The match was over, and everyone gathered together.
"What a shame!" Krillin said regretfully.
Goku, however, was extremely optimistic. "It can't be helped. A loss is a loss."
"Are you sure you don't want half the prize money? I only won the championship thanks to luck," Tien Shinhan said seriously. "The unfortunate thing is that I lost when it came to strength."
"Luck is part of strength, too. Besides, Goku learned a lot from facing a strong opponent like you," Master Roshi said, trying to comfort him.
"Heh heh heh, exactly!" Goku chuckled, then turned to look at Raditz, who stood silently off to the side. "Raditz, you're such a sly guy! You forfeited early. I wanted to fight you, too."
"We'll get the chance," Raditz replied with a smile.
"Then it's a promise!" Goku said happily. He felt around his body, then cried out in alarm. "Oh, no! The Power Pole Grandpa gave me is missing!"
At that, Raditz stiffened. Before Krillin could speak, he hurriedly said, "Maybe you left it in the contestants' lounge. I'll go get it for you."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it," Raditz replied, then turned and strode toward the lounge.
His steps seemed steady, but he had actually heightened his senses to the limit, on guard for any unusual energy.
The lounge was on the side of the martial arts arena, in a relatively secluded spot.
Raditz pushed open the door, which had been left ajar, and swept his gaze across the room. He immediately noticed something was wrong. An unsettling, faint aura hung in the air, and the room showed signs of having been rummaged through.
Raditz's heart sank. He hurried to the spot where Goku had left his luggage. Sure enough, the bag that had held the Four-Star Ball was now empty.
Just then, the curtain to the storage room at the back was suddenly flung aside, and a demon with a pair of wings on his back, oily green skin, and a grotesque, lizard-like appearance crawled out.
He held a stack of papers in his left hand and a man wearing sunglasses in his right. It was the tournament referee.
When Tambourine saw Raditz, he first froze in surprise, then his face twisted with malice. He casually tossed aside the man in his hand and let out a raspy, mocking laugh.
"Heh heh heh, someone's all alone in here. From the way you're dressed, you're obviously a martial artist competing in the tournament."
He looked Raditz over, then suddenly seemed to realize something. "That face... I think I've seen you somewhere before... Right! You're the one who fought that three-eyed human who smashed the ring!"
Raditz's expression changed at his words.
How does he know about my match with Tien Shinhan?
"His... his accomplice..." the referee, who had been tossed down at Raditz's feet, suddenly managed to warn him.
There's another accomplice? Why is there one more than there should be? The plot's changed...
Raditz silently sensed the area. There was indeed an energy signature moving away. Earlier, the two similar signatures had blended together, making them hard to distinguish.
"Don't worry. Cymbal got that glowing ball and went back to report to our master," the demon sneered. "I thought you'd be someone impressive. Turns out you're just a kid. The Great Demon King was too cautious, sending both of us."
"Now all you have to deal with is me, the great Tambourine."
So another demon has already taken the Dragon Ball. No wonder I couldn't tell where the one this demon had was hidden.
Raditz didn't hesitate any longer. He had to finish this quickly, then go after the other demon at once! He gathered his energy, ready to attack.
But—
"Ugh!"
A sharp cry suddenly rang out from somewhere in the distance!
It was Krillin's voice!
Raditz stiffened all over. How could that be?! Krillin should be with Goku and the others!
Could it be...?
Had he gotten worried when I took so long and come looking for the Power Pole? And the other demon, Cymbal, who left with the Dragon Ball—maybe he hadn't gone far at all. Perhaps he was waiting nearby for his accomplice and happened to run into Krillin when he came looking!
"Damn you!" Fury flared in Raditz's eyes. He stopped paying attention to the demon in front of him, sprang forward, and charged for the door.
I have to save him first!
"Trying to get past me? Not so fast!" Tambourine darted in front of the door and reached out with his claws, cackling. "You should worry about yourself first."
Raditz's gaze turned icy as he met the attack.
Now that he was fighting in a rage, his speed and strength were beyond anything this demon could match.
Raditz flashed forward like a ghost, dodging the claws, then brought down a hand blade infused with all his strength, striking Tambourine precisely on the neck.
"Slash!" "Thud!"
Blood sprayed, and the sound of a head hitting the ground rang out.
Tambourine's eyes bulged. He didn't even have time to scream before his massive, headless body collapsed to the ground, spilling green fluid.
Raditz didn't spare him a glance. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, he dashed out of the lounge and sprinted toward the direction the scream had come from.
At the corner of the hallway, a horrifying sight came into view.
Krillin lay in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open, shock and pain still on his face.
His chest had been completely pierced through, and the signs of life had vanished from him.
Master Roshi, Bulma, Tien Shinhan, and the others had already arrived and were gathered around Krillin.
When Bulma saw Raditz racing over, she covered her mouth, trembling all over. "Are you all right? Krillin..."
Raditz stared gravely at Krillin's body, a Senzu Bean clenched tightly in his hand.
Suddenly, his gaze darted around. "Where's Goku?!"
"Goku heard the noise and was the first to rush over," Bulma said, her voice breaking with tears. "After Krillin was killed, he took the Dragon Radar and chased after the killer."
Raditz's heart sank.
I'm too late! No—this could be even worse than the original story! Goku's badly exhausted, and he's chasing after them in a complete rage. And things seem to have already gone off track on King Piccolo's end, too. The danger's only getting worse!
"Master Mutten, Bulma!" Raditz spoke rapidly. "I'll definitely use the Dragon Balls to bring Krillin back to life! But Goku's in danger right now. If he goes after them like this, he'll be killed! I'm going after him!"
With that, he asked Bulma which direction Goku had gone and prepared to pursue him.
"Wait!" Master Roshi shouted sternly. "I order you to hold on!"
When Raditz didn't stop, Master Roshi darted forward and blocked his path.
"If Goku dies and you go get yourself killed, there'll be no one left who can stop that guy!"
Master Roshi grabbed Raditz tightly and wouldn't let him leave, so Raditz could only explain, "Master Mutten, don't worry. He's no match for me."
"No, you still haven't realized who the real enemy is!"
"No, Master Mutten. You're the one who still hasn't seen what I'm capable of!"
With that, Raditz forcibly broke free and sprinted in the direction Goku had gone.
He wasn't yet skilled at the Flight Technique, and it was still slower than running.
"Damn it! One after the other, they do whatever they want! They treat everything I say like it means nothing!" Master Roshi was left behind, fuming helplessly. "That's King Piccolo! You'll all die!"
"Master Roshi, is King Piccolo really that terrifying?" Yamcha asked from nearby.
From what he knew of Raditz, there were few opponents who could match him. Even Tien Shinhan, who had just won the championship, didn't seem as strong as Raditz.
"You don't understand. He once turned the world into a terrifying hell. No one could stand against him."
"My master, Mutaito, gave his life just to seal him away."