The sky took on a surreal color.
Half of it was bathed in the pale glow of the artificial moon, while the other half burned with the golden-red radiance emanating from Krillin.
He hovered in midair, the halo behind him slowly rotating, scattering faint specks of light like drifting stars.
The pressure in the air grew so heavy it felt almost solid.
"This is just a bluff! It has to be!"
Great Ape Vegeta roared, forcing down the fear rising within him.
He refused to believe that a human, a being without even a tail, could possess power beyond the Great Ape form.
"I am an elite Saiyan with a power level of one hundred eighty thousand! Die!"
He opened his massive jaws, destructive energy gathering deep within his throat.
This time, he held nothing back. Every ounce of his power surged into that attack.
"Hyper Energy Cannon!"
A purple-red beam dozens of meters wide erupted forward, carrying enough force to wipe out half a continent.
The very space along its path warped and screamed under the strain.
Facing this catastrophic attack, Krillin did not even blink.
He simply watched it approach, then slowly raised his right hand.
"Amitabha."
He murmured softly, committing fully to the act.
Then he pushed his palm forward.
No flashy technique. No complicated form.
Just raw physical strength, backed by overwhelming power.
Pop.
The massive beam slammed into his palm as if it had hit an invisible wall.
In the next instant, it shattered completely, breaking apart into countless fragments of purple light that scattered like fireworks.
"What… what?!"
Vegeta's enormous eyes nearly burst from their sockets.
One hand?
He blocked a full-power attack from a Great Ape without even moving?
"Your killing intent is too heavy," Krillin said calmly.
But the crimson aura around him surged violently. The full output of twenty times Kaioken was now unleashed.
"If you refuse to return to normal, then I'll have to help you cool down the hard way."
He lowered his hand, clenched his fist, and drew it back to his waist.
At that moment, the world fell silent.
The wind stopped. The clouds froze. Even distant explosions seemed erased.
All light, all energy, all attention converged onto that single, unremarkable fist.
[Skill Activated: Serious Series, Serious Punch, Sacred Form Edition]
[Charge: 100%]
"Take this, Vegeta."
Krillin's eyes snapped open, golden pupils shining like collapsing stars.
"Finisher. Serious Punch."
Boom!
The punch was thrown.
A pure white beam erupted from his fist.
But it was not just light. It was compressed force, condensed to its absolute limit, mixed with energy capable of piercing a planet.
It did not spread outward.
It became a single, perfectly straight line that crossed space instantly and struck Vegeta square in the chest.
There was no explosion at first.
The speed of the punch had left sound far behind.
Vegeta did not even have time to scream.
It felt as if a meteor had crashed directly into him.
His massive body, which seemed indestructible moments ago, was as fragile as paper against that force.
The impact tore through him, shattering the energy sustaining his Great Ape form.
"Guh…!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth as his colossal body was launched backward like a broken kite.
The white beam carried him across the landscape, smashing through over a dozen mountains and carving a deep canyon into the earth.
Finally, it slammed him into the wasteland beyond East City.
Boom!
The delayed explosion finally erupted.
A massive mushroom cloud rose into the sky, and the shockwave flattened everything within ten kilometers.
As the blinding light faded, the artificial moon hanging in the sky flickered and dissipated, reduced to drifting particles of light.
Krillin slowly lowered his fist.
The golden-red glow around him receded like a fading tide.
[Form Disengaged: Sacred Form]
[Kaioken Released]
[Physical Status: Minor fatigue, rapid recovery in progress]
He let out a long breath and rubbed his smooth bald head, returning to his usual relaxed demeanor.
"Oops. Might have used a bit too much force. Hope I didn't kill him. Dragging someone back from the afterlife sounds like a hassle."
Muttering to himself, he vanished and reappeared at the edge of the massive crater.
At the bottom…
The towering Great Ape was gone.
In its place lay a bloodied, unconscious man.
Vegeta.
He lay sprawled on the ground, barely breathing. His chest bore a clear imprint of a fist, his ribs likely shattered.
His tail had shriveled away, the symbol of his Saiyan pride reduced to nothing.
Gone was the arrogance, the overwhelming presence.
Now he looked like nothing more than a defeated man.
"Tsk. That's rough."
Krillin crouched down and checked with his system.
[Target: Vegeta]
[Status: Severe unconsciousness, multiple fractures, energy depleted]
[Vitality: 5%, critical condition]
"Good. Still alive."
At that moment, Goku, Gohan, Trunks, Piccolo, and the others arrived.
They stared at the massive crater, then at the broken figure within it.
Silence lingered for a long time.
"We… we won?" Yamcha swallowed hard, as if unsure whether this was real.
"He's… unbelievably strong…" Tien clenched his fists, his voice filled with awe.
Goku, supported by Gohan, walked forward and looked down at Vegeta with a complicated expression.
"Krillin… you…"
He shook his head with a bitter smile.
"At this point, even King Kai might not be your match."
"Who knows," Krillin shrugged, casually taking out a senzu bean and tossing it in his hand.
"But at least this mess is over."
Trunks ran over and hugged his leg, eyes shining.
"Dad! That glowing red form just now, that was you, right?"
"That was so cool! Teach me! I want to learn the punch that sends giant monkeys flying!"
"Sure, sure. When you're older," Krillin said with a grin, patting his head.
Though in his mind, he added, That's a cheat ability, kid. Not exactly something I can teach.
A gentle breeze swept across the ruins, carrying away the smoke and the scent of blood.
The setting sun cast long shadows over everyone.
Earth… had been saved.
And the once-proud Saiyan prince now lay silently at the bottom of the crater.