A sudden, furious screech of pain tore through the sky, loud enough to reach the group below.
Their eyes snapped toward the source of the scream, just in time to see Goku, teeth bared like a feral animal, chomping down on Frieza's tail. The bite was apparently so intense that the indignant emperor couldn't pull his tail free, effectively anchoring him in place.
The group's collective expressions turned weird.
"Is Goku... biting him?" Krillin asked, somewhat confused.
"Yes. He did the same thing to my father," Piccolo remarked casually, absently rubbing away an old, phantom ache in his thumb with his index finger. He shot an accusing glance at Krillin and Ajax.
Ajax acted oblivious, pretending not to notice the look, while Krillin shifted uncomfortably and avoided eye contact in secondhand embarrassment.
The prestige of the Turtle School seemed to take a small hit at that moment.
Vegeta, on the other hand, scoffed, his arms crossed over his chest. "What a dishonorable tactic," he muttered, though the faint undercurrent of grudging approval gave him away.
The bizarre spectacle didn't last long. Alarm swept across everyone's faces as Frieza's body visibly tensed, his arms folding tightly over his chest. His form erupted in a searing orange glow, so intense that the onlookers below had to squint.
Then, without warning, an immense spherical wave of energy exploded outward. It was the Supernova unleashed once again as a rapidly expanding barrier.
And Goku, caught at the epicenter, was struck point-blank, teeth-first.
But this time, something was different. Unlike previous iterations of Frieza's Supernova Barrier, which naturally dissipated as they expanded, this one didn't. The enormous orb of energy froze mid-expansion as if frozen in time.
Then, like shattered glass, jagged, erratic cracks began to spiderweb across its fiery surface. Within these fissures, tendrils of deep purple energy snaked outward, resembling spreading venom through veins.
As the barrier continued to fracture, the atmosphere turned suffocating as the energy itself seemed to thicken the air. Then, with an ear-splitting crack, the barrier shattered completely.
Like a butterfly shedding its cocoon, Frieza emerged from the heart of the Supernova even stronger than before.
Everyone on the ground froze.
"You've got to be kidding me!! He was still holding back?!"
Ajax wasn't entirely sure who blurted it out, but the sentiment was pretty universal—except for him. He had always known the depths of Frieza's power.
Above them, Goku's silhouette reemerged from the remnants of the shattered Supernova barrier. Though battered and visibly struggling, Goku stood his ground, and his aura blazed defiantly against Frieza's power.
The various cries of encouragement from the sidelines dwindled, replaced by a heavy, uneasy silence as the tone of the battle shifted. What had once been a fierce and evenly matched contest was now tilting decisively in Frieza's favor.
Especially now, after pushing the Kaioken to its limits for so long, Goku's initial vigor had all but faded away. Coupled with the harsh truth that Frieza's raw power now exceeded Goku's, what had begun as a hopeful stand was quickly unraveling into a brutal, one-sided pummeling.
Though Goku's resolve never faltered, he was now entirely on the defensive, struggling desperately just to stay in the fight. And with that, the once-hopeful energy of the spectators below faded into stifling silence.
Power Levels:
Goku (KK ×20) – 70,000,000
Frieza (75%) – 90,000,000
~ High Above ~
"KAAAAAMEEE…"
Far above Namek's quaking surface, brilliant blue light gathered in Goku's outstretched palms. The radiant glow engulfed his figure, casting him in a blazing halo that illuminated the battlefield below.
Frieza, however, was no fool. He had no intention of allowing such a devastating attack to be completed. With a snarl, the tyrant shot forward like a bolt of lightning, aiming to break Goku's focus. His strikes were swift and calculated, each targeting critical points that left Goku no choice but to shift entirely to defense.
Disrupted by Frieza's assault, Goku made a split-second decision to lob the glowing orb of energy skyward rather than risk it detonating in his hands. The still-unreleased Kamehameha arced into the sky, the trajectory just slightly off from perfectly vertical, and vanished into the clouds above.
The moment of distraction cost Goku dearly. His Kaioken aura began to flicker and fade as Frieza's endless barrage slammed into every inch of his body.
With desperation clawing at him, Goku seized a fleeting opportunity. With a sudden surge of power, he unleashed a powerful Kiai that blasted Frieza diagonally upward. The attack didn't harm the tyrant—it wasn't meant to—but it bought Goku a few precious seconds he needed to counterattack.
Clenching his teeth, Goku rushed in. But without the Kaioken, his speed had greatly waned. He was still incredibly fast—faster than most—but against Frieza, it wasn't enough.
Frieza regained his composure incredibly swiftly. His crimson eyes were alight with malevolence as a massive Ki beam raced from his outstretched hand toward the oncoming Goku at perilously close range. Frieza's voice was suffused with the triumphant glee of a predator closing in for the kill.
"DIE, YOU MONKEY!"
But what happened next left everyone speechless.
Goku spun mid-flight, his body executing a rotation so flawless that it almost seemed otherworldly. The Ki beam chased after his shoulder as he turned, skimming so close it seemed to brush against his bicep, yet narrowly missed by the slimmest of margins.
It was a breathtakingly smooth maneuver—an artful display of technique and grace.
From the ground, Nappa let out an enthusiastic roar. "Fucking beautiful!"
No one could disagree. The dodge was so masterfully executed that, had it taken place decades later and someone claimed it was performed under the influence of Ultra Instinct, not a soul would have questioned it. Not even Whis.
But this wasn't decades later, and apart from Ajax, no one even knew what Ultra Instinct was.
Three-quarters through his spin, Goku extended his hand upward, and with perfect timing, the Kamehameha orb he had thrown earlier landed squarely into his outstretched palms. Goku's rotation continued seamlessly, ending with him positioned just within arm's reach of Frieza, slightly below him, at a perfect angle for a counterattack.
Frieza, locked in the final moments of his own attack, couldn't immediately stop the massive energy beam roaring from his fingertips. His crimson pupils snapped toward Goku, widening with shock and fury as realization struck him.
Time itself seemed to freeze as the two fighters locked eyes.
Suddenly, the intense crimson aura of Kaioken ×20 erupted around Goku, blazing with newfound intensity as he tapped into Ki reserves he hadn't known he still possessed.
"HAAAAAMEEE...!!"
The cry carried the weight of everything Goku had within him—his pain, his fury, and the unrelenting determination to triumph against impossible odds.
This would be his final attack.
And his most powerful.
From below, a voice rang out: "GOOOOO GOKUUU!!" Though the sound never reached the combatants, it carried the hope of everyone watching.
Less than a heartbeat later, the Kamehameha orb in Goku's palms exploded into a brilliant azure blaze, flooding the battlefield with light like a second sun.
"...HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
The beam erupted in a colossal torrent of concentrated energy.
Frieza's own attack crumbled instantly in the face of the Kamehameha. The tyrant's form was swallowed by the ocean of azure light, his screams first muffled and then silenced as the energy consumed him completely.
Goku's body trembled violently, drained to the brink, but he refused to relent. His teeth ground together with such force it seemed they might shatter, and his voice merged with the thunderous roar of energy as he poured everything he had left into the attack.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
The beam flared brighter still, its brilliance eclipsing all else as Frieza's figure vanished entirely within the Ki beam.
For ten excruciating seconds, Goku maintained the attack, but ultimately, his reserves were finite. Like a gas tank running dry, the beam began to waver as his reserves reached their breaking point.
With one final, shuddering surge, the energy petered out and dissipated into scattered wisps of light.
Goku swayed, and the fierce Kaioken aura around him spluttered weakly before vanishing altogether. Exhausted beyond measure, he floated amidst the fading echoes of his most powerful attack.
His eyelids drooped with fatigue as he peered into the aftermath.
Goku's Ki senses strained as they searched for any trace of Frieza's energy signature. But his own Kamehameha had flooded the air with so much residual energy that his senses were almost blinded. It was like trying to use thermal vision immediately after an explosion—all he saw were static and chaos.
So, he couldn't discern if Frieza's Ki was truly gone or simply masked under the residual energy.
But unfortunately, Goku was destined for disappointment.
As the choking dust began to settle, a floating silhouette emerged from the haze.
Frieza.
The tyrant's body was a mess of bruises and burns. Parts of his once-pristine white, armor-like skin were marred by scorch marks, and thin wisps of smoke curled from his form like the remnants of a dying ember. A fresh, bloody bite mark adorned the tip of his tail, while the dark, ugly bruise on his chest—Ajax's final parting gift—remained. Every so often, his body spasmed involuntarily.
But despite the damage, Frieza stood tall. His crimson eyes burned with pure hatred as he glared at Goku with malice.
The moment stretched. Then, in a flicker too fast for Goku's exhausted eyes to follow, Frieza vanished.
Frieza's fist slammed into Goku's stomach like a hammer, sending blood splattering from his mouth. His vision blurred, and his arms fell limp to his sides as his strength completely left him.
And just like that, it was over.
The Z Fighters' last hope had been defeated.
As Goku's body plummeted toward the ground, Frieza's hand, not his tail, shot out and grabbed him by the collar. The momentum of Goku's fall was abruptly halted as the tyrant hoisted the battered warrior up to inspect him.
Frieza's crimson eyes narrowed as he studied his defeated foe. Goku's head lolled to one side, his eyelids fluttering weakly as he clung to the faintest sliver of consciousness. Frieza tilted his head, pondering about this man who had forced him to exert so much of his power.
"Father was right after all," Frieza muttered under his breath. "I have grown complacent."
And annoyingly, he still couldn't quite place what it was about this enemy that felt so familiar.
His gaze shifted, scanning the battlefield. The devastation surrounding them told the story of the hard-fought battle that had unfolded. And for the first time, there were no more enemies remaining to challenge him. His sharp eyes quickly located the rest of the peanut gallery in the distance—the silent witnesses to his victory.
His expression darkened ever so slightly as his gaze lingered on the group. They appeared largely unscathed, their bodies mysteriously restored to perfect health. His eyes immediately sought out Ajax among them, taking in the pitiful state of the spiteful little bastard. Unlike the others, Ajax's wound appeared to remain unhealed, but the mere possibility that it might was enough to make Frieza's chest ache.
With a sneer, Frieza began to descend, Goku still dangling limply in his grasp. He touched down on the scorched earth with a faint crunch.
The group stiffened as the tyrant drew closer.
Frieza's expression remained unreadable as he stopped a short distance away. Without a word, he extended his arm and casually tossed Goku down at his feet. The Saiyan hit the ground with a soft thud, rolling slightly before coming to a stop, motionless.
The group froze, their gazes darting between Goku's crumpled form and Frieza's cold, calculating eyes.
The tyrant allowed the silence to stretch, savoring their dread. Finally, he spoke, his voice unnervingly even.
"I don't know how you all healed," he began, his crimson eyes sweeping across each of their faces icily. "And frankly, I no longer care."
He crossed his arms, his posture deceptively casual, though an overwhelming sense of danger radiated from him.
"You lot should be proud," he continued. "You're the only ones in the entire universe—no, in the history of the universe—to have ever forced me to use more than half of my power. Well, aside from my father and Cooler, of course."
His gaze lingered on Ajax, narrowing ever so slightly. Despite the boy's injuries, Frieza remained suspicious of his apparent withdrawal.
With a casual flick of telekinetic power, Frieza hoisted Goku off the ground by his collar, letting the defeated warrior's head slump forward.
A cruel smile crept across Frieza's lips as he drew back his free hand, fingers tightening into a rigid claw, poised to pierce Goku's chest and rip out his heart. He intended to end this confrontation decisively and extinguish the life of the insolent warrior who carried the hopes of this pitiful group.
Yet, despite his apparent attention on Goku, Frieza's true focus was elsewhere. As his clawed hand thrust forward, his sharp gaze subtly tracked Ajax from the corner of his eye.
Sure enough, Ajax twitched—just a subtle, almost unnoticeable movement, but enough to give him away.
Frieza's lips curled wider as his eyes suddenly snapped toward Ajax. Their eyes locked in a charged instant, and Frieza relished the dawning recognition in Ajax's eyes—the unmistakable realization that he'd been caught red-handed.
But before either could make a move, a sudden, commanding cry interrupted both of them.
"FRIEEEZAAAA!"
The shout rang with such authority that it could not be ignored. Frieza halted mid-motion, his clawed hand suspended, and turned his head toward the source of the interruption.
To his surprise—and everyone else's—it was Vegeta.
The Saiyan prince had taken a bold step forward, breaking away from the others. His stance was resolute, his shoulders squared, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His face was a tempest of emotions—anger, defiance, and something far more profound just beneath the surface.
But it was his eyes that stole the moment.
Vegeta's eyes were ablaze.
For a moment, Frieza simply stared, mildly taken aback by the sheer force of the prince's will. Then, slowly, a cold, mocking smirk curled across his lips.
"Oh? What's this?" He sneered with mock incredulity. "You're willing to step into the spotlight for him, Vegeta? It looks like our little prince has finally found his courage."
But Vegeta didn't take the bait.
With steady, deliberate steps, he advanced, and the sound of his boots crunching against the shattered ground echoed in the tense silence. His fists clenched tighter with each step, his knuckles paling as his resolve solidified. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the proud Saiyan prince moved toward Frieza—not with fear or apprehension, but with absolute purpose.
Vegeta stopped a few paces away. His voice was calm, but it carried an unmistakable edge.
"This has nothing to do with Kakarot," Vegeta declared. "This is about pride—the pride of a Saiyan! Even if I am defeated today, even if it's the last breath I take, I'll face it head-on! I refuse to cower!"
Frieza blinked, and then he laughed.