Taro tilted his head slightly, noticing the hint of worry in Hathaway's expression. He smiled warmly, tightening his grip on her hand.
Feeling the warmth of his palm, Hathaway looked into Taro's eyes. His dark pupils were as clear as a tranquil spring or a deep, serene pool. His gaze was calm, resolute, silent yet powerful. It was the same look that had captivated her the first time they met years ago, the very expression she had imagined countless times in the paintings and words she grew up admiring. It was a gaze that made her instinctively want to rely on him.
Hathaway cradled the child in her arms and gradually smiled. "You'll protect us, protect Earth, right… 'Muten Master'" she asked playfully, winking at him.
"Of course," Taro replied softly, his voice steady. "If they come, the me of today won't let them leave alive."
By "the me of today", he naturally referred to the self he had become after killing Old Piccolo, as opposed to who he had been before.
Before that pivotal moment, had someone like Frieza or King Cold come to invade Earth, Taro might have fought them fiercely, only to ultimately spare their lives for the sake of what he once called "the plot". But when Old Piccolo destroyed the Muten School Dojo in his rage, Taro's fury forced him to confront his innermost self, sweeping away the mental cobwebs that had bound him. With no hesitation, he struck down Old Piccolo — a figure of immense importance in the original storyline.
If Taro could kill Old Piccolo, then he could also resolve to kill Frieza or King Cold.
Ideas of "plot" or "canon" held no weight against the tangible reality of the world he lived in. This lesson crystallized for Taro in that moment.
When the time came to kill, Taro would no longer hesitate.
With a flicker, the three disappeared from sight.
---
The Grand Kai's Mansion Courtyard
More and more martial artists from the Other World gathered. Every one of them bore the halo of the dead. While the Grand Kai had invited the four Kais to bring living martial artists they deemed worthy, only the North Kai had done so.
The reasons were straightforward. First, the Kais were generally lazy, rarely keeping tabs on the potential talent among the living unless someone exceptionally powerful caught their eye. Second, history showed that most martial artists only achieved the level required for the Other World Martial Arts Tournament after rigorous training in the afterlife. Lastly, even among the living, those with both great strength and virtuous character were rare. Many powerful warriors had already been recruited into Frieza's ranks or similar forces.
Thus, when the Grand Kai made his suggestion 50 years ago, the other Kais didn't take it seriously. Only the North Kai, familiar with Taro, understood the Grand Kai's intentions and extended the invitation.
Taro's unique status as a living person who had met the North Kai was unprecedented. Few mortals on native planets even knew of the Kais' existence unless their planet had an active deity. And even then, local deities wouldn't reveal the existence of the Kais to the living, as it served no purpose.
Taro's knowledge of the Kais came from reading the original story — or, as he told Kami, visions of future fragments. Kami, in turn, agreed to take him to the afterlife to meet the Kai because of a promise made to Taro. As for King Yemma, he allowed Taro, a living person, to traverse Snake Way and seek the North Kai because:
1. He didn't believe Taro would succeed.
2. For King Yemma, granting such a request was a trivial matter.
3. The Earth's Guardian was a Namekian.
King Yemma recognized Namekians and knew their kind could create the unique Dragon Balls capable of interfering with universal laws and causal order. For such a race, granting a minor favor was hardly a burden.
These events allowed Taro, a living mortal, to meet the North Kai, ultimately leading him to Namek, where he made his wishes, grew stronger, and fought Frieza. The battle's enormous energy disturbances drew the Grand Kai's attention.
The Grand Kai, intrigued, rescheduled the next tournament to be held 50 years earlier than planned, giving the North Kai's chosen martial artist time to refine his skills. He wanted to see how far this human could go and whether he could reach a level worthy of "that artifact".
---
Reclining on his deck chair, the Grand Kai gazed outward. Though he appeared engrossed in the lively music, his thoughts were calm and detached. If one could see through his sunglasses, they would notice his eyes gleaming with icy composure.
"The Supreme Kai tasked me with awaiting someone suitable… I wonder if this one will suffice," he mused. "Countless eons ago, the universe's great cataclysm shattered it into twelve distinct realms. Order fractured, causality unraveled, and the river of time grew unstable. Otherwise, how could the Namekians have created the Dragon Balls capable of reversing life and death itself? Moreover, even within this universe, parallel and overlapping dimensions now abound. The grand cosmos split into twelve pieces, and the smaller universes became equally chaotic. Even my own memories have been affected. Events from before the great upheaval are hazy... Is it because countless versions of 'me' exist across these fragmented timelines?"
The Grand Kai lay silently, lost in thought.
The time for the Underworld Martial Arts Tournament drew ever closer.
"North Kai, where is that guy you brought along?" West Kai asked, unable to resist stirring up trouble again. He smirked, "Don't tell me he saw Jiam's overwhelming power and realized the gap, chickening out at the last moment?"
"Heh…" North Kai's lips twitched slightly, choosing not to respond.
Beside West Kai stood Jiam, the top fighter of the West Galaxy, who had been silent all this time. He glanced at the crowd gathering on the plaza, noting the absence of Taro and Hathaway with a flicker of disdain in his eyes. "Did he really back down? he thought. Though his skill is mediocre, he's not bad — slightly above average, at least." A hint of scorn crept into his expression. "Typical of mortals from the living world."
Yet another thought crossed his mind. He recalled that only he and Taro had arrived earlier. Considering his own immense power, it almost seemed reasonable for someone like Taro to lose his nerve upon recognizing the insurmountable difference.
What Jiam could never imagine was that Taro, instead of dwelling on the tournament, had simply taken his wife and child to explore other parts of the Other World, seeing there was still some time left before the event began.
---
Meanwhile, in front of Grand Kai's mansion, more and more fighters had gathered. The crowd now numbered over a hundred, with participants of all shapes and forms. Still, most appeared humanoid — two arms, two legs. Perhaps such forms were naturally suited to martial arts training.
Some of the fighters who knew one another had already started chatting. Although Grand Kai traditionally only personally trained the tournament's champion for a single day, many past participants stayed behind on Grand Kai's planet, like the previous champion, Duan. On the other hand, others, like last year's runner-up Jiam, found no value in remaining and instead chose solitary training.
Suddenly, a hush fell over the crowd.
A man had arrived.
"It's him…"
"He's here! Of course, he'd show up…"
"After all, with so little time since the last tournament, no one's progress could outmatch his. Winning another championship and earning Grand Kai's guidance — how could he not come?"
"He's finally here... Duan!"
The tall, lean figure descended from the sky, bare-chested and with bandaged arms. His long white hair floated lightly behind him as he landed gracefully on the plaza. His arrival drew immediate recognition.
This was Duan, the reigning champion.
The fighters instinctively made way for him, forming a wide, empty circle around where he landed. Despite his thin frame, the sheer pressure emanating from him was palpable, his presence radiating power.
Duan glanced at the lounging Grand Kai, who was immersed in his music, before silently folding his bandaged arms and standing still. His cold demeanor only further isolated him from the crowd.
"This... this is the aura of a true champion," thought Mitsurugi, clenching his fists. He had arrived recently and, upon seeing Duan, recalled his own humiliating defeat during the last tournament. "This time, I won't lose so easily."
Memories of his training over the past fifty years fueled the fire within him.
Meanwhile, Jiam, standing near West Kai, noticed Duan's arrival. A faint smile crossed his face as he approached his rival.
"You've come," Jiam said coldly.
"Of course," Duan replied, his tone even colder. Perhaps it wasn't intentional — Duan simply exuded an icy air that matched his expression.
"You had no choice but to come, because I'm going to show you that your last victory was nothing but luck," Jiam declared, his tone laced with arrogance and a hint of bitterness.
"Pointless," Duan replied flatly. "I've hit a bottleneck in my training and require Grand Kai's guidance again."
The implication was clear — Duan did not view any of the participants, including Jiam, as worthy opponents.
Frustrated, Jiam sneered but chose not to argue further. "Hmph, Grand Kai won't let us face each other until the finals, but when we do, I'll make sure you taste what it's like to lose."
Duan remained silent, arms crossed.
As Jiam turned to leave, his gaze swept across the outskirts of the plaza. He noticed Taro, along with Hathaway and their child, quietly standing off to the side.
"So, they really came back." Jiam muttered dismissively. His words reached Duan's ears, drawing his attention.
Taro was casually conversing with Hathaway, who smiled and nodded at him. He then took her hand as if preparing to teleport away, only to be approached by a man from the crowd.
"Master Muten!" the man called out excitedly.
The newcomer was none other than Long Bam, whom Taro had brought to North Kai fifty years prior. In the decades since, Bam's power had grown exponentially, evident from his aura.
"You've been training well," Taro remarked with a small smile, patting Long Xincheng's shoulder.
---
Duan's gaze followed Jiam's line of sight, landing on the trio: Taro, Hathaway, and their child (still obscured by Hathaway's arms). His eyes immediately locked onto Taro.
The man had no halo over his head.
A living mortal.
Duan recalled what Grand Kai had mentioned many years ago, that the next tournament would include a participant from the living world.
"It seems…" Duan thought to himself, "that my greatest opponent this time is him."
---
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