PART TWENTY-FIVE: FACING THE ADVERSARY THAT MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE

Chapter 122

Translated by npberryhill

For a split second, Goku’s young pupil stared down the djinn, seeing the spark in his eyes. Both were eager to fight, and he had no reason to make Buu wait.

“Kaioken!” he suddenly cried out.

A crimson aura engulfed Uub, who dashed forward instantly towards Majin Buu — who remained stoic at his approach. The young man began with a quick kick to Buu’s face, which the majin blocked nonchalantly, though his arm bent with the curvature of Uub’s leg. Without pause, the boy then chained a powerful punch to his foe’s face. The blow plunged through Buu’s anatomy, his fist sinking like quicksand, but as he tried to pull away he found himself stuck. The Majin threw an extremely fast punch at his trapped opponent, but Uub instinctively dodged into the air above — his arm still lodged fast. With his free arm, the human fired a Kikoha at Buu’s head, finally releasing his other appendage as the blast exploded in the djinn’s face.

Buu staggered back slightly, but before he had opportunity to reform his head Uub struck him once again, flinging him away. He then raised his Kaioken, assuming the stance of his sensei and preparing a familiar technique.

“Kamehame...HA!”

The surging energy wave burst forth from his hands, slamming full force into Buu and exploding brilliantly. It stirred up a gust of strong wind that blew against the spectators nearby, though the shield protected them from any debris of course.

“Is it over already?” one of them asked, disappointed. “Is he dead?”

“No, wait,” another replied. “Keep looking, I think I see something.”

Through the thick smoke that was finally starting to clear, tiny silhouettes of Buu were beginning to appear. There were screams of amazement in the audience as well as a few sickening looks as the army of miniature majins appeared. While the audience had seen spectacular things, like the rage fit thrown by Buu of Universe 4 and Cell’s regeneration, the appearance of hundreds of tiny balls of pink gum were top of the list. Cautiously, many of the spectators began to brace themselves, in case things were about to go awry once again due to the tiny monsters.

Below, Uub stood firm, his face lacking no confidence. Deploying his Kaioken once more, he rushed the tiny creatures and began peppering each one with powerful blows. Without pausing once, he chained attack after attack on the Buus — sending them flying all over the place. He even sprung off of them as if they were balloons, exploding in a release of air as he popped them.

In the Universe 18 balcony, Piccolo seemed concerned.

“Goku, explain something to me,” he began. “Why is Uub deploying his maximum Kaioken already? Sure, he has the advantage in power for the moment, but at this rate that will turn soon. If he doesn’t pay attention to his stamina, he’ll be nothing but fodder.”

Goku smiled. “Ah, well the truth is,” he answered, “that’s actually not his maximum Kaioken! He can push it much further!”

“What? How?” the Namek uttered, amazed. “If I recall, mere months ago, the power he’s using now was his absolute limit with the technique. How could he improve so quickly in so little time?”

“Well, that’s just how tough the training I gave him was,” the Saiyan replied, a mysterious grin on his face. “Believe me, Uub can face Majin Buu now, we just haven’t had time for him to fight ours back home yet.”

“Stronger or not,” Vegeta gruffly interrupted. “This type of strategy is completely useless against an opponent like Buu — I myself made that mistake years ago. If he doesn’t completely destroy him, he won’t win.”

As they continued discussing, Uub tirelessly pursued the miniature Fat Buus. In spite of the power of each blow, the monsters were undaunted in their swarming attacks. Uub began combining his physical assault with Kikohas, successfully annihilating some of the blobs, yet others merely recovered and resumed attacking. Suddenly, a larger mini-Buu re-formed directly in his path and nailed an uppercut into the boy’s chin, sending him flying upward. Goku’s disciple didn’t have time to recover before another miniature buu, already in waiting, clasped his hands over his head and slammed a violent hammerfist into Uub — launching him hard into the combat surface, which trembled and shook and sprayed dust about.

All the remaining Buu laughed blissfully as they looked down at the pile of rubble where Uub was presumably knocked out by the last blow. They then began firing dozens of energy balls at him to finish the fight for good, which exploded all around the ring for a period of nearly twenty seconds. Meanwhile, a bit to the side, Uub re-emerged from the ground at high speed, dashing between the mini-Buus and taking them by complete surprise. He then raised his arms to the starry sky and fired a powerful explosion wave that pulverized many of the small blobs, reducing them to ash. A pearl of sweat on his forehead, Uub descended back onto the fighting surface, his lips bleeding as he caught his breath. That’s when he noticed the dreaded amalgamation of all the tiny remaining pieces of Buu being joined into a single entity once more.

‘I can’t maintain my Kaioken too much longer,’ Uub grumbled inwardly. ‘And just look at him. He’s completely undamaged after all my attacks, not even tired. At this rate, I won’t be able to keep up the offense needed to hold him off.’

A few yards away the happy Majin had fully reconstituted his body, a giant smile on his face. “You too tired to fight more? Then Buu eat you now!” With the whip of his head crest and the appearance of a strange purple light, Buu then shouted his current craving. “Turn into a cake!”

“Uh-oh!” Goku panicked. “Dodge it, quick!”

His pupil heard the warning, but remained calm. ‘Not this time,’ he thought. ‘Now I know how it works, and I won’t be defeated by magic, Majin Buu — instead I’ll beat you at your own game!’

Confident, Uub reached out and took hold of the magic ray in the palm of his hand. He then re-directed it back at its source to the astonishment of those in Universe 18.

“Hey, Buu! Catch!!”

Without fully understanding what had happened, the pink demon was struck head on by his own beam, himself being transformed into a big tasty watermelon that collapsed onto the ground with a thud. In spite of it being a fruit, it was nonetheless Buu, therefore the gravity didn’t instantly crush it.

“Fresh fruit...” Uub proclaimed proudly. “Takes care of your sweet tooth, but much better for you!”

Over in the Universe 16 and 18 balconies, everyone was speechless — stunned at what had the turn of events.

“Uh, Goku...” Piccolo finally said, dumbfounded. “Since when has Uub been able to manipulate magic? Did he inherit Buu’s talent for the mystical arts after all?”

“No...” the Saiyan replied, just as confused. “He’s never displayed that ability before — it’s a complete surprise to me...” His comment was tinged with a hint of bitterness even. Why would his pupil have hidden that from him? And were he to face Uub in the next round, with him now having the powers of his previous incarnation, would that tip the scales against him? At the very least it would require him to adjust his strategy.

“Interesting!” Vegetto of the 16th noted with a grin. “That little guy has the same powers as Majin Buu. He definitely looks promising, maybe he can even defend the Earth one day! Goku mentioned that was what he had in mind, and I’m starting the ‘fruits’ of his training...hehe.”

“All the same,” Gohan wondered aloud. “Couldn’t he also be a potential danger? If he truly is Buu reincarnated, is there any risk that something inside of him might be triggered or released...through anger or suffering?”

“Nah, I doubt it,” his father replied, arms folded. “King Enma may be a stick in the mud, but one thing he isn’t is careless. He does everything by the books. I’m sure he was extra vigilant in purifying Buu’s soul before he even thought about reincarnating him, probably even hand picked Uub’s family. Simply put, the boy is just a normal human — well, one with incredible magical potential, trained by Son Goku, with all the potential as Majin Buu. Seriously, he could be very promising.”

“Pfff,” Bra grunted, watching the fight half distracted. She wasn’t particularly impressed, but she could admit to herself at least that the prodigy of Universe 18 was on their side, and might one day prove himself to be worthwhile.

Meanwhile, over in the universe 11 patio, the panicked Babidi was making a scene.

“What... How?!! My Buu, NOO! But... Who is this human brat!? How is he able to do the same magic as my Majin Buu!!?? Buu, change back, do you hear me!? Do something!!”

Held captive in the hand of the Grand Kaioshin, Buu of Universe 4 snickered.

Uub regretted that he’d had to reveal his new assets during this fight, having hoped that he could save them for his match with Son Goku — who would now be on guard against them. But he was confident in his abilities all the same. He’d been waiting for a serious match between them for so long! But, he still had a battle to finish. Unsure, he stated his victory just to verify with the announcers.

“I won!”

A small voice immediately replied, appearing from a crack in the ring. “Nu-uh!” A miniature Buu had squeezed out of a small fissure, immediately using the candy beam on the watermelon.

“Rules don’t say watermelons lose, so you don’t win! Now Buu will change back, then I will beat you!”

As Buu spoke, the original pink demon resumed his normal shape, wearing a proud smile. He seemed not only spry, but eager to continue — still having no signs of fatigue.

‘Well, I suspected he might try that,’ Uub thought. ‘It seems he learned a thing or two from Buu of universe 4, hiding pieces of himself all over the ring. There’s no way he could’ve come up with that on his own, and maybe I can use his intellect against him. We’ll see if a little trickery works...’

“Hey, nice fight so far, Buu!” Uub said. “So, would you like to play a game now?”

“Ooh yes, yes!” the djinn rejoiced, quite enthused.

“Great. Okay then, it’s called hide and seek. I’ll count to ten, then you go hide. After ten seconds I’ll come looking for you. If I can’t find you within a minute's time, I’ll lose the match — but if I find you then I win. How does that sound?”

Both Piccolos smirked at the suggestion. ‘Brilliant strategy. That version of Buu is easily susceptible to simple games — he won’t even realize he’s been eliminated until it’s too late.’

But Buu had begun to count on his fingers, seemingly doing some pretty intensive mental calculations. Uub awaited his answer, looking slightly distressed, but the djinn suddenly turned to him, his happy smile gone.

“Oh no, not okay! If Buu goes out of sight for thirty seconds, I lose! You tried to play a trick! Now Buu is really mad!!”

“Huh!!?” Uub cringed, falling backwards. His ruse hadn’t worked at all. Rather, it had only served to anger the furious Majin, whose power was rising exponentially. Buu charged the boy at full speed, who rushed to a defensive stance. The djinn suddenly split his body in two, each one taking opposite sides around Uub and pulling their arms back at their sides to form a familiar beam.

“No, it can’t be?” Uub panicked, recognizing the Kamehameha.

The two beams were released simultaneously on either side of the fighter, forcing Uub to retreat into the air at the last second, propelled by the explosion just behind him. Aching with pain, he barely had time to resume his guard as Buu began flinging more energy blasts in his direction. Each one was difficult to deflect, but he was barely managing until he felt a sharp pain in his left arm. He was almost too terrified to look, all too familiar with that pain — but all the same he watched in horror as his left arm fell to the ground, sliced clean off once again!!

“What... happened? Not again, it can’t be true!” he shouted.

Looking behind him, he saw a Kienzan disappear into the distance. Majin Buu had secretly slipped in a disc among the barrage of normal energy blasts. The Djinn, laughing hysterically, began dancing on the spot, wearing a savage grin.

“Yay for Buu! Who’s the best... Buu’s the best, Buu’s the strongest!! And it’s almost time for Buu to eat you up!”

Gohan, along with others in the 18th balcony, was clearly uneasy. “How is he able to use so many of our techniques? He didn’t absorb any of us in his universe, he’s exactly the same as when he was first released!”

“What you’re failing to take into account,” Vegeta answered, “is that Buu is a fighting genius, plain and simple. Set the childish blabber aside, see through the air of naivety. You watched his match with South Kaioshin — he thought he could manipulate the creature, but Buu was toying with him the entire time. One time is all it takes. He witnessed that old bearded Krillin use a single Kienzan, and then one time he witnessed Uub fire a Kamehameha. That was all he needed to replicate the attacks, and if you haven’t noticed, he even improved them in his own way.”

“Unfortunately with that, Uub is finished,” Piccolo grumbled, recalling how many times his regeneration had saved him in similar situations. “It’s just a matter of how quickly Buu decides to end it now.”

The boy, however, hadn’t said his last word yet. He extended his remaining hand, throwing a quick gesture towards his inert arm lying below. Magically, it was pulled through the air and back towards the stump on his shoulder, stopping Buu’s laughter suddenly. A seriousness filled the entire arena as the young man’s appendage was fully stitched back on, surrounded in a purple light. Uub had magically reassembled himself, stunning his friends and foes alike. Over on the Kaioshin balcony, universe 4 Buu grinned with pride.

“But... When did he...?” Piccolo gasped, jaw agape.

“How come he can do that now?” Goten continued. “It’s like the third time that arm has been cut off... so what gives? Did Buu teach him to heal or something?”

Goku and Vegeta shot silent glances at one another. They’d both sensed something strange the previous night, being suddenly awakened. It seemed now that there might’ve been validity to their caution after all, if indeed Buu had tampered with Uub during the night, as Goten had suggested. But, how? He’d been imprisoned in the palm of the Great Kaioshin, greatest of the gods — surely they could trust him. The only other possible explanation was that somehow Uub had awakened dormant powers of his previous self. That would be both crazy and unexpected, but it was possible. Though shocked, Goku was also delighted in the surprises his pupil continued to unveil. As for Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan, there was far more skepticism going around. Memories of Super Buu and Kid Buu were never far from their minds, but they couldn’t hold it against one such as Pan, who was amazed at Uub.

“It’s pretty incredible that a human is capable of that,” Son Goku concluded. “Who knows what else he can do? Come on, Uub, show us what you’re worth!!”

Majin Buu rushed Uub once again, who, in spite of his pain and fatigue, no longer viewed himself as being at a disadvantage. He extended his arm fully towards the approaching djinn, forming a concentration of energy in his hand.

“Galactic Donut™!”

A circle of yellow energy fired out horizontally from his palm, surprising the Majin as he stumbled to properly avoid the odd shaped blast. The ring of ki encircled him, trapping his midsection at its largest point and beginning to squeeze.

“Ughh... that’s one of Gotenks’ techniques. But what is this TM?” Piccolo remarked.

Trunks raised a condescending finger. “Gotenks doesn’t let anyone just use his moves whenever they want. They’re his own intellectual property, patented and everything. He does, however, in certain circumstances, negotiate a licensing arrangement. We’re talking copyrights here, Piccolo...It’s important stuff!”

Meanwhile, struggling against the energy lodged around his torso, Buu couldn’t quite free himself.

“That’s not going to hold him for long,” Uub said to himself. “I’ve got to end this fast. First, I’ll have to get rid of all those hidden pieces of Buu, and to do that I’m gonna need my full power. I may not be able to sustain it in this condition... really no choice though, I’ll have to risk it.”

“Maximum Kaioken!” Uub exclaimed, summoning the destructive crimson aura around his body.

It shimmered all around him in a tornadic blaze, causing the ring to crack and tremble — the asteroid itself began to shake under the enormous power. Most of the spectators had to hide their eyes so as to not be blinded by the dust. Buu stopped his struggling briefly, a bead of sweat testifying to his sudden anxiety. He could clearly sense his opponent’s energy, and it was enough to make even the djinn doubt. All the same, he seemed totally incapable of slipping out of the Galactic Donut that still held him captive.

“Buu you idiot!! Just turn yourself into jelly!” Babidi yelled from the sidelines. “Use your brain for once you infant cretin!”

“It’s forbidden to offer advice to the competitors,” the Universe 11 Varga warned him.

But his words were of no avail, as the energy shock wave emanating from Uub blocked out even incoming sound. Suddenly, the boy’s voice was heard.

“Super... Kamehame... HA!!”

A gigantic energy wave fired from his outstretched arms, colliding head on with the Majin who had been ultimately unsuccessful in freeing himself. The mere size of the beam engulfed 90% of the ring, obliterating even the ring walls behind Buu. In the Universe 12 balcony, Future Trunks was hurled backwards against the wall, leaving a trail in the ground in front of him as he resisted and tried to stand.

“What incredible power!” he exclaimed. “I can barely stand, I feel like any second it’ll completely consume me!”

“That boy’s power is impressive,” #16 said. “However, I am not certain it is sufficient to destroy Buu. He is able to reconstitute himself from smoke, not to mention he may still have parts of himself concealed within the arena. Against such a foe, this attack is not adequate.”

As the energy wave finally subsided, revealing a devastated tournament arena, Uub collapsed from exhaustion. Examining his surroundings, he immediately suspected that Buu hadn’t been fully destroyed. At that moment, a strange sensation seized him as he sensed the last of Buu’s remains. He didn’t know quite how to explain it, but nevertheless trusted his instincts and prepared to face the final incarnation.

Over in Universe 1, the balloon shaped pink blob of Buu opened his eyes in astonishment. “Mmm, quite unexpected! He managed to spot Buu quicker than anyone else, perhaps other than Vegetto! I’d say that’s proof positive he’s truly my alter-ego, and a worthy heir! That boy has great things ahead of him, I’ll say.”

A few yards behind Uub, a tiny voice cried out triumphantly. A miniature Buu suddenly sprang forth from a crevasse in the ring and raised his hands to the air. “Buu!”

‘That’s the last piece!’ Uub thought. He then swung his arms towards the creature, flinging two saucers that appeared like bowls which had seemingly come out of nowhere. Buu, who hadn’t reacted quickly enough, was surrounded by them.

“Breakfast time!” the youth shouted, teleporting behind him and clapping his hands around the bowls — essentially sealing Buu inside.

“I’ve got you now! Thirty seconds to go...”

Up in the Varga control tower, one of the referees had begun the count, passing five seconds already.

“Oh no! It’s not possible!” Babidi cried out, terrified. “Buu, do something you birdbrain!”

In the center of the two bowls, Buu could be heard shouting violently. Though no one else realized what he felt, the sensation of being trapped was far too similar to the extreme anguish he’d felt all those millennia trapped inside his ball. He unleashed all his power against the shell around him, cracking it. Uub did the same from the outside, putting all his remaining strength and energy into the prison.

“Stay still!!” he shouted, digging deep to the very edge of his reserves. “You are not getting out yet!”

Babidi, on the other hand, wasn’t about to let things end this way. He immediately began to recite a spell that would release Buu from the imprisonment.

“Paparap...”

“No cheating, Babidi!” East Kaioshin interrupted him, appearing instantly alongside South in front of the wizard and grabbing him by the mouth. He was successful in cutting off the magician’s words, inspiring a paralyzing terror in the yellow-skinned being. Meanwhile, Buu continued releasing his full power, and finally succeeded in shattering the outer prison — knocking Uub backwards from the shock. The miniature Buu was about to fire a ki wave, when the announcement sounded through the arena.

“30 seconds and 400 milliseconds. The match is over, I repeat the match is over. Victory for Uub of universe 18!!”