The Hopes of a Planet

A Pure Heart's Deflection

Vegeta twists his body at the last instant and narrowly avoids the Spirit Bomb's direct path. The energy sphere sails past him, and the defenders of Earth watch in horror as their last hope appears to miss. Krillin is devastated, believing the fight is truly over. But Goku, despite his shattered body, reaches out telepathically to Gohan. He tells his son that someone with a pure heart can bounce the Spirit Bomb without being harmed by it. Gohan does not have time to question the instruction. He positions himself in the Spirit Bomb's trajectory and deflects it with everything he has. The redirected blast slams squarely into Vegeta.

Vegeta Endures

The explosion engulfs the Saiyan prince in a massive sphere of concentrated planetary energy. Vegeta is launched skyward, screaming as the force of the blast carries him high above the wasteland. For a long moment, it looks as though the battle is finally won. Krillin, Gohan, and the others begin to celebrate, barely able to believe they have survived the most dangerous enemy they have ever faced.

The Nightmare Continues

Their relief is short-lived. Through the settling dust, Vegeta's broken form becomes visible. Somehow, impossibly, the Saiyan prince has survived a direct hit from the Spirit Bomb. His armor is shattered, his body battered and bleeding, but he forces himself to stand. Rage and humiliation burn in his eyes. He lashes out at Krillin, swatting him aside with a single backhand strike. Standing over his stunned enemies, Vegeta declares that once he kills every last one of them, he will reduce the entire planet to rubble. The hope that filled the battlefield only moments ago evaporates completely, replaced by a grim certainty that the fight is far from over.