"Amazing. Absolutely amazing!"
"With overwhelming power, Tien Shinhan advances to the semifinals!"
The announcer wiped sweat from his forehead, doing his best to keep his voice from shaking.
The brutal clash filled with tearing metal and raw violence had shaken the entire arena, leaving the crowd subdued for several long seconds.
"Ahem. Next, let us change the mood a little."
"The second quarterfinal match!"
"Last tournament's runner-up, the immensely popular Son Goku, versus…"
"Uh… a mysterious young female contestant who did not leave her name!"
In the resting area below the stage, Son Goku stuffed the final sizzling chunk of roasted meat into his mouth, cheeks puffed out like a hamster.
Hearing his name, he responded vaguely.
"Oh! It's my turn!"
He casually wiped grease on his pants and flipped onto the stage with ease.
Sunlight gleamed off his iconic spiky hair, highlighting his carefree grin. He looked less like a fighter and more like a neighbor's kid out on a picnic.
The atmosphere on the opposite side, however, was completely different.
The girl in the blue and red martial outfit stared at Goku with blazing intensity.
She was tall and slender, skin pale and smooth, long black hair fluttering slightly with her rising anger.
Her beautiful face, which should have looked gentle, was now frozen in fury.
Her large eyes brimmed with tears of grievance and barely restrained rage.
She bit her lower lip hard, fists gripping the edges of her clothes until her knuckles turned white. Her entire body trembled with emotion.
"Hmph!"
She turned her head sharply, as if even looking at Goku offended her.
Goku scratched his head and stepped closer, confused.
"Uh… hello? Have we met somewhere before?"
"Why do you look so mad? Did I steal your food or something?"
That sentence was the spark.
The girl whipped around, tears finally spilling down her cheeks.
She pointed at Goku, her voice shaking like leaves in the wind, filled with accusation.
"You still ask why I'm angry? And you are thinking about food?"
"You idiot! Heartless jerk! Liar!"
Her shout blasted through the loudspeakers and echoed across the entire arena, even drowning out the sound of the ocean.
The crowd instantly fell silent.
Tens of thousands of eyes locked onto the stage, all burning with gossip.
"Take this!"
The girl gave him no chance to explain. She kicked off the ground and lunged forward like an enraged swallow.
Her speed was terrifying. Her red boots sliced through the air straight toward Goku's face.
"Whoa!"
Goku leaned back instinctively.
Whoosh.
The kick skimmed past his nose, the pressure stinging his cheeks.
She landed smoothly and followed up with a rapid series of palm strikes.
Her techniques were exquisite. They carried the agility of the Turtle School mixed with heavy, decisive power. The assault came like a storm, relentless and furious.
Goku dodged left and right like a monkey, shouting as he moved.
"Hey, hey! Can we talk this out? I haven't even finished eating yet!"
"Eat, eat, eat! That's all you care about!"
Her anger flared even hotter, every strike aimed at vital points.
"In your heart, am I really worth less than a meal?"
"I waited for you all these years! Waiting for you to come get me!"
"And you forgot me completely!"
The audience exploded.
"Wait, this plot is wrong. Isn't this supposed to be a fighting tournament?"
"This turned into a relationship drama real fast."
"So Son Goku abandoned her?"
"She's crying that hard, and she's beautiful too. He must be guilty."
"That scumbag! Making a girl wait for years!"
"Beat the heartless jerk! Throw him off the stage!"
Some overexcited spectators even began throwing empty bottles and popcorn buckets onto the platform.
Son Goku instantly became public enemy number one.
In the contestant area, Oolong clutched his stomach and rolled on the floor laughing.
"Hahaha! Karma!"
"That blockhead actually has romantic baggage? This is better than the Tao Pai Pai fight!"
Puar floated nearby, wringing his hands nervously.
"Goku doesn't seem like that kind of person… but he really can be slow sometimes. Could this be a misunderstanding?"
Only Krillin leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, wearing a knowing grin.
Watching the fearless Goku, who would charge even Demon King Piccolo without hesitation, now being cornered by a crying girl was priceless.
"Krillin! Stop laughing and help!"
Goku shouted while narrowly dodging another strike.
"Who is she? She says she's been waiting for me, but I seriously don't remember!"
"You made the mess, you clean it up!"
Krillin yelled back, shrugging toward the crowd.
"Goku, a man has to take responsibility!"
On the stage, the girl was shaking with rage, tears streaming down and soaking the front of her clothes.
"You really… don't remember anything at all?"
She suddenly stopped attacking and pulled out two short blades from behind her back. They were blunt tournament weapons, but still gleamed dangerously in the sunlight.
She assumed an ancient opening stance, a blade technique passed down directly from the Ox King.
"If you forgot, then I'll beat it back into your memory!"
Master Roshi adjusted his sunglasses, a glint flashing in his eyes as he stroked his beard.
"That stance… Turtle School footwork combined with the Ox King's heavy blade style?"
"So that's who she is. Looks like Goku has more luck than he realizes."
"Hey, hey! Bringing out weapons is too much, right? That's against the rules!"
Goku waved his hands as he backed away, his face full of innocence.
"Enough talking!"
The girl shouted, blades flashing like falling snow.
Each strike carried years of longing, resentment, and fury.
Goku was far stronger than her, but facing someone crying, calling him a heartless liar, he had no idea how to fight back.
He relied entirely on instinct, weaving through the blade storm, looking utterly miserable.
"Tell me!"
She stopped briefly, breathing hard, glaring at him like she wanted to eat him alive.
"Who am I?"
"Say my name, and I'll forgive you!"
Goku froze.
He scratched his head and mentally ran through everyone he knew, even random strangers he met once.
"Bulma? No, she's over there yelling at me."
"Launch? No, hair color's wrong. Also she only gets scary when she sneezes."
"So… who are you?"