Chapter 27 - Early Finals Fight

…

Yamcha went and put a hand on the young monk's shoulder. "You did well out there."

Using his body, Yamcha covered Krillin from Tao's view and flickered a Senzu Bean on the young boy's mouth. He coughed a little but then noticed all of his Ki returning.

"Wow, tha-"

"Shush now, and go," Yamcha pushed him away. Krillin got the memo and continued acting tired.

But right then and there, Yamcha felt the hair on his back rise and pushed Krillin off the stage with one hand while crouching down quickly.

What greeted him next was Tao, with an angry face and sword in hand.

"What're you doing? The fight hasn't started yet," Yamcha stated calmly.

"Participant Tao has used a weapon during the tournament and attacked another contestant! He is immediately disqualified!" The announcer yelled out.

Without hesitation, Tao threw a grenade at the announcer, who tried backing off but wasn't fast enough. Yamcha threw a beam from his finger and pierced the projectile, making it explode mid-air.

The audience gasped in horror, people started backing off, and some ran away. At the same time, most stood there with expectations and excited smiles.

'Do they think this is staged?! Jesus, people, have some self-awareness here!'

Tao didn't seem to care and instead attacked Yamcha with a flurry of attacks. "You dared to threaten me!"

Yamcha had to admit the old assassin was fast. He was barely dodging his attacks.

Though maybe that might be because he was still wearing his weighted vest and hadn't had the opportunity to take it off. "You're still hung up about that?"

He also decided to ignore the notification that came about him completing a Quest. Yamcha then decided to go on the attack, but as he got close to Tao, his body froze, and the assassin slashed him across the shoulder. Yamcha had backed off just in time before the pro assassin could cut off his neck.

'What was that?!' He was shocked. Yamcha knew he would have been able to dodge that attack easily.

Suddenly, Yamcha felt like throwing up, his stomach gurgling. It felt like hot water was boiling down his veins.

[You're inflicted by: Cherry Blossom (Venom)]

[You're inflicted by: Killer Moss (Poison)]

Poison, so that's what it was. Yamcha winced slightly. This was a good idea on how to take out someone stronger than yourself.

"Do you like it? The Cherry Blossom poison is made to feel like your blood is boiling. I commend you for not crawling on the ground and crying like an infant." Tao stated coldly while charging again for an attack. "Also, let's see how long you can stay alive!"

Yamcha had only a minor shoulder injury, and the sword hadn't gone that deep. But yet, his HP was below 50% already and was dropping by the minute.

For some reason, Yamcha was calm during the whole battle. Whether it was Gamer's Mind or his Willpower Stat, he didn't know. Yet, he was more relaxed than ever.

Analyzing the situation, he knew that Tao was competent enough to have at least hidden the antidote somewhere.

So with that in mind, Yamcha punched his stomach, shattering the weighted vest in one hit. The time to play games and train was over, now was the time to fight seriously.

[You have gained Skill: Poison Resistance]

[Poison Resistance has Leveled Up]

Even with that skill, it only bought a couple of seconds. The poison of a pro assassin wasn't something one could stop so easily.

Yamcha calculated a dozen moves in his mind. 'Should I approach him? No, he might take that chance and drop another airborne poison on me. I need to deal with him with a beam.'

He gathered Ki in his hand, forming a blast the size of a watermelon.

But Tao didn't look worried and instead took out a remote control. "Well, aren't you a talented young man? Can you guess what this little red button does?"

Yamcha used Observe on the remote and saw it was a bomb detonator remote.

"While you were fighting the monkey boy. I planted bombs all around this place. One wrong move and everyone will go boom. I even made sure to put a gift in your dear friend's room where he is healing." Tao had a mocking smirk, knowing he had already won. "You might survive this. But it will turn your friends into chunks."

People panicked, and some started trying to run away.

"If anyone moves, I will blow you the hell up!!" Tao threatened everyone and the whole arena froze in fear.

Yamcha glanced to the sidelines, both Goku and Krillin were there, and Roshi was at the back too. At least the old master was better from his humiliating defeat. None of them were fast enough for Tao not to notice them if they moved.

'Shit, this is bad.' Yamcha stood there, not knowing what to do, as the sun set on the horizon.

Tao charged and his sword flashed even faster than before, Yamcha leaned back and dodged the initial slash before he felt pain in his thigh, a knife. Tao pulled out the knife and Yamcha tried to jump back, but with an injured leg, it was hard.

[You're inflicted by: Inland Taipan Snake (Poison)]

His body felt like he had a mountain on his shoulders, and his lungs were burning. Yamcha was sweating so hard that it burned his eyes. During this whole time, Tao kept slashing at him, and he escaped decapitation dozens of times, but new scars kept appearing on his body.

There was a clear difference in fighting experience between both of them. Yamcha needed to think before doing something, but Tao didn't.

Seeing that he was losing, and eventually, he would make a mistake, Yamcha decided to make a desperate play and during Tao's next slash, he used his arm as a shield. The sword dug into his forearm, and Yamcha tightened his muscles, getting the weapon stuck in place.

"You're a damn monster, kid," Tao congratulated him. Yamcha tried grabbing him, but the assassin let go of his weapon and jumped back. It was a bloodbath. The world's best killer frowned. "You can still smirk in a situation like this?"

Yamcha didn't know what the old man was speaking about and didn't care about it. He was wholly concentrated on his next move. One good hit, even affected by the poisons, he only needed one good hit on Tao. Yamcha wondered if he might have to use his trump card.

[Warning: HP has dropped below 20%]

'Do I have to-'

Suddenly the darkening sky lit red as the full moon rose.

"Huh?" Tao looked up in confusion, and his eyes widened when he saw a laser beam coming down. "What is that?!"

Fwish!

Seeing Tao distracted for a split second, Yamcha immediately used all of his buffing skills at once. Before Tao could react, he had closed the distance between them in less than a second.

The old assassins' eyes widened, and Yamcha could see his reflection in Tao's gaze. The confidence Earth's best assassin had until now was gone, and only panic, shock, and a trace of fear were left there.

The sound of flesh ripping rang out, blood spurted out. In Tao's hand, were before was a remote, was only a bleeding stump left.

"Damn it!" Tao yelled out in frustration before gathering Ki on the top of his finger and aiming it at Yamcha. But with the red light coming from the sky, the old assassin turned his hand upward and shot it toward the laser that was raining down. "Dondon Ray!!"

BOOOOOM!!

The beam and laser clashed, causing the space laser to scatter, but the heavy laser still rained down and caused heavy explosions in the arena. Even Yamcha had to jump back and dodge some.

Tao, who had been in the middle, was scorched, and he had expended too much energy stopping a space laser from killing him, and his body slumped to the ground. It smelled of burnt flesh.

"I… I will kill-" Tao's words were cut short as Yamcha appeared behind him and knocked him out with a clear shot to his neck.

"Y -Yamcha is the WINNER!!" Johnny declared with joy.

Yamcha stood there in the middle of the arena, looking at Tao's dawned unconscious figure. A cold look appeared in Yamcha's eyes for a split second, but it disappeared as soon as it came.

People cheered for him. Most of them because he just saved their lives. By now, everyone had forgotten about the tournament as mothers hugged their children and older siblings reassured the younger ones.

He glanced at the downed Tao one last time, took a senzu bean, and bit down on it. The injuries, pain from the poison, and everything else healed as Yamcha returned to a peak state.

Yamcha jumped off the broken stage and walked toward Bulma and the others. "Is it just me, or are you hungry for some steak?"

"I am!" Goku jumped enthusiastically.

"HEHAHAHAHAAHA!!! Forty-three times baby!!" Carrot suddenly yelled out, startling everyone around.

'What the hell is up with him?' Wondered Yamcha.

***

The next time Tao opened his eyes, he was in a room, a dark hospital room, to be more exact. Tao was surprised even to be alive. "After all that talk, the brat didn't do anything. Even after threatening to kill anyone he has ever lived."

So, he was one of those goody-two-shoes, a soft-hearted weakling. Just apologize and show remorse. They will easily let you go even if you killed their kid. Tao had seen a dime in a dozen of those people throughout his long life.

Those people thought the enemies they defeated would just let them go and hold no hatred. Well, Tao planned to poison that girl Bulma first as soon as he got out of bed. Then have Yamcha come to him while Tao kills all those that he had ever loved.

Suddenly, Tao heard footsteps from the hallway. He listened carefully and the steps sounded like a calm heartbeat.

Abruptly, his dark room was lit up as the door opened, and the light from the hallways comes in. The figure that came in was covered in darkness as he closed the door behind him. But even in such darkness, Tao could see him perfectly.

'Here comes the pussycat to tell me how bad my ways have been. Well, I will play along for now. No reason to anger him.' Tao decided in a split second. "Sorry for what I did before. The bomb threat was fake. Also, sorry for poi- *gurgle*"

Suddenly, Tao felt pain in his chest and looked down. The perpetrator had shot a beam straight through his lungs. More correctly, the beam had pierced his body and exploded inside his lungs. The control one needed over their Ki to achieve such a thing was crazy.

Tao couldn't say anything or scream as his lungs filled with blood.

"You talk way too much for an assassin," the young man said, his stare cold as ice. As he next pointed his finger at Tao's forehead.

'H -How is this possible?! He didn't kill me before? Why now?!' For the first time in decades, Tao felt genuine fear.

The next thing he knew, Tao's world went bright and then dark.

**********

A/N: For this week I will post daily chapters, and for every 100 Power Stones you will get +1 extra chapter.