Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Breaking Point
My bad, i was working and just saw the stones, here's the bonus chapter for the 10 stones.
Next 25!
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A low hum filled the air as I drew energy into my mouth, the ki sphere forming slowly, deliberately. Its light bathed the battlefield in an ominous glow, the raw power within it a promise of destruction. Gohan and Piccolo, positioned in front of me, tensed as they sensed the rising energy, bracing themselves for an incoming blast.
But they were focused on the wrong direction.
With a subtle flick of my wrist, I transferred the glowing ki sphere from my mouth to my left palm, the energy reforming with seamless precision. I turned, my arm extending to the side, and released the sphere. It streaked toward the base of the cliffs, where a small figure watched the battle from a distance.
Pan.
The realization struck Gohan in an instant, horror flashing in his eyes as he watched the deadly sphere close in on his daughter. He moved forward, a cry tearing from his throat, but it was too late.
But then, from the shadows, a figure appeared in the sphere's path. Gotenks materialized, intercepting the blast head-on. The impact exploded in a blinding flash, and he was sent hurtling back, his form flickering before it fractured. The fusion dissolved, and Goten and Trunks were left in its wake, their bodies broken, blood trickling from wounds as they fell to the ground, unconscious and battered.
The battlefield was silent, and I allowed myself a small, amused smile as I surveyed the aftermath. "Ah… how curious. I had regulated the energy in that blast quite precisely," I murmured, my tone as calm as if I were discussing the weather. "Intended solely to eliminate that child and awaken your full potential, Gohan. But it seems that fusion of theirs introduced an unexpected factor. Fascinating, indeed."
Gohan's eyes widened, his gaze shifting between the still forms of his brother and Trunks, the weight of my words sinking in. Fury contorted his features, his ki flaring wildly as he processed what I had done, what I had nearly done to his daughter.
A growl escaped him, low and dangerous. His aura expanded, his energy blazing with a force that sent tremors through the ground. His hair spiked upward, a fierce, golden glow surrounding him as he ascended beyond his usual state. His transformation into Super Saiyan 2 blended with his unlocked power, elevating his strength to a level I could feel vibrating in the very air around us.
And beside him, Piccolo's eyes narrowed with rage, his expression hardening. He took a step forward, his resolve like iron. I could sense the fierce love he held for Pan, the protectiveness that had driven him to risk everything to train her. He, too, powered up, his energy surging as he prepared to unleash his full strength against me.
Without a word, the two charged forward, a united front forged from their combined anger and determination. Their ki ignited the air around them as they closed in, their fists blazing with power as they launched their assault.
Gohan moved with relentless precision, each strike laced with the fury of a father defending his child. His movements were blindingly fast, his punches and kicks striking like a hailstorm, relentless and merciless. Piccolo, his orange aura blazing like fire, unleashed a series of powerful blows, his strikes infused with raw, unrestrained killing intent.
But I welcomed their attack with open arms, watching each strike as if it were a simple formality. I met Gohan's furious assault with a calm block, parrying his punches with my forearms and countering each strike with effortless movements. Piccolo's attacks followed, his giant fists swinging down with brutal force, yet each hit seemed to pass through empty air as I moved, sidestepping and deflecting his attacks with precision.
"You're strong, Gohan," I remarked, my voice carrying an air of detached analysis as I parried another punch. "But strength born of rage alone is… unsubstantial."
I raised my own hand, gathering energy into my fingertips, and released a stream of ki toward them, a mimic of Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon, the golden energy spiraling forward in a deadly arc. They barely dodged it, the blast slicing into the earth behind them, leaving a smoking crater in its wake.
Gohan and Piccolo didn't relent. Gohan cupped his hands, his energy gathering into a concentrated sphere between them. "Kamehameha!" he shouted, releasing the beam of energy in a powerful surge.
"Ah, yes," I mused as I mirrored his stance, forming my own beam in my hands. "A technique etched in the very bones of this world."
With a calm breath, I unleashed my own Kamehameha, the blue beam colliding with Gohan's, their energies clashing and crackling as they struggled for dominance. I could feel the pressure of his power pressing against mine, a fierce and desperate attempt to overpower me.
But with a slight adjustment of my stance, I amplified my energy, my beam overpowering his, sending him skidding back. He staggered, breathless, but Piccolo surged forward, his fist aimed directly at my chest. I caught it with my palm, feeling the strain in his muscles as he tried to break through my defenses.
"You persist," I said, almost conversationally, as I tightened my grip on his fist. "And yet, without purpose, it remains… rather futile."
I released his hand and struck him with a backhanded blow, sending him reeling, and in the same instant, I moved behind Gohan, delivering a precise kick that knocked him to the ground. They struggled back to their feet, their faces marked with determination, but the outcome was clear.
Without hesitation, I raised my hand, forming a bright orb of energy in my palm, and flung it forward. Piccolo and Gohan braced themselves as the blast exploded in front of them, the force knocking them back as they shielded their faces from the scorching heat.
When the dust cleared, I stood over them, my expression calm as I regarded their battered forms.
"It's admirable, really," I murmured. "Your loyalty, your courage… so many words for such a simple instinct. But loyalty without strength is a broken shield."
With a sudden burst of speed, I moved behind Piccolo, my arm extending and piercing through his back. He stiffened, his eyes widening in shock as my hand emerged from his chest, stained with his blood. The tremor that passed through him was a quiet acknowledgment of defeat, a realization that his strength had been overpowered, his resolve shattered.
Gohan's eyes widened in horror, his movements frozen as he watched the scene unfold, helpless to intervene.
Piccolo gasped, his vision fading as I drained the remnants of his energy, drawing it into myself, each fragment of his power adding to my own. His skin paled, his form wilting as his life force seeped away.
With a casual flick, I withdrew my arm and hurled his body aside, watching as he tumbled through the air, landing in a limp heap on the ground. His breathing was faint, his body broken, barely clinging to life.
Gohan's world went silent, his gaze fixed on Piccolo's still form, the reality of the moment sinking in. It was as if the world around him had fallen away, the colors fading to a pitch black, save for a single, piercing line of crimson that cut across his vision.
And in that silence, his rage simmered, building, consuming... Like... A Beast.
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