"Hyah!"
Vegeta kicked off the ground, hammering a relentless flurry of punches into Majin Buu. The monster took the hits without a shred of defense, his rubbery body bouncing back and forth before being sent flying.
Before Buu could stabilize, Turles was already behind him, launching him upward with a heavy kick. Waiting in the sky was Nappa. He clenched his massive fists together and hammered them down onto the crown of Buu's head, sending the monster crashing back into the dirt.
The battle between the three Saiyans and the Majin was a complete one-sided slaughter. While their individual combat powers were only about half of Buu's, the nature of the fight favored the Saiyans.
Despite his immortality—or perhaps because of it—Buu's body was incredibly soft and fragile. He didn't brace for impact; he simply squished and deformed. A well-placed Destructo-Disc could bisect him with ease, and a ki blast left gaping holes in his torso. None of it inflicted real damage, but it shattered his posture. Because he never bothered to dodge or block, he was constantly off-balance, unable to find the window to retaliate.
"Get out of my way! I'll handle this alone!" Vegeta roared.
"Heh, be my guest," Turles sneered. "I'm just here to hit the pink guy. If you happen to be in the way, that's your problem."
They weren't fighting together. They were three individuals performing "solo" acts on a single stage, all targeting the same mark. Saiyans were notoriously bad at cooperation. However, unlike Vegeta—who had always stood at the top—Turles and Nappa had years of experience conquering planets as part of a squad under Frieza. They knew how to stay out of a teammate's way just enough to keep the pressure on.
"You guys... you're mean! Turn into chocolate!"
Buu fired a beam from his head-antenna, aimed directly at Nappa. The big Saiyan laughed and stood his ground.
"Hah! What a pathetic—"
"NAPPA, MOVE!!" Vegeta and Turles shouted in unison.
Flinching at their combined urgency, Nappa dove out of the way just in time. The beam sailed past him and struck Kibito, who was standing nearby. The attendant was instantly transformed into a small bar of chocolate.
"KIBITO?!" the Supreme Kai wailed.
"Tch, you idiot! Look at the technique before you try to tank it!" Vegeta snapped.
"S-Sorry, Vegeta... thanks for the save," Nappa grunted, wiping sweat from his brow.
Turles just chuckled. "Keke, how soft of you, Prince."
"Shut up! You want to be next?!"
They were abrasive, competitive, and barely tolerated each other. Yet, as Saiyans, there was a jagged sort of harmony in their movements—a broken puzzle that somehow fit together just enough to push the Majin into a corner.
+++
By the time Lisette returned, the end was in sight.
One Buu clone had been vaporized by Goku's Super Saiyan 3 power; another had been erased by Cell. Piccolo had successfully dismantled Dabura. Now, the last Buu clone was surrounded by Vegeta, Turles, Nappa, and Gohan.
Lisette rejoined the group, followed by Goku, Cell, and Piccolo. The last Majin Buu was officially trapped.
"It seems the game is up," Lisette declared.
She scanned the area, casually erasing a stray piece of Buu's flesh that had been inching toward Goku's back. Goku jumped, realizing he'd almost been absorbed. "Whoa! When did that get there?!"
The Majin clone looked around at the circle of warriors. The playful child-like aura was gone, replaced by a frantic, cornered fear. His trump card—absorption—had been thwarted before he could even try it.
"N-No! I just woke up! I don't want to go away!"
「...」
Lisette looked at him, and for a moment, she felt a pang of pity. This version of Majin Buu wasn't a calculated villain; he was a force of nature with the mind of a child. He crushed lives the way a toddler might pull the legs off an insect—without a concept of "evil." He only did it because Bibidi had taught him it was a game.
But he was still a bomb. Even if he meant no harm, his existence was a threat to the galaxy. If she spared him, there was no guarantee he wouldn't split into an "Evil" version later and devour the Earth. She couldn't gamble the world on a "maybe."
Is this right? she wondered. Am I just bullying a child?
She shoved the doubt deep into her heart. She was the Guardian of Earth. Her duty was to protect the living, not to indulge a monster. She had to kill him.
"I won't ask for your forgiveness," Lisette said softly. "But I will ask King Yemma to ensure your next life is a kind one."
She raised her hand, and rings of ki bound the Majin's limbs, neck, and torso, hoisting him into the air. Lisette crossed her arms above her head, her white wings unfurling as her ki spiked to its absolute limit.
"End it now. Everyone, on my mark."
I'll carry the weight, she thought. Goku and the others don't need to know he could have been a friend. I'll take this sin myself.
"...Wait. Stop."
Goku spoke. He powered down from Super Saiyan 3, his eyes calm and focused as he looked at Lisette.
"Goku?"
"Goddess... what are you hiding?"
"I'm not—"
"You're making that face again," Goku interrupted, a small, knowing smile on his lips. "You don't actually want to kill him, do you?"
Lisette caught her breath. She had tried so hard to stay stoic, but Goku always had a way of seeing through her.
"You're right," she admitted quietly. "He's just... innocent. We're about to slaughter a child who doesn't know any better. It isn't... pleasant."
"Lisette! What are you saying?!" the Supreme Kai shrieked. "He is an ancient evil! Destroy him! Now! NOW!!"
"I know my duty, Supreme Kai," Lisette snapped. "But regardless of his past, he is a living being. And while a confused Buu would turn Earth into hell, killing him feels like a failure. But... I don't have a choice. I have to do it."
"Of course you do! Yes! Do it!" Shin shouted.
"Shut up and stay down!" Turles barked, kicking the Supreme Kai off a nearby ledge.
Goku looked at Lisette, his grin widening. "Are you sure? Isn't there another card you can play?"
"I... there is one way. The technique I used seven years ago... Xenoverse. I could use it to purify only the evil within him. But I'm afraid. I'm afraid of losing myself again. I'm afraid of what I'll do to you if I lose control."
Goku laughed, a bold, confident sound that filled the air. "It's your power. You'll master it. And if you don't? I'll be right here to snap you out of it. I promise."
"But—"
"Please, Goddess. Save him. He's not a bad guy... he just needs a better teacher."
「...」
You're so unfair, Goku, Lisette thought. By asking her to save him, he had taken her personal desire and turned it into a mission. He had seen her burden and snatched half of it for himself. The boy who once just wanted to fight had become a man who could carry the weight of others.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" she asked, a small smile finally breaking through her mask.
"Hehe, maybe." Goku gave her a look that was almost mischievous. He was effectively "cheating"—giving her the exact permission she needed to follow her heart.
"Fine. If I fail... it's on your head."
"Deal."
+++
Lisette closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Xenoverse... activate."
A pillar of pure white light erupted from her body. Her ki became transparent, vanishing from the senses of everyone present. Her wings dissolved, replaced by a radiant, spinning halo. Her platinum hair flowed in a non-existent wind, and her eyes turned a liquid, emotionless silver.
She had entered the Divine Realm—the level occupied only by Gods of Destruction and their Angels. The Supreme Kai's jaw dropped so far it nearly hit the dirt.
(...Majin Buu... evil... must be erased...)
The "God Logic" began to overwrite her mind. Malice must be destroyed. Peace must be enforced.
She gathered a spark of Destruction (Hakai) in her palm. It was enough to erase a galaxy. She turned the focus toward the pinned Majin Buu. But then, Goku stepped into her line of fire.
"Goddess, don't. Don't let the power use you."
「...」
"You're stronger than this. Control it."
If she fired now, Goku would vanish from existence. To her current state, he was a Saiyan—an "evil" to be purged. She raised her hand, her fingers trembling. The spark flared... and then dimmed.
"G-Goku... move... please..."
"Whew... that was a close one," Goku exhaled, grinning. "You're still in there."
"Yes... but I can't hold this for long. I'll finish it in one strike."
She focused every ounce of her remaining willpower. She wouldn't destroy the being; she would destroy the disease.
"Purification (Hakai)!"
She unleashed a single, focused beam of white light. It didn't explode; it pierced into Buu's chest and began to glow from within. A vortex of light consumed the Majin's body.
"GWA... AAAAAAAAAAH!"
Black smoke began to pour out of Buu, disintegrating into sparks the moment it hit the light. The process lasted for seconds, as the millions of years of malice Bibidi had pumped into the monster were burned away.
But she didn't erase his personality. She didn't turn him into a hollow saint like she had with the humans seven years ago. She focused only on the "evil" core.
When the light faded, the halo vanished, and Lisette collapsed to her knees.
The Majin Buu clone fell to the ground, unconscious but alive. Kibito—now back to his normal self—stood up and blinked, looking around in confusion.
"Is it... over?"
"Yes," Lisette panted. "The evil is gone. He is no longer our enemy."
She used her telekinesis to gently tuck the unconscious Buu into a subspace pocket for safekeeping. Goku reached out a hand, and Lisette took it, allowing him to help her up.
"Supreme Kai," Lisette called out.
"Y-Yes?! What is it?!" Shin squeaked, his posture incredibly submissive. He was looking at her like a terrified recruit looking at a Five-Star General.
"I am taking responsibility for Majin Buu. I will educate him and monitor him. If he causes a single problem, I will be the one to put him down. For now, he is under my protection. Do you have an objection?"
"N-No! None at all! Whatever you say!"
He really needs to work on his divine dignity, Lisette thought.
+++
With the crisis averted, the group returned to the Lookout for a victory feast. Goku, as promised, ate enough to feed a small nation.
Later that day, they returned to the World Martial Arts Tournament to see the results. With most of the heavy hitters gone, the final four had been Mr. Satan, Android 18, Krillin, and Yamcha.
Krillin and Yamcha had fought in the semi-finals—a battle so fast and intense the audience couldn't even follow it. They ended up knocking each other out of the ring simultaneously, resulting in a double-disqualification.
This left the final match between Android 18 and Mr. Satan. 18 had "lost" the match after a brief, whispered conversation with Satan. Piccolo and Cell both noted that Satan had protected his title at the cost of promising 18 twenty million Zeni.
Yamcha, despite his loss, was hailed as a hero for his "epic" battle against Krillin. He remained the world's most eligible—and most single—bachelor.
The threat of Majin Buu had been resolved not through blood, but through growth. And as Lisette sat on the edge of the Lookout, watching the sun set over her peaceful planet, she felt the weight of her cross finally lift.
+++
Final Status: The Buu Crisis
Majin Buu: Purified and under Lisette's guardianship.
Goku: Mastered Super Saiyan 3 (Confirmed).
Lisette: Successfully used Xenoverse without losing herself.
The Demons: Mira and Towa are erased.
The Tournament: Mr. Satan remains "Champion" (with a very large debt).
***
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