DB Multiverse

He knew that he didn't stand a chance, but he had to confront her. He had to buy some time, to give Chi-Chi enough so that she'd be able to escape and be far enough. Very slowly, he turned around the unmoving young girl. At least, that was a step ahead: she wasn't throwing attacks on the ground anymore. Her soft voice surprised him.

“You don't ask for mercy today?”

Krilin blushed at the mention of that cry of despair. He didn't know what to say so she went on.

“I see, it's too soon.”

He was surprised, but then, he scowled when she rubbed it in, her eyes looking so mischievous.

“But it won't take too long!”

Yet, a sudden yell made him look down. It was Yamcha.

“NOOOOO!!!”

His eyes lingered on the so angelic face that a broad smile lighted up just for a moment longer then he rushed toward the small group down bellow.

Yamcha hadn't been cautious enough and 17 had interrupted the skid resulting from his failed tackle with blocking the fighter's head under his left foot.

Yamcha's face was distorted by both pressure and pain, he felt like his head, his brain, were about to explode. But that was not what was making him scream so loudly...

Desperate, he put up his shaking hand to shoot two blows, two weak blows, so very weak. They rebounded off the armoured skin of the merciless cyborgs. Yamcha gathered his strength to ask his friend for help, but even though he was now right behind them, there was absolutely nothing Krilin could do to help.

18 had stopped him mid-step and was now keeping him pinned on the ground with an brutal armlock. As Krilin was struggling to get free, with her knee, she compelled him to cut it and then, Krilin suddenly stopped moving, his eyes widened of dread and his heart felt as if it wasn't beating anymore. His jaws opened due to the shock whereas a fire arrow pierced through his body.

Paralysed by this horrible sight, he couldn't take his eyes away from the bloody cyborg: he had pinned the giant's head against his right knee and 17 was now using his thumb, he was very slowly pushing in the horns of Gyumao's helmet into its owner's head, one after the other, all the while watching the small man into the eyes.

From a distorted expression of dire pain, the giant of the Fire Mountain's face changed to show complete stupefaction. His broadly open eyes started starring into space while a trickle of blood poured from his nostrils and soon afterwards two trickles of blood slowly flowed, parallel to the perpendicularity of where the horns of his helmet used to be.

With a disdainful move, 17 abruptly let go of the body of the giant, the fall of which made the earth under Yamcha's head shake. Yamcha closed his eyes as hard as he could while an uncontrollable sob escaped his lips.

After this, the killer slowly went up in the air, de facto freeing the fighter who got up only partially: on his knees, his face distorted by intense sorrow, Yamcha didn't dare open his eyes. He kept his two hand clutching on the body, that still warm body that had been so close they almost touched.

In turn, 18 let go of her prisoner as she too took flight.

His stomach twisting due to sorrow, Krilin remained prostrated in a ball. He didn't dare looking up and watch the unacceptable either... Once again! Once again he hadn't been able to do anything. Once again had cruelty triumphed... Once again, he could do nothing else but cry!

Too much was too much!

The bald fighter's hands dug into the warm humus of the undergrowth. His muscles tightened, as if they were going through a huge and widespread cramp, his nervous system felt as if it had been set on fire, the fire of rage that only a sorrow way too deep to be contained could have made!

Suddenly, Krilin got up, he was unrecognisable because of the hatred that had invaded his eyes. Time wasn't for sorrow anymore, time was not for strategy or survival either... It was time for revenge!

The yell he then let out didn't seem to belong to him and Yamcha was so surprised, he was transfixed.

A breeze swept the surrounding vegetation all of a sudden just as the small fighter felt rushing through him the devastating energy of an anger that he finally gave vent to.

Yamcha understood. He got up with haste, screaming at his friend to stop it. But it was too late. Krilin wasn't listening anymore. He didn't want to listen anymore.