Dai Shinnoma merely smirked.

Riipuuruu was thoroughly mopping the floor with Broli and the others - in fact, Krillin and Bra were already down (both still alive, unfortunately, though Bra had dropped out of Super Saiyajin) and unconscious, while Broli and Nappa were faltering against the scythe-wielding reaper. It was all so amusing that Dai Shinnoma could barely resist the urge to laugh out loud.

"This was all too easy, wasn't it?" Devella murmured.

"Yes, yes," Dai replied, still smirking. "Yes it was. Now all that's left is to kill off that ridiculous Raditsu."

"And the demon? The Namekuseijin who harbors dark energy?"

Dai stopped dead. He had forgotten about that. "Oh shit," he said.

"What?"

"I forgot that Riipuuruu can be harmed by other demons."

"Heh, oops," Gobuuriino grunted from his place near Belzubbo.

Scowling, Dai turned and smacked the stumpy demon across the skull. "I won't tolerate insolence, Gobuuriino," he growled. "Either stay in line or I'll drag you there by your ear."

Gobuuriino cringed away like a slapped puppy. "Sorry, boss," he grunted.

"Good." Dai looked back up at Riipuuruu. "Hey up there," he called. "Finish those two off quickly now. We have an appointment."

"Right," came the reply.

The fear continued to gnaw at Dai Shinnoma as Riipuuruu viciously attacked Nappa, ineffectually harassed by Broli. What if Piccolo Daimaou showed up and killed Riipuuruu? Dai wasn't dense enough to admit that Piccolo was stronger than Riipuuruu - the margin wasn't vast, but it was signifigant enough for Daimaou to defeat the reaper. And if Riipuuruu did die, the chance for a swift and easy victory was gone.

-----

"We're close," Piccolo Daimaou called to Raditsu. "I can feel it."

Raditsu didn't look back at him; he kept his face turned forward, angling his flight to make himself as aerodynamic as possible. "I can feel it too," he grunted. "Bra and Krillin's powers are fading."

"Then step on the gas pedal!" Kakarotto called.

"I'm FLYING as fast as I can, you nimrod!" Raditsu snapped. "Good Kami-sama! Can't a guy get a break?"

There was no reply. Raditsu grunted once, then watched as the skyline of Satan City rapidly grew closer. Within a few moments, he could see exactly what was going on.

Standing on the ground were two male demons, the voluptuous Devella, and Dai Shinnoma, as well as the inert forms of Bra and Krillin. Fighting in the air, several yards away from the demons, were Broli and Nappa, duking it out against a shadowy parody of the Grim Reaper.

"Let me handle this," Piccolo grunted, breaking away from Raditsu and the others to charge at the Reaper.

"No, wait!" Bardock yelled. "It's too-"

"Too late," Vegeta murmured as the group halted to a stop in midair. "He's gone."

Raditsu said nothing. He merely watched as Piccolo charged at the Reaper. The robed spectre turned in midair to face the charging green demon...

And was neatly split in half by Piccolo's first punch.

"Tell me you saw that too," Kiwi murmured.

"I saw it," Raditsu said, staring in disbelief. "That was absolutely incredible."

The two halves of Riipuuruu fell towards the ground, actually drifting like demented feathers of some sort to land in a conveniently-placed dumpster. Several rats scurried up and began to knaw on the Reaper's remains.

"Damn, that was one conveniently-placed dumpster," Broli noted, shooting Piccolo a brief grin.

"It was a conveniently-placed dumpster, wasn't it," came the reply, accompanied by a fanged smile.

"We need more conveniently-placed dumpsters like that," Kakarotto put in.

"Ask the Funkymation Man to dub one in for you," Nappa said with a shrug. He quickly added, "Don't ask who the Funkymation Man is."

"Are you going to sit up there all day?" Dai Shinnoma's voice rang out from the ground below. Raditsu turned his gaze to the little demon, who had drifted about fifteen feet into the air.

"LEt's hurry this up," the demon muttered. "I have a planet to conquer, and you're keeping me from doing it. Now... We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Either way, you all die. It's your choice."

Raditsu looked him in the eyes. "I choose my way," he said.

"And that way is?"