CHAPTER 26

c26 – Flash of Power! Linze's Hidden Movement

For Linze, mastering instantaneous movement and controlling surging energy was a breakthrough that couldn't have come at a better time. The ability to manipulate flash movement, a hybrid of the Yardratian Instant Transmission and Ultra Instinct's instinctive dodging now held immense practical value.

"What's going on with that guy? Why is he spacing out all of a sudden?"

Toppo narrowed his eyes as he stared at Linze, who now stood still with a vacant look and a faint, almost imperceptible smirk. That expression, it wasn't confusion. It was awareness. That silent grin reminded Toppo of Goku when he first triggered the Ultra Instinct Omen at the Tournament of Power.

Still, regardless of what transformation or insight Linze might be experiencing, now was the time. Toppo, the proud warrior of Universe 11 and second-in-command of the Pride Troopers, would strike while the window was open.

"I'm not someone who strikes a defenseless opponent," Toppo muttered. "But this guy… he's strong. Far stronger than he lets on. If we want him in the Pride Troopers, I have to knock him down and show him our justice firsthand."

His aura flared. Fiery red and orange energy burst around him, the symbol of his God of Destruction candidate power crackling faintly within it, though suppressed. Toppo couldn't risk unleashing his Hakai form now, it would destroy too much.

Fwoosh!

With that thought, Toppo's figure blurred and vanished, reappearing beside Linze in a flash of speed that could rival Dyspo's Light Bullet Mode.

"Iron Fist of Justice!"

Toppo roared, muscles bulging, and hurled his massive, bowl-sized fist toward Linze's cheek, aiming for a clean knockout. This was a precise strike meant not to kill, but to subdue. He had seen Jiren train this way.

"Linze, watch out!"

No. 18 shouted instinctively, her sapphire eyes wide with alarm. Her voice cracked through the tension as her palm flew to her mouth. Even though she had witnessed Linze defeat energy monsters and match seasoned warriors, this was different. This was Toppo, a God of Destruction candidate, a man who rivaled even Goku in base strength.

Why was Linze just standing there?

The so-called "family moment" instantly turned bittersweet fear etched across No. 18's face, while on the sidelines, Taba, a junior Pride Trooper, was brimming with excitement.

"As expected of Captain Toppo," Taba muttered with a smirk. "His combat sense is flawless. He's exploiting the mental gap. This match is over. Though… having that guy join our squad… doesn't exactly sit well with me."

Fwoosh!

Toppo's fist smashed forward with a booming whoosh only to phase cleanly through Linze's torso.

"What?!"

An afterimage! The illusion dissolved into nothingness like vapor under heat. Toppo's pupils shrank.

"That was… not just any afterimage. It had mass… ki density… weight! When did he?"

Toppo was stunned. His punch had been amped with full strength close to his Justice Flash combo finishers. Not only did he miss, but he couldn't even detect Linze's movement. Not even Dyspo had dodged like this.

That speed, it wasn't raw velocity alone.

It was a deeper instinct.

"You lost, Toppo."

A calm, mocking voice echoed behind him.

Toppo's heart dropped.

What?! Behind me!?

Before he could even pivot, an enormous force exploded against the back of his head.

Smack!

Linze's right leg connected cleanly, sweeping across Toppo's skull with the torque of a Whirlwind Flash Kick, sending the massive warrior stumbling forward.

Boom!

A controlled gust of wind exploded outward from the impact zone, shaking the battlefield's stone platform.

Toppo grunted, knees buckling as he barely regained his footing. His eyes widened. That kick… it felt familiar.

Like Gohan's spinning strike against Kefla, or even Goku's Ultra Instinct backflip kick from the manga's later Tournament of Power chapters.

But it was more refined. Like he had been predicting not just Toppo's movementbut the entire outcome.

Then Toppo's body flew out like a blazing meteor, crashing toward the ground in a sharp diagonal arc.

BOOOOM!!

The instant his massive frame collided with the ground, the earth trembled violently. Dust billowed up in a dense cloud, and shards of shattered stone blasted outwards like a scattershot of bullets, tearing through the air.

A massive crater burst open beneath the impact point, the kind of sinkhole only beings with god-tier power could create. Jagged cracks spiderwebbed out in every direction, as if the earth itself had been struck by Beerus's finger flick.

At the bottom of that crater, the proud warrior of Universe 11, Toppo, lay embedded in the fractured stone.

"The Flash Movement is really easy to use."

Linze landed gracefully on a nearby ridge, his voice casual, even playful, as he gazed down at the stunned warrior.

Without the ultra-speed movement technique he'd just mastered an evolved version of Instant Transmission fused with the autonomous defense of Ultra Instinct there was no way he could have simultaneously avoided Toppo's Justice Fist and counterattacked with such precision.

Flash Movement wasn't just teleportation. It was momentum control, ki masking, and spatial reading all rolled into one. And within those critical seconds, it allowed him to complete an entire battle sequence, all before his opponent could even react.

Down below, No. 18 finally exhaled, the shock leaving her body all at once.

"Phew! This guy really scared me just now…"

She placed a hand over her chest, still slightly heaving. For a brief moment, she'd thought Linze had zoned out or frozen in fear. But now she realized, he had already calculated the entire outcome. She was worrying for nothing.

"Ahem…"

From the center of the crater, Toppo stirred. Slowly, painfully, he sat up, dust sliding off his shoulders and hair. The once-majestic aura of his God of Destruction candidate form had completely faded, his energy low and flickering.

"Captain! Are you alright?"

Taba rushed over, nearly tripping over rubble as he supported Toppo by the arm.

Toppo grunted, wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, and then… laughed.

"This guy… is stronger than I expected. I may have lost," he said, his voice hoarse but lighthearted, "but it's been a long time since I had such a fulfilling battle."

There was no frustration. No resentment. Only respect.

Huuuh

With a short burst of wind, Linze descended and landed softly in front of the wounded Toppo.

"So? Still want me on your Pride Troopers?"

Toppo looked up and cracked a smile, the same honest grin he gave Goku after their battle during the Zen Exhibition Match.

"Of course. If someone like you joined us, it would be a huge gain not just for Universe 11, but for all universes that believe in justice."

"Even if I lost… I still want you on the team. In fact, if you're willing, I'd step down and let you be captain."

Toppo chuckled, brushing himself off.

Linze blinked. "You're really that generous?"

"But… I'm not interested in joining for now. Maybe one day, when I've figured a few things out."

He reached out and patted Toppo on the shoulder.

Honestly, his view of the Pride Troopers' captain had changed. The Toppo from Dragon Ball Super always seemed cold, rigid. But now, seeing him up close like this, Linze saw another side principled, yes, but humble and sincere.

"Understood," Toppo nodded. "But this isn't the end. I won't let this defeat be the last word between us. One day, I will surpass you."

His words were not just bravado they were conviction, the kind that came from years of training under Gods like Belmod and Marcarita.

"That's the spirit," Linze laughed. "Although beating me is probably impossible, I'll still cheer you on."

Then his tone shifted.

"By the way… do you know where Jiren is?"

That name silenced the crater.

From the very beginning, Linze had always been curious about Jiren.

After all, among the Dragon Ball Super characters, the strongest pure mortals those outside the gods were clearly Jiren and Broly, the latter having emerged in the events of Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

Of course, Linze was aware. In terms of raw power and experience, he wasn't yet Jiren's equal. But someday…

"You know Jiren?" Toppo raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised. "Don't tell me… you're planning to challenge him?"

"Why not?"

Linze answered with a calm grin, the wind tousling his hair.

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