Northern Galaxy
A young planet that had been radiating with vibrant life was now slowly withering at a speed visible to the naked eye. All the plants and creatures on the planet, even the very essence of the world itself, seemed to be drained by some terrible force. Countless flowers and trees transformed from lush green to withered yellow in mere moments. The planet's creatures ran frantically in terror, but their efforts proved futile as they collapsed, aged rapidly, died, and crumbled into piles of bleached bones.
The world that had been flourishing with life just moments before had become a desolate wasteland in the blink of an eye. Anyone witnessing this transformation would never believe this barren rock had once been a thriving planet with a bright future stretching ahead.
"Hehe~~ Hehe! My most perfect masterpiece will be completed soon," cackled an ugly, diminutive evil magician with an 'M' carved into his forehead. He stood before a strange vessel spewing thick pink gas, his laughter wild and unrestrained. "After absorbing the life force of countless planets, it will possess terrifying power. When it awakens, I shall be the true master of the entire universe!"
Supreme Kai Realm
"You've already defeated three of us, so now it's time to compete with me in dancing!" Leila shouted with barely contained excitement.
Karnel winced at the announcement. He had never danced before in his life, how could he possibly compete in something so foreign to him? "Leila," he suggested with obvious embarrassment, "how about we compete in something else instead? I honestly can't dance at all."
"Absolutely not!" Leila protested indignantly. "Dancing is what I excel at, I have to be better than you at this! You've defeated Kibito and the other three in their areas of expertise, so why shouldn't you have to face me in mine?"
She crossed her arms defiantly. "The universe is at peace right now, and nothing major is happening. Otherwise, we might ask you to help us solve some cosmic crisis instead."
Karnel knew he was completely hopeless when it came to dancing. He was afraid he'd embarrass himself so badly that even he couldn't bear to watch, let alone achieve victory. "How about we compare combat skills instead?" he suggested hopefully. "What do you think?"
"No way!" Leila replied with obvious annoyance. "Even though each of us Supreme Kais possesses considerable power, I won't fight you when even Barro, who's the best warrior among us, couldn't defeat you."
Her expression softened slightly as she continued, "Look, if you don't know how to dance, I can teach you. There's no time limit, you can learn at your own pace. When I feel that you can dance well enough to meet my standards, you win!"
Before Karnel could protest further, Leila grabbed his reluctant arm and pulled him toward the radio sitting on a small stone platform. She fiddled with the device until disgusting music began blaring from its speakers. Karnel listened for barely a few seconds before goosebumps erupted across his entire body.
"Alright, I'll teach you the basics first. Watch my movements carefully," Leila called out, stepping back several paces to give herself room.
It had to be acknowledged that Leila, who had dedicated years to perfecting her art, danced far better than the Grand Supreme Kai with his simple twisting and turning. Her movements flowed like a beautiful butterfly soaring through the air, graceful, natural, smooth, and utterly mesmerizing.
Leila's elegant performance made Karnel appreciate the artistry, though something nagged at him. He watched more carefully, trying to identify what felt off when everything appeared so flawlessly executed.
"Her technique is absolutely perfect," he mused to himself, then immediately felt embarrassed by his wandering thoughts. "Focus on the dancing, not... other things."
Soon, Leila finished her demonstration and walked over with an expectant expression. "Did you memorize my movements?"
Karnel had been so captivated by Leila's graceful figure that he hadn't paid proper attention to the actual dance steps. Sheepishly, he admitted, "Well, that style seems designed for women. It's not really suitable for someone like me."
"That's just an excuse," Leila's eyes flashed with suspicion. "I don't think you were paying attention to anything at all."
"Ha! Well, Leila, your dancing was so beautiful that I got completely lost watching it," Karnel said with an apologetic smile.
Women universally enjoyed receiving genuine compliments, and Leila, despite being a Supreme Kai, proved no exception. Pleased by the praise, she adopted a magnanimous attitude. "Fine, you can dance alongside me this time. We'll switch to neutral steps that work for both genders, I'll do a move, then you copy it."
Though internally resistant to the entire situation, Karnel had little choice. He couldn't bring himself to fight Leila, the only female in the Supreme Kai Realm. While he showed no mercy to enemies, he drew the line at striking women. With a resigned expression, he began dancing with Leila in the square, though his movements were stiff and awkward, creating a performance that was neither graceful nor coordinated.
"Now I finally understand why Karnel wanted to challenge Leila last," Kibito observed from the sidelines. "He truly cannot dance at all."
"I can't help myself, let me laugh for a moment. What an absolutely terrible dance!" Todd chuckled.
The other Supreme Kais continued their good-natured commentary on Karnel's embarrassing performance.
Day after day, Karnel followed Leila around the square, attempting to match her movements with his ridiculous, uncoordinated body. The routine repeated endlessly, the same steps, the same corrections, the same failures. Karnel lost track of how many nightmare-like days passed until finally, miraculously, a voice so wonderful that he nearly knelt to thank the heavens rang in his ears. At that moment, Leila's voice had never sounded more beautiful.
"Karnel, you passed the test!"
"Honestly, it took forever for you to dance something I could barely tolerate watching," Leila said with obvious disappointment. "You have absolutely no natural dancing talent whatsoever. That North Kai fellow was much better than you, I only had to teach him a few times and he picked it up immediately. He even developed his own signature moves."
"So you were the one who taught King Kai those... unique dance moves," Karnel thought to himself, suppressing a shudder.
Leila fiddled with the crackling radio in her hands, asking with a glimmer of hope, "Now that you've graduated, how about it, would you like to dance with me again sometime?"
Karnel's expression changed dramatically as he shook his head frantically, rejecting Leila's invitation without hesitation. "This was pure torture," he thought. "If I ever have to choose again, I'd rather fight an enemy ten times stronger than me than learn another dance from you."
"Well then," Leila sighed with visible disappointment, "you've achieved victory over all four of us. The Grand Supreme Kai should be emerging from his meditation soon."
As if summoned by her words, a deep, resonant voice echoed across the realm, carrying the weight of ancient wisdom and immense power.
"Indeed, the time has come for the final challenge."