“Woah!” Pan ducked as a fist flew past her face. She flared golden, readying herself to engage Hirudegarn.
She darted around her foe, probing her latest opponent with her senses. Hirudegarn relentlessly pursued her, a chunk of the ring exploding as Pan leaped away from one of the creature’s destructive punches.
“This thing is fast for its size,” Yet, Pan detected a noticeable lack of technique in Hirudegarn’s attacks. The demon was nothing but a mindless monster. Was Tapion unable to control it?
“Let’s try this!” Pan unleashed a volley of ki blasts at her opponent, but they didn’t even singe the monster’s thick carapace.
“Shoot.” Pan leaped away from another wild punch. “Let’s try this, then.” Her ki flared brighter, punching Hirudegarn from behind. But again, the attack did nothing. Her next kicks and punches ended with the same result.
“Useless,” Bra made a derisive snort. “Is that the best she’s got?” Her grandfathers watched with crossed arms, studying the fight with detached interest.
Gritting her teeth, Little Bra cheered on her counterpart even louder to drown out Bra’s sarcastic comments. “You got this!”
“What is this, though?” her father asked. “He didn’t do this last time.”
“It’s just like when we fought Hirudegarn before,” Goku said with uncharacteristic seriousness. “This will not be easy.”
“Sorry, Tapion,” Pan said in apology.
Her ki flared like a supernova as she gathered energy in her palm, ready to unleash her most devastating attack yet. With quick steps, she pivoted around to Hirudegarn’s blind spot.
“Kamehameha!” But Pan gasped in shock as her opponent dissolved into wind, her attack flying past harmlessly. She grunted as a massive arm swatted her like a fly, leaving a spiderweb of cracks in the arena.
A massive fist swung down to finish the job, but Pan slipped away, avoiding getting crushed by a hair. As powerful and destructive as Hirudegarn was, Pan’s swiftness kept her a step ahead.
“Okay, that’s just not fair.” Pan’s mind raced, wondering what her next move should be. A dark voice whispered, telling her to abandon everything to the wind and embrace the darkness. It told her it took an animal to defeat another animal. Anpan stared at her, expression watchful, expectant.
“No! That’s not the answer!” Pan told herself, yelping in surprise as a sudden burst of flame shot in her direction. Her opponent had shot fire from his mouth, almost toasting her.
“Quite a predicament,” Buu of Universe 4 said. “What will you do now, Pan?”
“You’re fast, but let’s see you dodge this!” An idea struck Pan. Her mouth stretched wide, eager for some payback.
“Uh, Pan,” her father said, pointing at her shoulder.
“Huh?” She glanced down, yelped in surprise when she realized part of her shirt had caught fire. With frantic palms, she swatted it out. “Thanks.” She blushed. Unable of feeling pain, she’d completely overlooked it.
“That was my favorite shirt!” Outraged, she charged her foe.
Energy gathered in her palm and she fired a ball of destruction. Like before, Hirudegarn phased into his wind form and the blast flew through him harmlessly. The ball exploded against the ground, creating an obscuring cloud of dust.
The reformed giant monster glanced around, unable to find his quarry. Then Pan charged out of the dust cover, golden aura alight as she gathered ki for her next attack.
“Kamehameha!” Hirudegarn howled in pain and fury as the blast connected. It swung a wild fist in retaliation, but Pan ducked. She fired another destructive ki blast but found Hirudegarn had shifted to its wind form. It roared in annoyance, swatting at the dust cover with wild attacks.
“Kamehameha!” The blast shot a hole through the creature’s back. Pan tenses, fearing she’d caused Tapion serious harm. Hirudegarn screamed in agony, but the monster quickly reformed itself. Much to Pan’s relief, she hadn’t accidentally killed Tapion.
She smirked and fired another blast into the ring, creating another dust cover. She vanished into it again.
“So that’s her plan,” Uncle Piccolo mused. “When Hirudegarn phases into its wind form, it temporarily loses sight for a split moment. It creates the perfect opportunity to create an ambush.”
“Quick thinking,” Goku said, beaming with pride. “Good head on that one.”
“Please.” But Aunt Bra only snorted in derision. “She could have won easily if she blasted Hirudegarn with everything she had. The fool held back to avoid hurting Tapion. Did she forget this is a real fight?”
“Bra, there’s more to winning than killing your opponent,” Goku admonished.
“He’s right. Killing should only be a last resort!” Pan’s grandfathers said, scowling in his displeasure. “They told me how you blew Eleim to pieces. You don’t need to resort to such methods!”
But Bra only clicked her tongue and ignored them. Pan’s grandfathers seethed as his daughter refused to heed his advice. He muttered under his breath, promising retribution later.
Another ki blast shot through Hirudegarn as Pan pivoted around the monster. The creature reformed again, but Pan sensed she was whittling her opponent down. She guessed Tapion’s ki powered Hirudegarn. Once the gauge fell empty, manifesting his inner demon would be impossible.
But that was wishful thinking on Pan’s part. Darkness had already crept into her vision as she expended ki to blast her opponent. With Hirudegarn’s hide so tough, it took a tremendous amount of ki to pierce. At this rate, she’d expend herself faster than Tapion would.
Caught by her thoughts, she yelped as a stray fist swatted her into the arena. She cursed, annoyed by her carelessness. She created another cloud of dust as she recovered, but Hirudegarn only used his flame breath to roast her for her effort. Pan yelped, patting out her flaming hair. While mindless, Hirudegarn still possessed a predator’s cunning. It wouldn’t allow her to keep using the same trick against it.
And Hirudegarn grew wise to her tricks, using its flame breath to keep her at bay. She inflicted some major wounds, but her ki kept depleting. The dark voice sang louder, eager to feast on violence if only she surrendered to the calling.
Pan grunted in annoyance as her last blast deflected off Hirudegarn’s thick demonic carapace with ease.
“I can’t continue.” She was running on fumes. Had winning become impossible? A quiet voice inside her whispered an insight, asking her if the demon within was a completely separate part of her. Huh? Where did that come from?
“Of course it is! We’re nothing alike. I will never use its power, ever!” Yet, another part asked if she might use its abilities to her advantage. She howled as a fist smashed her against the protective wall, and collapsed in a heap. Pan struggled to even lift her head, almost completely drained. The dark voice whispered louder, urging her to give in to the darkness and feed on violence and chaos.
In the crowd, Buu of Universe 4 wore an annoyed expression, muttering to himself. But then a sly grin stretched across his face. In a dramatic voice, he said, “Oh no! Best move back, everyone. Her demon forms about to appear again. She’s going to drain your energy!”
“Oh shoot! You’re right!” Jeice said, fleeing in an almost blind panic to the apartments. Many others joined him, not wanting to get drained by Pan’s inner demon again. Many of the serious contestants, however, stubbornly stayed put, refusing to be scared.
“Oh come on! I’ve restrained my dark side this entire time!” Pan had heard what her dark half had done against Cell, but wasn’t this overdoing it? Like she knew anything about ki stealing.
“Could she do that? Steal ki?” An idle thought wondered. If she robbed Tapion of his remaining ki, Hirudegarn wouldn’t be a threat. Her undead heart skipped a beat as the monster landed in a booming thud right before her.
She closed her eyes, considering her idea, encouraged by the quiet voice inside her. She emptied everything else, focusing on the flow of her ki. At first, Pan dismissed her wild idea as a hopeful fantasy, but then she sensed something. While faint, a slight stream of ki was flowing into her. It was minuscule, a passive absorption of ki from everything around her. The stolen energy was so minuscule, a normal person wouldn’t notice the difference. How had she never noticed it before?
When she probed that ability, she realized she could change its flow. A fist interrupted her experiment and jolted her back to reality.
“Okay, maybe meditation isn’t that smart during a fight.” Pan groaned, wincing as Hirudegarn grabbed her and tossed her like a baseball across the arena. A foot landed on her next, crushing her. Pan’s bones creaked as the pressure increased.
She used her inability to feel pain to her advantage, using time that would be agony for a normal person to think. Pan examined the influx of ki, pushing and pulling against it. It fought against her, like forcing back the tide with your bare hands. But Pan discovered she could change when direction it flowed, it only barely. An idea struck her. She only needed to convince Hirudegarn to not crush her for a second.
Her body went limp, pretending to be unconscious. The monster looked down at her quizzically, wondering if it had finally killed its prey. It pulled back, watchful for any sign of movement.
“Pan is down. Starting the count! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6…” Hirudegarn turned away, eyeing the other combatants watching the fight. Its eyes gleamed, eager to unleash its fury on them next.
“2…” But then Pan jumped up, hurling a leaping punch at Hirudegarn’s chest.
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Unimpressed, Hirudegarn didn’t bother dodging or turning to wind. That was its fatal mistake. Through its thick hide, Pan sensed Tapion’s life energy. It was a faint glow, ready to collapse from exhaustion. This fight had taken a toll on him.
With a pull, she tugged his ki in her direction. It flowed into Pan, invigorating her. While limited, the small amount she’d sapped from her opponent was enough, breaking what little control Tapion held over Hirudegarn. The warrior collapsed unconscious in Pan’s arms.
After a 10-count, the announcer declared her victory. “Tapion is out. Pan of Universe 16 is the victor!”
“What the heck did you do?” Bra demanded, but Pan ignored her. Instead, she flew over to a nearby Namekian.
“Could you heal him, please?” Pan asked.
“Sure,” the Namekian said, nodding. In a moment, Tapion had regained consciousness.
“Are you okay?” Pan asked.
“Oh, it’s over.” Tapion looked down, already knowing the answer to his next thought. “I lost, didn’t I? When I allowed Hirudegarn to gain control, I lost sight of how the fight was going. I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly, Pan.” His expression was earnest.
“No, it’s fine. It was a good fight.” Pan extended a hand, and the warrior shook it.
“It was. Much to my shame, I’ve realized using Hirudegarn isn’t a good way to fight. Not being able to control my power during a fight is useless. Perhaps it’s best I lost here.”
“Sorry about your wish. What is it? I could grant it if I win.”
But Tapion shook his head. “No, that’s selfish of me. I’ll get it some other way. They are your wishes. You should use them.”
“If you’re sure.” Still, she wished him the best.
“You drained his ki somehow? What a demonic ability,” Raichi said.
“What?!” The other fighters gasped in surprise.
“So what was her play? Fascinating!” Cell said, enthused.
“Only a little!” Pan said, blushing.
“Watch the monster Saiyan girl. She might destroy us all,” Raichi said, souring her already sketchy reputation.
“It was a good victory,” her father said, putting a positive spin on the situation. “Good work.”
“Yeah. Good job!” Goku said, pleased. “That ki-stealing technique is pretty scary, though. You can drain away your opponent’s ability to fight.”
“Hmm. Don’t think I’ll fall for the same trick.” Vegeta, her next opponent, said with a snort.
“I doubt it’s that good,” Pan replied. Still, it had some possibilities. She was glad she was getting some use from her horrible inner demon.
“I suppose it’s satisfactory,” Anpan said with a sigh. Huh? What did that mean?
“Excellent fight,” Buu of Universe 4 said, slapping her on the back. From his smile, it seemed he thought Pan’s victory was all his doing.
“Okay?” Why was he getting all buddy-buddy?
“The next match: The wonderful, beautiful star of the tournament, Mary Sue of Universe 2!” Again, the announcer entered another long-winded speech about Mary Sue and her virtues. This time, it continued on for nearly twenty minutes.
“Against the vile, nasty, heartless monster known as XXI!” Pan heard the contemptuous sneer in the announcer’s voice. He wasn’t the only one throwing vitriol against Mary Sue’s opponent. The crowd threw obscenities even worse than they’d used against Android 18.
“Hey, there are children present!” But Pan’s words got drowned out by the audience’s rage. Some fights even broke out as various members argued how they’d make the perfect husband to their darling star.
Mary Sue wore a forced smile as she entered the arena. But everyone ignored her unease, heaping more praise on her.
“Mary Sue! Your beauty only increases every time I see you. Your radiance blots out the sun!” Trunks said.
“Idiot!” Goten replied with a contemptuous snort. “Our shining star doesn’t care about such flowery language. She wants to hear it as it is! Mary Sue, you are the love of my life. Take this as an appreciative gesture of my devotion!” Somehow, her uncle even gotten hold of a diamond ring.
“Idiot? You’re the idiot! She doesn’t want your trashy, fake ring!” Trunks shot back.
“Why you!” The pair were at each other’s throats, murder in their eyes.
“What? Hey! Stop that!” But Pan’s pleas fell on deaf ears as her uncles clobbered each other, fists eager to the other’s blood.
“Ugh. What’s with those morons?” Bra said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Has everyone gone crazy?!”
“Mary Sue sure is popular, huh?” Goku said, understating the situation. He blinked, mystified by the sudden change in everyone’s behavior.
“Now you’re noticing?!” Vegeta said, exasperated.
But her grandfathers only snorted. “They fawn over her beauty, but who gives a crap about that? What matters is her ability to fight.”
“Where is Mary Sue’s opponent?” Pan asked.
She found the elderly wizard wobbling to the arena floor, his steps unsteady. Had a sudden illness struck him? XXI seemed to wince whenever someone threw another insult at him for daring to be a threat to their precious Mary Sue.
XXI muttered some strange language to himself, but his words sounded clipped and pained. It took a surprising amount of effort to pull himself into the ring.
“So what will be his next underhanded trick?” Pan wondered as the two combatants squared off. Despite the nasty trick her opponent pulled against her grandfathers, Mary Sue was bright and cheery, unconcern about what the wizard might try.
“Hello, it’s an honor to meet you,” Mary Sue said, bowing with the respect one usually reserved for an honored elder.
Sweat, however, trickled down XXI’s wrinkled brow, and he offered no reply. Was he okay? The elderly wizard appeared unwell. He continued to mutter under his breath, but his strange incantations kept faltering, forcing him to start over.
“We can stop the fight if you want,” Mary Sue said. This earned an appreciative round of applause from the audience.
“She’s so caring! What a heart!” One audience member said.
“She thinks of others before herself. We don’t deserve her!” Another said.
“I can’t take it anymore!” Android 17 said, leaping into the ring. His expression was earnest as he uttered these next words. “Please be mine. Ever since we first met, you’ve been the sole occupant of my mind and heart. I can’t live without you! Please marry me!”
“What?! You don’t even know her, 17!” his shocked sister said. “Don’t be an idiot!” The crowd didn’t seem impressed with this either and booed him with a ferocity bordering on mania. Even the announcer joined in, threatening to send everyone back to their universe, regardless of their innocence.
“Shut up! All of you!” XXI said, genuine anger in his voice. “Enough of your pointless babbling!”
“Yeah, can you please stop? This is getting out of hand,” Mary Sue added. But the audience’s furious response drowned her protests out. Their hurtful words seemed to cause XXI physical pain.
“None of you will survive when my hour comes,” XXI said darkly. “I will leave all your universes dead husks! Mark my words!”
The elderly wizard pointed a bony finger at Mary Sue. “I had a spell prepared to finish you quickly, foolish girl. But this crowd keeps interrupting my concentration! No matter. I’ll deal with you more permanently!”
Shadows gathered around XXI, his body dissolving until it became a creature of pure darkness. It flicked its fingers, and razor-sharp claws extended from its fingertips. Another shadow extended from its body, its features gaining definition and becoming the shape of a demonic humanoid. What was happening? Was XXI two people?
“Hey, stop that! Don’t you dare threaten my beloved!” Android 17 said, rushing to his love’s aid.
“Out of the way, pest!” XXI snarled. Pan gasped when 17’s head went flying, his body collapsing in a heap.
“Now that annoyance has left, let us demonstrate our true power.” XXI said, his smoky visage’s mouth extending into a demonic smile. His other half had developed into a clearer figure, almost completed. But the announcer’s next words stopped him cold.
“XXI has attacked another combatant that wasn’t in the fight. He is disqualified!” the announcer said with satisfaction.
“17! You bastard!” 18 snarled. She barely contained herself, ready to jump at XXI.
XXI, oblivious to the threat, stood stunned. “What? No, that can’t be right! Android 17 was interfering with the fight! He had no business being in the ring in this first place! I demand a rematch!”
“Sorry, XXI, but rematches aren’t allowed,” Buu of Universe 4 said smugly. “You blew your chance, tough luck.”
“So this is how it ends, really?” Pan’s grandfathers groaned, whining like a child stolen from their entertainment. “He didn’t even get to manifest that cool shadow monster!”
“You can’t do this to me! I am XXI, devourer of universes! I will not be denied!” He continued to fume and rant, but his threats fell on deaf ears.
“Leave the ring, XXI, or we will send you back to your universe,” the announcer said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“You!” But the shadow creatures combined once more, forming his old-man shape. XXI said nothing as he retreated, not glancing at anyone.
“That was odd,” Pan muttered. Whatever XXI was, he had been a real monster. Still, why had such simple insults hurt him so badly? She didn’t understand any of this. “Anyway, nice work, Mary Sue!”
“Thanks,” Mary Sue replied, her gaze downcast as she retreated to her apartment. What was going on with her? Why did everyone act so weird around her? Pan resolved to force some answers from her friend—enough was enough. This was getting out of hand.
Thankfully, her uncles had stopped fighting, with only some bruises for their trouble. Though, they didn’t seem on speaking terms yet. What a mess. Hopefully, they’d return to normal soon. She’d had enough craziness for one day.
“Gotenks of Universe 16 versus Buu from Universe 4!”
---
“So, that’s how XXI was defeated. How unexpected,” the Grand Supreme Kai said.
“The fool was too confident in his abilities,” Lila added. She was giddy for Bra’s next fight, eager to see how the girl might use the new technique she’d taught her.
“It isn’t over, I tell you!” Elder Kai grumbled. “We need to monitor that one!” But no one paid him much attention. They’d heard his ramblings far too many times.
“Speaking of someone we need to watch, I’m told that Babidi tried interfering in Universe 11’s Buu’s fight?” Lila asked, sending her eastern colleague an icy glare.
“What’s to say? I stopped him,” East replied simply.
“And you just let him go?” Lila bristled.
“Should I have executed him on the spot?” East replied with a dangerous edge to his voice.
“Yes. It’s what we do,” Lila countered. It was why Universe 1 was peaceful and no longer had any threats.
“I’m starting to question the wisdom of it,” East said quietly. “You take it so far, it makes us seem like the villains. I’ve seen how people are looking at us, West Supreme Kai.”
“This isn’t a popularity contest. If they fear us, good. Then they understand the consequences of stepping out of line!”
“This isn’t right,” Elder Kai said firmly. “You’re treading on dangerous ground. There’s a reason it’s taboo to interfere with mortal affairs.”
“Well, you’ve seen worlds where we didn’t. Tell me I’m wrong,” Lila replied, crossing her arms. She gestured to Buu of Universe 4, who was toying with Gotenks for his amusement.
“Even so, you risk stepping over a line you can’t return from,” Elder Kai warned.
“You agree with me, right, South?” Lila asked, turning to the towering Kai.
“West has her reasons,” South replied, standing by her as always.
“It’s still wrong!” Elder Kai insisted.
“Tsk. You understand nothing,” Lila muttered. Someone had to protect the worlds. Why didn’t they understand? “Excuse me. I need to investigate why some audience members are causing trouble.” She scowled, knowing that mess would make her lose her lunch break. She was planning on having curry for lunch, her favorite!
“What a mess,” Lila scowled. Why was it only she understood the stakes? But soon, there would be peace. She smiled as she spotted Bra, her protégé. Yes, soon the multiverse would gain its salvation. Bra was its greatest hope and hero.
---
“So that’s where you disappeared.” Bra said, watching Piccolo spar with the zombie girl in a simple training exercise. Without her right arm, the girl was at a major disadvantage, and she scowled as Piccolo exploited her weak guard, landing a punch. Behind them, the others were eating enthusiastically—her father, in particular, stuffing himself like always. Giddy for her upcoming fight, she hadn’t eaten as much.
Bra scoffed, amused by the zombie girl’s clumsy stance. “Nice moves, zombie girl.”
The zombie girl forced a smile, though clearly irritated. “Hey, Bra. Just training for my next fight. With Vegeta as my next opponent, I can’t afford to slip.”
Vegeta was her next opponent? Bra smirked. Unlike her previous fight, this wouldn’t be as easy for the zombie girl. He’d show her no mercy, like a proper warrior.
“Step aside, Piccolo. Let’s spare, zombie girl,” Bra said, taking a fighting stance. Since they’d never meet proper in the tournament, why not fight now?
“That’s fine with me,” the zombie girl said, a glint of determination in her eyes. She was eager for a challenge. Piccolo nodded as the two squared off.
“Let’s see if you can entertain me!” Bra rushing in head-on, taking the initiative. But the zombie girl met her blow for blow, holding her own with impressive skill, even with one arm. Bra reeled as the girl drove a knee into her stomach.
“You!” Bra flared up in anger, her power surging. Each blow she threw could crack a planet, but the zombie girl dodged with surprising speed. How was she this fast? Bra’s scowl deepened as she took another hit, though it caused no damage.
This time, Bra let loose. The nearby stands exploded into wooden shards as zombie girl smashed into them. Luckily, they’d been empty.
“Hey! This is just friendly training!” the zombie girl shouted, extricating herself from the debris.
“And that’s why you’re weak. In a fight, you give it your all!” Bra retorted.
Behind her, Piccolo sighed and facepalmed. Some other contestants had stopped their meals to watch. Pan, the real one, watched with curious intensity, her eyes glowing with predatory fascination. An unease rippled though Bra, and almost got her hit as she got distracted.
What was that about? Bra dismissed the odd scene and refocused, striking harder and faster. Despite the punishment, the zombie girl refused to go down. Bra had killed lesser opponents with less effort than this. It seemed she’d have to push even harder.
“Excuse me, but the next round of fights is about to begin!” the announcer called, irritation clear in his voice. “Son Bra, please come to the ring, and cause no more damage!”
“Sorry,” Bra realized just how much of a mess they’d made, flushing with embarrassment. A good section of the stands stood in ruined, and audience members made their displeasure known. But she couldn’t help it! The zombie girl just ticked her off!
“Thanks for the session,” the zombie girl said, disheartened by her poor performance. She slapped her cheeks, determined to do better next time. Bra had to admit, the girl was tenacious. Their next fight would be more interesting. But then, it wouldn’t be a friendly sparring match—it’d be for real. The monster girl with Pan’s face would learn what true power really was.
---
Author’s note:
I’m not sure if this was the best way to defeat XXI, but I thought it would be amusing. Since Janemba is part of him, I thought it’d be interesting if XXI shared his weakness. Also, sorry I didn’t get to Bra vs Cold, but this chapter ran long. In better news, I fixed the next time segments to better reflect what happened in the chapter. Expect these to improve in later chapters (Though their reliability might still be somewhat shaky.)
Next time: Bra vs Cold. Bra’s secret technique. Majin invasion, both Pans are separated from the others and are forced to survive against Babadi’s forces alone! Pan turns Majin?! (Okay, not really).