The Final Bout Of The Tournament Continues...
The air grew more intense along with the tension while the World of Void continued to shake violently as two immense powers began to square off against each other. On one end, was a prideful warrior who only believes in his own strength and resents the trust of others: believing that it is something meaningless based on all his past experiences. While on the other hand, standing before him was a Saiyan warrior who has seemingly shattered his limits and achieved a new form that broke the boundaries of Saiyan transformations all together because he was put into a situation that forced him to draw it out. All because he needed to protect, because he had people counting on him. It was a fitting match-up and with another chance at victory presented to them, Kuzuku was determined to make good use of it seeing how Goku was down for the count. Everyone remained silent, waiting anxiously for the fight to commence. The Saiyan watched his opponent shift into a stance, his back hand down by his waist in a shape that resembled him gripping onto something while his other hand was up by his face for defense. Kuzuku took notice that this was more of a defensive stance as he notice his body was twisted more sideways than normal. The Saiyan decided it was best for him to shift into a more suitable style that would counter his, shifting his body to be more frontal as he pushed his hand outwards to reveal it to resemble that of a dragons claw while his fist was around hip level. Seeing how they took their positions, it was clear that the fight was about to start. Kuzuku took a breath, exhaling softly before making his move, "Let's do this...".
The moment he finished his low tone sentence, Kuzuku lunged forward as Jiren did as well. Their fists clashed, causing everything around them to momentarily stop completely, but not for long as suddenly a gale of their two contrasting Ki started to rage all around them. The warriors's fists shook against each other as they struggled for control, however, Kuzuku managed to overpower him and push his attack away before kneeing him hard in the stomach. Jiren keeled over to the side with more blood seeking between his gritted teeth. The proud warrior reinforced his legs so he can be close enough to retaliate with a strike of his own. His arm swung into a ground-shattering hook aimed for Kuzuku's head but he missed completely as he ducked under his strike. Swiftly, the Saiyan retaliated with a hard uppercut to the chin that made him stumble backwards continuously. Unfortunately for him, his universe 7 opponent wasn't letting up as he dashed towards him, elbowing him hard in the stomach before kicking him in the chin. The proud warrior groaned his temper growing just like his aura. Out of spite, he fired an energy blast to force Kuzuku to jump backwards to avoid it. Now that he was airborne, the blazing warrior vanished above him and sledgehammered him towards the ground: earning shrill cries of pain from the Saiyan. The primal warrior steeled himself in the air and flipped onto his feet just so he can quickly glimpse Jiren diving towards him. Without much of a thought, Kuzuku put up his left forearm to stop a side elbow, the force ripping the ground as if it were paper. They glared at each other before separating a good distance away. After sliding his feet into a stop, Kuzuku sent Jiren flying with a powerful Kiai shockwave from his hand and chased after him immediately, socking him hard across the face the moment he closed the distance. The Saiyan was relentless and pummeled the proud warrior blow after blow as his fists ripped through the air.
Although, Jiren didn't take the punishment lightly and grabbed his arm so he can headbutt him in the face in order to stop his assault. Kuzuku stumbled backwards, only to receive a gut-wrenching punch in his abdominal. The Saiyan coughed up some blood and quickly caught Jiren's fist before it could connect again. Seeing how Jiren was wide open, Kuzuku took the opportunity to strike and placed his palm in front of his lungs, "Sorry Gohan, but I'm gonna have to borrow this move for a moment," .
He channeled some of his Ki through his arm and into his hand and unleashed the built up energy into a torrent of Ki that passed through Jiren lungs. The gray warrior staggered from the blow, dazed as he tried to stabilize his breathing. While he was immobile, Kuzuku took the chance to deck him hard in the frontal part of his jaw, rocketing far away from where he used to be standing. With a powerful kick off the ground, he vanished just above him and rammed his fist into his stomach so hard that he practically slammed him into the ground, shattering a good portion of it into but large chunks of squared blocks. Jiren gagged as Kuzuku pushed his fist further into his stomach until he had enough. In order to create separation between them, he formed a red energy orb in his hand and rammed it into his stomach before blasting him into the sky. Jiren then stood hoisted himself up with a clear expression of irritation and fired a barrage of destructive energy blast at him. That was the first thing Kuzuku saw when he opened his eyes, his body oozing smoke as the blast started to hone in on him. Cleverly, the Saiyan fired an energy wave that propelled him far enough to the left so that they can miss their target. All together, the blasts rammed into each other and detonated into a large explosion that covered the sky. The light faded away quickly as Kuzuku flipped himself onto the side of one of the floating rubble and dive immediately towards the ground while landing on his knees. He pressed his right hand against the hard surface and channeled Ki into it so that it can vibrate violent, "Kami Dragon Tremor!".
With a powerful pulsating shockwave, Kuzuku caused the ground to shake violently until it shattered into more floating pieces of rubble that blocked Jiren's vision. The proud warrior took a stance and readied his guard for any unexpected approaches.
"This is nothing more than a distraction, a useless ploy to try and throw me off," Jiren thought. He searched aimlessly for any signs of his opponent. In short notice, he sensed something coming from behind and instinctively turned around with a kick that sliced the air. To his surprise, he hit nothing but an afterimage that faded upon contact. His eyes widened, realizing too late as he was roundhouse kicked across the back of his head. He was sent flying through more rubble, tumbling against the ground a couple of times until he came to a stop. Kuzuku landed on his feet short before chasing after him with his newly immense speed. The moment Jiren stood up, all he was met with a firm blow to the gut before he was chopped hard in the back of his neck along with another knee to his chin that sent him flying. He slid face first against the ground and flipped himself back onto his feet.
He panted heavily as Kuzuku glared at him. Without saying much, the Saiyan rushed at him with a barrage of punches and kicks that force him on the defensive. Though, it didn't last long since the proud warrior managed to slip through one of his punches with an afterimage of his own and socked him across the jaw: causing him to stagger a bit backwards long enough for him to unleash a flurry of energy waves at him. The universe 7 warrior's eyes widened with fear as they rammed into him all at once, blowing him back enough to where he slammed into a wall. Seeing how he was leaning against the wall, Jiren took the chance to rush towards him and grab him by the face. With force, he pushed Kuzuku deep enough into the rock that they both came out the other side before he practically dragged him across the ground. The primal warrior of universe 7 groveled against the dirt, however, he put a halt to Jiren using him as a rag to wipe the floor with and kicked him hard enough in the stomach that he stopped dead in his tracks. Then, while he was hunching over in pain, Kuzuku followed up with another kick to the ribs with his opposite leg.
"GRAAGH!" Jiren howled, his grip loosening on the Saiyan's face enough that Kuzuku was able to flip himself onto his feet. Noticing that he was stunned from his blows, Kuzuku rushed forward and slammed his fist into Jiren's chest. His cries of pain echoes throughout the void as he flew through various pillars at high speeds before crashing into a pile of rubble. The Saiyan retracted his fist, although, he noticed an intense agonizing pain throughout his body that nearly made him tumble over. He steeled himself breathing heavy for a moment until he settled himself down. He continued to stare towards the direction he sent Jiren, his face stern as his body tilted sideways.
Meanwhile, everyone was awestruck by how strong Kuzuku's new form was. They didn't expect it to be this powerful as he was not only holding his own but he was winning the farce so far. Piccolo was impressed for the most part since he couldn't help but smile at how far he's come, "Looks as if Jiren can't keep up with Kuzuku in this form but he's still able to hold his own.".
"Yeah, I guess we had nothing to worry about, Kuzuku's got this from here," Zugo noted.
Despite the obviousness that's unfolded before him, Whis couldn't help but notice something strange, "Indeed, Kuzuku-san's limit-breaking power has proven to be far more powerful than we thought. However, it does look like he's struggling to unleash its full power as his Ki keeps fluctuating. It's as if the form itself is a wild animal that is difficult to tame under his control. But, I guess that is to be expected due to this being his first time entering such a state.". Vermoud on the other hand couldn't stand seeing Jiren getting pummeled to a pulp. He stood up from his seat and started to yell out some encouragement that would make him try harder.
"Jiren! Don't just lay in the pile of dirt and fight! You have to prove that your power is absolute!" Vermoud demanded.
In the pile of rubble came a blazing Ki that shone through the cracks. With a single burst, Jiren blew the rubble away with his Ki, his roar ripping through the air before he settled back down to a glare. His crimson aura shrouded him more intensively while Kuzuku stared at him coldly. The proud warrior gritted his teeth as his look was similar to Goku's earlier, "I told that Saiyan before and I will say it again. No matter what, I will never...LOSE!".
He charged in with rage fueling him before leaping into the air above in order to throw Kuzuku off. The Saiyan followed him with his eyes as he dived towards him with a crimson fist that heated the air around him. Easily, Kuzuku simply leapt backwards to avoid the punch that collided against the ground, however, the destruction it caused upon impact was frightening. What he saw was Jiren's punch not only shattering the ground but it melted it into a large and deeper crater that emitted immense heat. Slowly, Jiren raised his head, his eyes reflecting the light of the flickers surrounding him before he kicked off the ground with blazing heat. In no time, he closed the distance between them, his speed catching Kuzuku by surprise before he crossed his arms to block whatever came next. Showing little remorse, Jiren slammed his crimson fist into his guard and rocketed him towards the ground while he soon leapt off the side of a floating chunk in order to chase after him. With his own determination, Kuzuku flipped himself onto the ground, his feet skidding against it until he came to a full stop. His arms sizzled off smoke as he peeked between them to see any oncoming attacks that he may have swung his way, immediately noticing the danger that was coming towards him.
He jumped backwards in order to get out of the way while he watched Jiren slammed into the ground so hard that the mere force of it's impact unleashed a pillar of crimson red Ki that pulsated shockwaves across the ground. Kuzuku stumbled back onto his feet and side stepped to the left as Jiren relentlessly attempted to plummet his fist into his chest. The proud warrior spun around on his toes and hurled his other heel towards the side of Kuzuku's face. Thinking quickly, Kuzuku placed his fingers on his forehead and teleported behind him in which it caught him by surprise. The moment he turned around, the Saiyan had slammed his knee into his chin. He nearly fell backwards, yet, he managed to somehow sneak in a punch to the side of Kuzuku's rib. His primal opponent gagged in pain before he slugged him across the face hard enough to send him flying towards rubble. For once, Jiren cracked a grin until he saw the primal warrior flip onto the side of the rock and ricochet towards him. His face contorted into a disbelief panic as he was soon elbow right in the nose. His body flew across the ground before his back crashed into a pillar that collapsed on top of him.
The Saiyan continued to breath heavily as he felt another excruciating shock wash over his body, this time becoming noticeable to the audience as his face contorted to show visible pain. He nearly fell to his knees and coughed up some blood that splattered against the ground. His condition was enough to raise concerns, especially with 21 watching. The majin covered her mouth, her eyes hurting at the sight before her, "What's going on?!".
"It seems to me that this power is far beyond what Kuzuku-san's body can handle. The constant fluctuation in his Ki along with irregular sharp increases in strength that seems to grow stronger over time must be tearing his body apart along with the added toll the form naturally takes," Whis commented, showing his own concerns.
Beerus growled at yet another situation of do or die, "Kuzuku's gotta finish this quick, otherwise his stamina will run out similar to Goku's.".
The Saiyan straightened himself as he watched Jiren come out of the rubble. The two glared at each other before rushing in, their hands lace around the other as they struggled for dominance. Electricity crackled around their bodies, taking the color of their respective auras as the area shook violently from the pressure. Kuzuku pressed further, pushing the proud warrior back as he continued to stare into his eyes as if he was looking for an answer. Jiren couldn't help but become irritated at the look he was giving him and pushed him back, "Just give it up, you can't win against my power!".
"When will you learn that I'm not just fighting for myself?! I won't give up until I know that I did everything I could!" Kuzuku roared, pulling him into a knee.
Jiren gagged but the Saiyan didn't let go and continued to glare into him, "Just because those who forsaken you in the past doesn't mean it relates to the friends you acquired now. You may think that you're fighting for yourself but really, you're just trying your hardest to stay strong for them! Because you feel that it is your duty to stand as a pillar of support so they won't abandon you! That is your fear: the fear of losing everything again, just like before!". He paused, taking in a breath as he gave him a pitiful look. His tone and breathing seemed to calm down despite how wild and ferocious his Ki was.
"The only reason why you're able to keep going on like this is because you've become so adept at killing your own heart. Can't you see that it's a clear indication of your own sadness," Kuzuku added.
Jiren's eyes widened until it turned into an angry scowl, retaliating with a knee of his own that knocked some wind out of the Saiyan, "Just, be silent! What the hell would you know?!".
He roared, breaking free from the struggle before socking Kuzuku hard across the face. The Saiyan's feet skid back for a moment until he suddenly dashed in front of the proud warrior and returned a punch of his own. His enraged opponent stumbled back a bit as well before throwing daggers at him, noticing the obvious trail of blood leaking off his chin. Kuzuku rubbed his jaw and felt the blood immediately. He gritted his teeth, repeating the words Jiren said in his mind.
"What the hell do I know, you ask? My parents were killed when I was just a baby and I never knew them for literally the majority of my life. I watched numerous people die before my very eyes and worst of all, the one person to take care of me when I was a child died right in front of me and you think I don't know already!" Kuzuku shouted, ramming his fist right into his stomach. Jiren's face contorted with a mixture of pain and confusion as his adversary beat his feelings into him with another punch across the jaw.
The primal warrior gritted his teeth and uppercutted him vertically in the chin, his eyes glowing as the aura shrouding his body seemed to grow, "But, throughout my life, I've come to meet people along the way that I have come to place my trust in. That I can rely on when things are tough. Those connections are what brought me to where I am today and those memories are what drive me forward. In order to protect what I've acquired, I'll have to fight with everything I've got, even if I become broken in the process because of the trust placed upon me by others and not just by myself. I can face defeat at times, but I can't just admit it without much of a fight!".
He kicked Jiren hard across the face, the pain spreading through his body like they were electrified volts that tore his muscles one by one. He knew he had to finish this soon. Without wasting any more time, he palmed punched Jiren hard in his chest and sent a pulsating shockwave that sent him flying. The Saiyan planted his feet into the ground, his golden Ki flaring around the orange aura shrouding his body before rushing towards the crimson warrior. Jiren saw him coming, tossing his hand in front of him while unleashing a desperate barrage of energy blast. However, Kuzuku's speed was tremendous as he maneuvered around the waves so fast that they practically all missed their target completely with each one exploding behind him. Before he could he give his reaction, Kuzuku slammed his fist into his face and sent him flying further before continuing his pursuit. The proud warrior clawed his fingers into the ground, shredding it with just his nails until he came to a stop. By the time he looked up, he was met with another punch across the face while another one slammed into his gut, only to be sent flying once more with a roundhouse knee to the side of his head. The Saiyan didn't show signs of letting up, his speed proving it's worth when he dashed behind Jiren just so he can sock him in his jaw which made him come to a pause once more. Now came the flat out pummeling as Kuzuku unleashed a barrage of punches on all angles of Jiren's face, each blow leaving him more dazed than before. He then kicked Jiren into the air and rushed at him with a fist cloaked in gold. The blazing warrior groaned for a while, coming back to his senses as soon as he spotted him rushing at him. Jiren flipped himself onto one of the platforms and got ready to punch him back towards the ground. At the moment Kuzuku got close, he hurled his fist with shattering speeds, only to have it stopped before it could even hit his target. His eyes widened in surprise as the Saiyan's grip on his hand tightened. Kuzuku growled, "There's nothing you can do now!".
With a mighty roar, Kuzuku slammed his fist into Jiren's stomach, the force cracking the platform the two were standing on with gold energy spewing out of his, "DRAGON FIST, EXPLOSION!".
By his command, the platformed burst into nothing but dust as Kuzuku's body was enveloped into a golden dragon that dragged Jiren through the sky. The proud warrior screamed in pain while the dragon turned it's course for the ground. With bone shattering force, Jiren was slammed into the ground with a rounded-yellow pillar of Ki spewing out of the ground. Everyone was mesmerized by the sight as Kuzuku leapt out of the explosion and got a good distance away. The light dispersed completely, the smoke clearly immediately to unravel a battered Jiren staring towards the sky. The ground beneath him was scorched and the cracks seemed to have lava leaking into it. Universe 11 watched with disbelief as they never saw Jiren like quite like this before. After a small moment, Jiren weakly lowered his head to at least glare at the Saiyan.
"It seems that this fight is over, Kuzuku's got him right where he wants him," Whis noted.
Beerus stood up from his seat since he didn't want him to make the same mistake, "Now's the time, kid! Finish Jiren off before you lose the chance!". Kuzuku knew what had to be done as throughout that entire barrage, he could feel his muscles become torn with each blow. His eyes were closed, concentrating on the remaining power he had left. Once they reopened, they revealed a yellow glow while his face darkened.
"I know, it's time to finish this...," Kuzuku muttered. His golden Ki flared with the orange flames that shrouded his body growing more intense along with it to the point where several rings of his Ki started to surround him with greenish-blue electricity. The Saiyan's hands twitched, emitting a blue aura around them with light-blue electricity. Slowly, he brought his hands together in a spiral motion and dragged them to his waste, the trails of Ki representing as a guide to how he moved. He focused his eyes on his target, the shining-blue orb forming in his hands while it spew out the lightning from before, "True...! Roaring...!".
The ball of energy started to grow larger and more erratic as it grew in power. Jiren tried to move but he was frozen in place, the damage from the Dragon Fist clearly taking it's toll while the pressure Kuzuku emitted was enough to make things harder.
"Kaaaaaa...meeeee...," Kuzuku chanted the closer his attack draw towards completion. Jiren started to stumble backwards, panicking for the first time in a while. His Saiyan adversary's glare was petrifying and reminded him of all the images he's experienced in the past. All the while the beam continued to grow in strength tremendously, so much that it started to emit rays of Ki that sliced the rubble around him, "HAAAAAAAAA...MEEEEEEEEE...!".
At this point, everyone's eyes were glued onto the outcome of his attack, anxious to see how much power is being put into things. Vegeta balled his hands into a fist in order to keep his patients in check, though, it would prove to be short live when he felt Kuzuku's current suddenly stop growing: signaling that it was ready.
"HERE IT COMES, THE FINAL BLOW!" Vegeta shouted. Kuzuku's eyes widened, his attack now fully charged and ready to end things here.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Kuzuku roared, unleashing a ginormous, light-blue energy wave with greenish-lightning laced around it. It was jagged at first until it straightened into one clean, piercing wave that made its way towards Jiren. The power was so great that the energy pulsing from Kuzuku's hands came out as an endless torrent as it pushed out more energy: even generating some purple electricity in the process. The gray warrior looked in horror at the size and speed that the wave was traveling. All he could do was simply hold both his hands to generate a barrier around himself in hopes to stop it. But, it was futile as the wave seemed to break down his defenses with just a single touch and started push his body back. His loud screams filled the air from the feeling of having his body getting crushed and burned at the same time. In due time, his body became completely submerged in the wave. It then extended past the rubble, obliterating them without so much as touch while it extended off the stage and into the void. The shockwaves generated shook the entire space as it shrank into but a thin line, eventually fading into nothing but particles filling the air.
As the last bit of shockwaves settled down, Kuzuku let his arms fall to his side as his body threatening to fall over. The smoke in front of him made things unclear for him to see and his tired eyes weren't making it any easier for him. Suddenly, he felt various cramps and tears throughout his body that caused him to fall over face first. His body glowed as he immediately reverted back to base. Everyone was silent, seeing how Kuzuku was now out of commission. Whis cupped his chin while the others waited, "That last attack took everything he could muster. Kuzuku-san must of been trying to finish things quickly before the form itself took everything out of him.".
The smoke slowly unraveled, revealing a completely battered Jiren who was pretty much half-way towards the edge of the stage, which was a shocker for everyone since they thought that attack would of done it. Though, it wasn't too much to worry about considering how he was barely moving and his limit-breaking aura had faded. Kuzuku chuckled weakly as he peeked through one eye, "Heheh, this guy's willpower is astounding. Honestly...". Eventually, Jiren snapped out of his distraught trance and growled.
"Aragh...don't think this is the end, Kuzuku Ayoma! I can still knock you both off with the little strength I have left...!" Jiren exclaimed, taking one step forward until he felt something grab him from behind. He nearly felt one of his veins pop as his head snapped down towards whoever dared to grab him from behind and was met with a smug smirk.
"Miss me? I know, I gotta be the worse suicide bomber ever...," 17 said, catching not only Jiren but everyone else completely off guard. The android wrapped a green barrier around them both before detonating a power explosion that shattered it immediately, blowing them both quite a good distance away. 17 tumbled against the ground and rolled onto his stomach as he watched the smoke clear. Jiren stood with a less threatening glare than before, his body falling to his knees after such an attack. The mere sight of him being weakened by this much left universe 11 in just utter shock, their eyes shaking with denial.
"Jiren is..." Vermoud muttered, his voice shaky.
17 tried to stand so he could finish the job, but his legs wouldn't move at the moment. At this point it didn't matter since Jiren couldn't muster the strength to continue to eliminate the remaining warriors in the little time they had left while dealing with any form of resistance. It was pretty much certain victory four universe 7 as they simply just had to wait for the timer to run out. Though, their luck was proven to be even more impeccable as the sound of laughter came from behind one of the rocks, "Ohohohoh, what a sight to see. The mighty Jiren the Grey is on his knees in defeat? Honestly, I have to give it up to you monkeys for taking care of him for me.". Every soul present turned to see who it was and was met with the sight of the evil emperor himself, Frieza.
"Grragh...now he wants to come out of hiding, huh? I guess getting throttled by Toppo really did him in for a while...," Kuzuku groaned while Goku just laid on the rock above him with a smirk on his face. On the bright side of things, they would be able to go home earlier than they expected. The emperor walked casually towards the defeated, proud warrior: immediately transforming into his Golden Form so he can guarantee the kill. After a few more steps, Frieza stood over the pathetic sight that Jiren was showing and raised his finger towards him.
Frieza smirk as the red energy ball formed from his fingertip, "How sad that your resolve and pride has been shattered so much that you reverted to a sorry state of being the weakling you once were. It's a shame, honestly.".
Jiren didn't say a word as the glow grew brighter. He was tired and broken at this point. His resolve on continuing further becoming meaningless as he could barely move his body. It was easier for him to just sit there and wait for defeat to take him. I mean, it was okay, right? If he loses here now then all it would mean was that he was just simply weak. That thought was comforting at first until the thought of his team, the pride troopers, being erased came to his mind, "Tch...just what the hell? It's over now, there is no need to carry such useless thoughts right now...".
Jiren closed his eyes and simply waited for defeat until a familiar voice called out to him, "What are you doing, Jiren?!". He reopened his eyes and looked towards the owner of the voice, noticing that it was Toppo, the very same person who he called pathetic earlier. His eyes were strange to him, as if he had some sort of hope in them.
"Don't tell me you are going to kneel before an enemy even though you can still fight?! Is that really how you're going to go out?!" Toppo asked, his tone both serious and encouraging.
The proud warrior wasn't moved by his words just yet, though he did feel something. However, he was still bent on giving up and didn't bat him an eye, "Enough...it's over Toppo. I've lost...". Barabatos gritted his teeth and stood from his seat as well.
"What are you talking about, Jiren?! Get up, I know you still have some fight left in you because you are the person I admire the most!" Barabatos shouted with Dyspo nodding in agreement. Eventually, all of universe 11 were cheering him on to stand one more time, even if he didn't want to.
Frieza chuckled darkly at the little act of compassion in a time of imminent doom, "Your friends are quite obnoxious, don't you think?".
"I don't have any friends...I have no trusts...," Jiren muttered.
Toppo wasn't having it anymore and put everything he had to say in one breath, "If that's the case, then what have you been building your strength while trusting no one for?! If you lose now, then everything will be for nothing! Fight for your pride, Jiren! Even if you don't believe in us. If you deem us unworthy of your trust, then so be it. But, just know that we all believe in your strength. Until the very end...you are strong...stronger than anyone!". Jiren's eyes were shadowed, though the slight twitch of his hands balling into a fist said it all. On the other hand, Frieza felt like he wanted to puke.
"Honestly, can I just live without a moment of such petty talk when I am about to finish someone off for one second," The galactic emperor complained.
"Shut up...," Jiren muttered, his tone now laced with ominous that startled the remaining fighters. His body became shrouded in his blazing aura once more as he stood up slowly. The sudden return of energy shocked both Goku and Kuzuku while Frieza back away as soon Jiren stood over him, "You should be the last person talking, you impudent gnat...!".
"Get out of there, Frieza!" 17 shouted. With a powerful swing of his arm, he unleashed a powerful tidal wave of blazing Ki right when Frieza leapt away. The galactic emperor skidded back towards 17 and got behind his barrier as the wave collided. The two put in as much energy as they could in order to hold it off since if they didn't, all four of them will be eliminated. 17 groaned as he was trying to hold it off, "No matter what, increase your energy!"
"Don't tell me what to do, android!" Frieza shouted, his feet scraping the ground.
Beerus started to panic, shouting at them with desperation, "Hold on you two! If you guys slip then it's all over for us!". Hearing this motivated them to push harder, reaching their maximum output in an attempts to hold off the blast. Meanwhile, Kuzuku and Goku struggled to get up, both Saiyan pushing themselves to at least move. They screamed in unison, the muscles that were already torn becoming more painful by the second. Little by little, the barrier started to crack quickly as the emperor and android were losing ground fast.
"Increase your power even more, Frieza! I'm at my limit here!" 17 shouted.
Although, what could only be described as bad timing, Frieza's golden form faded away with his power leaving him, "I thought I told you not to tell me what to do!".
Their energy was dwindling quickly as Jiren began to push harder. The blazing Ki crumbled the barrier bit by bit with each passing second. Victory was in universe 11's grasps as they knew that Jiren's out of a blue second wind was gaining ground rapidly. It was only a matter of time, "The time for you to fall is here, Universe 7!".
The explosive wave pushed harder, shredding the shield to the point it was becoming an ant in comparison. All seemed lost as they witnessed the destruction with their very own eyes until suddenly, a powerful blue barrier supported them in just a nick of time. They were dumbfounded as the gale passed by them, wondering as to what could have possibly saved them.
"Man, sorry that we left things to you two..." A voice said. They both turned, their eyes widening at the most unbelievable sight. Standing side by side with only one hand extended out, Goku and Kuzuku stood back up once more and teleported behind them with Instant Transmission. The universe 7 team watched with disbelief at how resilient they were while the two Saiyans began to join 17 and Frieza in the resistance.
17 watched as they came to a stop next to them, his eyes still not understanding what was going on, "You...You two can still move with your injuries?".
"Heh, yeah, I guess you could say that. I'm not gonna try and lie here but I feel like I'm going to keel over. Besides, you're the one to talk Mr.'I failed to blow myself up twice'," Kuzuku teased, his left eye weak while he made such a joke.
Goku chuckled, "He's not alone on that one, but we'll continue to fight with you guys.". Frieza huffed at his little claim since it was another act of trust that he didn't take much of a liking to, considering who he was working with.
"Are you sure you want to do that? I think you monkeys should stay behind," Frieza said, mocking the Saiyan in his current condition.
Goku glared at him, knowing full well that staying back is not even an option, "You gotta understand Frieza, if we don't work together now, universe 7 will be erased!". The galactic emperor stared into his eyes for a moment he sighed, knowing full well that he was right. Before he could even mutter another word, Jiren interrupted their conversation with his own smile.
"Kuzuku Ayoma...Son Goku. Yet again, you Saiyans decide to stand in my way...how admirable! RAAAAAAAGH!" Jiren roared, flaring his Ki even more. The destructive wave pushed against their barrier even harder, nearly causing the four warriors the loose their grip initially. They steeled themselves as the red light grew more intense. The universe 7 audience couldn't believe their eyes at how persistent Jiren was now.
"Where is all this energy coming from?! He's building up such a large storm of Ki in his condition!" Zugo asked.
Vegeta stared in disbelief as well, amazed at how he's gain such strength once more, "Jiren...the bastard managed to get over his issues and dig deeper into his power reserves!".
Goku chuckled, the shining star in the midst of the raging Ki shining in front of him, becoming a symbol as to how far he has to go, "Jiren really is amazin'...He's gotten this strong by himself all this time. Even all of us together might not be able to beat him...".
"Tch...so what, have you forgotten your promise to resurrect me?" Frieza muttered.
The hero of Earth stared at him with a perplexed expression, "What...?". Frieza's temper started to flare at how oblivious he was being.
"I'm asking if you still remember?! If you're so bent up on doubting yourself then use that promise as motivation!" Frieza shouted. The three heroes stared at the angered villain for a moment until Goku smirked.
"Of course I remember, Frieza. I'll keep my promise as long as you keep yours. You know that better than anyone. So in your own words, use that as motivation will ya?" Goku retorted, his smirk turning into a sly smile.
Frieza recoiled at that statement before transitioning into a smirk of his own after a deep sigh, "Hmph, good. That naive part of you is what makes me want to vomit but right now, I am grateful for it.".
"Ugh, can you two just focus on the match. Hearing this conversation between enemies is making me want to jump off the stage," Kuzuku groaned, his opinion in working alongside Frieza of all people still strong.
17 nodded with him, "Yeah, if you're going to kiss and make-up then do it after we finish this, alright?". Frieza growled at their little comments.
"Tch, we'll make up over my dead body!" Frieza shouted.
Kuzuku gave him a sly grin, "But, you're still dead so I guess that counts right?".
"You know what, take your own advice and shut up! Just focus on what's in front of us, monkey!" Frieza shouted.
The four remaining warriors of universe 7 roared together in union, unleashing a combined effort of energy to overcome the titan of universe 11. Jiren watched as his blazing aura shifted into a blue color, his large body standing on a rock while he waited for the perfect time to start. The blue wave began to crack his own barrier that his Ki put up until everything shattered into sparkling remnants of Ki that flowed passed him. On his face was one of his rare smiles that not many get to see in their lifetime, his eyes directed and focused on what was in front of him. He observed the very same warriors who gave him such a rough time, their faces filled with determination as they glared back at him with their own smiles. The proud warrior closed his eyes, huffing at the sight, this time not out of annoyance but joy and amusement. His feet shifted to the left as he was getting ready to charge while he slowly reopened his eyes half-way. In his mind, this was gonna be the final showdown and he was gladly going to give it his all in the means for universe 11's survival. Because...he had people counting on him.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Jiren roared along with the two Saiyans. In just seconds, the howling warriors all kicked off the ground and charged into each other. There was a blinding light upon impact but it faded quickly to reveal the three fighters blown away a bit. Jiren groaned for a moment until his face twisted into a wide grin while Kuzuku and Goku's eyes went blank, their nervous system going into a temporary shut down. Shortly, both Saiyans steeled themselves, their eyes returning back to normal as they hurled their left fist towards the titan's gut, only to have it counters with both of Jiren's punches. There was a slight pause, however, they immediately broke out into a flurry of punches and kicks. Kuzuku managed to slip under a kick and uppercut Jiren in the chin but it was ineffective as he recovered quick enough to back fist him across the face while also punching Goku in the gut. Noticing how the young Saiyan was dazed, he went in to slam his fist down on Goku until he felt a hard elbow strike him in the nose. He staggered backwards a bit until he sternly forced his legs to stiffen to keep himself from falling. He looked up, glaring at Frieza who was smirking at him. With a loud roar, he rushed in at the three who seemed to be on guard until they coordinately leapt out of the way. His eyes widened, seeing that 17 had both his wrists together. He quickly crossed his arms to defend, only to be blasted towards the sky far enough to where 17's voice was but a whisper to him, "Now's your chance, don't let him recover!".
Taking his advice to heart, Goku, Kuzuku, and Frieza started running towards Jiren while 17 unleashed three more energy waves traveling alongside them. As planned, the waves took the charge and hurled themselves up towards the proud warrior, each one slamming into him and pushing him even faster than before until he crashed into the timer. He groaned in pain, his eyes tracking two faint images of fighters maneuvering from rock to rock until they both punched him in both sides of his ribs. He gagged, coughing up some blood as he shut his eyes to Frieza and Goku. Jiren growled, instantly reopening his eyes to unleash a flurry of shockwaves that pummeled them all over. They let out cries of agony as they were immediately slammed into two chunks of rubble that surrounded them while Jiren rushed towards 17.
"Where do you think you're going!" Kuzuku shouted, immediately drop kicking Jiren in the air. The proud warrior stopped momentarily until he grabbed Kuzuku's leg and spun him around. Upon release, he tossed Kuzuku hard enough to rocket him onto the top of the timer: the impact exploding into a cloud of dust while he used the momentum of his swing to continue towards pursuing the android.
Desperately, 17 continued to hit him with a barrage of energy blast that did nothing to Jiren since he was practically a tank diving at him which made him start to worry, "What's with this guy...damn it!". Meanwhile, Goku and Frieza recovered in mid air and followed Jiren's path, however, the proud warrior was just simply too far ahead. They had to think of something fast or 17 was done for.
"We won't make it in time!" Goku shouted.
Frieza groaned at the idea in his head since it meant working with him, "Just toss me at him!". Goku stared at him dumbfounded until he remember an attack back on planet Namek.
"That's right, let's go Frieza!" Goku agreed, flipping himself upright. His feet skid across the side of the timer, his fists balled together so Frieza can land on them. He flexed his muscles as he began to launch Frieza with boosted force, "Here goes, it's up to you!".
With all his force, he boosted Frieza in speed and hurled him towards Jiren. The galactic emperor's Ki flared as he increased his speed even more while he dived towards him with he arms extended out. To Jiren, he remained oblivious as he attempted to stop the android into the ground but 17 managed to sidestep him barely as the ground shattered beneath them.
"Move out of the way, idiot!" Frieza warned. 17 and Jiren both stared into the sky until a purple trail of Ki slammed on top of the proud warrior while blowing 17 away. The smoke cleared, revealing Frieza hugging on tight to Jiren as they both started to dive towards the void.
Seeing how someone as evil as Frieza perform such a selfless act was shocking to literally everyone. Hell, the sight even made Krillin drop his fork, "I can't believe what I am seeing! Frieza's trying to take Jiren down with him!".
The proud warrior growled at the sight of the out of bounce area growing closer in sight, "You think you've won?!".
In an act laced with haste, Jiren shifted his body so they both can start to hurl towards the lower half of the stage, eventually crashing into the ground with enough force the blow away any rubble surrounding him. The smoke made it hard to see but it didn't stay for long as Jiren started to shake around in attempts to throw Frieza off him but he was holding on for dear life.
"Tch...where are you with your miracles, monkey?!" Frieza complained. As if it were a response to his question, Goku came rushing off the side of the timer and rocketed himself towards Jiren. He slammed his fist into his stomach with force enough to push him across the stage. Jiren groaned in pain but he steeled himself, tightening the muscles around his abdominal while planting his feet deep into the ground. Goku's eyes widened at the sight as they were slowly down drastically as Jiren smirk at him.
"Damn, he's still holding his own after all that?! Goku's current power isn't enough to knock him off!" Zugo complained.
They all watched as they started to nearly come to a stop, however, something caught everyone's eye. They turned their attention to the cloud of smoke as a small flicker of golden Ki spark amidst the cloud. Suddenly, something shrouded in golden Ki came shooting out of the smoke, unraveling itself to be Kuzuku yet he was still in base form, "JIIIREEEEEEN!".
The proud warrior's eyes widened at Kuzuku's fist impacted into his stomach as well and began to push along side with Goku. The trail of smoke grew larger, immediately dispersing as two golden flares of Ki replaced it. The Saiyan warriors screamed in union, both pushing their broken bodies to their utmost limit. Their hairs flickered from yellow to black along with their bodies tearing in almost every area while the soles on their shoes created friction with the ground. 17 hung from the ledge of the rock, "You're almost there, don't let up!"
"KUZUKU! GOKU!" Beerus shouted, standing from his seat.
Everyone from universe 7 stood up from their seats to cheer, "FINISH IT!".
Kuzuku and Goku managed to push Jiren off the ledge as Jiren stared into their eyes, finally coming to an understanding, "So this is... the power of universe 7's trust...?".
The Saiyans growled before roaring in union, their Ki's flaring as they transformed into a Super Saiyan one last time. In an instant, their Ki took a form of a bird before exploding into a large pillar of Ki that expanded across the edge of the stage: obliterating anything in its path. The light towered the stage until it faded into falling white particles of Ki that glittered around everyone while 17 hoisted himself back up on the main stage.
There was an anxious wait in silence as to what the results may be until the four fighters teleported back to the stands with their respective teams. Vermoud stared in shock and worry, rushing over to him along with everyone on universe 11, "Jiren!".
While they waited for Jiren to wake up, Kuzuku slowly lifted himself to lean on the side of the seats since the position he was in was just uncomfortable.
"Ugh, I've never felt so sore in my entire life...," Kuzuku complained.
Goku was helped up by his son, his body feeling a similar pain as well but he smirked anyways, "No kidding, but we managed to pull things off...right Frieza?".
"Hmph, I know that look. Don't start thanking me now. I'll be satisfied as long as you keep your promise and besides, I like to sleep peacefully tonight without your words of appreciation in my head. Unless, you want me to become more motivated to killing you?" Frieza threatened.
Whis smiled pointing his staff at the frost demon, "I don't think he needs to do anything, Frieza-sama.". With that said, his body began to glow before it faded back to normal. He looked at his hands, wondering what he had done until he noticed that his halo was gone. Whis chuckled at his shocked expression.
"Consider that a gift from Lord Beerus-sama for all your hard work," Whis explained.
Goku didn't say a word, only chuckling as thanked Whis for doing the job for him. At least he gets to save a whole day of searching for the dragon balls. He turned his attention on the universe 11 team. They were huddled around the proud warrior who was resting in the large hands of Toppo. He shifted a bit, his eyes weakly opening as his vision returned to see everyone huddled around them with small, yet saddened smiles on their faces. The Grand Priest smirked at the outcome, "Jiren of Universe 11 has been eliminated, thus, Universe 11 shall be erased.".
Their bodies started to glow as they were about to disappear from this world. Toppo sighed, and smiled warmly at Jiren who seemed dazed, "Thank you...Jiren. We're all proud that you did your best.". Jiren looked up at Toppo and then took a glance at everyone else once more. His eyes narrowed with a rare sadness to them.
"Why? I treated you all with contempt during this tournament. I called both you and Barabatos pathetic so...why?" Jiren asked, his guilt coming to surface for everyone to see.
Goku smirked, using the ledge to lift himself up and walk over to Jiren and weakly called out to him, "Jiren!". He turned his eyes towards the battered Saiyan, wondering what he wanted with him.
"I think you still fully don't understand now, don't ya? But, it's something new to you because of your solitude for so long. I think you'll grow to understand one day," Goku said, a smirk forming while the light shined upon him. The particles of Ki flickered around them and faded away to nothing, painting the scene to be more beautiful than it was, "I know we just got done fighting but, I still haven't had enough yet. I know you'll probably dislike the idea for now, but I think we've both gotten stronger during our battle, don't you think. Every single one of us did...". Goku paused as Jiren's final moments were approaching. He said most of what he wanted to say but he still had one thing left. He smiled brightly at him, the words flowing through his mind clearly.
"I wish to see you again someday! And I am not the only one but everyone else wishes that to," Goku admitted. Jiren's eyes widened, understanding what he meant by that. He watched universe 7 all smile at him which only backed up his claim. The proud warrior relaxed into a smile before him and his team vanished from the stands in a blink of an eye, the light fading as everything returned back to the previous scheme. Goku looked out onto the stage as the wind blew against his hair.
"He was quite impressive..." Vegeta commented, standing next to his rival.
Goku chuckled lightly, "Yeah...! I really do hope we see him soon...".
17 stared at the scene from afar until his attention was foiled by the Grand Priest who came down to great him, "No.17, have you decided on a wish as the victor of our grand tournament?".
The android turned towards the powerful entity and stared for a moment until he was surprised by what was rising behind him. Everyone stared along with him in disbelief, the glowing, enormous orbs towering the stage with their might. The Grand Priest floated into the air and started chanting the language of the gods to summon the dragon from the Super Dragon Balls. With tremendous power, the dragon shot out of the balls with immense golden energy before taking form and towering the stage.
"Now go on and make your wish," Grand Priest offered.
17 stared at him as the particles flowed with his hair and smirked, "Actually, I don't think my wish is required for this dragon. I'll allow someone else from my team to do it for me.". They all stared at him with confusion.
"What?! What are you talking about, 17?! You won so it's your wish!" Goku said, wondering what has gotten through his head.
17 laughed a little, "I know, but it doesn't feel all that earned. Besides, I can get that cruise ship with the use of the dragon balls on Earth. Don't you think that it'd be a waste of a wish? If I am going to wish for something then I rather ask someone else what they would wish for, you know, as a team collaboration.".
Goku stared at him before backing away from the ledge. He scratched his head since everything that the android said was true. They could just wish for a cruise ship that 17 can use for his family. Heck, Bulma could literally buy him a cruise if she wanted to. The whole giving his wish to someone else was just merely an act of humbleness which he couldn't argue with.
"Man, but I don't know what to wish for either. I just wanted to fight all the strong guys," Goku muttered. He was in deep thought until Kuzuku said something out of the blue.
"If that's the case, then I have one in mind that will benefit everyone," Kuzuku insisted. They all stared at him while Gohan helped him off the ground and walked him to the ledge.
Goku stared at him for a moment before smiling, having a guess as to what he wanted to wish for. He patted the young Saiyan's shoulder while giving a smirk, "Alright, I think I know what you have in mind but are you sure? I mean, you could revive your dead family or something.".
Kuzuku nodded, giving him his answer, "I'm sure, it's better this way.".
"If you have your wish made up then speak it out so everyone can hear, Kuzuku Ayoma," Grand Priest suggested.
Everyone stared at the Saiyan as he waited for his answer. His hair flowed in the wind alongside his companions as he collected the words in his mind. Taking a deep breath, he smiled widely, "If possible, I wish for all the universes and its inhabitants to be brought back with the power of the Super Dragon Balls!".
The vast majority of them stared at him in disbelief, wondering if he hit his head harder than they thought. The two Omni-Kings came down from their throne with a quizzical look and stared at the wish-maker.
"Are you sure?" Zeno asked, his innocents coming to no surprise.
Kuzuku chuckled a little and nodded, "Of course I am. Think about it, there are so many people, so many unknowns throughout the universe that even the gods are unaware of. There could be fighters out there that are even stronger than Jiren, plus what's to say that everyone else can't improve overtime? They can become even more amazing, right?!". His enthusiasm made the two giggle at his reasoning.
"Very well, then the wish that shall be granted will be the revival of the erased universes!" Grand Priest announced. Super Shenron's eyes glowed, commencing at the beginning of the universal revivals. His body shined before bursting out into a golden glare of light that shone upon the stage. One by one, the warriors that had fallen started to materialize back into existence, confused as to what had happened. They looked at each other, some dumbfounded while some were happy. The light faded, leaving a peaceful breeze that was rather soothing.
The Grand Priest cleared his throat and decided to be the one to explain what happened, "If I may have everyone's attention, the winner of the first ever Tournament of Power is team Universe 7! Out of an act of kindness, they wished that you all would be revived!".
Everyone stared at the team as 17 joined them, each one of them smile together as if they were one big family...well except Frieza and Vegeta of course. Jiren watched the sight of the team that defeated him, a small smile on his face as it was quite a sight to see. He felt someone grab his shoulder and turned to see Toppo and Barabatos smirking at him. No words passed between them, only leaving Jiren to smile as he looked up towards the dragon flying away above. Everything was silent until the Omni-Kings gathered in front of Kuzuku and Goku. Zeno looked leaned closer innocently, "Will you come back someday?".
"Yeah, I want to see you all again!" F- Zeno added.
Both Goku and Kuzuku looked at each other, blinking before giving them a toothy grin. Goku extended his fist out in a fist bump along with Kuzuku, "Sure thing, I'm sure our paths will cross again!".
"Yeah, if we ever hold another tournament, I just ask that we don't add the whole universe erasing thing!" Kuzuku chuckled in the midst of his sentence. The two Omni-Kings looked at each other as well before returning the gesture, bumping their fists with the Saiyans that grinned at them.
"Alright!" They shouted in union.
With that said, everyone started to glow as they huddled around their respective angles. It was a long and tiring fight for survival but it all worked out in the end. They all had their fair share of experiences. Some learning new things. Some becoming stronger than before. And some simply had a good time. No one could disagree that they didn't walk out of this survival tournament stronger than before. Kuzuku smiled at 21 as they stood side by side together before turning towards Jiren, "Hey, Jiren!". The proud warrior turned his attention at him as well, curious as to what he had to say.
"I hope to see you again someday as well to hang out sometime! Even if it's just a little! But, until then, I'll be waiting!" Kuzuku shouted. The last thing Jiren saw was his friendly grin before they were all transported back to their homes to get a good night's rest from the hardships they had to endure.
A/N: Finally...atlas the Tournament of Power Arc is complete. 20+ chapters and it is finally done. The only reason for that is because I didn't want to rush things along and deal with all the important fights without neglecting them in terms of impact on the story. Don't worry, this isn't the end. There are more adventures to come and new foes to face. Speaking of the power scale, I will probably post a guide chapter based on the probably daunting questions that may have occurred during the Tournament of Power Arc but with that said, I hope you guys enjoyed this arc with it's ups and downs along with twists and turns! Until then!