c18 – Return to Earth
"Turtle… Kame… Ha… Me… Ha—!!"
The energy in Lin Hao's body surged down his arms, gathering between his palms into a radiant sphere. His hands, spread wide in the sunflower stance, snapped forward as a blazing torrent of blue light erupted.
In the blink of an eye, the colossal beam smashed into Broly's gigantic emerald sphere.
"BZZZHHHHH!"
The two attacks collided in midair, releasing a storm of violent energy that ripped apart the sky. Lightning bolts lashed downward, thunder roared across the heavens, and the very crust of New Planet Vegeta split and shook beneath the strain.
For a moment, it was as though the end of the world had come.
The clash raged on, Lin Hao's Kamehameha and Broly's Omega Blaster grinding against each other for over ten agonizing seconds, locked in a deadly stalemate.
"Die, Broly!!"
Lin Hao's voice cut through the chaos. His muscles tensed, his golden aura flaring brighter than ever as he poured his full power into the beam. The Kamehameha surged forward, swelling larger and brighter, its roar drowning out everything else.
Broly's eyes widened.
"What?! My attack… pushed back by you?!"
With a furious bellow, he forced more ki into the blast, his body swelling, green aura spiraling like wildfire.
"RAAAHHHH!"
But it was useless. No matter how much his legendary strength increased, Lin Hao's Kamehameha only grew stronger. Inch by inch, it shoved Broly's Omega Blaster backward.
"Unacceptable… I am the Legendary Super Saiyan!"
Broly braced himself, his feet sinking deep into the rock. Stone shattered beneath him as cracks spread like a spiderweb across the battlefield. His arms shook violently under the crushing weight of Lin Hao's attack.
"Kakarotttttt!!!"
Broly roared the name in madness as his entire body erupted in violent green flames of ki. Yet even that monstrous outburst was swallowed.
The Kamehameha beam engulfed him completely. His scream was lost in the blinding torrent of energy as his massive frame disintegrated into nothing but dust, erased in an instant.
And then silence.
"BOOOOM!!"
The delayed explosion tore through New Planet Vegeta, shockwaves flattening mountains and leaving the surface riddled with vast cracks. The ground itself groaned as enormous craters formed, each one so deep that darkness and flickers of lightning glimmered within.
"Looks like this planet won't hold much longer…"
Lin Hao's sharp gaze scanned the devastation. Lava erupted from the fissures, red pillars of molten rock spewing upward with a deafening roar. The entire world was collapsing, its end accelerated by the titanic clash of energy.
This planet was finished.
"Swish!"
With a flash of golden light, Lin Hao's body vanished from the crumbling battlefield.
Several streaks of white light cut across the sky Goku and the others rose quickly into the air, flying toward Lin Hao as the planet groaned beneath them.
"Lin Hao, this planet's about to blow apart let's get out of here!" Goku shouted.
"Alright then, let's head back to Earth!" Lin Hao replied with a nod.
With Instant Transmission, escaping was effortless. In the blink of an eye, you could appear anywhere across the universe just by locking onto a familiar ki.
"Shoom!"
"Shoom!"
Lin Hao vanished first, disappearing from the collapsing New Planet Vegeta. A heartbeat later, Goku placed his hand on his friends' shoulders, locked onto Earth's ki, and warped them away as well.
---
Kami's Lookout
"Whew…"
The group reappeared on the sacred platform, the breeze of Earth brushing against them. Goku released his grip as everyone looked around in relief. Lin Hao, however, had already used his teleportation to return directly to his home.
"Lin Hao's strength is really something else," Goku said, awe in his voice. "He beat Broly while only using Super Saiyan!"
He clenched his fists. The gap gnawed at him. They were all Saiyans yet the difference in power was undeniable.
"Yeah, Goku, you guys went Super Saiyan too, but even that wasn't enough against Broly," Krillin added.
Piccolo folded his arms, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Think about it. His base power is already far beyond yours. When he transforms, the multiplier of Super Saiyan stacks on top of that. That's why his Super Saiyan is so overwhelming. Didn't you hear? He finished Cell without even needing to transform. That kind of foundation makes all the difference."
Goku grinned, excitement burning in his eyes. "Heh, that explains it! If I want to catch up, I need to raise my base strength way higher. Alright! I'll just train harder until I surpass him!"
"Tch. Fool." Vegeta turned away, fists trembling. "Kakarot, don't think you'll be the one to surpass him. I'll show you, and him, the true power of the Prince of all Saiyans!"
Without another word, Vegeta leapt off the Lookout, rocketing away toward West City.
"Dad, wait!" Trunks called. He turned to the others, gave a quick nod, then darted after Vegeta.
"Well, guess we should go too, huh Gohan?" Goku smiled.
"Right, Dad!" Gohan replied eagerly. The father and son waved to the others before heading back home.
---
Lin Hao's House
Meanwhile, Lin Hao was already recounting the Broly battle to Android 18, who listened with a faint smile. That evening, the two shared a quiet dinner together before retiring to their room, their closeness deepening in ways words couldn't describe.
The first taste of intimacy was sweet, and from that night on, it became natural for them to share that closeness again and again.
---
The dividing line
Time slipped by quickly.
"Ding! A new day has arrived, host. Do you wish to sign in?"
"Sign in."
"Congratulations, you've obtained ten million zeni."
Lin Hao glanced at the sudden wealth appearing in his inventory, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Tch. These sign-ins keep giving useless rewards. Money? Can't I get something that'll actually help in battle?"
Even so, he accepted it without complaint. After a quick breakfast, he stepped into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, sitting cross-legged to consolidate his realm. Now that he had touched the threshold of Super Saiyan 3, his progress had slowed, so meditation was key to stabilizing his foundation.
---
Elsewhere on Earth
Peace had returned, for now. Trunks eventually departed back to his future timeline, determined to protect his world.
Vegeta locked himself inside Bulma's Gravity Chamber, pushing it to 350 times Earth's gravity, his body screaming with effort as he drove himself further, desperate to close the gap.
Goku returned to King Kai's planet, refining his ki with the North Kai before seeking out the Grand Kai for even more advanced training. Each step sharpened his spirit.
As the months rolled on, the same scene repeated: the warriors of Earth pushing themselves to the limit, inspired by Lin Hao's power. Goku, Vegeta, and even Krillin poured themselves into training, their determination burning brighter with each passing year.
The Earth was at peace for now. But the next challenge would inevitably come.
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