As if to confirm Arche and everyone else's suspicions, Eriri withdrew her hands and turned around on the piano bench to face the audience.
"I'm sure you've all felt the change in your bodies. That's right—to celebrate my ascension to Level 9, I've slightly boosted everyone's power just a little~"
A playful smile appeared on Eriri's face as she brought her right thumb and forefinger close together, leaving only a tiny gap between them.
At her words, the hall erupted into a wave of excitement. Faces lit up with astonishment and joy, especially among those who had previously been weaker.
"Eriri! Just how much is this 'little bit'? I feel like I've gotten at least ten thousand times stronger than before!"
Chika Fujiwara, sitting at the front row, raised her hand and shouted up at the stage, her tone full of exhilaration.
Hearing her outburst, the others—just as curious—fixed their glowing eyes on Eriri, eagerly awaiting her answer. The once-bustling hall fell silent again in anticipation.
"Well~ I merely raised everyone's power to Level 8. So now, all of you here are officially cosmic-class super-beings!"
As her words fell, the hall, which had gone silent for barely half a minute, erupted once more into chaos.
Everyone was in disbelief as they felt the unimaginable power coursing through their bodies—especially those like Natsuki Minamiya, who hadn't experienced the previous group ascension to Level 7.
Even Teru Miyanaga, who had come along with Nodoka Haramura because of her sister Saki's invitation, was left stunned. She usually had little contact with Eriri, and now she had suddenly been transformed from an ordinary human into a Level 8, Stage 1 powerhouse—it all felt like a dream.
Just like the previous upgrade to Level 7, the energy granted to each person was the same. However, the energy required to progress from Level 8, Stage 1 to Level 8, Stage 2 was more than double the total energy it took to go from Level 1, Stage 1 all the way to Level 8, Stage 1.
In terms of chat group points, ascending from Level 1, Stage 1 to Level 7, Stage 9 required over 40 billion points. But advancing from Level 7, Stage 9 to Level 8, Stage 1 cost an astronomical 1 trillion points.
And from Level 8, Stage 1 to Level 8, Stage 2? A staggering 2 trillion points.
So even though Meido and D had already reached Level 8, Stage 1 beforehand, after Eriri's enhancement, they remained at the same level—though their actual strength was vastly superior to that of newly promoted members like Chika Fujiwara.
While they were both classified as Level 8, Stage 1, Meido and D were only a step away from reaching Stage 2, whereas the others had just barely entered the realm of Level 8.
The strongest person present besides Eriri, however, was no longer Meido or D—but Arifureta.
During their "physical exercise" the previous night, Eriri had given Arifureta a little extra attention, making her the first partner to be elevated to Level 8, Stage 9.
...
The seven-day, seven-night banquet finally concluded amidst laughter and cheers, but no one was in a hurry to return to their respective worlds.
Having suddenly gained such tremendous power, everyone wanted to test it out—especially battle maniacs like Luo Cuilian and Esdeath.
Thus, they all unanimously decided to head to the Martial Arts Tournament World for some friendly duels. There, they wouldn't have to worry about life or death, allowing them to fight with full strength.
Since the arena was reinforced with Eriri's power, even if they unleashed their full Level 8, Stage 1 might, it wouldn't cause any damage outside the ring.
Those less interested in combat joined as spectators instead—and even the artificial maids tagged along, curious and eager to watch the fights.
After the lively, week-long festivities, the villa once again returned to peaceful quiet.
Since Eriri had linked the Martial Arts Tournament World with Velier, the world had undergone incredible development over the past few months.
Now, it had transformed into a completely new world.
Countless skyscrapers and castles, all built in Velier's signature architectural style, stood proudly across the land, and the city planning was meticulously organized.
In addition to the mermaid sisters who had immigrated there early on, adorable magical girls in colorful outfits could now be seen everywhere.
No matter how much this world developed, the arena used for the Martial Arts Tournament remained firmly at its center.
Soon, another week passed, and everyone's lives gradually returned to normal.
The temporary shutdown of the chat group didn't affect the members much. With smartphones available, they could still communicate online—though not as conveniently as through the chat group.
Meanwhile, Eriri was preparing to embark on her journey to explore the special universes.
...
Halfway up a mountain slope, four figures—two adults and two youths—dressed in martial arts uniforms were gathered together, teasing a baby being held in the arms of a short-haired woman with purple hair. Not far from them, two other muscular men stood, overlooking the town below.
"Bulma, you should take the child back. Things are going to get dangerous soon!"
The young man with a crab-like hairstyle stood up, withdrawing his hand from teasing the baby, his face turning serious as he addressed the purple-haired woman.
"Don't worry~ I told you I'll leave right after seeing the androids."
Bulma's expression showed complete nonchalance, with not a hint of awareness that she was just an ordinary human.
"Aunt Bulma, what time is it now?"
A polite young boy, no older than ten, who had been teasing the baby, turned to ask her.
At his question, Bulma lifted her left wrist and glanced at the watch she was wearing.
"Hmm… it's nine-thirty. The androids should appear in about thirty minutes."
"Androids, huh… I wonder if what that young man said was true," murmured a scar-faced man nearby, his arms crossed.
"Well, we'll find out soon enough. Either way, with Goku here, no matter how strong these androids are, they won't be able to cause any real trouble."
The bald, short man beside him patted his arm with a carefree grin on his plain-looking face.
Hearing his words, the tall, green-skinned man overlooking the town turned slightly to glance at him.
"You shouldn't say that so lightly. We must stay alert—the androids are likely to be even stronger than Frieza."
Though humanoid in shape, the green-skinned man's alien features were unmistakable.
Not far from him stood another tall man with normal human skin but a third eye on his forehead.
"Haha! The stronger they are, the better! That means I'll get a proper fight!"
The crab-haired youth clenched his fists, excitement and anticipation gleaming in his eyes at the thought of facing the androids.
Unlike some of the others who doubted the androids' existence, both he and the green-skinned warrior believed the warning completely—they knew exactly who the mysterious informant truly was.
High above them, thousands of meters in the sky, Eriri and Arifureta floated silently, observing the scene below.
Eriri hadn't come to this special universe alone—she had brought Arifureta along with her.
Just moments ago, they had used teleportation to appear here.
Looking down at the group of warriors below, Eriri instantly recognized them—the protagonists of this world.
They were currently on Earth in Universe 7 of the Dragon Ball world. The year was Age 765—the very beginning of the Android Saga.
Eriri shifted her gaze toward a different direction, where a laboratory built into the mountains came into view.
Inside the lab, several stasis pods stood side by side. A few had already been opened, but two in the center—labeled "17" and "18"—remained sealed.
Through the transparent panels, Eriri saw two sleeping figures inside: Android 17 and Android 18.
Eriri only gave 17 a brief glance before dismissing him entirely. Her eyes instead lingered on 18.
Her short, golden hair fell to her shoulders in a right-parted cut. Her fair, flawless face radiated calm, and though she stood at only about 160 centimeters tall, her figure was perfectly balanced.
She wore a blue vest and short skirt, with a black form-fitting battle suit underneath, and brown pointed boots on her feet.
It could only be said that Android 18's appearance did not disappoint Eriri—she truly lived up to her title as the Dragon Ball universe's number one goddess.
In Eriri's eyes, while Bulma was also beautiful, she still fell slightly short compared to 18.
"Isn't that Goku and Bulma over there? Looks like we came at just the right time—it's right when the androids appear."
Beside her, Arifureta also recognized Goku and the others, her lovely face lighting up with an eager smile.
"Eriri, should we go say hello? I feel like it could be fun."
"Sure~"
Eriri smiled and nodded, and without another word, she took Arifureta's hand, and the two instantly vanished from the sky.
...
Down below, Goku and the others had just finished their discussion when their gazes turned toward the distance—they could sense someone rapidly approaching.
However, before they could prepare themselves, a sudden cheerful voice rang out behind them, startling the entire group. They all turned around in unison.
"Hello there~!"
Arifureta greeted them with a bright smile and a little wave, while Eriri stood silently at her side, calm and composed.
"Who are you two?"
Piccolo looked at the newcomers warily. As a Namekian born from asexual reproduction, he wasn't affected by their stunning beauty in the slightest.
Of course, that was also because Eriri hadn't released any of her charm. Had she chosen to, it wouldn't have mattered what species they were—her allure could have shattered the reason of any being instantly.
Goku, too, showed no particular reaction to their appearance. But unlike Piccolo, his expression was one of pure curiosity.
"Hey, how did you get here? Was it Instant Transmission? But I didn't sense any ki from you two!"
A string of questions poured out of Goku's mouth, revealing just how intrigued he was.
While those in the Dragon Ball world could learn to suppress their ki through training, completely concealing it while using techniques was another matter entirely—something only divine-level beings could manage.
That was why Goku found the sudden, ki-less appearance of Eriri and Arifureta so baffling.
Of course, the androids who were about to appear also emitted no ki—but Goku and the others had yet to realize that.
Unlike Piccolo and Goku, who were unaffected by beauty, Krillin and Yamcha were instantly struck dumb the moment they saw Eriri and Arifureta. They froze in place, slack-jawed, eyes glassy, even drooling as they gawked in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Tien Shinhan and Gohan reacted more moderately—shocked by their beauty, yes, but also cautious, wary of the unknown power the two exuded.
Even Bulma, a renowned beauty herself, couldn't help but stare in awe at Eriri, a faint sparkle of hearts glimmering in her eyes.
"Wow! You two are gorgeous!"
Completely captivated, Bulma began walking toward them without an ounce of hesitation, her baby son Trunks still cradled in her arms.
Before she could get far, Goku called out to stop her.
"Bulma, wait—don't go yet."
Though he was curious about Eriri and Arifureta, he wasn't careless enough to let his guard down completely. Seeing the unarmed Bulma approach them, he immediately intervened.
"Relax, Goku~ They're way too pretty to be bad guys."
Bulma completely ignored Goku's warning and continued forward toward Eriri and Arifureta.
Seeing this, Goku had no choice but to follow beside her—he couldn't let Bulma or Trunks fall into danger.
Piccolo, Tien, and Gohan, of course, didn't just stand there either. They followed closely behind Goku, ready for anything.
As for Krillin and Yamcha… the two still stood frozen in place, utterly entranced, unable to recover from their daze.
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