"Apologies, Supreme Kai."
Levos remained calm as he retracted the broken Z Sword, his gaze sweeping across the stunned faces around him.
The Supreme Kai was visibly shaken, his voice trembling. "H-how is this possible? The Z Sword is supposed to be incredibly sharp! And Levos barely used any strength..."
Kibito snapped out of his shock and quickly turned to the Supreme Kai. "My lord, is there any way to repair the sword?"
Even Android 18 was visibly confused by what she had just witnessed.
"I... I don't know," the Supreme Kai murmured, shaking his head with a heavy sigh.
Kibito crouched beside the shattered blade, trying to lift the broken half only to find it wouldn't budge.
At that moment, a deep, unfamiliar voice echoed through the air.
"No need to bother. Even if you repaired it, the sword would be useless to you."
Kibito and the Supreme Kai turned in astonishment to see a figure who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
An old, wizened man stood calmly before them.
"Huh? Who are you?" Kibito asked in disbelief, eyes fixed on the stranger.
"I am the Supreme Kai from fifteen generations ago," the old man answered slowly.
Kibito and Shin (the current Supreme Kai) were utterly dumbfounded, their eyes widening like saucers.
"F-fifteen generations ago?!"
It was beyond comprehension.
"Indeed. A long time ago, a powerful evil being feared me so greatly that he sealed me inside that sword..." the elder explained, his voice calm but filled with lingering pride.
"O-Old ancestor... does that mean you're incredibly powerful?" the Supreme Kai asked cautiously.
"Not in terms of combat," the elder coughed, then clarified, "My true power lies in a unique ability."
Finally, the old Supreme Kai touched on the part that piqued Levos's interest.
"Old ancestor, what kind of ability?" Shin asked curiously.
The elder raised a finger proudly. "No matter how strong someone is, I can draw out their hidden potential pushing them beyond their limits!"
"Hehehe... Ever heard of that kind of power?"
Android 18 frowned. "Unlocking potential? Doesn't sound that impressive."
"You silly girl! I'm talking about awakening power beyond one's ultimate limit! Understand?" the elder snapped, correcting her with a stern glare.
18 shrugged nonchalantly, clearly still unimpressed.
Levos, on the other hand, was intrigued but he recalled that the process took an extremely long time.
Given the current crisis they were facing, time was not a luxury they could afford.
"Who pulled the Z Sword out?" the elder Supreme Kai asked, glancing around.
Everyone immediately looked toward Levos.
"Hmm... you've got quite a unique look," the elder muttered with interest.
He sighed. "I thought the one who drew the sword would be the next Supreme Kai. Turns out..."
Shin lowered his head in embarrassment. "I... I'm sorry!"
Then, urgently, he added, "Old ancestor, please help unlock Levos's potential. Our lives are in danger, and he may be our only hope."
The elder glanced at him with disappointment.
Thud!
He bonked Shin on the head. "You're the Supreme Kai! Your life is precious to the universe! Do you even understand the consequences of your death?!"
Shin looked confused. "But... even if I died, wouldn't I still be able to do my job... sort of?"
"Idiot!" the elder barked. "If you die, a certain someone will suffer as well!"
"Who's that?" Shin scratched his head, clearly curious.
The elder facepalmed in despair. "Supreme Kais have really gone downhill. How did you even get this position?"
Shin sheepishly recounted how the Grand Supreme Kai passed the role to him before being absorbed by Majin Buu.
"...and that's how I inherited the title," he concluded, bowing apologetically.
The elder sighed heavily. "This universe may be doomed..."
Then, turning to Levos, he examined him up and down, seemingly reading into his very soul.
After a long pause, the elder said with admiration, "I can sense tremendous potential within you... but..."
Everyone tensed, hope flickering in their eyes.
The old Kai's expression grew serious. After a moment of thought, he spoke. "With your latent power, it would take me at least a hundred years to fully draw it out."
Disappointment immediately washed over the group.
Levos remained expressionless but internally sighed.
Given that he was now at the level of Perfect Cell Max, it made sense. His power had long surpassed everyone in the Buu Saga so naturally, unlocking his full potential would take far longer than Gohan's, which had already taken over a day back then.
Shin gave a bitter smile. "Then we really don't have enough time to help Levos grow stronger..."
Kibito looked equally worried. "If we delay any longer, the Supreme Kai Realm itself may be destroyed."
The old Kai muttered, "There's little I can do to change that. Do any of you have a better idea?"
Kibito and Shin shook their heads.
"Old Kai, I'd like you to awaken the potential of someone else," Levos said calmly.
Everyone turned to him in surprise.
"Hmm? You mean for those two lovely girls?" The elder's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Uh... sort of." Levos nodded and added, "I have a few other companions who may need your help as well..."
The old Kai's expression became eager. "Are your other companions just as pretty?"
"...No."
The elder Kai instantly looked troubled. "You're the one who pulled the Z Sword, and since I can't help you directly, I'm reluctantly agreeing to awaken their power instead..."
"Old ancestor, our enemies are extremely powerful," Shin interjected, trying to persuade him.
"Of course I know that! I may have been sealed inside that sword, but I'm not clueless about what's going on out there!" the elder snapped, scolding his descendant.
Shin stepped back awkwardly.
The old Kai took a deep breath and turned to Levos. "Alright. I understand. Including those two girls, I'll awaken the power of... one more person."
"Make it five," Levos countered.
"You brat! I'm just an old man with limited power. At most, I can add one more!" the elder growled.
"Four," Levos bargained.
"Two!" the old Kai gritted his teeth. "And that's the absolute limit of my ability!"
"Three," Levos tried again.
"Two! Final offer. Or I walk," the old Kai snapped.
"...Deal." Levos sighed internally. So that was his bottom line.
Now, it was time to carefully choose which three companions would receive this rare opportunity.
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