The battlefield was a grave. Clouds tore open across the blood-red sky, the planet's crust trembling under Frieza's hateful Ki.
Hovering high above, Frieza screamed, pouring what remained of his broken body into a final, jagged sphere of power. His laugh was wild, cracked, and desperate.
"IF I AM TO FALL, THIS PLANET WILL DIE WITH ME!"
Goku's golden aura flickered steady, unwavering. His eyes were calm, sharp, and merciless. "It's over, Frieza. You've taken too much… and I won't let you hurt anyone ever again."
The tyrant hurled the chaotic mass of energy down, ripping the air apart as it streaked toward Goku. The Super Saiyan raised his palms, gathering his last surge of fury into a Kamehameha.
"KA… ME…"
The ground quaked. Entire mountains collapsed into dust.
"HA… ME…"
Frieza bared his fangs. "DIE WITH YOUR PLANET!"
"HAAAAA!"
The golden torrent swallowed Frieza's attack whole and roared upward, a column of light brighter than the sun. Frieza screamed as the beam consumed him, body unraveling in the brilliance. His form disintegrated into ash and energy, vanishing from existence.
When the light faded, nothing remained of the tyrant.
Frieza was no more.
The World's Death
But victory was short-lived. Beneath Goku's feet, the earth groaned its last. The cracks widened, magma rivers splitting across the surface. The air shimmered with unbearable heat; oceans surged as if the planet's veins burst open.
"One minute…" Goku muttered, sensing the doom. His golden aura flared—he would not waste time.
That's when he felt it. A flicker. A heartbeat of Ki, faint but alive.
"…Rudra?"
Goku shot across the sky, golden trail tearing the atmosphere apart. He found the warrior half-buried in stone, chest pierced, breath shallow but still there.
"You held on…" Goku knelt beside him, pulling a senzu bean from his pouch. "Lucky I didn't need these until now."
He pressed the bean into Rudra's mouth. In an instant, Rudra's wound closed, his body surging with new life. The crimson stains vanished, and he gasped back into the world.
"Goku…?" His voice rasped, then steadied. "So, Frieza?"
"Gone." Goku stood, offering his hand. "For good."
Rudra took it and rose. His eyes turned skyward, where the atmosphere itself was cracking apart. "Not the planet. The core's already collapsed."
The ground split under their feet.
A Way Out
Goku clenched his fists. "Damn it… I couldn't save them all. Not this time."
Rudra shook his head. "Maybe not the planet… but lives can still be restored."
Goku looked at him sharply. "What do you mean?"
"The Namekian Dragon Balls. They can revive the dead… even restore a destroyed world. If we reach them in time, Earth can be brought back."
"But…" Goku's aura dimmed with doubt. "Do you even know where Namek is? I can't sense it from here."
Rudra closed his eyes, focusing. His body glowed faintly as his chakra surged. "No. I don't know the way. But someone does."
The planet shook harder, tearing itself apart. They had seconds now.
"Grab on," Rudra said firmly. His hand extended, glowing with strange symbols. "I'll take us where we need to go."
Goku's eyes widened. "You can—?"
"Instant Technique," Rudra replied. "If I lock onto the right energy, I can bridge the space between worlds. There's only one place where someone can guide us to Namek."
Goku smirked despite the chaos. "King Kai."
Rudra nodded once.
The ground under them split wide, a yawning fissure glowing with fire. The last fragments of the Earth's surface began to collapse inward.
"Now!" Rudra commanded.
Golden light wrapped Goku. Crimson-chakra light wrapped Rudra. Their energies intertwined, and the shattered battlefield vanished in an instant.
King Kai's Planet
The silence of space gave way to a small, lush world under perpetual twilight. The air smelled sweet; the grass glowed faintly. King Kai spun in surprise as two blinding lights appeared in the middle of his yard, cracking the ground.
"W-WHAT THE—?!" The North Kai's sunglasses nearly flew off his face. "You maniacs nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Goku's golden aura flickered out as he landed lightly. Rudra stood beside him, breathing steady, his chakra glow fading.
"King Kai," Goku said quickly, "Earth is gone. We don't have time. Tell us how to get to Planet Namek."
King Kai froze, antenna twitching. "Earth destroyed…?!" He swallowed hard, his tone grim. "Then the Dragon Balls may be your only hope."
Rudra stepped forward. "Guide me. If I have the location, my Instant Technique will take us there immediately."
The Kai studied him, eyes narrowing at the foreign energy flowing around the warrior. Then he looked at Goku—the golden hair, the unwavering fire in his eyes.
"You two…" King Kai murmured, almost to himself. "Maybe the universe still has a chance."
He drew a deep breath, then nodded. "Very well. I'll lock onto the Grand Elder's aura and transmit the location to you. But once you arrive… you must hurry."
Rudra smiled faintly, determination blazing in his eyes. "Hurry is something I can do."
Goku clenched his fists, golden sparks snapping around him again. "Hang on, everyone. We're coming."
To be continued…