The Mysterious Person wasn't about to be outdone. He poured all the black energy in his body into his shield, which instantly blazed with light. Amid its dark glow, countless vengeful spirits seemed to wail. The moment the golden dragon-shaped energy collided with the black shield, the entire world seemed to fall still.
A deafening boom followed. A powerful shock wave erupted from the point of impact and spread in every direction.
The earth below surged upward in towering waves of dirt and stone. The surrounding mountains were reduced to dust by the blast, and clouds of smoke billowed up to blot out the sky.
Amid the violent clash of energy, Goku and the Mysterious Person were both hurled backward by the tremendous force. Goku managed to steady himself in midair, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, but the resolve in his eyes remained undimmed.
The Mysterious Person was in just as bad a state. His shield had shattered, and his clothes had been ripped to shreds by the energy waves, exposing a series of horrific wounds. Yet that crazed, cold smile remained on his face.
Goku wiped the blood from his mouth and swiftly moved his hands again. Energy surged from within him into his palms, and a larger, denser golden energy sphere gradually took shape. Red flames of aura swirled around it like a burning sunset, giving off a chilling presence.
The Mysterious Person didn't dare let his guard down, either. He took a deep breath, and his wounds began to heal at a visible speed. Black energy surged out of him and gathered in front of him, forming strange runes and patterns. They glimmered with an eerie light, interweaving and turning as if building a powerful, mysterious formation that could both defend and attack.
Goku let out a roar and hurled the golden energy sphere at the Mysterious Person with all his might. It streaked through the air, trailing a long golden blaze like a burning meteor tearing across the sky. Its powerful energy made visible ripples spread through the surrounding space, as if the whole world trembled under its pressure.
Seeing this, the Mysterious Person thrust out both hands. The runes and patterns shot toward the golden sphere, meeting it in midair. A blinding flash erupted, accompanied by the sounds of colliding energy and explosions. Every blast unleashed a powerful shock wave that ruthlessly destroyed and obliterated everything around them.
Using the flash from the collision as cover, Goku vanished in a flicker and appeared behind the Mysterious Person. He bent his knees slightly, then drove himself forward with a sudden burst of force, kicking at the Mysterious Person's back. He put all his strength and speed into the blow, intent on seriously injuring him.
But the Mysterious Person seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He quickly slid to the left, dodging Goku's fierce kick. At the same time, he clenched his right hand into a fist, black energy coiling around it, and slammed it into Goku's abdomen. The air compressed along the fist's path, forming a small black sphere that hummed.
Goku had no time to dodge. He could only cross his arms over his abdomen and take the punch head-on. The tremendous impact sent him flying backward. He smashed through several already crumbling mountains before finally coming to a stop. He struggled to his feet, brushed the dust off himself, and fixed his eyes on his opponent, his fighting spirit burning even hotter as he prepared to attack again.
Goku pushed off with both feet and flashed forward once more, his figure darting toward the Mysterious Person like a specter. Every movement kicked up a gale, sending loose stones spiraling into the air. As he neared his opponent, he leapt high and spun rapidly in midair, his legs whirling like propellers as golden energy blazed around them. He brought them crashing down toward the Mysterious Person's head with the force of a mountain coming down.
The Mysterious Person remained calm. He raised both hands, and a black energy shield instantly formed overhead. Its surface gleamed with a cold light, like a bottomless lake of darkness.
Goku's legs slammed into the shield with a muffled boom. Cracks spread across its surface like a spiderweb, but it held firm.
The Mysterious Person flung out both arms, knocking Goku away. Then he swiftly formed hand seals and chanted under his breath. In an instant, the surrounding space seemed to twist beneath the grip of an invisible hand. Dark energy converged from all directions, gradually forming a massive black energy sphere in the Mysterious Person's hands. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled inside it, as though it held enough power to destroy the world.
Once Goku had steadied himself, he saw the energy sphere in the Mysterious Person's hands, and his expression grew even more grave. He took a deep breath and slowly extended his hands, palms facing each other. Energy surged wildly within him as red and golden light intertwined, gradually gathering into an equally massive sphere before him. Unlike the Mysterious Person's black sphere, it radiated a warm, righteous aura.
The two exchanged a look, then shouted in unison and hurled their energy spheres at each other. The spheres raced toward one another through the air. The instant they made contact, the entire world seemed to fall silent. Then came a deafening boom, and a blinding light illuminated the sky, outshining even the sun.
Everything the light touched was broken down and obliterated. The earth surged upward in towering waves of dirt and stone, the surrounding mountains were flattened, rivers changed course, and lakes dried up. It was as though the end of the world had arrived.
The violent energy blast hurled Goku and the Mysterious Person backward. Like kites with their strings cut, they hurtled uncontrollably toward the distant ground, where they smashed into it and left two enormous craters.
Then, from within those two enormous craters, Goku Black and Goku slowly rose to their feet. The black mask fell from Goku Black's face, revealing a face exactly like Goku's. Goku slowly regained some of his reason from the haze of rage. When he saw Goku Black's face, his eyes widened in shock. "Who are you? Just who are you?"
Goku Black's lips curled into an evil smile. "I'm you, and you're me!"
Goku shook his head desperately, his eyes full of resistance and confusion. "Impossible! You're not me, and I can't be you!" Whoever you are, I'll destroy you and avenge my friends!
With that, the two launched into another attack without hesitation, charging at each other like lightning. Goku Black's smile widened, madness glinting in his eyes. "Now that you've found out who I am, try this!" As he spoke, he suddenly thrust out his right hand. A massive black blade sprouted from it, wrapped in dark energy and resembling a demonic sickle from hell, radiating a chilling, evil aura. It was the technique known as "Dark Rosé Energy Scythe Slash."
Goku Black gripped the blade with both hands, leapt high, and brought it down hard toward Goku. The blade tore through the air with a shrill whistle. Wherever it passed, black rifts split open in space, as if it meant to cleave heaven and earth in two.
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