The lush, grassy terrain shimmered briefly before vanishing, transforming into a barren wasteland. The sudden shift in the environment startled even the seasoned fighters.
"Did you manipulate space itself?" Aeos asked, her voice edged with disbelief as she turned to Demigra.
At the same time, the area where Goku and his allies stood underwent a similar transformation, becoming a desolate wasteland under a darkened sky. A thick black mist descended, enveloping the battlefield. From the swirling fog emerged figures from the past—Frieza's ancestor, Chilled, and countless other demons and villains once vanquished by the Time Patrol.
"Ahhhh!" Chilled roared, his blood-red Ki surging outward in a terrifying display of power. His eyes glowed crimson, exuding pure malice. The other demons and villains followed suit, releasing torrents of blood-red energy that crackled ominously in the air.
Goku, Gohan, and the others immediately readied themselves for battle, their postures tense and resolute.
"Everyone, stay united and focus on survival," Chronoa urged, her voice steady despite the growing danger.
Demigra chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with mockery. "How amusing. Even now, you waste energy worrying about others instead of accepting your doom!"
With those words, he clenched his fists, releasing a surge of blood-red Ki that spread across the battlefield like an ominous tide. The oppressive energy forced the group to steady themselves.
Goten, however, stood calm and motionless amidst the chaos, his aura serene yet unyielding.
Demigra's strength had grown exponentially, augmented by the dark energy left behind by Mechikabura. His confidence swelled as he sneered at his opponents. "You should tremble before me. I've surpassed every limit. None of you can stand against me now."
"Enough talk!" Aeos roared, her resolve igniting. A radiant halo of time appeared behind her as she prepared to join the fray.
Before she could act, Goten stepped forward, his expression calm yet firm. "Lord Kaioshin, let me handle this."
Aeos hesitated, glancing at Goten with uncertainty. "You… you truly believe you can defeat him?"
Goten chuckled. "Do you doubt my strength? Trust me—he's mine."
Reluctantly, Aeos retracted her power, the time halo behind her fading into nothingness. "Fine," she said, stepping back. "But don't underestimate him."
Demigra's eyes narrowed as he focused on Goten. "So, you're the one who thinks you can stop me?" he sneered. "You'll regret this arrogance."
Before Demigra could act, Goten vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing behind him. Startled, Demigra swung his right arm backward in a wide arc, but Goten effortlessly sidestepped and reappeared in front of him. Without hesitation, Goten delivered a devastating uppercut to Demigra's chin, launching him skyward.
The speed of Goten's attack left even Aeos and Chronoa stunned. "What… what just happened?" Aeos murmured, unable to follow his movements.
In the air, Goten didn't relent. He unleashed a relentless barrage of punches, each blow landing with the force of a meteor. "Ahhhh!!!" Demigra screamed as he struggled to defend himself. Goten's right fist connected with Demigra's face, sending him hurtling across the battlefield like a streak of light.
Demigra managed to halt his momentum, hovering mid-air as he clenched his fists in frustration. "This is impossible!" he roared. "With the Dark Factor and the Power of Time, I should be invincible!"
"The strongest?" Goten smirked, his tone mocking. "Don't kid yourself, Demigra. You're nothing but a big fish in a small pond. You couldn't even challenge a God of Destruction."
"How dare you!" Demigra's rage erupted, his aura flaring wildly.
Goten's expression turned serious. "Enough games. It's time to end this."
In an instant, Goten appeared behind Demigra, his right hand glowing with a condensed sphere of Hakai energy. "Destroy," Goten declared, his voice resolute.
Demigra's eyes widened in terror. "No!!!" he screamed as his body began to dissolve into nothingness. Despite his protests and desperation, the Hakai's power was absolute. Piece by piece, Demigra's form vanished into oblivion until only the Box of Time remained, clattering to the ground.
Goten caught the box with ease, his gaze calm. He turned to Aeos and Chronoa, who immediately approached him.
"Give me the Box of Time!" Aeos demanded.
"No, it's mine!" Chronoa countered, glaring at Aeos.
The two began bickering over the artifact, their heated argument filling the air.
"Lord Kaioshin," Goten interrupted, "how does this box even work?"
"What are you planning to do?" Chronoa asked suspiciously.
Goten grinned. "Well, since I'm holding it, why don't I just take over as the new Kaioshin of Time?"
"You want to become the ruler of timelines?" Chronoa asked incredulously.
"Why not?" Goten replied with a shrug. "Seems like an interesting gig."
"Absolutely not!" Chronoa snapped. "But… if you're serious, I might consider making you a trainee Kaioshin first."
"Trainee?" Goten raised an eyebrow. "How long would I have to wait before becoming a full Kaioshin?"
Chronoa smirked. "That depends entirely on my mood."
Laughing, Goten handed the Box of Time to Chronoa. "Relax, Lord Kaioshin. I was just joking!"
"Joking?" Chronoa repeated, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah," Goten said with a grin. "I have no interest in your job. I'm working toward something much simpler: being the strongest so I can enjoy an easy life. Fishing, climbing mountains, traveling—that's my dream."
Aeos chuckled. "So your grand pursuit of power is just a means to… lie around all day?"
"What else?" Goten replied. "Isn't the point of working hard to gain the freedom to relax and live carefree?"
"That's… not wrong," Aeos admitted, laughing softly.
"Hey, I'm pretty free myself!" Chronoa interjected, her expression indignant.
Goten and Aeos shared a knowing smile but said nothing.
"Lord Kaioshin, shouldn't we focus on the battle instead of arguing?" Gohan interrupted.
Chronoa's demeanor shifted instantly as she turned her attention to the ongoing fights. In the distance, Goku and his companions were still locked in combat with Cell and his allies.
Lifting the Box of Time, Chronoa declared, "Let's end this. The Scroll of Time will restore peace!"
She opened the box, releasing a golden light that shot into the sky. The light eradicated the villains, and the timelines began to heal, returning to their natural states.
"Finally," Gohan sighed, relief washing over him.
Turning to Aeos, Chronoa spoke solemnly. "I've reconsidered my plan. I'll trust in the possibilities you spoke of."
Aeos smiled faintly, her expression softening. With that, the summoned warriors returned to their respective timelines.
Back in the main timeline, Goku, Goten, and Gohan had returned home.
"Gohan, your company called earlier. They're wondering where you've been," Chi-Chi scolded.
"Ahhhh!" Gohan yelped. "I completely forgot!"
"Well, go now!" Chi-Chi insisted.
"Goten," Gohan asked sheepishly, "could you give me a lift to West City?"
"Sure," Goten replied, placing a hand on Gohan's shoulder. In an instant, they vanished, reappearing at Trunks' house.
"Thanks, Goten!" Gohan said, immediately flying into the sky to handle his responsibilities.
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