
"Li Xu, that was incredible!" Bulma exclaimed, rushing up to him, eyes gleaming. There was pride in her smile and something more.
"I like it better when you say that at night," Li Xu whispered in her ear. Bulma's face immediately turned crimson, swatting at him shyly.
"I'll train even harder and fight you again next time," Son Goku said, now fully recovered thanks to the Senzu Bean. Despite the loss, his eyes burned with resolve as he stood beside Li Xu.
"How strong are you, really?" Krillin asked, unable to hide the awe and curiosity in his voice. No one had seen Li Xu exert himself.
"If I had to quantify it," Li Xu said with a smile, "Son Goku's current battle power is around 50,000. Mine is sitting comfortably at six million."
He intentionally left out his Super Saiyan transformation, knowing the true number would crush their spirits.
"You're a total monster…" Krillin muttered in disbelief. The gap was astronomical. Even if he devoted every moment to training, he couldn't envision catching up.
"Alright, let's all head back," Li Xu said, slinging an arm around Bulma. "And remember — everyone's invited to our wedding!"
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