"So next should be Evolved Blue, right? Is Vegeta going to keep transforming?" Piccolo remarked with a smile, a hint of expectation in his eyes.
Flash!
Just as Piccolo finished speaking, a more intense blue light erupted from Vegeta's body. It was deep like the abyss of the ocean, with energy fluctuations that were more refined and violent than before.
Super Saiyan Blue Evolved—the transformation was complete!
Seeing Vegeta transform into Super Saiyan Blue Evolved, the people of Universe 6 were once again stunned, their mouths hanging wide open in silence.
Even the consistently composed Hit showed a trace of surprise, a unique glint flashing in his eyes.
In his previous life, by the time Hit was eliminated, Vegeta had not yet achieved the Super Saiyan Blue Evolved form.
Vegeta had only awakened this form during his battle with Jiren in the Tournament of Power.
By that point, Hit had already been knocked out of the competition.
Hit's expression grew a bit more serious, and his fingertips curled slightly inside his pockets.
In this life, my opponent has indeed been replaced by Vegeta.
This guy truly isn't ordinary.
Does he get stronger as the color gets darker?
"This is Super Saiyan Blue Evolved. It's quite a bit stronger than the blue form from earlier," Vegeta said with a radiant smile, explaining to Cabba with a hint of showing off in his tone.
Cabba's lips trembled as he felt the aura that seemed ready to tear the air apart. His heart was beyond shaken, and he could only nod blankly.
"Can he go even further? Has he already reached his limit?" Piccolo muttered softly, his eyes full of curiosity.
"Uncle Vegeta, are there any more new transformations? It's been so many years, and there hasn't been anything new," Son Gohan scratched his head and replied with some confusion.
"Perhaps in another parallel world, he's achieved something else, who knows," Son Goku laughed nonchalantly, his tone relaxed.
"Even if there is, he probably won't show it right now. He'd keep it as a hidden trump card," Piccolo guessed, knowing Vegeta's combat style like the back of his hand.
Piccolo's guess was spot on.
After transforming into Super Saiyan Blue Evolved, Vegeta didn't continue to show off. Instead, he struck out rapidly, waving his hand through the air. An invisible shockwave directly knocked Cabba unconscious.
Cabba didn't even have time to react before his body went limp and he fell to the ground, completely losing consciousness and being eliminated.
Three veins popped on Champa's forehead. His face turned exceptionally ugly, and his fists clenched so hard they made a cracking sound.
"Vados, look! This guy was hiding yet another transformation!" Champa asked Vados nervously, his tone laced with panic.
Vados: "..."
How should I know?
"Say something, Vados!" Champa grumbled dissatisfactorily, as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle.
"Oh my, oh my. I actually think Lord Champa's suggestion from earlier was quite good," Vados covered her mouth and giggled, a playful look in her eyes.
"My suggestion from earlier?" Champa blinked, not reacting for a moment.
"The one about finding a reason to slip away," Vados sighed softly.
Champa: "..."
Champa felt a massive headache coming on, feeling as if his intelligence was being insulted.
"Are you saying Hit is destined to lose?" Champa asked through gritted teeth, preparing himself for the worst.
"In short... it won't be an easy win," Vados analyzed objectively, without making a definitive claim.
"What are the chances of winning?" Champa asked again, holding onto a final sliver of hope.
"Fifty-fifty," Vados replied calmly.
Champa glared at Vados, pouting in annoyance.
Fifty-fifty?
Fifty-fifty is already very high, okay!
I thought there was only a thirty percent chance!
"Isn't that a toss-up? And you call that destined to lose?" Champa glared crossly, feeling like he was being played.
"Oh my, oh my. Has Lord Champa forgotten something?" Vados smiled, offering a reminder.
"What?" Champa blinked, looking at Vados in confusion.
"On Universe 7's side, this is only their second fighter. There are still three more contestants behind him," Vados replied. Her words were light, but they hit Champa's heart like a massive boulder.
Champa shuddered violently, his mouth twitching as his face turned exceptionally ugly, as if all the strength had been drained from him.
That's right... that's right... how could I forget such an important thing!
Even if Hit beats Vegeta, there's still Son Goku and the others behind him!
"Is it too late to slip away now?" Champa said, starting to get up to go greet Beerus and make his exit.
"Now is not appropriate," Vados sighed, shaking her head gently.
"Why is it not appropriate now?" Champa paused and asked in confusion.
"Our universe only has one contestant left. If we slip away now, the sign of running away would be too obvious," Vados answered with a smile, a hint of warning in her tone.
Champa: "..."
Champa's face turned black, and he glared at Vados, yet he was helpless.
"It's all your fault! Earlier when I said I wanted to leave... you wouldn't let me," Champa said huffily, but he could only glare.
"It seems there's no other choice but to do our best," Vados remarked. "Let's hope for a miracle."
Champa was speechless and choked up, looking completely drained of hope.
"Only Hit is left," Son Goku suddenly became interested, his eyes sparkling. He looked toward Hit, rubbing his hands together, wishing he could jump onto the stage himself.
"It's truly rare. That guy Vegeta was actually training Cabba. The sun must be rising from the west," Piccolo laughed, finding it somewhat unbelievable.
"Not bad at all. That's definitely not Vegeta's usual style," Son Goku followed with a laugh, scratching his head.
"Perhaps because they're both Saiyans, he felt a bit of nostalgia? After all, they share the same roots," Piccolo guessed.
"I'm a Saiyan too," Son Goku replied with an innocent look.
"You don't think that guy likes you, do you?" Piccolo looked at Son Goku and asked with a playful smile.
"At least he doesn't especially hate me, right?" Son Goku scratched his head, sounding uncertain.
"You always manage to make him unhappy, that much is true," Piccolo laughed, hitting the nail on the head.
"Is it because my strength far surpasses his?" Son Goku rubbed his chin, thinking about it seriously.
"It's because your words are too heart-piercing," Piccolo wiped some sweat away, feeling helpless at Son Goku's train of thought.
Son Goku: "..."
Did I say something wrong?
"Awesome! Dad, there's only one contestant left! We're about to win!" Trunks shouted excitedly, his small face full of thrill.
"That guy Vegeta still loves to show off!" Beerus grinned, unable to hide his pride. "It looks like in this tournament, unless something unexpected happens, we're guaranteed to win."
"Yes, indeed. With Mr. Goku here, Lord Beerus can rest easy," Whis nodded slightly and said with a smile.
"I think I'll find some time to take Goku out to other universes for a stroll. We can bully some other Gods of Destruction while we're at it, so they can see how powerful our Universe 7 is," Beerus mused, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Mr. Goku doesn't have that hobby," Whis shook his head, knowing Son Goku all too well.
"Just tell him we're going out to fight, and he'll agree," Beerus chuckled, having figured out Son Goku's weakness.
Whis: "..."
That actually sounds about right.
"Mr. Vegeta..." Cabba had already woken up. He struggled to his feet and bowed to Vegeta once again, his tone sincere. "Thank you so much for teaching me the Super Saiyan transformation."
"Hmph. Don't forget the pride of a Saiyan. Just knowing how to transform is useless; you still have to train hard," Vegeta said flatly. His tone was still cold, but it lacked some of the previous hostility.
"Yes! I will definitely work hard!" Cabba nodded vigorously, his eyes full of determination.
"Next up is the final contestant from Universe 6—Hit!" the referee announced loudly into the microphone, his voice echoing throughout the arena.
Champa's mouth twitched, his heart leaping into his throat.
A brief silence followed as a tense atmosphere filled the air.
"But speaking of which, Hit lives in the dark universe. To think you could get a guy like him to come and compete... doesn't he usually keep to himself?" Champa mused, somewhat confused.
"I offered him the Cube spaceship as a condition if he wins," Vados smiled, revealing a fox-like grin.
"You... what did you say?" Champa gasped, his eyes widening. "If you give him that, doesn't it mean he can go anywhere? Even to other universes?"
"Yes, indeed. Didn't Lord Champa say we had to get Hit to compete no matter what? I'm just doing it for the honor of our universe," Vados said with a smile, sounding perfectly justified.
"Forget it, forget it. Let's win the match first. We'll worry about the rest later," Champa let out a long sigh, able only to comfort himself this way.
By this time, Hit had already stepped onto the stage, standing across from Vegeta. The air between them seemed to freeze.
The two faced each other, sparks flying as their gazes met. An invisible pressure spread out, causing the surrounding audience to hold their breath.
"Let the match begin!"
The referee announced loudly. The moment his voice fell, the entire arena went silent.
Hit stood with his hands in his pockets, staring solemnly at Vegeta with eyes as sharp as blades.
Vegeta wore a confident smile. The blue light on his body faded, and he didn't transform, remaining in his base form.
"Hmph. Hit! I'm starting now. Are you prepared?" Vegeta asked, his tone full of provocation.
Hit nodded slightly without speaking, but his muscles were already tensed.
"Then, I won't be polite!" As Vegeta spoke, he stomped hard on the ground. The floor cracked, and his body shot toward Hit like an arrow from a bow, his fist carrying a sharp whistling wind.
Bang!
Just as Vegeta was about to reach Hit, Hit's figure flickered slightly. He delivered a punch that struck Vegeta squarely on the forehead, moving so fast it was impossible to react.
Vegeta cried out in pain as his head spun, and he fell directly to the ground.
However, Vegeta soon leaped up from the floor, spat out some blood, and his gaze became even sharper. "Interesting."
"Vegeta, don't you plan to transform? Fighting me in your base form—are you looking down on me?" Hit asked flatly, his tone calm and steady.
"No rush. I'll observe for a bit first," Vegeta snorted, rubbing his aching forehead.
"Is that so?" Hit chuckled, a hint of playfulness in his eyes. "Didn't Son Goku tell you anything? About me."
"Kakarot? What would he tell me?" Vegeta paused, looking at Hit in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
"Then never mind," Hit smiled, offering no explanation.
Vegeta didn't mind either, charging at Hit once again, his fists swinging even faster.
Hit used Time-Skip directly, his body leaving an afterimage on the spot as he instantly appeared behind Vegeta to launch an attack.
After several rounds of exchange, Vegeta seemed to have figured out Hit's rhythm. He suddenly shifted his body and threw a heavy punch. The fist grazed Hit's face, bringing a sharp gust of wind.
Hit leaned back and retreated several steps before stabilizing himself, a flash of surprise crossing his face.
"Well? Hit, my strength isn't bad, is it?" Vegeta's lips curled into a slight arc, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
"Not bad," Hit gave a fair evaluation, his tone still calm.
"You won't be able to beat me, Hit," Vegeta snorted, his eyes full of confidence. "I already understand your skills perfectly."
"Oh? Is that so?" Hit smiled, a trace of provocation flashing in his eyes.
"Your skill is Time-Skip; you can control time, right? You can make time stop briefly—is that it?" Vegeta's smile grew even more radiant, as if everything was within his grasp.
"Yes," Hit nodded in admission, without denying it.
Hearing Vegeta's words, Champa and Vados were momentarily stunned, their faces showing expressions of surprise.
"Hey, Vados, how does this Vegeta guy know about Hit's skill? And looking at him, he seems to understand it very clearly," Champa gritted his teeth, feeling a bit annoyed that their trump card had been seen through.
"Perhaps Whis mentioned it. After all, Whis knows many things," Vados mused, unable to think of any other reason.
"Whis? That guy is so talkative! I'll have to give him a piece of my mind later!" Champa grumbled, taking out his frustration on Whis.
"You can skip 0.1 seconds of time, right?" Vegeta said with a smile, his tone certain. "So I predict where you'll appear 0.1 seconds later based on your movements just before you disappear. That's how I can hit you."
Hit gave a contemptuous smile without speaking, but his eyes grew a bit more serious.
"Also, you keep your hands in your pockets and use your coat to hide your legs—it's all to prevent people from seeing your movements so they can't predict your attacks, right?" Vegeta continued, exposing Hit's little tricks one by one.
"Keep going," Hit nodded, looking at Vegeta calmly, seemingly interested in what he had to say next.
"The movements you make before you disappear cannot be changed!" Vegeta snorted, his tone filled with total confidence, as if he had already mastered the secret to defeating Hit.
"So, can you transform now?" Hit chuckled, a hint of playfulness in his eyes. "Do you plan to turn into a regular Super Saiyan? Or a Super Saiyan God?"
Vegeta paused, suddenly feeling something was wrong. His heart skipped a beat.
As for what exactly was wrong, Vegeta couldn't quite figure it out for a moment.
Because Hit's words had perfectly anticipated Vegeta's plan to transform.
Vegeta's next step was indeed to turn into a Super Saiyan and have a good fight with Hit.
And finally, he would turn into a Super Saiyan God to eliminate Hit.
This was the same tactic Son Goku had used in his previous life.
Vegeta planned to give it a try.
After all, Vegeta had considered it carefully; for a simple sparring match, Kakarot's tactic was the best choice.
Of course, if it were a real battle, he could just use Super Saiyan Blue Evolved to crush him directly.
The reason Vegeta used this tactical approach was that he hoped to understand more about Hit's Time-Skip.
In case Hit's strength improved in the future, Vegeta would still be able to defeat him.
Whoosh!
Hit immediately shot up into the sky at lightning speed, leaving behind a faint afterimage.
Vegeta didn't hesitate for a second and quickly gave chase. Their figures moved rapidly high above, creating waves of air pressure.
The two engaged in a fierce exchange in the air, the sounds of colliding fists and energy explosions echoing continuously.
Clack!
Their fists collided, producing a crisp sound. A powerful shockwave spread in all directions, making the surrounding air appear distorted.
"What's this? Do you think you can defeat me just by using Son Goku's tactics?" Hit suddenly spoke, his tone laced with mockery.
"Y-you... what did you say?" Vegeta was stunned, the smile on his face instantly freezing.
How could Hit know that this tactic was one Kakarot had used before?
"Son Goku already told me. You've been reincarnated too, haven't you?" Hit chuckled, a look of realization in his eyes.
Vegeta's pupils shrank violently. He looked aghast, his mouth hanging open as he stood speechless for a long time, a storm of shock raging in his heart.
"What a coincidence. I've been reincarnated too," Hit said with a slight smile. His tone was flat, but it hit Vegeta's heart like a heavy bomb.
"You... you too?" Vegeta stuttered, his eyes filled with utter shock.
Vegeta never would have imagined that Hit was also a reincarnator.
"So, you're truly naive if you think you can use Son Goku's tactics against me," Hit grinned and performed a flexible flip in the air. He delivered an overhead kick to Vegeta's back, slamming him down from the sky.
However, Vegeta's reaction was also extremely fast.
The moment he was about to hit the ground, blue light erupted from his body. The brilliant radiance instantly enveloped him as he activated his Super Saiyan Blue transformation. The powerful aura caused the surrounding ground to vibrate slightly.
Vegeta came to a steady stop, his feet hovering off the ground as he suspended himself in mid-air.
Swish!
Hit also flickered and appeared directly across from Vegeta, his movements too fast for the eye to follow.
"That's more like it. Show your true strength sooner, lest you get eliminated later and blame it on bad luck," Hit chuckled, his eyes full of battle intent.
"You... you..." Vegeta stared at Hit in bewilderment, feeling an immense shock, his mind in a state of chaos.
Hit was actually a reincarnator as well.
He suddenly felt like there were quite a lot of reincarnated people in this world.
Well, even Bardock's wife, Gine, could be reincarnated as Son Gohan's classmate.
In that case... it didn't seem so strange that Hit could be reincarnated too.
"Show your true skill, Vegeta. Aren't you able to turn into that deep blue form?" Hit asked with a smile, a hint of provocation in his eyes.
"Hmph. Against a guy like you, there's no need to turn into Evolved Blue," Vegeta snorted, his smile growing more radiant.
"Do you think I've done nothing? I've trained seriously, and I will never lose to you!" As Hit spoke, powerful energy immediately surged from his body, making the surrounding air feel heavy.
Looking again, a deep blue light erupted from Hit's body, the color of the deep sea. He had pushed his energy to its absolute limit, his aura several times stronger than before.
Vegeta was all too familiar with this state.
In the previous life, Hit had used this state to settle things with Son Goku.
However, for the Hit of the previous life, this state could only be maintained for a short duration.
Ultimately, it was Son Goku who had secured the victory.
Vegeta assumed a combat stance, his muscles tensed and his gaze as sharp as a blade, ready at any moment to meet Hit's attack.
Hit still kept his hands in his pockets, a confident smile on his face, composed and unhurried.
The two were at loggerheads, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder, as if a more violent collision would break out in the next second.
Vegeta was the first to break the deadlock, charging toward Hit like an arrow from a bow, bringing a gust of wild wind.
Hit shifted his body slightly. His movements seemed slow, yet he accurately dodged Vegeta's attacking fist, his timing perfect.
However, just as Hit was about to launch his own attack.
Flash!
Deep blue light erupted from every part of Vegeta's body, deeper and more intense than the previous blue.
Vegeta directly activated his Super Saiyan Blue Evolved transformation. His aura surged once again, and the surrounding space seemed to warp.
Hit's fist was getting closer and closer to Vegeta's face, looking as if it were about to strike.
However, the corners of Vegeta's mouth curled into a slight arc, his smile growing more radiant, as if everything was within his grasp.
Bang!
Vegeta delivered a heavy punch, carrying immense power, the wind from his fist howling.
Yet, when Vegeta's fist struck Hit, he was surprised to find that his fist seemed to hit a phantom, feeling no resistance at all.
"What?" Vegeta's expression was aghast, his face shifting through various emotions, his heart filled with confusion.
"Hmph. You were too careless, Vegeta," Hit's voice sounded from behind Vegeta, carrying a hint of coldness.
To be continued…
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