Third Match: Krillin vs. Piccolo
As the announcer called out their names, the tension in the stadium spiked. The crowd buzzed with excitement, Krillin, the beloved underdog, versus the mysterious newcomer, Piccolo Jr..
What they didn't know was that this wasn't just any fighter… it was the reincarnation of the Demon King Piccolo himself.
Krillin stepped into the ring with his usual determined grin, cracking his knuckles and bouncing on his feet. He'd trained hard under Master Roshi, alongside Goku and the others. He was no pushover. But as soon as Piccolo entered the ring, an oppressive pressure filled the air.
The bell rang.
Krillin dashed forward, launching a flurry of quick jabs and kicks. His speed was impressive, to the average fighterg. But to Piccolo, it was nothing.
With a flick of his wrist, Piccolo deflected every strike, barely moving. His red eyes followed Krillin's every motion. When Krillin leapt into the air and fired off a barrage of ki blasts, Piccolo didn't dodge. He walked through them.
The blasts exploded harmlessly against his aura, smoke and light surrounding him for a second. When it cleared, he was untouched.
"W-what…?" Krillin gasped, realizing too late he'd gotten too close.
Piccolo's counterattack was swift. A single backhand slammed into Krillin's gut, lifting him off the ground. Before he could recover, Piccolo appeared behind him and delivered a hammer-fist to the back, sending him crashing into the ring with a deafening BOOM.
The tiles cracked beneath Krillin's body. Groaning, he tried to rise, but Piccolo was already above him, palm glowing.
"Stop!" the announcer shouted. "This match is over!"
Piccolo hesitated. Then, with a sneer, he lowered his hand and turned away.
Krillin coughed. He was alive, but barely, his strength meant nothing in the face of this monstrous power.
Fourth match: the mysterious Shen against Yamcha. This match was a tragedy.
Yamcha's Spirit Ball technique dazzled the crowd with its unpredictability and control, but it wasn't enough. One clean strike from Shen, and Yamcha hit the ground like a fallen tree.
He didn't even get the chance to use his full power.
With the quarterfinals concluded, the semifinals were set:
Alaric vs Goku, and Piccolo vs Shen.
The sound of drums and gongs echoed through the arena as Goku grinned with excitement. "I didn't expect to get a chance to fight you so soon," he said, sizing up Alaric as a worthy opponent.
Alaric smirked back. "Yeah, good thing we both have Senzu Beans, so we don't have to hold anything back," he replied, casting a glance at Piccolo who was watching them intently from the sidelines.
Goku nodded in agreement, feeling the familiar rush of energy building inside him. Both fighters gathered their ki, knowing that without it, the battle wouldn't be even close.
The announcer raised his hand, his voice cutting through the buzz of the crowd. "Fighters, ready… and… BEGIN!"
In an instant, they vanished from the crowd's view, blurs of motion flickering across the ring like lightning bolts. Shockwaves burst from every clash, the sheer force of their strikes shaking the arena to its foundation.
Goku's punches came harder and faster than even Tien's ever had, each blow like a cannonball wrapped in thunder. Alaric gritted his teeth, arms moving in a desperate flurry as he tried to parry. But Goku wasn't just faster, he was relentless, chaining together punches, elbows, and knees with ruthless precision.
'Too fast!' Alaric's mind screamed, his feet sliding across the cracked arena floor as he blocked a spinning backfist, only for a roundhouse to slam into his ribs and send him tumbling backward.
To break free from the pressure, Alaric fired a quick ki blast from his palm, arm shaking from the force.
The explosion roared past Goku's head, blowing a crater the size of a car into the stone ring and sending chunks of tile flying into the air like shrapnel. The shockwave halted Goku mid-dash, and dust swirled around them both.
"Whoa, that was close!" Goku muttered, eyes wide with surprise as he hovered above the ruined ground.
"Goku, get ready, I'm going all out now! Ah, !" Alaric warned, carefully positioning himself to avoid causing serious damage around them.
Then, without stopping, he unleashed a rapid barrage of ki blasts. The ki shots flew nonstop toward Goku, as if they cost Alaric nothing.
The announcer was stunned, shouting, "Alaric is incredible! Let's hope Goku can handle this!"
Alaric pushed himself to the limit. But the constant strain was wearing him down. Still, he refused to let up, firing blast after blast.
Goku stood firm in the cracked arena, breathing steady, his aura pulsing with raw energy. He narrowed his eyes. 'The blasts are losing force… he's slowing down.' This was his moment.
As Alaric's own barrage of ki blasts erupted in a blinding storm of light. Goku burst through the smoke, fist pulled backe.
BAM!
A sickening thud rang out as Goku's punch landed square in Alaric's abdomen. Time seemed to freeze for a split second, Alaric's eyes widened, the air violently forced from his lungs, his body folding over Goku's arm before being hurled backward like a ragdoll. He slammed into the arena wall, rubble bursting outward in every direction.
"Ugh…!" Alaric choked, blood flying from his mouth as he hit the ground hard.
The crowd gasped.
From the smoke, Goku emerged, his gi torn at the shoulders, legs scraped and bleeding, face dirtied with dust and sweat, but his eyes burned with unwavering focus.
"You're tough, Alaric," he said, voice rough, "but I can't afford to hold back anymore."
Alaric barely had time to roll aside as Goku's foot came down like a hammer, shattering the stone floor beneath it. He raised his arm to block the follow-up strike, but it felt like trying to stop a mountain from falling. Goku's barrage came like a typhoon, blow after blow slamming into Alaric's defenses, hammering through his guard.
Each strike echoed like thunder, each impact a jolt of pain that rattled his bones.
'He's… overwhelming me!' Alaric thought, stumbling back with every hit. His breath came in short gasps. His muscles screamed. The world blurred with pain.
Even through his weighted clothing, meant to suppress his full strength, each hit from Goku cut through like lightning. One strike crashed into his ribs, another into his shoulder, then a spinning elbow sent him spiraling across the ring.
Alaric's knees hit the ground. He trembled. Sweat and blood dripped from his brow. 'This hurts so much,' he thought bitterly. 'It's like every nerve is on fire…'
His vision wavered. For a moment, it felt like the entire world had collapsed into that ring, and he was the last one standing against a force of nature. The roar of the crowd faded into a distant hum.
Alaric clenched his jaw. His fists trembled. His chest burned like it was about to split open. Every muscle in his body screamed for rest.
"Not… yet," he growled, dragging himself to his feet, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. His gaze locked with Goku.
Ki exploded from his body in a blinding flare of gold and blue, swirling around him like a miniature sun. Cracks spread beneath his feet as he let out a roar that shook the arena.
"RAAAAHHH!"
Goku's expression shifted, surprise, then admiration. He slid into his stance, smiling slightly. "Heh… You're really something, Alaric."
And then they charged.