Beerus and Champa trembled like leaves in a storm, their divine composure completely shattered. In their own universes, they could act as they pleased—absolute authorities answerable to none. But before Zeno, they transformed into the most obedient subjects imaginable, practically competing to see who could appear more submissive.
Raditz couldn't suppress a quiet chuckle at the sight.
The sound, soft as it was, might as well have been a thunderclap.
Zeno's gaze shifted toward Raditz, his head tilting with childlike curiosity. Every god in attendance felt their hearts stop. Beerus wanted desperately to intervene, to shield his newest Supreme Kai from whatever wrath might follow, but the words died in his throat. Why are you laughing?! his mind screamed. Lord Zeno doesn't tolerate disrespect—even unintentional! One wrong word and you'll be erased!
From their perspective, Raditz had just sealed his fate. No matter how powerful a mortal might become, erasing them was nothing more than a passing thought for the Omni-King. Existence or oblivion—both were equally trivial to the being who ruled all creation.
The guards flanking Zeno shifted their stances, their expressions hardening into masks of stern disapproval. Their small eyes glinted with cold authority as they straightened to their full imposing heights, clearly intending to intimidate Raditz into proper deference.
Yet Zeno himself showed no sign of anger. His empty, innocent eyes blinked once, twice, before he took several steps forward. "Oh! Are you the new Supreme Kai? I don't think I've seen you before!"
Shin, terrified that Raditz might say something inappropriate, rushed to answer in his stead. "Y-Yes, Your Majesty, he is—"
"Silence."
Zeno's voice remained soft, almost gentle, but the single word carried the weight of absolute law. His gaze shifted to Shin, and in those innocent eyes, something ancient and terrible flickered. "I didn't ask you."
The deep, primal terror that seized Shin was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. His breath caught in his throat, his legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground—trembling, powerless, utterly insignificant before that gaze. Cold sweat poured down his face as he realized with crystal clarity just how close he'd come to obliteration.
He'd meant well. He'd only wanted to protect Raditz. But good intentions meant nothing here.
The Old Kai and Fuwa shivered involuntarily, their own ancient wisdom providing no comfort. They understood what Shin was only now learning: Zeno's innocent, childlike demeanor made him more terrifying, not less. His thinking existed on a plane incomprehensible to ordinary beings. Destruction and creation were merely two sides of the same coin to him—and individual lives held no more significance than grains of sand.
Raditz swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "Your Majesty," he said carefully, bowing his head with genuine respect. "My name is Raditz. I'm the newest Supreme Kai of Universe Seven. It's an honor to meet you."
For a moment that stretched into eternity, silence reigned.
Then Zeno clapped his small hands together, his face lighting up with delight. "Haha! Raditz—you're very interesting!"
The collective shock was almost palpable. Every god, every angel, every warrior present felt their minds go blank. Interesting? What did that mean? Was it good? Was it bad? With Zeno, such distinctions often proved meaningless until the very end.
"You know," Zeno continued, bouncing slightly on his feet, "it's a waste for someone interesting like you to be a Supreme Kai. You should come play with me instead!"
"P-Play with you?" Raditz felt a different kind of fear settling over him now. Being Zeno's playmate was perhaps the most dangerous occupation in all of existence—and quite possibly the most boring. Spending eternity entertaining an omnipotent child? No. Absolutely not. I have to refuse.
He straightened slightly, raising one hand in polite but firm denial. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I can't."
"Hey, Raditz—!" Beerus's voice cracked with panic. If Lord Zeno took offense and decided to erase Universe Seven, it wouldn't just be Raditz who suffered. Every living being across their entire reality would simply cease to exist, snuffed out like candles in the void.
But before anyone could intervene further, Zeno's voice cut through again—this time directed at Beerus. His tone remained childlike, but his eyes had gone cold. "I wasn't talking to you."
Beerus, Champa, and every other divine being immediately pressed their faces harder against the ground, not daring to even breathe too loudly. Even Zeno's guards, who'd been preparing to make an aggressive show of authority, quickly dropped their aggressive postures and returned to rigid attention. Sweat rolled down their unusual faces.
Zeno's attention returned to Raditz, his expression curious rather than angry. "Why not?"
"Because I still have many important things to do," Raditz explained, choosing his words with care. "Which means I'm very busy. You understand, don't you?"
"Oh." Zeno's lower lip pushed forward in a small pout. "Then when will you be able to play with me?"
Raditz's mind raced. He needed to offer something—anything—that would satisfy the Omni-King without actually committing himself to an eternity of divine babysitting. Then inspiration struck. "Actually, Your Majesty, I have a better idea." He raised one finger. "What if I found some things for you to play with instead? Things that would let you interact with people from across all the universes—much more interesting than just playing with me."
Zeno's eyes widened, sparkling with interest. "Really? What kind of things?"
"I promise I'll show you," Raditz said, extending his pinky finger in the universal gesture of promise. "You have my word."
"What's that for?" Zeno stared at the offered finger with innocent confusion.
"It's called a pinky promise," Raditz explained with a slight smile. "When two people link their pinkies like this, it means they absolutely have to keep their promise to each other. It's very special."
"Okay!" Zeno's entire demeanor brightened. He stepped forward eagerly and hooked his tiny pinky with Raditz's much larger one. The other gods watched in absolute terror mixed with bewildered fascination, unable to believe what they were witnessing. Such casual interaction with the Omni-King was unthinkable—yet here was Raditz, making promises and sharing smiles as though they were old friends.
This is madness, Beerus thought, his stomach churning with anxiety. I don't know if this is going to be the best thing or the worst thing that's ever happened to us.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the exchange concluded. Zeno's satisfaction was evident in his bright smile, and everyone felt the crushing weight of tension lift just slightly. At least the Omni-King was happy—for now.
"Alright then!" Zeno said cheerfully, returning to his guards' side. He turned back to give Raditz one final look. "I'll be waiting. Don't make me wait too long, okay? Goodbye, Raditz!"
"We humbly bid farewell to His Majesty, the Omni-King!"
Every being present prostrated themselves as Zeno and his entourage departed. The ground beneath them was slick with nervous sweat.
The moment Zeno vanished from sight, Beerus shot to his feet, his earlier terror transforming instantly into fury. He whirled on Raditz, pointing an accusatory finger. "You've got some nerve! Do you have any idea what you've done?! The Omni-King cannot be deceived! What are you going to do when he comes to collect on that promise?!"
Raditz's expression remained calm, even slightly amused. "Don't worry, Lord Beerus. I already have a solution in mind."
Whis chuckled softly, his staff tapping against the ground. "Raditz has always been quite resourceful. I think we can trust him on this one."
"Hmph." Beerus crossed his arms and turned away, deliberately affecting an air of disinterest. "I don't care what happens. Just make sure you don't get our entire universe erased."
At that moment, Goku and the others rushed over, their faces alight with curiosity and questions tumbling over each other.
"Is Lord Zeno really that strong? Why was Lord Beerus so scared of him?"
"Of course!" Whis replied with his characteristic gentle smile. "Lord Zeno is the supreme existence across all of reality. Every god in existence—Gods of Destruction, Supreme Kais, even angels like myself—all defer to his absolute authority. He is quite literally the highest power in creation."
Goku's eyes lit up with that familiar spark of battle-hungry enthusiasm. "Wow! I really want to fight Lord Zeno someday!"
The reaction was immediate and explosive. Every person within earshot either gasped in horror or choked on their own shock. Raditz nearly spit out the water he'd been drinking. Fighting Zeno?! he thought with a mixture of exasperation and grudging admiration. That's my little brother for you—his brain works completely differently from everyone else's.
Both Champa and Beerus leaped to their feet simultaneously, their voices overlapping in a panicked shout: "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
Vados studied Goku with an expression mixing amusement and concern, as though examining a particularly naive but endearing child. "I strongly advise against that line of thinking," she said gently. "Lord Zeno's power cannot be measured by conventional combat ability or power levels. If he wishes it, he can erase entire universes in the blink of an eye—along with everything and everyone in them." She paused, letting that sink in before continuing. "There used to be eighteen universes, you know. Now there are only twelve. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Oh..." Goku's enthusiasm deflated visibly as comprehension dawned. "I see..."
He wasn't foolish—he understood perfectly what that gap represented. Some opponents simply existed beyond the realm of combat, operating on principles that transcended strength or technique. Reluctantly, he let the idea go, though the disappointment was clear on his face.
As the group continued discussing the Omni-King, learning more details from Whis and Vados about his nature and authority, a new sense of reverence for the supreme god settled over everyone. The tension slowly eased, replaced by relieved chatter and excited speculation about everything that had happened.
Then Piccolo's sharp eyes narrowed. Something felt wrong—a subtle discord in the atmosphere. He scanned the area quickly, counting heads, checking positions. His expression suddenly hardened. "Wait—where's Frieza?!"
The question hit like a bucket of ice water. Everyone had been so focused on Zeno's arrival, so consumed by the terror and relief of that encounter, that they'd completely forgotten about the tyrant in their midst. Even Vegeta, who'd been standing near Frieza earlier, realized with mounting frustration that he'd lost track of him entirely.
Now everyone's heads swiveled, searching frantically for any sign of the former emperor.
"There!" Raditz's eyes locked onto a skulking figure in the distance. He pointed with one extended finger. "Over there."
Dozens of gazes turned as one, focusing like laser beams on Frieza's location. The intensity of their collective attention pinned him in place as surely as physical restraints.
The tyrant stood at the edge of the arena, directly in front of the seven Dragon Balls. They gleamed with inner light, calling out with the promise of ultimate wishes—and Frieza stared at them with naked hunger and utter frustration.
So close. Yet completely unable to act.
His hands twitched at his sides, hovering mere inches from the legendary orbs. But without knowledge of the summoning ritual, without the words to call forth the Eternal Dragon, they might as well have been on the other side of the universe. All that power, all those possibilities, completely inaccessible.
Frieza's tail lashed behind him in barely contained rage as he sensed every eye in the arena boring into his back.
So close, he thought bitterly. And yet so impossibly far.