This novel is finished and I have posted all the advanced chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
As the river of time exploded apart, everyone there instantly grew nervous.
Son Goku immediately transformed into Super Saiyan 4, ready to leap into battle at any moment.
Yet, when the shattered fragments of time finally cleared, and a figure emerged from the rift, everyone froze in place.
"This is…?" Son Goku's eyes widened, disbelief painted across his face.
The Old Kaiōshin, too, was left gaping, his jaw slack.
For before them now stood Vegeta, yet he was drastically changed from before. His Ki still raged with violent force, but compared to earlier, it was far more stable.
More importantly, the sheer terror of his aura was undeniable.
And Vegeta's outward appearance had transformed completely. His hair had grown longer than in Super Saiyan 4, falling past his shoulders to his chest, shining with a silver brilliance. His body was cloaked in silver fur. His eyes, ringed in purple, burned with golden pupils, while arcs of lightning crackled endlessly around him.
"Kakarrot… I've finally surpassed you!"
His excited voice rang out as his gaze locked onto Son Goku, his fighting spirit soaring to the heavens.
"Hahahaha! Good!" Son Goku laughed in exhilaration, his figure shooting forward.
In the very next instant, the battle between the two erupted. Yet, the others present no longer felt the same weight of dread.
It was clear now, Vegeta had mastered this power. And if it was under control, then there was no longer any danger.
As for their battle… Well, the Kaiōshin Realm wasn't about to be destroyed.
The Old Kaiōshin had long since gotten used to such things.
"Above Super Saiyan 4… there truly exists another transformation!" The Old Kaiōshin muttered to himself, his heart unable to remain calm.
"Super Saiyan 5! It's real, after all!"
Even Jiang Chen let out a long sigh of relief. After all, this was fanfiction lore, it didn't even exist in the movies. Whether Vegeta could truly reach Super Saiyan 5 had been uncertain even to Jiang Chen himself.
Fortunately, none of the feared disasters came to pass.
A Super Saiyan 5 had truly been born.
Boom!
Rumble… Rumble!
The clash raged on without end. All across the Kaiōshin Realm, the ground split and collapsed in great chunks. Yet it was fortunate, the stability of the Kaiōshin Realm was the strongest in the entire universe.
Especially in this GT timeline and space, its durability even surpassed that of Universe 7 itself.
Not even the power of Super Saiyan 5 could destroy it.
High in the skies, Son Goku had already transformed into Super Saiyan Blue.
He pushed that form to its utmost limit, deepening its aura further and further… Yet even so, he still struggled to match the might of Vegeta in Super Saiyan 5.
"Kakarrot! Now, I am the Number One in the Universe!"
Vegeta's voice thundered with excitement, his violent aura sweeping out in waves, pressing Goku into a near-constant retreat.
The more Son Goku fought, the more exhilarated he became.
"Come again!" With those quiet words, his aura surged upward once more.
Boom!
Rumble… Rumble!
The battle raged on for a full five minutes. At last, Goku was overwhelmed, and his body slammed down hard into the ground.
"I won! Kakarrot!" Vegeta spoke while breathing heavily and with a pale look on his face, but he was still filled with unrestrained exhilaration.
Since arriving on Earth, in every match against Kakarrot, he had never once claimed true victory. But now, he had won.
For a moment, Vegeta felt dazed.
It was almost unreal. But it was true, he had finally defeated him.
"You won, Vegeta! Haha! Once I complete the transformation too, we'll fight again!" Goku laughed, just as excited, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Vegeta, eager for the next match.
"Not so fast. Rest first! Lord Kaiōshin, could you help Vegeta recover a little?" Jiang Chen spoke, gesturing toward Kibito-shin.
"O-Oh! Of course!" Kibito Shin hurried forward, laying his hands upon Vegeta to restore him.
Moments later, the pallor faded from Vegeta's face, his aura gradually calming back into balance.
"Well then? How does this power feel?" Jiang Chen asked, turning to Vegeta.
"It's very powerful. But this power places an enormous burden on the body, even greater than Super Saiyan 3!" Vegeta pondered for a moment, glancing at Son Goku before fixing his gaze on Jiang Chen as he spoke in a low and serious voice.
"A heavy burden?" Goku instinctively spoke up.
"Yes. With my current strength, I can only sustain it for ten minutes at most. Any longer, and my mind will collapse." Vegeta nodded as he spoke with a firm expression on his face.
"The mind, huh…" Jiang Chen mused to himself.
He had already sensed the strange imbalance in Vegeta when he first transformed into Super Saiyan 5. Just as he suspected, this form was not without flaw.
In the original fan lore, the Super Saiyan 5 transformation placed overwhelming strain on both body and mind. Death could come at any moment from the pressure. Even Son Gohan and Vegeta could only maintain it for ten minutes. The only exception was Goku, who could manipulate his emotions, joy, anger, sorrow, and delight, each one fueling his power, allowing him to extend the time somewhat.
But even then, it was only within limits. Much like Super Saiyan 3.
"Yes. My spirit is constantly being battered. It's extremely difficult to maintain this power. If my will collapses, I may become like that ancient Super Saiyan, lost to madness."
Vegeta's voice was solemn as he nodded.
"So that's it… So the ancient one must have fallen because his spirit collapsed." The Old Kaiōshin murmured, his face showing sudden realization.
"Lord Kaiōshin. Can you temporarily seal off the Kaiōshin Realm?" Jiang Chen turned to the elder, speaking with deliberation.
The amplification of Super Saiyan 5 was far greater than even he had imagined. With Goku, it might not be a problem, but if Vegeta lost control, the consequences would be disastrous.
The entire universe could spiral into chaos. Even with Goku and Vegeta together, there was no guarantee of containment.
"It can be done. I'll do it right away!" The Old Kaiōshin nodded without hesitation, fully understanding Jiang Chen's intent.
He swiftly departed.
A day later, the Old Kaiōshin returned, gasping for breath.
"The Kaiōshin Realm has been completely sealed! Unless the Realm itself is destroyed, this seal cannot be broken." His voice was firm.
"Good. Goku, begin!" Jiang Chen nodded, his eyes settling on Son Goku.
"Understood!" Goku answered immediately, then launched himself into the air, descending toward the high platform below.
"Vegeta." As Goku landed, Jiang Chen turned his gaze to Vegeta.
"Hmph! Kakarrot is mine to handle!" Vegeta snorted coldly, his fighting spirit burning.
Defeating Goku's Super Saiyan 4 and Super Saiyan Blue wasn't enough. To him, only by conquering Goku in the same form, Super Saiyan 5, could he truly prove himself as the Number One Warrior in the Universe.
Jiang Chen simply smiled, saying nothing.
For he knew very clearly, at the same level of Super Saiyan 5, Vegeta could never surpass Goku.
The foundation between them was simply too far apart.
To the gods of the Saiyans, the difference might be invisible. But in a transformation like Super Saiyan 5, where multipliers stacked infinitely, such a gap was no joke.
(End of Chapter)