Reunion in Hell

A furious roar suddenly erupted from the horizon, as if tearing the entire world apart.

A figure enveloped in crimson flames streaked across the sky at incredible speed, so fast that it was impossible to see clearly. All that could be seen was the clouds behind him being torn apart, leaving a long vacuum behind.

That's Vegeta.

He completely erupted, transforming into the ultimate form of Super Saiyan 4. His silver hair stood on end, red body hair covered his entire body, and his golden eyes were filled with anger and anxiety, almost burning up.

He pushed his speed to the limit, completely disregarding the intense heat generated by his body as it rubbed against the air.

The skin has been burned.

But he couldn't care less about that.

He clearly saw Son Goku being dragged by that strange force, struggling desperately but to no avail.

Between Vegeta's fingers, destructive energy had condensed to its extreme; he intended to shatter everything, even if it meant breaking space itself into pieces.

Unfortunately, we were still a step too late.

Just as he was about to unleash his full power, Son Goku, along with the shattered space, was swallowed by the black hole into the deepest darkness.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any dazzling light, only a soft "pop"—like a bubble bursting.

The enormous black hole suddenly contracted violently, as if its sole purpose was to swallow Son Goku, and once its goal was achieved, it would vanish immediately.

In the blink of an eye, the terrifying black hole, several kilometers wide, shrank to a tiny black dot and then disappeared completely.

Nothing was left behind, as if it had never been there at all.

Only the still raging ocean remained, its roaring waves proving that everything that had just happened was real.

The sky was still shrouded in heavy gloom, blocking out all the sunlight, leaving only a deathly gray despair between heaven and earth.

Vegeta froze in mid-air, his ki blast losing its target, flickering a few times before finally dissipating.

He stared intently at the spot where Goku had disappeared. There was nothing there. His golden pupils trembled violently, filled with anger, disbelief, and a little bit of... panic that he himself was unwilling to admit.

The sea breeze howled, carrying a salty, icy chill, silencing the battlefield to a deathly stillness.

Vegeta hovered above the shattered island, the hem of his Battle Suit fluttering in the wind.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and the veins on his arms bulged, as if he wanted to crush all his anger and stuff it into his palms.

His usually arrogant face was now terrifyingly gloomy, his lips pressed into a thin line, and a few strands of black hair on his forehead were blown by the aftershocks, revealing his scarlet eyes, which were full of anger and resentment.

"Damn it..." He practically forced out the word through gritted teeth, his voice low and hoarse, trembling uncontrollably.

Below, Android 17 crashed onto the scorched island like a puppet with its strings cut, raising a cloud of dust.

The fierce glint in his eyes had vanished, leaving only a faint sense of bewilderment.

He struggled to prop himself up, his other hand instinctively touching his neck, where the phantom pain of being strangled seemed to linger.

He shook his still somewhat dazed head, looking around at the battlefield that resembled one trampled by a giant beast, his face full of confusion.

"What... happened to me?" he murmured, his voice so soft it drifted away in the smoke and devastation, and no one paid him any attention.

Now, whether friend or foe, everyone's attention is no longer on him.

Vegeta's gaze was like a knife, fixed on the sky—the black hole that had just swallowed Goku had vanished, leaving only a scar on the sky that was still slowly healing, ugly and glaring.

His chest heaved violently, each breath stirring up pain and rage.

"Kakarot..." His voice was extremely low, like talking to himself, or like a low growl before a volcanic eruption, each syllable so heavy it was suffocating, "Where... did you go...?"

--hell.

This has nothing to do with words like "fall" or "arrive".

It felt more like being forcibly torn off and dragged away by some force.

Son Goku felt himself passing through layer after layer of cold, sticky darkness, which seemed alive, binding his hands and feet, and even trying to burrow into his soul.

There was no light, no sound, only an endless feeling of falling and a bone-chilling cold.

Finally, I felt a dull thud under my feet—not a heavy fall, but something catching me.

He finally came to a stop on a vast, desolate, and lifeless land.

Beneath my feet lay cracked black earth, barren of any vegetation, with occasional glimmers of dark red light seeping from the cracks, like congealed blood, illuminating a few scattered, strange rocks.

The air was thick with the smells of decay and sulfur, along with an indescribable unease and despair that made it hard to breathe.

There was no sky overhead, only a thick, oppressive curtain that absorbed light, making people feel uneasy.

Looking around, all was deathly silent; there wasn't even a sound of wind.

"Is this hell?" Son Goku murmured to himself, his voice unusually clear in the deathly silence.

He stretched his shoulders; the golden flames didn't ignite, but all his muscles were on high alert as he warily surveyed his surroundings.

"That's right." A voice suddenly rang out from behind.

But the sound wasn't a vibration of air at all; it was more like it was drilling directly into my brain, carrying a familiar malice and mockery.

Goku slowly turned around.

Not far away, two figures seemed to emerge from the shadows on the ground, standing there clearly.

Frieza.

Cell.

Frieza was still in his final form, his white carapace exuding a deathly aura under the dim red light. His hands were behind his back, the tip of his tail swayed gently, a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth, and his narrow eyes were full of cold light, as if he wanted to nail Goku to the spot.

Cell stood beside him, his perfectly shaped body tall and imposing, arms crossed over his chest, wings folded behind him, his golden compound eyes coldly watching Goku, his face expressionless, yet possessing a calm and cruel air of a cat toying with a mouse.

Cell's aura resonated subtly with the hellish environment, making him appear even more terrifying.

"Son Goku ..." Frieza began, his voice sharp and piercing, like a knife scraping through metal, filled with resentment and glee, "You've finally come. Hehehe... I've waited for this day for a very, very long time."

He deliberately dragged out his words, each one filled with hatred.

Cell slowly lowered his arms, which were crossed over his chest, and golden flames rose from his body with a "hum," illuminating half of his face with a cold light.

"Life in hell is so monotonous it drives you mad." His voice was calm, yet dangerously so. "Energy replenishment is always disappointing. You've come, at least..." He paused, his tongue licking his teeth, "To bring us some amusement, and incidentally, fill this damn emptiness."

Facing these two mortal enemies who had nearly destroyed his world, Son Goku showed no fear whatsoever.

On the contrary, that long-lost fighting spirit in the face of a powerful enemy was ignited in his eyes, dispelling the cold and oppressive atmosphere around him.

A smile slowly crept onto his lips, revealing a pure and confident expression.