Goku vs. Tenshinhan

A Field of One Hundred Eighty-Two Narrows to Two

The announcer reminds the packed stadium that this year's Twenty-Second Tenka'ichi Budokai began with one hundred eighty-two hopefuls and has now been whittled down to Son Goku and Tenshinhan. Eager for a front row view, Kame-Sen'nin worms through the crowd and plants himself beside Kuririn at the back wall. The little monk protests that the area is off limits to spectators, but the old master brushes the rule aside. Up in the stands, Tsuru-Sen'nin and Chiaotzu settle in to watch, with the Crane Hermit seething over the very idea of his pupil losing to anyone from the Turtle School after what happened to Tao Pai-pai.

An Explosive First Exchange

The two finalists lock eyes, the bell is called, and Goku launches himself forward. Tenshinhan calmly blocks the opening strike, then lashes out with a kick of his own. Goku vaults the leg, wraps it with his tail, and swings around to drive an uppercut squarely into the three-eyed warrior's chin. Tenshinhan is flung clear across the ring, twists mid-flight to recover, and kicks off the tiles to sail up into the air. Goku hurtles after him with a jump kick, but his opponent meets him with a hot yellow beam of Dodonpa light straight from a fingertip. The blast punches Goku through the ring itself, scattering shattered tiles across the floor.

Machine Gun Fists

Smirking, Tenshinhan drifts back to the surface, only to have Goku rocket up from beneath the broken flagstones. The Turtle student lands, rebounds off the ring, and rushes in with the same untrackable burst of speed that undid Kuririn. This time it fails. Tenshinhan closes his eyes and tracks the footfalls by sound alone, then cracks Goku across the jaw with a brutal counter that sneers at the so-called child's trick. He presses the advantage without mercy, driving an elbow into Goku's ribs to pin him against the back wall, then unleashes a blinding rapid fire combination the old master names the Machine Gun Punch. A final hammering blow peels Goku off the wall, and Tenshinhan holds the half-conscious boy upright in one hand, asking if he would rather be delivered to Heaven or to Hell.