If it hadn't been for that so-called God's evil half, his master Mutaito, a grandmaster of his generation, wouldn't have died from exhaustion…
…Thinking of this, Tsuru paused and looked across at Taro.
The martial principles contained in the book written by this senior brother of his… Never mind the boundless selflessness it must have taken to share them with the world—for now, at least. Just seeing the "fictional" portrayal of the grandmaster Mutaito's deeds and words, and the "fictional" depiction of the Muten School… it was enough to stir Tsuru's emotions. His heart clenched with emotion.
"What is it?" Taro raised his cup, the aroma of tea wafting between them.
"Nothing," Tsuru replied, turning his eyes back to the screen. There, atop the shattered mountain, the two combatants exchanged blow after blow, their strength far surpassing that of martial artists in the old days. Surrounding the broken mountain were crowds as far as the eye could see—waves upon waves of people. A large portion of them had some martial training.
And every single one of them—including the millions watching from across the world through countless screens—was a devoted believer in martial arts.
Master…
Master…
Can you see this?
Everyone is learning martial arts. Everyone is striving to better themselves. The golden era of martial arts you dreamed of—it's here now.
It's truly here.
---
Krillin still lost.
Piccolo's growth was simply too fast. Not only had he fully regained the strength of the old Demon King Piccolo, he had secretly learned much while on Muten Island. After becoming champion of the Northern Division, he'd been studying Taro's book with great dedication and had undergone a transformation in his martial heart.
Relying on the flexible and unpredictable limbs of a Namekian, along with various other mystical abilities, Piccolo managed to claim a narrow victory—without even removing his weighted clothing.
"What a spectacular match!"
"Let's congratulate Piccolo for being the first to advance to the grand finals of the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai! Although Krillin narrowly lost, he gave us an incredibly exciting battle! He'll compete for third place tomorrow against the loser of the next semifinal match!"
"And now… let's welcome Muten School's very own Son Goku! And from the Tsuru School… Tienshinhan!"
The announcer quickly introduced the next fighters as medical staff rushed onto the stage. With their help, Krillin was escorted off toward the back.
Piccolo, however, brusquely shoved away the young nurses surrounding him and flew off into the sky without a word. His cold demeanor left one nurse visibly shaken.
As he flew away, he glanced down briefly—Son Goku and Tienshinhan were stepping onto the stage side by side. One tall, one short, yet their auras clashed like titans, seemingly neck and neck.
Son Goku…
Piccolo narrowed his eyes and gave a cold snort. Accelerating his flight, he drew a long arc through the sky and vanished into the clouds above, leaving the crowd staring in awe.
"Uh… it seems our Piccolo contestant is quite the individualistic martial artist!" The announcer awkwardly adjusted his glasses and gave a dry chuckle. "Still, the final battle is tomorrow, so technically there's no rule against him leaving now… Ahem! Now, back to the arena—Son Goku versus Tienshinhan is about to begin!"
At that moment, Goku and Tienshinhan had already taken their places on the shattered mountain stage, facing off.
Just their stances alone stirred the audience into a tidal wave of cheers—
"OOOHHHH SO COOL!!"
"Go Tienshinhan!! Beat that little runt!!"
"Let's go, Goku! Muten disciples must never lose!!"
In the densely packed crowd, Bulma frowned. How could people still support that Tienshinhan? Don't they know Goku is Master Taro's direct disciple? Don't they realize how amazing his talent is? There's no way Tienshinhan can win!
Beside Bulma, Gohan tugged at his white beard with a chuckle as he gazed at the central arena and thought, So, Uncle Tsurumi… what secret weapon have you taught your disciple… to make you so confident he can face Master's disciple Goku head-on?
---
"The thing on your wrist—is it the same as what that bald little monk had earlier?" Tien asked calmly as he stared at the black-haired boy with a tail standing across from him.
Though he hadn't paid much attention to the match between Krillin and Piccolo earlier, he had keenly sensed the shift in Krillin's energy the moment he removed his wristbands.
From that, Tien deduced that Krillin's wristbands were likely some kind of item used to suppress his own ki.
And Goku… wore the same kind of wristbands.
"Yep!" Goku nodded, tail swaying.
The announcer's voice boomed across the stadium: "Now then… the second match of the quarterfinals of the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai—Tien versus Son Goku—begins now!"
The crowd's cheering instantly surged to a new peak!
However, the roaring chaos around them didn't affect the two fighters on the stage. From the moment they walked out of the waiting area, their auras had already begun to clash. In truth, their battle had begun the instant the match between Krillin and Piccolo had ended.
"Well then… don't say I didn't warn you." Tien's three eyes were calm and unflinching. He slowly shifted his stance and raised his palm, the third eye on his forehead gleaming with a strange divine light. In a deep voice, he said, "You'd best take those wristbands off right from the start."
Goku was infected by the seriousness in his opponent's voice. Tien's ki… it was strong!
And more than that—he could clearly feel it—Tien's ki was steadily growing stronger. The moment Tien took his opening stance and his gaze shifted, his energy began to rise.
Stronger and stronger!
"No need… at least not yet!" Goku replied, unable to suppress the excitement in his voice.
That was just the kind of person he was. Even when he would later become unimaginably powerful, he would rarely begin a match at full strength. Because what he loved most was not overwhelming his opponent with brute force, but the thrill of battle itself.
A proper, exhilarating fight! Combat!
With fighting spirit blazing, Goku struck a stance. "Let's go!" His eyes sparkled, blood boiling with anticipation.
"Hmph…" Tien's gaze was unwavering. He carried his master's hopes, the pride of the Crane School…
At last, he made his move!
Goku grinned. His tail flicked with a sharp "snap," and in the next instant, he vanished—leaving behind only a blur. Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh whoosh! All across the stage, the air was filled with flickering afterimages of Goku and Tien. Their strikes landed with heavy thuds, their movements nothing more than two dark streaks racing across the ring. And every brief clash left behind a momentary phantom image.
In no time, the stage was filled with flickering afterimages of their fierce exchanges.
---
"Oh?" In the audience, Gohan gave his beard a surprised tug.
---
Taro paused his sip of tea and glanced sideways at the floating display. The clashing energies on the distant tournament platform were all well within his perception… Tien's shifting aura reflected in his mind as clearly as lines etched in his palm.
With a faint smile, he said to Tsuru, "Just as I thought, Junior Brother… you've truly grasped that technique Master taught you."