Chapter 58: Chapter 14 (Part 1)
They clashed in the vastness of space, the universe trembling as Gohan and Trigon collided. Trigon's face twisted with irritation.
"You think you can battle me and protect your tiny universe?" he asked.
Gohan's stoic expression turned into a smirk. "Against you? Definitely." His smirk faded, replaced by anger. "You will tell me what you know." Immediately, his power seemingly doubled. Trigon barely registered the bone-crushing blow from Gohan. The demon groaned in pain before floating back.
"Alright, no games!" Trigon yelled, unleashing even more power. That's when Gohan noticed it: the universe was tearing apart. Cracks in space began to form, slowly spreading.
Without hesitation, Gohan charged and punched the demon in the face, halting his devastating power increase. "You're pathetic. You have all this power but can't even channel it efficiently."
Trigon smirked. "Well, unlike you, my power was made for death, chaos, and destruction!" he declared. Before Gohan could respond, he saw a mist leaking through the cracks.
Trigon noticed Gohan's attention shift. Before he could attack, Gohan raised his palm, halting the demon god. Trigon stared at the Destroyer in confusion.
"Afraid now?" Trigon asked, but Gohan's eyes widened in concern. He glanced back at Trigon, who had also noticed the mist leaking through.
"A trick of yours? If so, I must say it is sorely lacking in substance. Trying to catch me off guard?" Trigon sneered.
Gohan turned and glared at him, his gaze filled with overwhelming might. A purple aura surrounded him, stunning the demon god.
"I—impossible…" Trigon stammered.
"I can't play babysitter with you anymore. Show me everything you've got or disappear," Gohan threatened. Time was running out; he needed to defeat Trigon.
Suddenly, an incredible shockwave rippled through the entire universe, tearing it apart, breaking it into smaller pieces with each passing second.
Vermont appeared beside Gohan. "Do you require assistance, my lord?" the angel asked. He knew Chronoa's warning was now at their doorstep. Gohan shook his head.
"No, I just need you to keep Earth safe for now. I'll handle the rest," Gohan explained resolutely.
Vermont nodded. "Also, I will need you to maintain the broadcast spell. We need to let everyone know what's happening, but I don't think I'll have any power to spare."
The angel obediently listened to his master and disappeared. Trigon's expression turned apprehensive; the thought of battling the angel clearly unsettled him.
Throughout the universe, a familiar presence made itself known.
"Citizens of the 21st Universe, I am Lord Gohan, your God of Destruction. I don't have much time to explain what just happened, but I'll do my best to mitigate the destabilization of the universe. However, this comes from even higher up than me," Gohan explained grimly.
A shiver ran through anyone listening. "The entire structure of reality is undergoing an unstoppable shift that I can't prevent, and I am currently dealing with a demon god who wants to consume you all."
Suddenly, an incredible surge of Ki erupted from Gohan. His eyes turned a silver hue as he slammed his palms together.
'I've done it before—Ki with Kai magic,' Gohan mused nervously before releasing a pulse that spread throughout the universe, as if grabbing hold of the collapsing structure. The mist was the most deadly concern; even Gohan was not immune to it.
The universe began to rumble as Gohan's divine Ki pulled it back together. His muscles strained, his face intense with concentration.
Trigon grinned and aimed his hand at Gohan, but the Destroyer effortlessly evaded the attacks while keeping his focus on stabilizing the universe.
'I need to finish this quickly,' Gohan thought. But he knew it would take more time than he had with Trigon.
The demon stopped his assault, recognizing the movements. "Ultra Instinct…" he muttered. He had fought Merno eons ago. 'I still remember this cursed technique,' he mused. Though he would never admit it, the Destroyer wielding the same power as the Angels explained why Merno had taken interest in him.
"Alright, if physical attacks won't work!" Trigon started charging an incredible blast of power. Even Gohan noticed this.
Frowning, Gohan dug deeper. 'Ultra Instinct would have worked perfectly if he wasn't so dead set on destroying and consuming everything.'
Splitting his focus, Gohan aimed an arm at the demon. A ball of Ki appeared.
"Ka…" he began chanting.
"Do you truly believe you can stop me and save this pathetic universe?" Trigon questioned, his predatory grin widening as he poured more and more power into his attack.
"Me…"
"Unlike you, this mist will not afflict me! I was banished by the Grand Zeno; thus, this mist does not view me as a being of this Omniverse but one of the Abyss!" Trigon declared.
"Ha…" Gohan realized Trigon had nothing to lose.
"Now, let's see you keep everything together," Trigon challenged. The citizens of the 21st Universe watched with bated breath; they could only depend on their Destroyer God.
"Me…" The blue ball of Ki shimmered and crackled, overwhelmed with incredible pressure.
Trigon grinned and fired his blast. "Die!" he exclaimed, watching as the beam of power barreled toward the Destroyer.
"HAAA!!!" Gohan unleashed the one-armed Kamehameha, his other hand gripping the collapsing universe, holding it together like glue with his divine Ki.