20. Sorcerer Babidi

The area was desolate, consisting only of scattered clusters of dirt and stone hills.

Spopovich and Yamu arrived at their destination and landed. The group tailing them followed suit, hiding behind a small rocky hill to use it as cover.

"Someone is there. Is that Babidi?"

"No."

"Huh, that's strange. It looks like the ground has been dug up."

Son Goku and Son Gohan, who had caught up, stared at Spopovich and Yamu with puzzled expressions. The two men stood there in a posture of utmost respect before a small hatch, only as tall as a man, which stood upright in the ground.

"So that's it. Babidi's spaceship is buried underground. No wonder we couldn't find it," Kibito said, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"It seems Babidi already knew we had arrived on Earth," Supreme Kai said gravely. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have hidden the ship."

"Let's move before they use Gohan's energy to awaken that Majin Buu," Trunks suggested anxiously.

Supreme Kai stopped him. "Don't be hasty. To avoid damaging the ship, they will surely awaken it outside. We shall act according to the situation."

Son Gohan looked around the ship. The ordinary humans there had already met a tragic end; their corpses lay scattered about. One woman had even been dismembered, her lower half nowhere to be seen.

Son Gohan gritted his teeth. Naturally kind-hearted, he loathed such people more than anything.

"Someone is coming out," Piccolo whispered, drawing Son Gohan's gaze back.

Two figures, one tall and one short, emerged from the small hatch, both hovering in mid-air.

The tall figure wore a blue chest-baring garment that revealed muscular definition, a strange belt around his waist, a white cape, pale red skin, and beast-like slit pupils.

The shorter one, also using the Flight Technique to hover, didn't even reach the tall one's waist. He had snot-yellow skin and a head with only a few sparse hairs, looking pathetic compared to the imposing figure beside him.

So lame, was Son Goten's first impression of the short one. A guy like that would definitely get cut in the first round of an interview.

"Babidi... he actually managed to subjugate the King of the Demon Realm," Kibito said, staring at the tall figure in shock.

"Dabura, to think he would..." Supreme Kai watched the towering Dabura with a grim expression.

"Who is Dabura? That big guy?" Son Goku frowned, asking Supreme Kai in confusion.

"Yes," Supreme Kai replied. "He is the King of the Demon Realm. In this world, the strongest might be among you, but in the Demon Realm, the strongest is Dabura."

Vegeta: ...

"Then, is the little runt next to him Babidi?" Son Gohan asked.

"Yes," Supreme Kai answered. "In terms of raw power, he is indeed pathetic, but his true terror lies in his magic."

"Could his magic be so powerful that even the King of the Demon Realm would submit to him?" Piccolo asked in surprise.

Kibito refuted Piccolo's question. "No, he likely exploits the evil in people's hearts to manipulate them. That is why only those of us with righteous hearts can resist."

Son Goten felt nothing but disdain for Kibito's explanation. If Babidi were that incredible, why would he have to treat Majin Buu like a master instead of controlling him? And didn't Vegeta resist him? As long as one's power is strong enough, one can resist Babidi's control; controlling Dabura was likely his absolute limit.

"But I really didn't expect Dabura to be here. If Dabura and Babidi join forces..."

"Are you trying to say we're doomed?" Before Supreme Kai could finish, Vegeta laughed contemptuously. "That kind of guy? I'll absolutely blow him to pieces."

Outside the ship.

"Oh ho ho, excellent. This is full of energy," Babidi said, looking at the device in his hand and letting out a shrill laugh.

"Yes," Yamu replied, like a child receiving a reward from an adult.

"With our power, this task was simply too easy," Spopovich boasted shamelessly. If Son Gohan hadn't been restrained by Supreme Kai at the time, he would likely be a cold corpse by now.

"Hehe, then you two are of no further use," Babidi said indifferently, just like many anime bosses. In his eyes, the two men before him were already dead.

"Huh?" The two idiots looked bewildered.

Babidi's eyes bulged. Spopovich's body began to swell, and finally, he exploded into a mist of blood.

"No!" Yamu screamed like a helpless girl facing an assault, turning and fleeing into the distance in a desperate attempt to escape.

"Pui Pui, do you want to try?" Babidi squinted, looking toward the direction of Yamu's escape and speaking calmly.

"Yes," the alien who had been standing by the hatch from the start replied with delight. He raised his hand, aimed at Yamu, and an energy blast shot from his palm, streaking rapidly toward the fleeing man.

"Boom."

The energy blast struck Yamu, obliterating him.

"Good aim," Babidi praised.

Still needing to aim? What a waste, Son Goten thought, looking at the smug Pui Pui with disdain. You had to aim for so long at such a close range? I could take him out without even aiming, you piece of trash.