Chapter 76.4 : Hope!

At this moment, One-Star Dragon calmly spoke:

["This fool still wants to kill me, but little does he know I can possess the body of any evil dragon!]

[And in this moment, Vegeta couldn't maintain Super Saiyan 4 and reverted to his normal form.

[Utterly defenseless]

[The Supreme Kai who watched the battle looked despondent as the malevolence of the evil dragon threatened to consume the entire universe."]

The One-Star Dragon had fully regained its perfect strength, leaving fusion as the only option to stand a chance.

At this moment, a hushed silence fell over countless spectators, all waiting for the inevitable conclusion.

The end was near!

Even the end of the universe loomed!

Beerus, the God of Destruction, was already yawning in boredom.

"There's nothing interesting left. The Saiyans are done for."

Just as Beerus thought, Goku and Vegeta were struck down in a single turn, gravely injured and defeated.

[The power gap between the two sides was like an unbridgeable chasm.]

[The outcome was clear; the One-Star Dragon slowly ascended into the sky, crimson energy and black lightning coalescing above his head.]

At this moment, he seemed like a vengeful deity, ready to unleash divine retribution upon those who had dared to defy him.

[This battle seemed to be over.]

["This time, I will obliterate the entire Earth!]

["You... Let's meet in the afterlife, together!"]

One-Star Dragon waved his hand, and the energy sphere, crackling with black lightning, descended.

[Though not as terrifying as before, it still had the power to easily annihilate the Earth.]

Watching this doomsday trial, Gohan and the others fell into despair, realizing that there was no stopping it at this point.

The planet would be their burial ground, but this would not dishonor their legacy.

However, even this solace was fleeting. The fighters were still destined to lose.

But the next moment, shock spread through the spectators!

[A familiar figure rose once more!

[At this moment, Goku appeared as an ant facing a giant rolling wheel.]

[But he refused to yield!]

[Goku, bloodied and battered, took a resolute step, leaped, and seized the scarlet sphere of destruction with both hands.]

[The black lightning crackled around it and lashed at Goku violently.]

His hands were charred, his martial arts uniform was tattered, and his body was covered in burns.

[Yet, Goku gritted his teeth and held on, unwavering.]

In that moment, countless viewers' hearts swelled with tragedy and solemnity.

Goku's battered form appeared larger than life.

It seemed he would never give up as long as the flame of life still flickered.

Even if the Earth crumbled, it would only happen after his demise.

["What!!!]

[Pain stoked his strength, and Goku roared!]

[Just a bit more, just a bit more!]

If he could use his own body to counter the partial explosion, the Earth might be spared!

[BOOM!]

The red energy engulfed Goku entirely and annihilated the world.

A violent explosion ensued, causing the ground to heave and create massive waves.

The Earth remained intact, though a colossal crater now scarred its surface.

In the distance, Vegeta and the others emerged from the soil.

Weak and despondent, Goku's son, Gohan, wept, unable to feel his father's anger.

Countless viewers shed tears in that moment.

This warrior, who had protected others time and again, had fallen, but he had succeeded.

He had saved the Earth from destruction with his own life.

The One-Star Dragon's eyes widened in surprise, as he hadn't expected Goku to achieve this in such a dire condition. It was truly remarkable.

[Nonetheless, it was all in vain; no one could stop the One-Star Dragon.]

[The malevolent energy, like thick ink, surged from the One-Star Dragon's body and instantly engulfed the entire planet.

In a heartbeat, a shroud of dark clouds blanketed the world, plants withered, rivers turned black, and countless people began to perish.]

[The planet began to rot.]

Vegeta, for the first time, felt utterly powerless.

He had failed to protect Planet Vegeta in the past, and now Earth, his second home, was on the brink of annihilation.

[Pain, despair, and a gnawing sense of inadequacy enveloped him.]

[Yet, the next moment, Vegeta chuckled wryly. Even if he perished, he would do so in battle; he couldn't afford to be useless.]

Simultaneously, Gohan and the others launched a desperate attack on One-Star Dragon.

But the power disparity was too great, and One-Star Dragon toyed with them as if they were mice.

(…)

The camera suddenly panned to the ground, where Goku lay still in the soil.

Countless viewers were baffled as this lifeless figure suddenly emitted a heartbeat.

Sound!

It was the sound of a heartbeat.

[Goku, though ostensibly lifeless, had his heartbeat resonating in the hearts of countless people on Earth.]

[Life.]

[Everyone, please, lend me your life.]

[Though weak, his plea was resolute.]

[At that moment, countless Earthlings who hadn't perished raised their hands high.]

[Their blue light, brimming with hope and life, shone like a galaxy amidst the dark clouds.]

[They traversed mountains and seas, transcended countless spaces, and converged their energy above Goku's head, forming a sky-like blue energy sphere.]

Goku slowly opened his eyes, as though relinquishing something, and elevated the sphere of vitality.

At that moment, countless viewers wept.

They could see that Goku was lifeless, yet he now stood as a soul, seemingly corporeal, upholding hope.

Even Beerus was moved at this unprecedented sight.

Among his countless eons, he had never witnessed a soul like this, neither before nor likely ever again.

Vegeta, his arm impaled by the One-Star Dragon's bone spike, was flung to the edge of the crater like discarded trash.

A blue light suddenly gleamed in Vegeta's pained eyes, bewildering him at first, and then filling him with amazement.

[The next instant, everyone witnessed the radiance.]

The One-Star Dragon's eyes widened in astonishment.

["Impossible! You were clearly dead!!][He couldn't comprehend how his foe had returned to life, and the azure energy sphere seemed to threaten him.]

[Suddenly, his palms unleashed a barrage of energy blasts, relentlessly bombarding Goku.]

But no matter how relentless the assault, Goku made no move to counter.

And his voice resonated throughout the universe through the Supreme Kai.

["Friends across the universe, please share your life force with me and help protect the Earth and the entire universe!"]

[At that moment, inhabitants of countless planets ceased what they were doing. It was as though they saw the scene and, the next moment, raised their hands in unison.]

Even now, many viewers recognized

 that what they saw was merely a video, yet they raised their hands without hesitation.

Uzumaki Naruto, Luffy, Natsu, Kurosaki Ichigo, Seimei...

Countless individuals shed tears as they raised their hands.

This was the enduring spirit, the unwavering belief!

Never abandon hope!

[For the first time in a silent universe, a torrent emerged.]

[Countless energies representing hope and life, exceeding the speed of light, traversed the entire universe toward Earth.]

[The azure energy sphere had grown to the size of the sky at this point.]

["This is the power of the entire universe!"]

Goku shouted, hurling the sphere of vitality down with force.

[Within the blue-white radiance, in the collective belief of the entire universe, the One-Star Dragon dissolved instantly.]

[Then the vitality sphere carved a path through the Earth and soared out of the planet.]

The next moment, the entire universe lit up.

*****

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