THE SECOND BATTLE: GOTENKS VS TIEN SHINHAN
The arena had barely recovered from the shock of Gohan's overwhelming display when the next fighters stepped up. In one corner, Goten and young Trunks were doing their fusion dance, much to the crowd's excitement.
Goten and Trunks - "Fu-sion... HA!"
The blinding light faded, revealing Gotenks in all his cocky glory. Orange gi, confident smirk, and that unmistakable attitude that came from two kids who thought they were hot shit.
In the other corner stood Tien Shinhan - calm, focused, and radiating the quiet intensity of a true martial artist. His three eyes were locked onto his opponent, already calculating strategies.
From the stands, different reactions rang out.
Goku - "Oh man, this is gonna be awesome! I can't wait to see what new moves they've come up with!"
Vegeta crossed his arms with a scowl.
Vegeta - "That brat fusion better not embarrass my son's techniques."
Master Roshi stroked his beard.
Master Roshi - "Tien's gotten much stronger over the years, but that fusion... it's unpredictable."
Piccolo raised his hand again.
Piccolo - "Fighters ready? Begin!"
Gotenks immediately started showing off, floating in the air with his arms crossed.
Gotenks - "Hey old man, you sure you wanna do this? I'm like, super duper strong now!"
Tien didn't respond with words. Instead, he launched forward with incredible speed, throwing a perfectly executed straight punch aimed at Gotenks' jaw.
The fusion barely managed to dodge, the punch whistling past his ear.
Gotenks - "Whoa! That was actually pretty fast!"
Tien followed up immediately with a devastating combination - left hook, right cross, uppercut, spinning heel kick. Each strike was precise and powerful, backed by decades of disciplined training.
But Gotenks was faster. He weaved through the combo like he was dancing, occasionally blocking with casual swipes of his hand.
Gotenks - "My turn! Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack!"
A dozen ghostly versions of Gotenks materialized around the arena, all giggling and making faces at Tien.
Ghost - "Hey baldy! Catch us if you can!"
The ghosts swarmed Tien from all directions, but the three-eyed warrior was ready.
Tien - "Tri-Beam!"
He formed the familiar triangle with his hands, but instead of one massive blast, he fired rapid-fire smaller ones. Each beam precisely targeted a ghost, disintegrating them on contact.
In the stands, Chiaotzu cheered.
Chiaotzu - "Yeah! Show them your improved technique, Tien!"
But Gotenks wasn't done. While Tien was focused on the ghosts, the fusion had been charging up.
Gotenks - "Galactic Donut!"
Ring-shaped energy attacks flew at Tien, but these weren't just for binding. Each "donut" exploded on impact, turning the simple restraining technique into a bombardment attack.
Tien had to actually try now. He leaped and flipped through the air, dodging the explosive rings while firing ki blasts back at Gotenks.
Tien - "Multi-Form!"
Suddenly there were four Tiens, each one attacking from a different angle. Unlike afterimages, these were real bodies with equal power distributed between them.
The crowd gasped. They'd seen this technique before, but never executed with such precision.
Yamcha - "Damn, Tien's really improved that technique!"
All four Tiens attacked simultaneously - one going high, one low, two from the sides. Their coordination was perfect, like a single mind controlling four bodies.
Gotenks got serious for the first time.
Gotenks - "Okay, that's actually pretty cool! But check this out!"
He started spinning rapidly, creating a tornado of energy around himself.
Gotenks - "Tornado Spin Blast!"
The spinning created a defensive barrier that deflected the four Tiens' attacks while simultaneously firing energy blasts in all directions. The Tiens had to break formation to avoid getting hit.
As they regrouped, the real Tien (all four merged back together) wiped sweat from his forehead. This kid was tougher than expected.
Tien - "Solar Flare!"
The blinding light erupted, but Gotenks had been ready for it.
Gotenks - "Nice try! Super Saiyan eyes don't get blinded as easily!"
Wait. That wasn't right. Gotenks wasn't in Super Saiyan form...
Tien used the confusion to get in close, landing a solid punch to Gotenks' stomach that doubled the fusion over.
Gotenks - "Ow! That actually hurt!"
Tien followed up with a brutal uppercut that sent Gotenks flying into the air, then leaped up after him.
Tien - "Tri-Beam Cannon!"
This time it was the real deal - a massive triangular beam that could punch holes through mountains. Gotenks' eyes went wide as the attack engulfed him.
The explosion was enormous, smoke and debris filling the sky.
Chi-Chi grabbed Goku's arm.
Chi-Chi - "Is Goten okay?!"
When the smoke cleared, Gotenks was still floating there, but his orange gi was torn and he was breathing hard.
Gotenks - "Okay... I wasn't expecting you to hit that hard. Guess I better take this seriously!"
He powered up, his aura flaring golden.
Gotenks - "Super Saiyan!"
The transformation was instant and dramatic. His black hair spiked up and turned blonde, his power skyrocketing.
Vegeta smirked in the stands.
Vegeta - "Finally, the brat stops playing around."
Now it was Tien's turn to look worried. The power gap had just become enormous.
Super Saiyan Gotenks moved so fast he seemed to teleport, appearing right in front of Tien.
Gotenks - "Surprise!"
A devastating combo followed - punches and kicks too fast for the eye to follow. Tien managed to block some, but several broke through his guard, sending him staggering.
But Tien wasn't done. As he stumbled back, he was already preparing his counter-attack.
Tien - "Dodon Ray Barrage!"
Instead of his usual single finger beam, Tien fired dozens of thin energy beams from all his fingers simultaneously. The precision was incredible - each beam aimed at a vital point.
Gotenks had to actually dodge now, weaving through the deadly light show. A few beams grazed him, leaving smoking holes in his gi.
Gotenks - "Whoa! Those things are sharp!"
He retaliated with his own technique.
Gotenks - "Continuous Die Die Missile!"
Hundreds of energy spheres launched from his hands, each one homing in on Tien like a guided missile. The three-eyed warrior found himself in a deadly game of keep-away, dodging and deflecting the relentless barrage.
Tien gritted his teeth and made a desperate play.
Tien - "Kikoho!"
He put everything into one massive Tri-Beam, bigger than anything he'd ever attempted. The triangular energy consumed half the arena, its power so intense it cracked the ground beneath them.
The attack connected, creating an explosion that shook the entire Capsule Corp building.
When the dust settled, both fighters were breathing heavily. Gotenks' gi was completely destroyed, and Tien was on one knee, having used too much energy in that last attack.
Gotenks - "That was... actually pretty awesome, old man. You almost had me!"
Tien struggled to stand, his body pushed to its limits.
Tien - "I'm... not finished yet!"
He tried to power up for one more attack, but his body wouldn't respond. He'd given everything.
Piccolo stepped forward.
Piccolo - "Tien is unable to continue. Winner: Gotenks!"
The fusion powered down, splitting back into Goten and Trunks, both looking exhausted but victorious.
Goten - "That was scary! I thought he was gonna beat us!"
Trunks - "Yeah, but we did it! We're advancing!"
In the medical area, Launch was helping Tien sit down.
Launch - "You put up one hell of a fight. That last attack was incredible."
Tien managed a weak smile.
Tien - "Thanks. Those kids... they're going to be something special when they grow up."
From the stands, Goku was practically bouncing with excitement.
Goku - "That was amazing! Both of them pushed each other so hard!"
Master Roshi nodded approvingly.
Master Roshi - "Tien showed why he's one of the finest martial artists on Earth. And those boys... their potential is frightening."
The crowd was still buzzing with excitement as they prepared for the next match. This tournament was already exceeding everyone's expectations.
THE THIRD BATTLE: FUTURE GOHAN VS YAMCHA
As Future Gohan stepped into the arena, the atmosphere changed completely. This wasn't the gentle, scholarly Gohan they knew. This was a warrior forged in hell, someone who'd carried the weight of an entire world on his shoulders.
Yamcha was scared, Truly fearfull. He knew this was probably hopeless, but he'd trained harder than ever for this tournament, he wanted to show he could help too, he wasn't forgotten.
Yamcha - "Alright, Future Gohan! I know you're probably way stronger than me, but I'm not gonna make it easy!"
Future Gohan nodded respectfully.
Future Gohan - "I've heard about your training, Yamcha. Show me what you've learned."
Piccolo raised his hand.
Piccolo - "Begin!"
Yamcha immediately went all out, knowing he couldn't afford to hold back even a little. He launched forward with his signature Wolf Fang Fist, but this wasn't the same technique from years ago.
Yamcha - "New Wolf Fang Fist!"
Instead of just claws and fangs, spectral wolves materialized around his strikes, each one carrying real physical force. It was like fighting an entire pack at once.
The crowd gasped. Nobody had expected Yamcha to have such an impressive upgrade to his old technique.
Krillin - "Whoa! When did Yamcha get that strong?!"
But Future Gohan... didn't even move. The spectral wolves struck him repeatedly, dozens of phantom fangs and claws hitting his body from all angles.
Nothing. Not even a scratch on his clothes.
Yamcha's eyes widened in disbelief.
Yamcha - "What the hell...?"
Future Gohan looked almost sad.
Future Gohan - "That's actually a really creative improvement, Yamcha. The spirit energy manifestation adds real substance to your attacks. In my timeline, that would've been enough to hurt the androids."
He paused, letting that sink in.
Future Gohan - "But I'm not an android."
Yamcha gritted his teeth and backflipped away, firing rapid ki blasts while moving. Each blast was precise and powerful - definitely stronger than the old Yamcha.
Future Gohan caught them. All of them. With one hand. Like catching tennis balls.
The arena went dead silent.
Yamcha tried his ultimate technique.
Yamcha - "Spirit Ball!"
But this version was different too. Instead of one energy sphere, Yamcha created dozens of them, all connected by streams of ki. They moved independently but in perfect coordination, attacking from impossible angles while constantly changing direction.
It was actually beautiful to watch - like a deadly light show choreographed by a master.
Vegeta - "Impressive. The desert bandit has actually learned something useful."
The spirit balls swarmed Future Gohan from every direction, their unpredictable movements making them nearly impossible to track. For a moment, it looked like Yamcha might actually land a hit.
Future Gohan closed his eyes and sighed.
When he opened them, everyone could feel it. The temperature in the arena dropped. The air itself seemed to get heavier.
Future Gohan wasn't even powering up. He was just... existing differently.
All the spirit balls stopped moving. They just hung in the air, frozen mid-flight.
Yamcha - "That's... that's impossible! They're made of my ki! How can you just stop them?!"
Future Gohan looked at him with those tired, ancient eyes.
Future Gohan - "When the power gap is this large, Yamcha... your ki becomes mine to control."
He gestured casually, and all the spirit balls turned around, now pointing at Yamcha.
Future Gohan - "I don't want to hurt you with your own technique. So I'll just..."
He clenched his fist gently. The spirit balls simply dissolved into harmless sparkles of light.
Yamcha fell to his knees, overwhelmed by the sheer impossibility of what he'd just witnessed.
Yamcha - "I... I trained so hard. I thought I'd finally gotten strong enough to matter again."
Future Gohan walked over and offered his hand.
Future Gohan - "You have gotten strong, Yamcha. Incredibly strong. Your new techniques are genuinely impressive, and your fighting spirit is as fierce as ever."
He helped Yamcha to his feet.
Future Gohan - "But I've been fighting for the survival of reality itself. The enemies I've faced... they make the androids look like children playing with toys."
Then, for just a moment, Future Gohan let a tiny fraction of his real power leak out. Not enough to hurt anyone, just enough to show them what they were dealing with.
The entire Capsule Corp building started shaking. Cracks appeared in the reinforced arena floor. Several weaker fighters had to grab onto their seats to keep from being blown away by the pressure.
Goku's eyes went wide.
Goku - "That power... it's like nothing I've ever felt!"
Vegeta actually took a step back.
Vegeta - "Impossible. How can one person contain that much energy?"
Future Gohan immediately reined it in, the oppressive aura disappearing as quickly as it had come.
Future Gohan - "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare anyone. But you needed to understand - this isn't about being the strongest anymore. It's about being strong enough to save everything we care about."
Piccolo had to clear his throat to regain his composure.
Piccolo - "Winner... Future Gohan."