Crash...!
The Arena let out another strained groan.
Though Krillin had held back 99.9 percent of the force behind his "Serious Punch," the pure pressure of his fist still swept out like a storm.
Using the momentum of his ki-powered dive, Goku was stopped in midair by the force of the punch.
It was like a waterfall crashing into a boulder pushing upstream.
"Raaaah!"
Goku gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead as the wind blew his signature crab-shaped hair straight back.
He could feel that there wasn't much ki in Krillin's fist, but the sheer physical force behind it was ridiculously powerful.
"Get... down!"
Krillin gave a low shout, increasing the force of his punch by another notch.
Thud!
Goku was like a fly struck by a flyswatter. He shot skyward even faster than he'd come, soaring straight into the clouds until he was a tiny black speck in the blink of an eye.
"H-he flew out?"
The host craned his neck and even pulled out a pair of binoculars.
"Contestant Goku's been punched into the clouds! Will he fall out of the Arena?"
The audience held its breath.
A few seconds later, the tiny speck rapidly grew larger.
"Flying Nimbus!"
A shout came from high above.
A golden cloud appeared from somewhere and caught the falling Goku.
"Foul! Foul!"
The Crane Hermit, who had somehow returned, jumped up and down below the Arena, shouting.
"No using items during the Tournament!"
The host looked troubled.
"Well..."
"It's fine. Let him use it."
Krillin waved a hand, his voice carrying across the venue with ki.
"The Flying Nimbus is part of his power. It doesn't count as an item."
Standing on the Flying Nimbus, Goku didn't come down right away.
He rubbed the arm that had just collided with Krillin's fist. It was already red and swollen.
"Ow, ow..."
Goku blew on it.
"Krillin, are you really not made of iron? Or did you sneak a steel plate into your clothes?"
"These are muscles—natural and pollution-free."
Krillin patted his chest, which gave a dull thud.
"So, how about it? Do you still want to fight? Your hand should be shaking by now."
Krillin opened the System Panel and glanced at Goku's status.
[Goku] [Stamina: 65% (falling rapidly)] [Status: Minor fracture (right arm), extreme hunger (stomach cramping)]
"Grrrrrr..."
Just then, a tremendous rumble boomed through the speakers, echoing across the venue.
It was so loud it even drowned out the sound of the waves.
Everyone froze.
Goku awkwardly covered his stomach. The seriousness on his face collapsed at once, replaced by a miserable expression.
"Ah... I'm hungry. That last move took too much energy. I think I've digested this morning's grilled fish."
Krillin's mouth twitched.
Was this what a hot-blooded manga protagonist was like?
He was losing his footing in a life-or-death battle because he was hungry?
"Then... how about we pause and grab something to eat?"
Krillin asked tentatively.
"Really?!"
Goku's eyes instantly turned into stars, and he was practically drooling.
"I want a whole roast lamb! And a really, really big steamed bun!"
"Denied!"
The host roared, his face covered in exasperation.
"This is the final of the World Martial Arts Tournament! The whole world is watching live! Can you two take this seriously?"
Goku lowered his head in disappointment.
"Aw, you're stingy."
But he soon looked up again, his eyes sharp once more—though this time, they held a note of urgency.
"If we can't eat, then let's finish this quickly! I can go eat after I win!"
"So you're powering up for the sake of food..."
Krillin shook his head helplessly.
"That's such a simple motivation, it's almost enviable."
"Take this! I just came up with this new move!"
Goku leaped down from the Flying Nimbus.
This time, he didn't charge straight at Krillin. Instead, he began spinning rapidly around him.
He moved faster and faster. Gradually, dozens of Gokus appeared on the Arena, forming a huge whirlwind that trapped Krillin in the center.
"Afterimage Fist again?"
Krillin frowned.
"No, it's more than just afterimages!"
Dozens of Gokus spoke at once, their voices overlapping to create a peculiar echo.
Then every afterimage simultaneously took the opening stance of the Kamehameha.
"Multi... Kamehameha!"
Dozens of blue beams shot toward Krillin at the center.
"Fake."
Relying on [Genius Intellect] and [Beast Sense], Krillin instantly judged that only one of them was real; the rest were visual deceptions left behind by the afterimages.
But just as he was about to block the real beam, something bizarre happened.
The dozens of other "fake" beams actually turned in midflight!
They converged and merged into the real beam.
The beam, originally no thicker than a bowl, instantly swelled to the width of a barrel. Its color also changed from deep blue to a blinding, ghastly white.
"What?"
For the first time, Krillin looked astonished.
That made no sense!
How could afterimages have energy?
[System notification: Detected Goku using the "Ki Residue" technique. While moving at high speed, he left a small amount of ki at each afterimage's position, then detonated and gathered it all at once. This was the ultimate expression of ki control.] [Talent "Goku's Battle Instinct" analysis progress: 80%.]
"I see... He left ki in the afterimages?"
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