"Yes, we can head back now," Ken said with a nod.
Merus stared at him. "Wait. I just got here, and now we're going straight to Earth?"
"Pretty much."
"Then why didn't you just tell me to bring the barbecue equipment to Earth in the first place?"
Ken smiled. "This way has more ceremony to it."
Merus had no idea what kind of ceremony required him to fly all the way to Yardrat carrying a grill, and Vegeta had even less patience for the conversation.
"Who cares? We need to get back to Earth."
Ken glanced at the situation through his staff. "If I fly us there from here, it'll take around ten minutes. Goku probably won't last that long."
"Ten minutes?" Vegeta snapped. "That's too long!"
"That's already extremely fast," Merus said. "Angels can't use Instant Transmission."
Vegeta's expression darkened. With Goku already fighting Moro, ten minutes might as well have been an hour.
Then he remembered who was standing right beside him.
"Pybara. You know Instant Transmission. Take me to Earth."
Pybara immediately shook his head. "I can't leave Yardrat that way."
Vegeta stared at him. "Why not?"
"Yardratians are forbidden from using Instant Transmission to leave the planet."
Merus slowly leaned toward Ken. "You didn't happen to make that rule five minutes ago, did you?"
Ken gave him a sidelong glance. "Some things are better left unsaid."
Merus decided not to pursue it.
Pybara continued as though nothing suspicious had happened. "Besides, our Instant Transmission requires us to know the Spirit of the person we're traveling to. We need someone we've met before."
"You've met Kakarot."
"Yes, and I know Goku's Spirit. But he should be fighting on Universe 6's Earth right now. The two Earths may be connected, but I can't sense him across the universes."
Vegeta immediately understood why.
"Kakarot's using Ultra Instinct. His ki has become divine, so you can't sense it."
Irico was growing increasingly anxious. "Then what do we do? Have Ken and Merus fly us there?"
"No. Teach me Instant Transmission."
Pybara blinked. "Right now?"
"Right now. I only need to use it once."
Pybara glanced toward Ken, who gave him a small nod.
Vegeta had no intention of spending ten minutes traveling while Goku fought Moro alone. If Instant Transmission was the only way to reach Earth in time, then he would simply learn it.
"As long as you can sense someone on the other side, crossing between universes should theoretically be possible," Pybara said. "I can't promise it'll work, but—"
"I don't need a promise. Just teach me."
And with that, the lesson began.
On Universe 6's Earth, Goku's situation was deteriorating by the minute.
Ultra Instinct Sign had allowed him to keep pace with Moro and avoid having his energy drained, but maintaining the technique for so long had finally begun to wear him down. His movements were losing their sharpness, and Moro noticed immediately.
After another exchange, Moro slipped past Goku's defense and kicked him hard enough to send him crashing across the ground.
"What happened?" Moro asked, hovering above him. "Where did all that speed go?"
Goku pushed himself up, sweat running down his face, and threw another punch. Moro avoided it effortlessly and answered with a kick to the face that sent Goku skidding across the battlefield.
He recovered quickly, but his breathing had grown heavy.
Moro watched him with a satisfied smile. "Looks like you've reached your limit. I'll admit, though, you surprised me. I didn't expect a mortal to push his power this far."
"I'm not done yet."
Silver light flared around Goku once more. He forced his exhausted body forward and drove an elbow into Moro's face, snapping the wizard's head back.
Moro recovered almost immediately.
His mouth opened, energy gathering between his jaws, and the blast struck Goku before he could evade.
The explosion hurled him backward. He hit the ground hard, and the brilliant aura surrounding him finally collapsed.
Ultra Instinct Sign was gone.
Goku lay there in his normal state, barely able to move.
Moro descended and planted a foot on his stomach, driving him deeper into the ground. Goku cried out, blood spilling from his mouth as the pressure crushed the breath from his lungs.
From a distance, Gohan's expression changed instantly.
"Dad dropped out of Ultra Instinct!"
Kale tensed beside him, while Piccolo and Jaco watched with equally grim expressions. Goku had been the one fighter capable of keeping Moro occupied, and now even he had reached his limit.
Moro looked down at him almost fondly.
"You've been a lot of fun. I think it's finally time I ate your energy."
He extended one hand toward Goku.
Before the absorption could begin, Moro sensed movement behind him and immediately sprang aside. Android 17 and 18 swept through the spot he had just occupied, forcing him away from Goku.
18 landed with a smile. "If you're that hungry for energy, why don't you try taking ours?"
17 touched down beside her. "Not that you'll find anything to absorb."
Moro studied them with interest. "Artificial life-forms? I didn't expect to find something like you on this planet."
With Goku down, the Androids had become Earth's next line of defense.
Back on Yardrat, Vegeta stood with two fingers pressed firmly against his forehead, trying to focus on everything Pybara had taught him.
"Remember," Pybara said, "Earth may no longer be in this universe, but the connection between the two planets allows traces of ki to pass through. If you can lock onto someone clearly enough, Instant Transmission should still be possible."
"Would you shut up for a minute?"
Vegeta was already having enough trouble concentrating without Pybara narrating the process beside him.
He closed his eyes and searched.
Then his body vanished.
Irico's face lit up. "He did it!"
A metallic crash came from nearby.
Everyone turned toward a trash container as its lid shifted. Vegeta slowly climbed out, garbage clinging to his clothes and fury written across his face.
"Damn it. I missed."
One of the Yardratians hurried to help. "Vegeta, you need to focus more carefully on the other person's Spirit."
"I know."
Vegeta brushed himself off and returned two fingers to his forehead. "I only need this technique once. If I never use Kakarot's ridiculous trick again after today, that's fine with me."
Instant Transmission was Goku's technique as far as Vegeta was concerned. He had no desire to make it part of his own fighting style.
Then something changed.
A powerful, familiar ki suddenly reached Yardrat.
Pybara sensed it at the same moment. "That's Goku's Spirit! But how? Wasn't he using divine ki?"
Vegeta's face tightened.
"He isn't using Ultra Instinct anymore."
There was only one reason Goku would have dropped the transformation in the middle of his battle with Moro.
"He lost."
The urgency Vegeta had been suppressing returned all at once.
Ken walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Vegeta. You can do it this time."
Merus stepped up on his other side and placed a hand on Vegeta's opposite shoulder. As he did, the Angel attire he had been wearing faded away, replaced by his familiar Galactic Patrol uniform.
Vegeta focused on Goku's distant ki once more.
This time, there could be no mistake.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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