"Right—Supreme Kai, after you left for the God of Destruction's realm, a black staff suddenly appeared in Merus's hand. I don't know what he was looking at," Kibito blurted, as if a thought had just struck him.
The Supreme Kai froze, turned to Kibito, and a scene flashed across his mind.
He thought for a bit.
"Kibito, that black staff—did it have a crystal orb at the top?" The Supreme Kai suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Yeah. After you left, he and that kid named Ken just kept staring into the crystal… like they could see you through it," Kibito said, face stiff, half-guessing.
"What? They could see me?" The Supreme Kai's eyes went wide, more shaken than before.
A long beat of silence.
Then—clap! The Supreme Kai smacked his palm, light sparking in his gaze. "I get it. I finally get what happened!"
"What do you get, my lord?" Kibito asked.
"That 'God of Destruction Realm' I went to… if I'm not mistaken, it was an illusion, a mirage fabricated by that Merus," the Supreme Kai snorted.
"An illusion?" Kibito blinked.
"Exactly. I accidentally stepped into a realm he conjured—that's why I couldn't beat anyone in there!" The Supreme Kai looked enlightened. "Otherwise, how have I never heard of such a God of Destruction, and one that strong?"
Kibito's eyes cleared too. "Then… who is that Merus, really?"
"Could be from the Demon Realm…" the Supreme Kai analyzed.
"The Demon Realm?" Kibito frowned. "But he didn't seem like a bad guy."
"Just watch, Kibito. This isn't as simple as it looks." The Supreme Kai smiled, self-assured. "Merus and his group are definitely coming back."
As he spoke, a streak of starlight flashed across the sky.
Merus descended from above and landed near the Supreme Kai and Kibito.
The Supreme Kai shot Kibito a smug look: "What did I say?"
Kibito stared with open admiration. The Supreme Kai never missed.
"You again," the Supreme Kai said evenly to Merus, as if everything was in the palm of his hand.
"Apologies for the intrusion, Supreme Kai." Merus bowed.
"You're not welcome here," the Supreme Kai huffed.
The memory hit him—Broly grinding his face into the ground, widening the crater with his skull.
Who humiliates a god like that?
So what if you're a "Legendary Super Saiyan"?
Legendary makes you special?
You were obviously taking your cues from him!
Kibito glared daggers too.
Knew you'd come back!
If looks could kill, Merus would've died a thousand times under their stares.
Merus felt like sighing to the heavens.
Ken caused the mess. Why am I holding the bag?
"I'm here to deal with Majin Buu," Merus said politely.
"Majin… Buu?" The Supreme Kai blinked.
Kibito's eyes popped as well.
They traded a look, surprise already turning to joy.
"So the Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly—he's going to help us eliminate Buu?" The Supreme Kai felt bliss fall from the sky. The sting of earlier humiliation evaporated on the spot. His greatest wish was to erase that looming Buu threat. If the Legendary Super Saiyan would act, it was a blessing for the universe.
"Something like that," Merus replied.
He didn't mean Broly would fight.
He would handle it.
But as an angel, he couldn't use angelic power to fight Buu—do that, and he'd vanish.
Still, he already had a plan.
Not fight—tame.
It should work!
If Ken can tame a Legendary Super Saiyan, I can tame one Majin Buu, right?
Resolve firm, Merus's eyes shone with expectation.
He was about to get his own God of Destruction candidate.
"Where's Broly?" The Supreme Kai noticed Broly wasn't with Merus, and hurriedly asked.
"He'll show up when the time's right," Merus said—less than truthfully.
Didn't I swear to stop lying?
How am I lying again?
Blame Sister Kusu—she got me into this.
Now I don't even blush when I do it.
"Can you take me to Buu's seal?" Merus asked sincerely.
The Supreme Kai grew wary at once. Kibito tensed too.
"What are you planning?" the Supreme Kai asked coldly.
"I've got it—you're going to release Majin Buu, aren't you?" Kibito snapped.
"I knew something was off about you!" the Supreme Kai shouted. "That black staff you held in that 'God of Destruction Realm'—it's almost identical to the one carried by that 'Whis' person! What is he to you?"
"Whis is my older brother," Merus answered honestly.
"So you are fiends in angel's skin! You're from the Demon Realm, and that 'Whis' is something you conjured!" the Supreme Kai cried, pointing at Merus. "Am I right?"
They fell back in tandem, raising their guard, fighting stances set.
Merus wanted to cry but couldn't.
I'm an actual god… and you're calling me a demon?
From the Demon Realm?
You've got to be kidding me.
"And your real goal is to release Buu and wreck this universe, isn't it?" the Supreme Kai accused.
Merus said nothing.
Though… the part about releasing Buu—that was true.
That was his plan.
"The angels' wicked designs—did even that Legendary Super Saiyan refuse to throw in with you?" the Supreme Kai pressed.
Merus: "…"
"So those two Saiyans left your team," Kibito growled, clenching his fists, itching to tear Merus apart. "Hmph. Saiyans are a warrior race with pride. There's no way they'd side with the likes of you from the Demon Realm!"
Merus stayed quiet.
So I don't even measure up to those two, huh?
"Fine. I'll find him myself," Merus sighed.
He'd come to the Supreme Kai for Buu's location to make it easy.
But if they wouldn't say, he'd locate Buu through his staff.
It'd just cost more effort—more angel power.
"Please read up on the divine order when you have time, Supreme Kai," Merus said gently, then lifted into the air and vanished into the sky.
High above, he raised his staff. The crystal began calibrating—pinpointing Majin Buu.
A complex process.
And a drain on angel power.
Especially with his—by Ken's measure—only forty percent purity.
If his purity were higher, this would be trivial.
That was why he'd tried the polite route first.
"Supreme Kai—he's over there! He's just hovering, staring into that crystal!" Kibito pointed anxiously skyward.
"I see… what's he doing? Casting some spell?" The Supreme Kai's brow cinched tight.
"What do we do, my lord?" Kibito pressed.
The Supreme Kai held his tongue. He couldn't tell what magic Merus was weaving.
"Could he be tracking Buu?" Kibito blurted. "That staff looks like a mage's focus—it could lock onto people, right?"
The Supreme Kai's expression shifted twice over. He stared at Kibito.
That… made too much sense.
"If that's true, this is bad!" Cold sweat ran down the Supreme Kai's face. "We must stop him. We can't let him find Buu!"
"Should we just go end him?" Kibito gritted his teeth. "He's been all polite to lull us into dropping our guard… his real aim is to release Buu and destroy the peace of this universe!"
"You're right, Kibito!" the Supreme Kai nodded gravely. "We stop him—no matter what."
They sketched a plan in seconds.
A minute later—
whoosh!
The Supreme Kai and Kibito appeared, front and back, around Merus.
He was still scanning for Buu.
Seeing them, Merus paused, looking up to the Supreme Kai. "Supreme Kai… do you need something?"
"Merus, you will not find Majin Buu!" the Supreme Kai barked.
"Please, I mean no harm—" Merus tried, helpless.
"Hyah!" The Supreme Kai thrust both hands forward. An invisible divine force surged toward Merus.
Merus flinched.
Sneak attack? Seriously?
shff!
He slipped aside, letting the attack pass.
"Quick little rat! And you say you're not from the Demon Realm!" the Supreme Kai shouted.
Merus: "…"
So I'm fast because I'm from the Demon Realm now?
"You won't get away!" The Supreme Kai darted after him.
Merus could only give a helpless smile.
Fwoom!
A beam of energy lanced from behind—Kibito's blast.
shff!
Merus's body tilted a hair's breadth—Ultra Instinct moved him, and the beam missed.
"What? He dodged? Do you have eyes in the back of your head?" Kibito gasped.
"Supreme Kai, Kibito—you really misunderstand me," Merus said, head throbbing.
"Enough talk! We won't let you find Buu!" the Supreme Kai roared, charging.
"Then forgive my rudeness," Merus sighed, leaned back under the punch—
smack!
A tap to the Supreme Kai's neck.
The Supreme Kai crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Supreme Kai!" Kibito paled.
He never imagined their lord would drop from a single touch.
"You should nap a bit too," Merus said with a polite smile, glancing at Kibito.
pop—vanish.
Kibito spun around wildly. "Where—?!"
Then felt a presence behind him. He turned, face going from red to white—
bonk!
Merus rapped him on the head with the staff.
Stars filled Kibito's vision. He went limp.
Merus exhaled.
What a headache.
They needed a crash course in divine order.
Otherwise, how was Universe 7 supposed to develop?
Forget it. Handle my business first.
Find Majin Buu.
He lifted his staff again, crystal swirling as it searched.
An hour later— Merus's eyes lit. "Found him! On Earth…"
If I'd known, I should've just gone with Ken to Earth earlier.
shiiiing!
Merus flared with starlit radiance and streaked toward Earth.
Universe 7 — Deep Space
A river of starlight cut through the void.
Within it: Vados carrying Ken, with Broly piloting the big robot.
After several hours of travel, they had left Universe 10, crossed the Void, and emerged into Universe 7.
"Vados, that blue one there—that's Earth," Ken said, pointing.
"My, what a lovely planet," Vados murmured, genuinely charmed.
Broly practically vibrated with excitement.
Home.
Food.
fwip— They descended and touched down in the Brief family courtyard.
Ken hopped off Vados's back with a grin and shouted, "Hey, Doc! Bulma! Your pilgrims are back with scriptures!"
Vados: "???"
At the shout, a blue-haired little girl dashed out from the next room, ponytail bouncing, cheeks rosy with delight.
Vados glanced at her, thoughtful.
That ponytail girl you call your 'dream girl' isn't this child… right?
Well, age-wise… you do match…
Bulma ran up to Ken, then looked up at Vados, blinking big bright eyes. "Who are you?"
"Let me introduce you. This is Vados," Ken said. "Vados, this is my good friend Bulma."
"Hello, little Bulma." Vados dipped with a smile and shook the girl's hand.
"Strange skin color…" Bulma muttered.
"Hee-hee. Most in my race are this shade," Vados replied, unbothered, smiling.
"Most?" Ken cocked his head at Vados. "So there are angels with different skin tones?"
"There are—quite close to yours, actually. Her name was Amarella," Vados said with a soft smile.
"Amarella? That doesn't sound like an angel's name," Ken blinked.
How do I not know this? I'm a transmigrator…
"A naming randomizer glitched. It spat out that name. We were too lazy to change it, so it stuck," Vados said breezily.
Ken: "…"
"You and Broly are Saiyans, right? I heard you also used a randomizer for names," Vados teased. "Yours doesn't sound like a typical Saiyan name."
"Uh… my system was glitchy too," Ken grinned.
"Hee-hee. Fate likes a joke," Vados giggled behind her hand.
"Angel Amarella—which universe?" Ken asked, curious.
"The Eighteenth," Vados answered.
Ken fell silent.
By this era, the Eighteenth Universe was long gone. Thirteenth through Eighteenth—six universes—erased by Zeno. The manga never said why.
"Ahh… yes. The Eighteenth has been gone… a very long time. No use digging at old wounds," Vados said softly.
"Do angels disappear with their universe?" Ken asked, feigning casual.
"Normally, no. Amarella was the exception—she swore to live and die with her universe," Vados sighed. "She loved her cosmos that much."
Ken: "…"
"Anyway, tens of millions of years ago…" Vados's eyes went distant, but her face stayed tranquil—neither sad nor glad.
"Tens of millions? You mean… you've lived that long?" Bulma stared.
"Oh my, I slipped," Vados tittered. "Hee-hee-hee."
Bulma: "…"
A tiny pause.
"So you're an old witch," Bulma said primly.
Vados: "…"
Is that how you talk to an angel…?
"Ken, you've been gone over a month! Hmph! You promised to take me out!" Bulma puffed her cheeks, sulking.
Broly, meanwhile, had already found the household robot—Ai—and was grinning at it.
"What're you lookin' at?" Broly said.
bzzt!
A spark snapped over Broly.
He burst out laughing.
Ken and the others glanced over, then ignored him.
"Where's my sister?" Bulma realized her big sis wasn't back yet.
"She stayed at the Galactic Patrol headquarters," Ken said.
"Typical! Leaving me with all the house stuff," Bulma huffed, then fished out a ring and pressed it into Ken's hand. "Here. Your storage ring."
"Nice, nice. Our Bulma is amazing." Ken ruffled her hair, turned the ring in his fingers, then asked, "How do I use it?"
"Wear it. Triple-tap the band to open the space and pull out whatever you want. Once you take the item, the space auto-closes. Am I a genius or what? I thought about this forever."
"Perfect." Ken nodded, then frowned. "Wait—what if I'm in a fistfight and our punches clash? Would the ring detonate and dump all my loot on the ground?"
Bulma: "…"
"Why are you wearing it in a fistfight?" Bulma asked, head tilted, eyes blinking.
Ken went quiet.
Why wouldn't I be fighting?
"We can reinforce the ring with angel power," Vados offered. "Then even direct clashes won't hurt it."
"Ai, stop zapping Broly. Prep a feast—roll out the 'royal banquet' level," Ken called to the robot.
"On it!" Ai's head LED blinked.
bzzt!
One more zap for Broly, then it hummed away.
"Ahhh, I missed that," Broly laughed.
"Ken, Broly talks smoother than before," Bulma said, eyeing him.
"He does," Ken nodded.
"Hold on—why are you getting treated like royalty?" Bulma suddenly realized, and glared.
"Not important," Ken chuckled, tweaking her cheek.
"Don't pinch! I'll drool," Bulma huffed, then glanced past Ken at the hulking robot and ran up to tap it. "What a weird robot."
…
The Briefs' automation kicked in; within about ten minutes, dishes streamed out in waves.
Vados was delighted—her eyebrows kept doing happy dances. Broly ate by the shovel; Vados savored like a gourmet.
Mrs. Brief joined them with a sunny smile. Dr. Brief was still tinkering; he'd join later and told them to start without him.
"Tasty, right?" Ken grinned at Vados.
"You're not wrong. We should move Earth to Universe 6—or at least restore Universe 6's Earth," Vados said between bites, already planning. A planet like this was wasted in Universe 7. It belonged in 6.
"This is nothing. You haven't even scratched the menu," Ken said.
"Isn't this the highest-tier spread?" Vados blinked.
"Of course!" Bulma shot back. "The King ate the same dishes when he visited."
And you still say there's better?
"What haven't I tried?" Vados asked, eyes bright.
"Oh, tons," Ken mused. "Steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roast flower duck, roast spring chicken, roast goose, soy-braised pork, soy-braised duck, sauce chicken, cured meats, jellied pork belly, air-dried cuts, sausages, smoked chicken and tripe… just for starters. Had any?"
Vados's eyes fluttered; her mouth practically watered.
Why do all those sound delicious?
"Hey? Ken, how come I've never heard those names?" Bulma asked, blinking.
"Me neither," Broly said, chewing cake, scratching his head.
"You'll get your chance," Ken said mysteriously.
Just then, Dr. Brief pedaled up on his bike.
"Ken's back?" he called.
"Hi, Doc," Ken stood and greeted.
The doctor parked, adjusted his glasses, and noticed Vados at once.
"Ah, a guest. Welcome," Dr. Brief smiled.
"Hello, Dr. Brief. Thank you for the generous feast," Vados said, bowing politely.
He returned the bow, then sat to eat with them.
"Doc, how's the spaceship conversion going?" Ken asked through a bite of pizza.
"Almost there…" Dr. Brief mused.
"It's been over a month… haven't turned it into a Capsule yet?" Ken blinked. "Didn't you say one month?"
"Well… there's one decision I haven't finalized…" Dr. Brief said thoughtfully.
"It can be capsule-ized though?" Ken asked.
"It can." Dr. Brief handed him a capsule case.
Ken opened it. Inside lay a universal capsule labeled in big letters: SPACESHIP.
"So it is done. What's the unresolved bit—were you trying to mount surround-sound speakers?" Ken ventured.
"You do know me! Exactly!" Dr. Brief beamed. "Don't underestimate placement. I want true immersion anywhere onboard—plus proper bass impact."
"No need. I don't listen to music," Ken said, and pressed the top. He tossed the capsule.
POOM!
A mid-sized spaceship bloomed into existence.
Ken inspected it. The look was completely overhauled—no trace of Frieza-style design left. It resembled Goku's Namek ship, but the details were all new.
"Are you sure about the speakers?" Dr. Brief asked hopefully.
"I'm sure." Ken shook his head, then nodded at Broly. "Stow it carefully—don't break it."
Broly bobbed his head, strode up, and stared at the ship, lost.
"How to stow?" he asked Dr. Brief.
"Big red button—press it," the doctor pointed.
Broly poked it gingerly, like the ship might shatter.
shff!
The ship snapped back into a capsule.
Broly caught it with both hands, cradled it carefully, brought it to Ken, and tucked the case into his shirt.
"I noticed that new robot you brought back…" Dr. Brief said after a few bites, walking over to the machine and tapping its hull. He pushed up his glasses. "You're not thinking of capsule-converting this too, are you?"
"This one's tough," Ken said, picking up a steak knife. He pressed the edge to the robot's armor and dragged.
(End of Chapter)
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