Zeno waved goodbye. "Goku, and everyone else… see you next time."
"Yeah! Bye, Zeno!" Goku grinned and waved back.
"We respectfully see Your Majesty off," the gathered gods said in unison.
"Mm!" Zeno nodded.
And with that, Zeno and his two guards vanished in an instant.
"Universe 7's representatives, and Vados remain," the Grand Priest said suddenly. "Everyone else may leave."
At his words, the others departed under the guidance of their respective Supreme Kais, teleporting away one after another until only a small group remained.
The Grand Priest's gaze settled on Beerus and Shin.
"Why you're staying… you both know very well, don't you?"
Beerus and Shin dropped to one knee. Cold sweat poured down their backs.
Even Vados and Whis lowered their heads.
"Grand Priest," Beerus said quickly, "I swear that once we return, I will thoroughly investigate everything that happened to Universe 7, and make sure no similar crisis ever threatens the universe again."
Shin looked like he might faint. "This is my failure. I didn't fulfill my duty in protecting our universe. I'm willing to bear all responsibility."
The Grand Priest shook his head. "Your universe's repeated near-destruction is indeed tied to your negligence. Do not repeat the same mistakes."
Beerus and Shin exchanged a glance and answered at once. "Yes, Grand Priest!"
"And coincidentally," the Grand Priest continued, "I was planning to grant His Majesty's guards a vacation. As punishment, you two will remain here and fill in for them for a time."
Beerus and Shin immediately relaxed, as if spared an execution.
"Yes! It's our honor to serve His Majesty," Beerus said.
Once Beerus and Shin were dealt with, the Grand Priest's expression turned sharp so sharp the temperature in the air seemed to drop.
"Whis. Vados. This time, your transgression was severe. You knew Merus's identity and his duties… and not only did you fail to stop him, you personally interfered in mortal affairs."
At that point, everyone present more or less understood this "Merus" was no ordinary "elite Galactic Patrolman."
But the Grand Priest had no intention of explaining. He simply continued.
"Whis. I entrusted him to your care in the hope that you would guide him properly… and yet he still met his end."
"I sincerely apologize," Whis said.
"Your punishment is the same," the Grand Priest said calmly. "You will serve as His Majesty's guard for a period of time."
"Yes."
"As for Vados…" The Grand Priest's tone did not soften. "You are suspended for six months. Reflect properly. If your attitude is unsatisfactory, the duration will be extended."
"Huh? That's so unfair… I can't accept this! Wahhh…" Vados instantly put on a dramatic, teary act.
The Grand Priest swept her with a cold glance. "What? Do you intend to disobey?"
Vados switched faces in an instant. "Thank you for your mercy, Grand Priest."
The Grand Priest raised his right hand slightly.
Vados's halo flickered twice… then vanished.
At the same time, her angel staff was confiscated.
"Grand Priest… my staff contains my personal belongings…" Vados pouted, sounding genuinely wronged.
Inside that staff was a massive stash of Earth cuisine she treated like priceless treasure.
"Also confiscated. For six months," the Grand Priest said flatly, leaving no room to bargain.
Levos frowned. By the look of it, Vados's punishment was no joke this was real, heavy discipline.
Then the Grand Priest turned to Levos and the others.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'll have someone escort you back…"
A short while later, Universe 7's fighters said their goodbyes to Whis and Beerus, then boarded the "universe cube" the Grand Priest provided.
Before departure, Whis lightly flicked his staff, releasing Cell Max and the four small Cells stored inside.
Once everyone was aboard, the cube turned into a streak of rainbow light and slipped into the void.
"Strange…" Whis weighed his staff in his hand. "Why does this feel lighter?"
A bad feeling prickled at him. He immediately checked the storage space within his staff.
"…It's gone?" Whis lifted a brow, stunned. "All that chaotic divine energy gone. How?"
He searched through the staff's space again and again, but couldn't find even a trace.
"Even if Mr. Levos's physique is special," Whis muttered, "he couldn't possibly absorb that much divine energy in one go…"
Whis couldn't make sense of it. But with Levos and the others already gone, he could only shelve the mystery for now.
Universe 7, Earth
West City, Capsule Corporation
"I wonder how Levos and the others are doing…" Bulma murmured.
In the lab, she stared out the window with her chin propped on her hand, distracted and uneasy.
"Mrs. Bulma!" Pilaf rushed in without knocking. "There's trouble with Mr. Satan's global press conference. Do you want to see it?"
"Mr. Satan?" Bulma blinked.
"That's Mark's stage name," Pilaf clarified.
"Oh, it's his press conference?" Bulma frowned. "What happened?"
"A group of strange people challenged him!"
Bulma immediately opened the live broadcast on her computer.
"Several off-world visitors challenge Earth's strongest martial artist?"
Pilaf offered his "expert" analysis from the side. "They claim they're aliens, but they look just like normal Earthlings. I suspect they're only trying to stir up drama for attention…"
Bulma closed her eyes and extended her senses.
A moment later, her brows tightened. "No ordinary troublemaker has ki like that… Something could go wrong."
"Don't worry, ma'am," Kikono reassured her. "Security is being handled by former Frieza Force soldiers. It should be fine."
"But the real issue is Mr. Satan," Pilaf said. "Can he even handle their challenge?"
"That's true," Dr. Hedo rubbed his chin. "We do need someone with weight to back that guy up. Should we send Gamma 2?"
"No," Bulma decided immediately. "I'll send Trunks and Gohan."
She spoke briskly, already planning ahead. "They're the strongest, and they're cautious. And if things get truly dangerous, they can use Fusion."
"Agreed," Dr. Hedo nodded. "Besides the Cell Juniors and the special squad members, no one can match those two."
Satan City
A luxury hotel in the city had been converted into a press conference venue for the day. Reporters and fanatics flooded the area in swarms.
In the plaza outside, a temporary ring had been set up.
On the stage stood five burly young men black hair, brown eyes each with a vicious stare.
They wore identical tight combat suits and light armor, and a strange monocle-like glass device clung to one cheek.
Beside them, the host looked grim, eyes fixed on Mr. Satan's challengers.
"We've just received word," the host announced, voice tense, "that our great savior, Mr. Satan, is experiencing a bit of stomach discomfort. Please wait a moment."
"Mr. Satan!"
"Mr. Satan!"
"Mr. Satan !"
A roar like a tidal wave erupted from the crowd.
In one section of the audience stood two cold-faced young men.
Son Gohan.
And Trunks.
"Their gear looks like something from the Frieza Force," Gohan murmured.
"I noticed too." Trunks frowned. "Old-model battle suits."
The Frieza Force's modern armor was black-and-green very different from the blue-and-white suits these five wore.
And their ki was… wrong.
It felt unnatural, as if it had been carved into shape through some kind of modification.
"Their energy feels evil," Gohan said quietly. "Are they here to cause chaos on Earth?"
"They're definitely after something." Trunks's posture shifted ready at any moment. Then he narrowed his eyes. "But first… we need to figure out what they actually want."
Time passed.
One minute. Two. Ten.
After the "stomach trouble" announcement, a full hour went by.
And finally… the men on the ring stopped tolerating it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.
"Want to stay ahead of the game?Advanced chapters are up on my Patron. If you're enjoying the ride, swing by and check them out."
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"