In the Dragon Ball World, the familiar Earth was now completely devoid of life. Everyone had perished in this cataclysmic disaster, including Son Goku and Vegeta.
At Mount Paozu, the Z Fighters had gathered. Krillin, the little bald warrior, waited anxiously outside Goku's house. Little Trunks wept incessantly, young Gohan was still hurrying back home, and Piccolo and Vegeta stood expressionless, though their hearts were in turmoil.
Chi-Chi watched Goku lying on the bed, losing the last of his color, her tears falling endlessly as if ticking away the remaining time...
"Kakarot, you must avenge us! Bulma, Trunks, Bulla, Goten, Gohan, and I... we were all killed because of Ashalon..."
Vegeta!
Son Goku looked at Vegeta dying in his arms, recalling the days they had trained together. When they first met, Vegeta was a villain; on Planet Namek, he had changed, and by the Android crisis, he had become a truly trusted comrade... and now, all the way to this moment, he had lost his life blocking that fatal blow meant for him. His gaze gradually faded.
"Unforgivable! Unforgivable!"
Son Goku slowly stood up. His depleted stamina surged back. Golden hair and green eyes—Super Saiyan, then Super Saiyan 2, 3, 4, 5, until the blonde hair vanished and the white hair returned to the appearance of a Super Saiyan, with a "V" marking appearing on his forehead. It was none other than the ultimate form: White God!
Ashalon was not overly surprised by Son Goku's transformation.
"It seems I am not the only one who has reached the limit of this world."
Son Goku achieved his transformation amidst blazing fury, wielding immense power, surrounded by arcs of lightning, radiating sound and momentum. Throwing his arms wide, he roared:
"Ultimate Kamehameha! Aaaagh!"
"Boom—rumble—boom!!!"
Thud! A giant blue-and-white energy blast surged toward Ashalon. This was the ultimate technique of the fused warriors Vegeta and Son Goku. Even Ashalon, who could fight two opponents at once and defeat two Super Saiyan 5s back-to-back, turned serious now.
"Crash, crash, crash!"
The energy blast completely engulfed Ashalon, yet Son Goku sensed that Ashalon's ki had not diminished by much at all.
"How can this be? That was my full-power strike!" Son Goku caught sight of the figure emerging from the white smoke, his voice carrying a trace of a tremble.
Ashalon watched Son Goku, his expression as impassive as a wooden statue, completely unchanged. From the beginning of the battle against the two Super Saiyan 5s until now, he remained entirely unfazed.
"It seems you still believe you can defeat me. Do you know why I haven't felt any apprehension toward your current power?"
"Nani?"
"Your current state is White God, the strongest power in this world. But notice the two bars on the V of your forehead, whereas I..."
"Boom, rumble, boom!"
A V-shape materialized on Ashalon's forehead, marked by only a single bar.
"I have been pondering how to break the limiter, which is why I came to Earth."
"Son Goku, fuse with me! That way, our power can break past this world!"
Son Goku felt Ashalon's ki—White God 2. He had never imagined that his enemy had long since attained this level of power, but he would never surrender because of that.
"Vegeta, Gohan, Chi-Chi, Goten, and all my comrades on Earth have been killed by you all, and the Dragon Balls can no longer be used. With only me left alive, what meaning is there?"
"I made a promise to Vegeta, and I will—I will definitely kill you!"
"Haaaah! Ha! Take this, Ashalon!"
"One Hundred-Fold Kaio-ken!"
Son Goku's muscles instantly swelled. The overwhelming power caused the Earth to explode, and countless planets across the galaxy were shattered under the shockwave of this momentum.
This time, with no one left to protect, Son Goku no longer held back extra energy to shield the Earth; he would pour everything he had into destroying the enemy before him.
"Whoosh!"
A white figure struck with blinding speed.
"Bang!"
A devastating punch landed squarely on Ashalon's face, sending the previously unshakable enemy flying backward.
Amidst the starry sea, Ashalon felt the burning sting on his face; far from being angry, he burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! This is the power! Even if I kill you, it doesn't matter—as long as I have your body, I can break past the limiter on this forehead."
"Ashalon!"
Son Goku arrived via Instant Transmission.
"Ha—tata-ta, tata-ta!"
A barrage of energy blasts poured forth, quickly swallowing Ashalon's form.
Knowing this wouldn't be enough to kill him, Son Goku shaped his hands into a basin.
"End of the line! One Hundred-Fold Ultimate Kamehameha!"
"Boom, rumble, rumble, rumble!"
As Son Goku continuously compressed the density of the energy wave, the entire starry sky shattered. Yet no earthly change could disturb his desolate, deadened heart.
"Here it comes!!!"
"Roar! Roar! Roar, roar, roar!"
A terrifying energy blast surged forward, a massive dragon head leading the front of the beam. This immense power left Ashalon no choice but to defend with all his might.
"Galaxy Energy Cannon!"
The entire starry sky converged toward Ashalon, finally gathering in his hands to form a galaxy-colored energy blast.
"Thud, thud, thud! Thud, thud!"
………
In the end, Ashalon's overwhelming power completely swallowed Son Goku's One Hundred-Fold Ultimate Kamehameha.
Feeling the cold grip of death, Goku once again remembered the moments spent with his comrades.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Vegeta! I didn't make it! Vegeta! Aaaah!"
"I wish I could do it all over again, but! I truly gave it my all."
Just as Son Goku's stamina was completely exhausted, a very familiar figure appeared in his mind.
"Kakarot! It looks like you successfully became a Super Saiyan. No doubt Frieza was defeated by you as well, but now you seem to be in trouble."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Bardock!"
That figure similarly transformed into a Super Saiyan White God, placed a hand on Son Goku's shoulder, and vanished.
"Don't give up so easily!"
"Kakarot!"
"Oh! Has the divine ki not dissipated yet?"
"Ashalon!"
Son Goku emerged from the dust and smoke. The limiter on his forehead now bore only a single bar. Super Saiyan White God Stage 2 Son Goku has arrived!
"I won't let you get away!"
"Ultimate Dragon Fist! Explode!"
"Roar, roar, roar! Roar, roar!"
"Haaaaah! Ya!"
"Incredible! Incredible!"
All of Ashalon's ki erupted.
"Galaxy Stride!"
Galaxy after galaxy appeared to block Son Goku's lethal strike. With impact after impact, only two figures remained in the entire world, the entire universe.
"Haaaaah!"
"Hmph!"
"Thud!"
"It seems I won after all."
"Damn it!"
Ashalon blocked Son Goku's full-power punch.
"Vegeta, it seems I wasn't enough after all? His power is too great, and now I have no tricks left. If I could do it all over again, I would surely make all preparations in advance."
"Farewell, world! Farewell, Earth!"
"Oh, have you given up resisting?"
Watching Son Goku before him, Ashalon refused to waste any more time, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
"Since you aren't going to make a final attack, let me send you on your way."
"Heh, Ashalon, even if I die, I won't let you get what you want."
"Hm? You plan to—"
Son Goku tightly grabbed Ashalon's arms.
"You're finished."
A vast white ki erupted. The starry sky fractured, the universe dimmed alongside it, and all light gathered into this single body. The ultimate self-destruction: "Spirit Universe!"
"Wretched fool! You actually want to drag me down with you."
"Ashalon, you are strong. Then take this attack of mine—the anger of the universe, the spirit of the universe, this final power, the most furious power in the history of the cosmos!"
"Ha! Yay-yah-ah!"
Amidst Son Goku's roar, white stellar radiance engulfed Ashalon. Simultaneously, Son Goku's life rapidly drained, and his physical form began to vanish.
"I'm so unsatisfied. I finally returned, only to find despair. If... if there truly is an afterlife, I will protect everything, laying out all plans in advance rather than just enjoying the fight... Until we meet again, Vegeta."
Ashalon survived the explosion, though heavily wounded. It would take him countless years to recover his strength.
In this world's Hell, Heaven, and beyond, all deities had perished. Everyone who died would vanish forever, their souls ceasing to exist. A world of true, absolute death was born.
"Goku!"
A clear teardrop fell upon Son Goku's face.
Son Goku opened his eyes. His vision was somewhat blurred, yet he clearly recognized the person before him—his long-cherished, beloved wife.
"You're Chi-Chi."