Chapter 97: The Supreme Kai Who Got Slapped (Patreon)

Time crept by, and the adult division began.

The adult division's ring stood at the center of the main arena, nearly three times the size of the junior division's.

The stands were packed.

Back in the preliminaries, many people had already noticed those few oddballs who had each 'smashed the machine with a single punch.'

Now that the main matches had begun, every eye in the arena was fixed on them.

In the first match, Mr. Satan advanced with ease.

He flexed for the cameras, and the entire arena roared, "Mr. Satan! Mr. Satan!"

In the second match, Vegeta stepped up against last year's runner-up, King Chappa.

Vegeta threw a single punch.

King Chappa never even saw his hand move. The next thing he knew, he was lying outside the ring, almost driven into the ground.

The arena fell dead silent.

In the third match, Piccolo stepped up against a martial artist from the southern lands.

Piccolo didn't move. He simply gestured with one hand for his opponent to attack.

The instant the martial artist charged, Piccolo swept a glance over him.

The man's legs went out from under him, and he dropped to his knees.

"I give up."

Even the referee was stunned. All he could do was declare Piccolo the winner.

Soon, it was Oryon's turn.

His opponent was Mr. Satan's only daughter, Videl.

Videl was eighteen this year, with short black hair, a blue martial arts outfit, and a bright, spirited air.

She was this year's dark horse in the adult division. Outstanding footwork and solid fundamentals had carried her all the way into the main matches.

"Mr. Satan's daughter! Contestant Videl faces the delicate-featured, mysterious Contestant Oryon from the preliminaries!"

The announcer was beside himself.

Videl vaulted onto the ring and gave Oryon a fist-and-palm salute, a trace of pride in her eyes.

"I'm Videl."

"I don't know how you managed those results in the preliminaries, but I'm not afraid of you."

Oryon clasped his hands behind his back and smiled gently. "Glad to hear it."

At the referee's call of "Begin!", Videl attacked first.

She was fast and her movements were clean, clearly the product of professional training.

In the blink of an eye she circled around Oryon's flank, a whip kick sweeping toward his waist.

Oryon tilted his body slightly.

"Whap!"

Videl's leg sailed past in front of him without so much as brushing his clothes.

Punches, kicks, elbow strikes—she kept up a fierce, unbroken barrage.

Oryon used nothing but the most basic movement and blocks, defusing every one of her attacks with ease.

"H-How can this be…"

The longer she fought, the more shaken Videl became.

She had won countless fighting tournaments and faced plenty of 'flashy' experts, but she had never felt anything like this.

He was right there in front of her. His movements weren't fast and his techniques weren't remarkable, yet he was like a wall she couldn't break through no matter how she tried.

"Are you looking down on me?!" She gritted her teeth and threw a heavy punch straight at his face.

Oryon raised a hand and tapped her fist aside, then turned his hand over to pin her wrist, one pull and one release.

The scene in front of Videl's eyes spun, and the next moment she had been thrown clear.

She forced her body to twist in midair, landed on both feet, and staggered back a few steps.

"Your basic combinations are well practiced, but your ki doesn't settle and your footwork floats."

Videl froze.

Oryon went on. "Little girl, you want to prove yourself too badly.

"As Mr. Satan's daughter, you're used to everyone's eyes being on you.

"But in front of a true master, those eyes can't help you."

Up in the stands, Mr. Satan shot to his feet. "Hey! What nonsense are you spouting at my daughter?!"

Videl acted as if she hadn't heard him.

She stood where she was, biting her lip hard, tears welling in her eyes.

Because what this man said was true.

All her life she had been proud to be "Mr. Satan's daughter," and all her life she had wanted to prove she didn't stand here thanks to her father.

And yet this man had seen straight through her using nothing but a few of the most basic punches and kicks.

Videl drew a deep breath and set her stance again. "Again."

Oryon nodded.

This time, Videl didn't rush in. She began to pay attention to her breathing and the rhythm of her steps.

She closed the distance and threw a punch.

Oryon sidestepped and said quietly, "Good. Sink it down."

Videl followed up with a knee strike.

"Put your hips into it. Don't rely on the knee alone."

"Whap!"

Oryon's hand chopped lightly onto her shoulder, knocking her down to one knee.

"Lower your center of gravity a little more."

Videl clenched her teeth, scrambled up, and charged again.

The two traded more than thirty exchanges like a teacher and student.

Oryon used only the most basic martial techniques throughout, yet he exposed every one of Videl's weaknesses in turn.

The spectators in the stands watched, dumbstruck.

"That guy… isn't humiliating her, is he? He's teaching her?"

At last Videl couldn't hold on any longer. Her legs gave way and she dropped to her knees on the ring, sweat dripping down.

"I… give up."

Oryon nodded and turned to leave the ring.

"W-Wait a moment!"

Oryon stopped in his tracks.

Videl knelt there and raised her head, her gaze earnest. "Please… take me as your disciple!"

"Are you serious?" Oryon asked.

Videl stared straight at him. "I want to learn something real from you.

"Not performance, not parlor tricks, but the martial way that lets me become strong myself."

Oryon studied her for a few seconds.

Then he nodded. "Go rest first. Once you've thought it through, come find me."

Videl's eyes lit up. "So you're agreeing?"

Oryon didn't spell it out. He just waved a hand. "Go on down."

As Oryon stepped off the ring, Android 18 said with a faint, knowing smile, "Looks like Su Yi's love of playing teacher is inherited from you."

Oryon sighed. "She's the one who asked to be taught first."

Videl left the ring and ran into Mr. Satan, who looked thoroughly displeased.

"Videl, are you really going to take that punk as your master? He…"

"Dad."

Videl looked at her father and said seriously, "That's real martial arts."

Mr. Satan opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Of course he could see it. That was the real thing.

Which only made him feel worse.

"Do whatever you want," Mr. Satan muttered quietly, turning his face away.

Videl smiled.

"I understand, Dad."

Far away, Babidi was watching the matches through a magic crystal ball.

"Spopovich, the next time those Saiyans fight, the moment they unleash their great power, go up and absorb it!"

"As you command!"

The next few matches of the adult division held little suspense, apart from a few strange freaks with exceptional constitutions.

Gohan's opponent in the second round was an Earth martial artist named Spopovich.

Spopovich had been a nobody at first. He had stumbled through his first two matches and barely won them.

But standing on the ring now, he was a completely different man.

Bluish-purple veins bulged out one by one, and even his voice carried an echo.

Standing across from him, Gohan sensed that something was off.

"This guy… his ki is strange," he said in a low voice.

Spopovich didn't answer. He just raised a hand and pointed at Gohan.

The corners of his mouth split into a grin, and his voice came out slurred. "Energy… lots…"

The moment the referee called the start, Spopovich charged.

He was far more than ten times faster than he had been in the preliminaries. One punch into the floor made the whole ring shudder.

Gohan sidestepped and caught his wrist in a counter grip, only to find that the guy's skin was cold and hard.

Of course Gohan wasn't afraid of how strong he was. He just wanted to beat him without killing him.

But no matter how many times the guy was knocked down, he got right back up, and Gohan raised his output step by step.

Gohan frowned, put force into his fingers, and tried to throw him off.

Suddenly Spopovich locked Gohan in place with his own body. His companion rushed in and used a special pot to absorb Gohan's energy.

Gohan was about to resist when Supreme Kai Shin's voice came to him telepathically. "Mr. Gohan, don't resist."

"What?" Gohan's expression changed.

The ki inside Gohan's body poured out like water through an opened sluice gate.

Gohan tried to struggle, but his body felt bound by invisible chains. He was rigid all over and couldn't move.

All he could do was watch Spopovich grin from ear to ear and press his hands tight against him.

In the stands, Chi-Chi screamed. "Gohan! What are you doing?! Fight back!"

Goku's face was grim, but he didn't make a move. Piccolo had just told him why.

Still, as a father, he had to ask. "Why?"

Sweat beaded on Piccolo's brow. "He's collecting energy for Babidi… If we interrupt, we'll never find Babidi's location."

"So you'd let Gohan get drained dry?" Chi-Chi had already rushed to the railing, her voice shrill.

Piccolo explained, "It won't cost him his life. There's a limit to how much that guy can absorb. The Supreme Kai is waiting for him to fill up so he can trace the flow of that energy."

Sure enough, after about a dozen seconds, Spopovich burst into laughter.

"Full… full… Lord Babidi will reward me…"

He hurriedly turned, leapt off the ring, and ran for the exit with his other companion.

Gohan could finally move again.

He dropped to one knee, his face pale, hands braced on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Referee! I… have no… objection." Gohan looked up at the referee.

The referee hurriedly announced, "The winner is Contestant Spopovich!"

The arena erupted in uproar.

Tears sprang to Chi-Chi's eyes. "How is that fair?! Our Gohan could clearly have won!"

Supreme Kai Shin's face was full of apology. "I'm sorry. This matter is very important to us, so we had no choice but to wrong your Gohan…"

"Why did you take control of my son?!"

Chi-Chi's eyes were bright red. She charged up and slapped him across the face.

"Slap!"

It rang out sharp and loud.

The blow turned Supreme Kai Shin's head slightly aside, and a red mark bloomed on his fair face.

He froze.

"You think a sorry makes it all go away?! Do you know our family lost a prize purse?! Our Gohan had a real chance at the championship!"

The more she talked, the angrier she got, and she raised her hand to strike again.

Piccolo hurriedly stepped between them. "Chi-Chi! Stop! He's the Supreme Kai!"

"I don't care what kind of Kami he is! Cheating my son out of his prize money is not okay!"

Goku quickly stepped forward and caught Chi-Chi. "Come on, Chi-Chi. Lord Supreme Kai had his reasons. Gohan isn't hurt, so cool down."

Gohan got to his feet and managed a weak smile. "Mom, I'm fine. I'm just a little dizzy.

"That guy drained me really hard. Even Super Saiyan 2 almost got sucked dry."

Seeing that Gohan could still talk, Chi-Chi calmed down a little, but she still glared fiercely at the Supreme Kai. "You remember this. You still have to make it up to our family!"

Shin rubbed the side of his face where he'd been struck and gave a wry smile. "Of course. Of course."

Kibito stepped out of the shadows, his expression stern. "You Earthlings actually dare to lay hands on Lord Supreme Kai…"

Shin raised a hand to stop him. "Enough, Kibito. It really was my fault."

He lifted his head and looked in the direction Spopovich had fled. "Now, we give chase."

The group exchanged glances. Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, Oryon, Android 18 and the others all followed.

Chi-Chi was left behind to look after Gohan and Goten.

The group pursued Spopovich in silence until they reached a barren mountain far from the city.

The mountain here was steep and not a blade of grass grew. Far off, a huge spaceship was lodged in the mountainside, half-buried among scattered rocks.

Strange markings covered the spaceship's surface, and a dim crimson glow seeped from it.

Spopovich stumbled into the spaceship's entrance and vanished.

Shin led the group to a halt behind the rocks outside the spaceship. He stared at it, his voice pressed very low. "This is Babidi's spaceship. Inside is the domain of the wizard Babidi, and it is extremely dangerous. The King of the Demon Realm Dabura is very likely in there as well."

Kibito's face was ashen, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. "Lord Supreme Kai, are we… are we really just going in?"

Shin drew a deep breath. "We have to go in. If Babidi gets enough energy and Majin Buu is revived, the entire universe will suffer."

"Is this Dabura guy tough?" Goku asked, curious.

Shin nodded. "He is the King of the Demon Realm. His strength is far beyond what you imagine, but—"

Before he had finished speaking, a crimson figure slowly walked out of the spaceship's entrance.

It was Dabura.

He was tall, with bulging muscles, and dark patterns covered his deep red skin. Two curved horns jutted from his brow, a thick, long tail dragged behind him, and his whole body gave off a suffocating demonic ki.

Shin and Kibito both took a step back, their faces suddenly filled with terror.

"D-Dabura!" Kibito's lips trembled and his voice cracked. "The D-King of the Demon Realm! Why is he here?!"

Shin's eyes were grave. "Babidi has even subdued him… This is trouble."

Goku narrowed his eyes. "This guy's ki really is strong, but… Oryon, what do you think?"

Oryon stood at the very back of the group, hands in his pockets, his expression calm.

He glanced at Dabura, then at the demonic ki spilling out of the spaceship, and said lightly, "Weaker than I expected."

Vegeta gave a cold laugh. "That's all he is. I could handle him alone."

Shin said anxiously, "Don't underestimate him! Dabura is the King of the Demon Realm, and his strength is unfathomable. Even a Super Saiyan isn't necessarily—"

He hadn't finished when Oryon strode forward.

"Mr. Oryon!" Shin hurried to stop him.

Oryon paid him no attention.

He walked slowly up to Dabura and tilted his head back to look at the King of the Demon Realm, who stood two heads taller than him.

"So you're Dabura?" Oryon asked.

Dabura looked down at him, his mouth stretching into a grin to bare his fangs. "A mere Earthling dares speak in front of this king? You're courting death."

He raised a hand, and a ball of black energy gathered there, the air around it beginning to warp.

Oryon watched the ball of energy in his hand, then suddenly sighed. "I was going to give you a chance to surrender. Forget it."

The next second, he moved.

Oryon simply raised his right hand and drove a single punch into Dabura's abdomen.

Dabura didn't even have time to hurl the energy ball. With a pained grunt he staggered back several steps and went down.

"Ugh… huh?"

Oryon pointed his palm at Dabura with a look of contempt and fired an Energy Blast.

"Boom!" A thunderous explosion rang out, and Dabura turned into a sky full of smoke and dust.

Behind him, the Supreme Kai Shin and Kibito stared with eyes as wide as bronze bells, their mouths hanging open far enough to fit an egg.

"W-What just h-happened…" Kibito trembled all over, his voice squeezed out between his teeth.

"Dabura… killed with one finger?"

Shin's mind went completely blank, and he could barely stay on his feet.

"That was the King of the Demon Realm! Taken out in a single move… W-What kind of power is that?!"

Goku scratched his head. "See, I told you that guy wasn't really that strong."

Vegeta folded his arms, forcing himself to keep up his pride. "A nobody like that, I could take out with one hand too."

Shin and Kibito turned their heads together to look at him, utterly disbelieving.

Goku patted Shin on the shoulder. "Lord Supreme Kai, don't worry.

"I'd guess that Majin Buu or whatever you were talking about isn't a big problem either."

At that moment, the Supreme Kai and Kibito stood rooted to the spot, their whole understanding of the world rebuilt from scratch.

"Come on, the spaceship is right there. Aren't we going in after him?" Oryon urged.

The Supreme Kai and Kibito looked up to see Goku, Oryon and Vegeta already stepping into the spaceship.

The two of them hurried to follow.