"Every cell in that body and every trace of power flowing through it was forged by Kakarot over countless battles," Vegeta said. "You stole the result, but you never lived through the struggle that created it."
His foot crashed into Goku Black's stomach and launched him high above the ruined city.
Vegeta followed in a streak of red, catching him before he could recover. One punch drove into his ribs, another snapped his head back, and a relentless barrage carried him farther into the sky.
Goku Black's face quickly became a swollen, bloodied mess. The difference in power left him helpless, unable to do anything but absorb each blow.
"A Saiyan body like his can only reach its full potential in the hands of someone exactly like Kakarot," Vegeta continued. "A pure-hearted idiot who spent his whole life pushing it beyond its limits!"
He appeared above Goku Black, locked both hands together, and hammered them down across his back.
The impact sent Goku Black plummeting into the earth. He struck hard enough to carve out a crater and bury himself beneath a wave of shattered stone.
Agony rolled through him as he clawed his way out. Golden light burst from his body, with lightning twisting through his aura as he threw himself back toward Vegeta.
The gap between them had not changed.
Vegeta met the charge with one brutal punch that sent him straight through the remains of a nearby building. Walls collapsed around Goku Black, leaving him sprawled beneath the rubble with his clothes torn and blood running down his face.
He dragged himself back into the open, hatred twisting his features.
"A world ruled by mortals was a mistake from the beginning!" he shouted. "They wage endless wars, destroy their own planets, and poison everything they touch. Their existence is ugly. Erasing them is justice!"
An energy blade flared around his hand as he lunged.
Vegeta slipped past the thrust and caught him by the wrist.
"That self-righteous garbage means nothing to me. I don't care whether you call yourself a god or a Supreme Kai." His grip tightened until Goku Black's bones began to creak. "I'm a God of Destruction apprentice myself, and the Supreme Kai from Universe 7 used to be a complete fool."
"Let go!" Goku Black snarled, pain stripping the dignity from his voice.
"You asked for it."
Vegeta hurled him toward the ground.
Goku Black twisted in the air and landed on both feet, dropping his hands to the pavement to absorb the remaining force.
Vegeta hovered above him with one palm extended.
"I've heard enough. I'm erasing you from this world."
"I defeated every god in this timeline!" Goku Black shouted.
"You didn't defeat the Gods of Destruction," Goku said from the sidelines. "You murdered the Supreme Kais and used their life link to make the Gods of Destruction disappear."
The contempt in Goku's voice cut deeper when he remembered Fuwa.
"That was cowardly."
"No matter how it happened, I am the last god left in this timeline," Goku Black replied.
"And?" Vegeta's tail swayed behind him. "You expect that to impress me?"
"In this world, I decide what is right!"
Goku Black hurled an energy blast into the sky.
Vegeta avoided it with a slight turn of his body. More attacks followed, but he drifted between them without effort, descending until he stood directly across from his opponent.
"This timeline doesn't need a god who forces his warped idea of justice on everyone else."
"Silence, mortal!" Goku Black roared. "I am a god! What right does a Saiyan have to rise above us and become a true deity? I refuse to accept it!"
Vegeta quickly understood who had inspired that resentment.
"You mean Ken."
"Yes!" Goku Black's fists shook as old humiliation returned. "I will never forget what he did to me!"
Vegeta's interest sharpened into amusement.
"What exactly did he do? Go on. I could use a laugh."
Goku Black answered by charging him in a fury.
His fists and energy blade tore through the air in a frantic assault, but Vegeta turned aside every blow with insulting ease.
Goku remained outside the fight, content to watch while Vegeta maintained such a decisive advantage.
Trunks approached with Mai beside him.
"Goku, you need to hear this." He kept his attention on Goku Black as he spoke. "His Super Saiyan form is much stronger than it used to be."
"So he's been training too?" Goku studied the fight more carefully. "There's still a huge gap between him and Vegeta."
"I know, but something feels wrong. Every time Goku Black fights, he comes back stronger. We should finish him before that happens again."
The warning erased Goku's casual confidence.
"Vegeta!" he called. "Stop playing around. Finish him now!"
"I was never planning to leave anything for you!" Vegeta replied, clearly delighted by the chance to say it.
Goku could only grimace at the answer.
Vegeta closed the distance, seized Goku Black by the front of his clothes, and lifted him overhead. Another kick sent him spinning into the sky.
"Hakai!"
A sphere of destruction energy formed in Vegeta's palm and tore upward after him.
"You should feel honored," Vegeta said with a cold smile. "At least you'll die to a God of Destruction's technique. Your ridiculous dream ends here."
The attack closed on Goku Black before he could regain control of his body.
At the final instant, Zamasu appeared behind him, grabbed him by the shoulders, and carried him away to the roof of a distant office tower.
Vegeta's attack continued into space and struck a faraway planet, erasing it in a violent burst of light.
Zamasu lowered Goku Black onto the rooftop, shaken by how narrowly they had escaped.
"Another moment and you would've been erased. I didn't expect Vegeta to have mastered destruction energy."
He placed both hands against Goku Black's body, surrounding him with healing light.
"This may work in our favor. Recovering from that much damage should bring your body even closer to perfection."
The wounds vanished beneath the glow.
"So he really has an ally," Goku said, his attention shifting to the second green-skinned figure.
"I never saw him before," Trunks replied. Mai's stunned expression made it clear she knew no more than he did.
Vegeta watched every bruise and burn disappear from Goku Black's body, and the recovery immediately put him on edge.
"Thank you," Goku Black said as he rose.
"If you die, everything we've done becomes meaningless," Zamasu replied. "The Zero Mortals Plan requires both of us."
Vegeta studied the newcomer.
"That must be Zamasu."
Goku looked between the two identical faces.
"But Goku Black is Zamasu. How can that guy be Zamasu too?"
Trunks pieced it together first.
"Goku Black is the Zamasu from your timeline. The other one must belong to this timeline. They joined forces."
Goku rubbed the back of his head, still struggling with the explanation.
"Just remember that they're both enemies," Vegeta said impatiently.
"That part I understand."
"It doesn't matter how many versions of him appear. Another weakling only means one more body to erase."
On the rooftop, Zamasu kept his voice low.
"Why are Goku and Vegeta from another timeline here? Did they really come from Ken's world?"
"Trunks brought them," Goku Black replied.
"And Ken?"
"Not yet, but they said he intends to come later. We need to move quickly." His gaze hardened. "Did you complete your task?"
"Everything is ready."
Vegeta's voice came from above them.
"What are you two plotting?"
Both Zamasus looked up sharply.
Vegeta floated directly over the tower, his arms folded as he glared down at them.
"Whatever it is, you won't live long enough to use it."
He dropped toward Goku Black with one leg extended.
Goku Black slipped aside, then countered before Vegeta could regain his stance.
The first exchange immediately felt different.
His speed had increased. So had the force behind every blow. Vegeta expected to resume the same one-sided beating, only to find himself driven backward after several rapid clashes.
Anger burned through him.
He was using Super Saiyan 4, while Goku Black had only reached Super Saiyan Two. Even after spending power earlier, two entire transformations should have separated them.
Vegeta pushed harder, accelerating into another attack.
Goku Black swept one hand through the air.
An invisible wave of divine power wrapped around Vegeta and locked his limbs in place.
From below, Goku watched the momentum turn against him.
"Vegeta's getting overwhelmed."
"Goku Black became stronger again," Trunks said, the fear he had tried to explain now playing out in front of them.
"You were right about one thing, Vegeta," Goku Black said while holding him motionless. "I thought stealing Goku's body would give me all his strength immediately. Instead, I discovered that the Goku from this timeline was disappointingly weak."
His smile twisted with remembered frustration.
"At first, I couldn't even transform into an ordinary Super Saiyan whenever I wanted."
Vegeta erupted with power and tore through the restraint.
"So I began searching for a way to awaken everything hidden inside this body," Goku Black continued. "If Goku from another timeline could reach such heights, then this version had to possess the same potential."
"What did you do?" Vegeta demanded.
"I discovered the defining gift of a Saiyan." Goku Black spread his arms, savoring the answer. "Power born from recovering at the edge of death."
The realization struck Vegeta an instant before Goku Black's boot smashed into his face.
He crashed to the ground, pain tearing a roar from his throat as broken stone erupted around him.
Goku rushed over and reached for him.
"Vegeta, let me heal you."
"Get away from me! I have Senzu Beans."
Vegeta forced one from his pouch and swallowed it. His injuries vanished, his exhausted energy surged back to its peak, and he launched himself at Goku Black before the dust had settled.
Their fists collided again and again above the ruins.
This time, neither held a clear advantage. After several exchanges, they struck each other across the face at the same instant.
Vegeta recoiled with his teeth clenched, furious that Goku Black could now match him.
His opponent only smiled.
A rising punch buried itself in Vegeta's chest and forced bile from his mouth. Before he could recover, Goku Black drove his forehead into Vegeta's skull and sent him tumbling out of the sky.
Mai watched him fall in disbelief.
"How did everything change so quickly?"
"Dad and Goku have already pushed their Saiyan bodies near their natural ceiling," Trunks explained. "Recovering from a near-fatal injury doesn't give them the same leaps in power anymore."
Goku Black landed across from Vegeta and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a satisfied smile.
Vegeta rubbed his throbbing forehead, humiliation feeding his anger.
"You're perfect for this, Vegeta," Goku Black said. "Strong enough to push me forward, but not strong enough to kill me."
Zamasu descended beside him and restored the damage from their latest exchange.
Goku recognized the danger immediately.
Each recovery returned Goku Black to full strength, and the power rising from him now far surpassed what he had possessed only minutes earlier.
"Every injured cell becomes more obedient when it heals," Goku Black said as the last traces of golden light faded from his body. "Little by little, this Saiyan flesh is accepting the mind of a god."
He returned to his base form and drew a slow breath, savoring the power settling into place.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]