"Krillin, you didn't beat him?" Radick asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Hmph, I was careless. Give me another chance and I'll definitely beat him." Krillin's face stiffened, but he still stubbornly refused to back down.
Radick smiled and walked over to Goku.
"Goku, do you have a minute? I need your help with something."
"What's up, Radick?" Goku was busy cheering Upa on.
"Come on, let's go over there."
"Radick, what is it? Why are we avoiding everyone?" Goku asked, baffled, once they reached a deserted patch of grass.
"It's like this, Goku. I've prepared a finishing move for the fight later, but I need to catch my opponent off guard to use it. I'll also need a little help from you."
"A finishing move? Sounds really powerful. What do you need me to do?"
"Just do this...and this..."
Goku jogged back and saw that Upa and the others had already won. Everyone was discussing who should fight next.
"Goku, where'd you go? Come help us decide who's going up next."
"I'll go." Radick emerged from the building. The moment he saw his opponent in the ring, he decided to step in.
"Uh...Radick, what happened to you?"
Krillin and Yamcha stared as a man, red from head to toe, appeared before them.
Radick panted heavily, steam rising from his body as he climbed into the ring one step at a time.
Looking at the humanoid creature across from him, he relaxed a little.
"At least it's not an invisible man. Otherwise, either my opponent would toy with me to death, or I'd collapse first."
After absorbing the energy wave Goku had produced with the device on his right hand, Radick could feel the overloaded energy surging through his body. He knew he couldn't hold out for long.
"Goku, do you think Radick can beat that werewolf?" Upa asked anxiously.
"Trust him. With an amazing ability like that, he's sure to win."
"What ability?"
Krillin immediately edged closer. He was just as curious about Radick's current state.
The handsome young man had gone out for a little while, and come back as a "red-skinned alien."
"Haha, it's a secret. You'll find out soon enough," Goku said mysteriously.
Even Goku didn't know how Radick had done it. Radick had only asked him to make a few small Kamehameha waves, and then the metal right hand had somehow "erased" them.
Radick looked at the werewolf across from him. Werewolves were common enough in the Dragon Ball world. No matter what abilities his opponent had, Radick didn't hesitate any longer. He raised his leg and charged.
The werewolf saw the "red man" rushing toward him and chose not to meet him head-on. He dodged to the side, his sharp claws springing out at the same time.
"Splatter!" In the instant their attacks clashed, three gashes opened in Radick's left arm, spraying blood.
Radick barely felt any pain. The explosive energy inside him had set his body ablaze, dulling his senses.
He charged again.
The werewolf simply sidestepped him once more. He had no intention of fighting head-on.
After several exchanges, Radick, who lacked any real fighting skill, could only charge blindly around the ring. The werewolf dodged left and right, occasionally using his sharp claws to inflict another wound.
As time passed, Radick knew he was covered in injuries, even if he couldn't feel much. The fight seemed hopelessly one-sided, and things were getting worse for him by the minute.
"Haah...haah...haah..."
"This isn't how things went in early Dragon Ball. Shouldn't a werewolf like this just charge straight at me? Why's he suddenly gotten so clever?"
Radick thought helplessly. He might have strength to spare, but there was nothing he could do if he couldn't catch his opponent.
"Radick doesn't know a single martial arts move," Krillin complained from ringside.
"We should tell him to give up in a bit. Otherwise, he'll hurt himself," Yamcha added.
Goku watched in silence, his eyes shining.
"Give up. You can't catch me."
"Even if you can keep that power-up going, it won't do you any good. Once your time runs out, I'll be the one to strike back." The werewolf sauntered toward him.
Radick was at a loss. Hadn't this plan backfired? Who had that kind of ability?
"What's the matter, Mr. Werewolf? Are you afraid of a little human like me?"
"Hmph. You can't hold out much longer, can you? A pathetic attempt to provoke me. Let's see if you can still talk in a minute." The werewolf sneered.
He was right. Radick was about to give out—but only because he was about to unleash the energy inside him.
Radick sat down as if he'd given up, bracing himself with both hands behind him.
"Come on. Let's see what you've got."
As he spoke, the red hue of Radick's skin gradually faded. The steam rising from his body slowly dissipated, and his presence weakened rapidly.
The werewolf saw his chance. His eyes gleaming, he darted forward and reached for Radick's neck with his claws, intending to throw him straight out of the ring.
Radick lowered his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. His scalding right arm trembled uncontrollably. He leaned forward, deliberately placing himself within his enemy's grasp.
His enemy wasn't retreating—he was practically offering himself up?
The werewolf sensed something was wrong and tried to pull back, but Radick clamped his hand around the werewolf's wrist.
"Mr. Werewolf, it's over. Take this... Kamehameha!!"
Then Radick raised his right hand at point-blank range. A dazzling wave of energy burst from his palm, sending the werewolf flying out of the ring.
With nothing left to hold him up, Radick toppled onto the ground. All the strength had been drained from his body. He saw Goku and Krillin running toward him, then blacked out.
When he woke again, Radick was in an unfamiliar infirmary, an IV drip like glucose running into his arm. Bandages wrapped around him like a mummy.
"You're awake." Master Roshi walked over.
"Master Mutten, Bulma, what are you doing here?"
At Radick's question, Bulma gave him a concerned look. "Krillin said you'd passed out again, so he brought us here to look after you."
"You were in that kind of shape and still went into battle. You really know how to push yourself."
"Since you're here, I figured I might as well do my part," Radick said sheepishly.
Feeling much better, Radick sat up, ready to go find Goku and the others. He hadn't forgotten why he'd come here. After all that effort, it was finally time to reap the rewards.
"You've recovered pretty quickly." Radick pulled the IV tube from his hand.
He wasn't sure whether it was Fortune Teller Baba's medicine or if the energy from earlier had awakened his body.
"Hmph, you're just like Goku. You were wrapped up like a dumpling, and now you can walk around already?" Bulma said, exasperated.
"I heard you even used the Kamehameha?" Master Roshi casually put in.
"Haha, I'll explain on the way. Let's go find Goku and the others first."
By the time Radick reached the ring, going "Hiss...haah..." with every step, he was sweating from the pain. His earlier easygoing cheerfulness was nowhere to be seen.
"So your metal hand can do that too? Absorb energy? Dr. Gero must be something else," Bulma said confidently, already thinking she'd investigate him when she had time.
"It'll be hard to find him now. We don't even know which corner he's hiding in. We'll just have to tell Goku to be extra careful from now on."
Radick didn't care that he'd revealed Dr. Gero's abilities ahead of time. As for the butterfly effect, as long as he was strong enough, he could handle it.
Besides, if he showed up in person in front of Dr. Gero, the doctor would have to consider the possibility that Radick could be controlled.
Androids 17 and 18 had control devices. It was possible Radick had been fitted with one too.
After a while, Goku and the others came out of a building.
"Just in time. I finally get to see Goku's final match against his grandpa."
Radick felt a little excited as he looked at the person in the crowd wearing a cat-faced mask.
"Radick, you're awake! I've already beaten everyone except the last guy. Once I beat him, we can ask Baba to tell our fortunes," Goku said excitedly.
"I knew you could do it." Radick was just as excited.
The final match began. After exchanging bows, both fighters assumed their opening stances.
An invisible aura spread through the arena. The entire crowd fell silent, waiting for the moment to come.