Silence gripped the arena. Only heavy breathing—ragged gasps drawn through nostrils—broke the stillness. No one had recovered from the overwhelming shock.
Vegito had eliminated Universe Twelve in a single flash of movement. Victory secured before Casserale could even process what was happening.
Then Shazazero—the God of Destruction's twin brother—fell under Vegito's unstoppable assault. Against Jiren, Shazazero had barely maintained combat capability. Against Vegito? He had one exchange before being overwhelmed by irresistible force.
Universe One eliminated.
Only one opponent remained. Jiren of Universe Eleven—the warrior who'd seemed invincible just minutes ago.
"Hah... hah..." Jiren's chest heaved. His eyes blazed crimson, forehead veins bulging, muscles swelling beyond normal limits. He squeezed every drop of potential from his body, refusing to accept defeat. "I won't lose. Fusion or not—you cannot defeat me!"
Intense battles pushed warriors to surpass their limits. The more desperate the struggle, the more incredible the breakthrough. And Jiren—already monumentally powerful—now transcended even his previous peak. Energy erupted around his frame, tiny lightning arcs scorching the air. Gorgeous light enveloped his body, excitement mixing with domineering presence.
This was the final battle. The ultimate confrontation between him and Vegito.
CRACK.
The air split. What remained of the arena shattered into countless tiny platforms—no large battlefields left, just floating islands scattered across the void. Vegito and Jiren launched themselves skyward simultaneously, their forms flashing across the World of Void trailing light.
BOOM!
A single strike.
The impact generated howling torrents that tore through space itself. Jiren's defensive aura shattered. Air burst from his lungs. Bright red blood sprayed from his mouth.
He flew backward, landing heavily on a floating island. A fist-shaped crater had been driven into his chest. His red battle suit split open, revealing the powerful torso beneath—now marred by injury.
Not like this. Jiren refused to accept it. He charged forward again, roaring with desperate fury—
And was blown back at even greater speed.
More blood. Bright crimson droplets fell onto broken stone.
Vegito stood on a separate platform, watching with cold assessment.
"You withstood my attack," the fusion warrior acknowledged. "That alone proves your incredible strength. But this is your limit. As an individual warrior, your power is genuinely terrifying. Unfortunately, you lost to the might of our unity."
"I. WILL. WIN." Flames burned in Jiren's eyes—refusal incarnate. He would not accept weakness. Would not tolerate regret.
BOOOOM.
Jiren erupted again, squeezing out every particle of energy his body contained. Flames wrapped around his entire frame. The massive conflagration rendered the entire battlefield—the entire World of Void—in shades of crimson.
His final, strongest blow.
Holy flames threatened to incinerate everything. The tremendous power made even angels raise their heads in surprise, admiration flickering across their normally serene features.
But Vegito smiled. To show proper respect to Jiren's determination, he would respond with his own ultimate technique.
"FINAL KAMEHAMEHA!"
Combining the Final Flash and Kamehameha—a fusion attack that maximized the combined power of both fighters. Vegito's supreme strike.
They shouted simultaneously. Time seemed to freeze. Power that transcended gods continued rising, erupting within the void.
For one impossible moment, it was as if heaven and earth were being created anew. Endless space filled with tidal waves of energy. Crystalline arcs of lightning flew through the chaos. Flashes and flames mixed together, engulfing the void. Against the backdrop of infinite nothingness, everything threatened annihilation.
In the earth-shattering torrent of energy, Vegito and Jiren faced each other across the maelstrom. Jiren had gone pale, gasping, physical reserves nearly depleted. Vegito appeared calm, still in control.
"Goodbye." Vegito's tone carried finality. The flames in his hands erupted for a second wave—chaotic, disordered power overwhelming Jiren's attack. Light that surpassed the brilliance of entire universes—
SNAP.
At the critical moment—at the absolute peak of power—something broke.
Vegito suddenly separated.
Goku and Vegeta stood apart, gasping for breath, the fusion dissolved.
Jiren—whose heart had been sinking toward despair—froze in shocked disbelief. His strength, which had been failing, suddenly found purchase again. The remaining force of the Final Kamehameha still rushed toward him, unstoppable—but his own power could now match it. The attacks collided and cancelled each other out.
The overwhelming pressure vanished!
Every deity in the stands stood paralyzed with shock. At the most critical moment, the fusion had dissolved.
"YES!" Universe Eleven's God of Destruction clenched his fists so hard his knuckles cracked. "THE TIME LIMIT! THEY UNFUSED!"
"WHAT?!" Beerus nearly launched himself over the railing. "Didn't you say it lasted an HOUR?! Why did they defuse so quickly?!"
Supreme Kai Shin waved his hands frantically. "I don't know! Perhaps—perhaps the energy output exceeded Potara's capacity? Even the fusion body couldn't sustain such tremendous power!"
"DAMMIT!" Beerus's roar echoed across the stands.
On the shattered battlefield, Jiren stood with arms at his sides, panting like a winded bull. Though Vegito's finishing blow had been negated, he was utterly exhausted. If the fusion had held for even five more seconds, he would have been blasted off the arena.
Not far away, the separated Goku and Vegeta stood on different platforms, equally drained. They didn't understand why the fusion had failed—only that they were themselves again, gasping from exertion.
They looked at Jiren. Jiren looked at them. All three needed recovery time after what had just transpired.
"Kakarot." Vegeta's expression was dark, sweat streaming down his face. "Seems fusion isn't reliable after all."
Goku stared across the distance at Jiren. "His stamina's been depleted too. He's definitely not as strong as he was. But even weakened..." He shook his head. "We still might not be able to defeat him."
"Hmph." Vegeta snorted. "What choice do we have? Can't win or not, we're fighting anyway."
"I won't give up either."
They glanced at each other simultaneously. "Who goes first?"
Hearing the question from both their mouths, they couldn't help but laugh—a relaxed sound completely at odds with their desperate situation.
But the truth was simple. The ranking had been determined. Top four secured. Their universe's survival was guaranteed. They no longer carried the burden of erasure—no pressure to save everyone they loved.
Now they fought for themselves. For pure Saiyan pride.
Jiren's eyes blazed with renewed determination. Goku and Vegeta moved almost simultaneously, all three converging on the central platform. They collided with explosive force that shook reality, power enough to destroy heaven and earth spreading in all directions.
After a brief exchange, they separated again, landing on different fragments.
Goku and Vegeta's arms had gone numb, their bodies swaying with exhaustion. Jiren stood steady as a mountain—panting, yes, but his stance remained solid as stone.
"AND ME!"
A sharp cry cut through the tension. Frieza appeared, golden form blazing. His five fingers spread, Death Beams erupting in a volley aimed directly at Jiren. The grey warrior's eyes narrowed. He leaped upward, dodging the slender beams with flexible agility—
Another roar echoed from behind him.
Broly.
The berserker Saiyan—knocked down repeatedly but never truly defeated—charged forward. His body radiated emerald rage, red fur bristling, eyes blazing yellow-gold with primal fury.
BAM!
Jiren avoided Frieza but couldn't evade Broly. The impact was devastating. Jiren was launched backward, tumbling through empty air.
"JIREN!" Universe Eleven's spectators screamed their concern.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!"
Jiren's roar split the void. His foot slammed into a floating platform, arresting his momentum. Then he exploded forward in an instant counter-attack, charging straight at Broly. His blood burned with battle fury. The aloof superiority he'd displayed at the tournament's beginning had vanished completely.
Hit watched from the stands with knowing eyes. That expression... I remember it well. When fighting spirit is truly ignited, this is what emerges.
Fierce collisions. Meteor-like energy spheres. Roars torn from gnashing teeth. All of it rose through the chaotic World of Void, building toward the final moment—the ultimate determination of victor and vanquished.
The last battle had begun.