PART TWENTY NINE: ALL THE HATRED OF THE WORLD

Chapter 140

Translated by npberryhill

One second at a time, the countdown to Gast Carcolh’s defeat progressed. “Two, three, four...”

“Broly, destroy the remains!” Vegeta ordered, pointing to the slabs of meat below. “These Namekians can regenerate lost limbs, disintegrate it quickly!”

However, the Legendary Saiyan only half-heard, as he was far too preoccupied with the cries all around. Everywhere, screams of panic, the fearful masses trembling before him — Broly reveled at the sight. Why deal with a half-decomposed giant when a feast of frail creatures presented itself to him? He concentrated a Ki ball in the palm of his hand and hurled it at the audience, a dubious Vegeta watching him. The sphere exploded against the energy shield, causing Broly to recoil in surprise.

“Beuh...?”

Irritated by the invisible wall that had resisted him, the Saiyan flew down, landing near the Universe 8 balcony. He didn’t really have a fixed target, he just wanted to hit something — to pummel and destroy. Vegeta cursed and prepared several Kikohas in his hands.

“Dumbass. He’s back to attacking everything in sight. I’ll do it myself then, I shouldn’t have asked him to begin with.”

He hurriedly sent a dusting of energy balls at Gast’s remains, which were burnt to ash upon contact. Meanwhile, Broly continued beating on the shield like a drum, terrifying the Frost Demon soldiers that had stayed to watch the fight. They knew this Saiyan was a madman, and would prefer to be executed by Freeza than be crushed by him.

“Master, call him back immediately!” Vegeta exclaimed, turning to Raichi. “Broly has reached the limit of his sanity! His Legendary state is beyond even your technology, he’ll destroy us too if he’s not stopped!”

“Just a few more seconds,” Raichi replied, raising his hand to dissuade Vegeta from intervening.

“The Namekians are a formidable race, this one especially. He may yet live, you never know. Without Broly I won’t be able to beat him, and after I recall the ghost it will be a while before he can return.”

Those of Universe 16 and 18 were preparing to act if necessary.

“Why don’t the organizers just declare Raichi the winner?” Pan of the 18th asked, worried at the sight of Broly.

“Because, we Nameks are resourceful, and Gast is by far the best,” Piccolo explained, a hint of pride in his voice. “The Vargas know better than to declare this match over before the countdown, he could reappear any second. And personally, I doubt he could be killed so easily. I only hope things don’t spiral out of control into a massacre.”

“Goten and I will fuse at the end of the count, it’ll only take an instant,” Trunks said. “Vegetto is surely on guard too, he’s got to be itching to take on another Broly!”

“Not a bad idea,” Gohan continued, rolling up his sleeves. “He’s not as strong as the first one, so if we act quickly enough we have a chance, if it comes to that...”

“Vegetto will take care of it,” Goku suddenly spoke up. “No need to worry. What are you thinking, Vegeta?”

“There... didn’t you notice?” his friend answered, staring at Raichi.

“What?”

“Near the Tsuful. Something moved...”

As the count reached twenty, Broly’s maximum power was beginning to overwhelm the shield. Not only visible cracks, but the hissing sound of failing technology and a barrier that faded in and out by the second. The soldiers on the other side quaked for their lives, some having already fled into the corridor. As he crossed the barrier, the Legendary Saiyan grinned wildly.

Up in the Varga booth, it was all the poor timekeeper could do not to rush. But he knew if he didn’t respect the rules, he’d be in serious trouble — even in this extreme circumstance. But still, the fear of being plucked alive and then savagely torn to pieces was terrifying. His neighbor, the tournament announcer, was somehow managing to keep his cool by describing the horrific events as they unfolded.

“Oh, and Broly has penetrated the impenetrable barrier! It’s truly a paralyzing sight, seeing him thrash through our technology as though it were a mere inconvenience. And now he’s getting stronger and stronger, ladies and gentlemen, I wonder will he attack the spectators next!?”

“... twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine...” the Varga continued, trying to recover oxygen.

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

“Huh?” the Varga exclaimed. “The device indicates that Gast is alive... and still standing!”

“Are you kidding?”

The birds all gasped, scanning the arena below. Indeed, just behind a totally unsuspecting Raichi, stood Gast — his body completely covered in a greenish liquid. He stood buck naked, dripping wet except for his head, then extended his hand to Raichi’s shield and effortlessly smashed it, just as he’d done at the start of the fight. The old man realized it a second too late, as did Vegeta, whose eyes opened wide. Panicked, he dashed towards his master, but the Great Namek had already knelt down and rested his hand against the globe. He left the horrified Tsuful with but a few simple words.

“Without this ball there will be no more ghosts, no more fighting. It’s over. Leave in peace.”

With that, he shattered Raichi’s glass globe, causing Broly to disappear just as he was about to smash in a soldier’s skull with each hand. Vegeta, a yard away from Gast, faded away as well — yet the greatest surprise was the doctor himself. The Tsuful fainted, vanishing along with his warriors and leaving behind only the shards of glass on the ground as evidence of his existence.

Gast quickly used his magic to generate a set of his normal clothing, before kneeling down to examine the glass, shutting his eyes.

“So you yourself were but a shadow, a spectre sustained by hatred alone. What a strange machine... I pray that now your soul will finally find rest.”

Among the combatants, many wondered about Gast’s mysterious resurrection, each presenting their theory on the matter. Only two beings had the correct answer.

"Extraordinary!" Buu exclaimed in amazement.

“I’m not sure I understand,” Grand Kaioshin frowned. “How did he survive? Wasn’t his entire body destroyed by Vegeta? How did he regenerate in such circumstances?”

“It’s all in the magic he used right before regenerating. It was an idea so clever not even I had thought of it! He enchanted a piece of rock to look like his remains and be a perfect target for Vegeta, who was completely fooled by the facade. Camouflaged in rock nearby, he quietly snuck up to Raichi while Vegeta and the Tsuful were focused on Broly. Quite admirable!”

Vegetto, for his part, explained bascially the same scenario to his comrades, who were equally amazed. Piccolo, listening in from the 18th patio, shared the info with Goku and the others.

“Gotta hand it to him, Gast’s magic is really something else!” Goku noted, quite amazed. “He imprisoned Buu, he convinced us all with that illusion — no doubt about it, he’s one formidable opponent!”

“And that’s high-level magic,” Uub added, now able to more accurately gage where the Namekian’s gifts ranked. “I don’t think I could’ve pulled that off.”

“Such a shame about Raichi,” said Gohan. “His technology was genius, how sad that he only used his brilliance in pursuit of hatred.”

“So, he was a specter from the ball himself, too?” Videl asked, not really understanding. “Was he even alive to begin with?”

“Seems not,” Gohan answered, smiling. “It’s amazing really, his hate kept him conscious all these years. I’d be interested in studying that.”

Up in the Varga lodge, the announcer was about to declare Gast’s victory, fairly certain of Raichi’s death. However, just as he grabbed the microphone their sensors began going haywire.

“What now?”

“The data indicates a huge energy source emanating from a Universe 3 member! It’s coming from the arena, it looks like Raichi may still be there!”

Down on the ring, Gast sighed and stared with some sullenness. He’d failed to appease the doctor’s rage without killing him, and promised to not make the same mistake with Piccolo Daimao. But suddenly he opened his eyes as a thick vapor began leaking from the shattered globe. The mist that surrounded him was thick and an incredible power emanated from it — even Buu and Vegetto wore shocked expressions at the amount of energy they sensed. The opaque cloud had a power that far exceeded even Gohan’s, astounding both of them.

From the smoke, an imposing silhouette formed, blurred behind the haze. Gast himself recoiled at the sight of the mysterious colossus, floating just above the glass globe. With incredible musculature that made even Carcolh himself seem lean, the unknown being was like nothing Gast had ever seen in his travels across the universe. Strange emerald opals were inserted into its head, torso, and arms. Its armored torso and frame varied between two hues of red, but one thing was certain: Gast did not begin to compare to this new fighter in terms of raw power alone. While sensing the creature’s aura, he was able to pinpoint several recognizable energy signatures, most notably the ghosts, including Raichi himself.

“It’s absurd,” he uttered, his voice trembling. “What is this abomination? It’s as if all the hatred of the machine has congealed into an amalgamation of pure loathing!”

“Raichi of Universe 3 has not yet been eliminated,” rang the Vaga’s voice through the arena. “The match can continue!”

“What!?” gasped Piccolo of the 16th. “It’s clearly not Raichi, and that power is enormou —”

He was interrupted by a violent cry, but not a scream any mortal could possibly produce, formed by fear, joy, or anger. This viceral screech was the most inhuman and monstrous bellow he’d ever heard. It was as though the lament contained all the pain and suffering of everyone that had ever lived. The fury, the implacable hatred that swept from the monster’s wide open mouth and throughout the universe was indescribable. Nearby, asteroids were reduced to mere dust, as were the gaseous decors — while the audible suffering, flowing in the form of sound waves, struck all present with full force.

Even the Kaioshins themselves collapsed, overwhelmed by the resentment.

“What’s... all this anger... argh!” South Kaioshin struggled just to speak.

The audience’s screams joined with the creature’s roar, bringing all present in the stadium to a state of nearly blacking out. The Heloites collapsed to their knees, while Trunks of the 12th staggered and was helped to his feet by #16. The android turned his head towards the source of the great disturbance.

“This entity is using all the hatred and pain collected by the violent deaths of Raichi’s machine, and is releasing it in waves all at once. Even I am able to sense such strong emotions — as I’m sure all who are sensitive to the suffering of others can. It is truly awful.”

“How horrible! I feel like... I can hear all those killed back home by #17 and #18...” Trunks said, his tone tense.

The wave hit Gast hardest. He truly perceived it, all the innocent lives taken by monsters, brutally slaughtered. He’d felt it when Freeza had exterminated so many of his people. It was overwhelming, causing the worst migraine he’d ever experienced. Not only his psyche, but also his hearing was stormed by the furious cry of the creature. Eventually, after a short time, the creature calmed down... allowing Gast to catch his breath.

“Finally,” he gasped, “he’s stopped screaming...”

His words were cut short as the creature concentrated a massive energy in the opals of its forearms. The stones covering his body were illuminated in dazzling green light, before the monster unleashed an explosion of extraordinary power at Gast. The Super Namek’s face was that of true fright before he was struck head on by the attack. It detonated with such force that it filled the entire area within the energy shield — which was barely functional to begin with — and was funneled upwards along the curve of the barrier into space. Without exception, every fighter present braced against the shockwave, the weakest among them such as the Universe 8 soldiers, the two Videl, Bra of the 18th, and the two Pans being floored by the blast. Both respective Gohans quickly shielded their families, while Vegeta supported his own daughter as she struggled. The black smoke released by the blast gradually rose into the sky above and faded, revealing behind what Vegetto considered quite a surprising sight. He considered Gast one of the strongest fighters, but the Namekian was in dire condition, clothes charred, body burned and bleeding. His left arm hung limp and unusable, and beside him was a deep crevice. The very meteor that supported the arena had nearly been disintegrated and Gast paralyzed. If he’d not had the presence of mind to still dodge, he’d have been instantly destroyed. This creature had such power that he need not envy even Vegetto in his Super Saiyan form, perhaps more.

Up in the control tower, the shield technicians, scientists, and organizers were in a panic.

“The shield was already greatly weakened by Broly, but now it’s almost completely drained!”

“Then redirect all available energy to strengthen it!”

“Rerouting power from the ring’s gravity into the barrier.”

“Shutting down all systems except life support.”

“Just what is this monster? And what should we do?”

“The leader was killed in that explosion, we have no way of knowing!”

Gast ripped off and discarded his damaged arm, quickly regenerating a new one. The Vargas seemed indecisive about acting, so it was up to him to stand up to this evil entity and prevent it from attacking others. The ring’s increased gravity suddenly vanished, bolstering the shields somewhat, and even the overhead lights flickered and began going out. Soon, darkness covered the entire stadium, which was now lit only by the few distant stars that the small planet was near. It was then that the creature unleashed its horrible green aura, illuminating the entire grandstands with its eerie glow. The Super Namek lowered his eyes, glaring as he at last understood.

“I see... so it’s you, the infamous Hatchiyack, collector of all hatred. Once I destroy you, all the dead comprised inside will be able to find their peace in the hereafter. It’s time I end this atrocity.”

He rushed the creature, but was stopped short once again by another great roar — pain spread through the arena, causing Videl of the 16th and 18th to collapse into Gohan’s arms.

“All this suffering... my god, I can’t take it anymore...” she whispered tearfully.

Grand Kaioshin slammed a hand against the wall of his patio, panting heavily. Buu frowned, worried. Apparently, he was among the few present to not really feel the effects of the desolate screeching. Within him, those whose souls were kind did cause him to experience a very slight pain, so he understood what everyone else was going through. The piercing cry sought out anyone with a disposition towards empathy and made them feel the worst of it, made them share in the same despair, pain, and anger felt by millions of victims. Hatchiyak was purely evil, in fact just as much so as Buu’s original form.

Below, in the apartments of Universe 11, Babidi was thrilled. What to most was a symphony of horrors sounded like a waltz in his ears. But he was troubled all the same, noticing how these rancorous waves passed through the apartments easily, while he himself couldn’t do so even with the magic he was preparing to implement. It was appalling, but at least he was entitled to a delightfully evil concert.

Behind him, Majin Buu seemed as naive as ever, while Dabra was doing his best to appear unaffected. Inwardly, the Demon King actually found himself troubled, ill-at-ease with the scream. But Babidi really seemed insensible, a truly evil lord. Watching the wizard delight himself so sadistically strengthened Dabra’s resolve, making him proud to be a loyal servant.

In her room, Son Bra had wrapped pillows around her head trying to block out the sound torturing her. She wrestled the bedsheets, banging her head against the wall, unable to so much as get up without her ears feeling like they were on fire.

“Shut that damn shit up!!!”

In the Universe 5 apartments, a deep voice spoke out of the mysterious dark haze. “The cries of evil resonate to us even here, interesting... strengthen the doorway, nothing must reach us from the outside. We were intruded upon once, it will not happen again.”

Gast Carcolh couldn’t make progress towards Hatchiyack, the pain of the dead constantly striking him. He barely managed to stand, gritting his teeth as he resisted. The creature’s strategy was becoming clearer though, who stored up energy while it screamed. That enabled it to keep all threats at bay while preparing for the next burst of energy. Gast knew he couldn’t survive another one of those blasts...

Gast, ever the brilliant tactician, waited for the cry to weaken even a little, and thus became aware of a single weak point. Every technique had its strengths and its flaws, and this was no exception. It took exactly fifteen seconds to fully charge!

The monster fired his energy explosion again, Gast leaping into the air above to evade it. Again, a thunderous detonation completely consumed the arena — the shield cracking even more than before. Thanks to his advanced hearing, the Namek caught some of the Vargas frantically conversing in the tower.

“The shield is crumbling apart, it won’t hold!”

“We’re practically out of energy to restore it!”

“One more attack like this and we’re all gonna die!”

“Wait, Gast is trying something!”

The Super Namek had darted towards the creature, using the momentary lull to confront it in close combat with all his remaining strength. No matter the cost, he had to keep the monster from firing again! Everyone was counting on him, spectators and competitors alike — even Vegetto was holding his head in his hands, sitting on the patio ledge. He seemed to be far more affected than the others around him, and was completely immobilized and unable to react, just like his daughter.

Gast elongated his arm and threw a high speed punch at Hatchiyack’s face, but couldn’t even touch the creature. The hate-monster had struck him first, only with immeasurably greater force and speed. Carcolh’s eyes glazed over as he spat a sheaf of blood. He began to fall backwards, but somehow managed to right himself and swing another blow. Yet the rage-machine countered first once more, hitting him in the abdomen, bending him double, grinding his bones. The rancor then began chaining body shots all over him, disfiguring the Super Namek, who was unable to answer. Against an enemy at this level he was like nothing, he couldn’t even see through the extraordinary speed of the incoming attacks. Somehow he managed to free himself and stumble backwards. Gast’s left eyelid was closed, dripping with blood, but his damaged body was miraculously still intact.

Hatchiyack hadn’t pursued him, instead resuming its previous position, arms folded. Strange, the creature seemed as though it was avoiding hand-to-hand combat except when absolutely necessary. Then again, no one could actually understand what the being that embodied hate and carnage was actually feeling. Its mind was surely consumed with resentment towards the Saiyans and possibly all life itself. Raichi’s focused hatred clearly remained a driving force, along with the absolute madness of the Legendary Saiyan. And as the big green Gast was in its way, he had to be annihilated. All those present, who applauded the violence of battle, would feel the horror of pain and hatred!

Hatchiyack unleashed another terrifying growl, this one even stronger and louder than those previous. It overloaded the senses, spectators everywhere blacking out or losing all sense of who and where they were, unable to bear such anger. Bra of the 18th universe moaned, weeping as she fell into the arms of her father — Vegeta turned to Goku, furious himself.

“If Gast doesn’t stop this fiend soon, screw the rules, I’ll do it myself!”

“I’ll go with you,” Goku replied, helping to support a quite dizzy Uub.

They knew Hatchiyack was now beyond even them, in terms of raw power. But they wouldn’t stand back while their families were suffering under the scream’s mental anguish. Against a foe like this, they wouldn’t hesitate to use their full power if Gast somehow failed.

Nearby, even Android 16 was experiencing a new and unique sensation — one he had believed an artificial being like himself was incapable of feeling. Yet, he felt panicked, his circuits starting to overheat, racing at the sight and sound of that monster.

Down in the Universe 9 apartments, Yamcha wasn’t immune either. “What’s happening? I feel like my head is going to explode!”

“Stay here!” the Old Kai ordered, who himself didn’t look all that good, struck by the negative waves. “The Vargas and the other universes will take care of this problem, don’t you worry!”

“I don’t know what you find so unbearable about it,” Raditz said, perplexed. “It’s annoying, but it’s just a scream, right?”

On the Universe 17 veranda, Cell was able to tune in to the howls of Hildegan, the demon he’d caused to suffer in his previous match. It was a rather pleasant melody, but all considered it still concerned him. Babidi’s plans would soon be executed, and this impromptu interruption might interfere if not dealt with.

Up in the control tower...

“That’s enough, it crossed the line!” said a Varga, half collapsed. “It attacked the public, its got to be ejected!”

“Although it didn’t do so directly,” commented a Namek, bracing against a wall nearby.

“We don’t care!” another Varga exclaimed, his eyes barely open.

He reached for the button, but the pain was unbearable — his index finger was but a few inches away from the trigger when he fainted. The other Vargas fell to the ground shortly, unconscious. Gast was now their only hope...

The Super Namek mustered all his remaining energy and concentrated it in the palms of his hands. He had no other choice, it was kill or be killed. He only hoped the monster hadn’t inherited Broly’s invulnerability. Even Vegetto was out of commission, the only two capable of doing anything now were himself and Buu — the djinn being far to dangerous to let loose. Still, he might not have any other choice. If he failed, Gast decided he would use his magic to release Buu from the Grand Kaioshin’s hold, in hopes he would save them all.

Buu suddenly caught his eye, understanding at a glance what he intended. He would allow the Namekian to try one last time before he gave up his ruse and intervened. His friend the Kaioshin was no longer able to reason properly, either to release him or to make another plan. Gast charged his energy to the maximum, then pushed it even further beyond, relying on every fiber in his body to give full effort. He would give it absolutely everything he had, and at the very least make one heck of an honorable last stand.

Hatchiyack, having again completed its energy accumulation, ceased the roaring at last. It was an instant from vaporizing the entire asteroid in a single go when Gast suddenly appeared in front of it. There was a single opening, less than a millisecond of weakness in which its guard was completely down, preparing to unleash its final attack — and at that exact juncture Gast released an absolute overkill of destructive Ki into the creature’s exposed body. Its eyes widened, the Namek just inches in front of him, as Hatchiyack was immediately reduced to nothing but ashes. Raichi’s ultimate hate-monger had disappeared in a blaze of fire, leaving behind only its feet planted in the ground, now turned to stone.

Gast collapsed on the ring, more exhausted than he had ever been, as the Vargas finally recovered and announced his victory. He’d literally given 200% of everything he had, if such a thing were possible. All he knew is he had gone far beyond his limits, but in the end he had done it. He had conquered all the hatred in the world.