Qaru stared at his two opponents with disdain.
"One, two or one thousand...it makes no difference how many warriors you send against me!" Qaru said, then flew forward, intent on slamming both his opponents with his hard, rocky arms.
"Just alittle closer.." Pikkon said with a slight smile.
Bardock looked at his new ally.
"What is he planning?" Bardock thought.
"Hyper Tornado!" Pikkon yelled as he spun around, summoning an unbelievably large tornado in seconds from the speed in which his body spun.
The tornado collided with Qaru, who was flying forward much too fast to stop. Qaru screamed as he was caught in the tornado, his body torn asunder by the strong winds.
Pikkon slowed down and came to a stop, then stood with his eyes watching the horizon. Bardock flew alongside the green-skinned alien, his emerald eyes gazing upon his unlikely ally.
"How long have you been here?" Bardock asked the green-skinned alien.
"A mere five minutes. The Wizard that brought me here had some knowledge of demon world." Pikkon said.
Bardock crossed his arms and frowned.
The peaceful azure sky of the world as well as the ivory towers did not match the situation at hand. The two were locked in mortal combat with one of the kings of the demon world, the violence of which was a sharp contrast to the peaceful surroundings Bardock and Pikkon found themselves in.
"Wizard? You don't mean Babidi?" Bardock asked with a feeling of dread.
"No..Bibidi. The situation what it is, he agreed to help." Pikkon said
Pikkon remembered back to mere hours ago. He stood atop the check-in station in Otherworld alongside the namekian warrior Piccolo. Below them was the yellow clouds which seperated snake way from the two was the light green skinned, orange haired galactic warrior "Bojack", as well as the short lime green wizard Bibidi, who was perched on the former's shoulder.
"There must be a way to restore the universe to its proper state." Piccolo said, one hand on his chin.
"There is only one way. You must find and destroy the being responsible before too much time has past." Bibidi said
"I'll go." Pikkon said.
"I'm more qualified to handle this sort of thing Pikkon. Let me go." Piccolo said as he placed his arms at his sides.
"I don't think that would be wise. Remember Piccolo that the black star dragonballs are within you. Until they have recharged you won't be able to use your full power." Pikkon said.
"Your one to talk." Piccolo responded with a half smile.
"Yes, I admit I'm weaker than you are. But that is the point. Whatever is happening, Goku and the others will need you at your best. Let me do this." Pikkon said, his red eyes staring intently into Piccolo's own.
"I can help. With a reversed Maijin curse spell I can bring out some of the latent power inside you." Bibidi said.
"And why would you help me?" Pikkon asked, narrowing his eyes at the small wizard.
"Because if I don't there will be nothing left to conquer. It is just as important to me that the universe be saved as it is to you." Bibidi yelled in frustration.
"Fine I believe you. But if you cast a spell that puts me under your control or turns me evil Piccolo won't hesitate to make you pay, right Piccolo?" Pikkon asked with a slight smile.
Piccolo calmly nodded, then cracked his neck to the side, an act which caused Bibidi to flinch.
After that Bididi had transported Pikkon to demon world, as deep as his magic allowed him to go.
Pikkon was snapped back to reality when suddenly the sound of yet another tower rising in the distance could be heard. Qaru had created yet another body for himself.
"He used a reversed Maijin Curse to bring out my hidden power to the surface." Pikkon said as he got into another combat pose, his body perfectly guarded from all sides.
Qaru hovered near the two heroes, an arrogant smirk on his rocky face. The platinum vest and arm bands covering his chest and wrists glimmered in the light.
"You could destroy me a million times and I'd still be able to form a new body. You have lost mortals." Qaru said as orange lightning formed around his form.
"Bardock, I'll take the fight over from here, I need you to do something else for me." Pikkon said.
"Nothing you do will help." Qaru said as he prepared to fire his attack.
"Try and sense for an area where there is a greater concentration of his power." Pikkon said via telepathy.
"You think if I find something like that it will help us defeat him?" Bardock spoke via telepathy
"Yes. He may be getting power from the world, but his core, his soul, would be seperate from the world. If you can find that..we have a chance." Pikkon responded
Bardock suddenly flew off and away from Qaru, swiftly dodging a stray boulder Qaru tossed in his direction.
"I did not think Saiyans were cowards..but apparently I was wrong." Qaru said with a slight smile.
"Your fight is with me now monster. THUNDER FLASH!" Pikkon yelled as he fired another high-speed fireball in Qaru's direction.
The fireball tore threw Qaru's white stone body with ease, leaving only ashes behind. In mere seconds though, another tower of white marble rose into the sky, transforming into yet another body for Qaru.
Qaru flew in front of Pikkon, his orange gemstone eyes staring at Pikkon with disapproval and disdain.
"You are beginning to annoy me." Qaru said, then fired two orange beams of energy at Pikkon from his eyes. Pikkon used his great speed and was able to swiftly dodge Qaru's attack by flying upwards into the sky.
The white tower he was standing on wasn't so lucky, and was swiftly destroyed by the power of Qaru's eyes.
Pikkon floated over the city.
"Unless I fight at maximum power I don't think I will be able to last much longer. Time to stop holding back." Pikkon thought as he reached up to his hat and swiftly pulled it off, tossing the hundred-ton object down towards the ground like a falling meteor. In seconds, Pikkon grabbed his coat and tossed that to the ground as well.
Now Pikkon was unencumbered by his weighted clothing. His bald green head and slender figure were revealed for the first time since he had fought in that tournament years ago.
Pikkon immediately rushed at Qaru at hypersonic speeds. In moments the two were exchanging blows. Hundreds of punches, blocks and kicks were exchanged at such speeds that the human eye would find it impossible to keep up with.
For a moment the two combatants paused in their mutual assault.
"You are a strong warrior. But in serving the cause of good you waste your true potential." Qaru said with an arrogant smirk.
"Evil does not make one strong." Pikkon responded
"Power exists to make all of one's dreams and desires a reality." Qaru said as he got into another fighting stance.
"If you think that..you will lose this battle. Only fighting for yourself does not make you strong..it makes you weak." Pikkon said as he also got into a fighting stance.
"Then this battle will prove which of us is right." Qaru said seconds before flying at Pikkon.
Meanwhile Bardock flew over another area of the city.
He sensed Qaru fighting Pikkon in the distance. But it wasn't the Qaru that was fighting that he was looking for.
Bardock closed his green eyes and blocked out everything except for the spiritual. It was then that he sensed what Pikkon was talking about.
At a point somewhere below the surface of the world was a great concentration of power. It matched Qaru's power..but it was many times stronger and more..potent. It could only be the core of Qaru's being, his soul.
Bardock gathered all the strength he could in his Super Saiyan Four form, and flew downwards like a red, black and green meteor towards where he sensed the concentrated power. As he got deeper and deeper underground waves of orange energy bombarded Bardock. The closer he felt he was to the concentration of power, the more difficult it was to continue his journey downwards.
Just when the resistance to Bardock's continued descent seemed impossible to overcome Bardock finally broke threw, finding himself in a vast cavern. In the distance was a throne, on which a skeleton in torn violet robes sat silently. Bardock felt that if there was a core to Qaru's being, then the remains on the throne were it.
In the distance..
Pikkon slammed two flame-covered fists into Qaru's rocky chest. The ninth king laughed at Pikkon's attempts at harming him.
"Even if you destroy this body another will take its place. Just as has happened the last ten times you and your friend Bardock have tried to destroy me." Qaru said.
"Really? I guess I need to try harder than." Pikkon said as he flew backwards, landing on a still standing tower.
Pikkon rarely used the full-power thunderflash, because of the time it took to set up the attack, but it was hundreds of times more potent than the quicker version he had developed after that tournament. In a fight like this, he could not afford to hold anything back.
Pikkon moved his hands to the left and then to the right, before finally bring his fists together in the center.
"Thunder Flash..Attack!" Pikkon yelled, firing a gigantic fireball at Qaru, who was reduced to ashes yet again.
Nearby Bardock sensed Qaru's energy near Pikkon dissappear. He then sensed the greater concentration beneath the world begin to churn. A smaller portion of that energy was separating as Qaru prepared to create another body out of yet another ivory tower.
"So this is Qaru's real body and source of power." Bardock thought as he stared at the skeleton on the throne.
"Its time to see if Pikkon was right." Bardock thought out loud.
Bardock formed two balls of red energy in both hands, then combined them as he smashed his hands together.
"Chaos Avenger!" Bardock yelled as he tossed his deadly red energy attack at the skeleton on the throne.
There was an enormous explosion. The sky changed from a peaceful dark blue to a dull reddish-orange in an instant.
Pikkon saw another body forming from yet another white marble tower nearby, but when he felt the enormious energy from Bardock's attack, the tower simply crumbled.
Bardock quickly flew upwards, out of the cavern he had created and over the city. Seconds after he was above the city, he immediately felt all the power in the world concentrating on the area he had used his attack on. Moments later Bardock felt something emerging from under the ground.
A figure could be seen floating out of the crater left behind by Bardock's attack. This being's energy felt like Qaru's, but it was more focused, much more evil..and much more powerful.
The figure flew quickly to Bardock's position.
As the figure got closer, Bardock could see his opponent clearly for the first time.
The figure wore tattered purple and blue robes. He lacked flesh of any kind, resembling a skeleton with glowing red eyes. The figure wore a golden bracelet on both arms. An aura of violet darkness that resembled a cloud surrounded the undead creature.
"So your the true Qaru." Bardock said, making sure his guard was up.
"So you managed to figure out my secret. It will not help you. My true form is far stronger than what you have been fighting so far. In this body I possess ultimate dominion over the element of earth. I am one of the strongest fighters in demon world..or any other world for that matter." Qaru said as his skeletal gaze fell on Bardock.
Bardock could not help but feel uncomfortable. He had seen many horrors over the coarse of his life and afterlife..but the idea of fighting a walking corpse still bothered him.
Pikkon flew into the area, floating alongside Bardock.
"Think we can beat this guy?" Pikkon asked.
"I don't know?" Bardock said without any trace of emotion on his face.
"Enough with this foolishness. Time to show you why I was made the ninth king." Qaru said, pointing two skeletal hands at Bardock and Pikkon.
Before the two fighters could even think about dodging, Qaru fired violet, crackling bolts of electrical energy directly at them.
Both Bardock and Pikkon spasmed as the energy moved threw their bodies, forcing them to the ground below.
Qaru flew vertically downwards, landing a short distance away from Bardock, who was on the ground stomach-first.
"You should have joined me when you had the chance Saiyan. A bit of information before I destroy you. Anyone who dies in demon world does not make the journey to Otherworld at death. A soul slain here makes its way to the deepest, darkest pit in demon world." Qaru said as his foul form drew closer.
"You don't scare me. Riot Javelin!" Bardock yelled as he suddenly flipped back onto his feet, throwing his signature attack.
Qaru placed both his bony arms in front of his face, managing to block the attack.
Bardock flew forward with a yell, intent on giving his opponent everything he had. Qaru quickly reached out his right hand and grabbed Bardock by his red tail.
"The Fourth form of Super Saiyan is a very powerful thing. But it has one weakness doesn't it?" Qaru said, his face an eternal grin.
With one motion Qaru ripped out Bardock's tail. Bardock cried out in agony as part of his body was torn from him.
Bardock landed on the ground, feeling his strength leave him. In moments he was in his normal form, the form and power of the Super Saiyan Four gone from him.
Bardock breathed heavily from the pain and weakness. He felt sick.
Qaru discarded Bardock's now brown tail onto the street, then pointed his right hand at him.
"And like that this fight is over." Qaru said as he prepared to fire energy from his right hand.
Pikkon slammed his left leg into Qaru's exposed spine. With that Qaru's skeletal form came apart, reducing the nineth king to a pile of bones in seconds.
"Thanks for the save." Bardock said weakly.
Bardock fought to stand. Placing his left hand on the nearby tower, Bardock breathed heavily.
"Are you ok?" Pikkon asked.
"I've..been better." Bardock said weekly.
Suddenly Bardock fell to the ground and spasmed.
Before Pikkon could yell out in concern Bardock began laughing.
Bardock quickly stood, but there was something wrong about him.
"I better get you to the others." Pikkon said with concern.
"Yes..you do that." Bardock said weakly
Pikkon lifted Bardock over his left shoulder, then took to the air, his destination the other Z-Fighters.
Goku, Vegeta, and Goten were watching the skies as Pikkon appeared on the horizon as a tiny dot to their senses. Pikkon slowly grew as his form came into focus.
"Pikkon..what is wrong with my father?" Goku asked with concern as Pikkon placed Bardock on the ground.
"His tail was ripped from his back." Pikkon said flatly.
Vegeta's left eyebrow was raised.
"That is extremely painful for a Saiyan, but that alone would not cause a fever or heavy breathing." Vegeta said with his muscular arms crossed over his black clothed chest.
"I don't know..maybe Qaru did something to me before Pikkon destroyed him." Bardock said weakly.
Just as Bardock said "destroy" a door appeared in front of the group.
The door was much taller than the previous demon doors, at least thirty feet in height. Ordaining the surface of the door was a huge white cow skull. The rest of the door was composed of what appeared to be human bones.
"This is it..death's door." Kohryu said. The golden-winged dragon-kai sounded worried. His face, chiseled with the weight of years with his eyes holding great wisdom, saw not victory or progress with the appearence of the door..but inevitability.
Ultimo Shenron walked over and stood beside Kohryu, with Trunks following shortly afterwards.
"I can't believe we are finally there." Trunks said. After all the time since the grand tour, Trunks still wore the same outfit he did then. The black shirt, blue scarf and light brown khaki shorts just as much his signature as Vegeta's various combat outfits.
"So this is the final door huh?" Pikkon said, his red eyes narrowing at the evil he sensed from the door itself.
Goku helped his father as the group opened and then stepped threw the door, leaving the ninth demon world behind.
"We are so close to ending all this...why do I have a horrible feeling something bad is about to happen?" Goku thought as darkness rushed towards them.
In moments the Z-Fighters found themselves in a very different place from where they had came from.
Surrounding them was a dark blue, arid rocky plane that stretched onward into the horizon. There was no clouds, no stars, no sun, nor a moon in the sky, merely never ending darkness.
"Here dad let me help you with grandfather." Goten said with compassion in his voice as he lifted Bardock off Goku's back and placed him on his own. Goten's white outfit, stained as it was, was still a great contrast to the world they found themselves in.
Goku's eyes wandered to a faint blue glow in the distance. The light in the darkness seemed to beckon him forward, calling him.
Goku slowly walked towards the light.
"Dad where are you going?" Goten asked
Kohryu placed his right hand on Goten's right shoulder to keep him from following his father.
"He will find only emptiness in that direction. You must not follow." Kohryu said as the eyes of the other five Z-Fighters turned towards him.
Slowly at first, Goku walked towards the light. Eventually Goku could see that the lights where in fact people.
Ghostly figures slowly walked towards the horizon. Men, women, even children composed the ranks of the damned, all slowly walking towards some unknown destination.
A horrible feeling gripped Goku's heart. Despite this, he continued onwards.
Hundreds upon hundreds of ghostly strangers walked silently forward. As Goku's eyes wandered he spotted a spirit he knew..the sprit of his son.
Gohan walked onwards in the form of a ghostly blue sprit. Wearing a spectral version of the orange uniform he had in life, Gohan walked as one of the damned. His face looked sunken, his eyes hollow. Behind him was another spirit Goku knew. The Spirit was Uub. Uub, who was once full of cheer and eagerness to learn from his teacher, now a look of utter emptiness in his eyes. His face looked sunken, almost emaciated.
Emotion filled Goku as he ran to keep up with his son.
"Gohan! It's your father! Please answer!" Goku yelled as the horrible feeling he had grew yet stronger.
Gohan slowly looked towards Goku, recognition filled his otherwise hollow eyes.
"Dad? I remember..I remember helping Goten...then dying..then I appeared here. Whatever I did seemed so important..but I can't remember why. Nothing seems to matter anymore." Gohan said with a spectral sounding voice, his normal pitch and tone accompanied by an echo.
"Gohan I'm here, I'll take you and Uub home and then defeat Azrael..you don't have to suffer anymore!" Goku said with increasing concern.
Gohan looked with recognition upon Goku as he heard his words again.
"Dad?" Gohan asked.
"Gohan I won't allow this world to take you! I won't!" Goku yelled, then placed a hand on his son's spectral shoulder.
"It is too late for me...when this is all over..take care of Videl and Pan for me..tell my son when he is old enough to understand..that his father loved him." Gohan said.
Goku refused to give up. He ran, following the ghostly parade as they made their way forward.
Ahead Goku could see in the distance a great pit. Whatever it was was where Gohan was headed. Goku flew over to the pit, finding the journey took over ten minutes. Gohan had a week maybe before he reached this awful place.
It was a circular chasm, a pit with seemingly no bottom. An orange smoke arose from the pit, what smelled like sulfur assaulted Goku's sense of smell.
On the sides of the chasm were millions of spirits, each holding onto the side of the chasm in a vain attempt at avoiding their ultimate fate. Goku saw three other ghostly lines, each from a different compass direction, marching straight for the chasm.
Kohryu appeared behind Goku, a look of sadness on his face.
"There is nothing you can do to save them Goku. This is the ultimate fate for all mortals who die in Demon World." Kohryu said sadly.
"No..there must be a way..there has to be!" Goku said, clutching his fists so tightly that blood was dripping down from them.
"I'm sorry." Kohryu said
Vegeta flew into the area from behind Kohryu. While the Saiyan Prince said nothing, his heart was with his oldest friend. If it was his son in that position, he knew he would feel the same.
"I..can't allow this..I won't..allow this." Goku said as a golden glow began to surround his form.
The pitch black emptyness of the world suddenly was filled with a golden light.
Bardock looked up at his son.
The sickness and dark feelings he had since Qaru's final moments seemed to melt away as he felt the white hot emotional agony his son was experiencing.
For Goten..this was the most upset he had ever seen his father. He felt the intense anger and other strong emotions, stronger than he had ever felt from his father in the past, all rushing outwards, manifest as pure spiritual power.
Goku ascended, first to the first level of Super Saiyan, then to the second, each ascension accompanied by the entire world shaking.
When Goku reached the silver furred, platinum haired fifth level of Super Saiyan, his energy continued to rise.
"Kakorot you know as well as I do that allowing your power to rage uncontrolled like that won't help anyone. I understand your agony..but do not let it consume you." Vegeta said calmly.
"Why?" Goku asked as an orange aura surrounded his body.
"Gohan may yet be saved..if we defeat Azrael. But that can't happen if you allow your feelings to destroy you Kakorot. Use them to give you strength..but don't allow them to consume you." Vegeta said calmly.
"I defeated Frieza...I never asked for anyone's thanks. I saved the Earth from Cell...giving my life to save my son. I defeated them all. Broly..Buu, Baby...and for what? All I get in the end is pain! All that happens after I defeat one evil is for another to take its place!" Goku yelled.
Suddenly the silver fur on Goku's arms changed to a rust-colored orange, as did his hair.
All that filled Goku's mind were thoughts of malice, rage and hate. As he hovered over the chasm the orange mist flowing upwards seemed to dance around his form.
Vegeta did not like this development at all. Goku had been angry in the past, but never once did Vegeta sense anything like this. It was not righteous anger that was radiating from his oldest friend..but evil. Goku desired to make someone hurt, for someone to feel the pain he now felt.
"I am changed. Murder was never my choice. A beast lives inside of me and I can no longer keep it chained. I will be hated and shunned by those I once called family and comrade. But I realize what truly bothers me. I feel no guilt."
Goku raised his head, looking with orange catlike eyes at Vegeta.
Vegeta knew it instantly. The being before him was no longer truely his friend, but someone else. A part of his friend that was imprisoned almost as long as he had been alive was now free. The heart of the beast was raging maelstrom of rage and hate, churning in a sea of emptiness.
Vegeta immediately powered up to his strongest form, his eyes lighting up in the form of a blue star.
"Goku this will not save your son." Kohryu said with concern.
"He isn't Goku anymore." Vegeta said flatly.
"That is right Princy. That weakling is gone..I am Kakorot." The orange beast said with a look of malice in his eyes.
Vegeta suddenly assumed a fighting pose.
"Kohryu..get to the others. This is my fight." Vegeta said.
"Very well." Kohryu said sadly before flying off.
"Kakorot huh? You aren't worthy of the name." Vegeta said without the slightest hint of emotion in his voice.
"The sleeping darkness inside Goku..combined with the leftover darkness of Qaru is what awakened me. There is no other name appropriate for one such as I. All he needed was the slightest of pushes once he gave in to despair..and now here I am." "Kakorot" said with a sneer.
Somewhere else in the world a being sat on a thrown of skulls. Azrael smiled.