The moment I saved Vegeta felt amazing, but the next second Beerus's energy ball was in my face.

Only an instant.

Even Gou Kong, strong as he was with a power level of 19,000, understood with absolute clarity in that moment that Prince Vegeta's tiny flame of life would be snuffed out completely within that single second.

The purple energy condensed at Beerus's fingertip was not some simple thermal weapon explosion, but a law of destruction containing the rule of "erasure."

Once released, this little brat would be completely excised from the material realm, the energy realm, and even the chain of cause and effect, without so much as a speck of dust remaining.

Those four years of sparring, that figure who had been beaten down by him again and again only to climb back up, those arrogant shouts and silent growth—all of it seemed about to vanish completely with that purple light.

"Fuck..."

An indescribable irritation surged up in Gou Kong's heart.

The fixed storyline from the original work was probably about to be torn to shreds by this sudden change.

But so what?

As long as they could get through this, as long as they could survive, anything was possible.

He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his churning blood and qi, trying to calm himself down.

But why?

Why were the scenes of him spending time with that little brat now flooding into his mind like a burst dam?

Even though he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out that horrific sight, even though he frantically warned himself not to meddle, those vivid memories played rapidly before his eyes like a slideshow beyond his control.

"Shit!"

Gou Kong's brows drew tight, his teeth grinding so hard they creaked, as if they would shatter in the next second.

That nameless anger was not merely fear of Beerus, but fury at his own untimely "softheartedness."

Don't fucking drown yourself in some heroic bullshit!

You, Gou Kong, were not the protagonist of some hot-blooded manga or novel!

You were nothing but an unlucky bastard who had stumbled into this high-risk world!

An ordinary Earth soul that had luckily parasitized a Saiyan body!

You were not a savior, and you sure as hell were not some ally of justice!

Don't try to interfere. Your top priority was keeping your own little life intact!

As long as you endured this wave and survived Frieza's planet-destroying crisis, you could dust off your hands and leisurely go to Earth to retire!

"But the problem is, I fucking can't do that!!!"

The dam of reason collapsed with a roar under the impact of the emotional flood.

Fuck judgment! Fuck the consequences! Let everything go to hell!!!

"AAAAAH—!"

A crazed roar, suppressed to the absolute limit, exploded from the depths of Gou Kong's throat!

He did not even have time to think about the consequences of this action. His body had already reacted before his mind could!

BOOM!

The specially made alloy floor beneath his feet shattered in an instant, spiderweb cracks spreading wildly in every direction without leaving a single intact trace behind.

The 19,000 points of power Gou Kong had originally restrained to the utmost now erupted completely, without the slightest reservation!

A shockwave shot into the sky!

It was as if overpowered thrusters had been installed under his feet. His entire body turned into a black streak of light that the naked eye could not catch, and he charged out fiercely at the maximum speed this body could reach!

He was so fast that even space distorted, and the scenery at the edge of his vision was stretched into blurred bands of color.

The shattered stones floating in the air had not even had time to fall before Gou Kong's figure had already swept past Beerus's side. In the final instant before that destructive energy was about to touch Vegeta, he snatched the still-terrified little prince into his arms!

"Whoosh—!"

He made it!

Though this was a reckless move that could cost him his whole life, Gou Kong had truly done it!

Right under the God of Destruction's nose, he had forcibly rescued Vegeta from the brink of annihilation!

An indescribable thrill, almost orgasmic in its intensity, swept through his entire body in an instant!

It was the ultimate manifestation of his control over his own power, and even more, the tremendous sense of achievement of reversing life and death in a hopeless situation!

However, after an extreme eruption came the price of losing control.

"Ah!"

Because his burst of speed had been too fast, and because he had abandoned all preparation to brake in order to save someone, Gou Kong had no way to control that violent momentum.

All he could do was shield Vegeta tightly in his arms and let his own body, like a cannonball fired from the barrel, tumble and scrape madly across the palace floor!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Boom!

The decorative pillars along the way shattered like papier-mâché, and a huge human-shaped crater was smashed straight into the sturdy alloy wall!

Only after they had crashed several meters deep into the wall was the massive kinetic force completely canceled out, leaving Gou Kong and Vegeta both buried deep inside it.

"Cough! Cough, cough..."

Gou Kong felt as if his lungs and organs had been struck by a heavy hammer. The pain was unbearable, and he could not stop coughing and gasping.

Vegeta, in his arms, seemed to be shouting something too, but Gou Kong's ears were ringing so violently that apart from the endless roar, he could not hear a thing.

It was probably because he had slammed into a solid object at top speed without any preparation, leaving his brain violently concussed.

Enduring the dizziness and the agonizing pain that made it feel as if every bone in his body had fallen apart, he pressed Vegeta beneath him with one hand to shield him, while supporting himself with the other as he tried to crawl out of the shattered wall.

As he moved, large chunks of wall debris came pattering down, rolling far across the floor.

"All right. I shouldn't need to explain what just happened, should I?"

Gou Kong shook his groggy head, forcing his vision to focus.

When he followed the trail of debris on the floor and looked up, his pupils suddenly contracted—

At some point, Beerus had already closed in and was looking down at him.

There was no expression on that feline face. Only in those half-narrowed eyes flickered a hint of amusement, and perhaps a trace of surprise?

Gou Kong's heart instantly sank to rock bottom.

He knew that before a true god, any resistance was futile.

At that moment, other than blocking Vegeta with his own body and staring blankly at the claw Beerus was slowly extending toward him, he could not summon even the slightest thought of resistance.

Perhaps it was because of despair, or perhaps it was because, deep down, he felt that under such overwhelming pressure, resistance itself was a form of blasphemy.

"Am I... going to die...?"

An indescribable sorrow surged into his heart.

He was unwilling. Truly unwilling!

He had finally gained a foothold in this world, finally piled his battle power high enough to protect himself, and just as the first glimmer of escape was in sight, he was going to fall here for some completely absurd reason?

No. Perhaps it was not that bad.

After all, Vegeta had been saved.

To die like this, on the path of "doing something," rather than waiting helplessly for death like a coward, seemed somewhat worth taking comfort in.

"What an interesting fellow."

Beerus's voice rang out, impossible to tell whether it carried praise or mockery.

His outstretched claw stopped in midair. A heart-stopping light began to gather at his fingertip, and a sphere of energy slowly took shape.

"I didn't expect a Saiyan to value another's life more than his own."

As the ball of light grew larger and larger, Gou Kong's heartbeat instead quickened strangely. Adrenaline flooded through him, actually covering over even his fear of death.

Excitement?

Exhilaration?

Or the last trace of curiosity toward the unknown?

At last, the light sphere finished gathering.

Beerus looked at Gou Kong as though he were a lamb waiting for slaughter, then slowly spoke—

Honestly.

Only one thought remained in Gou Kong's mind, spinning wildly: I want to go to Earth...

"Destruction."

The moment Beerus's words fell, the gathered ball of light burst forth with endless radiance!