"Die!" Granolah sneered, his knee driving upward with lightning speed to strike Vegeta squarely in the chest.
"Gah...!"
Vegeta let out a sharp cry of pain. It felt as if a massive boulder had slammed into his ribs. He fell from the sky like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Pop!
The blue aura around Vegeta instantly shattered, and he reverted to his base form. His face was a mask of shock and resentment. He struggled to push himself up, only to find a searing pain radiating from his chest. Why is the gap this vast?
Whoosh!
With a flick of his wrist, Granolah gathered a golden energy sphere in his palm. The sphere trailed a long tail of flame as it shot toward Vegeta with incredible speed, the air around it thick with the scent of destruction.
"You idiot!" the Evolved SSB Vegeta barked in frustration. He lunged forward like an arrow from a bow, swatting Granolah's energy blast aside. The sphere grazed the other Vegeta's scalp before detonating against a distant cliff, carving out a massive crater.
Granolah clearly had little interest in the weaker Vegeta. His gaze remained locked on the Evolved SSB Vegeta as he dove from the sky like a hunting hawk, throwing a punch with the force of ten thousand tons aimed at the Saiyan's head.
"Still have time to worry about your clone? How naive!" Granolah smirked mockingly. He unleashed a relentless, storm-like assault, his fists falling like rain. The Evolved SSB Vegeta was forced back, his feet carving deep furrows into the ground as every collision left his arms feeling numb.
Vegeta watched from the sidelines, completely dumbfounded. His mouth hung open, his eyes glazed with shock. I couldn't even withstand a single blow from him? How is that possible?
"Hah!"
Granolah delivered another kick with a fierce, whistling wind, but the Evolved SSB Vegeta managed to block it with his forearms. Their limbs collided with a dull thud. However, the Evolved SSB Vegeta looked like he was struggling; sweat beaded on his forehead, and his face grew more solemn as his arms trembled slightly.
WHAM!
Granolah caught an opening and struck with the edge of his hand, delivered like a blade across the Evolved SSB Vegeta's face. The impact let out a sharp crack, sending the Saiyan Prince hurtling backward until he crashed into the lake with a massive splash.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
Granolah hovered over the water, rapidly firing several energy blasts. The spheres trailed golden flames as they shot into the lake, sending up towering geysers of water around the submerged Vegeta. The Evolved SSB Vegeta shot out of the lake, water dripping from his body. Realizing he couldn't win a head-on clash, he turned and fled toward the distance with lightning speed.
Granolah pursued him relentlessly, firing energy blasts as if they cost him nothing. The sky was filled with golden streaks of light as they rained down on the fleeing Vegeta. Vegeta watched in silence, his fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms. Their speed is insane—they're nothing but a blur of afterimages. He could barely keep up with their movements, only managing to catch the faint trails of their paths.
By now, the Evolved SSB Vegeta had reached the base of a cliff, his body carving an arc through the air as he dove toward the abyss below. Granolah hovered at the edge of the cliff, his energy erupting like a fountain as he rained fire down into the depths. The golden beams illuminated the entire canyon.
However, after a series of flickers in mid-air, the Evolved SSB Vegeta reappeared like a ghost on a distant plain, having temporarily escaped the assault. Granolah let out a cold huff, a fierce light shining in his eyes. A dazzling golden electrical discharge flickered in his hand, growing brighter as he aimed at the distant Vegeta. The energy fluctuations grew increasingly intense.
"Oatmeel! Aim for me!" Granolah's voice was cold as winter ice.
"Understood!" a slightly mechanical voice replied, seemingly coming from his eyepatch.
Granolah prepared to fire, his arm pulling back as the golden energy sphere grew larger, the air around it beginning to warp.
"Not yet. Wait until he swims into the lake—there will be no obstacles in the way!" Oatmeel's voice rang out again, tinged with caution.
"Hey! Your opponent is me, don't forget that!" Vegeta shouted. The fury in his heart had finally overcome the pain, and he transformed back into Evolved Super Saiyan Blue. The blue aura shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.
"You're just a clone! Once I eliminate the original, you'll vanish as well! Just stay there and watch the show!" Granolah glanced at Vegeta with pure disdain. He had no intention of answering, his focus remaining entirely on the distant Vegeta as he continued to gather energy.
Vegeta: "..."
Once again, Vegeta felt a sharp sting to his pride. He trembled with rage, his blue aura becoming unstable. "I am not a clone!" he roared.
"Oh? Have clones started developing their own consciousness now?" Granolah paused, then let out a contemptuous chuckle and shook his head. He ignored Vegeta once more, his attention returning to the distant Evolved SSB Vegeta.
"Big Bang Attack!"
Livid with rage, Vegeta gathered a massive blue energy sphere between his hands. Blue electrical arcs crackled around the sphere, which carried an aura of pure destruction. He launched the attack with incredible speed, the sphere tearing through the air toward Granolah.
Whoosh!
Granolah flickered like a ghost, vanishing from the spot and leaving only a faint afterimage. The Big Bang Attack missed completely, grazing Granolah's former position before detonating against a distant mountain range with an earth-shattering roar. A mountain peak was instantly leveled to the ground.
Vegeta's expression shifted to one of shock, his pupils dilating. This guy is so fast! He's even faster than before!
"Now! Fire!" Oatmeel's voice rang out with a hint of excitement.
Vegeta: "..." Even a robot is ignoring me!
Whoosh!
The golden energy mass in Granolah's hand shot out like a cannonball, moving at a speed the eye could barely track as it streaked toward the distant Vegeta, leaving a golden trail in the sky. The Evolved SSB Vegeta's face paled. He spun around and caught the incoming blast with both hands. The energy sphere was scalding to the touch, containing a terrifying amount of power.
The force of the blast pushed the Evolved SSB Vegeta backward, his feet carving two deep furrows into the earth as the ground around him was scorched black.
BOOM!
With an earth-shattering roar, the energy sphere detonated in his hands. The massive shockwave leveled everything in the vicinity. The Evolved SSB Vegeta was sent flying high into the air, tumbling several times before crashing heavily onto the beach below, kicking up a cloud of sand. A massive wave kicked up by the shockwave crashed onto the shore, washing over the Saiyan and rinsing away some of the blood on his face.
He coughed violently and struggled to push himself up from the ground. His clothes were in tatters, and he gasped for air, his chest heaving with exertion.
Flash!
Granolah flickered and appeared directly above the fallen Vegeta, looking down at him with a cold, piercing gaze. Vegeta's expression shifted, and his heart tightened. He turned into a streak of blue light and flew over, standing guard beside his alternate self as he watched Granolah warily.
"I'm impressed," Granolah said as he looked down at the Evolved SSB Vegeta, then cast a side-long glance at the other Vegeta. His tone carried a hint of surprise. "You are far stronger than I imagined."
"Your tone is certainly arrogant enough!" the Evolved SSB Vegeta said with a weary chuckle. He frowned and looked at his alternate self with a complex gaze. "What are you still doing here? Whatever business you have can wait until after I've finished this guy!"
Vegeta: "..." It's not like I wanted to come here. I was sucked through a space-time rift by mistake! I want to leave too!
"You're quite kind to your clone," Granolah mocked. "But no matter how strong you are, it won't change the fact that I am the strongest in the universe."
With that, Granolah slowly descended, his feet sinking slightly into the sand as he stood directly across from the Evolved SSB Vegeta. The air between them seemed to solidify.
"Your resistance is ultimately futile!" Granolah sneered, his lip curling in disdain.
"It's true that at this moment, my technique and power can't match yours. But I'm still going to win!" the Evolved SSB Vegeta said with a look of pure confidence. His eyes shone with unyielding spirit, and despite being covered in wounds, his aura hadn't diminished in the slightest.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Granolah huffed, his brow furrowing deeper. "Is it your pride getting in the way? You refuse to accept reality? How pathetic."
"Stop your yapping and get over here, Mr. Strongest-in-the-Universe!" the Evolved SSB Vegeta sneered, beckoning to Granolah with a taunting finger.
The two engaged in another fierce clash, the sound of fists and energy collisions echoing across the beach. Vegeta watched in silence, his expression growing heavier as his heart filled with doubt and resentment. We're both using the same Evolved SSB transformation, but the gap between me and the other me isn't just a small one—it's night and day! Why is the me from this timeline so much stronger? What the hell has he been through?
Pew! Pew! Pew!
The Evolved SSB Vegeta fired a series of blue energy beams, which shot toward Granolah like a rain of blue lasers. Granolah flicked his wrist, and a wave of invisible energy rippled outward like a tsunami, crushing the incoming blasts into a shower of light.
"Did you really think such petty tricks could defeat me?" Granolah's eyes were full of mockery as he looked down at Vegeta, as if watching a noisy insect.
Vegeta hovered in mid-air, his pupils shrinking suddenly. This guy is absurdly powerful. Is it possible he's even stronger than Lord Beerus? The other version of himself was no match at all, seemingly completely suppressed by this opponent.
Whoosh!
Amidst the sharp whistle of tearing air, the Evolved SSB Vegeta's chest heaved violently, his spine letting out faint popping sounds. A pillar of violet-blue energy, twisting like a living thing, shot toward Granolah.
"Hmph!" Granolah's nostrils flared. He pressed his palm diagonally downward, and the energy pillar shattered into stardust as if hitting an invisible wall. A few stray ripples grazed his green hair, carving scorched trails in the void.
Flash!
The Evolved SSB Vegeta's figure suddenly turned into a pale blue afterimage, the space around him rippling like water. In the next second, he appeared behind Granolah, his elbow glowing with a spiraling Qi force.
Yet Granolah's very hair seemed to carry an early warning system. He tapped his toe against the void, his body spinning in a crescent arc at an unbelievable angle. He threw back a glowing energy blast that trailed a searing wake. "I told you—it's useless against me!"
The mass of energy tore through the clouds, crackling with ionized air as it shot toward the Evolved SSB Vegeta. Suddenly, the Saiyan smirked, his figure vanishing in a streak of blue light. The energy blast lost its target and plummeted toward the ground, trailing thick smoke.
Vegeta followed the trajectory of the falling energy, his Adam's apple bobbing instinctively. Below lay the ruins of a city. Reinforced concrete was twisted into grotesque shapes like gnarled dough, and faint blue flames flickered among the broken walls. As for what kind of city it was, Vegeta couldn't say; he had never seen those strange spired buildings or elevated tracks on any planet before.
"Damn it!" Granolah suddenly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.
BOOM!
The energy blast struck the center of the ruins. The shockwave kicked up a plume of dust hundreds of meters high. The remaining skeletons of buildings were scattered like toothpicks, revealing a massive subterranean gear structure hidden beneath the earth.
"Is something wrong?" the Evolved SSB Vegeta asked, brushing dust from his shoulder guard. His smile was laced with cold malice. "Isn't that the city filled with your precious memories?"
"You bastard!" The air around Granolah suddenly began to boil, the shockwave shattering the clouds above. The veins at his temples throbbed, looking like earthworms crawling beneath his skin.
"I think I've figured it out," the Evolved SSB Vegeta said, rolling his neck until it let out a series of sharp cracks. "You only recently acquired that power, didn't you?"
Granolah's pupils shrank. He instinctively leaned forward. "What makes you think that?"
"I knew it!" The Evolved SSB Vegeta threw his head back and laughed, the sound waves making the surrounding debris tremble. "Because your shoulders hitch involuntarily when you punch, and your knees buckle out of habit when you output energy—you lack combat experience."
Whoosh!
Before his voice had even faded, the Evolved SSB Vegeta's figure turned into a streak of light. While an afterimage still lingered in his place, his fist appeared before the tip of Granolah's nose with a sharp whistle.
Vegeta's pupils contracted. So this guy just recently obtained this massive power. But how did he get it?
WHAM!
Granolah's heavy punch arrived with a sharp roar, but the Evolved SSB Vegeta caught it firmly with a cross-arm block. Fine sparks of electricity crackled where their palms met.
"What did you do after you got this power? Did you even train to use it?" The Evolved SSB Vegeta's breath brushed over Granolah's hand, carrying a searing wave of heat.
"There was no need for that!" Granolah roared, raising a leg and delivering a brutal kick to the Saiyan's abdomen. The armor let out a groan as it dented inward.
A metallic, bloody taste rose in the Evolved SSB Vegeta's throat. Blood mixed with saliva sprayed onto Granolah's bracer, and his vision briefly doubled.
"This is the gap between us. Surrender, Saiyan!" Granolah's roar made the surrounding rocks crumble, and waves of energy surged around him.
"No, he's completely outmatched," Vegeta thought, watching the arched back of his alternate self. His nails dug deep into his palms. What the hell is the other me holding on for?
"I've said it many times—even if you're stronger than me right now, I won't lose to you because of it!" the Evolved SSB Vegeta suddenly let out a low chuckle. His arms clamped onto Granolah's calf like iron pincers, and he drove his elbow into the other man's knee with a sharp crack of colliding bone.
"Aaargh...!"
Granolah's cry of pain was mixed with the dull thud of a dislocated joint. He stumbled, kicking out as the shockwave sent debris flying. "Let go of me!"
Whoosh!
The Evolved SSB Vegeta was sent flying back like a kite with a broken string. He tumbled seventeen times in mid-air before stabilizing himself, his boots carving deep furrows into the ground. He carelessly wiped the bloody foam from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, revealing his white teeth in a grin.
"I have obtained the power of the strongest in the universe. Of course, the one who will win in the end is me," Granolah declared, hovering a hundred meters in the air. His cloak whipped in the wind as his shadow completely enveloped the Saiyan below.
"Hmph. As for victory or defeat... you won't know the outcome until the fight is actually over," Vegeta muttered, looking at the rising dust below with a faint smile. "That's why the battle from here on out is going to be interesting."
"Shut up, you savage Saiyan! It's because of people like you that so many of us lost our lives!" Granolah's pupils suddenly flashed a deep crimson. Teardrop-shaped energy gathered in his palm as he dove toward the ground like a meteorite, his fist carrying a sonic boom that tore through space.
The Evolved SSB Vegeta's limbs moved in a blur. Every block made the ground tremble, but the grin on his face only grew wider.
"Let me tell you one more thing," the Evolved SSB Vegeta said, dodging Granolah's elbow strike as his knee grazed the other man's ribs. "Whether you're the strongest or the second strongest in the universe... that ranking is just the result of a single moment. The second it's decided, it becomes the past."
Granolah's attacks grew increasingly frenzied, his energy grinding the surrounding ruins into fine powder. He didn't even acknowledge the words.
"The me of this moment has already become stronger than the me of a few minutes ago," the Evolved SSB Vegeta's aura suddenly exploded, his hair standing on end. "In this battle, I am constantly growing stronger!"
"Then I'll send you to your death right now!" Granolah's fingertips glowed with a piercing white light as he lunged, aiming straight for the Saiyan's dantian.
In an instant, the Evolved SSB Vegeta's pupils contracted to pinpoints. His wrist twisted at an impossible angle, and he firmly seized the other man's forearm. However, Granolah's fingertips still broke through his defense, plunging deep into his abdomen.
CRACK!
The specialized alloy armor shattered like a cracker, small metal shards spraying outward along with fresh blood. Granolah's hand had sunk into the Saiyan's abdominal cavity; he could clearly feel the pulsing of the other man's internal organs.
Instantly, a flower of blood bloomed on the Evolved SSB Vegeta's stomach, and his blue aura flickered like a candle in the wind.
Pop!
The dazzling blue light suddenly vanished. Vegeta reverted to his base form, his body swaying weakly.
"Did this arrogant fool finally lose after all?" Vegeta turned his head away, but couldn't help turning back, his brow furrowed into a knot.
"Heh... hehehe..." But the Evolved SSB Vegeta suddenly began to laugh. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth onto Granolah's hand, and his laughter grew increasingly demented.
Granolah's fingers froze inside the other man's abdomen, his pupils wide with shock. "You... what are you laughing at?" His voice carried an undetectable tremor, and his wrist twitched slightly.
Vegeta held his breath as well. What the hell is the other me giggling about? You've been beaten into this state, and you're still laughing? You can actually laugh right now? I have no idea what you're thinking!
"This is truly deeply satisfying... I haven't been this happy in a long time!" The Evolved SSB Vegeta threw his head back and laughed, the wound in his chest tearing open even further. "Not to protect anything, not thinking about saving anyone—just concentrating entirely on the fight."
Granolah's face turned ashen instantly, his fingers tightening around the wound. Is this guy a moron? He's been beaten like this and he's still laughing so happily.
"Hey, how long has it been since you fought like this?" the Evolved SSB Vegeta suddenly turned his head toward his alternate self, a pure smile appearing on his blood-stained face.
Vegeta felt as if he'd been struck by a bolt of lightning, instantly falling into deep thought. Not to protect anything? Not thinking about saving anyone? Just concentrating entirely on the fight? That kind of battle... it sounded absolutely exhilarating. He felt as if he hadn't fought like that since he first came to Earth from Namek. It was always about protecting someone, or saving the Earth. Or it was about surpassing Kakarot.
"It seems you haven't fought like this in a long time either," the Evolved SSB Vegeta said with a faint smile to his other self, before turning back to Granolah. "Right now, I can feel the blood of the Saiyan warrior race jumping in my veins!"
Granolah suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine. He violently yanked his hand back, stumbling several steps until he hit a broken wall.
"The other me, watch closely!" The Evolved SSB Vegeta revealed a mysterious smile. The blood at his wound suddenly stopped flowing, and a violet-red flame erupted like a volcano.
BOOM!
A shockwave of energy unique to a God of Destruction radiated outward with the Saiyan at its center. Space rippled wherever it passed, and the debris in the ruins began to hover eerily. Vegeta's eyes were wide as saucers; he even forgot to breathe. What kind of transformation is this? The other me suddenly became so incredibly strong.
By the time Vegeta could finally see clearly, his alternate self's black hair had turned an eerie violet-red. His brow ridge was high and prominent, his eyebrows seemingly vanished into his deep-set eye sockets, and his violet-red pupils looked like rotating nebulae. At the same time, the violet-red flames were laced with crackling purple electricity.
Ultra Ego!
Activated!
"A God of Destruction once told me that power triggered purely by instinct has no upper limit!" The Ultra Ego Vegeta's smile was full of madness. With every word he spoke, the surrounding space trembled.
"A God of Destruction?" Vegeta's pupils shrank. Lord Beerus actually gave this version of me pointers? This guy trained under Lord Beerus?
"Power with no upper limit? What do you mean by that?" Granolah's voice trembled as he instinctively settled into a defensive stance.
"Hah!"
The violet-red flames suddenly exploded, turning into a massive wave that surged toward Granolah. The air it passed through was ignited, giving off a scorched smell. Granolah paled with fear, crossing his arms in front of him as a Ki shield instantly formed.
But in the next instant, the Ultra Ego Vegeta appeared before him. His fingertips almost brushed Granolah's nose as he seized the other man by the collar. No—he should be called Ultra Ego Vegeta now.
"You were acting pretty arrogant just a moment ago, weren't you?" Ultra Ego Vegeta's voice carried a cold laugh, the nebulae in his pupils spinning even faster.
Granolah's face turned from white to a sickly green. Large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, soaking the emblem on his chest.
"I'm going to take real good care of you. Are you mentally prepared?" Ultra Ego Vegeta grinned, and his forehead struck Granolah's nose with a sharp whistle.
To be continued…
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