c21 – Vegeta VS Evil Thought Wave
"Damn it… this thing blocked my attack so easily?!"
Vegeta growled in disbelief as the strange creature Evil Thought Wave absorbed his full-power punch without effort.
Then, with a lazy swing of its oversized hand, the yellow monster slapped Vegeta aside. The prince of Saiyans was hurled through the air and smashed into one of the enormous stone spheres floating in the underworld.
"Whoosh BOOM!"
The impact rattled the battlefield. Vegeta staggered to his feet, fury burning in his eyes. He had thought the creature's dopey face and bloated body meant weakness, but its speed and strength rivaled the tricks Majin Buu had once used against him.
"Vegeta! Are you alright?" Goku shouted, sensing his rival's ki flicker for a moment.
"Tch, it's only a scratch. Don't get soft on me, Kakarot! Once I finish this lump of trash, you're next!" Vegeta barked back, wiping the blood from his lip.
Although he had been caught off guard, the proud Saiyan prince refused to back down.
"Vegeta, this thing's stronger than you think. We should take him on together!" Goku urged, remembering how they once fused into Gogeta to beat Janemba when Hell's balance collapsed before.
"Stay out of this, Kakarot! He's mine. Just make yourself useful and keep watch," Vegeta snapped, golden sparks crackling as he powered up again.
At that moment, King Yemma's muffled voice bellowed from within the glowing barrier surrounding his office. "Hey, Son Goku! Don't just stand there gawking get me out of here!"
"Ah, right! Sorry, Uncle Yemma, I almost forgot about you," Goku replied sheepishly, scratching his head. His excitement at sensing the new enemy had made him momentarily lose focus.
With a roar, Goku transformed into Super Saiyan 2, his aura flaring with lightning. He charged a punch and slammed it directly into the barrier.
"BOOM CRACK!"
At last, a fracture spread across the yellow dome.
"It's working! A few more hits and it should give way!" Goku shouted. He unleashed a flurry of rapid blows, each one widening the cracks. Finally, he charged a Kamehameha and fired, blasting the barrier apart in an explosion of light.
Meanwhile, Vegeta had re-engaged Evil Thought Wave. He lunged forward, his fists striking the monster's bloated frame.
"BOOM!"
But once again, the impact dispersed across its soft body, the force bouncing off harmlessly like Majin Buu's rubbery skin. Vegeta skidded back, snarling in frustration.
This time the creature responded with malice. It let out a guttural roar, then waved its arm and suddenly a swirling black hole of energy appeared before it. In an instant, the monster vanished into the rift and reappeared directly in front of Vegeta.
"BOOM!"
The Saiyan prince was caught completely off guard. The blow slammed into his ribs, sending him crashing into the ground a second time.
"Damn it… you tricked me with that move?!" Vegeta spat, struggling back to his feet, veins bulging with anger.
Concentrating his energy into both palms, Vegeta unleashed a relentless storm of blasts, each orb of ki exploding against Evil Thought Wave's bloated frame.
"RAAAAHHHH!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The underworld shook as countless energy spheres rained down, engulfing the monster in an expanding cloud of dust and smoke.
For minutes, Vegeta's attacks didn't let up, the scene reminiscent of when he tried to obliterate Majin Buu with his Final Explosion. At last, he lowered his hands, panting, and smirked at the cloud where his target was buried.
"That's the fate of anyone who dares to cross Prince Vegeta! You're finished!"
Vegeta laughed proudly, his chest heaving with arrogant satisfaction.
"No, Vegeta… he's not dead."
Goku appeared at his side, eyes narrowed, his ki sense locked on the enemy.
"What?! Not dead yet?!" Vegeta snapped, stunned that his barrage had failed.
The swirling khaki dust slowly cleared. To their shock, Evil Thought Wave's body was reforming the chunks of flesh scattered across the ground quivered, then slithered back together like Majin Buu's regeneration. In moments, the creature stood whole again, grinning blankly.
"Damn it… he pulled himself back together?!" Vegeta cursed.
"Yeah," Goku said coldly, tightening his fists. "Vegeta, this thing is like Buu. Unless every single cell is destroyed at once, it'll just keep rebuilding. That makes him one of the toughest kinds of opponents."
"Tch… what a pain. Just my luck to face another freak like that," Vegeta growled, glaring at the monster below.
…
Lin Hao's side
"Those two… can't they just cut loose already? Watching them hold back is getting boring," Lin Hao muttered as he gazed into the crystal ball showing the battle.
Android 18 chuckled, covering her mouth. "You know Goku and Vegeta. They're both stubborn. Even if teaming up would end it faster, their pride won't let them."
"True enough," Lin Hao sighed, remembering how Vegeta's arrogance had nearly doomed Earth during the Buu saga. "Saiyans never fight seriously until the world's already on the brink of destruction."
"Then aren't you going to step in?"
"No need," Lin Hao replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "With their current power, they can handle Evil Thought Wave. I'd rather spend more time with you. Soon, I'll head out to train and break past my current ceiling."
"Alright," 18 said softly. She didn't protest. After all, Lin Hao had spent most of these last years with her, balancing training with life, unlike Goku or Vegeta who vanished into endless battles.
…
Great Kaiō's realm
The four Kaiōs were watching anxiously, sweat dripping down their foreheads as the fight unfolded.
"This Evil Thought Wave is terrifying," the South Kai said, his voice trembling. "Even Vegeta's barrage couldn't hold him down."
"Relax," North Kai (King Kai) replied, trying to mask his own worry. "Goku's reached Super Saiyan 3 now—he has a real chance. And if that's not enough… Lin Hao's still on Earth. He's an ace in the hole."
…
Earth
Meanwhile, the human world was thrown into chaos. With the barrier around Hell shattered, spirits and corpses were pouring back into the living realm.
Panic spread across cities as people fled from glowing phantoms and resurrected warriors with halos above their heads.
If not for Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu stepping in, entire regions would already have collapsed into war. Yet despite their efforts, even their combined strength was not enough to contain the global outbreak.
And so, all hopes rested on Son Goku and Vegeta in the underworld battle.
---