With the energetic commentary of the blonde announcer, the atmosphere at the scene was successfully pushed to an even greater high!
The previous matches of Yamiru and Son Goku had already shown everyone their extraordinary skills. Now, all were eagerly anticipating what kind of sparks would fly when these two finally clashed in the finals!
"This is the first time I've seen Yamiru and Goku fight in person~" Tights said with a smile, leaning against the railing.
"Aren't you cheering for Yamiru, sis?" Bulma asked curiously.
Tights blinked. "Nah, I don't want to distract him. Grandpa Roshi and the others just mentioned it, right? Goku, as a Saiyan, has superior recovery abilities, and after his fight with Chiaotzu, he's in even better shape. Yamiru is already exhausted—he just needs to give it his all. Besides, I don't really care about tournament championships. As long as he has no regrets, that's enough for me!"
"That's right. Doing your best and having no regrets is what matters," Master Roshi nodded in agreement. "Martial arts isn't just about defeating your opponent; it's about not losing to yourself. If you won't feel regret afterward, then you've upheld the true standard of a Turtle School martial artist."
The bald monk beside him clasped his hands together respectfully. "Master Roshi, I've learned something new today."
"What a strange philosophy…" Jaco, on the other hand, was indifferent. "Fighting is fighting, life is life. Why mix them together?"
"Heh, whatever, let's just enjoy the match," Master Roshi chuckled, not bothering to argue. "This should be an exciting battle—let's see how much of Son Gohan's teachings they've each mastered."
After confirming that both fighters were ready, the referee jogged off the ring and loudly announced into the microphone:
"The final match of the 19th World Martial Arts Tournament… now officially begins!!!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, their excited voices adding to the electric atmosphere.
On the ring, Yamiru and Son Goku assumed identical Turtle School stances, each fully sensing the other's unwavering focus.
"The exact same stance! Folks, we've seen various fighting stances in previous matches, but now, as Son and Sato stand together, we realize—they're using the same one! Could it be that… Ah! The fighters have finally moved! They—they've disappeared! They've vanished from the ring!"
The announcer's voice boomed as the two warriors vanished in an instant, only to reappear at the center of the ring.
Boom!
A deep, resonant impact rang out as Yamiru and Son Goku's forearms clashed midair. Clearly, both had chosen to charge straight ahead, resulting in a head-on collision.
"Heh…" Yamiru grinned.
"Hee…" Son Goku grinned back, their arms trembling as they pushed against each other, neither willing to give in.
Suddenly, Yamiru loosened his strength, allowing Son Goku's arm to swing forward from its own momentum. At the same time, Yamiru twisted his body and launched a high kick—only to hit empty air! It was the Afterimage Technique!
"Goku must've predicted that Yamiru would change his move first, so he was prepared and used the Afterimage Technique to escape!" Master Roshi clapped in approval from below the ring. To the untrained eye, it seemed like a simple exchange, but experts could recognize the subtle, strategic battle unfolding between them. "A clever kid… It's almost like an instinctive ability."
Meanwhile, on the ring, Yamiru ignored the dissipating afterimage. Instead, he stood still, focusing all his attention on the faint and rapid footsteps across the ring, tracking Son Goku's movements.
"There!"
Yamiru suddenly lashed out with a side kick, revealing Son Goku's real body—except, it was another afterimage!
"Wrong again! It's a Double Afterimage!" Son Goku appeared behind Yamiru, who had just finished his kick, laughing playfully. "I saw you use this in the preliminaries~ Take this!"
With that, Son Goku threw a punch toward Yamiru's back.
But once again, he hit nothing but air—Yamiru had used the Afterimage Technique as well!
"If you already know it's my move—" Yamiru reappeared behind Son Goku, who had been attacking his afterimage, "you still dare to show off in front of me?"
He lunged forward with open arms—only to grasp at empty space.
"A Triple Afterimage!"
Son Goku's laughter rang from a different location.
Yamiru left an afterimage behind. "Idiot, I told you not to copy me!"
"Quadruple!"
"Then I'll go five!"
"Six!"
"Seven!"
"I'll always have one more than you!"
"Why don't you count and see who actually has more?"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The audience watched in stunned silence as the arena filled with countless afterimages of Son Goku and Yamiru clashing.
Before the previous images could fade, new ones were already crowding the ring.
Neither of them was willing to back down, pushing their speed and explosive power to the absolute limit.
"What are these two brats treating the Afterimage Technique like?!" Master Roshi muttered, his face covered in black lines.
"What a bizarre move..." Jaco was getting dizzy just watching. Up until now, Monkey Goku had relied on sheer power, every attack fierce and direct—no tricks, just raw strength.
They had to stop!
Yamiru, moving at high speed, suddenly felt a cramp in his calf. His heart clenched.
"Heh! I still have more than you—" Goku lunged at one of Yamiru's 'afterimages'—only to find himself landing a solid hit.
"This isn't Afterimage Technique?!" he exclaimed in shock.
"All's fair in battle, dummy." Yamiru yanked Goku's arm and rushed in, unleashing a flurry of wild punches.
"Ouch!" Goku grunted as he took a few hits, pain shooting through his body. But he wasn't about to back down. He gritted his teeth and endured, adjusting to Yamiru's rhythm. The battle transformed into a furious close-quarters exchange—strike for strike, reaction for reaction, instinct for instinct. Adapting, countering, constantly shifting techniques, each fighter aiming to land just one more hit than the other!
The announcer perfectly voiced the shock reverberating through the crowd.
"Bang!"
Yamiru's fist landed squarely on Goku's chest.
"This kid... once he gets lost in a fight, he turns into someone else entirely," Yamiru thought. "His moves and reactions completely defy normal logic. The more we fight, the more his battle instincts shine through. What a pain..."
"Whoa!" Goku let out a pained cry. But he quickly twisted Yamiru's wrist, spun around, and drove his heel into Yamiru's cheek.
"Still... Yamiru's technique is definitely more refined," Goku thought to himself. "He trained even harder in the mountains... and he really knows how to use our size difference to restrict my movements."
"Hmph!" Yamiru grunted, his nostrils flaring as he exhaled sharply.
With a quick movement, he slapped his hand onto Goku's ankle and drove his knee up, suspending Goku awkwardly in midair.
"Ugh..."
The two of them twisted together in an awkward yet precarious position, swaying back and forth yet refusing to collapse. Their struggle turned into a brutal contest of raw strength.
In the end, neither wanted to remain locked in a stalemate. Almost in sync, they released each other, pushing off and landing on opposite sides of the ring.
"Pfft—" Yamiru smacked his lips and spat out a glob of blood. Then he took a deep breath and grinned.
"That should be enough warm-up, don't you think?"
"Heh heh," Goku wiped his face. "Yeah! Time to get serious!"
Tien Shinhan, supporting Chiaotzu in the stands, broke out in a cold sweat.
"This pace... it's terrifying," he murmured. "It's like their sheer presence is suffocating! Both of them are monsters..."
"Hey, Goku, how about we settle this with our master's rock-paper-scissors?" Yamiru suddenly suggested.
"Huh? Rock-paper-scissors?" Goku blinked, then grinned excitedly. "Alright! Heh heh... rock, paper..."
Hiding his hand behind his back, he charged forward.
Yamiru did the same, keeping his fist hidden as he rushed in.
"Rock!" Goku threw his fist forward.
"Paper!" Yamiru stretched out his palm, catching Goku's fist. In an instant, both of his hands clamped onto Goku's arm.
"Huh?" Goku realized something was off about Yamiru's grip.
"You fell for it, idiot!" Yamiru laughed, spinning Goku around before hurling him straight out of the ring.