Red Moon!

18 gazed silently at the bottomless pit where 17 had vanished, a flicker of inscrutable light crossing her eyes, yet she chose not to follow.

A moment later, she tilted her head slightly to look at the sky, stained a murky gray by smoke and fire. With a light push from her feet, she soared into the air, speeding toward a towering mountain in the distance.

In the blink of an eye, she stood firmly upon the summit, the biting mountain wind whistling past her and snapping her clothes in the gale.

She looked down at the land, once vibrant and prosperous, now scarred and desolate, her eyes devoid of any ripple.

Countless cities had been reduced to ruins, leaving only mountains of building debris and broken hillsides torn apart by the cruelty of war. The skyscrapers that once symbolized the glory of human civilization were now nothing but crumbling walls buried beneath the dust.

18's gaze drifted slowly upward, toward the sky emerging through the night.

A moon radiating an eerie red light was slowly surfacing, its blood-like glow spilling over the barren earth as if adding a layer of sorrow to this apocalyptic scene.

She stood there quietly, her silhouette appearing exceptionally lonely yet resolute under the Red Moon, like the world's final spectator witnessing the decline and extinction of human civilization. What she was pondering in her heart, no one knew.

Meanwhile, Goku wove through the ruins, using his extraordinary strength to carefully shift massive boulders and rescue those trapped beneath the shattered buildings.

His body was covered in dust and his forehead beaded with sweat, but his eyes remained firm and focused.

Just then, the moon with its ominous red glow fully revealed itself in the sky. Goku glanced up inadvertently, and in an instant, his eyes widened sharply, turning hollow and manic.

Immediately after, his body began to swell uncontrollably, his muscles bulging as he transformed into a Great Ape. He let out a deafening roar, the surrounding air seemingly trembling from the shock of such immense power.

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone. Panic spread rapidly through the crowd as people fled in disarray, cries and screams intertwining. However, the companions who had experienced many battles alongside Goku, though filled with shock, knew exactly what was happening.

Similar situations had occurred in past adventures; they knew that only by severing Goku's tail could he regain his senses and return to normal. Thus, suppressing their inner fear, they shouted for the crowd to disperse while searching for an opening in the chaos to approach Goku, attempting to save their out-of-control friend. At this moment, Goku continued to swing his massive arms wildly, each movement causing the earth to tremble. A crisis was imminent.

Piccolo was the first to take action. He glanced at Gohan, who immediately understood his uncle's intent. He knew he was meant to draw his father's attention so Piccolo could sever the tail.

Gohan took a deep breath, his eyes revealing determination and resolve. He knew the situation was dire and that he had to create an opening for Piccolo. He let out a shout, channeled his ki, and charged toward the rampaging Goku.

Gohan dodged the giant, flailing arms of the ape with agility while firing energy blasts, attempting to lure Goku's focus.

"Dad! Wake up!" Gohan shouted, hoping to stir his father's reason. But Goku, completely dominated by the berserk power, showed no reaction to Gohan's cries, lunging only toward the direction of the attacks, crushing the earth and kicking up clouds of dust with every step.

On the other side, taking advantage of Goku being distracted by Gohan, Piccolo circled silently behind him. He locked his gaze on the critical tail, gathering green energy in his hands to form a sharp blade of light.

Piccolo approached like a phantom. As he drew near, he leaped high, the blade in his hand striking toward the tail with fierce momentum.

Just as the blade was about to make contact, Goku seemed to sense the danger behind him. He whipped his head around, opened his maw, and let out a roar, the powerful sound waves sending Piccolo flying backward.

But Piccolo forced himself to stabilize in mid-air, his eyes growing even more resolute as he charged at Goku once more. He knew this was the only chance to save him and could not give up.

Seeing his uncle thwarted, Gohan was frantic. He increased the intensity of his attacks, channeling more energy into his hands to fire a barrage of powerful energy waves, trying to distract Goku again and buy Piccolo that crucial moment.

Gohan knew that while a normal moon was manageable, a red one amplified energy several times over.

Red moons were rare; why had one appeared today? A wave of confusion washed over him.

Gohan cursed inwardly, knowing the terror of this red moon. Under its illumination, the power within his father was amplified infinitely, making him not only more violent and uncontrollable but also seemingly granting him endless stamina and endurance, as if the eerie moonlight had bestowed upon him boundless energy.

"This can't go on, I have to end this quickly!" Gohan gritted his teeth, sweat rolling down his forehead like grains of rice, a flash of resolve in his eyes.

He suddenly changed tactics, abandoning simple energy blasts to gather all his ki into a dazzling golden shield, charging straight at Goku.

Sensing the golden light approaching, Goku instinctively swung his massive fist down. Gohan dodged to the side, using the shield to withstand the impact of the blow, and seized the chance to get beneath Goku's belly.

He pushed off the ground with all his might, leaped high, and pressed his palms together, gathering all his power above his head. "Kamehameha!" A thick beam of blue energy erupted from his hands, shooting straight toward the Red Moon in the sky, attempting to use this powerful energy to temporarily shroud the moonlight and weaken the boost Goku was receiving.

Seeing Gohan's move, Piccolo understood his intent immediately. As Goku tilted his head, distracted by the light of the Kamehameha, Piccolo circled behind him once more like a ghost. The energy blade in his hands shone brighter than before, and he swung with all his might at the tail, refusing to allow failure this time.

Piccolo's blade descended with unstoppable momentum. Just as it was about to touch the tail, Goku seemed to perceive the lethal danger. His massive body whipped around with astonishing agility, his giant tail sweeping toward Piccolo like a thick iron rod, whistling through the air.