Boom…!
The arena groaned under the strain once again.
Krillin's "Serious Fist" had restrained ninety-nine percent of its power, yet the sheer force of the punch still swept outward like a raging storm.
Goku, propelled downward by the momentum from his Ki-boosted kick, was stopped dead in midair by that punch.
It was like a waterfall crashing against a massive stone climbing upstream.
"Haahh!"
Gritting his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, Goku's signature spiky hair whipped backward in the wind.
He could feel it Krillin's fist carried almost no Ki, yet the raw physical force was absurdly immense.
"Down… go down!"
Krillin growled, adding another ounce of power to the strike.
Thud!
Goku flew backward like a fly swatted by a hand, faster than before, soaring skyward. In a blink, he became a tiny black dot against the clouds.
"Did… he just… fly out?"
The host craned his neck and even pulled out a pair of binoculars.
"Goku has been sent into the clouds! Will he fall out of the ring?"
The crowd held their breath.
Seconds later, the small black dot grew larger.
"Flying Nimbus!"
A voice echoed from above. A golden cloud appeared from nowhere, catching Goku safely as he fell.
"Foul! Foul!"
Senbei jumped up and down in the stands, shouting.
"You can't use items in a match!"
The host looked conflicted.
"This…"
"It's fine. Let him use it."
Krillin waved his hand, and his voice carried across the arena through the flow of Ki.
"Flying Nimbus is part of his power. It's not an item."
Goku stood on the cloud, not immediately descending. He rubbed his arm, which was already red and swollen from colliding with Krillin.
"Ow… ow…"
He blew out a breath.
"Krillin, are you really made of iron? Or did you secretly stuff steel plates in your clothes?"
"This is muscle. Pure, natural, unenhanced muscle."
Krillin patted his chest, the dull thump resonating.
"How's that? Still want to continue? Your hands must be shaking."
Krillin opened his system panel and glanced at Goku's condition.
[Goku]
[Stamina: 65%, dropping quickly]
[Status: Minor fractures (right arm), extreme hunger (stomach cramps)]
Rumble…
Suddenly, a thunderous sound blasted through the arena, louder than the crashing waves.
Everyone froze.
Goku awkwardly held his stomach, his serious expression collapsing into a grimace.
"Ah… I'm hungry. That last move took too much energy, and I think I already digested breakfast's grilled fish."
Krillin twitched at the corner of his mouth.
This is the hot-blooded hero? Collapsing mid-deathmatch because he's hungry?
"Then… should we pause for a meal?"
Krillin asked cautiously.
"Really?!"
Goku's eyes turned into sparkling stars, drooling almost uncontrollably.
"I want a whole roasted lamb! And really big buns too!"
"Denied!"
The host shouted, exasperated.
"This is the Tenkaichi Budokai finals! Broadcast live worldwide! Can you take this seriously?"
Goku slumped in disappointment.
"Tch… such a picky eater."
But he quickly lifted his head, eyes sharp again, though now tinged with urgency.
"Since I can't eat, let's finish this fast! Win, and then I eat!"
"Powering up for food…"
Krillin shook his head with helpless amusement.
"What a refreshingly simple motivation."
"Get ready! This is my new technique!"
Goku leaped from the Flying Nimbus. This time, instead of charging straight, he began spinning rapidly around Krillin.
Faster and faster, dozens of Goku afterimages formed a massive tornado, trapping Krillin in the center.
"Afterimages again?"
Krillin frowned.
"No, not just afterimages!"
Dozens of Gokus spoke simultaneously, their voices overlapping into a strange echo.
Then all the afterimages simultaneously formed the starting pose for the Kamehameha.
"Multiple… Kamehamehas!"
Dozens of blue beams shot toward Krillin at the center.
"Fake."
Using Genius Intellect and Beast Instinct, Krillin instantly recognized that only one beam was real; the others were visual illusions left by the afterimages.
Just as he prepared to block the real beam, something bizarre happened.
The fake beams bent mid-flight.
They converged with the real beam, merging into one massive column.
What had been a narrow beam instantly expanded to bucket-size, turning from deep blue to a blinding white.
"What?"
Krillin showed his first trace of genuine surprise.
This defied logic. How could afterimages carry energy?
[System Notice: Goku is using the "Ki Residue" technique. During high-speed movement, he left a small portion of Ki at each afterimage, then detonated them simultaneously, combining into a single concentrated attack. This is the ultimate expression of Ki control.]
[S-Rank Talent "Goku's Combat Instinct" analysis: 80% complete]
"So… he's leaving Ki in the afterimages?"
Krillin was stunned. This boy's combat mind was sharper than Einstein's.
Faced with this unavoidable barrage, Krillin took a deep breath.
If skill is being outclassed, then overwhelm with sheer force!
"Serious Series: Standard Continuous Punches!"
Krillin didn't punch at the energy wave directly. Instead, he struck the air hundreds of times in a single second.
Each punch compressed the air, forming high-pressure air cannons.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
The dense air cannons met the massive Kamehameha head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The collision of energy and air triggered violent explosions, shrouding the arena in smoke and dust.
Rocks scattered, shockwaves even blew off some front-row spectators' wigs.
Cough… cough…
When the smoke cleared, half the arena had vanished, leaving only a few lone stone pillars.
Krillin stood atop one, clothes torn, some dust on his bald head, yet completely unharmed.
Goku clung to the edge of another pillar, gasping.
His training gi was tattered, but the light in his eyes only burned brighter.
"Heh… Krillin, you really are strong."
Goku wiped blood from his mouth and staggered upward.
Krillin studied Goku closely.
[Goku]
[Status: Near limit; Saiyan blood activating latent potential.]
The weaker he got, the stronger he became.
"Goku."
Krillin brushed dust off himself, eyes soft yet cruel at the same time.
"This next move… if you can withstand it, I'll treat you to an entire roasted dinosaur."
"Really?!"
Goku instantly revived in spirit.
"Really."
Krillin crouched slightly, right fist at his waist.
This time, he wouldn't rely solely on brute force.
He would try to mimic Goku's technique, combined with Saitama-level power.
"This is brand new."
Blue light began forming around Krillin's fist, streaked with red arcs…
Plasma generated purely from the friction of raw muscle against air.
"This…"
Goku's eyes widened.
"Kamehameha… Serious… Fist!"
Krillin fused Ki and physical force, creating an odd, unorthodox attack.
The sheer power made the entire Papaya Island tremble.
"Come on! For the roasted dinosaur!"
Goku roared, draining his last ounce of Ki, and charged forward.
The final clash was about to begin.