Champion

Light.

Nothing but light.

When Krillin's "Serious Kamehameha" collided with Goku's all-or-nothing Energy Blast, time seemed to freeze.

There was no immediate explosion, and even the air stopped moving.

The spectators in the stands were frozen with their mouths hanging open. Even the fly that had been about to steal a bite of the child beside it's hot dog hung motionless in midair.

Then came the wail of air compressed to its limits.

"Vmmmm...!!!"

It wasn't a deafening roar, but a high-frequency vibration that drilled straight into their brains.

The stone slabs at the center of the Arena vaporized instantly. They didn't break into rubble—they turned directly into elementary particles.

At the point where the two forces met, a perfect Black Sphere formed, wrapped in blue Energy Blasts and red sparks of plasma.

"Go... back!"

Krillin gritted his teeth as the muscles in his right arm twisted like a living python.

He was controlling it—controlling it with all his might.

The Saitama Template's power was like a soda can filled with a nuclear bomb.

If he used even slightly too much force, not only Goku but Papaya Island beneath their feet—and even half the planet—would become dust in space.

"So this is... Krillin's power!"

Goku's entire body trembled.

He braced both feet against the terrifying pressure pushing him back. His soles had long since worn away, and his bare feet scraped against the air, giving off the smell of burning flesh.

There was no fear in his clear eyes, only the ecstatic joy of having glimpsed a New World.

But he had reached his limit.

The Saiyan potential within him was indeed burning wildly at that moment, allowing him to briefly touch a level of power more than ten times beyond his own.

But in the face of an overwhelming difference in raw strength, willpower alone couldn't keep him going.

Krillin watched Goku's health bar flash red in his field of vision and knew he couldn't hold back any longer.

If he did, Goku's body would give out first.

"It's over, Goku!"

Krillin gave his right arm a sharp shake, releasing a sliver of the power he had been holding back... just a sliver.

But that one ten-thousandth was the final Himalayan mountain that broke the camel's back.

Rumble...!!!

The Black Sphere of energy lost all balance and swallowed Goku's Energy Blast in an unstoppable surge, like a runaway high-speed train crashing into a scarecrow blocking its path.

A huge mushroom cloud rose over the sea, and a shock wave spread outward in all directions.

If Mr. Shen (Kami) hadn't thrown up a transparent barrier to protect the stands at the crucial moment, the several hundred people in the front rows would probably have been blown to the other side of the planet.

Even so, the entire Martial Arts Tournament grounds felt as if they'd been hit by a Category Twelve typhoon.

The announcer, microphone and all, was blown onto the top of a palm tree, while his toupee flew off toward the sunset.

The sea was forced back, revealing a seabed of mud and jagged rocks. A few seconds later, the water roared back in and raised waves a hundred meters high.

When the dust cleared, the Arena that had borne witness to countless battles was gone.

In its place was a crater more than five hundred meters across, with seawater gurgling into it.

Krillin hovered in midair. Apart from a singed section of his pant leg, he hadn't suffered so much as a scratch.

He shook out his numb right hand and looked toward a reef at the edge of the crater.

There, Goku lay flat on his back, white smoke rising from his body like a freshly baked sweet potato.

"Cough, cough..."

Goku spat out a mouthful of seawater, weakly lifted one hand, and gave a thumbs-up.

"Krillin... you're... a real monster."

With that, his hand dropped, and he passed out completely.

[ Ding! Mission complete! ]

[ You have defeated Goku and won the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. ]

[ Rating: Perfect (S+). You demonstrated overwhelming strength without killing your opponent or destroying the Earth. ]

[ Calculating rewards... ]

The system notifications rang out nonstop in Krillin's mind like a slot machine at a casino.

[ Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the S-Rank Talent "Goku's Battle Instinct (Plundered Version)." ]

[ Congratulations, Host. All attributes have increased to the current plane's limit. ]

[ Congratulations, Host. Charm Points increased by 50. You have earned the title "Strongest Bald Man on Earth." ]

Krillin didn't rush to check his rewards. Instead, he landed beside Goku.

He pulled a Senzu Bean from his pocket...

He'd asked Cat Sage for it backstage just a moment ago.

He pried Goku's mouth open and slipped the Senzu Bean inside.

"Crunch."

A few seconds later, Goku—who had been on the brink of death—suddenly opened his eyes and leaped to his feet.

"Ow, ow, ow... Huh? It doesn't hurt anymore?"

Goku rubbed his chest, looking utterly confused. Then his stomach let out a thunderous complaint.

"Grrr..."

He whipped around to look at Krillin, his eyes gleaming.

"Krillin! What about that roast dinosaur you promised me?"

Looking at the guy who could think of nothing but food, Krillin couldn't help laughing.

The tension of that world-shattering battle vanished in an instant.

"Don't worry. You'll get it."

Krillin patted Goku on the shoulder, feeling the solid, lively muscles beneath his hand.