The seven Dragon Balls blazed with golden light, brighter than ever before. The ground trembled, winds whipped across the Lookout, and the sky darkened into a stormy black. Thunder echoed.
The Z Fighters shielded their faces from the overwhelming brilliance as Shenron's colossal form rose, scales glittering like emerald fire, eyes glowing crimson. His presence filled the heavens.
Shenron's booming voice thundered:
"I shall grant you any three wishes that lie within my power. Ask them, and they shall be so."
Gasps erupted from the group.
Goku's jaw dropped. "Wait… three wishes?!"
Bulma's eyes went wide. "No way—it really worked! Rudra's modification actually changed Shenron!"
Krillin whistled in amazement. "Man… we've hit the jackpot!"
Vegeta crossed his arms and smirked. "Hmph. So it wasn't just a bluff after all. Interesting. What do you think, Nappa?"
Nappa nodded eagerly. "Prince, this is incredible. Three wishes at once…"
Shenron's eyes glowed again. "Speak your wish!"
Goku scratched his head nervously. "Uh… I guess… I'm supposed to go first?" He glanced at Rudra.
Rudra: "Yes, Goku. You go. But listen carefully—start with reviving Chiaotzu. Let's test it."
Goku nodded, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Shenron! My first wish is to revive my friend, Chiaotzu!"
The dragon's eyes flashed briefly, but then dimmed.
Shenron: "That I cannot grant. I can't grant same wish twice."
Everyone froze.
Krillin's voice cracked: "W-what?! Then Chiaotzu can't come back?!"
Goku looked helplessly at Rudra. "See? It didn't work."
But Rudra remained calm, as if he had anticipated this. He stepped forward. "Try again, Goku. But this time, word it differently. Don't ask for just Chiaotzu. Ask for everyone killed by Vegeta and Nappa to be revived—everyone with a pure heart. That's a new wish, not a repeat."
Krillin blinked. "Ohhh… sneaky. That might actually work."
Goku lit up. "Got it! Shenron! My first wish is this: revive all good-hearted people who were killed by the Saiyan warriors Vegeta and Nappa!"
Shenron's eyes flared brighter than before. The ground shook.
Shenron's voice rolled like thunder:
"This I can grant. However, because this involves many souls, it shall count as two wishes combined. Thus, only one wish shall remain after this."
"Eh?!" Goku yelped.
Bulma stomped her foot. "What kind of fine print is that?!"
But Rudra only smirked. "That's still acceptable. Do it, Shenron."
The dragon's eyes burned scarlet, and a golden light burst outward. Across the world, spirits flickered back into existence—innocent civilians, fighters, and even allies who had been slain by the Saiyan invasion. Life surged once more into Earth.
The Dragon Balls glowed brilliantly as Shenron's eyes flared, granting the wish.
Far away, on King Kai's small planet, a sudden light engulfed three familiar figures. Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu gasped as their bodies regained warmth and color. Slowly, the halos above their heads shimmered and faded into nothingness.
Yamcha looked at his hands in disbelief. "Wait… the halo… it's gone!"
Tien clenched his fists, feeling the surge of life once more. His voice trembled. "We're… alive again."
Chiaotzu, small and pale, turned to them with a faint smile. "Tien… Yamcha… we really came back."
King Kai floated nearby, arms folded with a satisfied grin. "That's right! You three are fully revived now. And the best part—since you're already here, you can continue training under me. Consider it a head start while your friends are still catching up on Earth."
At that very moment, King Kai's voice echoed telepathically across the distance, reaching the warriors gathered around the still-glowing Dragon Balls.
King Kai's voice: "Everyone, listen! Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu are with me on my planet, alive and well. Their halos are gone. They'll be training here with me until they return to you. The wish was successful!"
Gasps of relief and smiles spread across the group on Earth. Krillin jumped up. "They're alive! They're really alive!"
Goku's face lit up. "That's great!"
Even Vegeta's stern gaze softened for the briefest moment before he turned away, muttering under his breath, "Hmph. So they survived after all."
Rudra, watching the reactions, allowed himself a quiet breath of relief. "Good. That's one step forward."
But Shenron's booming voice reminded them:
"Two wishes have now been granted. One remains."
The group went silent again. All eyes shifted to Rudra—because they all remembered the deal.
Rudra turned toward Vegeta with a calm nod. "It's your turn, Prince of all Saiyans. Make your wish."
Vegeta stepped forward, his face lit with anticipation. For years, he had dreamed of this moment—immortality within his grasp.
Vegeta raised his voice to the sky: "Shenron! Grant me immortality! Make me live forever!"
Shenron's eyes dimmed. "That I cannot grant. Immortality lies beyond my power."
Vegeta froze. "…What?!"
Nappa's mouth fell open. "You've gotta be kidding…"
Shenron's voice boomed again:
"To make a soul eternal or unending is beyond my creation. Such power is not mine to give."
Vegeta's fists shook. "Fine, then! Make me the strongest warrior in the entire universe!"
Shenron's glow pulsed, then dimmed again. "That, too, I cannot grant. My power does not extend across the universe."
The Lookout filled with stunned silence.
Krillin whispered: "Even… Shenron has limits?"
Piccolo scowled. "So immortality really isn't possible… then even Frieza's dreams are doomed."
Vegeta staggered back, his pride trembling. His smirk returned, faint and bitter. "Hmph… then at least I know. If even Shenron cannot do it, then no one can—not even Frieza."
Rudra's eyes narrowed, his voice calm but edged. "I told you, Vegeta. Your wish was never possible. Now… the last wish belongs to me."
Vegeta's pride warred with his disappointment, but deep inside, a strange relief lingered. If he couldn't achieve immortality, neither could Frieza. That alone was worth something.
Rudra stepped forward, his expression unreadable. His voice carried through the air with eerie calm.
Rudra: "Shenron! Grant me this wish—make my soul immortal. Let it never perish, even if my body falls."
The dragon's eyes dimmed. "That I cannot grant."
Everyone gasped again.
Krillin: "Seriously? Not even that?!"
But Rudra didn't flinch. He had expected this. Slowly, a smile tugged at his lips.
Rudra: "Then here is my true wish. Shenron, grant me the Instantaneous Movement technique—so that I may teleport anywhere, across any distance, in an instant."
Shenron's eyes blazed like fire.
"This I can grant."
The heavens rumbled as golden energy descended upon Rudra, enveloping him in a radiant aura. The power of Instant Transmission surged through his veins, imprinting the divine technique into his soul.
Rudra's hair whipped wildly in the storming winds, his eyes glowing faintly as knowledge flooded his mind—the ability to sense ki across vast distances, to lock onto it, and to travel instantly.
The light faded, leaving Rudra standing tall, his expression calm yet satisfied.
Shenron spoke one last time:
"Your wishes are complete. Until the Dragon Balls are restored, I shall now depart."
Shenron's body dissolved into golden streams that shot into the seven orbs. The Dragon Balls glowed brilliantly before scattering across the Earth once more, turning to stone.
The sky cleared, sunlight breaking through the clouds.
The Lookout stood in silence, everyone absorbing what had just happened.
Bulma let out a long breath. "Well… that was intense."
Krillin sighed. "Three wishes, and already we're down to zero again."
Piccolo, narrowing his eyes at Rudra: "You… just got a power that can turn battles upside down. I hope you use it wisely."
Rudra smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Piccolo. Every step I take is for the future. You'll see."
Goku, however, was practically bouncing with excitement. "Whoa, Rudra! You got Instant Transmission?! That's incredible! We've gotta train together—I wanna learn it too!"
Rudra chuckled softly. "Yeah, I can teach you."
Vegeta turned his back, arms folded, concealing his thoughts. Deep inside, disappointment burned, but also clarity. He had glimpsed the limits of the Dragon Balls—and the truth of his enemy's ambitions.
As the group slowly dispersed, one thought lingered in every mind:
The Dragon Balls were now stronger than ever… but so was Rudra.
And his role in the battles to come had just taken another mysterious turn.