The battlefield was eerily quiet. The smoke of Rudra's devastating attack still lingered in the sky, curling into the atmosphere like the ashes of a burned-out storm.
Everyone stared at the heavens, waiting, hoping that it was finally over.
Then… a laugh. Low, dark, venomous.
The void above ripped open with a flare of malignant Ki.
Out of the shadows of space, Frieza emerged—his body battered, armor cracked, but his aura burning with something far more dangerous: rage.
His smile was gone. His crimson eyes glowed with fury as his voice thundered.
"You thought you could end me with that? ME?! The emperor of the universe does not fall so easily!"
The Saiyans froze. Even Goku's heart sank.
Rudra, his body drained from maintaining Muladhara State, staggered as his crimson glow faded. His hair shortened, aura dimming until he stood once more in his normal human form. Sweat drenched his body. His chest heaved with exhaustion.
"No…" he muttered under his breath. "Not yet…"
But Frieza wasn't interested in words. Hovering above the Earth, he spread his fingers, his aura suddenly… collapsing. He suppressed his Ki so sharply that even Goku struggled to sense it.
And then—
ZING!
A thin, merciless beam of light shot from his fingertip. Faster than thought.
It pierced Rudra's chest. Straight through the heart.
Rudra gasped, eyes wide, blood spilling from his lips as the beam carried him backward. He crashed into the ground with a dull thud. His aura flickered out completely.
The battlefield froze in horror.
"RUDRAAA!" Goku screamed.
Even Vegeta, for once, felt a coldness grip his heart. His pride clashed with the truth in front of him—this was terror, raw and real.
Frieza descended slowly, his grin returning, darker than before. His voice was a whisper, but it carried like thunder.
"Now then… let us finish this farce."
---
The Prince's Last Stand
Vegeta's eyes burned. His body trembled—not from fear, but from rage and pride colliding inside him.
"You monster…" he growled. "I am Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans! I will not bow to you!"
He flared his Ki, red and crackling, body straining under the Kaio-Ken multiplier he had forced upon himself. With a roar, he launched at Frieza, fists flying, strikes desperate and violent.
But Frieza barely moved. His tail whipped once—CRACK!—and Vegeta was hurled across the ground, blood spraying from his mouth.
Still, Vegeta stood again, panting, broken, but unyielding. "I… I will kill you…!"
Frieza's eyes narrowed in amusement.
"Kill me? You Saiyans never learn."
With a single motion, he extended his finger. A crimson beam flashed.
The light speared Vegeta through the chest. His body stiffened, his eyes wide in shock as the last of his strength left him. He fell forward, face hitting the dirt with a dull finality.
Vegeta, Prince of Saiyans, was no more.
---
The Death of Comrades
Nappa roared, grief fueling his fury.
"VEGETA! You bastard, I'll tear you apart!"
He rushed in, his massive frame glowing with everything he had left. Raditz followed, his scream echoing as he joined his brother-in-arms.
But Frieza's response was almost casual. A flicker of movement, a flash of death beams.
Both Saiyans froze mid-charge, their eyes wide. Their bodies convulsed—pierced, torn—and then they collapsed into the dust beside their fallen prince.
The battlefield smelled of smoke and blood.
Only Goku remained standing.
---
The Breaking Point
Goku's body shook. His fists clenched so tight blood trickled from his palms. His vision blurred—not from wounds, but from rage.
"No… Krillin, Piccolo, Vegeta, Nappa, Raditz… and Rudra… all of them… all of them…" His voice trembled.
Frieza chuckled darkly, his tail swaying. "Do you see now, Saiyan? This is the fate of all who defy me. You are nothing but ants beneath my heel."
Something inside Goku cracked. His breath quickened, his aura flickering violently around him. The Earth itself seemed to respond, trembling under his fury.
"I…" Goku's voice rose, thunderous. "I won't forgive you… Frieza!!"
The sky blackened as storm clouds swirled unnaturally. Lightning tore across the heavens. The air thickened, pressing against the skin of every living being.
Frieza's grin faltered for the first time. His crimson eyes narrowed, unsettled.
"What… what is this?"
Goku screamed, his voice tearing through the storm. His muscles swelled, veins burning with Ki. His aura erupted into a golden blaze.
His black hair shimmered—then snapped upward, transforming into radiant gold. His eyes sharpened, burning turquoise.
The heavens themselves roared as the legend was born.
---
The Golden Warrior
The ground split beneath him. Oceans quaked. Animals across the planet howled in fear and awe.
Frieza staggered back, his mouth dry. His tail twitched uncontrollably. His voice trembled despite himself.
"No… no, it can't be… not again… Not that warrior… not the Golden Warrior…!"
Images from his memory assaulted him—Bardock, the defiant Saiyan who had cursed his name as Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta. And now, before him, Bardock's son stood, reborn as the very thing Frieza had feared for decades.
Goku's voice was calm, but it carried a weight that shook the battlefield.
"I am the hope of the universe. I am the warrior you fear most. I am… a Super Saiyan."
Frieza's composure cracked. His face twisted with rage and terror.
"I destroyed your race! I am the ruler of all! You are NOTHING!"
But Goku only lifted his gaze, golden hair flickering in the storm, eyes glowing like fire.
"You've taken everything from me, Frieza. My friends. My family. My comrades. But this ends now."
---
The Battle of Legends Begins
Frieza roared, unleashing his full power, his muscles bulging as his body entered its 100% form. His aura flared violently, shaking the planet itself.
But Goku didn't flinch. He stepped forward once, the ground shattering beneath his heel. Then he vanished—appearing in front of Frieza with speed the tyrant couldn't register.
The first punch landed like thunder.
Frieza reeled, blood spraying from his lip. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible… I am at full power! I am the ultimate being!"
But Goku's voice was low, deadly calm.
"Not anymore."
The clash that followed tore the skies apart.