Area A: Day Seven

[Orion]

"Real power..." Goku mocked in disgust the words as if Reijin himself had said them to him. "What do you know of real power, virus? You live within the body of a Saiya-jin not strong enough to fend you off. Your entire existance relies upon inhabiting the body of another. How could you ever know real power?" The son of Bardock roughly rubbed the lightly throbbing point on his frostbitten cheeks where the titanic fist of Broli had landed. The unconscious act had unknowingly given the Black Demon something to smirk about; the spiteful statements the black haired Saiya-jin fired were in contradiction to his action. His blackened arm curled in anticipation for the battle to recommence, eagerly determined to smash the truth into the heathen Saiya-jin.

"You could've had real power, you stubborn fool," the Black Demon retorted with his sharp tongue. "If only you took my hand, this universe could've been ours. Now it will be mine." Broli shifted his hulking frame forwards onto his right leg, planted firmly in the sleet smothered earth. "And I will make an example of you to this entire forsaken existance! Whoever opposes the might of the Black Demon will find their charred bodies steaming from the ground." Goku furrowed his brow, dissolving his calm, collected facade and producing his battle hardened stare. "It's such a pity that a warrior of your calibre couldn't see the error of his ways."

Goku's crimson kaioken aura had almost faded away, replaced with a thin red smoke that wafted from his shoulders and legs. One could've been forgiven for thinking they were witnessing the physical manifestation of Goku's shielded disdain seeping out of his very skin. The spiritual steam melted the cold snow around his boots and dissolved the snow upon his shoulders and other random areas on his clothing. There was no halting the constant downpour of snow; the further the two warriors taunted and delved deeper into their mind games, the heavier the sleet became. A silver lightning bolt slithered across the white ridden sky, followed by another as if nature was accurately emulating the restrained torrents of bloodlust and anger each Saiya-jin could not deny. However, the Black Demon held himself back only to allow Goku before him to release himself. He could sense that the Earth raised Saiya-jin was preventing his full strength to rage to the surface, but couldn't discern why. Surely he could feel the dire nature of the situation. If he lost to the Black Demon, his precious little universe would be no more.

Just before the words of his question formed on Broli's tongue, he stopped. Goku's stare was still frozen as the snow around him, locked forward in a deathly glare into Broli's soulless eyes. The blood red smoke that swirled around his body changed direction and funnelled into Goku's spiky black hair, as if his ebony locks were absorbing it. The muscle tissue inside Goku's upper body suddenly expanded, forcing larger shoulders, arms and chest. His legs performed the same action, exploding outwards to accomodate for the extra strength the body received. The translucent steam emanating from Goku morphed from its kaioken red to a shimmering gold, still seeping into the hair folicles. Acting like an over the counter dye, the ki fed whisps of smoke melded with his black hair, altering its birth colour until it was the same enchanting gold blonde as it. The same process occurred with his Saiya-jin tail, glittering into a much more attractive hue. As the smoke dissipated away, Goku's golden hair spiked upwards like a king's crown, standing proudly. The last transition of his Super Saiya-jin transformation was his eyes; their dark reflecting hue lightened and brightened until his irises were a dazzling teal. In a blaze of glory and a heightened power level, Goku's aura exploded around him again, but now identical to the colour of his hair.

"Finally, you bare your true self," the Black Demon snapped impatiently. Apart from the unstoppable physical altercations that the Super Saiya-jin form induced, Goku had not moved a centimetre. He was truly in tune with his ascended energies, able to summon them with little concentration or effort. For this fight, for what possible rammifications their would be at the conclusion of this apocalyptic clash of Saiya-jins, Goku was glad he spent a year in the void nothingness of the RoSaT. Truly, there had been no opponents, save the Legendary Super Saiya-jin, since he had emerged from the alternate dimension that had tested his resolve and might in his race's most honoured ascension. This Black Demon had an immense amount of power, and an appetite for destruction to match. For what energy Goku could draw upon, he hoped it would be enough. He failed in his duties of saving his home planet against Dars, and he could not fail again. Whatever it took, Goku would send the possessive virus straight into the pits of hell, even though it felt as if those very flames burnt within his soul. Goku couldn't help but ponder the fate of the original Broli. What happened to him? Did he still even exist in that hollow husk that the Black Demon dwelled within?

The golden flames of ki that danced on Goku's skin blew backwards against the wind as he dived into a full sprint towards Broli. His speed was incredible compared to his previous state; a thick spray of snow jetted out from his heels as if he were a super powered ferry charging across the waves. With a chesty roar, the Black Demon rose his aura to life and boosted towards Goku, his beefy legs shaking the earth with every pound of his feet. Despite their menacing, muscular frames, the Super Saiya-jins met each other within a few moments.

The real battle would now begin.

Goku threw both his feet forwards, pointing his toes towards Broli and let his heels and momentum propel himself across the frictionless snow. Predicting the attack on his ankles, Broli crouched in mid run and catapulted his hefty body into the air, somersaulting over the Super Saiya-jin comet. Goku dropped his right hand into the snow to slow his skidding and spun around to launch himself at Broli again. However, he wasn't where Goku predicted he would land. A whisp of wind rushed past Goku's ears, but by the time he assumed Broli's form had materialised behind him, he found his cheeks slammed hard against the sub zero earth. Broli stood above him without compassion or sympathy, grinding his right foot against the back of his adversary's skull.

Goku grimaced as he tried to withstand the pain, finding himself, for the most part, pinned down. He clawed desperately at Broli's shin, but with the advantageous position the Black Demon was in, Goku could do little. Formulating a plan to end the throbbing in his cranium swiftly, the father of Gohan placed both hands beneath his chest, palms open. A sparkle of ki appeared in each hand, which proceeded to combust. The explosion from the ground knocked Goku's body upwards, breaking the foothold Broli had against him. The Earthling's back crashed into Broli's chest, knocking both Super Saiya-jins off their feet. As the disturbed snow fell back to the ground, Goku and Broli's forms clashed in a blurring flurry of melee attacks. Fists and feet moved swifter than the gods themselves, firing as efficiently and cleanly as well maintained pistons. The stormy heavens above grew more agitated and dark with the progression of the battle. Rippling lightning bolts tore through the sky, the thundering soundwaves shadowed by the collision of the Super Saiya-jins attacks.

Neither warrior was making any strong headway. Broli drove a hooked punch into Goku's gut, causing him to expel the air in his lungs. An invisible spherical shockwave expanded outwards from the impact point, rattling the already unnerved atmosphere about them. Goku retaliated with an ascending clenched fist into his jaw, jerking the Black Demon's head upwards. Another forceful wave blew ferociously, removing the snow from the ground in some parts and heavily defacing the naked earth. Goku arched his right leg around and aimed for the same place on Broli's face, but a bulky hand rose to catch it. Broli grasped the ankle of Goku in his hand and rolled his fingers over his leg, sending his enemy into a horizontal spin. The Black Demon smiled with malicious intent as he clasped both hands together and rose them over his head, guiding them forcefully into the spinning Saiya-jin's torso. Goku's body was launched straight for the ground, but he now had stopped spinning. A golden flash reignited Broli's aura as he soared down after his prey.

His world raced towards him like an unstoppable meteorite careening through a planet's atmosphere. The ground moved closer and closer with evey passing moment, and Broli was in hot pursuit. No doubt the Black Demon was enjoying the prospect of tearing Goku to pieces; although it was a fruitless expedition for the most part, the Earthling had sensed a dark bloodlust in Broli's soul during his telepathic probing, one even more potent and insatiable than a normal Saiya-jin would or could ever experience. Goku only prayed that he would never be as heartless and twisted as the 'Saiya-jin' he faced today.

There was little time for a counter attack. Devising up a simple but promising plan, Goku forced his arms to his right side, cupping his hands.

"Ka... me... ha... me... " Goku chanted his most well honed attack as it pulsed to life within his hands. The Super Saiya-jin closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating hard on the task at hand, and his body shimmered. It was like he attempted to teleport, but he hadn't gone the entire way. Nonetheless, Goku was still fine, and he thrust his hands at the fast approaching earth.

"Ha!"

The unstable orb inside Goku's hands exploded from the spherical confines its master had set and became what it longed to be. From the palm sized ki ball, a monstrous energy column erupted. The yellow-white energy scathed the snow, melting away the abundant precipitation anywhere near the blast. In a violent jerk, Goku's body was fired in the opposite direction to the ground, flying upwards towards the descending Black Demon. Broli smirked, only just stopping himself from laughing at his enemy's blatant recreation of his previous attack. He increased his speed, rushing towards Goku like a golden lightning bolt, which still raged on within the clouds. Did this brilliant strategist believe that an identical move would go unnoticed by the Black Demon? Perhaps Broli had overestimated his opponent.

Perhaps not.

Broli swung his arms open, ready to embrace the sailing Saiya-jin in a bear hug grasp until he squeezed the air and life out of him. However, just as Goku was about to make impact, he turned his head and met his gaze with Broli. He smirked. The Black Demon's brow furrowed in the few seconds he had to decipher the earthling's actions, but even he could not stop what was now set in motion. With a much more enthusiastic smile, Goku's body shimmered away, teleporting out of sight from Broli. Now, in his direct path, was a golden beam of kamehameha energy. On the ground, standing in the sleet burdened earth, was Goku. The Black Demon's eyes widened as he tried to process the physically impossible event that took place in front of him, but he was quickly interrupted by the ki beam blasting him in the chest.

A large explosion of light and smoke detonated upon the Black Demon's chest, catapulting him into the cushion like snow. The blast had hurt Broli, but it wasn't anywhere near as potent as he had braced himself for. Climbing back to his feet, he saw Goku still standing in the same place.

"Behind you," a familar voice chimed. Broli curiously looked over his shoulder, taking in the image of Goku again. He looked forward, and Goku was there. He looked behind. He was there too.

"I'll tell you what," the Goku in front of Broli spoke in a calm manner, "it wasn't easy splitting my body, teleporting one half to the ground and collecting enough energy to damage you with the time I had." The second Goku cut in. "But I suppose you had already figured that out?" Both Gokus smiled arrogantly at the presumed displeasure Broli felt. The Black Demon's face contorted with the frustration and anger of being played for a fool. He couldn't have foreseen such a move; after all, body splitting wasn't a common technique. Broli rose both arms to the cloned Gokus, and fired two lethal energy blasts from his palms. The split Gokus jumped into the air as a wave of snow erupted beneath them. They met each other in the sky, fusing together to produce the original and more powerful Super Saiya-jin.

With a slightly inflated pride in his ability to defeat the Black Demon, Goku teleported back to the ground. As was usual, he appeared upside, but quickly flipped himself upright. However, moving with more speed and grace than Goku gave Broli credit, the Black Demon raced straight into him. Broli's burly fist slammed into Goku's stomach, then twice into his chest, and another deep punch into his gut. Goku doubled over Broli's arm, his eyes as wide open as his mouth. Without removing his fist, the Black Demon slid his knuckles up Goku's body until they connected with his chin.

The possessed Super Saiya-jin reared back and formed a fearsome energy ball in his palm. With a maniacal chuckle, he hurled it into Goku's stomach. The orb forced the earthling Saiya-jin backwards, travelling on his abdomenal. Though volatile, the energy ball only exploded after Goku's back crashed into a large hill of snow, enveloping the Super Saiya-jin in a shroud of splattered snow and smoke. The Black Demon laughed at his success. The universe would never know such terror as he. With this pathetic Saiya-jin slaughtered as an example, none could ever hope to oppose him. This world was as good as his.

Abruptly, over on the snowy hill silhouetted by the fading smoke, an eruption of snow arched into the sky. A faint cry was accompanied by a flash of light that blanketed the small alcove of snow that remained. Goku stood on his feet again, engrossed in the dense glowing aura. He was short of breath, his chest rising and falling to recouperate the lost oxygen. Blood oozed from the left side of his mouth and a cut just to the side of his right eye, which he let flow as it pleased. Small collections of snow rested against the flaps on Goku's baggy gi despite the warmth from his Super Saiya-jin aura, but he shook them off as he took his fighting stance again. The Black Demon frowned, but turned his lips up in a smile.

"If only you joined me," Broli chirped to himself, unable to wait until the eradication of this true Saiya-jin.