The Doom Slayer observed the Saiyan child with great attention, as the latter sat on the ground, relishing his apple. The former gleaned a few insights from his interaction with the boy. He discerned that the child was brimming with energy, possessed a pure heart akin to his mother's, and had a somewhat whimsical disposition. This was in stark contrast to the Saiyans he had encountered on Planet Vegeta.

The Slayer was taken aback not only by the boy's lively and benevolent disposition, which contrasts starkly with the cold-blooded demeanor of a Saiyan. But also by the fact that the boy introduced himself as Goku, rather than Kakarot. The Slayer surmised that someone had bestowed a name upon the child and had likely taken him under their wing.

If this were the case, where is the boy's caretaker? It would be reasonable to assume that upon his arrival, the caretaker would have noticed his presence. Alternatively, it is possible that the demon with whom he was recently engaged in a physical altercation may have caused harm to the caretaker prior to his arrival. However, in such a scenario, one would expect to find a deceased individual.

"You know, you're really quiet."

The Doom Slayer looked down at Goku who stared back at him with a wide smile. Goku beamed at the Slayer.

"You're not much of a talker, aren't you?" Goku asked, tilting his head before chomping another bite of his apple and swallowing it down. "It's okay, I understand. My grandpa Gohan once told me, If I ever meet an animal or a person that's shy, I should always take a slow approach and be patient with them."

"…" The Slayer stared at him blankly.

The Slayer firmly grasped the handle of his firearm. Upon encountering Goku, whose name he found to be rather peculiar, the Slayer's initial impulse was to discourage him by brandishing his shotgun in close proximity. Having endured countless ages in the depths of Hell amidst unspeakable company, he was determined to prevent fate from claiming the life of this virtuous and honorable child who had unfortunately crossed his path.

Upon hearing of Goku from his mother Gine, the Slayer regarded him as a paragon of goodness and purity. He believed that Goku was too virtuous and pure to become a warrior and make the necessary sacrifices, which would condemn his soul to eternal damnation by spilling the blood of humanity's enemies and walking the path of perpetual torment. This was a burden that only the Slayer could bear.

He should just leave him and return back to his ship.

"I'm detecting a heat signature in the area; someone is approaching." Vega announced, breaking the peaceful tranquility.

The Slayer turned around and aimed his super-shotgun forward. His eyes fixated on the path from where he entered. Goku got up on his feet and stepped to the Slayer's side.

"Oh, wow," breathed Goku. "So you can talk! A bit weird though, but hey, you talked!"

The Doom Slayer paid no heed to Goku, his finger poised just inches away from the trigger, prepared to unleash a barrage of shells upon whoever dared to approach the end of the path. From behind the trees, all he could discern was a slender, black blur. However, as the blur gradually became more discernible, he lowered his weapon.

At the entrance, the Slayer beheld the visage of a girl. With her hands placed upon her hips, she surveyed her surroundings, as if to confirm her location. Her complexion was of a milky hue, and her hair was a braided ponytail of blue, adorned with a red ribbon. She was attired in a brief pink dress, with capital letters emblazoned upon the center of her bosom. Her footwear consisted of blue sneakers and purple socks. The Slayer's eyes crawled from the girl's face to the capital letters emblazoned on said bosom.

Bulma.

Must be her name, the Slayer thought.

The Slayer watched Bulma turn and met his gaze.

Bulma blinked. She smiled and waved her hand.

"Hi there." Bulma greeted, approaching the duo. "I didn't know there were people living up here."

The Doom Slayer straightened in his stance. His super-shotgun fell to a relaxed position. He glanced down to the ground in time to see Goku taking a step forward, pointing his red pole at the girl. His eyes narrowed dangerously at Bulma.

"Keep back, I don't know what you are, but you better not hurt my friend." Goku warned Bulma, assuming a poised stance for combat. Both the Slayer and Bulma stared blankly at him.

The Doom Slayer arched a brow at Goku; this kid just met him. In the heat of battle nonetheless. He barely knows anything about him. And now he considers him a friend? His brow twitches at the mere thought of that word. He only just met him and already the Slayer wanted to get as far away from this kid as possible.

"Wait, hold on little guy," Bulma said, raising her hands. "I'm not an enemy or anything, honest."

"Oh yeah?" Goku wasn't convinced.

"We are cognizant that you pose no threat," Vega declared. "However, if I may, would you kindly disclose your name?"

The Doom Slayer lifted his gaze towards Vega's emblem on his heads-up display. Vega did not need to inquire about the young lady's name, as her identity was evidently displayed on her chest. Thus, the pair was already privy to her name. Nevertheless, for the sake of the circumstance, he was courteously posing the question.

Bulma raised an eyebrow at the Slayer's visor.

"Bulma," she replied.

Goku twitched his head between Bulma and the Slayer and blinked his eyes.

"Oh, so we're doing introductions? Hehe, in that case." Goku switched the red pole to his left hand and the other to point at himself proudly. "My name is Goku. G.O.K.U!" He announced cheerfully.

"Well, that's a strange name." Bulma remarked.

Goku couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, but not as strange as yours."

Bulma narrowed her eyes and puffed her cheeks.

"Hey, "Bulma," happens to be a pretty name for a girl; it's a lot better than Goku that's for sure!"

Goku puzzlingly gazed at Bulma.

"You're a girl?" Goku asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, what about it?" Bulma responded.

The Doom Slayer glanced down at Goku. He raised a brow at him; did he not notice until now? What in the world is with this kid?

A small, dark red sphere suddenly appeared behind Bulma. Without hesitation, the Slayer quickly ran to her side and escorted her behind him. The sphere grew larger and transformed into a massive, spiraling portal. The circular void was decorated with light orange streaks, and magical particles emanated from it like sparks from a firework.

From the aforementioned portal, a group of individuals emerged, all of whom were covered in black cloaks that concealed their physical features except for their hands. The Slayer counted them one by one, starting from two, then four, and eventually reaching fifteen. These cloaked figures stood together in unison.

"Is that him?" One of the cloaked figures inquired.

The leader nodded. "Yes."

Another cloak enigmatic turned to their leader.

"Then we all know the drill. No matter what, we can't let him get in the way of our plans."

Bulma peaked around the Slayer's biceps and stared at the strange group that was standing five feet away from them.

"Who are those guys?" Bulma asked, her face strained with worry.

"I don't know. But I'm getting the feeling that they're not friendly." Goku replied. The Doom Slayer nodded in agreement.

One of the cloaked figures dodged through his companions and stood beside the leader. They formed a smirk underneath the shadow of their hood; they were confident in taking down the armored behemoth.

"I'll take care of 'em." Right fist clenched swiftly, and a bright crimson aura surrounded it. The cloaked figure then proceeded to launch forward, with the intention of striking the face of the Doom Slayer.

Regrettably, his confidence waned abruptly when the Slayer effortlessly caught it. His companions, Goku, and Bulma observed in silence as the Doom Slayer firmly grasped the enigmatic figure's throat. His throat constricted, causing him to gasp for air. Suddenly, his world spun as he was forcefully thrown to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

The Slayer grasps the edges of his head and, with a swift twist, rotates it one-hundred and sixty degrees, causing his head to go limp before collapsing on one knee to the ground. The unfortunate soul did not even have the opportunity to utter a sound.

Bulma collapsed on her rear and gaped up at the Doom Slayer with wide eyes.

Goku's large eyes stared at the limp body of the cloaked figure's twisted, mangled head.

His stomach plummeted.

The armored behemoth killed him without a second thought.

Goku was stunned.

None more so than Bulma.

Bulma's body trembled violently as she looked up at the armored man. She was dumbstruck; any investigative thoughts left her at once. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to run away and never look back. She could run until she was out of the forest, out of the valley, out of her mind. She was overwhelmed by panic; her urge to flee reduced her to a quaking mess.

Bulma was a little afraid of the cloaked individuals that had arrived out of the blue; but after what she had witnessed, she was more terrified of the armored psychopath than the creepy cloaked men.

"He killed our comrade," one cloaked figure growled. "Bastard!"

A cloaked figure turned their gaze to the leader. "What now boss?"

The leader clicked their tongue.

"Alright, change of plans. Kill the bastard." Their gaze shifted to Goku and Bulma. "And while you're at it, dispose of them too. Can't have any witnesses."

Goku went rigid and Bulma jumped to her feet.

"What?!" Shouted Bulma. "H-Hey, come on boys. You wouldn't kill such a pure, beautiful girl like me would you?"

A giant cloaked figure took one step forward.

"Right?"

Two steps.

"Right?"

Three steps.

Goku glanced up at Bulma. "I don't think they're listening, Bulma."

The Doom Slayer grabbed the duo and threw them behind him. He jumped backwards, evading a beam of energy shot by the cloaked giant. The Slayer quickly retrieved his heavy rifle from his space inventory, aiming it at his target, and launched a barrage of micro missiles. Piercing the giant's flesh before exploding, leaving it in pieces within seconds. Another attempted to attack the Slayer from behind. But he was able to roll his body and deliver a swift kick to the jaw-line, sending his attacker flying.

In midair, the Slayer utilized the mobility of his boot thrusters, executing a double jump for a secure landing. With a weighty thud, he landed firmly on the torso of another cloaked person. In a flash, the Doom Slayer extended his arm and grasped the individual by the throat, causing their airway to constrict. The individual gasped for air until the Doom Slayer effortlessly snapped their neck like a twig, causing their head to go limp. Leaving their comrades in a state of shock. The armored behemoth then discarded the body and proceeded to the next target.

Four individuals, cloaked in mystery, encircled the Doom Slayer. In unison, their hands illuminated before unleashing formidable beams in his direction. The surroundings were bathed in a purple hue, with shadows tracing every contour. Their lips curved into a satisfied smile, as they believed they had killed him and avenged their fallen comrades. However, when the smoke dissipated, they were taken aback to discover that their target... had vanished?

Then came what sounded like a jet-engine rising, directing the attention of the remaining four to the area behind them. Their eyes slowly widened as they all felt their heart stop at the sight behind them.

The Slayer was holding a large metallic object in his hands, which had four long sets of barrels and was as big as his torso. The barrels started to spin slowly, and with each passing second, their speed increased. As soon as the speed reached its peak, a swarm of powerful rounds struck all four of his attackers. While some were able to dodge out of the way, others were not so fortunate and were turned into twisted, mangled corpses.

The Slayer was accosted by another cloak attacker who exclaimed, "Got you!" Despite the gruesome demise of their companions, the attacker swung a Ki-blade at the Slayer.

The Slayer caught the attacker's hand mid-swing and delivered a gauntlet fist to their face. Pain exploded through said face. The attacker fell to the ground and struggled to recover. The Slayer did not allow them time to recuperate and delivered a bone-shattering kick to their left hip, sending them soaring a hundred feet into the air.

Several more attackers charged at him. One tried to throw a punch but got slapped hard to the side, the other was stopped by the Slayer kicking the side of the attacker's left knee, breaking their leg as they could feel their bones bending. They would have screamed had the Doom Slayer not silence them with a sickening punch through their head with practiced ease.

Another cloaked figure stood frozen. Rendered speechless upon witnessing the imposing presence of the Doom Slayer. Their once proud, confident, and arrogant demeanor was replaced with one of pure sorrow and regret. In a swift motion, the Slayer thrust his fist through the chest of the individual, retrieving their heart and crushing it with sheer force. The individual's body subsequently collapsed to the ground.

Away from the massacre of a battle, Goku and Bulma watched from behind his grandpa's house.

In complete candor, Goku was filled with fear at the sight before him, yet he was equally struck with admiration. Never before had he witnessed such a remarkable demonstration of skill and sheer might. He harbored doubts as to whether he could ever aspire to such levels of power.

Bulma stood closely beside Goku, her lips trembling with fear. The violence, fury, power, and brutality displayed by the lone fighter were unimaginable. Despite the armored behemoth protecting her and Goku, It was difficult to believe that such a being could be considered a hero.

Rather he appeared to be a monster in human form, an unholy creature from the darkest depths of hell. As Bulma watched the armored behemoth fight, she felt sheer terror at the thought that he had been in close proximity to Goku before her arrival. She trembled as she considered the destruction such a being might wreak upon those that stand in his way.

The Doom Slayer withdrew his fist and executed an air punch directly at his assailants. The impact of his blow sent all of them, including their leader, soaring into the air, causing a commotion that shook everything around them. Everyone was screaming by the sheer force of the wind.

Once the wind cleared Goku and Bulma saw just in time to see one assailant sprinting full pelt towards the armored behemoth. They didn't let out a sound of battle. The cloaked individual leapt and swung their flaming fist hard at the side of the Slayer's neck. The armored man's hand snapped up at the last second, and he turned, catching the attacker's hand in his, narrowing his eyes up at him.

Goku's eyes widened; such speed! He barely saw it coming.

The eyes of the assailant widened in shock as he witnessed how effortlessly the Doom Slayer blocked their attack. The Slayer then swiftly pulled him down, causing the attacker to let out a yelp. The armored man's knee rushed up, catching the assailant in the gut, leaving him doubled over and gasping in pain.

The Doom Slayer growled and retrieved his double barrel shotgun. He snapped the ejector open, reloading it with another set of shells before aiming his weapon at the assailant's head and fired. Blood splattered the earth with a wet splat.

The Slayer turned his head to catch sight of another cloaked assailant rushing towards him, their eyes blazing with animosity. He pivoted his body to confront them, raising both hands and stepping backwards, clenching his fingers into a tight fist. Just as the attacker was about to strike him, the Slayer sidestepped, and a loud, bone-chilling crunch echoed through the air.

The right fist of the Slayer made contact with the side of the victim's neck, effortlessly exerting his might. The attacker's eyes contracted as their windpipe was crushed, and their forward momentum was halted by the equal stopping force of the punch. The attacker's body betrayed them, swinging freely and shifting out from under the overwhelming power of the punch, ultimately hitting the ground with a thud.

The assailant convulsed and contorted on the ground, struggling to draw breath through their damaged windpipe, only to have it inundated with blood that flowed freely from their oral cavity. They writhed and convulsed, as their vision faded into oblivion. The episode persisted for a brief moment until the assailant's corporeal form eventually ceased all movement, having relinquished its vitality.

There was silence.

"Ugh, this is ridiculous. I thought this would be easy!" One cloaked individual growled.

"This can't be right. He shouldn't be this strong." Another cloaked individual added.

Another chimed in. "And what're those weapons he's holding? We trained ourselves to handle all kinds of weapons that could never penetrate us; and yet he is slaughtering our comrades like nothing!"

The leader blinked under the shadow of their hood. They placed their hand over their ear, listening.

"Master? Yes but, I believe we may have underestimated him Master. This armored brute has already killed a few of my subordinates. I'm afraid keeping him distracted won't be an easy task. Yes. What? Are you sure? Yes Master…"

Paragu launched forward to punch the cloaked figure hard across the face as he built an orb of energy in his hands. It vanished when he received the hit, but he recovered swiftly, rushing in a kick at his right side. Paragu was sent crashing into the ground and slid a good way before managing to get back to his feet and rush back toward his opponent. At this point, Shugesh had engaged him and managed to get one elbow in that only made the enigmatic figure stumble before he was knocked back.

Fasha swiftly assumed control, charging a blast in her hands, and raising her hand to release it, propelling it towards him. The cloaked figure ascended to evade it, yet Fasha had foreseen his movements. She swiftly ascended and drove her knee into his jaw. He was propelled backwards, but executed a flip and swiftly faced her once more, fixing her with a menacing gaze. He launched a punch at her, which initiated a heated brawl that ensued along the entire landscape.

Each knuckle that collided with its counterpart generated a wind-like shockwave, causing small ripples in the surrounding air. Despite the rapidity of their punches and kicks, Fasha managed to keep her adversary at a distance, even as they exchanged blows in this manner. It didn't take long for her to be knocked down as well.

Torah was the next to make a move. He propelled himself forward, aiming to strike by swinging his foot in a roundhouse kick towards the assailant. Regrettably, the attacker swiftly evaded the blow, deftly maneuvering to the side and ensnaring Torah's leg with his arm. This unexpected turn of events caused Torah to emit a yelp of surprise as he was effortlessly flipped over, landing rather roughly on his back.

The impact caused him to gasp in pain, as the air was forcefully expelled from his lungs. The cloaked assailant wasted no time and swiftly ascended his arm, still clutching Torah's leg, hoisting him up into the air before forcefully propelling him forward. Bardock, accompanied by his comrades, promptly shifted to the side, their gazes fixed upon Torah as he was sent hurtling past them.

The cloaked figure swiftly lunged forward, in a mere blink of an eye, directing a kick directly towards Bardock's countenance. Bardock promptly raised his arms in a cross formation, successfully intercepting the blow. He winced as he felt the pressure exerted upon his arms, yet he steadfastly maintained his position. Bardock clenched his teeth, sensing his muscles gradually weakening under the weight of the assailant. His hands trembled, barely managing to withstand the force of the attack.

Subsequently, the cloaked figure lowered his leg, prompting Bardock to swiftly evade the incoming kick by rolling aside. Bardock seized the opportunity to grasp the assailant's foot, compelling him to release his grip, before deftly twisting his body and delivering a forceful punch towards the assailant's solar plexus. However, the assailant skillfully countered the attack by blocking it with his forearm. Both adversaries cautiously distanced themselves from one another, their eyes narrowed in a vigilant manner, as Bardock warily observed the cloaked figure.

Shugesh and Borgos flew past Bardock towards the cloaked figure. The cloaked assailant launched forward and the trio began to brawl. They trailed along the area, dodging and deflecting each other's punches and kicks. It wasn't long before Shugesh and Borgos landed next to Bardock. From behind the assailant, Fasha jumped up into the air and glared down at him.

"Alright, bastard. Let's see if you can handle this!" She aimed down a hand at her target and her ultimate signature move built up in her hand, a wild ball of purple with electricity spewing out from it in jagged patterns, and fired.

A sense of worry lingered within Bardock when the cloaked figure didn't dodge.

Fasha felt grim satisfaction when her attack met its mark and she watched her opponent fly off over the horizon with the blast. The purple sphere exploded filling up the world around them. Everything was painted in purple light and traced with shadow. After a few minutes the light faded, returning the atmosphere to its normal state.

Fasha kept her gaze to where the assailant flew off with her attack. She smirked. "Heh, that'll tea—"

"Is that it?"

Fasha didn't have time to turn around as she was punched in the head by the voice's fist. The lights switched off in Fasha's head. When Fasha opened her eyes a few seconds later she was airborne. She caught a branch to the gut, stopping her flight. She slowly lowered herself into a ditch filled with ferns. Pain flooded her body.

Fasha groaned and leaned against the tree while regulating her breathing. Her panting breaths gradually subsided. She looked up and saw Bardock and her teammates twisted in a scream, rushing towards her. Her teammates crashed into Fasha, and they slammed into the ditch. Coughing and groaning, they pulled themselves up by standing upright.

From above them, the mysterious assailant was floating in the air. Glaring down at them with his arms crossed. The figure was no longer wearing their cloak. The figure was very tall and muscular. He had solid facial structure with less pronounced cheekbones, a rounder chin, and a straight nose. Several orange patches dotted his arms and bore crimson skin.

The assailant donned a black Gi, pointy gray shoes and black wristbands. Bardock immediately recognized the creature that floated above them, a type of race known as a Namekian. But this foe looked different than the average Namekian.

"I was told that you Saiyans were the strongest warrior race, so I was hoping for a challenge, but all I've found is disappointment." The red Namekian said, crossing his arms.

"Bastard." Shugesh exclaimed.

The red Namekian grunted. "Despite how pathetic you are, I'll admit, you're the first to ever last a minute fighting with me. Normally the average person would die against me in combat."

"Well, we assure you tough guy that we are not your average warrior." Shugesh said, smirking confidently. The red Namekian narrowed his eyes at him.

"That remains to be seen, vermin."

The red Namekian clenched his fist and descended fast towards them.

Broly found himself in a precarious situation as he deftly evaded a barrage of violent green ki blast. The world around him seemed to blur as he moved backwards, avoiding ki blast with calculated precision. The other Broly, his duplicate, laughed mockingly as he unleashed his multiple projectiles. The force of each blast was enough to cause buildings to explode upon impact, leaving a hole of destruction in their wake.

Before Broly could take any action, the duplicate delivered a forceful blow to his abdomen with his fist. Broly's eyes widened, as the air swiftly escaped from his lungs and pain surged through his entire body. The duplicate swiftly followed up by twisting his torso and delivering a powerful kick, propelling Broly through the air. The impact was so forceful and rapid that Broly had no opportunity to regain control and straighten himself before colliding with one of the adjacent buildings. Although he managed to slow down just enough to prevent the entire structure from collapsing upon impact, Broly's body became indented into the wall, necessitating his effort to extricate himself while gasping in pain.

Broly inhaled deeply, redirecting his focus towards the duplicate, who remained suspended in the air, smirking down at him with crossed arms. Broly rose to his feet, gently wiping away some of the blood from his nose. Despite the intense pain coursing through his body, he clenched his fists together, determined to disregard it. Propelling himself forward, he delivered a forceful punch to the duplicate's face.

Although he received the blow, the duplicate swiftly recovered, promptly delivering a kick to his right side. Broly was propelled into the ground, sliding a considerable distance before managing to regain his footing and swiftly charging back towards his opponent. He generated a blast in his hand, propelling it towards his adversary with a forceful upward motion. The duplicate ascended to evade the attack, yet Broly had anticipated his movements.

Broly swiftly ascended, forcefully striking his knee against the duplicate's jaw. However, the duplicate did not emit a cry of pain. Instead, he quickly discerned Broly's intentions and leaped backwards, promptly springing into action. With a swift swing of his arm, he emitted a beam of energy towards Broly, who adeptly evaded it by ducking out of harm's way. Seizing the opportunity, the duplicate dashed forward, forcefully striking his fist into Broly's stomach. Broly doubled over, audibly groaning in pain, while the duplicate emitted a hearty laugh.

"Just look at you. You look like me and yet you can't even handle my overflowing power? How disappointing!" The Broly duplicate boasted. "Are you just that weak or are you possibly holding back on me?"

"…" Broly didn't grace his other with a response.

"Oh, what's wrong? Cat caught your tongue? Or maybe—"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Broly leapt to his feet with a cry, a power he never knew he was capable of bursting forth from his center. It erupted around him like a wildfire, whirling and flaring wildly. His hair stood up, his bangs sharpened, and his height slowly increased. Everything around him shook and lighting lashed down around him, lacing into his aura as it whipped from white to green. New strength flooded his veins, and Broly finally stopped screaming to the heavens, lowering his head and fixating his now yellow gaze onto the duplicate.

The Broly duplicate no longer looked arrogant. No longer had that infuriating smug smirk on his lips. No, he stared at Broly with a surprised expression. But his smirk returned as he chuckled.

"Ah… so I was right." The Broly duplicate's smirk slightly widened. "So you were holding back some hidden power."

Broly gritted his teeth. Glaring at the duplicate with sheer contempt. The Broly duplicate chuckled and his emerald aura flared up in rapid spikes. He assumed a poised stance for combat.

"So what if you powered up? It still won't be enough to beat me!"

The pair dashed forth and clashed.

A/N: Hey it's me, Goku! Wow, it was awesome happening to see Broly show his hidden power to the other Broly. But I wonder if it will really be enough to take him down? I mean look at all that power he's got, if the duplicate can grow to be this strong then maybe our Broly can be as well. But only time will tell. Oh no, Kolard doesn't look so good. He looks to be having a really hard time right now. Just do your best Kolard! You can do it!

Next time on DOOM: INCARNATION!

CHAPTER 15: ULTIMATE COUNTER