Chapter 163: The Disrupted Martial Arts Tournament
"What incredible luck!" Though Spopovich and Yamu had no idea who this mysterious benefactor helping them from the shadows was, they certainly weren't going to turn down a windfall like this!
Just as Lin Qi frowned, the two lunged at him together.
Long ago, they had already used that energy collection device to detect several powerful energy signatures present.
And this guy in front of them—he was the strongest of them all. How could they pass up a chance like this? You'd have to be crazy!
"Hmph!" Vegeta noticed the movement from Supreme Kai Shin and let out a cold snort.
Gohan's expression was serious as well, but neither of them made a move.
Supreme Kai Shin was really getting out of line. Did he really think this level of interference could subdue Lin Qi? Was he joking?
Whoosh—
"Nani!?" Supreme Kai Shin froze, stunned. His eyes widened as he looked toward where Lin Qi had just been.
The space was now empty—Lin Qi had vanished!
"Ugh… cough cough!" His technique had been completely ineffective and had backfired on him instead.
Right after Supreme Kai Shin's painful cough, a blood-curdling scream rang out from Spopovich.
"Uwah…" One of his arms was violently ripped off and dropped to the ground.
But he barely had time to scream before Lin Qi's explosive energy obliterated him into dust.
Yamu met the same fate. Even though that energy absorption device was right behind Lin Qi, he would never get close enough to touch him in this lifetime.
"No! Stop!!" Ignoring the backlash he was suffering, Supreme Kai Shin stretched out his hand desperately and screamed in anguish.
But it was far too late.
Supreme Kai Shin was plunged into despair. He had intended to use the Spopovich brothers to track down Babidi…
And now? He could only watch as both were killed by Lin Qi, completely powerless to stop it. "All of our efforts… wasted…"
"Tch… Shut up, will you?" Lin Qi crushed the energy absorption device underfoot. "Idiot."
With a look of disdain, Lin Qi turned to the pale-faced Supreme Kai Shin. "Aren't you supposed to be able to read minds? You really couldn't tell what those two garbage-brained losers were thinking?"
It was probably the first time in his life Supreme Kai Shin had been scolded like that. He stood frozen in shock.
Kibito, who had wanted to rush out to intervene, was already rooted in place by a surge of Lin Qi's aura, unable to move.
"But…" Supreme Kai Shin faltered. "If Babidi realizes we've arrived, he'll flee… And what then?!"
"Who's going to bear the consequences? It took us three whole years on Earth just to find this one lead!"
As Supreme Kai Shin's fury returned, Kibito nodded emphatically in agreement.
If Babidi discovered their presence, he would definitely become cautious. If Majin Buu were to awaken, who in the universe could stop him? Who could destroy such a monster?
"Heh…" Lin Qi sneered at the pair. "So Kibito is just for decoration? What, your Instant Transmission is garbage now?"
"You seriously don't know how to use Instant Transmission without sensing energy?"
"There's a limit to how useless someone can be…" Lin Qi let out a weary sigh.
At this point, he was even beginning to doubt whether Supreme Kai Shin was truly committed to chasing down Babidi.
"Is Towa also traveling with Babidi?" Lin Qi didn't want to waste any more time with this pair and asked the one thing he still wanted to know.
"Yes," Supreme Kai Shin replied. He didn't try to say more—he himself was beginning to question how solid his plan really was.
Lin Qi turned to the dazed Goku and the others. "I have something to take care of. If you have questions, ask that guy."
Just as Lin Qi was preparing to teleport away, Videl suddenly jumped in front of him like a little tigress.
"Hold it right there! You can't just kill people like that in public! You'll be disqualified from the tournament!"
The announcer, who had finally snapped out of his daze, stared at Videl in exasperation. He wanted to say… that guy wasn't even registered!
Lin Qi, equally speechless, turned his gaze to Gohan. "Is she always like this?"
So bold? Meddling with such little strength?
But he didn't bother arguing with Videl. Though she was uninvolved, her connection to Gohan made her a slight exception.
Especially since Gohan was now standing there with his hands clasped in a pleading gesture, his expression begging Lin Qi not to act rashly.
Shwip—
Without bothering to explain, Lin Qi vanished from the spot. His sudden disappearance terrified several of the regular contestants.
Thankfully, there weren't many normal people competing, and thanks to Piccolo's thoughtful "dad-mode" earlier...
All the devices capable of recording video had already been destroyed.
These people usually didn't interact with ordinary humans anyway. Even if they let them go, who would believe their stories?
As Lin Qi departed, Goku and the others approached Supreme Kai Shin with serious expressions. "Alright—start talking. What's going on?"
"I'll tell you everything," said Supreme Kai Shin, now fully in existential crisis mode. He immediately began explaining.
"A long time ago, back when humans on Earth were just learning to walk upright, somewhere in the distant universe lived an evil wizard named Bibidi. One day…"
"He accidentally created an incredibly powerful creature. A terrifying demon known as 'Buu'… Majin Buu…"
Vegeta's forehead twitched with irritation. Crossing his arms, he coldly cut off Shin. "Spare us the fluff. Just get to the point."
"...Majin Buu. On Earth. Bibidi's son, Babidi, is trying to revive him… He's very powerful. Unbelievably powerful!"
Sweat trickled down Supreme Kai Shin's forehead. "There might be no one in the entire universe who can defeat Majin Buu!"
"So those two just now were regular humans controlled by Babidi? What did they do to me?" Gohan asked, voicing his own doubts.
Supreme Kai Shin now answered everything without resistance.
"Unsealing Majin Buu requires pure energy. That's why those guys entered the martial arts tournament…"
"To search for pure energy, and use it to bring Majin Buu back to life," Kibito added.
"Strong, huh?" Goku clenched his fist with interest and looked over at Vegeta. "Let's go check it out!"
"Majin Buu, huh? Looks like we can't just sit this one out…" Piccolo folded his arms and smirked coldly.
"Hey!" Vegeta called out, displeased with the turn of events. He blocked Goku's path.
"Did I say I was going with you? Our match is about to start, Kakarot!"