I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. I also don't own the rights to any of the music pieces you see selected, just copies of merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.

Chapter 111: Rift Battle 3: Goku Times Two

Vang frowned with distaste as he stared down the fusion form of Gokuu. He hadn't expected Etarb to be able to stabilize the rift long enough for travel between the worlds. He did expect Goku and Vegeta to attempt fusion from the start, thus why he had intentionally angered the arrogant prince to a point where it would overwhelm his normally cold and calculating nature. That would then allow him time to summon his Bikou army to stall the rest while he singled out both Verto and Son Gohan. Etarb's arrival had completely changed the flow of the battle and now he had both versions of Goku to deal with and a fusion on top of that. He didn't need much convincing that the combined version before him was going to be a problem for certain. Below, next to Vang's foot, Verto was still laying face down and out of it for the moment. Inwardly the demon was quite agitated that the runt of a boy had given him enough pause to stall him, even in his true and most powerful form.

Vang seemed to settle down though and grinned, "Well, I suppose it will be easier to kill you both at the same time. I was already thinking about returning to kill the other one before these worlds are wiped out. A lot less hunting this way."

Gokuu smirked back at him, "You can try."

Vang placed his foot on Verto's back, "I really don't have to try at the moment now do I? You're going to be a good little Saiyan and sit still. Even with your new strength, I could kill him much faster than you can even…" Gokuu's golden fist promptly smashed into Vang's face and sent him bouncing along the ground for several hundred yards. He didn't chase the demon initially, but did stand guard over Verto until he stirred a few seconds later.

"Ow," Verto groaned as he reached a sitting position, holding his bleeding forehead.

"Stay put, I'll handle this," Gokuu ordered without looking down.

Verto winced as he wiped some of the blood from around his eyes, "Sure, knock yourself out. But promise me that there are no more chances. We have to stop this prick by any means necessary."

Gokuu nodded grimly, "I promise that he won't leave without paying for everything he's done!"

Verto sighed heavily, "He's all yours." Gokuu phased out and there was an instant barrage of shockwaves that followed in the near distance. Verto pulled himself up to his feet to watch, but he couldn't see any of the movement. In his normal form, he couldn't sense much of Vang's energy once again. He could however detect Gokuu's, and it almost scared him when he got a real measurement compared to even his own. Etarb landed next to him as the battle quickly moved from left to right before them.

"I'd say that was a successful backup plan, wouldn't you?" Etarb asked. Verto didn't answer as he kept his focus entirely on Gokuu. He sensed something different about the fusion, something that he had never detected from any fusion before. He was in a normal enough form of Super Saiyan two, but his golden energy was telling a different story. It wasn't until he had stopped moving and commenced the first stare off with Vang that Verto was able to really notice the change. He's emitting Chi waves. They must have passed the power threshold with the fusion.

Etarb closed his eyes and smiled slightly, "Correct, I guess I needn't ask if you knew about that or not. Leira said more than she should have, eh? I guess that's to be expected, you had to have known after your fight with the Renegade known as Ranot."

Verto scowled, "What is it with you people reading everyone's mind at all times?"

Etarb stepped back and put his hands up, "My apologies. But to be sure, your friend is going to give Vang quite a headache."

Verto managed to grin, "More than a headache. One Goku would be tough to get around, but two? With a fusion to boot? He's putting out way more power than I can, surely he can break Vang's defenses easier than I did."

Etarb's smile faded as he glanced down at Verto, "That's doubtful, not if Vang uses his new power wisely. He could certainly outlast Gokuu's fusion time. By then, the rift's destabilization will likely reach stage two and this planet will be out of time."

Verto grimaced, "Then why are you still standing here? Aren't you here to fix that too? This is what we call a golden opportunity!"

Etarb held up his broken sword's hilt, "If only that were possible. In this condition, my tool will not function as it's supposed to, if it works at all. Don't worry, we do have a fall back option for that as well. In the meantime, we must destroy Vang."

Verto scowled again at Etarb's vagueness and turned back to the battle, "On that part we agree." Above, the epic stare down reached its end when Vang made the first move. He pulled his arms up over his head, clasping one wrist with the other hand for support as he charged a vivid purple blast of Shadow Chi. It pulsed with his evil intent as he set his sights on Gokuu.

"You appear to be quite fast, but let's test your new strength and see if it's up to par. I put in the same amount of power to wipe out that Guardian fool down there when he was at his best, how will you fair?" Vang asked evilly.

Gokuu beamed with confidence, "We won't know until you try."

Vang's own confidence appeared to waver slightly as he took aim, "Now to hell with you!" He fired an enormous beam that seemed to span most of the sky. Verto and Etarb were forced to shield themselves long before the attack reached its target. Gokuu's grin didn't budge as the beam overwhelmed his position and he seemed to vanish in the bright fume of indigo. The explosion that followed left a sizeable indention in the lands below despite the altitude it had detonated at. Verto lost his balance and tumbled to the ground, as did Etarb and the Z fighters in the distance. Above them, the smoke was quick to clear out due to the wind being generated from the rift. Vang's toothy smirk awaited the results of his undefended blast. That confidence melted away when Gokuu emerged without even a scratch.

Verto felt his heart leap a few inches, "Yes!" Etarb only nodded and smiled. From at least a mile away, the other Z fighters also took note of the early sign of victory.

"Man, Goku is incredible," Tien said.

Krillin shrugged, "He's always been like this, why are we surprised?"

"Yeah!" Goten and Trunks both shouted with joy. Piccolo declined to say a word as he stood next to an equally wary Gohan. Neither of them felt like celebrating at the moment, but there was a hint of relief in the air.

"C'mon Dad, you have to win!" Gohan urged.

Vang frowned deeply as he and Gokuu stared each other down. The demon took in a deep breath and appeared to ready himself for what was to come.

"Well, it's been a long time since I've seen an un-altered Super Saiyan of your stature. Quite remarkable how powerful you are even in this lower form," Vang admitted.

Gokuu blinked slightly, "Un-altered?"

"One of your kind that hasn't been tampered with to gain strength. In other words unlike your son or that freakish boy. It's almost too bad," Vang continued.

"Too bad for what?" Gokuu asked.

Vang shrugged, "Too bad that you won't live long enough to achieve the ultimate Super Saiyan form. Let's just say that I've lived long enough to know what Saiyans were like before they were forced back down to above average pond scum. A necessary process mind you, both demon and Guardian had their hands full with the lot of them, no matter which side they favored. One could say that in the old days, Saiyans might have become strong enough to rival both sides. You and your friend's levels of power were not uncommon, and your new power wasn't completely rare either. Had any of your kind employed this fusion technique then, there would have been a significant threat to most of the universe. You certainly have the potential, well, both of you. But that level of Saiyan power would just be wasted with you, so best not trifle with such things."

Gokuu's golden aura burst to life, "You're stalling again Vang. You should know better than to do that."

Vang's own aura matched the intensity of Gokuu's, "Oh, you caught me. I have no problem having a go with you at my utmost ability, but be forewarned, I am done holding back. I will kill you and then all of your friends before this planet goes under!" The last word was barely out of his mouth before Gokuu's fist slammed into it again.

"Not if I can help it! I'll stop you!" Gokuu declared. Vang flew backwards before suddenly phasing out and coming at Gokuu from the left. Gokuu blocked the attempted claw swipe and then latched onto Vang's forearm with both hands. Vang nervously cringed as Gokuu yanked him hard before turning around in a circle. The combination sent the two into a spinning blur in the air, one that moved at terrifying speed. After nearly ten seconds, Gokuu released Vang, who tumbled through the air, disoriented.

Once Vang was away, Gokuu's palms cupped together as he began charging his signature technique, "Ka…me…ha…me…" Vang's blackened eyes snapped open as soon as he sensed the surge in energy, but he continued to spin out of control.

Gokuu's beam finished and he quickly fired, "HAAA!" Once the blast was away, Vang quickly regained his bearings and flipped around with plenty of time to dodge. Instead he thrust out his hand as it glowed purple. The massive blue beam suddenly vanished into a dim, purple vortex, sparing Vang any chance of being hit. He set his sights back on Gokuu and grinned evilly. Gokuu pulled his arms back and prepared another Kamehameha. Before he could finish it, another vortex opened directly behind and below him, right before it became brighter than the sun. Gokuu's previous beam barreled through and appeared to have given him a harsh shove towards the atmosphere. Vang chuckled confidently until he saw the afterimage fading and heard the whooshing sound behind him.

"HAAA!" Gokuu's second Kamehameha slammed into Vang and pushed him away into the sky as he tried to block it. With no time to prepare any sort of defense due to the Instant Transmission, blocking with his forearms was about the best he could do. As Vang was being pushed back, he suddenly realized that the bright beam wasn't the only source of light nearby. He turned his horned head to see he was being pushed right into the path of the first blast in a crisscross pattern.

Oh bloody hell!

The two bright balls of light collided and merged together for a split second before both exploded violently. The detonation lit up the skies half a world away at the tournament. While many of the spectators had left, there were several dozen chanting for Hercule Satan to go and save them. Back near the source of the explosion, Gokuu lowered his palms cautiously. He could sense that the battle wasn't over, but was certain that his attack had done some sort of damage. Black lightning bursts struck around the smoke over Vang's position. Soon, Gokuu could see Vang, but he was behind a dim barrier of his own making. It faded at his command, allowing Gokuu to see if he had made an impact. Vang was slightly bruised all around his body, but it didn't appear to be very significant. If anything, about the only thing the attack had done was make the demon angrier.

It showed as Vang hissed and bared his fangs, "Curse you Saiyan!" On the ground, Verto watched carefully, feeling slightly confused at the situation.

Etarb quickly took notice, "Vang is likely upset due to not only having to face someone as strong as himself, but also that he was unable to get his defenses up in time. Some of the blast got through."

Verto gave him a dirty look, "I can see that. I'm only wondering how it did get through? Gokuu's energy wasn't any different just now. It certainly wasn't super concentrated like mine was for a moment or like Vang's has been."

Etarb sighed heavily, "To understand why, you must first know what type of energy that is and its limits. And I'm not sure that is necessary…"

Verto cut him off quickly, "Don't give me that crap, not when I nearly tapped into it just before you showed up. Not when all our lives are on the line to fight a demon that you Guardian people were supposed to keep out of the lives of us 'mere mortals'. Don't give me that 'you wouldn't understand' shit either, because anyone that thinks they know me at all should know that I can't stand being kept in the dark. Especially when I am smart enough to figure out what people like you are hiding sooner or later. You may as well get it over with."

Etarb was slightly taken aback but shrugged it off, "Still as direct as ever when the chips are down. Very well, the energy you're sensing from Vang is the same type of energy that formed most of the cosmos. There are very few that can handle that type of energy for more than a few seconds anymore, not since the days of the Elder Gods, whom the oldest of the Guardians and Demon Lords descended from. They were the only ones that could handle it with ease, thankfully. We call it Cosmic Energy, for obvious reasons. As you have probably noticed, it is even more potent than any other energy type and equally more powerful when wielded correctly. However, it is nearly impossible for anyone, even an immortal, to even attempt channeling. In the hands of the untrained, it is likely to not only destroy the planet they're on, but also the whole star system with one mistake, such as a poorly aimed blast. One could make the argument that you and the other Super Saiyans are at that point now with one good shot at the sun, but trust me, there is no comparison. A blast from you could destroy your sun and thus plunge all the planets into a death-ridden deep freeze. A blast from a Cosmic energy amateur would wipe it all out easily."

Verto's eyes widened, "So this, Cosmic Energy, is that strong?"

Etarb nodded grimly, "A trained master could easily destroy an entire galaxy with it. Worry not, Vang is nowhere near that level, nor could he be, not alone anyway. There are very few demons that are, and none of which you would ever want to face in battle. For someone like Vang, he can only use it for small, potent attacks, defense, or to continually supply his normal energy, as he has done in this battle thus far. Anything more, and he'd likely kill himself by accident, it's a very tricky type of power to wield."

Verto gazed up at Vang for a moment before shifting his attention back to Etarb, "He doesn't seem to be having much trouble. And if he can continuously draw power from this energy source as he hinted at earlier, then we're screwed!"

"On the contrary, he can't use it like that at all. As I said, there aren't many who can handle it for more than a few seconds before they must rest, or else they face great risks. Not only would it tire him out too quickly to summon it, but he would also risk never using his powers again. Cosmic energy is a double edged sword, so strong that it can and typically does just as much damage to the user as it does to the enemy if used too long or improperly. You were lucky earlier that you didn't tap into it long enough to do much with it," Etarb said.

Verto wasn't relieved, "About that. How did I do it anyway? Other than the desperation, I just happened to be using Kaioken at the time. That never happened in any of my battles before and my power level hasn't changed that much either. Actually, at one point against Ranot, I was stronger and there was no change. It can't be mere coincidence that I just happened to get close enough to that particular wall and barreled right over it when I didn't before."

Etarb nodded, "You're correct about that. There are many requirements before anyone can just tap into Cosmic energy, overall strength and energy is a given. However one must have a spirit and mind that is calm and not in turmoil. Can you safely say that over the past several months? Ever since you first learned how to tap into your latent demon energy with your rage? Then of course after you faced Frost, it took you a considerable amount of time before you remembered how to keep your feelings in check again and not rely solely on anger. Once you achieved balance again, the door was open, all you had to do was walk through, and you did that. Balance is the key to just about every aspect of life. Without it, everything eventually burns."

Verto grimaced as he that that information over, "Alright, that does make sense. So what about you Guardians? Can you use Cosmic energy?"

"Very few of our elders can, when the situation calls for it and that is very rare. I've never actually seen it myself, only rumors. We're in essentially the same boat, though there are some ways around that. Both sides make use of tools and weapons that are specially crafted and can convert the user's energy without any risk or strain. For example, my sword can take in my Chi energy, condense it, and then focus it into Cosmic energy when I have need of it. Or at least it could, before Vang broke it." More shockwaves covered the sky as the two overly powerful warriors clashed, providing the two fatigued fighters with extra dust and wind.

"Well great, just chuck a bunch of knives at him then," Verto said sarcastically.

Etarb smiled meekly, "Well I doubt I could hit him with his current speed and his teleportation…oh you weren't being serious were you?"

Verto shook his head in dismay, "It really shouldn't have taken you that long. Anyways, thanks for at least explaining this Cosmic energy to me. Now I'll know what to call it next time it happens."

Etarb frowned with concern, "Verto, I must be frank. You must never again try to use Cosmic energy. Stumbling upon it is one thing when you are beyond your limits and trying too hard. You really only caught a tiny glimpse of it, and you should feel lucky. Trying to attain it is a much different story and there is an extremely high chance that you would kill yourself with just the training. Either that or lose any ability to wield energy again, that would be the best case scenario."

Verto snorted, "Okay, I get it, you don't need to…"

Etarb finished his phrase, "Beat you over the head with it? Actually I probably do since you're the stubborn type. This is not a power that's meant for humans, Saiyans or really any other type of mortal creature, myself included. Anyone who believes that they have no limits will quickly find out otherwise once they push too far, and that's exactly what will happen to you. What you did to achieve the glimpse of it you had, you cannot do so ever again, understand?"

Verto was staring at the battle above, "I already said I did."

Back in the sky, Gokuu and Vang were exchanging in another melee, one that didn't appear to be leaning towards either side. The brawl broke apart again when Vang missed a wide claw swipe as Gokuu phased out.

Vang's energy randomly erupted around him as he snarled, "Damn it, why can't I kill you?!"

Gokuu floated in front of him, "I don't know, maybe you're not trying hard enough."

His answer only angered Vang more, "Alright Saiyan, no more playing around!"

Gokuu turned his head slightly, "Didn't you say that already?"

In an instant, Vang's fist collided with Gokuu's face, completely unblocked. Vang followed that up with a ferocious barrage of rage filled blows all over Gokuu's body, none of which were even defended. Vang's last punch sent Gokuu spiraling to the ground, where he lay stunned for the next several moments.

Vang grinned and folded his arms as he descended near Verto and Etarb, "Well boy, aren't you going to help your friend?"

Verto smirked slightly, "Are you sure I need to?" Before Vang could answer, Gokuu appeared behind him, unscathed.

He rubbed the back of his neck a bit, "Nice try, that one hurt a little."

Vang's jaw slipped, "This isn't happening!"

Gokuu slid into a minor stance, "Whether you choose to believe it or not Vang, I am going to beat you!"

Vang's angry aura brightened the sky some more, which was quickly becoming a persistent theme. His palms lit as he formed two large balls of dark, spinning energy. Gokuu made no obvious move to this, but remained attentive. Vang launched both energy balls at the same time, but neither appeared to be on target. Both passed left and right of Gokuu before Vang's hand went up to stop them. Gokuu eyed both spheres of raw Chi next to him, unsure what Vang was going to do with them. The answer came when the purple spheres lit up briefly before several bolts of lightning shot out between the two, with one solid but erratic beam connecting them. Gokuu narrowly avoided the initial burst and glided backwards to miss the rest. To his great surprise, the twin electric orbs moved with him at the same relative speed. Gokuu changed course many times, but the lightning orbs kept up without any trouble as they continued to arc lightning between each other.

Nearby, Vang chuckled as he lowered his hand, "It's no use running Saiyan. Those Shadow Orbs have locked onto your energy signal and will follow you wherever you go! If one lightning bolt even touches you, your body will crumble into dust!" Gokuu phased out multiple times, only to find the pair of lightning orbs chasing him down the instant he reappeared. Once this happened, Gokuu stopped cold and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"That's enough of this!" he declared. The twin Shadow Orbs quickly caught up, which prompted Gokuu to throw his arms out wide. Bright blue Chi shot out from each hand and smashed through Vang's Shadow Orbs, wiping them out completely. Once the threat was eliminated, Gokuu realized that he had lost track of Vang. The demon quickly phased in from behind with an evil, toothy smile. In his palm was another black Obliteration Orb, which he then aimed towards Gokuu. Gokuu reacted quickly by raising both hands up around his head and spread his fingers wide.

"Solar Flare!" Vang howled with enraged pain as his attack sailed harmlessly into the sky while he clutched at his demonic eyes. Gokuu left him zero time to recover and buried his fist into the demon's stomach. The shocked look on Vang's face was almost comical as he doubled over. Gokuu slammed both fists into Vang's upper back, sending him tumbling towards the ground. Gokuu instantly phased out, stopping Vang's fall with a fierce knee to the gut. Spit and blackened blood flew out of Vang's mouth, which did not go unnoticed.

"Yes! Finish him Gokuu!" Verto called out.

Gokuu pulled his leg back and let Vang freefall towards the ground momentarily. Just before Vang would have hit, Gokuu phased in and kicked hard into the demon's shoulder, sending him bouncing across the rugged landscape. Vang groaned when he finally stopped as black blood was seeping from several cuts along his arms and torso, adding to what had come up from his throat. Gokuu slowly approached on foot, giving the demon a wide berth for a few seconds. Once Vang recovered enough to look for him, Gokuu's golden aura brightened and he quickly moved in. Vang panicked slightly and brought his hands up over his face. Gokuu's punch collided with a dim but thick energy barrier, stopping it completely. Gokuu back-flipped and quickly fired a strong Kamehameha, which rushed over Vang's barrier, seemingly swallowing it and the demon. Gokuu frowned as there was no explosion nor any other actions and stopped channeling his energy. Once the beam faded, Vang's barrier emerged unaffected. It faded soon after and Vang himself appeared, breathing very heavily.

"He's weakening," Verto muttered aloud. Etarb didn't answer as they continued to watch with cautious optimism. After a few moments, Vang's newer black aura shot up again and he appeared to catch a second wind as his power topped out.

Verto scowled, "So much for him getting tired. Bastard is like the Energizer Bunny."

Etarb looked at him in question, "I don't quite understand that reference, but you were spot on about him wearing down. Have you noticed his problem yet?"

Verto stared back with his own questioning look, "Problem?"

Etarb nodded, "Just watch closely."

Vang's aura switched back to purple before it fell away, and this time Verto felt a distinct change in the air but couldn't quite identify it. He powered back up to Super Mystic so he could sense things much easier. Once he did, he quickly noticed that Vang's Cosmic energy was in a state of flux. After another brief break, Vang's power spiked once more for a few seconds, and this power surge seemed to fill his energy reserves completely back up. Vang's breathing had become calm again and his wounds appeared to close up. Once his power up was complete, Verto could no longer sense any of the strange Cosmic energy, other than the few short bursts that had just occurred. A few moments passed before Verto could sense it again, and it wasn't anywhere near as prominent as before.

"Do you get it?" Etarb asked.

"He used Cosmic Energy to restore his Chi back up to full? Well we covered that already, so I would guess that Gokuu is starting to wear him down some," Verto guessed.

"That's partially correct, but you did miss a very key detail that we also discussed. Think back to every instance that you've sensed Vang use his Cosmic energy and see if you can detect the pattern," Etarb pointed out.

Verto grimaced, "You just can't tell me can you?"

Etarb grinned, "A wise man once told me that every possible moment can be used as training, even when one is reduced to a bystander. Besides, as you like to point out, you're smart enough to figure it out."

Verto rolled his eyes, "I'm sure that guy doesn't get stressed out either. Not exactly the best time to worry about training when two worlds are about to go boom!"

Etarb frowned, "It was your predecessor that told me that! And he stressed himself thin often! Now use what you've learned and try to find the pattern to unlock Vang's secret!"

Verto took note of Etarb's rare serious tone and watched as the battle continued. Another brawl had broken out by then, though it was rather even with both fighters landing a few blows. They broke apart quickly when Vang fired a large purple blast. Gokuu summoned up enough strength to bat it aside with both arms, sending the blast away to the distance.

Vang appeared behind him with another blast prepared, "Now you die Saiyan!" Gokuu phased out just as Vang fired, reappearing well out of the blast's path. Vang was undeterred by this and only turned around to grin wickedly at Gokuu, who was up in the air behind him. Gokuu didn't know what to make of this until he saw Vang's second blast disappear into a vortex. Gokuu ducked out of the way when a similar vortex opened up behind him, allowing the shot of energy to narrowly miss him. Gokuu stopped and sighed with relief as it sailed into the sky. The relief didn't last when another blast suddenly smashed into Gokuu from the side.

Vang laughed as he saw a smoking silhouette of Gokuu tumbling towards the ground, "You forgot about the first one, stupid monkey!" The smoky form of Gokuu soon dissipated, revealing nothing but dust and debris floating down. Vang barely had time to blink before Gokuu phased in behind him with his right hand extended. As Vang turned, Gokuu fired an even larger blast than Vang had, and the demon's only response was a painful scream as he vanished into the swath of blue. Vang's body was pushed towards the horizon when an eruption of black suddenly stalled Gokuu's beam and cancelled it out. Verto sense a Cosmic energy burst at the source, one that vanished again once Vang's position had reestablished. Verto watched the demon like a hawk while he appeared to recover. Like before, Vang's energy fluctuated randomly until his power leveled off. When Vang finally moved back towards Gokuu again, Verto caught onto the change.

"He has to wait at least seven seconds before he can use Cosmic energy again. That's the window isn't it?" Verto asked.

"Correct, and I suspect he will begin getting desperate soon. He's realized by now that he won't beat Gokuu easily and likely not before their fusion time is up," Etarb replied.

Verto's lip twitched slightly, "Something doesn't make sense though. He could use it for longer periods when this battle started. I'm not sure how long he was using it before, but I'm sure there wasn't any noticeable gap before he could summon it again. That damn shield especially."

"Given the situation and overwhelming power he has, it's not surprising that you didn't notice a difference before. Also, Cosmic energy is a very valuable resource that will run out like any other power source when used too much or too long. I dare say it's more limited than any other power source," Etarb explained.

Verto fretted slightly, "Well in any case, we can't sit around and hope that Goku notices it. How long before that rift decides to kill everyone?"

Etarb glanced at the unstable mass of energy, "I'd estimate that we have fifteen minutes before Stage Two. Collapse is imminent after that. Gokuu needs to finish this before then."

"Fine, we need to tell him about that weakness. He's probably caught on by now, but he may not act upon it fast enough. The whole thrill of a good fight and all," Verto said.

Etarb nodded, "Very true, but if Vang realizes that his secret is out, who knows what he may do. Go and tell him verbally, and take this with you." Etarb handed Verto his sword hilt, which made the latter pause in question.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Verto asked.

"It's insurance, besides I don't have enough energy to use it now anyway," Etarb said vaguely.

Verto stared at Etarb, "You want me to use it? I thought it was broken?"

Etarb beamed at him, "I explained how it works earlier, but don't use it unless you have to. It's not the same as your own conjured energy sword. Be careful."

Verto sighed with exasperation, "After that whole speech about not using Cosmic energy, which I'm not even sure how I did it to begin with. Now you give me a weapon that does just that."

"I chose my words wisely when I said that we've developed tools to get around that issue. However, that is a broken tool, so use extreme caution," Etarb warned.

Verto tucked the sword hilt into his side pocket, "How about I don't screw around with something I'm not familiar with?"

Etarb nodded, "That is generally a wiser course of action given any situation."

Verto rolled his eyes slightly as his silver aura appeared for flight. He didn't have much power left to fight with aside from maybe one good shot. Normally he wouldn't have bothered transforming, but he had to just to sense what was going on. Added to that, he needed speed to get through this warzone. In the skies before him, there was another rapid and violent clash taking place. The shockwaves being generated prevented Verto from getting close, not that he wanted to just yet. Both demon and Saiyan were showing a lot more wear and tear at this point. This was even more apparent once Verto saw them literally go back and forth trading unblocked blows.

I wonder if I can get away with just sending Gokuu a telepathic message from here? Vang probably won't be listening in while Gokuu has his attention. I certainly don't want to fly into the middle of that brawl. Maybe I should test this out first, tell Vang he sucks shit or something.

Vang's head turned towards Verto just before Gokuu's fist plowed through it and sent the demon flying.

Verto gave off a confused grin, Okay, whatever. He quickly flew in towards Gokuu, who didn't look too pleased that he had interfered.

"What is it?" Gokuu asked.

"Vang has to wait seven seconds before he can activate his…" Verto started to say.

Gokuu held his hand up, "I know, I figured that out a little while ago. I just haven't been able to take advantage yet. Don't worry, I've still got at least ten minutes of fusion time as long as I don't take it any further."

"Then I'll help you get the opening. We don't have much time before that rift blows up and I would prefer us to have a chance," Verto said.

Gokuu frowned, "You don't have much energy left, certainly not enough to keep up and not be in the way. If you miss any attack…"

Verto smirked, "There's more than one way to distract him, if you couldn't tell a moment ago."

Gokuu gave in, "Alright, but be careful. He's strong enough that he could kill you before you can blink."

Verto nodded, "I know, I'll try to keep my attacks minor and at range. Once he uses either his shield or anything else, hammer his ass with everything you've got!"

"Alright, let's do it!" They had barely finished speaking when Vang flew into vocal range.

He was as angry as expected, "I'm getting really sick of your pathetic little antics, boy! You should feel relieved that I'm allowing you and your petty friends to live long enough to see your doom first hand and prepare yourselves for the afterlife. I suggest you don't tempt me into reconsidering my plan of drawing this out."

Verto's grin widened, "Blah blah blah blah."

Vang's eyebrow went up just before he phased out. Verto was frozen in place due to not being able to see Vang at his speed. The attack never came though as Gokuu intercepted Vang and forced him away from Verto. Punches and kicks flew ferociously in midair while the closest bystander charged up a spinning sphere of blue and white.

This won't be enough to stop him, but it should be enough to scare him into using his shield. And I won't have to worry about hitting Gokuu by accident. Verto arced his arm back a bit once his small Spirit Bomb was complete and watched for an opening. It wasn't easy to see due to Gokuu staying between them, but he knew that was to keep Vang from knowing what was happening. Gokuu pressed the attack by trying to bash his way through Vang's guard, forcing the demon back a bit. Verto realized that the opening wasn't going to be available until Vang over-pursued with his own counterattack.

What a pathetic demon, can't even beat a monkey. The sudden angry burst from Vang was enough of a success indicator. Gokuu phased out as Vang tried to take his head off. The demon's eyes widened when all he saw was Verto floating there with a Spirit Bomb ready.

"Gotcha," Verto said as he hurled his arm forward. He fired straight at Vang, who was clearly unprepared for it. Nevertheless, his dim Cosmic shield materialized around him, canceling and dispersing the Spirit Bomb upon impact. Verto could see Vang was short of breath again inside the bubble and felt quite tempted to act upon it.

Gotta keep him off base to lure him out. Verto sensed Gokuu was waiting for the barrier to drop and decided to act upon it.

"I see you're still hiding behind that stupid shield. If you're such a badass, come out and prove it!" Verto taunted. Vang was slow to respond, though Verto could clearly see his fangs being bared.

"Say another word boy, and I'll rip your head clean off!" Vang threatened.

Verto's eyebrow went up at this, He's been quicker to anger in this form, just like he was as Mercurial. It also appears that he can't hear my thoughts at all times, maybe his Cosmic energy shield has something to do with that. I have to take advantage of that.

"Well, I'm waiting! It's sad that you have to essentially blow up the planet to grab our attention. And also that you have to stall for time instead of fighting us like a real man, or demon, or whatever. I think I'll go with the best words to describe you. A pathetic coward that can't even wipe his own ass without help. Of course it isn't right to consider it your own ass, you lost it years ago…"

Vang lost it, "ENOUGH!"

The barrier went down just before he flew at Verto with burning rage. Gokuu instantly arrived and stunned Vang with a hard knee below the jaw. Gokuu swiftly followed it up with an uppercut to the same spot, sending Vang into the air. Gokuu cupped his palms and began charging his signature move.

"Hurry up Gokuu! Three seconds!" Gokuu was barely into his usual chant and cut it short as he fired. Vang managed to recover in time to see the Kamehameha coming and dropped towards the ground to dodge easily. Vang's black Cosmic energy flared right at the seven second mark as he quickly formed his Obliteration Orb. "There's the negative Feedback move, we can't let that touch us," Verto reminded. Gokuu was already in the air when Vang fired, but the Obliteration Orb quickly hooked towards him at Vang's command. It stopped though once Gokuu changed directions, causing him to turn around in wonder. Vang grinned evilly as he aimed it down towards Verto instead. Verto's eyes popped wide as he motioned to get out of the way. A pair of dark, shadowy arms suddenly sprang from the ground, wrapping around his legs to hold him in place. They were coming from his own shadow, which was glowing slightly courtesy of Vang.

"Crap…" Verto muttered.

Vang laughed manically, "Well, isn't this a predicament? Say goodbye runt!"

Verto could only stare at the black orb coming crashing down on him. A loud whoosh sounded before the ball arrived, and all he could see was gold around a black and orange vest for the moment. Gokuu shielded Verto from the Obliteration Orb, but in turn was hit by it. Black and gold energy waves pulsed around Gokuu's body as he screamed painfully and fell to his knees.

"No, Gokuu! Damn it!" Verto swore.

Vang's evil laughter echoed through the lands, "Hahaha, well fancy that! You bloody fools saved me the trouble of dealing with you one by one. Now you can all die, together!"

PL

Vang: 1 Billion

Fusion Gokuu (SS2): 1 Billion