Majin Buu stopped laughing.
Not because he sensed fear.
Not because he sensed danger.
But because something new had entered the air.
High above the ruined city, his head tilted slowly, rubbery flesh stretching as his eyes narrowed with curiosity. The chaotic pulse of his ki wavered-not weaker, not stronger-just... distracted.
"...Hmm?" Buu hummed.
At Kami's Lookout, the wind shifted.
Krunks stepped forward, boots scraping lightly against the smooth stone. His posture was relaxed, almost casual, but the power rolling off him was anything but. It wasn't explosive like Goku's, nor sharp like Vegeta's. It was dense-compressed, controlled, and unfamiliar.
Piccolo watched closely, eyes narrowed.
"This fusion," he said, voice low, "it's stable. Stronger than either of you were alone. But don't misunderstand-raw power won't be enough."
Krunks cracked his neck once, grinning. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get hit. Hit hard. Got it."
"That's not what I meant," Piccolo replied sharply. "Buu doesn't fight like a warrior. He fights like a force of nature. You rush in recklessly, and you'll lose before you understand how."
Goku stepped up beside them, gaze fixed on the horizon. He could feel it now-Buu moving, drifting aimlessly but steadily closer, like a storm carried by instinct rather than intent.
"Krunks," Goku said, "serious now, you've got about half an hour. No more. No less. You don't win by overwhelming him-you win by learning him. Buy time. Push him. Figure out what works."
Krunks nodded, expression sobering just a bit. "And if nothing works?"
Goku didn't answer immediately.
"...Then we pray Goten finishes whatever he's doing."
Krunks laughed once, sharp and confident. "Heh. No pressure."
Without another word, he stepped off the edge of the Lookout.
The air screamed as he accelerated downward, a streak of light tearing through the sky.
Majin Buu felt him coming.
"Oooh!" Buu clapped his hands, grinning wide. "Another strong one!"
Krunks appeared in front of him in an instant, stopping midair without effort. The two hovered there-pink chaos and fused resolve-staring each other down.
Buu tilted his head. "You different. You feel funny."
Krunks smirked. "Yeah? I get that a lot."
He vanished.
Buu blinked-and then his face snapped sideways as a fist slammed into his cheek, warping his flesh violently. The impact detonated the air around them, shockwaves rippling outward and flattening what remained of nearby buildings.
Buu spun, laughing as he flew back, arms flailing loosely. "Heehee! That tickles!"
Krunks was already there.
A knee drove into Buu's stomach, folding him inward before an elbow crushed down across his back, sending him plummeting toward the ground. Krunks followed, palms glowing as he unleashed a rapid barrage of compressed ki blasts, hammering Buu into the earth.
The ground erupted.
Dust and debris filled the air as a crater formed where Buu landed.
For a moment-just a moment-there was silence.
Krunks hovered above the impact zone, eyes sharp, aura steady.
"...Don't tell me that's it."
The crater bulged.
Pink flesh surged upward, stretching, reforming, bubbling like boiling liquid. Buu rose out of the smoke, body knitting itself back together effortlessly, not a single mark left behind.
"Ooo! That was fun!" Buu cheered. "Do it again!"
Piccolo's voice echoed in Krunks' mind through the communicator.
"See now? That regeneration isn't slowing him down at all."
Krunks clicked his tongue. "Yeah. Noticed."
Buu suddenly lunged.
His arm stretched impossibly, wrapping around Krunks' leg mid-air. Before Krunks could react, Buu swung him like a flail and smashed him straight through a mountain, stone exploding outward in every direction.
Krunks burst free a heartbeat later, skidding across the sky before stopping himself.
"...Okay," he muttered. "That one I'll count."
He raised both hands, ki spiraling tightly between his palms-not wide, not wasteful.
"Let's see how you handle this."
The blast fired-not as a beam, but as a focused lance of pressure that drilled straight through Buu's chest, tearing a clean hole through him and carrying his upper body miles away before detonating.
Buu's lower half stood there for a second.
Then it fell over.
Krunks exhaled slowly, muscles tense, waiting.
The pieces began to move.
They crawled.
Slithered.
Rejoined.
Buu reformed again, poking at the hole in his chest, confused. "Huh. That felt weird."
At the Lookout, Krillin clenched his fists. "Nothing's working..."
Piccolo didn't look away. "Something will. He just hasn't found it yet."
Goku's gaze drifted briefly-far beyond the battlefield.
"...Hang in there, Goten," he murmured.
Back in the sky, Krunks squared his shoulders, eyes narrowing-not with panic, but with focus.
"Alright, bubblegum," he said calmly. "Guess we're doing this the hard way."
Buu grinned, stretching his arms wide.
"Play time!"
They vanished-colliding again with a thunderous crash that split the clouds above them.
And the clock began to tick.
Krunks was winning.
Not cleanly, not easily-but undeniably.
His movements were sharp now, confidence bleeding into every strike. He darted through the ruined battlefield with practiced ease, blows landing in rapid succession as the pink creature reeled backward again and again. Each impact sent shockwaves through the air, pulverizing what little remained of the city.
"He's adapting," Piccolo muttered, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. "But Krunks is staying ahead."
Krunks twisted mid-air and drove his knee into his opponent's midsection, following it with a spinning backhand that sent the creature skidding across the ground. The thing bounced, rolled-and stopped.
For a moment, it didn't move.
Krunks hovered above the crater, aura steady, chest rising slowly. A grin tugged at his lips.
"...Yeah," he said. "That's more like it."
Below him, the creature pushed itself upright, face scrunched in something between frustration and rage. Its body trembled-not from damage, but from something deeper. Something unstable.
"Hey," Krunks called casually. "If you're gonna get mad, do it faster. I don't have all day."
That was the mistake.
The creature screamed.
Not in pain-but in fury so raw that the air itself seemed to recoil. Its ki surged violently, expanding outward in chaotic waves that forced Krunks to raise his arms and brace himself.
Piccolo's eyes widened.
"That ki... it's splitting."
"What?" Krillin whispered.
The pink mass convulsed-and then something peeled away from it.
A tall, gaunt figure tore itself free, its body drained of color, skin pale and smoke-like, eyes burning with cold, merciless intent. It landed silently a short distance away, staring not at Krunks-but at the original creature.
The battlefield fell eerily quiet.
"...What the hell," Krunks breathed.
The two beings turned toward each other.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then the pale one attacked.
It moved with terrifying precision-no wasted motion, no sound-its strike piercing straight through the other's torso. The larger creature howled, staggering backward as the pale figure assaulted it relentlessly, blows sharp, vicious, utterly devoid of hesitation.
Krunks didn't move.
Didn't interfere.
His shock quickly twisted into calculation.
"...They're fighting each other," he muttered. "Fine by me."
Piccolo's jaw tightened. "This isn't normal. Stay alert."
The fight escalated fast. Too fast.
The pale figure overwhelmed its counterpart, dragging it close-pulling it in-their bodies merging in a way that made the air scream. The larger form struggled, screamed-
-and vanished.
Silence.
Then-
The ki changed.
It wasn't chaotic anymore.
It was focused.
A new figure stood where two had been before. Taller. Leaner. Its eyes were sharper now, its presence heavier-oppressive in a way that pressed down on everyone watching.
Krunks' confidence evaporated.
"...That's not good."
The creature smiled.
And vanished.
Krunks barely reacted in time, crossing his arms as a brutal blow slammed into him, launching him through three layers of shattered buildings. He crashed hard, skidding across the ground before forcing himself upright.
"That hit-" He coughed, wiping blood from his mouth. "-was different."
The creature appeared again, relentless now. Faster. Stronger. Every exchange pushed Krunks back further, each strike heavier than the last.
Piccolo clenched his fists. "His power skyrocketed... this is a completely different opponent."
Krunks pushed himself harder, aura flaring brighter as he met the assault head-on. For a while, he managed to keep up-but something was wrong.
His movements were slowing.
Not from damage.
From time.
"...Damn it," he hissed. "Already?"
The glow around him flickered.
And then-
He split.
Krillin and Trunks tumbled apart mid-air, barely catching themselves before hitting the ground.
"No-now?!" Trunks shouted.
The creature didn't hesitate.
It lunged.
A blur intercepted it.
"HEY."
The creature skidded back as a fist slammed into its face.
Goku hovered between the boys and the monster, eyes calm-but sharp.
"That's enough."
Gasps rippled across the battlefield.
"Goku!" Krillin cried.
Goku glanced over his shoulder. "Get clear. I'll buy you time."
The creature snarled and charged again.
Goku exhaled.
"...Guess I don't have much choice."
His aura exploded outward-golden at first-
Then changed.
His hair grew longer, flowing wildly as lightning crackled through the air. The pressure doubled, tripled, crushing down on everyone watching.
Piccolo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"...He went beyond it."
Krillin stared, speechless. "Super... Saiyan... three?"
Even far away,
on the Supreme Kai's world,
Gohan froze mid-training.
"That ki-?!"
Back on Earth, Goku moved.
The fight became something else entirely-blow after blow shaking the planet itself. Goku didn't try to win. He couldn't.
He stalled.
Every second cost him.
Sweat poured down his face as the strain tore at him, his time in the living world burning away rapidly. Still, he fought-gritting his teeth, forcing his body to move.
"Fuse!" he shouted between clashes. "Now!"
Krillin and Trunks didn't hesitate.
Far from the battlefield, Goku felt it.
Time.
"...That's it," he murmured.
He blocked one last strike and smiled faintly.
"Guess this is where I bow out."
His body began to glow-and fade.
"Goku-!" Krillin shouted.
"Take care of it," Goku said softly. "Both of you."
He vanished.
The battlefield fell silent again.
The creature turned slowly.
Krillin and Trunks stood together once more, aura flaring as they completed the dance.
Light engulfed them.
A figure emerged-stronger, sharper, power roaring outward as golden energy exploded around him.
Krunks clenched his fists.
"Alright," he said, transforming as his hair flashed gold. "Round two."
The creature smiled wider.
And stepped forward.
The gap... was still there.
Goku materialized inside King Yemma's palace, his feet touching the cold stone floor as the endless hum of the afterlife surrounded him. Normally, this place felt familiar-almost comforting-but this time something felt off. His chest tightened before he even knew why.
His eyes moved instinctively toward the massive line of souls stretching endlessly into the distance.
He searched.
Not frantically. Not desperately.
Just... carefully.
"King Yemma," Goku said at last, his voice low, unusually restrained. "Did my son-Gohan-come through here?"
The ogre paused, lifting his head slowly. His expression changed the moment he saw Goku's face. This wasn't the cheerful warrior who joked even in death. This was a father bracing himself for the worst.
Yemma checked his records once, then shook his head. "No. Son Gohan hasn't passed judgment."
The words landed softly-but their meaning hit hard.
Goku's breath left him in a slow exhale.
"...So he's alive."
That single realization flipped something inside him. Without another word, Goku closed his eyes and expanded his senses beyond the boundaries of the afterlife. He reached through layers of existence, through worlds stacked upon worlds.
At first, there was chaos-Earth's panic, fear, destruction.
Then he felt it.
A familiar ki.
Refined. Steady. Growing-not explosively, but deliberately, as if being drawn out by ancient hands.
Goku's eyes snapped open.
"There."
Instant Transmission activated.
The Supreme Kai's planet shimmered as Goku appeared beside Kibito, who nearly jumped out of his skin.
"H-How did you-?!"
But Goku wasn't paying attention.
His gaze was locked on Gohan.
Gohan stood at the center of the world, eyes closed, body relaxed, yet the space around him felt dense-heavy with restrained power. There was no wild aura, no transformation. Just quiet pressure, like a deep ocean hiding a storm beneath its surface.
The Old Kai smirked, leaning on his staff. "He's not done yet. Don't interrupt."
Goku swallowed hard.
"...Yeah. I won't."
He turned his attention outward, letting the Supreme Kai show him what was happening on Earth.
The battlefield was already in ruins.
Krunks stood firm, Super Saiyan 2 energy raging violently around him as he clashed head-on with Majin Buu. Each exchange sent shockwaves tearing through the land. Krunks moved fast-faster than before-his strikes sharp and relentless, forcing Buu to defend more often than attack.
For a moment, it looked like momentum was shifting.
Krunks drove his knee into Buu's midsection, followed by a heavy downward punch that smashed Buu into the ground, cracking the earth beneath him. Krunks hovered above, chest heaving, confidence creeping into his posture.
"He's taking damage," Krunks muttered. "I can feel it."
Piccolo watched closely from a distance, his arms crossed but his instincts screaming.
"No..." he said quietly. "Something's wrong."
Majin Buu rose slowly from the crater, brushing dust from his shoulder as if mildly annoyed. His grin didn't fade-but it changed. It sharpened. His eyes locked onto Krunks with unsettling focus.
"You strong," Buu said calmly. "But you fight too long."
Before Krunks could react, Buu vanished.
The impact came from behind.
Krunks barely managed to block, the force still sending him skidding across the ground. He recovered quickly, but something had changed. Buu's movements were tighter now. More efficient. Every blow carried intent.
This wasn't a wild monster anymore.
This was a predator.
Krunks clenched his fists.
"Fine," he growled. "Then I'll stop holding back."
The air screamed.
Power exploded outward as Krunks threw his head back and roared. His aura expanded violently, tearing chunks of rock from the ground. His hair lengthened, lightning tearing through the sky as his power surged beyond its limits.
When the energy finally settled, Super Saiyan 3 Krunks hovered above the battlefield.
Silence followed.
Piccolo's eyes widened-not in awe, but concern.
"So that's the cost..." he muttered.
On the Supreme Kai's planet, Goku stared in disbelief.
"...He actually did it."
Even far away, Gohan's calm ki wavered for just a moment-like someone pausing mid-breath.
SSJ3 Krunks launched forward, overwhelming Majin Buu with sheer force. Blow after blow landed, driving Buu backward, forcing him into defense. For the first time since his transformation, Buu's smile faded.
But Piccolo noticed something Krunks didn't.
Time.
Krunks' power burned fast-too fast.
And Majin Buu was watching. Waiting.
Very patiently.
Super Saiyan 3 Krunks was no longer fighting.
He was overwhelming.
Every movement tore through the battlefield with merciless precision. His fist crashed into Majin Buu's face hard enough to twist the creature's head sideways, the shockwave flattening the ruined terrain behind them. Before Buu could even reform properly, Krunks was already there-elbow driving into his torso, knee following immediately after, then a point-blank blast that swallowed Buu in blinding gold.
For the first time since his rebirth, Majin Buu was being driven back.
His elastic body stretched unnaturally as he skidded across the ground, chunks torn away faster than they could regenerate. The laughter that once echoed so freely was gone, replaced by sharp, irritated snarls. Krunks gave him no room to breathe, no space to adapt. He stayed close, brutal, relentless-his long golden hair whipping violently as lightning ripped across his aura.
From a distance, it looked decisive.
Piccolo knew better.
He watched Krunks carefully, eyes narrowing as seconds turned into minutes. The power was absurd-far beyond what Krillin and Trunks should have been able to wield together-but it was burning too fast. The aura around Krunks wasn't stable. It surged, dipped, surged again, like a flame starving for oxygen.
"SSJ3..." Piccolo muttered under his breath. "It's eating the fusion time."
Majin Buu noticed it too.
He stopped retreating.
Instead, he straightened slowly, body reforming as he wiped his face with the back of his hand. His eyes flicked over Krunks-not with fear, but calculation.
"You very strong now," Buu said, voice low and amused. "But you loud. Too loud."
Krunks scoffed, breathing heavier than before but still confident. "You're done."
He charged again.
The blow landed-but it didn't finish it.
And then-
The aura around Krunks flickered.
Just for an instant.
Piccolo's heart dropped.
"No... not now-!"
The golden light collapsed inward violently, lightning snapping out of existence as Krunks froze mid-motion. His body locked, power vanishing like a snapped wire.
"What-?" Krunks gasped.
And then the fusion broke.
Light exploded outward as Trunks and Krillin were violently thrown apart, crashing hard into the shattered ground. The battlefield fell into a sudden, terrifying silence.
Majin Buu blinked.
Then smiled.
Piccolo didn't hesitate.
He moved instantly, launching himself between Buu and the fallen fighters, landing with a heavy impact that cracked the ground beneath his feet.
"You're not touching them," Piccolo growled.
Majin Buu tilted his head, amused. "Oh? New one."
Piccolo attacked first-arms elongating, fists slamming into Buu's chest, followed by a rapid barrage of strikes that forced the creature backward. For a moment, it worked. Piccolo pressed harder, unloading everything he had to buy time.
But Majin Buu adapted.
A thick arm wrapped around Piccolo's waist mid-attack, slamming him into the ground with bone-shaking force. Piccolo skidded across the rubble, barely managing to roll to his feet before another blast sent him flying again.
Trunks forced himself up, teeth clenched. "We're... still not enough..."
Krillin staggered beside him, fear clear in his eyes. "He's playing with us again."
Majin Buu loomed over them now, power swelling, confidence fully restored.
"Strong one gone," Buu hummed. "Now easy again."
Piccolo pushed himself up on one knee, breathing hard, blood dripping from his mouth. So this is it, he thought grimly. We misjudged it. We ran out of time.
Then-
The sky changed.
A pressure descended that was nothing like Majin Buu's chaos.
This was calm.
Controlled.
Absolute.
Wind exploded outward as a figure dropped from above, landing between Piccolo and Majin Buu with enough force to split the ground cleanly in two. Dust and debris surged skyward, then settled slowly-revealing a familiar silhouette standing tall, unshaken.
Black hair. Sharp eyes. No golden aura.
Just power.
Piccolo's eyes widened.
"...Gohan?"
Majin Buu stared, curiosity replacing amusement. "Another one?"
Gohan didn't answer.
He took one step forward.
The ground cracked beneath his foot.
Trunks felt it instantly-the same way Piccolo did. This wasn't reckless strength. This wasn't borrowed power or burning energy.
This was complete.
Piccolo's breath caught as memory struck him hard.
That stance... that calm...
For the first time since Cell.
"...He's back," Piccolo whispered. "That Gohan."
Gohan looked at Majin Buu, eyes steady, voice calm but heavy with intent.
"You've hurt enough people."
Majin Buu grinned.
"Good," he said softly. "Buu like this one."
And for the first time since Majin Buu had appeared-
He was the one being measured.
The Hyperbolic Time Chamber existed outside urgency.
Outside, worlds burned, gods panicked, and monsters reshaped fate with every breath. Inside, there was only endless white, infinite sky, and the sound of power colliding with power.
Goten moved.
Not vanished-moved, slipping sideways through space as a golden-red shockwave carved through the air where his head had been a heartbeat earlier. The blast tore forward, splitting the empty horizon like a blade, its pressure folding the white expanse inward before dissolving into nothingness.
Behind it stood Gogeta.
His hair flowed wildly down his back, thick and feral, Super Saiyan 3 energy roaring around him like a living storm. Lightning cracked constantly across his aura, each strike heavy enough to warp the chamber's artificial space. His presence alone bent the air, gravity subtly increasing with every step he took.
Yet Goten did not retreat.
Red hair fluttered calmly around his face, eyes glowing with the steady crimson of Super Saiyan God. His aura was different from Gogeta's-no wild lightning, no explosive instability. It burned clean, smooth, controlled, like a divine flame that consumed without chaos.
They met again in the center of the chamber.
Fist to fist.
The impact detonated outward in a spherical shockwave, the ground beneath them fracturing despite the chamber's near-indestructible nature. Gogeta twisted mid-strike, following with a crushing knee aimed at Goten's ribs. Goten caught it with his forearm, boots skidding backward as the force dragged him across the white floor, carving deep trenches behind him.
He didn't stop.
Pivoting on one foot, Goten redirected the momentum, spinning low and sweeping Gogeta's legs. Gogeta flipped backward instantly, hands touching the ground for a split second before launching himself skyward.
"Good," Gogeta said, voice calm but pleased. "You're finally meeting me here."
He vanished.
Goten felt it before he saw it-the pressure shift, the air compressing behind him. He spun just in time to cross his arms as Gogeta's elbow crashed down from above, driving Goten straight into the ground. The impact cratered outward, a circular depression spreading for hundreds of meters.
Dust and white debris surged upward.
From within it, red light flared.
Goten erupted from the crater, rising straight up through the debris cloud, eyes sharp, expression focused. He appeared in front of Gogeta instantly, palm thrust forward.
"God Bind-variation!"
Crimson energy snapped outward like chains, wrapping briefly around Gogeta's torso, compressing his aura inward. For a fraction of a second, even Super Saiyan 3 power stalled.
Gogeta grinned.
Then he flexed.
The chains shattered explosively, fragments of divine energy scattering like sparks as Gogeta slammed both fists down. Goten crossed his arms again but was still driven downward, smashing back into the chamber floor, sliding across it until he twisted and stopped himself with one knee.
Before the dust settled, Goten counterattacked.
He thrust both hands forward, unleashing a rapid barrage of compressed god-ki blasts-not wild beams, but dense, precise shots that curved mid-flight, striking from multiple angles. Gogeta weaved through them, deflecting some, tanking others, his aura flaring violently with each hit.
"Not bad," Gogeta said, bracing himself as one blast detonated against his shoulder. "But don't get sloppy now."
He inhaled.
The chamber darkened.
"Final-"
Goten was already moving.
He appeared beside Gogeta, driving his elbow into Gogeta's ribs before the technique could finish. The blow bent Gogeta sideways, forcing him to abort the attack. Goten followed with a spinning kick that sent Gogeta crashing across the chamber, skidding and flipping before regaining his footing.
For a moment, they stood apart.
Both breathing harder now.
The space between them shimmered from residual power, cracks of energy snapping and dissolving like dying lightning.
Gogeta wiped a trace of blood from his lip, smiling wider than before. "You're fighting evenly now."
Goten clenched his fists, aura intensifying, red light pulsing steadily around him. "That's the point."
They charged again.
This time, there was no restraint.
They collided mid-air, exchanging blows faster than sound could exist. Punches landed and were countered instantly, kicks intercepted at the last possible moment, elbows slipping past guards by inches. Every hit carried intent-training sharpened by necessity, not pride.
Gogeta seized Goten by the wrist, twisted, and hurled him downward, following instantly with a massive downward beam that split into three at the last second.
Goten flipped, palms glowing.
"Barrier!"
A spherical god-ki shield formed around him just as the beams struck, detonating violently. The explosion swallowed Goten completely, the shockwave rippling endlessly outward.
Then-
A streak of red tore through the explosion.
Goten burst free, aura blazing brighter than before, driving straight toward Gogeta with a roar that shook the chamber itself. He twisted mid-flight, gathering energy into his fist, compressing it until the air screamed around it.
Gogeta mirrored him, gathering golden lightning into his own strike.
Their fists met.
The chamber screamed.
Space fractured, white horizons bending inward as if collapsing under the sheer density of their power. For several heartbeats, neither moved, muscles straining, energy grinding violently between them.
Then the shockwave erupted.
Both were thrown backward, slamming into opposite ends of the chamber, skidding to a halt.
Silence followed.
Not emptiness-pressure. Heavy, suffocating pressure, the kind that only came from gods and warriors who brushed against them.
Goten rose first.
His breathing was heavier now, sweat tracing down his face, but his stance was steady, eyes unwavering.
Across from him, Gogeta stood tall, aura still roaring, grin sharp with approval.
"You're ready for the next step," Gogeta said.
Goten nodded slowly, fists tightening.
"Good," he replied. "Because I'm not stopping here."
Far away, beyond time and space, Earth screamed under Majin Buu's laughter.
Inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goten took another step forward-unaware that every second he spent here was costing the world outside something it might not survive losing.
The battlefield shook the moment Gohan landed.
He didn't crash down in an explosion of force. He didn't announce himself with a flare of aura or a shout. He simply appeared-feet touching the ground lightly, dust rippling outward in a slow, deliberate wave as if the earth itself recognized him.
Majin Buu froze.
Not in fear.
In confusion.
The boy standing before him felt wrong.
There was no wild aura, no screaming power, no lightning tearing through the sky. Gohan's energy was calm, deep, and immeasurable, like a vast ocean with no visible surface. It pressed outward silently, heavy enough that even Piccolo felt his breath catch.
Piccolo's eyes widened.
...This feeling.
It wasn't Super Saiyan.
It wasn't rage.
It was confidence-absolute and complete.
For the first time since Cell, Gohan stood without hesitation.
"Get back," Gohan said calmly, not taking his eyes off Buu.
Piccolo, Krillin, and Trunks didn't argue. Something in Gohan's voice made it clear-this fight no longer belonged to them.
Majin Buu tilted his head, lips curling into a crooked grin. "You different," he hummed. "Strong... but quiet."
Gohan stepped forward.
Then vanished.
The shock came a heartbeat later.
Buu barely had time to widen his eyes before Gohan's fist slammed into his face, the impact folding Buu's head sideways and sending his entire body skipping across the ground like a thrown stone. The force didn't explode outward-it went through him, rattling the landscape behind as mountains fractured in delayed response.
Buu rolled, bounced, and twisted, regenerating mid-motion, laughter bubbling out of him even as he reformed. "Hehehe-!"
Gohan was already there.
A knee drove into Buu's stomach, compressing his elastic body inward before Gohan grabbed his head and smashed it down into the ground. The earth cratered violently, shockwaves rippling outward in concentric rings.
Gohan didn't stop.
He lifted Buu by the head and hurled him skyward, following instantly, appearing above him and driving both fists down in a hammer blow that sent Buu plummeting back toward the ground like a meteor.
The impact split the terrain.
Dust, stone, and energy erupted upward in a towering pillar.
Piccolo stared, fists slowly unclenching.
He's not just stronger.
He's overwhelming him.
Buu reformed again, body snapping back together, grin stretched wide-but this time, there was strain beneath it. He lunged forward, arms extending unnaturally, attempting to wrap around Gohan from multiple angles.
Gohan sidestepped.
Each movement was precise, economical. He slipped between the attacks, chopping through Buu's arms, tearing pieces of his body apart faster than they could fully regenerate. He spun, driving an elbow into Buu's back, then followed with a point-blank blast that sent Buu screaming backward through a cliff face.
The fight escalated.
Buu attacked wildly now, stretching, splitting, reforming, firing beams from his mouth and hands in erratic patterns meant to overwhelm. Gohan walked through it all, deflecting beams with his forearms, slipping past blasts by inches, countering with blows that snapped Buu's body apart again and again.
"This isn't possible!" Buu snarled, frustration bleeding through his childish voice. "You not even screaming! You not even changing!"
Gohan appeared in front of him again, eyes sharp, unflinching.
"I don't need to," he said.
He drove his fist straight through Buu's chest.
The battlefield went silent.
Buu froze, eyes bulging, looking down at the hole through his body as Gohan withdrew his arm calmly. For a moment, Buu didn't move. Then his body began to knit itself back together, flesh crawling and reconnecting.
But something had changed.
Buu backed away.
Slowly.
Piccolo noticed it immediately.
...He's retreating.
Buu laughed suddenly, loud and mocking, clapping his hands together as if the fight amused him again. "Hehehe! Strong guy fun! But you cheating!"
Gohan frowned slightly, sensing the shift-but not seeing it.
Behind Buu, unnoticed by everyone, two thin streams of flesh peeled away from his back, sliding along the ground like living shadows. They moved silently, hugging the terrain, splitting off in different directions.
Buu pointed past Gohan, eyes gleaming mischievously.
"You winning because kids weak!" he taunted. "If only you fighting those two little ones, Buu already win!"
Krillin flinched. "H-Hey!"
Trunks clenched his fists. "Shut up!"
Buu laughed louder. "Fusion boy funny! Big hair, lots of yelling, still not enough!"
The words hit their mark.
Piccolo turned sharply. "Don't listen to him-!"
Too late.
Krillin and Trunks exchanged a glance.
"We can do it again," Trunks said quickly. "This time right."
Krillin hesitated only a second-then nodded. "Yeah. We'll show him."
Gohan turned. "Wait-!"
They jumped back, beginning the dance.
Buu's smile widened.
The slime moved.
One tendril surged upward toward Piccolo, fast and silent, wrapping around his ankle before he could react. His eyes widened as he tried to tear free.
"What-?!"
At the same instant-
"FUSION-HA!"
Light erupted.
Krunks emerged, aura detonating outward as he immediately pushed his power higher, golden lightning exploding violently as his hair lengthened, energy roaring unchecked.
Super Saiyan 3.
The moment the transformation completed, the second slime struck.
It slammed into Krunks' back, spreading instantly, wrapping around his torso and limbs like liquid restraints. Krunks roared in surprise, struggling as the substance tightened, dragging him backward.
"Krunks!" Gohan shouted, lunging forward.
Too late.
The first slime yanked Piccolo off the ground, pulling him toward Buu as his body was engulfed. The second slime expanded rapidly, swallowing Krunks whole, his aura flaring violently as he fought against it.
Buu laughed, arms spreading wide.
"Thank you!" he sang.
The slimes retracted.
They didn't return empty.
In a matter of seconds, Piccolo and Super Saiyan 3 Krunks were gone-absorbed completely, their energies flooding into Buu's body. His form bulged, twisted, then stabilized, power surging outward in a violent wave that forced Gohan to brace himself.
When the light faded, Buu stood taller, heavier, aura darker and far more oppressive than before.
He cracked his neck slowly, grinning wide.
"Now," he said, eyes locking onto Gohan, "fight got lot more interesting again."
The tide had turned.
And Gohan felt it instantly.
Far from the shattered battlefield, under a sky still bruised by distant explosions, the remaining Z-Fighters gathered in uneasy silence.
The last Dragon Ball rested in Bulma's trembling hands.
Its orange surface reflected the faces around her-faces worn by exhaustion, grief, and quiet terror.
Chi-Chi stood rigid beside her, fists clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms. She hadn't said a word since sensing Gohan's ki spike... and then the sudden, sickening surge that followed.
Master Roshi leaned heavily on his staff, his usual humor gone completely. Even he-who had seen demons, gods, and the end of worlds-felt the weight of what was happening.
Yamcha paced back and forth, running a hand through his hair. "This is bad... really bad. I've felt Buu's power before, but now-" He swallowed. "It's different."
Videl stood slightly apart from the others.
Her heart was pounding.
She had seen flying men. Ki blasts. Strength that broke mountains. She had accepted those things as part of their world.
But the Dragon Balls in Bulma's hands felt... different.
Ancient.
Wrong.
Videl's eyes stayed fixed on them as Bulma lowered them to the ground.
"That's all seven," Bulma said, voice shaking but firm. "No more waiting."
Chi-Chi turned sharply. "Bulma-!"
"No," Bulma snapped, spinning toward her, eyes blazing. "I know what you're about to say. I know Gohan is fighting. I know Goten is somewhere training. But people are dead, Chi-Chi. Cities wiped out. Families erased."
Her voice cracked.
"Vegeta... Buu... they've killed too many."
Chi-Chi's shoulders trembled. She looked away, teeth clenched, tears welling despite herself. "...I know."
Roshi nodded slowly. "This isn't about interfering in battle," he said quietly. "This is about correcting a catastrophe."
Yamcha stopped pacing. "Then let's do it. Before there's no one left to bring back."
Bulma placed the Dragon Balls in a wide circle on the cracked stone ground. Her hands moved with practiced precision despite her shaking fingers.
She pulled out the Dragon Radar, tapping a few commands, then took a deep breath.
"Everyone stand back."
The wind shifted.
Videl felt it first.
A pressure-not heavy, but vast-rolled across her skin, raising goosebumps along her arms. The air itself seemed to pull inward, as if the world were holding its breath.
The sky darkened unnaturally.
Clouds spiraled violently overhead, thunder rumbling deep and low like something ancient stirring beneath the heavens. The Dragon Balls began to glow, lifting slowly into the air.
"W-What's happening...?" Videl whispered, stepping back instinctively.
A blinding flash split the sky.
The ground shook violently, knocking Videl off balance as she caught herself against Yamcha's arm. Then-
Something came out of the light.
A colossal serpentine form erupted from the clouds, scales gleaming emerald, body coiling endlessly through the sky. Its eyes burned red like twin suns as lightning danced across its massive horns.
Shenron.
Videl froze.
Her breath caught in her throat.
This wasn't power.
This wasn't ki.
This was myth given flesh.
"A... a dragon..." she whispered, voice barely audible.
Her legs felt weak. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to kneel, to do something, but she couldn't move. She had trained to fight criminals, to face fear head-on-but nothing in her life had prepared her for standing beneath a god.
She felt small.
Insignificant.
And yet... awestruck.
"I am Shenron," the Eternal Dragon's voice echoed across the land, shaking the sky itself. "Speak your wish."
Videl flinched at the sound, heart racing. She looked around desperately, expecting panic-but the others stood firm, faces solemn, as if this impossible being were an old acquaintance.
That terrified her even more.
Bulma stepped forward.
"Shenron," she said, "we wish to revive all the innocent people killed by Majin Buu and Vegeta."
As Shenron's massive eyes narrowed, Videl's gaze snapped back to the dragon. She felt the air vibrate, reality itself seeming to bend under his attention.
When the dragon spoke again, his words carried the weight of eternity.
"...Such a wish is possible."
Golden light erupted from Shenron's body.
Videl shielded her eyes as the sky itself seemed to ignite. Across the world, unseen miracles unfolded-lives restored, breath returned, death undone.
She lowered her arm slowly, staring upward in stunned silence.
When Shenron finally faded, leaving only drifting clouds and silence behind, Videl realized her hands were shaking.
"...That," she whispered, swallowing hard, "was real..."
Yamcha glanced at her, giving a tired half-smile. "Welcome to the deep end."
Videl didn't smile back.
Her eyes drifted toward the distant horizon, where monstrous power still clashed violently.
"If this exists..." she murmured, "then what kind of world is Gohan fighting to protect?"
No one answered.
Far away, the battle raged on.
And for the first time in her life, Videl truly understood how fragile the human world was-
and how terrifying the beings who defended it had become.