Final Fate

The arena

Thearena was impressive. Much bigger than the ring of the big tournamentand also completely different from what Son Goku had imagined.Somehow, he knew the thought was idiotic, but somehow he had justimagined the arena to be exactly the same as in this tournament onearth ... or at least similar. But this ...? All the time he had puthis head back and it was turning and twisting in all directions. Itwasn't the best preparation for battle, but he just couldn't help it.

AfterVegeta had left him and Veran alone, he had braced himself for somesilly remarks from the Geàrd, which had come. However, all the otherfisticuffs Goku had imagined had failed to materialise. Why, he couldonly guess, but he guessed it had something to do with the fight andit certainly wouldn't have made a good picture if he had shown upthere injured. So he had not reacted to Veran's provocations, hadpretended not to hear him and had taken a closer look at the throneroom. He had not seen much more than on his first visit and so thetime had passed doggedly and slowly. Fortunately, the day had beenvery full, so they were much closer to evening than Goku had feared.

Thedoors to the throne room had opened and Nappa had walked in, whichhad made Goku visibly breathe a sigh of relief. After all, he wasabout to get rid of that stupid chain, which meant he might be ableto save his friends and leave this planet with them and all theothers in just a few hours. He had ignored the little voice that hadtold him that this was utopian wishful thinking. Nappa, however, hadreally come to tell them that it was time to leave for the arena. Hehad also relieved Veran of his overseer duties. The King's Geàrd wasto be at his side when he entered the arena. Left behind was a sternlooking Nappa and a nervous Son Goku.

"Idon't suppose I can bother asking if you've ever contested an OnairSabaid?" The tall Saiyan had raised a brow and Goku had nodded,eliciting a snort from Nappa. "But you have fought a duel atsome point?" "Yes, several times in fact." "Werethere rules to that?" "Oh yes ... one was not allowed tofall out of the ring, to seriously injure or kill one's opponent and..." "The rules of the Onair Sabaid are old, very old, andsacred to us. They date back to a time when we had no rìgh andsettled our differences without jurisdiction." Goku had fallensilent at the serious voice and piercing gaze of Nappa. "Thereis only one rule which our current rìgh has changed. The OnairSabaid ended in death until his reign. Now it is forbidden."Goku had felt compelled to nod.

"Soyou will not kill your opponent Kakarott, for that would also resultin your death. You understand that?" "Yes." Nappa hadnodded, his stern expression softening a little and he had signalledGoku to follow him with his hand. Together they had left the throneroom, crossed the castle and Nappa had explained the rules of thebattle of honour to him seriously and firmly, but not unkindly. SonGoku had listened and asked questions. It had quickly become clear toNappa that this peculiar Saiyan from Earth not only knew how tofight, as he had already been able to convince himself, but that hewas also no stranger to duels. He had only touched on some importantdetails that distinguished a duel from a fight against severalopponents and he had realised that he didn't need to explain furtherhere. So he had concentrated on the exact rules of the Onair Sabaid.

Nokilling, treating the opponent with due honour, no insults that wouldresult in another honour fight and when the duel was over, thedefeated had to apologise for his behaviour in front of allspectators. During the fight, all techniques were permitted and evenserious injuries were accepted. One lost if one gave up or becameunconscious. So far, the rules were clear. However, there were a lotof smaller rules: what difference there was, for example, in a fightbetween two different classes. Or even if a battle of honour tookplace between two houses of the warrior nobility. But that, Nappa hadsaid reassuringly when he had seen that all these details had madeKakarot's head spin, would not come into play in his case.

SonGoku had, without meaning to, been given the feeling of being taughtby a teacher who was trying to prepare him for something on the fly.Briefly, the comparison to Muten Roshi and his unconventionalteaching methods had flashed through his mind, but a quick sidewaysglance at the stern and very serious looking, tall Saiyan, had burstthose thoughts again. Concentration, he had to concentrate, but ...everything in him had tingled. The thought of getting rid of thatchain, of being able to feel his power to its fullest again, offacing an opponent, it had all made his heart beat faster and gnawedat his calm.