Cui's legs trembled, barely holding him upright. Blood poured from the gaping wound in his right hip, and his forearm was gone, blown to pieces.
His breath came in ragged gasps as he stared at his mangled body. 'Why? I thought I'd regained my full strength! This shouldn't be happening... Wait.' His eyes darted to the unconscious Dende, lying motionless on the ground. 'Could it be... the beans needed to be chewed by that runt first for their full effect?'
"Alright!" Yamcha's voice rang out, breaking the tension. "Way to go, Gohan!"
Gohan clenched his fist in front of him with a grin. "Yes!"
Krillin fell into his stance, narrowing his eyes at the staggering Cui. "Looks like your time's up, tough guy."
A growl rumbled in Cui's throat. Rage ignited his veins as he held his one remaining hand out, summoning a ball of ki. Without hesitation, he pressed it to his wounds, cauterizing them with a sickening sizzle. His forehead throbbed, veins pulsing under the strain. "You... you insects!" he roared. "I'll send you straight to hell for this!"
Yamcha threw his head back, laughing. "Oh, please! Don't flatter yourself!"
Krillin joined in, smirking. "Yeah, right! Like you could even manage a bathroom trip without help now! Heh!" For once, the tables were turned, and Krillin was relishing the chance to mock his opponent.
But Cui's expression darkened. His eyes turned pure white as a fierce aura erupted around him. With a blood-curdling scream, his entire body lit up, unleashing a massive beam of energy.
The laughter died in an instant. Yamcha, Krillin, and Gohan's faces shifted to alarm as the colossal beam roared toward them.
"Hyaaa!" Yamcha and Krillin both yelled, launching their own beams of energy to meet the attack.
Gohan appeared at their side, raising his hands to his forehead. "HAAA!" he shouted, releasing his Masenko in unison with their attacks.
TUTUTUTUUUUU!
A deafening explosion filled the air as the three beams clashed against Cui's energy. Blinding white light engulfed the battlefield.
Cui's scream grew louder, more desperate, as he poured every ounce of power, and more, into his attack.
Yamcha grit his teeth, one eye squeezed shut as sweat poured down his face. "Guys!" he shouted. "Don't hold anything back!"
Krillin's face was contorted with effort, veins bulging on his forehead as he pushed harder as Gohan's growl deepened, his energy surging.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Frieza's ship...
Zarbon stared intently at his scouter, intrigued by the surging power levels halfway across the planet. "Hmmm... Who could that be?"
Beside him, Appule, another soldier, glanced at his own scouter, eyes wide with disbelief. "I don't get it. With Cui and Vegeta gone, and both you and Dodoria here on the ship, who could possibly be generating this much power?"
Zarbon's brow furrowed as he mulled over the situation. "Yes... it's certainly interesting." His thoughts drifted back to the two humans he'd seen earlier, the ones trying to escape with Yajirobe. 'It couldn't be them... could it?'
. .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gohan growled, muscles straining as he poured every ounce of his strength into his beam attack. His energy flared wildly, fueled by sheer determination.
"Come on, guys!" Yamcha shouted through clenched teeth, his body trembling from the exertion. "Just a little longer!"
Krillin, veins bulging on his forehead, grit his teeth as he pushed harder, refusing to back down.
Cui's shriek pierced the air, growing more desperate by the second as his attack began to falter, slowly being driven back.
"HYAAAAA!" The three heroes roared in unison, their auras exploding with power as they unleashed the last of their reserves. The force of their combined energy pushed Cui's beam back inch by inch.
Cui's scream reached a fever pitch. "HOUWWW!" His voice cracked with agony as the beams closed in, engulfing him in a blinding flash of light. His body was consumed, utterly obliterated by his own energy and the combined attacks of his adversaries.
Yamcha, Krillin, and Gohan let out strained gasps as they finally released their beams, watching as the energy, along with Cui, disappeared into the distance. Silence fell, save for their ragged breathing.
Cui was gone. His energy signal had vanished completely, wiped from existence.
"Hah... hah... hah..." Yamcha panted, sweat dripping down his face. The tension that had gripped his body finally began to release. The adrenaline was still coursing through him, but the relief was undeniable. "We... we did it..." he whispered, almost as if he didn't believe it himself.
Krillin wiped a hand across his forehead, his body trembling as he stood up straighter. "He's really... gone," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, the disbelief mixing with the heavy weight of relief that settled over him. His muscles, so tense with fear moments before, now felt like jelly. "I thought... for a second... we might not make it."
Gohan, still catching his breath, stood frozen for a moment, staring at the sky where Cui had vanished. His small chest heaved, but a deep, warm sense of accomplishment began to flood his young heart. The terror that had nearly overwhelmed him moments ago was replaced by a shaky but growing confidence. "We did it, guys!" he finally said, his voice rising with hope and relief.
Yamcha glanced at Gohan, a tired but genuine smile crossing his face. "Yeah, we did," he said, reaching out to give Gohan's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "You were incredible out there, kid."
With Cui defeated, their attention turned to their small Namekian ally. The trio descended slowly and landed beside Dende's motionless body. Despite their exhaustion, they quickly gathered around him, their hearts racing with concern.
Gohan knelt beside Dende, gently shaking him. "Dende... come on, say something." His voice trembled with anxiety as he checked for signs of life. After a tense moment, relief washed over him. "He's still breathing, guys," he said, his voice cracking with gratitude.
Yamcha exhaled deeply, wiping the sweat from his face. "That's... that's great news," he said between labored breaths. "We need to get him some help... quickly."
Krillin nodded, still panting, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. They had survived.
To be continued...