Chapter 17
Age 790
Scene: Damaged West City
As the battle for the fate of the planet enters its final stage, two spacetime rifts appear in the Minus Energy-ridden sky. Out fly Towa, Goku, Mira, and Vegeta, the latter two both clutching a Dark Dragon Ball as they attempt to elude their pursuer. The four gracelessly collide mid-air, both Dragon Balls clattering to the ground below.
Towa: Urgh! Mira, you idiot! Watch where you're going! Honestly, who raised you?
Mira: …
Goku: Vegeta! I'm glad to see you!
Vegeta: Heh. I told you you wouldn't have to worry about me. More importantly, look at you! Super Saiyan 3, you finally pulled it off!
Goku: Yeah, but it's still not enough to beat that Mira guy. He still has one of the Dragon Balls!
Towa: Don't just stand there, Mira, you dolt! Hurry up and pick up those Dragon Balls!
After a quick, exasperated glance at Goku, Vegeta dives for the Dragon Balls, Goku quickly following. The two land between Mira and the Dragon Balls, each of them quickly pocketing one as they brace themselves for a tough battle. Mira, on the other hand, remains still, the only moving part of his body being his eyes.
Towa: What are you waiting for?! Crush those pathetic little brats already!
Mira: Wait. I'm detecting another Dark Dragon Ball in the area.
As if on cue, a massive burst of energy explodes less than a mile away, and the source of it is all too clear. Amidst the rubble, this timeline's Goku and Vegeta stand against a newly-reborn Omega Shenron, the Four-Star Dark Dragon Ball lodged in his chest where the ordinary Four-Star Ball should be.
Mira: That Dragon poses just as much of a threat to these Saiyans as he does to us. Perhaps we should let them fight amongst-
Towa: No! I'm tired of waiting! They have two Dragon Balls and he has one, so just crush those damn Saiyans already!
Mira: …Understood.
Mira finally assumes a battle stance, prompting Vegeta to transform into Super Saiyan 3 alongside Goku. Goku is briefly surprised, but has no time to process his friend's transformation before Mira fires a ball of energy at each of them. Both Saiyans dodge, but Mira redirects the attacks to come flying back, and both are forced to turn around and properly negate the spheres with their own attacks. With their backs turned, Mira kicks Vegeta in the back before turning towards Goku with a roundhouse kick. Mira starts charging a blast in Goku's direction, but as Vegeta rushes in to interrupt him, Mira turns the attack towards him at the last second, making direct contact. Mira savors the hit long enough for Goku to get a decent blast at his head, staggering Mira for a second before the android turns around to fire lasers from his eyes. Goku blocks the beams, but is left open for a strong right hook from Mira when the dust clears. As Goku gets up, he catches a glimpse of the battle happening closeby, his eyes drawn by an eruption of radiant light. Despite the vastly increased power of Omega Shenron, Goku and Vegeta have managed to fuse, just as in the original timeline. Omega, still confident in his abilities, rushes towards the fusion, but Gogeta pushes him back effortlessly.
Gogeta: What's wrong? Is that all you can do? And after such a dramatic facelift, too. You're all bark and no bite!
Omega Shenron: You…beginner's luck! I'll show you bite!
Omega throws a cluster of small ki blasts towards Gogeta, but the fusion knocks all of them back at the Shadow Dragon. With Omega dumbstruck by Gogeta's blistering speed, the fusion takes advantage of it, delivering a knee to the face, followed by a few more. When a final kick sends Omega flying, he finds himself landing behind Gogeta, who quickly elbows him before turning around with another kick. Goku watches Omega rocket through the air until a frustrated Mira strikes him in the face.
Mira: Keep your head in the game, boy. Your opponent is me!
Vegeta: Same goes for you!
With a Big Bang Attack charging in his hand, Vegeta flies towards Mira, hitting him directly in the face. The explosion sends Mira barrelling backwards, and the two Saiyans pursue him with their fists retracted, each extending one simultaneously to punch him in the stomach. As Mira recoils from the blow, the two pull back and uppercut the android, redirecting him into the air. Mira retaliates by clasping his hands together, seemingly charging a wave of energy aimed at the ground.
Towa: Take it easy, Mira! You'll destroy the whole planet at that angle!
Mira: The planet's well-being has no bearing on my directive! All that matters is defeating these Saiyans!
Vegeta: He's not backing down! Goku!
Goku: Right! Let's do it!
Goku and Vegeta fly towards Mira, collectively charging a Galick Kamehameha to deflect the android's attack. But as all three warriors unleash their beams, to the Saiyans' surprise and horror, Mira's energy weaves around them, taking the shape of the Time Breaker's insignia of infinity. The Saiyans' combined blast hits Mira, but Mira's attack heads straight for the ground below nonetheless. Just before despair can set it, in one miraculous moment, Omega Shenron comes crashing into the point of would-be contact, having continued to be knocked around by Gogeta. The Shadow Dragon's body takes the brunt of the impact, ironically preserving the very planet he intends to destroy. Omega Shenron is still able to regenerate, but he takes the situation far from lightly.
Omega Shenron: You damn monkey! I just can't wait to tear you to shreds!
Gogeta: Hey, come on now. I'm sure there'll be plenty of Saiyans for you to play around with in Hell.
Omega Shenron: Hmph! In that case, why wait?
With one hand, Omega charges a large ball of energy, and without so much as looking, fires it directly at Goku and Vegeta. Gogeta is just barely able to throw a Soul Punisher at the blast to nullify it, after which he starts shouting at his fellow Saiyans.
Gogeta: Hey, this is a battlefield! All of you, get out of here already! None of you have the strength to withstand a battle like this!
Goku and Vegeta are annoyed by the remark, but quickly brush it off. Mira, on the other hand, takes it far more personally.
Mira: Damn it! Is he calling me weak?
Towa: Calm down, Mira! That fool doesn't know what he's blabbering about. You're an android, after all, so of course he can't sense your massive power!
Mira: No…there's no denying it. Those two Saiyans became unbelievably stronger after fusing together. Perhaps even stronger than me…
Towa: Just what are you implying? Even if I were to do that stupid dance with you, our powers aren't nearly close enough for it to work!
Mira: There will be no dancing necessary.
Suddenly, Mira disappears from where he stands, reappearing behind Towa and putting her in a one-armed headlock, pulling her close to his chest.
Towa: What do you think you're doing?! Let go of me, you fool!
Mira: "Retrieve the Dark Dragon Balls." That was the directive you gave me, yes? As I am now, I lack the power to do such a thing. Why would you try to oppose the directive you gave to me?
Towa: My life is obviously more important than some stupid directive! Now let go already!
Mira: …Negative. Goku! Vegeta! Do not look away. You witness the birth of the ultimate lifeform!
Goku and Vegeta both fire a blast at Mira, hoping to stop the fusion, but to no avail. A sinister maelstrom of energy begins to swirl, and when it dissipates, Mira stands at the center, having absorbed his creator. His hair stands on end, matching white fur now adorning his body, making him look more like an angel than a creation of the Demon Realm.
Mira: Come! I'm expecting a good fight from you two!
Goku and Vegeta can feel the demonic energy emanating from Mira, far surpassing any they've ever felt before. Even so, each puts on a facade of bravery for the sake of the other, and the two charge towards Mira. As the two approach, Mira releases a swarm of large energy blasts from his body. Each one is roughly the size of a Big Bang Attack, something Vegeta distinctly notices as one hits him dead-on, sending him flying. Goku attempts to repel one heading right for him, but he too is unsuccessful. With remarkable speed, Mira appears behind the two airborne Saiyans, grabbing each of them by the head and smashing them together before throwing them towards the ground in opposite directions. The two crash into different buildings, disappearing from Mira's sight as they lay low amidst the rubble. Frustrated, Mira swings his arm in an arc, and a brief moment after, a massive crescent of energy slashes through every building in range, revealing the Saiyans' positions. Mira continues slicing through the air, dissecting the top halves of the buildings into a mass of jagged debris, telekinetically hurling them at the two Saiyans. With nowhere to run, Goku and Vegeta frantically blast away at the oncoming projectiles, piercing through them with surprising ease. In response, Mira absorbs the barrage of energy, condensing it into a large sphere and throwing it back at the Saiyans. Goku and Vegeta can only manage to blast it away in time with one arm each, but their combined strength manages to destroy the attack, much to their relief.
Vegeta: H-heh! You'll have to do a lot better than that to beat us!
Mira: I wouldn't go getting a big head if I were you. That attack was made from your own energy! You clearly lack the power necessary to beat me!
Goku: Another one to add to the list.
Mira: What?
Goku: You couldn't stop at absorbing your own creator, could you? You had to take our energy as well. Someone like you, someone who can only get stronger by stealing the efforts of others…isn't fit to call themselves a fighter!
Mira: …You doubt my ability, is that it?! Fine! I'll show you my true power!
Mira once again begins to charge a massive ki sphere, though this one is made entirely from his own energy. As such, its size and power are multiplied dramatically, to the point where even Gogeta notices. He turns to look at the spectacle before having to block an incoming punch from Omega Shenron.
Gogeta: Hey! Do you mind? There's a real fight happening over there that I think I'd like to get involved in. So butt out, weakling. Or I'll just have to destroy you here and now.
Goku: Come on, Vegeta! We'll hit him with our full power this time!
Vegeta: Right! This fight's dragged on long enough! It's now or never!
Mira: It's over! TAKE THIS!
Vegeta: FINAL…!
Goku: KAMEHAMEHA!
Gogeta: BIG BANG KAMEHAMEHA!
All 3 Saiyans' final attacks, both fused and unfused, make contact with their target, and while Omega Shenron is utterly decimated, Mira puts up one last desperate struggle as he tries to push back the approaching beams. As his inevitable defeat draws closer to the point of no return, Mira's tensed expression turns into a begrudging smile.
Mira: Heh. So that's it, huh? It was a good fight, Time Patrol. I have…no regrets…!
Towa: This can't be happening! My plan was perfect! Damn you! DAMN YOU, TIME PATROL!
As Mira is torn apart by the blast, his fusion with Towa is undone, sending both denizens of the Demon Realm straight to oblivion. Panting, Goku and Vegeta slowly descend as their energy dwindles, falling onto their backs just before they reach the ground. The two want nothing more than to close their eyes and rest for a minute, but force themselves awake when they notice an impressed Gogeta hovering over them.
Gogeta: Hmph. Not bad. Of course, you're nowhere near my level, but you are just kids, after all. Speaking of, how is that? I swear it's been years since the last time you two showed up, yet here you are barely an inch taller.
Goku: Heheh…it's a long story.
Vegeta: One we don't have time for. Could you hurry up and hand us that Dark Dragon Ball?
Gogeta: Dark…? Oh, the Four-Star Ball! I was wondering why it looked like that. Guess that means the real one's still lying around here somewhere. Sure, it's all yours. It should be somewhere over there with the rest of them.
Goku: Got it! It's the Four-Star one, sure enough!
Vegeta: 4, 5, 6…the Seven-Star Ball must be up ahead. Come on, Goku! Let's get going!
Gogeta: Wait. You two are on your way to a fierce battle, aren't you?
Vegeta: Towa and Mira…those two were the only ones we saw go after the Dragon Balls, but that symbol on Mira's chest…Goku, wasn't that…?
Goku: Yeah, it was on Bardock's mask. The Supreme Kai of Time said something about the Time Breakers when she saw it, didn't she?
Vegeta: Yeah, that was it! I wouldn't be surprised if there were more of those guys looking for the Dragon Balls, so we have to keep moving!
Gogeta: Then take some of my energy. I'm about to defuse anyways.
The fusion waves a hand, and in an instant, the Time Patrollers are reinvigorated, ready to head into the lone rift that appeared nearby.
Goku: Thank you! We won't let you down, I promise!
Narrator: The overwhelming power of Mira has been vanquished, no thanks to the fusion of Goku and Vegeta-
Gogeta: Hey! You wanna come over here and say that to my face?
Narrator: What? No, I don't…how did you-?
Gogeta: You heard the kid, didn't you? He and his friend aren't gonna lose, that's a promise!
Narrator: Well…yes, but…we still have to wait and see what happens, next time on Neo Dragon Ball Heroes!
Gogeta: Neo what now? The hell is that?