PART TWELVE: THE TASTE OF REVENGE

Chapter 57

Translated by Ledgic

"Next fight, please enter the ring... Tenshinhan of the universe 9 and Sun Wukong of the universe 2!"

Sun Wukong decided to make an appearance following the announcement of the fight. From the entry of space 2, he jumped into several somersaults, and curled up on himself, before landing on his legs, turning his back to the ring and most of the audience. He turned his head to his left and announced with a smile:

"At last, the greatest hero of them all gets to fight."

This approach was the same as the dwarf of the universe 9, Kulilin, made some time earlier, apart from the jump anyway. At that moment, everyone discovered that it was Sun Wukong.

The first thing that could be said, was that he looked like a monkey. Not much taller than Kulilin himself, however, He wore less exotic clothes. His face was of a teenager, like other parts of the body such as the arms or legs, were surrounded by brown and sometimes red hair. His rather blond hair were drawn back in spades. Two ornaments, such as two antennae attached to his hair, fell behind to the bottom of his back. His blue eyes were filled with malice and could testify to his vitality, his excitement.

In some dozens metres on the right, in the space 9, Tenshinhan also got ready. He warmed up his arms and shoulders, before cracking his fingers, looking towards his opponent.

"You think can beat him?" asked Yamcha.

"I don't know. I'm finding it difficult to sense his strength."

"He doesn't look fierce in any case." remarked Kulilin.

"I'll pay attention. I'll be judging his skill from the beginning."

The others said nothing furthermore. Tenshinhan, for a long time, was a very experienced combatant. He seldom underestimated his opponents. Contrary to others, he was going to enter the ring keeping his seriousness, calmness, and all his senses on high alert. Tenshinhan finally flew off toward the ring to wait for his enemy there.

The latter gestured again, more for show than actually warming up. But before meeting with Tien, he made appear close to him a small yellow cloud that made a small noise, remaining at one meter above the ground. Jumping on it, the cloud the weight of the monkey without turning a hair. Patting the cloud as though it were an animal whom he comforted, he drove at a headlong pace, leaving a light yellow trail behind him, to fly about ten metres above the ring.

"But, it is Kinto-Un!" Kulilin said astonished.

"How did this guy obtained such a thing?" wondered Yamcha.

"I don't know, but it doesn't tell me anything good if you want my opinion."

In space 18, Son Goku and his two sons were also surprised to see the very same cloud that was used so many times by Goku when he was in his youth. After him, it was his son who had used it, in particular to go to university, and after him, Uub used it, then Pan.

"Our universes must be closer than we think." Piccolo said.

"Yes." Gohan acquiesced. "Arale first, then the cat who wears a familiar tunic, and now the cloud..."

"Maybe we should go for more information?" proposed Videl, who had been standing next to her husband.

"It is useless, it's a waste of time." intervened Vegeta, only to grumble.

"I wonder if he's part of Grandpa's family." Goku said thoughtfully. He has almost the same name as us, he specified by looking at his two sons, then at his granddaughter. "But his head is far from resembling us. He doesn't resemble Grandpa Gohan either…"

"Perhaps an ancestor of the Saiyans?" Goten wondered.

"It doesn't explain his presence here though." his brother pointed out. "Nor why it has a name so close to ours..."

"If it is an ancestor, is he already a Super Saiyan? With his yellow hair on his head, one can wonder" added Trunks.

"You ask too many questions..." Vegeta said, exasperated. "Just watch the match..."

The fight still hadn't started. Sun Wukong remained at reasonable distance above the ring, looking at his opponent. He was extremely strong. An arm hidden under a cloak, a shaved head, and a third eye on the forehead made him a little more impressive despite some old age marks that appeared. Sun Wukong mumbled internally. His opponent was much like the monk that he had followed at the time, during a voyage to the West... This irritated him at the same time as this made him so nostalgic. But no matter: He was there to fight and win, no matter the opponent!

Tenshinhan had benefitted from this rather long moment where Wukong remained in the air, thinking of the best, and to find a first strategy of combat. To measure it, he had several techniques, such as destroying the cloud which could obstruct the figh, he had at least two of them. And to frighten to him, was timing. A timing that Sun Wukong himself gave him.

"Well then! Are you too afraid to attack me?"

Tien frowned before responding:

"You have to touch the ring for the fight to begin."

"Oh. In that case..."

With one hand he brought to his ear, he took out a small stick, a cylindrical device that looked like a toothpick. Initially making it whirl in his hand for a few seconds while smiling, the monkey suddenly made it become as tall as a staff. More than this, it augmented its length to touch the ring for one second. Tien heard a particular 'toc' and looked a little better at this stick that would find its actual size, or in any case, for the confrontation to the body.

It was a red staff without any tip at the ends. A staff which some people have already known:

"But it is..." Yamcha began, amazed.

"Interesting After Kinto-Un, he also has the staff." "Kulilin finished, smiling as he said it.

Furthermore, Pan was also surprised, and she checked instantly if his stick, was the same as she inherited from her grandfather,the one that was being held on her back: Yes, it was the case.

"It's Nyoi-Boi!" said Goku. "This then..."

"If I understand correctly," Began Goten to Trunks. "This guycould be the first owner of the staff, and he could have passed it on over the generations until my great-grandfather got it before leaving it with my father..."

"Hmm.. It will be necessary to investigate." answered his friend, equally perplexed.

On the ring, the fight had still not really begun. Tien was still waiting for the right time. Sun Wukong, impatient, then called to him:

"The fight can now begin... Hey!"

Without warning, Tien attacked. Quickly, he placed his hands in the shape of a triangle which he had raised above his head to aim at his adversary and launch a Kikoho, one of his most devastating techniques. It was the best opportunity to use it. It allowed him to check the level of Sun Wukong, who looked rather good, because he had managed to avoid the blast by jumping off the coast of his cloud. Besides the Kinto-Un was completely disintegrated.

"Good reflexes..."

Wukong, who was still in the air, clenched his teeth looking at Tien who attacked him by surprise. He pointed the finger in his direction, or almost. In fact, Wukong quickly understood he wanted to look behind him.

Mysteriously confident, knowing he was sheltered from an attack from behind, he looked and behind him saw a planet, or rather the decor which was crossed behind to him at the time of the attack. The planet was missing a large chunk, at least a quarter. Wukong was so surprised that he thought his eyes were going to jump out of their Sockets. The technique of Tien, to frighten his opponent had instead worked well, even if the latter quickly resumed his spirits.

"It destroyed a planet!" Trunks exclaimed, astonished.

"No, imbecile… They are only gas decorations in the sky." Vegeta recitified. Even if it were true a planet, there would be nothing impressive about it, even for the tall bald guy.

"Yes, it's good I know..." declared the son of Vegeta, before turning to Goten:

"Hey, you've see that." said Trunks and Goten from spaces 16 and 18. "It looks like the trick of the old electronic game there... Do you remember?"

"Ah yes! Pac Boy! Too much fun!"

"Anything..." Uub gently said, standing next to Pan.

"Yeah... Too fan of video games..." added the latter watching her uncle and his friend, who were only kidding.

On the ring, Wukong quickly activated. Grasping his stick, he again made it grow, but also to expand to crush Tien against the ring. The stick became large enough to almost make the diameter of the small planet, and fell there where was Tien, become an Ant in the shadow of the giant stick. This time, it was not a simple 'toc' when the Nyoi-Bo touched the surface, but rather a 'boom'. Landing gracefully on the top of his enormous stick, Sun Wukong, hands on the hips and with a superior air, commented:

"My Nyoi-Bo takes whatever size I want! It's so heavy that I am the only one to be able to use it! My strength exceeds all that..."

The stick vibrated under his feet, before rising gradually. Posing one knee, Sun Wukong walked on all fours toward the edge of the stick to watch below. He saw nothing, as Tien was down and bore the stick with one hand, in equilibrium.

"It is heavy indeed..." He said.

Tien could not precisely guess the weight of this weapon. Probably several dozen tonnes... A weight he could easily lift without getting tired and he could even throw it away... But finish the fight by swinging his opponent far enough so that he could no longer be seen for thirty seconds, this was not in the vision of a good fair fight Tenshinhan thought. Also preferred fairly gently lay the stick on the floor of the ring. Wukong falls again, losing his balance but manages to keep his cool and maintain his weapon vertical. At the bottom, Tien laid a foot on the ground.

"This stick is not quite as Nyoi Boi we know" Goku noted to his friends.

"How's that?" asked his granddaughter.

Son Goku looked at Pan so he could explain:

"Your Nyoi-Bo can grow and resume its normal size. But if I saw the movements of the Sun Wukong, I'd say it's that grow and shrink the stick... For more, his grows also in width."

In the space 9, Yamcha had made almost the same exact remark in Kulilin, by adding as Goku at the same time as it:

"It also said that it was heavy... However, the Nyoi Boi has a normal weight for a stick..."

"Therefore this stick is different from ours and its capacity also?" wanted to confirm Gohan of space 16 before before having an affirmed answer from his father Vegetto, who had also noticed this difference.

"As the Vargas said... One can notice similarities, but it's necessarily different..."

"This Sun Wukong must be a powerful opponent." replied Kulilin from universe 9. "And I recognize Tien, who prefers to fight and lose rather than win in a way that he would be accused of being a coward..."

Tenshinhan knew indeed that its adversary was not banal. He had good reflexes, a non standard physical force in comparison with the basic human beings, and impressive capacities, whom Sun Wukong was going to show him.

Tearing a dozen hairs of his arm, he blew on it to let them fly before him and toward Tien. Very quickly, the hairs thickened and took shape. A head appeared, then arms, then the silhouette is specified, taking the features of Sun Wukong. Finally the legs appeared. There was now twelve more opponents Tien would have to face.

But the latter took no fear. Crossing the arms before him, he prepared a technique he had improved over the years. After a rapid concentration of his Ki, Tien uncrossed his arms. After a blur effect, double, there were good appearance of an another warrior with three eyes. They were two and already restarted. This time, there were four.

Goku had known Tenshinhan at this level. Many years before, while he was still teenager, he had employed this technique against him. But it included a weakness of size: everybody had only the quarter of force and speed of the user. This time, it was perhaps worse and Goku was surprised: Tenshinhan didn't stop in four bodies. Soon, there were eight who waited for the army of the twelve monkeys. Eight Tenshinhan which tightened the finger, towards eight Sun Wukong, and who of the same voice cried:

"Super Dodompa!"

The eight copies energy rang out and flew high above the majority of monkeys. The other four came fiercely. While Sun Wukong hoped to gain the advantage by number, he found himself outnumbered now: two against one... Tien had no trouble controlling them, striking them one by one, with all his strength to bring them down unconscious, at the same time, showing his skill in hand to hand combat, despite his forces in eight bodies.

The eight other Sun Wukong affected by the Super Dodompa returned to the load, a little shaken but not really injured so far: the monkey was strong and resistant, no doubt about it, especially as his clones had exactly the same power as the original. The latter joined its copies. They were nine against eight.

The fight raged over the entire surface of the ring for two or three minutes, the shots rained down on each side. Blocks and parries alternated every second. The fight, Tien, once again, came out victorious. He managed to put ashore all doubles. This being done, six of his bodies disappeared.

Sun Wukong was slightly frightened, but he had a lot of techniques yet to be used. He was far from having given everything in this battle, and Tenshinhan knew it...

"What is he doing?" wondered Kulilin. "He could completely K.O. him before he gets up..."

"He wants a challenge, as usual." The Scar-Faced Bandit replied.

Sun Wukong recovered standing, his clones quickly did the same. Quickly, the thirteen monkeys took place around Tien. The real took the floor:

"Ha! Your clones disappeared! Me, I can prolong them forever! Now, you are conquered! Nobody can beat me! I am Sun Wukong! I crossed the most powerful of waterfalls, I became the big King of monkeys!"

While he spoke, his body seemed to expand a bit. First not exceeding a fifty meters, he measured well two meters currently. He continued his retort:

"I have seventy-two powers, I met the King of the Dragons in the Great Ocean of the West, I became immortal by clearing my name from the register of the dead in the King of the dead. I conquered the army of Emperor Jade, master of the sky! I held head to Buddha himself!"

Wukong was now the size of five men. It was one of his powers: grow up. His clones, they came in a few seconds all around Tien. Another one of his abilities was to transform into animal.

Tien was found surrounded by number of Wildcats: two Tigers, a Panther, a grizzly bear, a huge serpent that could easily swallow a man, a disproportionately large Eagle who flew a few metres above the ring, ready to load rhinoceros, same as two elephants with large tusks. The other four clones of Wukong remained as monkeys.

"Do you still want to face me?" asked the giant Sun Wukong, who could better bear his name from Grand King monkey.

"You're awesome" answered Tenshinhan. "Well right. I confess that your faculties and your history sound exciting. But you're also proud, too sure of yourself. Approach me, I'm waiting for you."

He assumed his position of battle, getting ready to elude the wild animals, and to counter-attack immediately. Sun Wukong appeared to hesitate one instant but succumbed very quickly to the desire to fight and to win. Without thinking, his wild animals and his clones threw themselves at his opponent.

Endowed with outstanding reflexes, helped by the third eye in the middle of the forehead, the warrior of the universe 9 eluded the first attacks of the quickest wild animals. He got closer to the grizzly which tried to chafe it with its huge legs. Tenshinhan bent down on time to avoid blow, and had to move away before hitting, the giant Sun Wukong himself, having broken of the palm which crashed on the ring. But it did not stop there, surprising the man with the three eyes: taking support on the palm, the always agile Wukong managed to hit his foot. Tien backed up several metres under the impact, but he suffered quite easily the shot.

The Eagle attacked from behind, leaving no reprieve to the warrior who escape by jumping over the side, leaving the bird hitting the ring with its talons before resuming the altitude. Once again, two Wildcats threw themselves upon him. He cleared the first and hit the second one which was planned far enough. On the other hand, this allowed the giant serpent to move closer and tie up Tien's entire body. Taking advantage of this moment of weakness, Wukong and his clones embarked upon him all at the same time.

Clenching teeth and fists, Tenshinhan didn't accept defeat. Howling, he forced the his arms and managed to tear the body of the snake which disappeared hardly by touching the soil. Liberated, he hit with all of his might, both of the tigers who threw themselves on him, claws out. He spread them all out at once. In the same way as the serpent, the two cat-like ones disappeared... The third, the panther, arrived from behind but Tenshinhan managed to grab it in time, then spinning on himself, returned it on the grizzly which, by reflex, gave a violent swipe up and down, tearing the panther which in turn disappeared. The man of the universe 9 tore along on the bear and threw a punch in the belly. Even before it falls, the Monkey King was going to crush him of his foot. Tightening the arm above his head, he countered blow. Using the element of surprise, he pushed of the arm the foot of his opponent, and directed it towards the other for they flank a kick behind the heel: unbalanced, Sun Wukong fell.

The Eagle again attempted to attack the bald warrior, but failed like the others. Taking a fierce uppercut, the bird flew long to the stars before disappearing. There were only three more animals left, which allowed viewers to see the superhuman strength of Tien. While the Rhino transferred all his power and all his weight, Tien escaped at the last moment and grabbed it immediately, encircling it with the arm developed muscles at the level of the belly of the animal, stopping it dead. Then he raised it and seemed to fall behind while keeping his feet definitely on the soil. The head of the animal smashed onto the ring. They called this a suplex, a technique often utilized in sports of conflict.

While the large Wukong was, but the four cubs were not moving, Tien dashed toward the first elephant, him grabbing his defences, lifting it, swirling with him before the release so that it falls on the other pachyderm. The great Wukong reduced, surrounded by his four clones.

"If force doesn't work... Then look!"

He put a knee on the ground and his clones attacked, being found quickly above the head of Tenshinhan, which prepared, by crossing his arms, to avoid the blows. But the original, which had the knee on the ground posed his hands on the ring, which reduced immediately until having the size of a small ball. Tenshinhan, surprised, attacked the four clones, dropping to the ground, on the ground all the way to the bottom. Wukong took already an air of winner before Tenshinhan jumped up.

"You lost! You have touched the ground! Ring out! Ha ha!"

"Bah... There are no of ring outs..." Tien said gently, slowly getting back up. Wukong stopped laughing, looked around, hoping for the announcement of his victory. It never came. Reforming the ring to its original size, the four clones attacked again while the original took over his stick.

Tien smiled, and joined his hands before shouting:

"Haikyuken!"

His face had changed: he looked... Strange? A small very comic side replaced his usual serious air: his eyes blinking, his eyebrows raised, his broad smile. Tien use of this technique was more strange than effective, more shameful for those who took it as dangerous. It was the technique of volleyball. Tien played for a few seconds with the bodies of Wukong's clones, mistaking them to be balloons, moving quickly to hit each body before they touched the ground. Then to finish, he flew to hit them harder. He wasn't hit only once, while the clones valdinguaient anywhere. Once the feet were on the ring, Tien ran to go around and join the true Sun Wukong, who was waiting with his staff, causing it to spin and... Striking in the wind to the bald warrior. A terrible gust of wind occurred, and it even turned into tornado! But Tenshinhan was such a rock: unwavering and unstoppable. Slowing down, he continued forward and struck Wukong in the face. He fell on the ring and the tornado ceased.

The Monkey King wasn't moving any more. Tenshinhan took back his breathing while the referee counted… Up to thirty.

"Tien of the universe 9 is declared the winner of this fight!"

This announcement stirred the King of monkeys, who got up quickly:

"Not at all! I... Just thought!"

Tenshinhan, turning his back to prepare to leave the ring, turned to Sun:

"Don't seek to circumvent the rules... You would regret it" He finally said, a white aura surrounding him, his serious look frightening the Monkey King almost completely.

Tien had a great sense of combat, of honor. If Wukong treated him with disdain there, this would please him in no way.

"Brrr, it looks like Buddha! It is creepy!" said Wukong gently, returning to his universe 2 balcony after being mounted on his magical cloud that had mysteriously reappeared.

Tenshinhan, the victor, went back into his space, satisfied.

"He had fun finally." said Yamcha.

Kulilin nodded, before congratulating his old friend who had just returned. While Tenshinhan was squeezing the hand of Yamcha jokingly on the defeat of the latter, Son Goku commented on the fight that had taken place:

"Sacred Tenshinhan! This reminds me of our battles! His techniques improved!"

"Keuf! Anyone can see the failure of his technique of eight bodies!" said Vegeta, arms crossed.

"You've noted yourself also? I believe that he knew what he was doing. He had to assess the level of his opponent, and find that even with his power divided by eight, each of his bodies could have the advantage. He attacked quickly and was accurate... It was well played. I would have liked our Tien to see it!"