Final Form

Frieza's body began to swell.

It was not ordinary growth, but a grotesque, bone-chilling distortion.

His torso seemed to be forced apart from within, muscles bulging at bizarre angles as dense, scale-like patterns surfaced across his skin. His already ferocious face completely warped, and two sharp horns burst through the bones on either side of his forehead, like the mark of some ancient alien creature.

"Th-this..." Krillin's voice trembled. "What kind of monster is that..."

I leaned against a rock, watching Frieza transform while inwardly ranting like crazy.

(Seriously, Saiyan transformations look so much better.)

(Super Saiyan: golden aura + blond hair + green eyes. Cool as hell.)

(Great Ape: a little ugly, sure, but at least it still looks like a normal living creature.)

(And then there's Frieza's transformation...)

(First he went from his first form to his second form. I put up with that.)

(And now he's turning into this thing??)

(Did your plastic surgery go wrong, or did you get nuked by radiation??)

(What's with growing two horns out of your head!!)

(And isn't the difference in aesthetics way too huge!!)

(Saiyan transformation: hair stands up, colors change a little, eyes change a little. Simple, crude, cool!)

(Frieza transformation: body twisting, bones restructuring, scales growing all over him... what is this, a horror movie??)

(As expected of a villain. Even his transformation reeks of cheap horror movie vibes!!)

Frieza's third form was complete.

He stood where he was, taller and more heavily built than before, but what made everyone most uncomfortable was that twisted feeling—he no longer looked anything like a normal living creature.

"Hahahahaha!!"

Frieza threw his head back and laughed. His voice had become hoarse and piercing from the changes to his vocal cords.

"Do you see it now!! This is my power!!"

His aura was surging.

I could feel that oppressive force, far, far stronger than his second form. If his second form had been just over one million, then this third form had to be at least over one hundred million.

"One hundred million... no, one hundred twenty million..." Vegeta's weak voice came from the distance, filled with shock. "That number... how is that possible...!!"

(Yeah, one hundred twenty million.)

I silently nodded to myself.

(I know.)

(Frieza's final form at 100% full power is one hundred twenty million.)

(At 50%, he's around sixty million—about evenly matched with Super Saiyan Goku.)

(So theoretically...)

(Dad, at one hundred fifty million, should win for sure...)

(Should... be safe, right?)

I looked at the golden figure in the center of the battlefield, still feeling uneasy.

That might have been how it went in the original story, but who knew whether something would go wrong?

After all, this was a world I had changed.

Many things were already different from the original story.

"Is this your full power?"

Goku's voice rang out, calm enough to make one's heart tremble.

He stood before Frieza, golden aura raging around him without affecting the composure on his face in the slightest.

"It feels... like nothing special."

Frieza's smile froze.

"What?"

"I said—"

Goku raised a hand, and his golden aura blazed even more fiercely.

"Is that all?"

The next instant, he vanished.

"What!!" Frieza's pupils contracted sharply.

BOOM!!!!!

A world-shaking explosion rang out!!

Frieza took a heavy blow to the chest and was sent flying as if he'd been hit by a train!!

He spun through the air who knew how many times, smashed through who knew how many rocks, and finally crashed into a small mountain, kicking up dust that filled the sky!!

"Frieza!!" I couldn't stop myself from shouting.

(Holy shit!!)

(One punch!! Just one punch!!)

(Frieza in his third form got sent flying with one punch!!)

(Th-That was way too insane!!)

"Cough, cough...!!"

Frieza's coughing came from within the dust.

He crawled out of the small mountain, a section of his chest caved in but still rapidly healing. That terrifying regenerative ability was still at work.

But his expression had changed.

Changed completely.

"Impossible..." He looked at Goku, his voice trembling with despair for the first time. "This power... this speed..."

"I told you."

Goku slowly approached, his aura as deep and boundless as the sea.

"Transformations... don't work on me."

"You!!"

Frieza roared and charged forward like a madman!!

His fist smashed toward Goku!!

Fast!! Too fast to see!!

But Goku was faster.

"Too slow."

He sidestepped it.

"Not enough power."

He raised a hand and blocked.

"And the angle is—"

His elbow slammed into Frieza's abdomen.

"Too stupid."

Frieza was sent flying again!!

This time, he didn't crash into a mountain, because Goku chased after him.

Golden light flashed across the battlefield, each flash accompanied by an explosive bang and Frieza's scream!!

"Bang!!"

"Bang!!"

"Bang!!!"

It was like beating up a punching bag!!

Frieza had no ability to fight back at all!!

His attacks couldn't touch Goku, while every one of Goku's attacks landed solidly!!

"Stop!!" Frieza roared.

"Bang!!"

One punch.

"Don't think!!" Frieza tried to retaliate.

"Bang!!"

Another punch.

"I'm afraid of you!!!"

"Bang!!!"

A third punch.

Frieza spun several times through the air before crashing heavily into the ground, blasting out an enormous crater.

"Heh."

Goku stood at the edge of the crater and looked down at Frieza.

"That's it?"

"Is this what you called 'getting serious'?"

Frieza crawled out of the crater, covered in injuries, but what was worse was the fear in his eyes.

It was genuine fear.

Not feigned arrogance, nor performed composure—it was fear born from being utterly crushed, fear that came from the depths of his soul.

"N-No... impossible..." Frieza muttered. "A Saiyan... how could a Saiyan possess this kind of power..."

"Why is it impossible?"

Goku tilted his head, his tone as if he were stating the simplest fact in the world.

"We Saiyans are a warrior race."

"And I..."

Pure fighting spirit burned in his eyes.

"Am a Saiyan among Saiyans."

At that moment, looking at that golden figure, a complicated emotion welled up inside me.

(So this is a Super Saiyan...)

(So this is the legendary warrior...)

(Dad... really has become stronger...)

In the distance, Vegeta lay on the ground without moving.

But his eyes remained fixed on the battlefield.

"Super Saiyan..." His voice was quiet, as though he were speaking to himself. "So... this is what it feels like..."

"Not anger."

"Not berserk rage."

"It is... absolute confidence."

"It is... power that stands above everything else."

His hand clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white.

"One day... I will too...!!"

Hearing him, something stirred within me.

(Vegeta...)

(You're jealous, aren't you.)

(After all, you're the prince of the Saiyans.)

(And now, you've witnessed with your own eyes...)

(A low-class warrior surpassing heights you could never reach.)

(But...)

I looked at the light in Vegeta's eyes.

(That isn't just jealousy.)

(There's something else, too.)

(Is it... unwillingness to accept defeat?)

(Is it... yearning?)

(Or...)

(Some kind of realization... one even he himself hasn't noticed?)

On the battlefield, Frieza rose to his feet.

His body was trembling.

But the fear in his eyes was gradually fading, replaced by a frenzied resolve.

"Very good..." His voice was hoarse. "Very good... Kakarot..."

"You think... this is all my power?"

Goku frowned. "You can transform again?"

"Transform?"

Frieza laughed.

His smile was twisted and crazed.

"No... not a transformation."

"It's... a release."

His aura began to surge wildly.

Stronger than before.

Far more terrifying.

"Th... this feeling is!!" Krillin cried out.

"100%... no, even stronger than that...!!" Vegeta struggled to stand, but his injuries pinned him in place.

The sky changed color again.

Dark clouds churned as lightning flashed and thunder roared.

Frieza's body began to shrink. Those grotesque muscles, scales, and horns all receded.

He returned to the seemingly harmless appearance of his first form.

But that aura—that suffocatingly terrifying aura—made every hair on my body stand on end.

"This is..."

Frieza looked at his hands, his voice carrying a sickening fervor.

"My true form."

"100% full power—"

He raised his head, madness burning in his eyes.

"Final Form!!"

At that moment, all of Namek trembled!!

I stared wide-eyed at Frieza.

(100% full power...)

(One hundred and twenty million...)

(No, he just said he was stronger than 100%...)

(Could it be...)

Frieza looked toward Goku, a cruel smile curling across his lips.

"Surprised, Kakarot?"

"This is"

"My true power!!"

Golden flames of aura and that pitch-black presence collided violently beneath Namek's sky!!

A new round of battle was about to begin!!