This chapter is shorter then the last few chapters. Partially out of a desire to avoid that length and partially to end the chapter where it does.
I stood there gazing at the strange sight before me. Black stood alongside the newcomer, this false image of myself.
"This is a pleasant suprise, I came here to see you Goku, but here I see a friendly face alongside." My doppelganger spoke with a sincerity that burned my soul.
"What trickery is this? How dare you defile my image!" I clenched my fist in frustration, to aid in such villainous acts with my visage!
Black stepped forward. "This is no trick my dear friend it is as I said, the actions I've carried out and yours are one and the same!" He motioned to my doppelganger. "This one is simply you from another timeline I've recruited who shared my wish."
I felt daggers from behind, the eyes of my allies suddenly burning into the back of my skull.
"Lies! You would have me to believe my noble heart would allow such vile actions, let alone commit them!" I formed a ki blade pointed at the two sinners, this anger I felt, it was contrary to my being as a Supreme Kai. But now I felt personally wronged, and it was only amplified as the imposter spoke.
"I am the same god as you." He then raised his hand and formed his own blade. "I share the same blade as you, the same noble heart as you do as well. You've simply been mislead, you misdirect your justice when your enemies are to your sides." I could feel his Ki now, it was just like my own even more so then Black's. "Come my friend help us enact the plan we've waited to enact! Join us and we will realize the dream we have so longed for, a world without mortals to defile it!"
Plan? What plan could he possibly be blabbering about? Then my blood turns cold, no. No one could be aware of that, it was just a passing thought. "Enough of your lies! For the destruction of this world, theft of gods property, and desecration of my image! Your lives are forfeit!" I prepare to launch myself, before Goku's presence stops me.
"I don't know what exactly what's going on. But it seems like you two like stealing other people's looks." Goku gives me a serious gaze as if to question my allegiance before turning back to our foes. "Whoever you guys are I'm not going to let you two get away with this! "
Goku launches at the two and I waste little time to follow for the chance to release my rage. Black and my imposter quickly prepare themselves, Goku reaches Black fist first, as he makes contact the two fly back. My imposter watches the two fly back before quickly turning back to me as I face him.
I swing my blade and he meets it with his own. The two of us push against eachother trying to gain the upper hand or force the others footing to falter. He pushed back with his full body, forcing me away for a moment before our duel commences. We appear to be evenly matched, meeting each others strikes. While I have my opponent on the defensive it appears that is only the case because of his lack of agency. He looks to me with a smirk.
"Come now there's no reason to fight amongst ourselves. I understand it must be jarring to see a mirror image of yourself, but needless to say we are like minded individuals."
"Do not fool yourself, you are nothing more then a fabricated copy of my form!" Our blades clashed once more as he began pushing me back, and meet my eyes.
"You are intelligent enough to know the truth, friend. I suggest you stop lying to yourself." My brow furrows at his words.
My imposter shoved my blade back and quickly attempted to jab me. I barely manage to dodge just allowing the blade to scratch my coat. The moment the strike fails to hit he leaps back into the air and points his blade at me. I immediately recognize the technique as I leap back and prepare myself. As his blade ignites, a uniform stream of ki blasts come for me, I raise both my hands up forming a barrier.
Each blast explouds on impact of my barrier without any sign of give. As I await the onslaught to end I suddenly notice the imposter's ki vanish. I quickly throw a stiff kick behind myself just as he appears behind me to no avail. He catches my leg before striking with a hard chop to my kneecap. I stutter from the pain as my leg recoils, but still intact. I attempt a simple punch having been thrown off balance but he simply dives under it coming up with am open palm strike to my chin. Though not very painful I stumble back before I'm sent flying several kilometers by Kiai, rolling on the ground. From the floor I see myself approaching me.
"Well it seems you have much to learn my friend before you are as proficient as you could be. You have some ways to go, so I hope you cease this charade and listen to what I have to say." I glare up at the imposter, how dare he toy with me, forcing me to look up at my own face.
"If I am believe you are truly myself from the future and capable of committing such atrocities. I think I would be better off cutting myself down now." I begin to rise to my feet as my double glares at me. Before he can utter another word he is struck by a ferocious kick and sent into a nearby building. It's Trunks.
He looked to me with the same look as Goku before offering me his hand. "I'm really not sure I can trust, but you healed my father and the others so I'm willing to give you the benifit of doubt."
With little ground to stand on I graciously accept. "You have my thanks." As I reached my feet, Trunks grabbed his blade and swung at me catching me off guard. For a moment I thought I was dead, before I noticed my waist sash fall to the floor.
"Just need a way to tell you apart from him." He smirked as I kept my composure but sweated a little.
Just as we turn to face where my doppelganger should've been a massive power quickly approaches. It was Black, he was headed right for us, he must have dispatched of Goku somehow. "Well this is disappointing, you seem quite insistent on assisting these mortals, my friend." The last word was soaked in venom as he shook his head. He resumed his charge at us as Trunks and I braced ourselves.
"I'm not finished with you yet Black!" At that moment Black was blindsided by a blur of blue, Vegeta, it seemed he had recovered. Using his speed he grabbed Black, spun him around before passing his momentum to him with a throw. Black was sent flying through several buildings, Vegeta sent several of energy waves after him before chasing after him without another word.
I was relieved for the short reprieve before my voice called out from behind Trunks and I. "How bothersome. I was hoping you would understand how futile it is to oppose us Trunks." The doppelganger had reemerged from the rubble looking no worse for wear. "Though seeing your father continue to struggle, I guess such traits are hereditary, clearly a failure the evolution of mortals."
"Enough talk! Zamasu or whoever you are this ends today!" Trunks launched straight in with his blade drawn and I quickly take his side. While I open with a series of precise jabs with my blade, Trunks unleashes a fierce barrage of slashes with his sword. Our foe clearly wasn't prepared for this, while this imposter may be a step above myself he is far removed from Black's power.
He forgoes trying to meet our attacks directly instead dodging them, only deflecting any he absolutely needs to. Trunks rushes forward missing a heavy downward swing only to follow through into a tackle.
The imposter flew back irritated by the effort."Filthy mortal! You shall soon understand what justice truly is!" Before he could carry on any further with his tainted justice, I quickly appeared from below. The emotion in his eyes, shock evident on my own face.
"No, I will show you true justice." I spoke dryly and in an instant rose up with my blade and slicing the imposter from the abdomen to his shoulder. The feeling of my blade cutting bone was fairly new to me on comparable to some wooden dummies we used. As the imposter stumbled back I allowed my blade to dissipate. If I had been any closer with my strike I would've cut the fiend in two, regardless it was over the imposter who had dared to copy my image was no more.
"Zamasu loo-" I have an idea of what Trunks attempted to yell out the moment I felt that searing pain. In my moment of satisfaction I had neglected to notice my doppelganger in front of me. I stood only for a moment before I crumpled down to my knees clutching my torso. A scorched scar seared me in the same way I had just moments before dealt out. Looking at my hand I saw a small amount of blood.
"Be thankful I didn't make the wound as deep as the one you left me." With pain I look up to see the imposter standing over me. The same scar on him as I bared now, though evidently not bothering him in the least.
"H-how?" I struggled to force the word in between labored breaths as my other self simply looked down at me with judgment. How could he still be standing. I would've thought that last attack was a desperate last act not a relentless attack.
"Zamasu move!" The two of us turn to Trunk gathering energy in both hands. I waste little time teleporting to his side, through the pain I glare at my imposter using telekinesis to hold him in place. I'm unnerved as he simply places his hands behind his back as I have so any times. Not even making an effort to break my hold or defend himself against the imminent attack. "Final Flash!"
There's a flash of light before that light seemingly takes on solid form into a massive Ki wave. The power is lacking compared to Vegeta or Goku but should be sufficient to annihilate the imposter. The attack crashes on the target in massive release of energy as sparks, debris, and dust fly. I collapse once more as my effort exaggerates the pain.
Injured as I an my attempts to heal myself only heal my wound to a manageable degree, I turn in shock at Trunk's next words. "That's impossible." Looking up the dust had cleared to reveal the imposter standing entirely unchanged. No not unchanged, the scar I had left him had vanished entirely. "I hit him with everything I had as a Super Sayian and it didn't even faze him."
"Now then mortal or god, you both should see the truth. I have taken godhood to a new level." Trunk's and I stand at lost what to think. "Now as a foolish Sayain I'm sure you still intend to challenge me regardless of how useless it would be. However Zamasu, I know you must surely realize how hopeless this situation is." I grimaced, it was true as things stood it was truly hopeless.
"Dammit, after everything we've been through is this how it ends?" No. No this can't be how it ends, I must find a way to stop this monster! Whether he truly is a alternate version of myself or simply a demon charading as me, justice must've brought against him, no matter the cost.
Goku landed next to us battered but still better off then myself. "Any luck?" I shake my head as I struggle to my feet.
"Unfortunately the situation has turned quite dire. It would seem my imposter has attained both an eternal body and invincibility, full immortality."
Goku just looks ahead at the imposter, worry wrinkling his determined image. "Just our luck, anyone see Black?"
The universe must have a sense of humor as Vegeta was sent flying into a vehicle in explosion of fire as ki wave struck him moments later.
"Father!" Trunks cried out his rush to his father's aid only stopped by Black's advice.
"I wouldn't be concerned with that fool right now. I would be preparing to accept your divine punishment." Black landed meters away from us, as he once again began preparing the attack from earlier saying that strange incantation. "Ka-Me-Ha-Me!"
Seeing the gathering energy the three of us immediately scramble to avoid it. Stumbling forward in my injured state, Goku grabs me and throws me away distance from himself. Annoyed but safe I look up clutching my torso in pain, and just as Goku and Trunks are about to save themselves my doppelganger grabs them with his arms around their neck. He couldn't possibly be using such a disgusting tactic. "Your seriously gonna sacrifice yourself for this?"
I struggle to take action, fire an attack at Black, Kai Kai to Trunks and Goku, raise a barrier in their location, but my body finally fails me. I cannot do anything to stop this!
"Ha!" I watch in horror as Black fires a massive beam at my allies and his own, engulfing the area in massive ball of light. As the energy and light die down I see my imposter completely unharmed standing over Trunks and Goku on the floor who are utterly ravaged.
Black and my imposter rise up to the air above the city skyline looking upon their work. Me, Goku and Trunks completely unable to move or challenge them any longer. I can't help but curse my weakness as a god, utterly outclassed by these villians and only alive now because of Goku's clumsy throw. The two villians raise their hands gathering a large ball of energy to clean their mess, declaring their victory
"Today will be the end of humanity, and the beginning of a new era! The era of a single deity, Zamasu!"
"I'm sorry this must be the end for you our friend. We have grown weary of your stubbornness, if you wish to defend these mortals then you can perish along with them." As the ball grew I could do nothing but curse myself and the reality of who we faced today. Just then another Ki wave struck the energy ball just above the pair setting it off in a massive explosion.
Vegeta stood surrounded by flames and wreckage bruised and tattered but still clearly still willing to fight. "I'm not going to roll over and die just yet!" Proud words but his energy was dropping quickly.
Amidst the chaotic explosion a vehicle rushes to Goku and Trunks picking the two up. It's Mai I'm not sure how she managed it but she somehow avoided detection and saved the two as she sped off. Good there's a chance some of us may yet survive, now if only I could manage to save myself.
With the cover of smoke disappearing Black and the imposter looked down disgruntled at the continued existence of Vegeta. "How annoying it seems no matter how many times you crush these mortals they just keep crawling back."
"It's almost amusing, they are similar to cockroaches." The two approached Vegeta who stood defiant taking his stance once more. If I was going to take action it needed to be now!
I gathered energy in my hands as I employed my gambit. Rushing forward and ignoring my pain I managed to avoid detection immediately. Leaping in the air I called for their attention while launching two Ki waves at the pair. "You will not walk away victorious demons!"
My attacks make contact possibly only stunning the pair and driving dust but that would be all I needed. Vegeta seemed surprised by my actions, however he seemed furious as I grabbed and dragged him away. "The hell are you doing Kai! Release me!"
"Silence you arrogant fool, we cannot win this battle!" His pride would be the death of us. My arms wrapped around his abdomen I focused on the general area that I saw Mai drive towards. "Kai Kai."
In instant we are moved to an open area alone. I'm sure the Sayian would've thrown me off if I didn't immediately collapse on the spot. For the time being we were safe, and we had failed.
Again a shorter chapter, and one I'm not particularly proud of. Maybe because of heavy amount of fighting in this chapter or it's writing for the same character effectively 3 times in one chapter is draining which is why I'm feeling good about the next chapter. Writing for the Sayains and their scenes was honestly a bit of reprieve for me.
