Continuing Last Chapter...
The arena remained quiet, not sure what to make of what had occurred. The arena floors were coated with a strong, yet calming smoke, one that was emitted by the one who had emerged from his short slumber. The silence was so thick that you could even hear the faint sound of a pebble falling to the ground from a distance. The area where the Spirit Bomb had exploded was darkened due to the lack of light being present at the moment, so dark that even the shadow of the mighty warrior known as Jiren couldn't be present. The gray warrior only stood at the edge of the crater, peering intently at the warrior he seemingly defeated. He stood hunched over, his arms loose on both sides and his head low. It seemed he was trying to process everything that had happened and shortly after remembering, the warrior from universe 7 looked up to see Jiren. His eyes were overshadowed by his hair but the defined, silvery eyes were easy to pick up on.
Beerus sat down on his seat, looking closely as the others were confused but more so relieved. Piccolo held a unreadable expression, "Looks like we were all worried for nothing. But...".
"It doesn't seem like he managed to survive that explosion by sheer luck. Plus, he seems different...," Zugo said, finishing the Namek's train of thought for him. Kuzuku stood there alongside 21 and 17, now curious as to the strangeness emitting off Goku.
"Somethings most certainly changed. Despite looking as if he is in base form, Goku's emitting this vibe off him. A heat that I had never felt before," Kuzuku noted.
"You're right, his expression seems clear and serene. What could of possibly happened while he was knocked out?" 21 asked.
Kuzuku looked at where Goku was standing, his body somewhat covered by darkness but the glow making him somewhat visible. Toppo along with his remaining allies stepped forward to see Goku's revival at first hand. Toppo gritted his teeth under his mustache and muttered to himself, "Son Goku, just what are you? Why do you keep standing back up?". Goku didn't so much as move, nor did he bother to speak. The people around him seemed to have faded away, only leaving one left. The light began to return to the stage as Goku narrowed his eyes, zoning in on his target that was slowly being revealed by the light. His large figure, his stare, his...dominant Ki were all unraveling themselves before he disappeared suddenly from everyone's sights. The participants were all left in under confusion as to where Goku had went. Even Jiren's allies were stunned, unknowing of what really happened. Though, it didn't take long for them to realize it and by the time they turned to figure out what Goku did...It was beyond what they could ever think. There he was, his leg hovering over Jiren's back as the gray warrior ducked under the kick intended for his face. Goku looked down, staring at Jiren emotionless as he did the same. Goku then flipped backwards, generating a shockwave that stunned Jiren's allies with it's pressure.
Jiren quickly went in for a punch at Goku's chest, however, the Saiyan spun around his fist with afterimages following him. By the time he came around, his fist was already in motion to launch at Jiren. The gray warrior quickly countered Goku's punch with one of his own, the force of their two fists collided creating a high frequency sound. The ground beneath them shatter into a small crater before exploding from the delayed shockwave, blowing away Jiren's comrades. Goku leaped backwards, avoid the sudden Ki blast Jiren had planted in his stomach. He landed back where he was previously standing, only to look up and see Jiren come shooting out a cloud of smoke with his fist ready. Goku scrunched his eyes, dashing past him so fast that it look like his body just teleported, the afterimages being the only significant evidence of him move. Jiren turned around after his fist created another hole beneath his feat, revealing that there was a small graze across his cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb casually as he knew Goku had landed a blow while dodging his attack.
Piccolo eyes narrowed at the exchange, "He managed to graze him even though his attacks while in Blue had little to no effect on him before.".
"Yeah, it's strange. Even the Spirit Bomb while using Kaioken x20 didn't even do a thing yet a mere punch was able to graze this guy," Zugo added, agreeing with the Namek's statement. Hudo couldn't contain some of his enthusiasm, only letting it all out at once.
"Who cares! Let's go Goku!" Hudo cheered.
Kuzuku was know curious as well after observing the fight as well, "His movements...It's not just his speed that has somehow increased but Goku's movements are completely different now. We all couldn't even sense him attack, as if he didn't show any intent on doing so.".
"You're right, and it's the same way he dodges as well," 17 commented at Kuzuku notation. Vegeta stood with his arms folded, intrigued by Goku's new found strength as well.
"I can see what Kakarot did with my own eyes but those actions and reflexes he is exhibiting is unreal. Just what happened to you, Kakarot...," Vegeta muttered. Goku sensed something coming towards him and turned to see three fighters sliding down the side of the crater.
"You just don't know when to give up, Son Goku! It's over, now fall off!" Toppo roared, rushing Goku from his right side with his about to strike. Barabatos and Dyspo attacked from the front and left, leaving Goku seemingly no options...or so they thought? Unbelievably, Goku ducked under the flying front kick from Dyspo, allowing him to fly over his head. Next, the Saiyan managed to hoist himself over Toppo's fist by using it as leverage, kneeing the God of Destruction candidate in the side of his cheek and sending him flying away. Barabatos was shocked as he was unable to see Goku even move fast enough to instantly have his elbow in his gut. He gagged in pain before a follow up reverse roundhouse kick sent him right into Dyspo, resulting in both of them crashing into the side of a wall. Toppo managed to catch glimpse of this and growled in frustration, flipping himself back on his feet and allowing them to slide against the ground as he skid up the wall. He extended his five large fingers, his face fierce with fighting spirit.
"JUSTICE FLASH!" Toppo roared unleashing a barrage of energy blasts at Goku who didn't seem to be paying attention. You would think that they would have finally got him but they were dead wrong.
Without even so much as looking, Goku simply turned around slowly, avoiding the barrage completely. Jiren starred as Goku proceeded to walk calmly towards him, not even caring that Toppo was continuing to fire at a rapid pace without slowing down. Each step he took was him avoid a energy blast, occasionally deflect one to the side as if it were nothing. The audience on Earth watched this feat with there very own eyes, hope returning to Goku family's eyes.
"Okay, now that is most definitely not normal even for Goku. Just what the heck is going on?" Roshi said, this time his wise mind not having a single clue on how Goku was casually dodging Toppo's attacks.
"His reaction speed and his accuracy when he moves...it almost perfect to where it's instantaneous!" Krillin awed, his latent fighting knowledge kicking in. Whis sat next to Beerus with his fingers cupping his chin, trying to figure out what happened to Goku as well. One thing was for sure, Goku was simply amazing right now.
Jiren knew that Toppo was going nowhere with his attack and held his hand out for him to stop. The candidate complied to Jiren's wishes, only taking one last look at the Saiyan, "It seems that I'm not needed...Son Goku...". Goku continued to walk, his mind devoid of any thought at the moment before rushing right at Jiren. The gray warrior's eyes glimmered before unleashing what seemed to be an onslaught of untraceable punches that unleashed a stream of wind. Goku closed the distance and maneuvered around Jiren's fists gracefully, dodging with his attacks with the least amount of movement possible in that situation. Finally, Goku broke free from his barrage and unleashed one of his own, forcing Jiren to block his punches as he didn't let up himself. With each blow, shockwaves were generated, shaking the arena with it's might. The gray warrior felt his feet slide against the ground and took action by dodging Goku punches, allowing him to behind him. Before the Saiyan could land, Jiren went in for a roundhouse at Goku's gut but the hero of Earth used his leg as leverage for a axe kick aimed at Jiren's head. Impressively, Jiren spun back around in time to cross-arm block the kick before it made contact, the force emitting a ring of blue electricity across the stage. They stared each other in the eye, eventually disappearing from everyone's sights and leaving a upside-down, L-shaped trail of shockwaves as they took to the sky. The two reappeared, both trading blows without landing a single hit. Jiren dodged the first punch and deflected the second one diagonally, retaliating with a uppercut to the chin that missed its mark. Goku threw a spinning elbow that was stopped by his forearm, following up with a small flurry of punches that all missed as well. The Saiyan didn't let up and went for a roundhouse kick next in which it was ducked easily, however, lead into a low-sweeping kick at Jiren's left leg. The gray warrior moved his leg in time to avoid the blow just in time for them to land back on solid ground. Goku quickly came around and lunged forward with a another fist hurling towards Jiren's chest. He sidestepped the punch, allowing the Saiyan to pass once more.
Jiren took the chance to aim a punch at Goku's chest but with his new found reflexes, he blocked the punch's full force to where he only went flying towards a rock. The Saiyan flipped himself onto his feet, landing on the rock sideways before leaping towards Jiren who was pursuing after him. The two dodged each other's fist with Jiren taking the intuitive in throwing another punch at Goku's face who swiftly weaved to the side of the punch. Goku countered with an uppercut of his own but Jiren dodged as well and left him to hit nothing but air. His opponent decided to respond with a right jab which forced the Saiyan the block in hopes of distracting him. Goku then dodged the roundhouse kick by ducking under it, countering with another low kick a Jiren's exposed leg, this time actually landing it to where he lost his balance. With an act of flexibility and strength, Goku twisted his body upside down in order to follow up with a kick upside-down, landing a successful blow on Jiren's face. The universe 7 warrior then flipped himself back onto his feet and went in for a elbow to continue his assault but Jiren stopped it again with his forearm until they broke out into a short exchange of punches and kicks. The exchange ended with Goku going for a sliding low kick to get behind Jiren. Before he could even have a chance, Goku went in for two strong punches that force Jiren back by blocking until he took the opportunity to go on a barrage of punches and kicks of his own. The universe 11 warrior moved backwards slowly, blocking his strikes one by one until he avoided a uppercut at his chin and punched back, this time landed a small hit. Goku leaped backwards, unfazed by the blow as he proceeded in dodging Jiren's onslaught of punches and kicks as well. After ducking under a kick, Goku looked up to see Jiren ready to stomp his head into the ground in which he leaped high into the air to avoid it. The stomp was strong enough to make those in a Shaolin quiver when it formed a large crater beneath it. Jiren looked up and chased after Goku, throwing a elbow that was blocked with his knee. Instantly, the two burst out into a clash until Goku caught his arm by hooking it, pushing his weight downward to throw Jiren's balance off and punching him square in the face. Jiren landed on his feet, the force creating more electricity that presumably came from Goku's Ki. He looked up to see Goku rushing straight towards him and decided to meet him along the way by jumping towards the Saiyan as well. When the two titans met, a bright light shined before a flurry of short shockwaves filled the air. The shockwaves would only grow higher and higher as the two fighters were fighting so fast that they were literally levitating off the ground, breaking all rules of physic in their wake.
Kuzuku watched intently at the battle, still dazzled by something that he has never seen before. He couldn't help but awe at the power of their punches, skill, speed, technique, you name it. Everything was just a wonder to him in which he couldn't help but be amazed, "They are really going at it.". 17 tried to look closer to see who was winning, only to find that both fighters were neck and neck.
"It seems that neither of them have an advantage over the other. One thing's for sure, Goku overcame the vast power difference and is now fighting toe to toe with Jiren. But...," 17 said with a pause.
"Yeah...even now, Goku only continues to evolve, his strikes become more define and sharper along with being faster as the battle goes on. It's as if his overall combat abilities and techniques are improving with each block, each attack. Like he's trying to reach something that would make him complete," Kuzuku agreed, knowing what 17 was going to say anyways. Vermoud looked frustrated and was close to pulling his hair out.
"Ho...How!? How is someone able to even keep up with Jiren like this!?" Vermoud asked with disbelief. A few stands away from him was Beerus who was standing in disbelief after coming up with the only possible scenario. It took him time but after analyzing Goku's movements, his demeanor, how he reacts, it became all too clear for him. The Grand Priest's eyes widened, figuring it out at the same time that Beerus did. It's been a long time since anyone has been able to achieve it so it was easy to forget.
"How is Goku doing that? It's amazing right?!" Zeno cheered while asking.
"Very, Very Amazing indeed!" F-Zeno chirped.
The Grand Priest cupped his chin, "Perhaps...". Before he could speak, Whis became all excited after figuring out himself.
"Perhaps Goku-san has achieved that power! Right, Beerus-sama! To think that a mortal would be able to access it is simply magnificent!" Whis said with excitement filling his voice. Hudo looked at Whis with confused eyes, even confusing the audience on Earth with his excitement.
"What do you mean by that Whis? What happened to Goku?!" Bulma asked, tired of being left in the dark on what was happening despite it occurring right in front of her but on a screen. Whis smirked and let out a mused hum.
"The reason why Goku was able to come back and stand against Jiren is because he's managed to awaken a state that not even most deities can achieve!" Whis answered, his voice loud enough for all to hear though still leaving her in the dark. Beerus watched as Goku continued to fight, trying to see if there was any evidence to prove his assumption wrong but it was evident that he did achieve it. All he could do was muttered the name of the state Goku has entered.
"Ultra...Instinct..."
The very name of the technique shocked every single divine being present, causing them all to suddenly stare right at the Saiyan who is claimed to achieve such a state. Now that they all took a closer look, Beerus was indeed correct as it was no mistaking it. Goku, was in the state known as Ultra Instinct. Piccolo turned to Whis with questioning eyes, "Okay Whis, care to explain what that is to everyone? What is this, Ultra Instinct?". Whis closed his eyes, formulating a proper explanation for what the state was. Once he reopened them, they were shown to be serious which was rare for the angel.
"Ultra Instinct, it's most technical term known as Self-Indulgence of The Secret or Key of Egoism is a highly advance and rare state that not even most gods can achieve despite their years of training. Once entered, the user is able to react immediately to any dangers without so much as thinking while also attacking at perfect accuracy, disregarding the ability of reaction entirely and leaving their body to do it for them. This allows them to multitask in the middle of fights and come up with effective strategies to counter with, thus maximizing offensive and defensive capabilities." Whis explained.
There was a moment of thought until Zugo spoke up with a question of his own, "If that were the case then how does it explain Goku's increase level in power? The way you explained it means that even if Goku's body were reacting on it's own, Jiren should still have the upper hand in this fight?". Whis's eyes turned its attention back to Goku and Jiren. He saw how Goku was trading blows with the gray warrior and came to the only assumption and the answer to his question.
"You're right, even with Ultra Instinct, Jiren should have the upper hand in this battle. From what I've seen so far, Goku's state is incomplete, similar to Beerus. He's only got the defensive attributes but can't seem to capitalize on attacks as he still thinks when he attacks. But to stray away from that, Goku's increase in power has something to do with the Spirit Bomb...Yes I can sense the energy of the Spirit Bomb lingering around Goku. Perhaps that is the trigger for his Ultra Instinct to emerge." Whis replied.
"Are you saying he powered up from absorbing the Spirit Bomb?" Hudo asked.
Whis shook his head as he continued to watch the clash, "No, I believe not. The Spirit Bomb's energy must be acting as a source of power in order to keep his already depleted body moving. Yes, the true reason why Goku's strength has increased by this much is because of something else that happened.".
"Something else, like what?" Zugo said, giving the angel a glare for not getting to the point.
Whis nodded in response to his persistence and complied, "It was at the moment when Goku fell into the Spirit Bomb. In the explosion, the raging and unstable power of the Genkidama entered Goku's body, threatening to tear him apart. Out of an act of desperation, Goku-san most likely mustered in tremendous will power to resist the energy and beyond that clash...Goku managed to shatter his limits and achieve a potential that was dormant deep inside of him. The transformation you see before you is most likely the result of that and Ultra Instinct was merely a bonus part of his unlocked potential.".
"That explains the power-up. It isn't just Ultra Instinct but a transformation that allows him to use it," Beerus muttered, now fully grasping on what really happened.
Whis smiled for a moment after finishing his explanation before remembering one small detail, "Now that's all well and good, However...I'm completely unsure about this heat that is radiating off Goku.". The two titans stopped punching for a moment, staring each other down before Goku instantly was back on the offensive. The two exchanged a countless barrage of punches that were pretty much nigh-invisible to most of the participants. The shockwaves grew more frantic as they went faster and faster by the second. Bolts of lighting raged around the stage, destroying random debris that had the misfortune of being it's target. Kuzuku, after over hearing what Whis was talking about, peered closer at his Saiyan teammate. His eyes were still calm until it suddenly flash back to normal before returning to it's defined, silver color. Goku grunted, quickly realizing that he doesn't have long in this form of his.
"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!" Goku roared, his voice being overlapped with the sound of an Oozaru. Immediately, Goku dealt a direct knee to Jiren's stomach, stunning him a bit and shocking everyone around aside from most of the gods and angles. Hastily, Goku blasted Jiren away while pushing himself towards the large timer in the center of the stage. The gray warrior landed firm on his feet as he watch Goku land on the timer. The Saiyan positioned himself nicely before instantly leaping off the timer and towards Jiren at full speeds, his final attack ready to deal a finishing blow. Jiren watched him approach, waiting patiently for him to come.
Goku let out one final roar as he closed in, his Oozaru voice clearly filling the air. In a matter of seconds, Goku unleashed his final punch that would seemed to have collide with Jiren. A large explosion of blue and red Ki erupted like a torrent before settle down to nothing, leaving only smoke to covering up the results of that final attack. However, within the smoke, Goku's eyes widened as they were returned to normal, his new found aura faded away completely. A red light illuminated their faces as they were still covered by the smoke cloud that surrounded them.
"Saiyans. You are quite interesting creatures, but..." A voice said with seriousness in it's tone. The smoke cleared at that moment, reveal Goku's last attack to be stopped completely by Jiren's palm, his aura emitted as to show that he had yet again let out more of his power.
"This heat... was simply your limit, Son Goku!" Jiren stated, sure that this fight was over. Immediately, Jiren blasted Goku away, engulfing him in a energy blast that sent him crashing into the ground, forming a large crater in it. The proud warrior was about to go after him so he could finish the job but he was stopped when someone tried to sneak attack him through the dust. Quickly he blocked the punch, revealing the attacker in full light.
"What do you think you're doing, assassin?" Jiren asked, curious as to why he would try something so futile.
"I'm simply doing my job," Hit blatantly replied. The majority watched with disbelief at the results of their battle. Despite gaining a immense power through breaking his limits and achieving a form that allows him to be in a state that even Gods can barely achieve, Jiren had defeated Goku and claimed total victory in round 1.
Goku lied in the crater, completely battered from that attack as he had nothing left to give. He could only chuckle weakly at his situation, "Heheheh, amazing. My body doesn't even want to move right now.". The Saiyan was sure that he was screwed at this point until he felt someone give him some energy to which his body felt rejuvenated enough to move around. He was confused, wondering who could possibly give him energy besides 21. He got up slowly, weary of pushing it since this was his only chance to find 21 for some healing, though he doubts he'll be back at full strength.
"Hmph, I guess you are able to move around quite well now. Am I right, Goku?" A familiar, malicious voice asked. Goku turned around to see his nemesis smiling at him.
"Frieza...," Goku murmured until he was cut off abruptly.
"Don't take this the wrong way, I only helped you because of what you did on Namek. Consider that, settling the score," Frieza added.
Goku nodded, somewhat grateful that he didn't have to say "Thank you" to someone like him. Frieza began to walk away before stopping to tell the Saiyan one more thing, "Also, the power you displayed earlier is apparently rare even among gods. They call it Ultra Instinct.".
"Ultra...Instinct?" Goku whispered loudly, having no clue on what he meant.
"Hmph, just remember that power because in order for us to win, I need you to take care of that monster Jiren for me so I can be revived with the Super Dragon Balls. Now hurry along, I don't got time to keep you company since you'll be a primary target soon. Just make sure you don't get knocked off on your way to that other monkey's wife," Frieza warned before leaving Goku to himself. The Saiyan pondered on what Frieza had informed.
"Ultra Instinct, whatever it is, I'll need it in order to win this tournament otherwise we'll all be in trouble...," Goku muttered before taking off as well.
A/N: Sorry this was a bit late. My track meet lasted longer than usual