"Todd, didn't you go out for a fishing competition? How come you're back so soon?" Leila called out from the square in front of the temple, spotting the two figures approaching after what felt like barely half a day.
Todd casually tossed two simple fishing rods beside the pond's edge and replied with obvious disappointment, "Karnel's a natural. He caught a fish in no time at all. I surrender!"
"Really? That impressive?" Leila's eyes lit up with excitement as she turned to Karnel. "Well then, now it's your turn to compete with me in dancing!"
The corners of Karnel's mouth twitched slightly as he forced a diplomatic smile. "Actually, I was thinking I should challenge South Supreme Kai Barro to combat first. Better to get that out of the way."
Leila's face fell with disappointment as she wandered back toward the expansive square, where a radio identical to the Grand Supreme Kai's continued broadcasting its eclectic mix of sounds and music.
"Finally!" Barro didn't give Karnel a chance to elaborate, striding purposefully toward the center of the square. "Someone new to fight!"
In the Supreme Kai Realm, aside from occasional sparring matches with his colleagues, Barro had precious little to occupy his time. After countless years of the same opponents with predictable techniques, the arrival of someone fresh had the battle-enthusiast practically vibrating with anticipation.
A gleam of pure excitement flashed in Barro's eyes as he took his fighting stance on the polished floor, facing Karnel with barely contained energy.
Karnel didn't bother with false modesty. He immediately transformed into Super Saiyan and launched into his attack, engaging Barro in a fierce and exhilarating battle.
"Incredible! So these are the legendary Saiyans of later generations?" Leila stopped mid-dance routine, switching off her radio as she moved closer to watch the spectacle unfold. "That golden hair transformation looks absolutely magnificent!"
Fortunately, the Supreme Kai Realm possessed durability tens or hundreds of times greater than ordinary planets. Without such resilience, the intense combat between Karnel and Barro would have reduced their sacred world to cosmic debris long ago.
"Not quite strong enough!" Barro declared calmly after catching one of Karnel's punches and hurling him backward with practiced ease.
"The strength of the South Supreme Kai truly is extraordinary," Karnel acknowledged, his respect genuine. "In that case, I won't hold back either!"
He ascended to Super Saiyan 2, crackling light-blue lightning wrapping around his entire form as he shot forward with a thunderous whoosh.
Just when the observers thought they had witnessed the full extent of Karnel's power, this second transformation caught Barro completely off-guard. The dramatic increase in strength and speed forced the seasoned warrior to adopt a more cautious approach.
Karnel's fist cut through the air with tremendous force, aimed directly at Barro's guard. The South Supreme Kai calmly blocked the strike and immediately countered with his own devastating attack.
The two combatants became blurs of motion throughout the square, their incredible speeds making them appear and disappear across the battlefield. Even the incredibly durable surface of the Supreme Kai Realm showed signs of damage, with small craters and gouges marking the spots where their Super Saiyan 2 level combat had made contact.
"Karnel's strength has reached such heights that he's nearly matching Barro," Kibito observed, having joined Todd and Leila without anyone noticing. His voice carried unmistakable shock.
"Barro is already the strongest among us Supreme Kais, second only to the Grand Supreme Kai in raw power," Leila marveled. "The fact that Karnel can hold his own against him for this long is absolutely remarkable."
"Actually, look more carefully," Todd interjected. "Karnel seems to have gained the upper hand. Barro has absorbed several direct hits while Karnel remains virtually untouched."
"You're misreading the situation, Kibito," Todd corrected with the confidence of experience. "That's one of Barro's signature traps. He's deliberately exposing what appears to be a weakness to lure Karnel in. If Karnel doesn't recognize the deception, he's about to lose badly."
Todd's extensive sparring history with Barro had taught him to recognize these tactical feints. Having fallen for similar tricks countless times himself, he watched with growing concern as Karnel seemed to walk directly into the carefully laid snare.
True to Todd's prediction, Barro, who had been steadily losing ground in their fierce exchange, realized that continuing this straightforward approach would inevitably lead to his defeat. The veteran fighter's experience kicked in without hesitation.
He crossed both arms to block Karnel's incoming strike toward his forehead, then executed a devastating 180-degree kick aimed at Karnel's chin while balancing on one leg.
The trap was elegantly simple: if Karnel attempted to mirror the kick, Barro would use his free hands to pivot behind his opponent and deliver a knockout blow to an undefended back.
However, Karnel's enlightenment during the fishing challenge had elevated his mental state far beyond his previous level. His mind remained as tranquil as an undisturbed lake, free from any ripples of panic or confusion. Though Barro's deception was subtle enough to fool most opponents, Karnel's enhanced perception saw through it clearly.
Rather than avoid the trap, Karnel made a calculated decision to spring it intentionally. He feigned ignorance and moved to exploit Barro's apparent opening, all while secretly preparing his own devastating counter-strategy. The moment Barro committed to his deception, Karnel would unleash a storm of retribution.
"Gotcha!" Barro's eyes blazed with triumph as he shouted his victory cry. Using the momentum from Karnel's blocked punch, he launched himself upward, bringing his bent knee toward Karnel's forehead with thunder-like force.
A cold smile crossed Karnel's features as he executed his true plan. His foot shot upward at even greater speed, intercepting and overwhelming Barro's strike. His tightly clenched fist bent at the elbow, driving into Barro's chest with crushing impact.
BANG!
The dull, resonant sound of the blow echoed across the square as Barro's entire body shuddered from the devastating hit. Karnel showed no mercy, seizing this critical opening to unleash a relentless assault. In less than half a second, he delivered hundreds of punches, each one connecting with Barro's chest in a rapid-fire percussion that sounded like thunder. A final kick sent the thoroughly beaten Barro flying across the square.
The reversal happened so quickly that the watching Supreme Kais stood frozen in stunned silence. The brilliant display of tactical thinking, deception, and counter-deception left them struggling to process what they had witnessed.
After several moments, East Supreme Kai Kibito finally found his voice. "Absolutely incredible! Such tactical awareness and cunning. Karnel must have seen through Barro's trap from the beginning and chose to step into it deliberately."
"Unbelievable," Todd exclaimed, shaking his head in amazement. "I was convinced Karnel was about to lose, but he had already analyzed the situation and formulated his counter-strategy in mere seconds. Even I completely missed it."
Todd's admiration was particularly heartfelt, having been the victim of Barro's deceptive tactics numerous times over the years. To see a first-time opponent not only recognize the trap but turn it into a devastating counter-attack filled him with genuine respect.
Leila, rarely serious about anything, spoke with uncharacteristic gravity. "Karnel possesses an absolutely terrifying combat instinct. He's like a warrior born for battle itself. Are all Saiyans as formidable as this?"
Karnel walked over to where Barro lay on the ground, extending his hand to help his fallen opponent to his feet. "Your strategy was excellent," he said with genuine respect. "I nearly fell for it completely. If you had been the first Supreme Kai I challenged today, the outcome might have been very different."
Barro accepted the assistance, brushing dust from his clothing as he regarded Karnel with new appreciation. "You fought with the wisdom of someone who had already achieved inner peace. That fishing lesson with Todd clearly taught you more than just patience."
"Perhaps," Karnel nodded thoughtfully, glancing back toward the mountain stream where he had found his moment of enlightenment. "Sometimes the most important battles are won before the fighting even begins."
With two challenges completed successfully, Karnel turned his attention toward the remaining trials. Only Leila's dancing competition and whatever mysterious final test the Grand Supreme Kai had prepared stood between him and the answers he sought about returning home.