Chi-Chi was practically clawing at her seat, her voice slicing through the din.Chi-Chi (Timeline 2):"WHAT are those two little maniacs THINKING?! Vegito, DO something before they blow themselves up!"
Vegito didn't even glance at her. Arms crossed, smirk firmly in place, he leaned back as if he were enjoying the show.Vegito:"Relax. This is a learning experience."
Bulma (Timeline 2) slammed her palm on the barrier. "Learning experience?! They're about to kill themselves! Do you know how much this is costing me in heart attacks?"
Master Roshi, stroking his restored youthful beard, chuckled softly.Roshi:"Kids these days… no respect for the art of pacing yourself."
Meanwhile, over in Timeline 10's section, the mood was wildly different. Zangya lounged with her arms crossed, an amused grin tugging at her lips.Zangya:"Your boy's calm under pressure, Turles. You trained him well."
Turles stood silently at the edge of the platform, cape fluttering with the void's shifting currents. His gaze never left Taizo. The corner of his mouth lifted—just slightly.Turles:"Calm wins wars. That's what I taught him."
Two rows down, Taizo's younger siblings were bouncing in their seats, fists pumping the air.Younger Sister:"Go big brother! Show that spiky-haired clown what strategy looks like!"
From the upper galleries, whispers rippled across other timelines.Future Gohan (Timeline 1) narrowed his eyes."Taizo… He's reading Gotenks like a book. But raw power still decides this game… and Gotenks has plenty."
Beerus, sipping from a crystal chalice conjured by Whis, chuckled under his breath.Beerus:"Mortals and their pride. This is going to be deliciously embarrassing for someone."
Whis tilted his head, his serene smile betraying intrigue.Whis:"Mmm. Fusion's flaw isn't strength—it's time. And I believe young Taizo knows this."
On the stage below, the contrast between fighters couldn't be sharper. Gotenks blazed like a miniature sun, his Super Saiyan 3 aura raging in golden arcs of fury, long hair whipping in every direction. The sheer heat of his ki warped the air, sending violet cracks rippling through the floating platforms.
Taizo, by comparison, was still, his aura condensed into a fine emerald shimmer that clung tightly to his body. His breathing was calm, almost rhythmic, like a warrior meditating in the eye of a storm.
Gotenks floated forward, cocky grin plastered across his young face.Gotenks:"C'mon, Taizo! Is this the part where you start crying for mommy, or do I have to smack the arrogance outta you first?"
Taizo didn't flinch.Taizo:"You talk too much for someone whose time is running out."
Gotenks twitched, irritation flashing in his eyes.Gotenks:"Time?! Buddy, the only time you need to worry about is how fast I end this fight!"
Vegito smirked from the stands.Vegito (mutters):"Idiot… He's burning fuel faster than Buu did."
Turles tilted his head slightly, voice a low growl.Turles:"Stay patient, Taizo… Just a little longer."
Future Gohan whispered under his breath, uneasy.Future Gohan:"Something's off. Taizo's ki—it's barely moving."
With a primal scream, Gotenks exploded forward, the force of his movement detonating the platform beneath him. His first punch whistled through the air like a meteor, colliding with Taizo's guard in a thunderclap that made the entire arena quake.
Taizo slid backward one footstep. One. That was it.
Gotenks (snarling):"What's with that smug look?! You think you can block THIS?!"
He vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing behind Taizo with a savage kick that bent the air around it. Taizo twisted, catching the kick with his forearm—and used the momentum to pivot Gotenks into a spiraling throw.
The crowd roared as Gotenks somersaulted midair, landing like a cat and launching back in, fists blazing.
Whis, ever composed, twirled his staff lazily.Whis:"Such elegance from Taizo… and such recklessness from Gotenks. This is artistry versus chaos."
Beerus yawned.Beerus:"And chaos will collapse in… oh, three minutes."
Gotenks:"Stop RUNNING, you coward!"Taizo:"Running? No. I'm waiting."
Another clash—fists cracking against forearms, knees slamming into ribs, platforms disintegrating like paper. But for every ten hits Gotenks threw, maybe one grazed Taizo. And even those were shallow.
Taizo moved with surgical precision, forcing Gotenks to expend mountains of energy on wasted swings. His inner thoughts were cold and calculated:(Each move… each blast… costs him more than me. At this rate, he'll drown in his own power.)
Meanwhile, Gotenks' thoughts were boiling:(Why isn't he scared?! Why isn't he SWEATING?! He's supposed to be freaking out!)
Chi-Chi screamed, clutching her head.Chi-Chi:"He's going to explode out there! Someone STOP this madness!"
Bulma slapped her arm.Bulma:"Oh, calm down, Chi-Chi—wait no, don't calm down, he's actually going to kill himself!"
Meanwhile, Krillin and Android 18 exchanged a glance from Timeline 3's section.Krillin:"Man… glad we didn't let Marron watch this."Android 18:"Fusion… too flashy for its own good."
Finally, after nearly five minutes of relentless offense from Gotenks, Taizo moved first.
In a blink, he sidestepped a haymaker and drove his elbow into Gotenks' ribcage, sending the fused warrior spiraling through three platforms. Before Gotenks could recover, Taizo was already there, leg arcing upward in a perfect crescent kick that cracked against Gotenks' jaw.
The fusion grunted, flipping backward midair—but his aura flickered. Just for a second.
Vegito's eyes narrowed."There it is."
Turles' grin sharpened."Checkmate's coming."
The Beginning of the End
Gotenks snarled, wiping blood from his lip.Gotenks:"Oh, you're DEAD now! You hear me? DEAD!"
His aura detonated again as he prepped his ultimate technique.Gotenks:"FINAL SUPER GHOST CLUSTER OMEGA ATTACK!!!"
Thousands of ghostly clones burst from his body, each one a living bomb. They spiraled into a massive cyclone, forming a glowing storm of doom above the arena. The spectators gasped, shielding their faces from the searing light.
Even Beerus raised a brow.Beerus:"Hmph. At least it's flashy."
Whis chuckled softly.Whis:"Flashy… and suicidal."
Fusion Timer Cracks
As Gotenks charged the move, his body trembled. Hair flickered, strands shortening for the briefest second. His pupils dilated in panic.
Vegito (grimly):"He's out of time."
The announcer's voice boomed, but even he sounded breathless.Announcer:"L-Ladies and gentlemen, this… THIS is unprecedented!"
Taizo's Calm Amid the Storm
Taizo stood perfectly still, arms loose at his sides. His inner thoughts were razor-sharp:(Now.)
He launched forward—not at Gotenks, but at the ghosts themselves. Ki-controlled feints redirected their paths, forcing them back toward their creator.
Gotenks:"W-WHAT?! NO NO NO—STOP THAT!"
Taizo's final move was poetry: a concentrated ki pulse that shattered the platform beneath Gotenks, making the fusion stumble just as the first ghost detonated.
And then… the timer hit zero.
With a deafening roar, Gotenks defused mid-explosion.
The resulting blast was cataclysmic. Light devoured everything. The arena trembled like a living thing. Spectators shielded their eyes as chunks of shattered platforms spiraled into the void.
When the dust cleared… two small bodies lay unconscious in twin craters. Smoke curled from their clothes. Neither moved.
And there, standing between them, his armor cracked but eyes calm as a still ocean… was Taizo.
He exhaled slowly.Taizo:"Fusion isn't power. Control is."
Announcer (voice booming):"MATCH SIX… WINNER: TAIZO OF TIMELINE TEN!!!"
Timeline 2 Reactions
Chi-Chi nearly fainted.Chi-Chi:"MY BABY—MY BABY—"Bulma caught her, equally frantic.Bulma:"Medic! MEDIC!!"Vegito sighed, rubbing his temples.Vegito:"Idiots. Pure idiots."But his smirk betrayed grudging respect for Taizo.
Timeline 10 Reactions
Turles strode to the barrier, his voice low but proud.Turles:"Well done, son. You didn't flinch, not once."Taizo nodded, expression still cool.Taizo:"I won't let pride blind me, Father."Zangya smirked.Zangya:"Guess the kids learned something today."
Beerus laughed so hard wine spilled down his chin.Beerus:"Oh, that was PERFECT! I almost feel bad for them. Almost."Whis chuckled softly.Whis:"Fusion—such brilliance, such fragility. A pity they wasted it."
Future Gohan exhaled through his nose, whispering:Future Gohan:"Taizo… You're dangerous in ways raw power can't touch,a t least not gotenks."
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Far above the roaring coliseum, hidden behind curtains of shimmering divine light, a circular chamber floated silently. Twelve thrones surrounded a table carved from the heart of a dying star, its surface swirling with fragments of timelines like trapped fireflies. Here, the gods watched.
Beerus (Prime) lounged on his throne, one arm draped lazily over the armrest, a claw tapping in irritation. "You changed the schedule," he said coldly, voice cutting through the low hum of cosmic energy. His golden eyes slid toward the Angel standing at the center—a figure of calm, with a smile that seemed almost… mischievous.
"I didn't change it," Whis-like Angel replied, tone polite but laced with amusement. "I… adjusted it. Call it a test."
Another Beerus—bulkier, with bronze markings across his fur—snarled. "A test? You moved Match Thirteen up ten places! Who gave you permission?"
The Angel's staff twirled in his hand lazily, the sound of chimes echoing in the chamber. "Permission?" he said, tilting his head slightly. "The same entity who gave me permission to let twelve universes slaughter each other for sport."
The silence was sharp. A few gods exchanged glances.
"Careful," growled a third Beerus, his voice low. "You're saying things that could—"
"—be true?" The Angel smiled faintly, cutting him off without raising his tone. "I believe some of you wanted to see him fight, no? You've all whispered about it. You've all wondered." His eyes glimmered, locking on Beerus Prime. "You, especially."
Beerus Prime's tail twitched, but his voice remained steady. "He's… different."
"Different," the Angel repeated softly, stepping closer to the viewing sphere in the center of the chamber. With a flick of his wrist, the entire arena bloomed into view—a sea of timelines, a coliseum stretching into infinity. "If mortals can fuse and reach power rivaling gods… doesn't that interest you?"
One of the other gods scoffed. "Interest me? It disgusts me. That fusion—Vegito—he's a mistake."
"Or," the Angel said, smile widening just enough to be unsettling, "he's the inevitable future."
For a moment, no one spoke. Only the hum of divine energy filled the chamber. Then the Angel turned away, voice almost sing-song as he said:
"So, that's what I'm doing."
The coliseum floor glowed with golden light as the announcer—calm now, his voice clear and commanding—stepped forward.
"Ladies and gentlemen, warriors of every timeline," he boomed, words rolling across the infinite arena like thunder, "prepare yourselves… for a battle none of you expected this early."
Eyes everywhere locked onto the massive bracket screen overhead. Then the letters appeared, blazing in molten gold:
MATCH SEVEN (SUPPOSED TO BE THIRTEEN)
VEGITO (Timeline Two) vs. HIRUDEGARN (Timeline Twelve)
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then chaos erupted.
Timeline Two's Booth
"What?!" Bulma nearly fell forward over the barrier, gripping it like a lifeline. Her voice was shrill with disbelief. "They're throwing him in NOW? After Gotenks just fought?!"
Chi-Chi's eyes widened in pure alarm. "Wait, does this mean if something happens to Vegito, that's it for—"
"Calm down." Vegito's voice cut through like a blade as he stood, stretching slowly, the faint sound of his joints popping like distant firecrackers. His tone was casual, almost bored. "It's fine."
Bulma's face turned red. "Fine? Vegito, this is clearly rigged!"
"Yeah," Gotenks groaned from the stretcher nearby, barely conscious. "Totally… unfair… h-he didn't even… see my Ghost Army…"
Vegito glanced at the kid with something that could almost pass for amusement before turning toward the arena gates. "You worry too much," he said over his shoulder. "Just watch."
Timeline One (Main Team)
Future Gohan froze mid-conversation, his single eye narrowing. "They're skipping ten matches?"
Vegeta's arms crossed, a scowl etching deeper into his face. "Hmph. Figures they'd try to throw him off. Won't matter."
Goku tilted his head, a grin tugging at his lips. "Ooooh, this is gonna be fun! I've been waiting to see him fight since this thing started!"
Uub, sitting with bandages wrapped around his arms, swallowed hard. His recent transformation still weighed on him like a storm cloud. That guy… he's on another level.
Timeline Ten (Turles' Booth)
Turles leaned forward, a slow smirk creeping across his face. "So, the king finally steps into the arena."
Beside him, Bojack cracked his knuckles with an audible pop. "About time. Let's see if the legend matches the hype."
Taizo, sitting silently, adjusted his gloves. His sharp eyes locked onto Vegito's figure in the distance. No words—just calculation.
Timeline Eight (Frieza's Booth)
Frieza's grin was venomous, his golden form gleaming under the arena lights. "Well, well, well… the mighty fusion enters the stage. Let's hope he lasts long enough for me to enjoy watching him squirm later."
Cooler smirked beside him. "Don't get your hopes up, brother. That thing… looks like trouble."
Timeline Seven (Namekian Booth)
Gast's jaw tightened. His massive arms folded as his eyes bore into the bracket display. "This… changes things."
Nail, still nursing wounds from his defeat to Tien, glanced at him. "Do you think he's really that strong?"
Gast didn't answer. He didn't need to. The grim line of his mouth said enough.
Family Section
Bulma (Timeline One) turned to Bulma (Timeline Two), eyes wide. "Do your guys always pull stunts like this?!"
Future Bulma pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have no idea."
Chi-Chi muttered under her breath, "If he gets himself killed because of some stupid pride thing, I swear—"
"Killed?" Videl hissed, eyes darting toward the monstrous silhouette rising from the mist on the arena floor. "Look at THAT!"
The arena doors slid open with a hiss, and the energy shifted instantly. Vegito stepped into the light—not striding, not rushing. Walking. Slow. Deliberate.
Android 21 bit her lower lip, giggling softly. "Oh… and here comes the dessert cart. Tall, golden, and smug."
He didn't look at the crowd. Didn't acknowledge the roar that rose from millions of throats across infinite timelines. His boots clicked softly against the obsidian tiles as he entered, hands in his pockets, head slightly tilted like someone bored at a party.
The announcer's voice thundered:
"From Timeline Two… the Permanent Fusion… VEGITO!"
Gasps. Cheers. Boos. The sound was overwhelming, but Vegito moved like none of it mattered. His teal-and-orange gi fluttered faintly in the artificial breeze, the Potara earrings glinting like twin suns. His expression? Calm. Smirk carved in stone.
Behind him, Goten and Trunks watched from the medics' care station, eyes wide with something between awe and frustration. "He's… not even warming up," Trunks whispered.
"Of course not," Goten mumbled, biting his lip. "He doesn't have to."
The ground trembled. Platforms shifted. Energy barriers flared like miniature suns as the other side of the arena darkened. From a swirling vortex of smoke and violet lightning, a massive silhouette tore through the veil.
Hirudegarn.
The beast's roar split the air, a sound so deep it rattled bones and shook the barriers protecting the spectators. His body loomed like a living mountain of black and crimson, wings unfolding in a wave that eclipsed the artificial sun overhead. His eyes burned molten gold as he fixed them on Vegito—tiny, insignificant Vegito—standing there without even flinching.
"From Timeline Twelve," the announcer declared, voice holding the faintest tremor despite himself, "the Cataclysmic Beast… HIRUDEGARN!"
Spectators leaned forward, breathless.
"Holy hell…" Krillin whispered from Timeline Nine's booth, gripping the edge of his seat. "That thing's a damn kaiju!"
"Bigger than a kaiju," Yamcha muttered. "And he's fighting a guy who's… smiling."
Indeed, Vegito's lips curled a fraction higher as the beast bellowed at him, shaking the entire arena. He rolled his neck slowly, a single pop echoing across the silence that followed.
Turles: "Look at that calm. That's the calm of a man who's never lost, our just delusional."
Future Gohan:This is insane… He's not powering up. He's not even taking a stance.
Frieza: claws tapping the armrest, tail lashing furiously. Arrogant insect. I'll erase you myself.
Gast: silent, but his aura flickered faintly—a subconscious reaction to the danger in the air.
Bulma (Timeline Two): "VEGITO! Don't you dare play around—!"
Chi-Chi (Timeline Two): "Come back alive, you hear me?!"
Vegito didn't respond. Didn't need to.
The announcer raised his hand, voice echoing like the crack of destiny:"BEGIN!"