The dust swirled violently as Gohan stood frozen mid-air, staring into the unreadable eyes of Archon. Every instinct in his body screamed danger. His Beast form flared uncontrollably, reacting to the presence of this new entity—a creature that didn't belong in the natural order of gods or mortals.
Archon didn't move. He simply watched.
Frieza floated lazily in the background, arms crossed, tail flicking with amusement.
> "You're trembling, Gohan. Are you frightened of what you sense, or what you don't understand?"
But Gohan's silence was short-lived. The air crackled as his power surged again. With a growl, he vanished from sight—reappearing behind Archon with a devastating kick. But the blow never connected.
Archon twisted effortlessly, his hand wrapping around Gohan's leg mid-strike. With one smooth motion, he slammed Gohan into the ground with a force that cratered a mountain.
> "Raw fury… impressive. But fury without purpose is nothing but noise."
Gohan groaned, pulling himself from the rubble, blood at the edge of his lip. But before he could recover fully, Archon landed beside him and drove a knee into his gut—cracking ribs, stealing breath.
Across the sky, satellites captured the moment. Earth's nations watched in helpless horror as one of their greatest defenders was being dismantled.
Just as Archon raised his hand to finish it—
A sonic boom tore through the air.
Goku appeared, Ultra Instinct aura blazing like a dying star, his feet hitting the earth with enough force to stop the planet's rotation for a split second.
> "That's enough."
Archon stepped back, sensing something even he hadn't anticipated.
Frieza's smirk faltered.
> "You're early."
Goku didn't reply. He helped Gohan to his feet, his voice low.
> "You held out long enough. Let me take it from here."
Gohan nodded, barely able to stand. His eyes locked with his father's.
> "Dad… this one's different."
Goku turned back to Archon, and for the first time in a long while… he didn't smile.
> "Then I'll be different too."
As Goku stepped forward, the clouds began to spiral unnaturally. Space cracked behind him. The very laws of battle seemed to warp.
And Archon?
He smiled.
> "Now we begin."
To be continued...