Chapter 18: Departure

The monster, gnawing on the leg of a woman, abruptly turned at the sound of the furious shout. What was revealed was not a human face but the grotesque countenance of a creature that resembled a prehistoric monster.

Its eyes, deep and frontal like those of a primate, contrasted with its protruding mouth, filled with sharp, bloodstained teeth and pieces of flesh. In place of a nose, there were only two nostrils; and atop its head, long, pointed ears stood up like those of a demon.

"Where did this child come from? Appearing just now when I'm finally satisfied..." The monster mocked, its voice hoarse and strangely articulated. It dropped the half-devoured woman's leg to the ground and licked its swollen mouth with a pink tongue. Its eyes glowed with a madness that thirsted for blood.

Tsuru's expression hardened even further. With a firm movement, he pressed his hand against the ground.

In the monster's vision, Tsuru disappeared.

Soon after, a searing pain shot through its abdomen. Its body was violently thrown backward.

Tsuru leapt high, his eyes wide with intense fury. Suspended over ten meters from the ground, he positioned his hands in an inverted "V" shape, aiming directly at the fallen monster.

Between his hands, a sphere of white light began to glow, growing until it reached an intense brilliance, almost as if he were holding a miniature sun.

"Is that the Kikoho?" Taro realized, watching from a distance. He immediately recognized the technique, realizing that Tsuru had finally mastered the powerful attack.

"Die!" Tsuru shouted from above, his voice filled with determination.

BOOM!

A white, burning energy beam descended from the sky, striking the ground with devastating force.

"No... please, no..." The monster mumbled, unable to comprehend what was happening. When it tried to get up, it was completely consumed by the white light descending upon it. Its voice faded as the energy engulfed it.

BANG!

The ground trembled, accompanied by a deafening explosion. When the dust finally settled, Taro saw Tsuru plummeting from the sky, exhausted and drained. With trembling hands, he took one of the last Senzu Beans he had and swallowed it.

By the time Taro reached him, Tsuru was fully recovered, standing silently.

Looking at the nearly three-meter-deep crater, Taro noticed that the monster had been reduced to nothing, utterly obliterated.

"Was that really necessary? You starting with the Kikoho right away." Taro asked, crossing his arms.

Tsuru shrugged and responded with a cold smile:

"Trash like that doesn't deserve to live."

"I'm surprised... Since when did you have a sense of justice? Or is it just because he was a "different"? It's been a long time since the kingdom recognized equal rights for those people." Taro retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"I never considered those beings human." Tsuru said, his expression one of deep disgust, averting his gaze from the deep hole he had just created. His voice was cold and harsh: "Nowadays, people consider cats, dogs, and those beings who are neither human nor ghosts as equals. It's absurd."

Taro fell silent, pondering. He knew little about the "distinct beings" in the Dragon Ball world. However, as far as he could recall, in the canon, three centuries later, werewolves, cat-people, dog-headed beings, and even humanoid dinosaurs were considered ordinary citizens of Earth. But for some reason, during the android and Majin Buu arcs, these beings had almost disappeared.

"Anyway, since we found them, let's bury the bodies." Taro shook his head, approaching the scattered remains on the ground. The corpses were mutilated, with not a single form intact. Amputated arms, torn-off legs, opened abdomens, scattered brains... the scene was horrific.

Tsuru wore a sour expression, clearly uncomfortable. Taro, on the other hand, remained unfazed; he had witnessed much more brutal scenes in the ninja world. Calmly, he picked up a dismembered body and threw it into the hole created by Tsuru's energy explosion.

Seeing Taro's composed demeanor, Tsuru sighed and began helping in silence, carrying pieces of the bodies.

The massacre had been total: the entire village had been wiped out by the monster. Both Taro and Tsuru were covered in blood. Despite this, they treated the bodies with respect, recognizing them as human. To them, the dead deserved dignity, and that's why they worked to carry each piece to the hole, refusing to just kick the meat into it.

Suddenly, Taro stopped. He turned toward the entrance of the village and noticed a group approaching.

"Hm?" Tsuru, still carrying half of a body, noticed Taro's shift in demeanor and followed his gaze. A group of around ninety monks with shaved heads were slowly walking toward them.

Taro tossed the corpse into the hole and looked around, trying to recognize the location. Based on the memories from his maps, he concluded: "Ah, we're near Mount Orin, where the Orin Temple is located." Even with this thought, he remained calm, simply observing the monks approach.

"Who are you?!" One of them shouted.

"What are you doing here?!"

"Heartless murderers!"

"Were you the ones who committed this atrocity?!"

The monks, clearly associated with the Orin Temple, stared in horror at the scene: dismembered limbs, blood everywhere, and two muscular men amid the chaos. One of them, in addition to being shirtless, had strange marks painted on his body like a tribal warrior.

Seeing Taro and Tsuru's serene faces only made the monks angrier. After all, how could anyone remain composed in the face of such carnage? Even they, accustomed to lives of contemplation, couldn't suppress the fear that the sight of true hell evoked. The more afraid they became, the angrier they grew.

"Cruel murderers! Surrender immediately!" shouted the lead monk, a tall and burly man with a booming voice and a stern expression.

"We didn't do this." Taro replied, his voice as calm as his posture.

"Then who did?!" Another monk shouted.

"A monster. We've already eliminated it." Taro answered.

"And the body?" The leader pressed.

"Over there." Taro pointed to the hole behind them. "But we used too much force. Probably nothing is left."

The monks looked at the hole and then back at Taro, almost laughing in disbelief. A hole that size? They were supposed to believe that was done by them?

"What an absurdity! You are the ones responsible, there's no doubt in my mind! Surrender immediately and come with us to the temple to receive Buddha's justice! With shaved heads and constant prayer, perhaps you can still redeem your sins. But don't try to resist!" shouted another monk.

"Hahaha! What audacity!" Tsuru laughed loudly, his eyes narrowed and filled with contempt. "Even if it was me, what could you do against me? Do you think three or four mediocre warriors will stop me?"

"Insolent!"

"Villainous criminal!"

"Stop talking and capture him!"

The monks charged in a frenzy.

"Finally, some fun!" Tsuru said, laughing, as he shot toward the group like a bolt of lightning. He moved like a tiger descending the mountain or an eagle soaring through the sky.

Although the monks were experienced, their skills were no match for him. Tsuru moved with absurd agility, taking them down one by one. With elbows to the chest, brutal headbutts, or vicious twists of their joints, he dismantled them with ease.

When a few managed to surround him, Tsuru unleashed a small burst of energy. Bang! The monks flew in all directions, falling like leaves scattered across the ground.

"That... that's Ki!" exclaimed one of the monks. He had heard the temple masters speak of it: a rare ability, mastered only by legendary warriors.

As the remaining monks looked at Tsuru in shock, Taro stepped forward, shaking his head.

"Did you really need that?" He asked, his tone neutral.

"Let's go. Leave the bodies to these religious monks." Tsuru said.

Taro hesitated.

"I want to visit the Orin Temple."

"Why? It's just another insignificant monastery." Tsuru grumbled.

Taro didn't respond, but he felt a slight curiosity about the place. After all, it was the temple where Krillin, a significant character in the story he knew so well, originated from.

Taro shook his head. Perhaps there wasn't anything truly interesting to see there, but Krillin's origins at the Orin Temple had sparked a faint urge in him to investigate the place. Seeing that Taro was insistent on going, Tsuru gave a cold laugh and muttered:

"Alright, alright... I didn't plan to go with you anyway. I'll go my own way now, and we'll part ways. You'll return to Mount Mutaito, and I... I'll wander the world."

Taro looked at him in surprise.

"Why not go back to the mountain?"

Tsuru gazed up at the sky, where clouds were gathering, and responded with a determined tone:

"The master left us a final wish, and I must fulfill it. Stay at Mount Taidou to promote some kind of martial path? No, I need to travel the world, seek out and train the best warriors, the true talents. Only then, after two or three decades, will I return and... and give you a good beating! That will relieve my spirit!"

Taro, in his calm tone, replied:

"You're getting worked up for no reason."

"I'm not!" Tsuru retorted, rubbing his hands with a cold expression.

They both fell silent for a moment, and then Tsuru let out a sharp, mournful cry.

"I'm leaving!"

With a swift motion, he shot into the sky, flying off toward another horizon.

Taro stood silently for a while, watching the sky. When he finally turned his gaze away, he saw the monks of the Orin Temple, all stunned, still standing frozen, astonished by everything that had happened. He approached them and said, calmly:

"Excuse me, could you take me to the abbot of the Orin Temple?"