Chapter 34: This is Super Saiyan 5, Goku's Fierce Smile
"I... I am the strongest!!" Gogeta's eyes were bloodshot, a crazed look emanating from them.
"Haahhhhhh!"
Gogeta roared once again, his power surging with every cry.
He unleashed a flurry of punches at Lin Qi, each one so fast they became imperceptible. The terrifying force of the punches tore through the air, creating violent shockwaves.
Each punch distorted space, producing ripples that spread out in every direction.
"Good!" Lin Qi's grin widened as he dodged the attacks. The two figures vanished from everyone's sight once again.
What could be seen now were two streaks of light—one red, one white—colliding and intertwining in the sky.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dull sounds of impact echoed continuously, accompanied by bursts of explosive energy reverberating across the battlefield.
In midair, Gogeta appeared again, both hands raised high as an enormous energy sphere coalesced above his palms.
"Big Bang... Kamehameha!"
With Gogeta's roar, the massive energy ball shot towards Lin Qi.
Lin Qi, hovering in the sky, gazed indifferently at the incoming attack, making no effort to dodge or counter. The energy sphere approached him in an instant.
"What is he doing?" Trunks stared at the sky in shock. "Why isn't Lin Qi dodging or fighting back?"
"I don't know..." Gohan also looked up, bewildered, fixated on what might happen next.
When the terrifying energy sphere collided with Lin Qi, it exploded, sending shockwaves rippling across the sky.
Whoosh!
The intense attack caused Gogeta to split back into Goku and Vegeta.
The fusion time was up!
"Look, they've separated!" Goten pointed at the two figures appearing in midair.
The others, however, kept their eyes on the dissipating smoke, trying to see if Lin Qi was unscathed.
As the smoke cleared, Lin Qi still hovered in midair, completely unharmed. His hair, previously blood-red, had turned silver. It shimmered like threads of light, and his aura surged immensely.
"What kind of transformation is that?" Vegeta stared up in shock.
Goku, equally curious, exclaimed with excitement, "I don't know... but it feels... so strong!"
"Extremely powerful!"
"But wasn't our fusion supposed to last thirty minutes?" Vegeta frowned, looking at his hands.
"This time, it didn't even last eight minutes! That's even shorter than last time!"
"That's because your power is constantly increasing, which naturally shortens the fusion duration," Lin Qi remarked calmly, reverting to his base form as he descended to stand before Goku and Vegeta. His expression remained indifferent, as if nothing could stir his emotions.
"What was that transformation just now?" Goku clenched his fists and asked persistently, "I've never seen it before!"
"It felt incredibly powerful!"
"Oh... that's Super Saiyan 5," Lin Qi said indifferently. "After Super Saiyan 4, the next level is this form."
Lin Qi's words sent shockwaves through the group, who had leaped into the air to listen.
"There's something beyond Super Saiyan 4?" Vegeta asked, stunned, barely daring to believe. "Then... is there something beyond Super Saiyan 5?"
"Yes! But for now, it's far too early for you," Lin Qi replied, using Instant Transmission. "I'm leaving."
---
After returning to Bulma's house, Lin Qi went straight to his guest room and collapsed onto the bed.
"Sigh..." His voice was muffled by the blanket. "Disappointed again."
With the excuse that Bulma's time machine wasn't ready yet, Lin Qi spent several more days lazing around.
---
The next morning.
Lin Qi lounged on a recliner on the balcony, basking in the sun lazily. In the courtyard above, Goku and Vegeta were sparring once again.
"Wow, Dad and Goku are sparring again?" Trunks, holding a drink, glanced upward before walking to Lin Qi and handing him the beverage.
"Yeah..." Lin Qi responded lazily, taking the drink and sipping it. "Aren't you going to work today?"
"There wasn't much to do, so I thought I'd come home early!" Trunks smiled warmly.
Before Lin Qi could reply, Goku was sent crashing down by Vegeta, clutching the back of his head and crying out in pain.
"Ow, ow, ow... that hurt!"
"Are you okay, Goku?" Trunks asked with concern as he noticed Goku's teary eyes.
"I'm fine, I'm fine... I just hit an old injury from when I was a kid!" Goku grinned at Trunks before flying back into the sky.
"Alright then," Trunks said, turning to look at the carefree Lin Qi lounging on the recliner.
"Lin Qi, do you think I could ask Mom to build me my own time machine?"
"Why are you asking me?" Lin Qi looked at Trunks in surprise.
"That thing was designed by Bulma. If you want one—or even several—why not just ask her?"
Below, Trunks and Lin Qi continued their conversation while Goku and Vegeta's battle grew even more intense.
Boom!
An energy blast exploded in the air, sending a strong wind howling towards the balcony, bending the trees in the courtyard.
"Hey, Kakarot, what the hell are you doing?!" Vegeta shouted angrily as he leaped out of the thick smoke and faced Goku. "You're destroying my house with these attacks!"
"Heh heh heh..." Goku's face twisted into a strange grin as he began charging energy with both hands at his waist.
"Kame... hame... ha!"
With Goku's shout, even Vegeta was caught off guard, and Trunks looked up at the sky in shock.
If Goku's attack hit Vegeta and he couldn't block it, the Earth...
Whoosh!
Lin Qi frowned. His figure vanished from the recliner, appearing in front of Vegeta. He kicked Goku's Kamehameha upward into the sky.
A massive explosion followed, filling the sky with a blinding light and causing the ground to tremble.
"Hey, you damn idiot..." Vegeta yelled, clenching his fists as he stared at the powerful energy detonation in the sky.
"Why are you using such a strong attack? What do you plan to do to Earth?!"
"Hmph..." Goku remained expressionless, letting out a cold snort before kicking at Vegeta's face.
Bang!
Caught off guard, Vegeta was sent flying. After flipping mid-air to dissipate the force, he stabilized himself and glared angrily at Goku.
"You bastard! What the hell are you trying to do?!"