Hell's Overt Conspiracy
"Death isn't as absolute as you think. At least, for those souls with extremely deep obsessions, or those who possess special abilities, death is not the end at all."
Qi Heng's tone was frighteningly calm, but what he said sent chills down one's spine.
"Hell, this place is a new beginning for them. Dr. Gero's madness and Dr. Myuu's technology, if they were to cause trouble in that place, it would probably be more chaotic than living. And it's probably not just the two of them waiting for you."
He paused, a glint of gold flashing in his eyes. "Think about it, Goku Frieza's resentment, Cell's obsession... all those guys you defeated before, those who died with their eyes wide open in disbelief, are all gathered together to put on a grand show for you. To put it bluntly, it's a hellish 'welcome ceremony' prepared for you."
Son Goku's face darkened, his brows furrowed, and he looked as if he were carrying a mountain on his back.
Behind each of these enemies lies a story of hard-fought battles and bloody lessons.
They're really going to gather in hell...
"But with your current strength, even if they all attack together, they might not be able to truly threaten you."
Qi Heng changed the subject, getting to the point, "So their goal isn't simply revenge or killing you. They want to lure you—the strongest guardian of Earth, even the entire galaxy—into that undead realm cut off from the mortal world, and trap you there. That's their real plan."
"But I can't just ignore everything!"
Goku clenched his fists, his fingers trembling. It wasn't fear, but urgency, worry for his comrades' safety. "Android 17 has clearly been manipulated! The Hell Gate is open, and nobody knows what will happen next! I have to go!"
Go ahead.
Qi Heng didn't stop him, only saying a single word calmly, but his gaze was heavy as if weighed down by a thousand pounds. "This is an open conspiracy, you have no choice. But before you enter the fray, you need to understand the whole game. If you leave, Earth's defenses will have a huge gaping hole, and then the real trouble may just be beginning to emerge."
Son Goku stared into Qi Heng's golden eyes, which seemed to see into the future, took a deep breath, and felt a mix of fighting spirit and a sense of responsibility in his chest.
He gazed at the distant sky, as if he could already see the entrance to hell, a landscape of black and red.
"I see."
He spoke in a low but firm voice, "I'll go to hell. But I'm counting on you all here."
His aura began to rise, and tiny golden flames flickered around him.
The stage for the final battle shifted entirely from this blue planet to the bottomless Undead Abyss.
Meanwhile, beneath the Earth's surface, an even greater storm is quietly brewing.
Goku looked at Qi Heng, flames burning deep within his golden pupils.
The sea breeze blew between them, ruffling Goku's red mane and tattered orange robe.
He remained silent for a moment, as if the weight of the entire ocean were contained within those few short seconds.
And what about you?
Qi Heng stood on the edge of the dilapidated rooftop, his black clothes standing motionless in the wind.
He stared at the black hole in the distance that was swallowing up the light of the sky, his voice as cold as a deep pool.
I will be here.
He paused, then spoke each word as if carved into the air, "As long as the Earth is in trouble, I will take action."
It contained no grand pronouncements, yet carried more weight than any vow.
Goku gave Qi Heng a deep look, a look that contained trust, entrustment, and also resolve.
He nodded, the wind shaking the dust off his hair.
"Good."
I won't say any more.
Goku raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers together, and pressed it against his forehead.
He had done this action countless times, but this time, his fingertips paused for a moment.
The next second, a slight humming sound filled the space, like ripples on water.
His figure blurred and collapsed instantly, disappearing from the spot, leaving only a wisp of golden flame slowly dissipating.
--
Scene change.
It wasn't a city; it was a mad, desperate ocean.
The sky looked as if it had been ripped open, with a black hole hanging in mid-air, several kilometers in diameter, its edges covered with dark purple arcs of electricity, and its center so black that not even light could get in.
The ocean was being violently pulled by an unknown force, and dozens of waterspouts connected heaven and earth, roaring so loudly it made one's scalp tingle.
The air was filled with the acrid smell of ionized ozone, and there was an indescribable sense of spatial distortion.
Right at the very center of this apocalyptic world, beneath the black hole, Son Goku's figure appeared out of thin air.
The sonic boom from his high-speed movement created a white wave behind him, which was instantly swallowed by the black hole.
He stood on the void, and a golden aura automatically spread out around him, keeping the hurricane and seawater out.
A familiar yet unfamiliar figure hung before him.
Android 17.
No, it can't be counted as the Android 17 anymore.
That once handsome and composed face was now twisted like a demon.
Dark red veins writhed beneath his skin, and his eyes had become empty, glowing red holes, devoid of pupils, exuding only madness and malice.
His lips curled into an eerie arc, his smile icy, saliva mixed with black energy threads dripping down his chin.
"Son Goku..."
His voice changed, becoming hoarse and piercing, like sand scraping against metal, cutting through the waves and into your ears, "You've finally come... I've waited so long for you..."
"Android 17!"
Goku roared, his voice still clear amidst the storm.
He wanted to go forward, but the surrounding space was as sticky as glue, and the pull of the black hole held him tightly.
"Wake up! You're being controlled by dark energy! I can feel it; you're still struggling inside! Let me help you drive that power out!"
"Help me?"
Android 17, or rather, the person controlling him, let out a grating laugh.
The laughter distorted the air, and even the nearby seawater bubbled with tiny bubbles.
How naive—how ridiculous!
He slowly raised his hands, palms facing Goku, and black energy coiled around his arms like snakes.
"I don't need to save you. I just want to watch you, to watch all of you, fall one by one into the abyss of despair! Son Goku —go to the lowest level of hell and enjoy this 'gift'!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the black hole in the sky shuddered violently!
Buzz--!!!
A piercing shriek, sharper than any sound, exploded out, as if tearing at the soul.
The black hole's rotation speed suddenly increased dramatically, and the darkness at its center deepened, almost sucking people in.
Even more frightening is that the suction force has changed.
It's not just a simple physical pulling, but a kind of "erasure" of existence itself.
The space, like shattered glass, cracked with countless fine black fissures starting from beneath Goku's feet.
"Ugh--!"
Goku groaned, his whole body suddenly stiffening.
His golden aura burned wildly as he desperately resisted, his muscles tensed, and spiderweb-like energy waves rippled through the air beneath his feet.
But that force was invisible and intangible, and could not be blocked at all.
It acted directly on his "spatial coordinates," as if an invisible giant hand had forcibly "peeled" him and the small patch of space around him out of the world and thrown them into the bottomless darkness.
His body moved backward uncontrollably, not pushed by the wind, nor pulled by force, but because the "space" beneath his feet was sliding into a black hole.
He roared, thrusting his palms forward with tremendous Kamehameha erupted, tearing through the darkness with a blue beam of light, heading straight for Android 17, who also tried to use the recoil to stabilize himself.
But as soon as the energy wave reached the edge of the black hole, it was like water thrown into a sponge; the light dimmed and distorted instantly, and in the end, nothing was left, not even a ripple was stirred up.
"Goku --!!!"