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The two of them slammed into each other like colliding meteors.
Their fists met again, exploding with the force of nuclear weapons. The shockwaves rippled outward, spreading across the void without end.
They glared into each other's eyes for a long moment before breaking apart, both springing back.
Chunks of rock and drifting asteroids disintegrated into ash under the lingering force of their clash. Even people on Earth were knocked off their feet by the distant tremors. The ground split with massive cracks.
Out in the void, Goku—burning in crimson godly fire—stared down Lord Beerus.
Both were breathing hard, their chests heaving.
Beerus smirked between ragged breaths."Ah… this is exactly like my dream.""To think you'd climb this high… impressive. You've really done well, Super Saiyan God."
Goku grinned back."I couldn't have done it without you, Lord Beerus!"
His aura flared violently, red fire bursting out in a storm."Thanks for pushing me this far!"
The Supreme Kais watched in horror."The… the universe…" one whispered, trembling."It's about to vanish!"
Beerus roared, power surging. Purple energy shot from his body, swirling into the shape of a massive dragon. The dragon let out an ear-splitting cry that shook the heavens.
Goku's red flames surged skyward, taking the form of a crimson dragon of their own. It roared back at Beerus's beast, the two titans circling above their masters before returning into their bodies.
The instant they merged back, both warriors' power skyrocketed again, their auras blazing brighter than ever.
"Here it comes!""Good!"
Like blazing comets, they launched at each other.
The impact shook the stars—yet this time, strangely, no shockwave spread. Their power canceled itself out completely.
They pulled back, clashed again. Time itself seemed to freeze around them as they exchanged blows, fists colliding with earth-shattering force.
They roared at the top of their lungs, abandoning energy blasts for raw hand-to-hand combat. Beerus's fist flew, but Goku ducked and countered, slamming him across the face. The God of Destruction spun backward before righting himself.
From afar, the Old Kai's eyes widened."Incredible! Goku's matching Lord Beerus blow for blow!""He's striking with the same power, the same angle—completely negating Beerus's strength!"
Goku wiped blood from his mouth, chuckling."Honestly, I'd been planning that move on the second strike. But against you, Lord Beerus… there's almost never an opening."
Beerus's mind reeled. He's experimenting on me—in the middle of this fight?!
Fury surged through him. His aura exploded and his body vanished, moving faster than sight. He streaked through space like a meteor, assaulting Goku from every angle.
But Goku leapt clear, crimson fire erupting from him as he launched back into the fray.
Red and purple comets streaked through the stars, colliding again and again. Their battle was pure chaos, yet every clash was so precise that not a shred of energy leaked outward.
Their arms locked together, muscles trembling with raw power.
Beerus growled, "You've already gained the strength of a god. What more do you want?"
Goku's eyes blazed."To go higher. Always higher!"
Grinding his teeth, Beerus leapt back. He raised both hands, a pink energy sphere forming between his palms, spinning faster and faster.
"Don't underestimate the power of a god!"
Seeing the growing sphere, Goku dropped into stance, cupping his hands at his side."Ka…me…"
The pink orb grew, splitting into multiple spinning motes that circled Beerus.
"…ha…me…"
The crimson aura around Goku ignited as he thrust his hands forward."…HA!"
The Kamehameha erupted, a massive blue-white beam tearing through the void and slamming into Beerus's energy sphere.
The collision shook the cosmos. A devastating shockwave spread across galaxies.
The Supreme Kais trembled."The very thing we feared most… it's happening!""We may not survive this."
The clash raged on—beam against sphere, light against destruction. The pink energy slowly pushed back Goku's wave, forcing it toward him.
Sweat dripped from Goku's face as he gritted his teeth."So this… this is my limit? The end of a Super Saiyan God?"
"Lord Beerus… you're amazing. I… I can't…"His voice faltered. "I can't keep up anymore!"
The sphere crept closer, threatening to swallow him whole.
But Beerus's gaze softened."You've done enough."
And yet—just as the pink wave was about to consume him—the Kamehameha flared, glowing brighter than ever. It held, then began pushing back.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere:
On King Kai's planet, North Kai wrung his hands."Goku… that's Lord Beerus you're fighting! The fact you've lasted this long is already a miracle. Surrender, before Earth gets destroyed!"
Tien shook his head in disbelief."Even as a Super Saiyan God, Goku still can't beat him?"
Yamcha nodded grimly."Hard to believe, but it's true."
Chiaotzu's eyes filled with worry."Goku…"
King Kai turned to them sharply."You don't understand. You have no idea how terrifying Lord Beerus really is!"
...
In another world, the Inuyasha universe:
The sheer killing intent leaking through the interdimensional screen made Sesshōmaru tremble. His hand shook against his sword."How… how can anyone wield such power? Is this what they mean by gods fighting gods?"
Cold sweat poured down his forehead. He couldn't even imagine standing against either of them.
...
Back in space:
The Kamehameha's light grew stronger, inching forward under Goku's roar. To Beerus's shock, the pink sphere was pushed back.
"The energy of a Super Saiyan God… higher… higher!" Goku bellowed, shoving with everything he had.
Beerus snarled, pouring even more of his destructive energy into the sphere. It steadied, refusing to fall back further.
The two forces clashed in deadlock, trembling in the void.
Then—
BOOM!
The energies detonated. Blinding white swallowed the stars, flooding the entire universe in light. Golden lightning crackled through the explosion, ripping through the void.
When the brilliance finally faded, the Supreme Kais dared to open their eyes."Wait… the universe is still here?""And Goku—did he survive?"
The Old Kai scowled."Look for yourself. The third clash is about to begin."
Out there, Goku and Beerus still stood, flames blazing around them—red against purple.
Between them floated a single trembling sphere of white energy, golden lightning crackling over its surface.
Both fighters roared, pouring every last drop of their power into the unstable core.
The battle wasn't over yet.
"..."
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