“The first round of the semi-finals! Pan of Universe 16 vs. Uub of Universe 18!” This announcement earned a spirited applause from the remaining audience.

  “Go, Big Sis! Go, Uub! You got this!” Unable to decide her favorite, Little Pan cheered both combatants on.

  Pan appreciated the gesture, waving her cyberized hand at the spectators. There was a subtle whirl as its joints moved in the appropriate gesture. It still amazed her that Yamcha and the others managed to connect her undead brain with mechanical parts. Despite Yamcha’s modesty, it was pure genius. And no, Buu’s help didn’t count.

  “Let’s have a good fight.” Pan gave her opponent a respectful bow, which her opponent replicated.

  “You too.” Unlike yesterday, Goku’s student seemed more confident, not the almost nervous wreck he’d been. Did he have some sort of trick up his proverbial sleeve? “I like your new body. They did nice work.”

  Yamcha gave Pan a thumbs-up, which she mimicked. If it weren’t for the silver skin, one might mistake it for her original body. It melted into her gray, undead flesh, giving her a strange mismatched appearance like a patchwork quilt. They’d even granted her a couple of centimeters taller at her request, so that it appeared like she was still growing. It was a silly request, but it made her feel more normal.

  While it’d only been a couple of days, surely she would have grown somewhat if she hadn’t gotten turned into a zombie. Pan was a growing girl!

  “Now she can at least pretend she's normal,” was Libra’s snide comment, making Pan bristle.

  “I think it’s pretty cool!” Goku said. “The androids were super tough! I can’t wait to see how strong it’s made Pan!”

  “Does this make her Android 21?” her Dad-as-Piccolo said, stroking his chin.

  “Welcome to the family, sister,” Android 18 said, smirking.

  “Please don’t call me that,” Pan replied, mortified.

  “You were a friend of Mary Sue’s, right?” Android 17 asked.

  “Yes?” Pan replied, confused by the sudden turn in conversation.

  “Then you are like family to us!” Android 17 said with astonishing sincerity. “It’s what Mary Sue would have wanted! Welcome to the family, Little Sister 21!”

  “Okay,” Pan said, unsure how to respond to that.

  “You idiot! I was being sarcastic!” Android 18 smacked her brother over the head, but 17 still eyed Pan with surprising kindness and love.

  “Huh.” Had Mary Sue’s influence somehow given a heart to the evil, murderous android? Or restored it? He was good in her universe. How confusing.

  “Begin!”

  Pan took a fighting stance, her hands twitchy as she prepared for her opponent’s attack. She’d seen his capabilities in his fight against Goku. With Kaio-ken, Uub boosted his power to an unbelievable level. It came at a cost though, heavily taxing the body.

  “Okay, if I outlast him, I can win!” Pan thought. If she lasted that long, blown to smithereens by his Kaio-ken Transcended form.

  But her opponent didn’t transform. Instead, Uub gave her a friendly smile. “How about a friendly spar first. I want to see what your dad has taught you.”

  “Okay,” Pan said, her heart lightening. She’d been so exposed to so many deadly, high-stakes brawls, she’d forgotten about being a simple martial artist. “I’d like that.”

  She’d only had a couple of hours sparring against Little Pan. This offered her more opportunity to adjust to her new cyborg body.

  “Show me your skills, Pan.” Uub didn’t hesitate, throwing the first blow. It was a test strike, so Pan blocked it easily. She returned his attack with one of her own, and they fell into a rhythm as they tested their opponent’s ability.

  Even through just a few punches, it became obvious Uub possessed superior skill. He’d worked hard to polish his ability, pushing his limits in his sparring matches with Goku. She was hard-pressed to even catch up to him, making dumb mistakes that presented easy openings for her opponent. But Uub never capitalized on them, more interested in testing Pan’s capabilities.

  “Impressive. I can tell Piccolo taught you well,” Uub said as they disentangled themselves.

  “Thanks.” While she’d received some training from her father and grandfathers, Uncle Piccolo had taught her everything she knew. “You’re good yourself.” It was obvious that Uub’s greater years provided him the advantage.

  Uub inclined his head, smashing his fists together. “Now that we’ve warmed up, ready for the main event?”

  “Always.” Golden light reflected off her silver skin as she transformed, her aura flaring like a firestorm.

  Uub’s ki spiked, but his aura remained the same. He hadn’t activated his Kaio-ken yet? Even without it, Uub was formidable.

  “Now the show’s about to begin,” Buu said, eyes alight with mischief. What the heck did that mean? Next to him, Anpan basically danced on her toes with excitement.

  “Now to see if what I’ve learned is useful in an actual fight,” Uub adopted a fighting stance.

  Huh? What did that mean? Had Uub learned some new tricks since yesterday?

  “Uh, Grandpa.” Little Pan tugged Goku’s sleeve. “Is it just me, or does Uub seem older than before?”

  “You might be right,” Goku replied after some consideration. Pan soon realized what they meant. It was subtle, but there was a slight change in her opponent compared to yesterday. More bulk, or height maybe? Some stumble on his chin? “Is there a Hyperbolic Time Chamber we aren’t aware of?”

  “What?!” Pan blurted. Then she glared at Buu as a sneaking suspicion struck her. The person in question whistled, all innocence. She turned her baleful stare at Uub, who at least had the decency to look shamefaced.

  “I wasn’t trying to cheat!” Uub turned serious. “But the stakes are high. We can’t afford to allow Libra to win. We need to be ready.”

  “Huh?” What did that mean? Did he know something?

  “Do you now?” Libra said, amused, crossing her arms. “You fear me more than an actual monster?”

  “Fine.” Pan’s opponent gasped as her ki spiked. “Then don’t expect me to hold back!”

  “Gah!” Uub grunted in pain as her fist connected with his abdomen. He gasped, his aura flaring red as he rushed back to get out of Pan’s grip. His aura returned to its usual color a moment later. “You weren’t kidding! I felt you leeching my life away with that hit!”

  Pan shot him a smug smile. “It’s what you deserve.”

  “No wonder you took out Vegeta with a single hit,” Uub said, rubbing his midsection.

  “That’s not what happened at all! She cheated by ambushing me when I was tired!” Vegeta said, annoyed.

  “How nostalgic,” 17 said. “Just like 19 and 20, Little Sis 21 can drain ki with her hands.”

  “It wasn’t intentional!” Pan replied, annoyed. She tilted her hand down, so everyone couldn’t see the red jewel embedded in her android hand.

  But Uub wasn’t listening, his expression thoughtful. “I really can’t allow you to touch me.” Despite the serious blow she’d caused, he didn’t seem overly concerned. He seemed confident he’d win this contest. “Okay, my turn.”

  Uub charged, his aura remaining its usual blue. Much to Pan’s confusion, he was attacking her head-on. What happened to being careful? But she only shrugged it off. If her opponent wanted to be foolish, she wouldn’t complain.

  “Got you!” But Pan gasped as four Uubs appeared from nowhere, attacking her on all sides. Surprised, she swung at the nearest two, expecting a solid thud as her kick connected with the clones. Her eyes widened as her attack flew through the two Uubs, their bodies dissolving like smoke on contact. One Uub’s aura flared red, his body expanding as he activated his Kaio-ken. Pan watched in helpless horror as energy gathered in the buffed-out Uub’s hand. The arena exploded as her body connected, crushing the structure with a single hit.

  “What was that?” her Father-as-Piccolo asked, his Namekian brow furrowed. “That wasn’t multiform. Heck, I never sensed any ki in the clones.”

  “It must be an illusion, I sensed no ki. But where did he learn that?” Piccolo-as-Cell Jr. gave Buu a conspicuous look.

  “Uub is a very gifted young man,” Buu replied.

  “Gah!” Pan pulled herself from the rubble. Thankfully, it hadn’t hurt her tough cyborg body much. “How can anyone do anything without ki?”

  But Pan didn’t have time to consider this, as Uub pounced on her. She gasped as electricity crackled in her opponent’s palm and lashed out at her. She ducked, dodging the bolts by a hair.

  “He can summon electricity too?” Again, Pan sensed no ki being used in the attack. How the heck did Buu teach him this? An idea struck her.

  “Wait, is this magic?” Pan asked, fishing for answers. It was a wild guess on her part.

  “You got me. Buu and I are very similar, so learning magic wasn’t difficult.” Uub made his fingers into an orb shape, electricity sparking within the confines of his hand. Then it miraculously, it changed into a roaring flame, then a torrent of rampaging water. “I could have learned many magical specialties, but elementalism seemed more practical for combat.”

  Uub extended a hand, the crackling electricity gathering and extending until it formed a blade of pure energy. “Besides, it’s useful when fighting someone you can’t touch.” He took a fighting stance with his newly created sword before launching himself at his opponent.

  “Whoa!” Pan ducked and jerked back as Uub slashed with his sword. He was surprisingly proficient, a testament to his training of undisclosed time with Buu. One nick of the blade sent her electronic limb sparking and sputtering, but thankfully it held against the powerful electrical charge.

  “That’s not fair,” Pan said, leaping back to keep her distance. Uub had chosen just the right weapon to mess with her robotic body. He didn’t even need to knock her out—if he broke her new android body, she’d be totally helpless.

  “Sorry, Pan. But there’s no such thing as fair in a fight!” Uub’s body flared red, and he dashed at her at impossible speed as he used a sudden burst of Kaio-ken. His blade flashed, aimed at her chest, correctly guessing where Yamcha had put her energy unit.

  With no other choice, Pan summoned her own sudden burst of energy, a trick Yamcha had given her to surprise an opponent. The jewel in her artificial palm flashed bright.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Gah!” Uub howled in pain as he flipped end over end before crashing hard into the barrier protecting the audience.

  “How did she do that?” Vegeta asked. “She couldn’t possibly amass that much ki so quickly.”

  “Or so you assume,” Yamcha said, smug. “When I was looking over the design of Android 20, it gave me a little idea. Though, I’m sure it wasn’t anything Dr. Gero ever considered!”

  “Oh, I see. That gem on her palm. If I recall, both Android 19 and 20 had one,” Goku said. “They used it to absorb energy, but this is new.”

  “Yes, it was,” Buu said, pleased with himself. “Though, it’s a little redundant with our zombie girl here. So, I put it to another use.”

  “I got it.” Uub winced as he struggled to his feet. “It channels energy instead, a way to harness your ki.”

  Buu clapped his hands together, wiping a fake tear away. “High marks for both my students!”

  “I’m not your student!” Pan went on the offensive, striking hard and fast to keep her opponent off balance, refusing any breathing room.

  She was utterly relentless, using her distortion power to make it impossible to tell which direction she attacked from. Uub grimaced as a fist impacted his chest, withering before Pan’s eyes as she leeched away his ki. A sudden surge of Uub’s aura blew Pan away. She flipped in the air as she recovered.

  “Ugh, you have some nasty tricks, Pan,” Uub said, breathless.

  This earned only a smirk from his opponent. “Got to keep things interesting. Well, magic boy, you got any other tricks to keep us entertained?”

  “More tricks, eh?” Uub stretched his neck and shoulders before entering a fighting stance. He extended both hands and beamed. “Nothing up my sleeves or hidden in my hands.”

  “You’re not wearing sleeves, Uub.” But Pan gasped as electrical energy crackled around him and took physical shape, forming the silhouette of a person. Features developed around the head, becoming a mirror of Uub’s own face. It shared Uub’s smile and extended a hand to constituted its own electrical sword.

  “That’s no illusion.”

  “The nice thing about magic is that it’s its own energy source.” Uub summoned an electrical sword. “Each clone is almost as powerful as the original. And, best of all, I can use both together for devastating results.” To demonstrate, Uub summoned ki into his fist as he charged. Pan ducked as a beam shot past her face, but this was only a distraction as Uub slashed down with his lightning blade. Pan dodged—barely—but twitched and seized up as the clone attacked her blind spot. She went flying as a palm strike hit her chin.

  “So does this mean Uub has two sources of power, Grandpa?” Little Pan asked. “Dang, maybe I should double as a witch!”

  “Good question.” Goku scratched his chin. “It’s like Uub has twice as much ki now!”

  “It’s not as powerful as it seems.” Piccolo-as-Cell Jr. crossed his tiny arms. “Magic has its limitations. In fact, it’s more limiting than anything.”

  “Oh!” Little Pan said, fascinated.

  “Limiting? Hardly!” Uub extended his other hand, summoning another electrical sword. He beamed at his opponent’s surprised expression. “Shocking, right?”

  “Oh shoot!” Her electronic systems were already acting up, not as responsive as they should be. Uub had already done a number on them. Another hit, and she would become dead fried bits of useless metal!

  “Kaio-ken Transcended!” she gasped as Uub’s body bulked up, his ki spiking to unbelievable levels. With speed that staggered belief, twin blades aimed at her exposed chest, with his electrical clone attacking from behind. Pan had nowhere to run.

  But Uub’s eyes widened in shock as his twin swords vanished from his hands, his swipes striking nothing but open air. His clone vanished mid-kick, only lightly shocking her. Pan saw her opportunity. With a strike from her palm, Pan stole all the ki she’d dare take. The effect was instantaneous, his body shriveling like a raisin. In a moment, she’d drained away much of his Transcended power.

  “Impossible!” Uub said, teleporting away before he lost his remaining ki. “What happened to my magic?”

  “You overextended yourself,” Piccolo-as-Cell Jr. said. “Magic isn’t like ki. No amount of training can extend your reserve.”

  “What?! You never told me about this, Buu!” Uub turned to glare at his trainer.

  “Some things you need to learn by yourself,” Buu said, shrugging. “Besides, I told you not to be reckless with your magic.” He gave a mournful sigh. “Two swords and a magic clone. Absurd to assume you could hold that much magic for long.”

  “I warned you about this before, Uub. You need to use your power more wisely. You’ll fight for longer if you don’t exert your energy unnecessarily,” Goku chided.

  “Yes, sensei,” Uub said, his tone glum. Then he slapped his face, his expression turning determined. “But I’m not out yet!”

  “Okay, let’s see if you can prove that boast, Uub!” Pan said, charging at full throttle.

  With her opponent so drained, she’d be merciful and finish him quickly. She figured it’d require only a touch. Uub’s expression turned worried as Pan summoned her disorienting doubles, confusing him with a maelstrom of darkness.

  “Don’t use your eyes!” Goku said. “Use your instincts! You can do this!”

  After shaking his head, Uub closed his eyes and calmed his rushing breath. It was like he’d entered a meditative state. But it didn’t matter. She had him dead to rights.

  “Got you!” Pan struck, reaching out a hand at Uub’s exposed back.

  “Not yet!” Uub extended a hand in Pan’s direction, somehow divining her location despite being unable to see. Her eyes widened as energy crackled in his hands. Pan’s body jolted as thousands of volts of electricity shot into her.

  “Hey, no fair. I thought you were out of magic!” Pan gasped as her artificial arm went limp, and her entire body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. No! He’d completely fried her android body’s electrical systems.

  “Ah, man!” Yamcha said, slapping his forehead. “Next time, we’re installing better insulation against electricity.”

  “Almost. Now I’m out,” Uub said.

  “And Pan, you should never let your guard down, even if you think your opponent defeated.” Goku touched his shoulder reflexively. “I learned that the hard way.”

  “Yes, Grandpa,” Pan said, glum. Now they were both in terrible shape. While awkward, she levitated her body up by her remaining head and arm. It was like trying to lift something by your pinky—awkward and uneven.

  “It seems this fight’s about ready to finish,” Uub said. “Can you fight me with that deadweight?”

  “I’m not finished yet.” Her dead metal body would be an impediment, even if only slightly. Still, in a high-stakes battle, it often meant victory or defeat. Her aura flared, holding nothing back. It caught Uub by surprise, a hint of worry in his eyes. She’d put the power she’d stolen from him to good use.

  But Uub shook his head, throwing away any doubts. “Kaio-ken Transcended!”

  “Such power!” Pan tried her best to fend off her opponent’s powerful blows, but it was like fighting against a hurricane. Metal dented as Pan used her dead android body as a shield to protect her true body parts. Her real arm used that shield to attack Uub’s blind spot, but he easily dodged away, sensing it coming. Another punch rattled her entire body, oil and broken circuits bleeding from the impact. Her opponent’s speed dazzled her, too quick to respond to. Her leaden body left her a sitting duck, one arm too awkward to attack with.

  “Big sis!” Little Pan yelled, alarmed, as Uub cupped his hands, energy gathering within, aimed at Pan’s exposed face. Her eyes widened.

  “Kamehameha!”

  Time seemed to slow as her desperate mind raced. She raised a hand to gather enough energy to deflect the incoming blast. Their beams collided, but it was like fighting a raging inferno with a squirt gun. The incoming beam blasted her clear across the arena, striking the barrier hard enough that it cracked on impact, shattering as the beam shot right through it.

  “I–impossible!” a Vargas’ voice wavered, shaking like a leaf. “We reinforced it to be ten times stronger than last time!”

  Pan collapsed on the grass outside the ring, her body totaled. Little remained of her android body beyond some broken scraps attached to her head and arm. The blast had consumed the rest.

  “Sorry about that, Pan,” Uub said, shaking his head. “But you’re hard to put down.”

  “Shoot.” Blackness consumed her vision, failing to lift her head. She tried gathering ki from her surroundings to gain enough strength to fight, but the stands were almost empty, leaving her little to leech off.

  “I’m starting the count!” the announcer said. “Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…”

  “Please, Big Sis, get up!” Little Pan cried.

  “Is it finally over?” Libra steepled her fingers in front of her face. “Has the monster girl finally met her match?”

  “Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…”

  “You fought well, Pan. It was one hell of a match,” Uub said, a slight smile on his face.

  “Nine, eight, seven…”

  “No, I haven’t lost yet,” She’d gone too far to lose now. It amazed her how stubborn she was being. Hadn’t she fought well? No one would think less of her for surrendering. But a part of her hated losing—no, hated giving up. Pan wanted to push herself even further, as crazy as that sounded.

  “Three, two…” The announcer stopped as Pan’s head floated in place. Her arm, however, which was still attached to a piece of broken shoulder, stayed put.

  “You’re up again,” Uub said, impressed. “But only your head?” He sounded wary, expecting a trap.

  Truthfully, she didn’t have the energy to raise her arm. If she’d been a single body, it’d be easy. But disconnected, there was some leakage of ki between her head and her sole limb. In her condition, however, it was an almost impassable gulf. Still, Uub didn’t know that. And she’d use that to her advantage.

  “Kaio-ken Transcended!” Not taking any chances, Uub activated his full might. Compared to her lone head, he was a hulking titan. Pan’s confidence wavered, wondering how she’d defeat him in her state. She’d been hoping he wouldn’t have this kind of power left.

  “Stupid Kaio-ken!” It didn’t work like Super Saiyan, accessible as long as the person will risk their body. Still, wasn’t this somewhat reckless? Didn’t Uub fear burning his body out?

  With no actual plan, Pan kept to evasion, using her distortion to make herself a tougher target. With her body unencumbered, it was like trying to swat a gnat as Uub punched at her. His larger body size didn’t help either, giving Pan the edge she needed to evade his lumbering attacks. Somehow, her unusual condition was working to her advantage.

  Uub realized his mistake, gritting his teeth when he saw his opponent was too slippery. But Pan was running on ever-dwindling fumes, her head wobbling as she struggled to stay aloft. She’d dodged so far, but that exchange had cost her.

  “You just won’t lose, will you? Fine,” Uub said, coming to a decision. Much to her shock, he flew high into the air, hands positioned for one final Kamehameha. If he couldn’t hit her, he’d just destroy everything. Was he trying to kill her?!

  Pan opened her mouth to ask for surrender, but the words stuck in her throat. Despite everything, she still wanted to fight. Was this her Saiyan genes trying to get her killed? Or rather, dead dead?

  “Fine then!” Not giving herself time to reconsider her crazy, reckless plan, she did it.

  “Ka…” Uub’s eyes widened as a golden dart flew at him at incredible speed. His stumble bought Pan a couple precious moments, but he continued forward, energy gathering in his palms.

  “Please be enough to hurt him,” Pan silently prayed.

  “Mehameha!”

  Light enveloped Pan as she flew into her opponent, the beam just catching her. The force of the blast tore away a piece of her cheek, but she’d flown through the beam quick enough to avoid the full brunt of the attack. Bones cracked as Pan’s desperate attack landed.

  “Gah!” Uub’s beam widened as Pan’s strike missed its mark somewhat. Instead of landing in his chest as expected, it crushed her opponent’s hands instead. The energy beam cut off, Uub’s mangled hands unable to hold the energy. Tears stung his eyes from the pain, his body shriveling, unable to withstand the strain of holding Kaio-ken. The sight of what remained of Uub wasn’t pretty, like he’d become a raisin—like all his muscles had atrophied.

  “I told him not to abuse Kaio-ken too far!” Goku said, slapping his forehead in dismay.

  “No! I’m not finished!” Uub lifted his arm for a wild punch at Pan’s head, but he didn’t even manage the entire swing. He collapsed in a heap, unable to rise.

  “I’m starting the count! Thirty! Twenty-nine! Twenty-eight!”

  They waited with bated breath to see if Uub pulled off a sudden turnabout.

  “Ten! Nine! Eight!”

  “No, I’m not finished yet! I haven’t lost!” Uub’s body floated from the ground a centimeter, mouth a hard, determined line. But his ki failed, and he flopped to the ground, stone still.

  “Three! Two! One! Pan from Universe 16 is the winner!”

  “Uub, hang in there!” Pan said, distressed. That idiot—he could have killed himself. She feared Uub won’t survive long enough for the Namekians to heal him. With all the Senzu Beans used up after the Majin Invasion, it was his only shot.

  “He should recover, but…” The Namekian healer lifted his arm from Uub’s prone body, shaking his head. “It’ll take weeks for him to fully recover. His injuries are beyond my ability to heal.”

  “Thank goodness.” After Gast’s death, Pan didn’t want to see anyone else die in the semi-finals.

  “Sorry, Master,” Uub said, as the alternate version of her father lifted him from the ground. “I failed. I messed up.”

  “Hey, it was a good fight,” Goku said, beaming with pride. “Both you and Pan gave it your all. There’s no shame in that. Though we’ll need to work on your Kaio-ken. It’s a powerful way to boost your power, but its cost is steep. We’ll see about making it less dangerous.”

  “I’m sorry, Master. I tried being like you—fighting until I had nothing left. But I suppose I’m you. What I did was more stupid than anything.”

  “Hey, don’t sweat it. You still haven’t learned your limits yet. But I suppose you also need to learn there’s no shame in quitting when you can’t win.” Goku gave a wink. “But when the chips are really down—when it counts—you’ll pull through.”

  “Thank you, Master.” Unable to stand, Uub allowed the alternate Gohan to lower him to a bench. “I’ll do better next time.”

  “That’s all anyone can ask for,” Goku said.

  ///

  Author’s note:

  I started writing this chapter right before the . Salagir and I have a very different idea on how magic should work! That’s fine through. I’m curious how Uub’s fight will go, considering what powerful abilities he gave Uub. Will they all be one hit kill fight? Like Saitama, but with magic? Anyway, it will be amused to see how these different versions of Uub will develop.

  Next Time!

  Libra vs Buu! God battle! Has Buu finally met his match, or is his limitless power too great for Libra to overcome? Find out next time!