Jiang Che Appears

"Damn it..." he growled under his breath, his voice dry and trembling. He clenched his teeth, the muscles in his face taut, veins bulging.

Sweat mixed with blood slid down his temple and dripped onto the rubble.

Baby slowly descended. The moment he touched down on the rubble beneath his feet, the stones crumbled into fine dust.

He clasped his hands behind his back and looked down at Son Goku, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

His black cloak snapped in the wind, its long shadow swallowing Son Goku whole.

"So this is Son Goku?" Baby sneered, his tone light and cutting. "What a disappointment. Your body isn't even as valuable as Vegeta's."

He tilted his head, his gaze as cold as a blade. "You're this weak, and you still call yourself a Saiyan?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his right hand and casually pointed with his index finger.

A thin beam of energy, no wider than a strand of hair, shot out. It tore through the air with a shrill whistle and struck Son Goku squarely in the chest.

"Pfft—" Son Goku suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The spray burst apart, splattering across the rubble.

The impact sent him flying. His back slammed into a jutting rock, which shattered on contact. He rolled several times across the ground before crashing into a crater like a discarded rag doll, a horrifying streak of blood carved across his back.

He struggled to roll over and brace himself with both hands. Painful gasps surged from his throat as his chest heaved violently.

"We can't go on like this, or Son Goku will die!" Kibito Kai said tensely. His fists trembled as he clenched them, cold sweat running down his forehead while he stared at the ever-growing cloud of dust in the distance.

Old Supreme Kai stood beside him, arms folded, his expression grave.

He narrowed his eyes, his white brows furrowing slightly. After a moment of silence, he slowly turned to Jiang Che.

He stroked his long beard with a withered finger and said in a low voice, "Jiang Che, you've gotten pretty good at Instant Transmission by now, haven't you?"

Jiang Che kept his hands in his pockets, his expression calm.

He nodded lightly, a faint, casual smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "No problem."

"Good. I need to ask you a favor." Old Supreme Kai's expression was serious, and his words carried an unmistakable weight. "Go to Earth right now and bring Son Goku back."

Jiang Che raised an eyebrow, a glint in his eyes. "Why not just take care of Baby directly?"

He rolled his wrist, and his knuckles popped.

"Now isn't the time." Old Supreme Kai shook his head, his gaze distant. "Your mission isn't over yet, but Son Goku can't die. I have a feeling that if he's properly guided, he could become a key force in the fight against Baby."

He paused, then placed a hand on Jiang Che's shoulder, pressing down with his fingertips. "Go on, boy. Don't waste time."

Jiang Che was silent for a moment. His gaze swept over Old Supreme Kai's face, and at last he nodded. "All right."

With that, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, sensing the familiar ki somewhere in the universe.

A few seconds later, his eyebrows lifted. He'd found it.

The next instant, a faint glow swallowed him, and he vanished as if he'd evaporated.

The battlefield on Earth.

Baby hovered in midair, a ball of dark blue energy gathering in his right hand. Its light flickered, and its pressure made the rubble tremble.

A bloodthirsty smile curled his lips. Just as he was about to land the finishing blow, his pupils suddenly contracted—a strange, powerful presence had appeared beside Son Goku.

Baby whipped around and froze. Jiang Che had appeared soundlessly beside Son Goku, one hand resting firmly on his shoulder.

The wind swept at Jiang Che's clothes, making them snap. Dust rose from the ground, which had caved in slightly beneath his feet.

"You!" Baby's pupils contracted. Shock and fury flooded his face, the veins on his forehead bulging. His voice was thick with hatred. "You're not dead?"

Jiang Che glanced at him calmly, a confident smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "You thought you could kill me?"

He patted Son Goku on the shoulder, never taking his eyes off Baby. A trace of coldness showed in his gaze.

Baby ground his teeth and clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.

He was about to erupt, a growl just rising in his throat, when he suddenly sensed that Jiang Che's ki had changed—it was even deeper and more unfathomable than it had been half a month ago.

That ki was like a bottomless abyss. Jiang Che was right in front of him, yet Baby felt as if he were standing at the edge of a cliff, staring into darkness with no end in sight.

The air seemed to freeze. Dust hung suspended, and even the wind was forced to stop by that overwhelming current of ki.

"You..." Baby's voice trembled despite himself. He instinctively took half a step back, his pupils narrowing, his heart gripped as if by an invisible hand.

He had never felt this kind of pressure, not even when facing Son Goku at his peak.

He fought to steady himself, but his legs felt numb, and a chill shot up his spine.

"I don't have time to play with you." Jiang Che's tone was casual, as if he were commenting on the weather.

As soon as the words left his mouth, his and Son Goku's figures blurred at the same time, then vanished like mist without leaving so much as an afterimage.

Only a faint ripple of air remained, and it too soon settled.

Baby stood frozen, his gaze unfocused and his mouth slightly open, unable to comprehend what had happened.

After a long moment, he suddenly looked up and scanned the empty surroundings. His fury erupted like a volcano.

He punched the ground. The force of the blow burst outward, splitting the earth into a web of cracks. Rubble flew in every direction, and dust billowed like a rolling yellow dragon.

"Bastard—!" His roar echoed through the air, startling birds in the distance, but the only answer was the echo from the valley.

Supreme Kai World.

The sky was bright and clear, and a temple in the void shone with a faint golden glow.

Jiang Che streaked across the sky like a meteor and landed steadily, holding Son Goku in his arms. His body was covered in wounds.

Son Goku's Battle Suit was in tatters. Deep scratches and bruises covered his body, and his blood had dried into dark red scabs, though some wounds were still bleeding.

His eyes were half-closed, his breathing weak and rapid. His consciousness had grown hazy, and his lips moved faintly as if he wanted to say something, but not a sound came out.

Kibito Kai hurried out of the temple, his face full of worry and his forehead slick with sweat.

He carefully took Son Goku from Jiang Che, handling him as gently as if he might break a porcelain doll. Then he quickly laid him on a stone platform that shimmered faintly.

The platform's surface was smooth, a faint blue light flowing across it as if it could share the suffering of the injured.

Old Supreme Kai leaned on his vine-patterned cane and slowly approached.

He shuffled forward, each step heavy with the weight of the years. His hair was as white as snow, and his wrinkles ran deep as ravines, but his hawk-like eyes remained sharp.

He bent over and reached out a thin, withered hand. He touched Son Goku's wounds with his fingertips, then checked his breathing. His brows knitted tightly, and his heart sank. After a moment of silence, he said gravely, "He's badly hurt... but he isn't going to die."

He took a deep breath, then opened his palm. A gentle golden light rose from it, like the warmest ray of dawn.

The light spread like a gentle tide, enveloping Son Goku.

It was almost a miracle—Son Goku's wounds healed rapidly. Torn skin closed, bruises faded, and color slowly returned to his face.

His breathing steadied, his nostrils flaring gently, and a familiar flush gradually returned to his cheeks.