Frieza had stopped Kale's punch with just two fingers. The casual display of overwhelming superiority left everyone stunned—including Kale herself, who froze for half a second in pure disbelief.
That half-second was all Golden Frieza needed.
He stepped forward, closing the distance, and drove his fist into Kale's abdomen with a strike that looked almost lazy. The impact folded her body around his knuckles, driving the air from her lungs.
"Oh my." Frieza's grin turned vicious, his eyes gleaming crimson. "That seemed rather indelicate, didn't it?" His leg swept up in a devastating arc. "Allow me to correct that mistake."
BOOM.
The kick launched Kale's massive frame across the battlefield. She crashed into the arena floor with enough force to create another crater, her berserker body carving a trench through solid stone.
Frieza casually brushed his nose with one finger, satisfaction radiating from every movement. He turned to walk away, already dismissing the Legendary Super Saiyan as defeated—
"TAKE THIS!" Three voices roared in unison.
Caulifla, Cabba, and Renso emerged from cover, combining their remaining strength to protect their fallen comrade. Three energy waves—each a brilliant beam of concentrated ki—spiraled together, intertwining like angry dragons. Fire and lightning crackled along their length as the combined attack surged forward with shocking power.
The blast looked capable of punching straight through the void itself.
"Hmph!" Frieza's playful expression vanished, replaced by genuine focus. His hands shot forward, golden energy exploding around his body. "HAH!"
He charged directly into the combined attack, meeting overwhelming force with even greater power. The collision sent shockwaves rippling outward in every direction. Displaced air carved into the ground like invisible blades, leaving slash marks that resembled fangs.
Golden Frieza's momentum far exceeded their combined might. The three-way energy beam held for exactly three seconds before the balance shattered.
Frieza burst through their attack like it was paper, scattering the beams into harmless sparks. His charge continued unabated, and he crashed into all three Saiyans simultaneously.
Caulifla, Cabba, and Renso tumbled across the arena floor, their golden auras flickering weakly.
But Kale refused to stay down. Rage gave her strength—primal, unstoppable fury that pushed her battered body into motion. She launched herself at Frieza with a roar that shook the battlefield.
CRASH.
They collided head-on. Shockwaves erupted from the impact, visible waves of force that tore chunks from the ground. Brilliant light spilled from their clash, momentarily blinding nearby fighters.
Yet even in berserker state, even with legendary transformation pushing her beyond normal limits, Kale remained inferior. Each exchange left new wounds on her body. Frieza fought almost playfully, arms folded across his chest, using only his legs and tail to counter her furious assault.
"It's over!" Champa clutched his face in the spectator stands, voice climbing toward hysteria. "Kale can't beat Frieza! At this rate, I'll lose four fighters at once!" Sweat poured down his face. "And Hit alone might not be enough to handle Goku. We're finished! FINISHED!"
Vados smiled serenely, though mischief danced in her eyes. "Oh my, Lord Champa. I'll miss you terribly after your universe is erased..." She even pantomimed wiping away a tear.
"NO!" Champa's voice cracked. "It won't end like this!" He leaned over the railing, screaming toward the battlefield. "CAULIFLA! REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU!"
Down in the arena, Caulifla jerked as if struck. Champa's reminder cut through her pain and exhaustion. She hesitated—the implications were enormous, the risk catastrophic—but watching Kale get systematically destroyed made the decision for her.
Her hand dove into her tube top and emerged clutching a small, golden earring.
Potara. The Supreme Kai's fusion earrings. Champa had given them to her in secret with strict instructions: use them only when facing impossible odds. She wore one. Kale wore the other.
The odds had officially become impossible.
"KALE!" Caulifla's shout tore her throat, blood bubbling at her lips. "THE EARRINGS!"
Frieza's latest kick had sent Kale sprawling. The berserker Saiyan pushed herself upright, gasping for breath, her stance unsteady. Only her exceptionally durable physiology kept her conscious—any normal fighter would have been eliminated several impacts ago.
But when she heard Caulifla's voice, understanding flashed across Kale's face. Her hand moved to her own ear.
"Hehehehe." Frieza observed the four battered Saiyans with dark amusement. They looked like candles guttering in strong wind—barely clinging to consciousness. He'd had his fun. Time to finish this. "Farewell, Saiyans. Do give my regards to oblivion."
He stepped forward, preparing to kick them all off the stage—
Kale pressed the Potara to her ear.
Frieza froze. What?
Since when did female Saiyans wear jewelry in the middle of combat? Was this some bizarre warrior tradition he'd never encountered?
Then reality warped before his eyes, and confusion gave way to shock.
Caulifla and Kale were pulled together by an invisible force. Brilliant light enveloped both their bodies, so intense it hurt to look at directly. Their silhouettes overlapped, merging, becoming one. The power radiating from the fusion point skyrocketed beyond anything either had possessed individually.
"WHAT IS THIS?!" Frieza's composure shattered completely.
He knew Saiyans—knew their transformations, their tactics, their limitations. The Saiyans of Universe Seven had taught him everything about their race's capabilities. But this? Fusion? Two warriors becoming a single, vastly more powerful entity?
This was completely new.
"Hey!" Beerus shot to his feet in the stands, pointing accusingly at Champa. "YOU CHEATED!"
Recognition rippled through the divine observers. Those were Supreme Kai Potara earrings—tools of the gods, absolutely forbidden as external aids in the tournament.
Protests erupted from multiple universes' sections.
"Wow!" Grand Zeno bounced in his seat, legs swinging with childlike enthusiasm. "That's so cool! Two people turned into one person! And look how much stronger they got!"
The Grand Priest raised one hand, silencing the complaints. "Your Majesty, the tournament rules do prohibit the use of items and weapons. However, if you find this development interesting—"
"It's SUPER interesting!" Zeno clapped his hands together. "Let's make a special rule! Potara fusion is allowed! I want to see what happens!"
When the Omni-King made a ruling, argument became impossible. The Gods of Destruction fell silent, though several glared daggers at Champa.
The God of Destruction of Universe Six collapsed back into his seat, barely suppressing nervous laughter. That had been an incredible gamble. If Zeno had been displeased, Caulifla and Kale would have been immediately disqualified—maybe worse. But he'd read the Omni-King correctly.
The bet had paid off.
The light faded. Where Caulifla and Kale had stood, a single warrior remained—tall, powerful, radiating confidence and barely contained fury. Her hair was a wild mane of black, her build combining Caulifla's lean athleticism with Kale's muscular power. Energy crackled around her in visible waves.
KEFLA.
A storm of power exploded outward from the fusion warrior, wind whipping across the entire battlefield. Every fighter still standing turned to stare at this new presence—this unexpected variable that had just entered the tournament.
"Hahaha!" Kefla's laugh was exuberant, fierce, alive. "This power is INCREDIBLE! Frieza—I'm not afraid of you anymore!"
"Hmph." Frieza's shock transformed into disdain. "Two warriors fuse into one and suddenly you think you're my equal? How arrogant."
But Kefla's confidence wasn't bluster. She could feel the power flowing through her veins—Caulifla's technique and fighting instinct combined with Kale's berserker strength, multiplied exponentially by Potara's fusion mechanics.
She kicked off the ground.
The arena floor exploded beneath her feet. Kefla rocketed forward like a missile, crossing the distance to Frieza in a fraction of a second. Waves of displaced air rippled outward from her passage.
Frieza's eyes widened—she was fast—
BOOM!
Their fists collided with simultaneous impact. The shockwave from the clash could be felt across the entire World of Void, a physical thunderclap that rattled bones.
For the first time since achieving Golden form, Frieza felt his arm strain against an opponent's strength. This fusion warrior wasn't just surviving his power—she was matching it. Possibly even exceeding it in pure physical might.
The realization sent ice through his veins.
"What—" Frieza attacked again, fury replacing shock. "Impossible!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
They exchanged blows at speeds that blurred even to superhuman perception. Each impact created miniature shockwaves. The ground beneath them cracked further with every strike.
Then Kefla's aura changed. Silver lightning erupted around her body, her power climbing even higher. The fusion was still adapting, still growing, seemingly without limit.
"DAMN YOU!" Frieza's arm went numb from blocking a punch that felt like getting hit by a meteor. "DAMN SAIYANS AND YOUR ENDLESS TRANSFORMATIONS!"
"AHHHHHHHH!" Kefla thrust both hands skyward. Six crimson energy spheres materialized in the air above her—massive, pulsing with apocalyptic power. Electric arcs connected them like a web of lightning. "TAKE THIS!"
All six spheres launched simultaneously, converging on Frieza from multiple angles. The speed made evasion impossible—the attack pattern left no escape route.
Frieza's teeth ground together. He roared, golden aura exploding as he erected an energy barrier around his entire body. "I REFUSE TO FALL TO A SAIYAN!"
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM.
The explosions merged into one continuous detonation. The arena floor trembled. Chunks of the battlefield—already weakened by previous battles—broke free entirely, floating away like islands torn from a continent.
Kefla laughed through the smoke and fire, exhilaration flooding her combined consciousness. This was power. This was what it meant to fight at the pinnacle.
When the smoke cleared, Frieza stood at the center of a scorched crater. His golden form remained intact, but soot covered his body. His eyes blazed with pure, undiluted rage.
The Emperor of the Universe had found an equal.
And he hated it.