BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted across the wasteland like the drumbeat of war itself. The entire world filled with the acrid stench of smoke and ozone, the air itself trembling under waves of overwhelming killing intent. The very fabric of space seemed to warp and buckle beneath the pressure of their battle.
"AAAHHH!" Trunks roared, channeling everything he had into a devastating shockwave that burst from his palm. The golden energy collided with his enemy's attack in a spectacular display of raw power—twin forces grinding against each other, seeking dominance.
The resulting explosion tore through what little remained of the landscape. Energy rain cascaded in all directions, each droplet carrying enough force to vaporize steel. Both fighters were thrown backward by the shockwave, separating through clouds of brilliant light and howling wind.
Then—FLASH—Instant Transmission.
Goku Black materialized directly behind Trunks in the split-second window before the younger warrior could recover his guard. A brutal punch crashed into Trunks's spine, launching him forward like a missile. His body carved a deep trench through the earth, sending up plumes of dust and shattered stone.
"Hehehehe..." Goku Black's laughter carried cruel satisfaction as he observed the destruction. "So you're the Trunks of this era? How disappointing. You know, that initial sword strike of yours might actually have finished me—but you chose to fight away from your mother, to protect the humans hiding nearby. How noble. How foolish." His smile widened. "You missed your best opportunity because of weakness."
"Hnngh..." Trunks pushed himself upright, planting the Brave Sword into the ground and using it to lever himself to his feet. His left hand gripped the hilt while his right pressed against his knee for support. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. "I won't... let you get away with this!"
The Instant Transmission is the real problem, Trunks thought desperately. In terms of raw power, we're relatively matched. But that technique gives him an insurmountable advantage. He can attack from any angle, any moment, and I can't predict it.
"Still defiant?" Goku Black's expression morphed into something between amusement and contempt. "You're pathetically outmatched, boy. Just accept your fate!"
"That's not necessarily true."
Trunks's aura suddenly exploded outward, golden flames reigniting with renewed intensity. His injured body straightened, power flooding back through his limbs. Then he raised one hand high and placed it against his forehead—a gesture that made Goku Black's eyes narrow with sudden wariness.
That's not an ordinary stance...
"SOLAR FLARE!"
Brilliant light erupted from Trunks's position—not golden ki, but pure white radiance that mimicked the sun itself. The unexpected technique caught Goku Black completely off-guard. The searing luminescence stabbed directly into his eyes, overwhelming his vision with stabbing pain.
"GAAAHH!" Goku Black reeled backward, both hands clutching his face. His eyes felt like they were burning, tears streaming uncontrollably as he stumbled blindly through the air.
NOW!
Trunks exploded forward with every ounce of speed he could muster, closing the distance before his enemy could recover. His fist drove into Goku Black's exposed abdomen with devastating force.
"GUWAH!" Bitter fluid erupted from Goku Black's mouth as the impact folded him in half. The tremendous momentum sent him tumbling backward through the sky, limbs flailing helplessly.
But Trunks wasn't finished. His other hand gripped the Brave Sword, and he brought it around in a deadly arc aimed directly at his enemy's neck. Golden Super Saiyan energy wrapped around the blade, transforming it into a pillar of radiant destruction. This attack would end everything—one clean strike to erase this monster from existence.
For everyone who died. For the future he destroyed. For MOM!
The sword descended like judgment itself, its edge spreading a trail of light across the sky.
FLASH!
At the absolute last instant, Goku Black vanished.
Instant Transmission—executed blind, guided purely by sensing Trunks's killing intent. The technique deposited him several meters to the side, just barely out of the sword's path. His eyes remained clenched shut, still burning, but his other senses had warned him with enough clarity to escape.
Damn it! Trunks's sword cleaved through empty air, and his advantage evaporated.
Goku Black immediately created distance, backing away rapidly while his vision slowly began to clear. Blurry shapes resolved into sharper images, the burning pain gradually subsiding to tolerable levels.
Trunks landed in a defensive stance, his expression shifting from triumph to frustration as he realized his finishing blow had missed.
"That was dangerous," Goku Black growled, his voice carrying genuine anger now. His face had lost its mocking amusement, replaced by cold fury. "You nearly defeated me with such an underhanded trick. How mortal of you." His eyes, still red and watering, fixed on Trunks with murderous intent. "I'll make you understand reality now. I'll show you the insurmountable gap between us!"
His aura flared black and purple, crackling with divine malice.
"I—AM—A GOD!"
Goku Black's form blurred into motion, moving so fast he left multiple afterimages. His path created visible Z-patterns in the air as he approached from multiple angles simultaneously, each afterimage threatening to be the real attack.
So fast! Trunks's eyes strained to track the movement. He could see Goku Black's trajectory, but actually defending or countering was another matter entirely. Worse, his opponent seemed to be growing stronger moment by moment, adapting and evolving mid-battle. Trunks had already pushed himself to levels approaching Super Saiyan 3, yet he couldn't gain any advantage!
If I don't match his speed exactly, he'll tear me apart!
The figure shot toward him like black lightning. Trunks judged the distance, gritted his teeth, and committed everything to a countercharge.
CRASH!
Their collision sent shockwaves rippling across the wasteland. The ground beneath them shattered into a crater. For a fraction of a second, they were locked together—Trunks's fist against Goku Black's guard, their faces mere inches apart, both burning with determination to destroy the other.
Then they separated with explosive force, each spinning away through the air.
Blood dripped from Goku Black's mouth. His chest and abdomen showed multiple sunken indentations where Trunks's strikes had landed. His face bore scratches and developing bruises.
But Trunks had taken far worse damage.
The Brave Sword fell from his grip, clattering against stone. He crashed to the ground a moment later, his body refusing to obey his commands. Looking closely revealed the extent of his injuries—his face had been struck repeatedly, nose bleeding freely, one eye swelling shut. His torso showed even more devastating trauma, and his left arm hung at an unnatural angle, completely useless.
He'd landed more hits... but Goku Black's attacks had been far more effective.
"Hahaha! HAHAHAHA!" Goku Black's laughter echoed across the ruins as he touched his damaged chest. "Interesting! Truly interesting! You can fight me to this degree, Trunks—I think you've actually helped me grow stronger!" He grabbed the torn fabric of his gi, examining the damage with genuine appreciation. "This body really is magnificent. The more I push it, the more it responds. The Saiyan physiology is perfect for my purposes!"
Trunks's eyes widened despite the pain. "This... body?" he rasped.
"Hmm?" Goku Black tilted his head with feigned innocence. "Did I say something revealing?"
He referred to it as 'this body'—like it's not originally his! The pieces fell into horrifying place. This isn't Uncle Goku somehow come back evil. Someone STOLE his body. That Potara earring... the divine presence... someone who could access the Time Rings...
"What's wrong? Shocked into silence?" Goku Black's smile turned vicious. "Go ahead—curse me. Weak, pathetic humans can only express their frustration through insults. It's truly disgusting. Every day you mortals exist, you prove that my mission is righteous!"
"Your... mission?" Trunks struggled to process the implications. "Who... who are you? Why are you trying to eliminate humanity?!"
"Humanity?" Goku Black laughed as though the distinction was absurd. "No, no, no. My goal extends far beyond just Earth." He spread his arms wide, encompassing the entire sky. "I intend to purge ALL mortals from this universe. Every human, every alien, every sentient being across all twelve universes! You're all the same—selfish, cruel, ignorant, violent. As long as such creatures exist, true universal peace can never be achieved. I am a god. It's my sacred duty to correct this fundamental mistake and restore justice to creation!" His hand clenched into a fist, as though crushing the very concept of mortality itself. "Earth is merely one small target in a much grander design. Don't flatter yourself by thinking you're special."
Madman! Trunks's blood ran cold. He wants to exterminate all mortals across the entire universe?! That's not justice—that's genocide on a cosmic scale!
But despite his horror, despite his injuries, despite his trembling limbs—Trunks refused to give up. He couldn't. Too many people were counting on him. His mother was watching. The few surviving humans who'd endured so much suffering...
He fumbled in his pocket with his one working hand and pulled out a small bean—one of the Senzu Beans Raditz had given him months ago as emergency supplies. Trunks popped it into his mouth and swallowed.
The effect was instantaneous. His injuries vanished. His energy reserves filled to maximum. His broken arm snapped back into proper position and regained full function. Within seconds, he stood at peak fighting condition once more.
"What?!" Goku Black's shock was evident. "What did you just do? You were defeated—how are you suddenly—"
"You get to cheat with Instant Transmission and stolen bodies," a new voice interrupted from above, cold as the void between stars. "Seems only fair that we get some advantages too."
The temperature plummeted. Killing intent so dense it was nearly visible descended over the battlefield like a falling guillotine blade.
Goku Black's entire body went rigid. His muscles locked up involuntarily, responding to a threat his conscious mind hadn't yet fully registered. The overwhelming pressure bearing down on him made movement impossible.
Trunks's expression transformed from desperation to relief, tears of gratitude pricking at his eyes. "Mr. Raditz! You made it!"
Thank Kami. Thank Kami he's here.
Because Raditz wasn't just strong—he operated on an entirely different level than Trunks or Goku Black. The enemy before them might have the combat power of Super Saiyan 3, perhaps slightly higher. Raditz had already surpassed that realm entirely, touching the threshold of true divinity.
The moment Raditz arrived, the battle was essentially over.
"'I am a god'?" Raditz's voice dripped with contempt as he descended from the sky like a falling star, his presence radiating undeniable authority. "Then go to hell, Zamasu."
His figure blurred through space—not Instant Transmission, but pure speed that transcended conventional movement. One moment he floated above; the next, his hand was clamped around Goku Black's chest with crushing force.
"No! Wait—who are YOU?!" Zamasu's carefully maintained composure shattered entirely. In his timeline, Raditz had died during the Saiyan invasion—just another footnote in history, another weak warrior eliminated decades ago. There was no reason this person should even exist, let alone pose a threat!
But what terrified him more than the impossible survival was the aura emanating from this stranger. It carried the unmistakable signature of divinity—genuine god-force, not the stolen scraps Zamasu had cobbled together. This Saiyan felt like a Supreme Kai... but impossibly powerful, refined in ways Zamasu's own divine essence wasn't.
Another Supreme Kai. But I killed all the Supreme Kai in this timeline! How can there be MORE?! And how does he know my true identity?!
Horror flooded Zamasu's stolen eyes. "You... you can't—"
Raditz didn't bother with explanations. Talking was pointless when dealing with fanatics. Right now, while Zamasu remained relatively weak, elimination was straightforward. If they waited until he evolved through combat, adapted to Goku's body fully, potentially fused with his alternate self...
Best to end this immediately.
Golden-white energy erupted from Raditz's palm—not a beam, but a spear of pure destruction that punched directly through Zamasu's torso. Blood exploded outward in a crimson spray. The force of the blast sent Goku Black's body hurtling backward, tumbling end over end through the air.
"I... can't die... here..." Zamasu gasped, blood bubbling from his lips. His hand trembled as it reached toward his ear, grasping the Time Ring. "Not... before justice... is served..."
Green light erupted around his broken form—the distinctive energy signature of temporal manipulation. A pillar of luminescence engulfed him completely, and he began to fade, his body being pulled through space-time toward another era.
"NO!" Raditz vanished with his own Instant Transmission, reappearing directly where Zamasu had been. His hand shot out, trying to grab hold before the temporal transfer completed—
But the Time Ring's power was immense, its authority over the temporal dimension absolute. The green light consumed Zamasu entirely, yanking him out of this timeline and depositing him... elsewhere. The spatial-temporal forces involved were beyond even Raditz's ability to interrupt or follow.
The light faded. The pressure dissipated.
Zamasu was gone.
Only the empty, devastated Earth remained—saturated with the stench of blood and smoke, scarred by battle, mourning its losses.
Raditz's fist clenched so tightly his knuckles went white. "Damn it," he whispered, frustration evident in every syllable. "I was too slow."
Trunks approached on unsteady legs, his relief at survival warring with disappointment that their enemy had escaped. "What... what do we do now? He's still out there. He could be anywhere in space-time."
Raditz's eyes remained fixed on the spot where Zamasu had vanished, his mind already racing through possibilities and strategies. "We report to Lady Chronoa. This is bigger than a single timeline now—Zamasu has access to the Time Rings, which means he can potentially threaten the entire temporal continuum."
He turned to face Trunks, and despite the grimness of their situation, managed a slight smile. "But you did well. You held him off until I could arrive. You protected your mother and survived against an opponent with godly power. That takes incredible strength."
"I just..." Trunks's voice cracked slightly. "I just want my world to be safe again. Is that too much to ask?"
Raditz placed a hand on the younger warrior's shoulder, the gesture carrying genuine compassion. "No. It's not too much at all. And we're going to make sure it happens." His expression hardened with determination. "Zamasu made a mistake by revealing himself. Now we know what we're facing. Now we can prepare properly."
He glanced at the ruins surrounding them, at the broken world that had once been rebuilt with such hope. "But first, we need to get you and your mother somewhere safe. Then we're going to hunt that bastard down—and next time, he won't escape."
Trunks nodded, drawing strength from Raditz's confidence. "Yeah. Next time, we finish this."
Above them, dark clouds began to gather once more, as though the sky itself wept for the suffering below.
But somewhere in the distance, hidden among the ruins, a few human survivors watched with renewed hope. They'd seen the flash of golden light. They'd felt the arrival of someone powerful.
Maybe, just maybe, salvation had finally arrived.
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