"Kaioshin of Time?" Goku repeated, narrowing his eyes at the figure in front of him.
Time Patrol Trunks nodded solemnly. "Yes, that's Aeos."
Aeos's expression remained impassive as she held up a glowing scroll. "The amount of timelines can never increase. This is the law of the multiverse," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.
As she spoke, several black-robed figures appeared behind her, their presence ominous. Without hesitation, Aeos summoned a blue flame in her palm, setting the scroll ablaze. It burned rapidly, the energy contained within it dissipating into nothingness.
Time Patrol Trunks clenched his fists, his face contorted with anger and despair. He had seen firsthand the fragility of life across timelines, and now, he watched as entire realities were wiped from existence. His heart ached for the countless lives lost with each destroyed timeline.
"Hurry and continue!" Aeos commanded, her tone cold and unyielding. "Which timeline will be the last one standing?"
Her words sent chills through the assembled warriors. Without further explanation, Aeos waved her hand, and Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, and the others were teleported once more to their designated battlefields.
Gohan and Goten found themselves on a familiar planet.
"This is… Namek?" Gohan muttered, recognizing the lush green terrain and azure skies. Memories of his first visit to the planet flooded his mind.
As he scanned the area, several figures materialized before them. Among them were Golden Frieza, King Cold, Bergamo, and several others Goten didn't recognize.
"Goten, these look like the opponents my dad and I fought before," Gohan said, his tone cautious but steady.
"Yeah," Goten replied, his gaze narrowing as he assessed the situation.
Before they could act, a black-robed figure descended from the sky, landing gracefully on the ground.
"Is everything ready?" the figure asked, their voice calm and measured.
Goten and Gohan immediately tensed, their senses on high alert. The man in the black robe removed his hood, revealing a face neither expected.
"Uncle Piccolo?" Gohan gasped, his voice filled with disbelief.
On another battlefield, Goku, Vegeta, and Hit found themselves in a peculiar environment. The ground beneath their feet was made of massive glass panels, reflecting their surroundings in a surreal and distorted manner.
"What is this place?" Goku wondered aloud, glancing around.
Before anyone could answer, a black-robed figure appeared atop one of the jagged glass spires. In their hand, they held a tiny elf-like creature that squirmed and glowed faintly.
"This little elf is called Millie," the figure announced. "If you can take her from me and deliver her to Lord Aeos's team, you'll win the second round!"
Vegeta scoffed, his arms crossed. "So all I have to do is defeat you and take that fairy? Sounds simple enough."
"Exactly," the figure replied, removing their robe to reveal a girl with blue-green skin, purple hair styled into two buns, and striking red eyes. She was dressed in a black dress, her presence both delicate and commanding.
The girl clasped her hands together, and ten humanoid constructs made of glass materialized around her. Their sharp edges glistened menacingly under the light.
"Tsk! How boring!" Vegeta growled, his disdain evident. Without hesitation, he charged forward, smashing one of the glass men into shards with a single blow.
In an instant, his aura flared, and he transformed into Super Saiyan Blue. He rocketed toward the girl, his energy radiating pure determination. Hit, ever the professional assassin, followed close behind, ready to eliminate any obstacles.
Meanwhile, Time Patrol Trunks once again confronted the masked man from before. The air around them crackled with tension as they prepared to clash.
With a roar, Trunks unleashed a golden energy wave from his right hand, the attack hurtling toward the masked man with devastating speed.
The explosion from the impact sent thick smoke billowing into the air. Trunks wasted no time, appearing before the smoke cleared and throwing a powerful punch into the cloud.
A hand emerged from the haze, effortlessly catching Trunks's fist. The smoke dissipated, revealing the masked man unharmed.
Trunks gritted his teeth and pushed forward with all his strength, but the masked man twisted his wrist, slamming Trunks into the ground.
"Ah!" Trunks cried out, quickly recovering as he kicked upward, forcing the masked man to retreat. Trunks used the moment to regain his footing and launched into a flurry of punches, his attacks relentless and precise.
The masked man countered with equal speed, his movements fluid and calculated. With a sudden burst of strength, he landed a solid punch to Trunks's face, sending him stumbling backward.
"You're skilled… but not enough," Trunks muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.
The masked man paused, his body emanating a dark aura. Slowly, he removed his hood, revealing a familiar face.
"Gohan-kun?!" Trunks gasped, his eyes widening in shock.
The figure before him was Gohan, but not the Gohan he knew. This Gohan bore a deep scar across his face, and his left arm was missing. His eyes reflected a lifetime of pain and loss.
"In my timeline…" Future Gohan began, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion, "you and Aunt Bulma were killed by the androids. I lost everything. All because of my weakness… my incompetence."
Future Gohan clenched his fist, his golden Ki flaring as his anger grew. "I swore I'd never let that happen again. Lord Aeos gave me the power of the Dark Dragon Ball, and with it, I'll prove my worth!"
As his energy erupted, Future Gohan transformed into a Super Saiyan, his golden aura blazing.
Without warning, he surged forward, his right fist connecting with Trunks's face. Trunks cried out as he was sent flying.
Future Gohan pursued him relentlessly, delivering a powerful kick to Trunks's chin, sending him hurtling into the sky.