"Bam! Bam! Bam!"
Broly followed up with a flurry of punches and kicks, hammering Mule without restraint.
Mule didn't even bother to guard, letting Broly's blows land across his body. A moment later, Broly seized Mule's right leg with his left hand and Mule's left leg with his right.
"This is bad…" Merus could only give a wry smile.
Are you really trying to tear Mule in half? You think everyone can be ripped apart?
Broly heaved with all his strength—then nothing happened.
Mule's body didn't budge.
"What's this supposed to be? Were you trying to pull me in two?" Mule's interest finally perked up. He smirked, full of contempt.
Broly blinked, suddenly at a loss. Why won't this guy tear?
"Pow!"
Mule snapped a kick that smashed into Broly's face.
Broly yelped as his body tumbled backward. Mule flashed after him and planted another heavy kick.
Broly shot skyward like a cannonball.
"Hmph. Challenging a God of Destruction—you must have a death wish." Mule's disdain only grew. In the next instant he appeared above Broly.
"Bang!"
His palm crashed into Broly's chest, spiking him downward.
"Shff!"
Mule slipped beneath the falling Saiyan and, with another kick—
"Thud!"
—sent Broly flying up again.
"Bam! Bam! Bam!"
Mule's afterimages streaked red through the void as he pummeled Broly from every angle.
A minute later, Mule gripped Broly by the tail and drifted down to face Ken and Merus.
Broly had reverted to base form and looked barely conscious. Legendary Super Saiyan or not, at his current age he was worlds apart from Mule.
"Dare to challenge me, Mule? I'll erase him here and now." Purple-red Destruction energy bloomed in Mule's right hand as he leveled it at Broly.
"Wait!" Merus couldn't hold back anymore.
"Oh? Don't worry—I'll erase the little monkey first. You two are next." Mule eyed Merus with playful malice. "Since I became a God of Destruction, this is the first time a human has come at me."
"I am Merus, a trainee Angel," Merus said, revealing his identity.
Mule paused, surprised, and studied Merus for a few seconds.
"A trainee Angel?" he murmured, looking Merus up and down.
"Yes," Merus nodded.
"Is that true?" Mule's doubt lingered.
"Shff."
Angel power shimmered lightly off Merus.
"Pop."
A pale-blue halo formed around his neck, and his skin tone shifted to a soft azure.
"Oh?" Mule's eyes widened.
"Now you believe me, Lord Mule?" Merus asked.
Mule nodded thoughtfully and withdrew the Destruction energy. "A trainee Angel, eh? No wonder you can move around the World of Void. That explains it."
Even so, he didn't release Broly. He glanced at the Saiyan and chuckled. "What, is this one the God of Destruction you're raising?"
Merus stayed silent.
He's not mine—he's Ken's.
"Then that other kid with the tail—are you grooming him to be a Supreme Kai?" Mule pointed at Ken, still smiling.
Merus, helpless, gave a small nod.
"The God of Destruction you're training isn't very impressive," Mule said flatly—and slapped his palm down.
"Thump!"
His strike crashed between Broly's shoulder blades. Broly grunted blood and went tumbling straight toward Merus.
Merus frowned and raised a hand, catching the boy. Ken's eyes narrowed, killing intent flashing across his face as he hurried over to check Broly's condition.
Broly was on the brink of death. Frankly, it was a miracle Mule hadn't killed him outright.
Of course, Ken knew Mule was toying with them.
"Shff."
Expression cold, Ken fished a Senzu Bean from his pocket and popped it into Broly's mouth. He'd left Earth in a hurry and Bulma hadn't finished the storage ring yet, but he'd still brought a few beans—emergency only. He could heal, after all; Senzu were for when it truly mattered.
"Broly, eat this," he urged.
With barely a flicker in his eyes, Broly seemed to understand. He forced himself to chew and swallow.
"Pop!"
His eyes flew open as strength surged back through him.
Broly pushed upright, gaze snapping to Mule, battle intent roaring anew.
"Oh? What did you feed him?" Mule glanced at Ken. "Looked like an ordinary bean, yet he's back on his feet in an instant."
"Nothing much," Ken said evenly.
"Whatever. He's lucky I didn't kill him. He picked the fight." Mule didn't press the bean issue. He chuckled. "Trainee Angel, I'd recommend choosing a different candidate. This kid's way off."
Merus said nothing.
"By the way—are you sure you haven't seen someone who looks a lot like me? And a robot similar to Mosco?" Mule continued. "He's my son. His trail led to Universe 7."
"Haven't seen him," Merus replied, his Angel aura fading as he resumed his Galactic Patrol look.
"If you do, let me know." Mule snorted and drifted back toward Mosco.
When he reached the mech—
"Pop!"
—Mosco's chest hatch opened.
Mule slipped inside.
"Shff!"
Mosco blurred and reappeared behind Ken and Merus.
Merus' brow creased.
"Boom!"
A massive metal fist hammered Broly square in the torso and sent him flying again.
"Gigu-gigu!" Mosco croaked in machine-speak.
"Pop!"
The hatch opened once more. Mule poked out his head, grinning at Merus. "You really ought to pick another God of Destruction. He's not it. I'm doing you a favor—if some other God of Destruction bullies him later, you'll have a hard time training a replacement."
With that, Mule sealed the hatch again.
"Gigu-gigu-gigu!"
Even if Ken couldn't understand, the tone was unmistakable—gloating, gleeful, and dripping with scorn.
Purple-red light flared across Mosco's frame. The mech turned into a streak and vanished.
Ken flew to Broly and flooded him with Angel power. The boy's condition stabilized by degrees.
Broly stared into space, dazed. The encounter had scarred his young heart. He'd never imagined anyone could be that strong.
"Broly, you're still a kid. Don't lose heart. When you're grown, take your time and win it back," Ken said, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Can I… really do it?" Doubt crept in.
"You're the Legendary Super Saiyan—the strongest warrior in the cosmos. When you reach adulthood, no one will stand against you," Ken said, tone firm.
A spark lit Broly's eyes.
"One day he'll regret laying a hand on you," Ken added, patting Broly's arm.
"I want to be an adult!" Broly nodded hard.
"Then push. I believe in you," Ken said.
Broly's eyes misted. Fierce as he was, he was still only five.
Merus sighed. He hadn't expected Mosco to be this ruthless. Do Gods of Destruction really have no restraint now? If not for my identity, he might have wiped us out.
"Merus, what was that about?" Ken asked.
"What do you mean?" Merus replied.
"Why didn't he give a trainee Angel any face?" Ken pressed.
Merus lowered his head. "I'm only a trainee. And Angels traditionally keep out of disputes. It's not that he refused me face—if I hadn't stated who I was, he would likely have killed all three of us without blinking."
Ken weighed that and nodded; it wasn't wrong. In the manga, even Beerus was casual with Merus, calling him "kid" and asking if he'd learned any cooking on Earth. Beerus meant no harm—but Mule felt nastier.
Could Ken swallow that? Merus could. Ken couldn't. He filed it away.
Honestly, even if he piloted the big robot right now and fought Mule, the odds were terrible. The gap was too wide. No sense forcing a showdown with a real god of Destruction today. Give it a few years of training, and the "weakest god of Destruction" in the multiverse might not look so tall. By then, Broly would be coming into his own, too.
"Let's get moving," Merus suggested.
"Right," Ken agreed.
First priority: reach Universe 6 and study Ultra Instinct's essence under Vados, and have Champa drill Broly hard. Power first. Revenge later.
On the way back to the ship, Merus glanced at Ken several times.
"Spit it out," Ken said.
"To become a true Angel, you need a calm heart. You know that better than I do," Merus said gently. "I can tell what happened with Mosco… upset you."
"You're wrong, Merus," Ken said, shaking his head.
Merus blinked, unsure.
"I do want to become an Angel—but that doesn't mean I won't love and hate openly," Ken said. "If someone treats me well, I remember it forever—like you."
Merus flushed, embarrassed.
"And anyone who bullies Broly—I remember that too," Ken added.
"Me too," Broly chimed in, nodding fiercely.
Merus had no answer. Somehow, he'd been dragged off-center by these two Saiyans again.
They boarded the ship. It surged onward through the World of Void.
Days passed.
Out a side viewport, Ken noticed a swath of darkness pricked with starlight.
"Are we about to exit the Void?" he asked.
"Huh?" Merus turned and looked, surprise flickering in his eyes.
"What is it?" Ken asked.
"That region… doesn't look like one of the twelve universes," Merus murmured.
"Oh? A newborn universe?" Ken asked.
"I'm not sure," Merus said, shaking his head.
"Let's check it out," Ken suggested.
"Agreed," Merus said, angling the ship.
They pivoted through the Void toward the lights. Ten minutes later they crossed the boundary and eased into a small, curious starfield.
The hatch opened.
Ken, Merus, and Broly drifted out. Ken swept his gaze around. The "starfield" wasn't large—in truth, "starfield" was generous. There were only a handful of celestial bodies. It felt smaller than the Solar System.
At its heart burned a single incandescent star. Farther out, a pure white planet traced a slow orbit.
"Didn't expect a universe this tiny," Ken said, absorbed.
"Indeed," Merus agreed—then stiffened and glanced back over his shoulder.
Ken followed his gaze to the white planet.
"Strange…" Merus frowned at it. "Was it my imagination? For a moment I sensed a flicker of Angel power on that world. Could a being of that level have been born in a space this small?"
"We go see," Ken said.
"You're right," Merus nodded.
They sped toward the white planet and touched down minutes later. It was only a bit larger than Earth's moon, its surface smooth as polished jade, an immaculate world of white.
It felt like stepping into another dimension—almost like the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
But time flowed normally here.
"What a curious place," Ken murmured.
"Very. I sensed that Angel power right here… but it's gone now," Merus said, pointing to a spot beside him.
"How are Angels born?" Ken asked. "Don't your mom and dad, you know, have you?"
Merus stared, speechless.
After a pause, he answered, "In principle, Angels are condensed from the essences of the universe itself."
"Oh?" Ken eyed him up and down.
"Our bodies are constructed of Angel power," Merus added.
"This universe is wild," Ken said, genuinely impressed.
Broly circled Merus like a curious cat, as if tempted to knock him out and study him.
"But my sisters and I—and Whis—were personally formed by my father and mother condensing Angel power together," Merus continued.
"What's the process?" Ken asked.
"Process?" Merus blinked. "We put our hands together and focus our power. Then we exist." He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"That simple?" Ken looked almost disappointed. "I thought it'd be complicated."
"Ahem… don't think I don't know what you're imagining. Don't map human reproduction onto Angels," Merus groaned.
"Hey, I didn't say anything. You're the one taking it there," Ken said.
Merus refused to reply.
"So if I wanted a child with a female Angel, it's also hand-to-hand?" Ken asked.
Merus: …
"You're five. Do Saiyans really get this education so early?" Merus said, half laughing, half crying.
"Mhm," Ken nodded.
Merus had no words.
"Answer. Yes or no," Broly pressed.
Merus wiped his brow and finally nodded.
"Say 'yes,' or 'no,'" Broly insisted.
"Yes—yes, yes!" Merus bobbed his head.
"One is enough," Broly corrected solemnly.
Merus turned and walked away. These two would be the death of him.
Ken wasn't in a rush to leave. He surveyed the pure-white world end to end and found nothing special. Broly shadowed him, mimicking the inspection with exaggerated seriousness.
"Let's go," Ken said, lifting off.
Broly chuckled and mimed tearing the planet in half—apparently still sore about not ripping Mule.
Ken stared. "Don't be crude. Ruining something this beautiful would be a shame."
"Uh…" Broly scratched his head.
They returned to the ship, lifted off, and slipped back into the World of Void.
But not long after they left, the white planet blossomed with star-like Angel power. The radiance gathered and took the shape of a breathtaking woman. Silver hair framed a flawless figure; her beauty and proportions could only be called perfect. Most startling of all, her skin was snowy and pristine—not the usual Angel blue, but with a faint warm glow.
"Just now… was that…?" she murmured, eyes following the distant ship.
The light around her faded.
"Shff."
Her body dissolved, vanishing from the white world.
…
The ship sped through the boundless mist again.
Days later, a vast, glittering cosmos unfurled ahead. Star rivers wound like silver threads through a grand tapestry.
"We're here—Universe Ten… Universe Six…" Merus nearly tripped over his tongue.
Ken blinked. "Which is it?"
"Universe Six… pretty sure," Merus said, dabbing at sudden sweat.
What a blunder. I'm really not cut out for lying.
"Really?" Ken eyed him.
"Really," Merus doubled down. Keep it rolling. Don't let him pull the thread.
"How long until we reach the God of Destruction's world?" Ken asked.
"About twenty more days," Merus said.
"That long, huh," Ken sighed.
"This is the fastest ship the Galactic Patrol has. A Saiyan pod would take a year or two," Merus noted, just to keep his pride intact.
"We'll wait it out," Ken said.
Only a few more weeks to Vados. Perfect. Vados, I literally crossed worlds because of you. It hasn't been easy. I can't wait to meet you.
The ship left a trail of light as it cut across the void. Days melted by.
…
Universe 10, Planet Rumsshi—the God of Destruction's world.
By convention, a god of Destruction's realm bears their name. Universe 10's Destroyer is Rumsshi, a massive pink elephant with a long trunk and towering frame.
Angel Kusu stood on Rumsshi's planet, staff in hand, quietly watching Ken inside the distant ship.
So this kid really cultivated Angel power? Looks about five or six.
And you snubbed Universe 10… just to chase Universe 6? Heh. When you arrive, I'll tell you this is Universe 6. Once you've put down roots, I'll tell you the truth. I wonder how you'll take it?
Kusu smiled to herself.
"Kusu, what are you grinning at?" Rumsshi lumbered over, mystified.
"Perfect timing, Lord Rumsshi. I needed to tell you something," Kusu said, lowering her staff.
"What is it?" Rumsshi asked.
"Someone's coming. When he arrives, tell him this place is—" Kusu broke off, turning her head.
A star-bright streak flashed across the sky.
"Shff!"
A figure alighted nearby. Kusu' eyes flew wide.
"Vados? What are you doing here?" she blurted.
"Oh, just bored—out for a stroll," Vados said with a lilting laugh, giving Kusu a sidelong, teasing look. "What, am I not welcome today?"
"Normally yes. Today's… special," Kusu admitted honestly.
Of all days, you had to come now?
"Because you've got, ahem, monthly business?" Vados giggled.
Kusu: …
"Do you talk to everyone like this?" Kusu rolled her eyes, chest rising and falling.
"My apologies," Vados said, bowing with a smile.
"Fine. Since you're here, I'll take you to that place I mentioned last time—the one with the amazing food," Kusu offered.
"Wonderful! That's exactly why I came," Vados beamed.
"But before that, I have to wait for someone," Kusu said. "You can go ahead."
"Waiting? An important guest?" Vados asked.
"Yes," Kusu said with a small smile.
"Then I'll wait with you," Vados said, deciding on the spot.
Kusu: …
Off to the side, Rumsshi sprayed water from his trunk over nearby plants, bored out of his mind. Hearing the Angels chat, he waddled over. "Hey, Vados—where's Champa? Didn't come with you?"
"No, Lord Rumsshi," Vados answered sweetly.
"Boring," Rumsshi sighed, then glanced at Kusu. "Who's this 'important guest' you mentioned?"
"Not important anymore," Kusu said.
Rumsshi: …?
Vados: …?
"Whatever. You two talk. I'm off to work," Rumsshi grunted. Purple-red light flared around him.
"Shff!"
He streaked away and vanished.
Watching him go, Vados tilted her head, thoughtful, then looked back to Kusu. "So who is it?"
"You'll know in two hours," Kusu said, already wracking her brain for a way to patch the lie. With Vados here, this was going to be tough. Best if Vados left—otherwise she'd drag Merus into this too.
"Two hours, huh…" Vados sighed, stretching languidly. "Alright, I'll go grab a bite first."
"Good," Kusu said quickly, projecting a planet's outline with her staff. "This one. The fruit there is excellent."
"Got it. I'll eat while I wait," Vados said, tapping her forehead with a fingertip. Her staff clicked softly against the ground—
"Pop!" —and Angel light blossomed around her.
"Shff!"
She shot away in the opposite direction from Rumsshi and soon vanished from sight.
Kusu exhaled in relief. Finally. Thank goodness.
Wait…
She'd overlooked something. Vados was flying along the same vector Merus would be arriving from.
What if they crossed paths?
This was bad.
Kusu hurriedly raised her staff and opened a link to Merus.
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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