As Vegeta's construct dissipated into a cascade of shimmering light, the motes swiftly returned to the ring adorning William's hand. Rising from his throne, which disintegrated into radiant particles that flowed seamlessly back into his ring, William moved with an aura of regal elegance. Goku could only stare in awe as William descended gracefully to the ground, his movements fluid and dancer-like, each step exuding effortless poise. As William cracked his knuckles and approached, his towering presence sent an involuntary shiver through the young Saiyan, who gulped loudly, unable to conceal his nervousness.
Reaching into his pocket, William retrieved a senzu bean, balancing it on his thumb before flicking it toward Goku.
"Eat that, and we'll spar next!"
With a resolute nod, Goku bit into the bitter bean, feeling a powerful surge of revitalizing energy rushing through his veins, restoring his strength to its peak.
Once Goku felt his energy and body fully rejuvenated, he looked at William with a palpable sense of excitement, eager to measure himself against someone he perceived as superior.
William mirrored this excitement, but for reasons entirely his own. "We'll start slow. I hope you're ready, Goku!"
Upon hearing this, Goku gave a firm nod of affirmation before springing backward to the opposite side of the arena. There, he assumed a martial arts stance uniquely his own, less polished than the turtle or crane styles but undeniably more aggressive. The stance exuded an untamed and feral energy, perfectly capturing Goku's wild and unrestrained spirit.
KATCHA!
The ground beneath Goku's feet fractured like delicate ice as he propelled himself toward William, his right arm cocked back for a devastating cross. But just before the punch could connect, William skillfully tilted his head, narrowly evading the blow. In the same fluid motion, he unleashed a powerful ki blast to Goku's abdomen, sending the young Saiyan hurtling backward.
BOOM!
Goku staggered to a stop a few feet away and brushed his abdomen as the attack had blasted a hole in his uniform. His eyes flashed with unknown thoughts and emotions.
"If you wont come to me—" William vanished in front of Goku's eyes, which went wide seeing what just happened and his eyes scanned the surroundings while putting up his defenses, channeling a thin but potent barrier of ki around his skin just in case his limbs failed him.
"I'll come to you!" A voice, chilling and menacing, sent shivers cascading down Goku's spine as it echoed ominously behind him. Before he could even react, an overwhelming force struck him from behind, driving him headfirst into the arena floor with earth-shaking power, carving a small crater upon impact.
BANG!
"OUCH, OUCH, OUCH! Seriously? Did you have to hit that hard? I thought we were starting off slow!" Goku scratched the back of his head, causing small bits of rubble from the arena to fall down.
CLATTER!
Goku climbed out of the crater, shaking dust from his hair with a sheepish grin. This time, though, instead of charging recklessly, his eyes sharpened with determination.
Alright... maybe it's time to try some of those tricks I learned from those Reaver guys. Let's see how William handles this!
Without warning, Goku split into two illusory afterimages, darting left and right in a zigzag pattern. Unlike his usual afterimage technique, faint streaks of ki lingered in the air, each clone flickering like a decoy target. William's eyes narrowed in focus.
"Crafty…" he muttered.
The decoys exploded suddenly, sending bursts of concussive energy outward like proximity mines. William swept the blasts aside with a casual wave of his aura, but the real Goku burst through the smoke, spinning low like a saw blade, his heel whipping toward William's temple in a move both brutal and mechanical, far from his usual flowing style.
CLANG!
William caught the kick with his forearm, though the force pushed him back a step, the ring on his finger pulsing faintly with light.
"Ha! Got you to move!" Goku laughed, slamming his fists together to create a shockwave that rippled forward, another Reaver-inspired tactic, raw and unrefined, born of battlefield trickery rather than polished ki control.
William braced against the tremor, but Goku wasn't finished. He darted in low, feinting toward William's ribs before suddenly dropping into a sweeping motion, his knuckles dragging across the arena floor and erupting into a spray of stone and dust aimed straight at William's face.
A dirty feint.
William smirked through the haze, impressed despite himself.
Goku darted out from behind the cloud, his grin stretching wide with boundless energy.
He launched himself forward once more, blending traditional martial arts with erratic, explosive bursts of power: a knee strike that transitioned into an energy burst, a feigned grapple that twisted into a sudden headbutt, and a dual-fisted blow that veered sharply into a devastating hammer strike at the last second, movements that seemed to draw from battle-hardened mercenaries tearing through machines rather than the elegant choreography of noble combat.
The arena reverberated with thunderous BANG! CRACK! WHOOM! as Goku unleashed his chaotic and relentless hybrid style in a whirlwind of fury.
For the first time, William lifted his guard with true intent, his regal composure shifting into a sharp, battle-tested smile.
"Good… show me everything you've mastered."
FWOOOM!
He lunged again, fists flashing with blistering speed. This time, William didn't just evade, he countered. Every punch Goku hurled was met with a calculated parry, a swift deflection, or a counter-strike that grazed his defenses without breaking through. It was like sparring with a seasoned master who knew precisely how to push his opponent, each exchange forcing Goku to refine his reactions.
SMACK!
CLASH!
CRACK!
The arena reverberated with the impact of their blows.
"Better," William acknowledged, sidestepping a spinning kick with ease. Then, with an explosive burst, he lashed out with a lightning-fast jab, sharp enough to make Goku recoil, but controlled enough to sting rather than crush. "But your guard still has gaps. Fix it."
Without hesitation, he slid back into his stance, his aura blazing, every muscle straining to keep pace. His movements became sharper, more precise, not the chaotic brawling of earlier, but a honed ferocity forged by necessity.
William, still standing tall in composed control, increased his power once more, just enough to remain ahead.
"You're learning," he murmured, his tone calm yet challenging. "Now let's see if you can keep up when I push."
WHOOM!
He disappeared, reappearing at Goku's side with a dazzlingly swift palm strike.
WHOOM!
William's palm strike grazed Goku's ribs, the impact erupting in a shockwave that hurled the Saiyan a dozen feet away. Twisting midair, Goku landed hard, skidding across the stone floor on one hand before flipping upright, his grin sharper and fiercer than ever.
"Whoa! You're fast! But I can still—"
Before the words escaped his lips, William was upon him again, surging forward like a relentless tide. Each attack, razor-sharp elbows, lightning-fast jabs, sweeping kicks, was executed with surgical precision. Not enough to injure or cripple, but precisely enough to push Goku's reflexes to their absolute limit.
Every blocked punch sent tremors up his arms. Every parried kick jolted his frame. Every narrowly dodged strike forced his body to adapt, pushing him further and further beyond his limits.
William's voice cut through the chaos, calm and instructive, as if delivering a lecture mid-battle:
"Your stance falters when you overextend. Keep your back foot anchored."
CRACK! A knee slipped through, grazing Goku's guard and making him stagger.
"Your guard is too high. Protect your centerline."
BANG! A jab shot into his abdomen like a bolt of lightning.
"You're quick to adapt… but not quick enough to predict."
Sweat pouring down his face, Goku growled through gritted teeth, his grin widening with fierce determination. "Heh… then I'll just have to get faster!"
With a sudden burst, Goku blurred into motion, unleashing a storm of strikes, punches, knees, spin-kicks, shoulder-checks, even a headbutt, all flowing into a seamless assault. His body screamed from the strain, but his spirit burned even hotter, driving him forward without hesitation.
William chuckled softly, meeting each strike with effortless counters, always a step ahead, his strength unyielding and his speed untouchable. Shockwaves rippled through the air with every clash, shaking the arena to its core.
Finally, William caught Goku's fist mid-swing, locking the two fighters in a trembling deadlock. The sheer force of their struggle cracked the tiles beneath their feet.
"Good," William murmured, his eyes gleaming with a mix of pride and a dangerous intensity.
With a fierce twist of his grip, he flung Goku backward like a lifeless ragdoll. Goku hit the ground hard, the impact kicking up a choking cloud of dust that he coughed away, but the fire within him only burned hotter. Gritting his teeth, he slowly rose to his feet, fists quivering, faint sparks of energy flickering at the edges of his aura.
And William… William allowed himself the barest hint of a smile.
For the real lesson was just about to unfold.
William advanced with unyielding determination, his strikes sharp and deliberate, each one designed to push Goku further into the raging tempest of his potential. Goku's body cried out in agony, muscles tearing, lungs burning, bones trembling with every blocked blow. Yet, he pressed on, defiant as ever, refusing to yield.
WHAM!
William's fist connected with Goku's guard in a thunderous impact, sending him skidding across the arena. His boots gouged deep grooves into the tiles before he finally came to a halt, chest heaving like a war drum, his breath ragged.
And then, it came.
For a fleeting moment, his jet-black hair shimmered, golden light rippling through it like the last gasp of a dying flame. His aura flared chaotically, wild sparks of electricity dancing across his skin before vanishing. Goku's eyes widened. He recognized it, the same primal surge from Namek, that untamed force within his blood, roaring to be set free.
"No…" Goku growled through gritted teeth, shaking his head in defiance.
William saw it clearly.
His eyes narrowed, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Good. That's exactly what I want. Hold it back. Control your body first, then your instincts."
FWOOOM!
He vanished and reappeared at Goku's flank in a blur. His palm struck Goku's shoulder with thunderous force, spinning the Saiyan midair. William followed seamlessly, his knee driving into Goku's ribs, his elbow hammering down on the back of his neck. Each strike punished but never overpowered.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Goku roared defiantly, deflecting one blow, evading another, then catching William's fist in both hands. His hair flickered gold, a halo of fiery energy igniting before sputtering out again, leaving him trembling, teeth clenched with effort.
"RRRRAAAAHH!"
He broke free, unleashing a ferocious barrage of punches that tore through the air. Each strike carried greater force than the last, his aura snapping and surging as golden flashes grew brighter and more frequent. His fists blurred, his wild grin returning, primal and untamed.
William countered with fluid precision, though even he began to slide back under the onslaught's relentless power. His eyes sparkled with admiration, his voice steady amidst the storm.
"Yes… push past exhaustion. Ride the edge of your power without falling over it."
William's fists collided with Goku's, their knuckles crashing together in a relentless rhythm, each strike accompanied by thunderclaps that roared across the arena. With every impact, bursts of gold and bronze ki erupted, spiraling into a tempest of untamed energy.
Goku's hair flared again, blazing brighter and holding longer, a brilliant crown of golden flame on the verge of igniting completely. His pupils sharpened like a predator's, and his roar tore through the heavens.
But then, he suppressed it, forcing his aura to recede into its base form. His body trembled, battered yet unbroken.
William stepped back, his razor-sharp smile unwavering as he raised his guard. "Excellent. You're learning restraint."
Goku wiped the blood from his lip, panting, but his grin burned with fierce determination. "Heh… and you're not making it easy."
"Good," William replied, cracking his knuckles as his bronze aura flared just a fraction more. "Because I have no intention of doing so."
BOOOOOM!
With a deafening explosion, he vanished once more, a streak of bronze light hurtling toward Goku, driving him to the very limits of his power.
With a sudden, almost imperceptible shift in the air, William's aura flared to life, bronze light crackling fiercely as if stirred by an unseen tempest. Goku charged forward once more, his fists blazing with frantic energy, but every strike he unleashed was parried or sidestepped by William with effortless precision, like a predator casually toying with its prey.
"Not bad… but you're letting your instincts take over," William said, his voice calm yet laced with commanding authority. "Focus."
Goku gritted his teeth, his fists trembling as a surge of golden energy flickered along the edges of his hair. His body strained, resisting the transformation he had only just begun to master. Sweat streamed down his face, his muscles tensed, and his aura oscillated wildly between searing gold and vibrant orange.
William's sharp eyes narrowed, tracking every subtle shift, every twitch of muscle and flicker of ki. Letting out a slow, measured exhale, he launched into the air, bronze motes swirling around him like fiery embers in a midnight storm.
Before Goku could react, William's hand lashed out with blinding speed, a pinpoint ki strike grazing Goku's chest. The impact sent him spiraling through the air, his body twisting violently.
"ARGH—!" Goku's scream was drowned by the roar of energy surrounding him as he hurtled toward the arena floor. The ground rushed up to meet him, fragments of stone and dust exploding outward in anticipation of the collision.
Yet, defying the laws of physics and expectation, William hovered above the point of impact, his bronze light radiating like molten fire. He stood unshaken, an immovable force at the center of the chaotic storm.
Time seemed to freeze, Goku's aura surged uncontrollably, a chaotic golden halo threatening to erupt, his instincts screaming for release.
William's eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and challenge, his voice slicing through the charged atmosphere with unyielding authority:
"Go ahead… unleash your Super Saiyan form!"
The arena quaked under the sheer promise of the explosion yet to come.