In the Sacred World of the Kais—
A warm glow faded from Shin's hand as he withdrew it from Trunks' chest.
Trunks stirred. His eyes fluttered open.
(Where... am I?)
He sat up suddenly, scanning the unfamiliar sky and floating islands. The gravity, the strange atmosphere, it definitely wasn't Earth.
Then a voice pulled him back.
"Great! You're awake," Shin's attendant, Kibito, said, looking visibly relieved.
Trunks looked at him, then down at his own body, healed. His surroundings clicked into place.
(Wait... this is the Sacred World of the Kais? That means... Gohan and Kibito must've saved me. Heh. They really showed up when it counted.)
But before he could process more, a deafening roar echoed through the air. Trunks turned instinctively, his eyes landing on Gohan, who had transformed into a Super Saiyan. His golden aura flared wildly, wind swirling around him.
Next to him, Shin stared in astonishment.
"What?! He... He's actually managing to pull out the Z Sword?!" Kibito's voice cracked, wind blowing back his robes from the pressure of Gohan's energy.
With a sharp whoosh, the Z Sword dislodged from its pedestal.
Kibito bolted toward the scene.
SHING!
The legendary blade left its resting place, fully drawn. Both Shin and Kibito froze, mouths agape, stunned beyond words.
"I knew I wasn't mistaken," Shin murmured in awe. "Gohan really can wield the Z Sword..."
Gohan turned, holding the massive blade across his back like it was nothing.
He looked genuinely confused.
"Wait... is this sword supposed to be hard to pull out?" Shin's expression twitched.
As the Supreme Kai, he himself had never been able to lift the blade, and now Gohan had done it effortlessly.
"Ahem... Of course, the Kai could've lifted it, given time," Kibito coughed, attempting damage control.
Gohan glanced around and spotted Kibito with a smile.
"Ah! Kibito! That means Trunks must be awake too, right?"
Then, without hesitation, he turned to Shin and casually handed the massive sword to him. "Here, mind holding this for a second?"
"Wha, wait, what?!" Shin's eyes darted in panic as the enormous Z Sword tumbled toward him.
THUD!
Rather than catch it, Shin dove out of the way at the last second. The blade crashed into the ground with an earth-shaking boom, embedding itself deep into the stone and leaving a small crater in its wake.
The three of them stared at it in silence.
Then, to everyone's surprise, a small hand reached down and lifted the Z Sword with ease.
"Trunks! You're up!" Gohan beamed.
Trunks nodded, gripping the blade as he rose to his feet.
"Yeah, Gohan. I'm good."
And then, in a flash of golden light, Trunks transformed into a Super Saiyan. His aura exploded outward, sending a shockwave across the sacred grounds. Shin and Kibito staggered backward.
But the next instant, something changed.
Crackling lightning began to swirl around Trunks' body, mixing with his golden aura.
It was the telltale sign of a breakthrough.
(This... This must be what that close brush with death triggered. I get it now, this power needs anger to awaken.)
Trunks closed his eyes. He conjured images of Broly's rampage, his monstrous expression, the agony of watching Gohan get struck down, again and again.
His rage boiled to the surface.
"AAAHHHHHH!!!"
His hair spiked even further. His aura surged. Golden light engulfed him, and with it came the storm of lightning that only meant one thing.
Trunks had ascended to Super Saiyan 2. Breathing heavily, he looked down at the Z Sword in his hand.
(If Gohan can unlock his potential, then maybe he really can beat Broly. Come on, old Supreme Kai... you've gotta be sealed in this thing, right? Time to come out.)
Gohan was still smiling from Trunks' transformation, until something completely unexpected happened. With a casual grunt, Trunks tightened his grip, and with a sharp snap, the Z Sword broke in half.
The air went silent.
CRACK.
The blade split cleanly, the two pieces clanging to the ground.
A pause.
And then—
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
"TRUNKS!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!"
Both Kibito and Shin clutched their heads in horror, practically foaming at the mouth.
"That sword was the last sacred relic of the Supreme Kais! Do you have any idea what you just destroyed?! That blade could cut through all evil! How are we supposed to fight that brute now?!"
Despite the barrage of complaints, Trunks stood firm.
His expression was calm, but serious. He turned to the two deities.
"Shin. Kibito. Even Gohan's Super Saiyan 2 couldn't take down Broly. My Super Saiyan 2, honestly, is probably still weaker than his."
He held up the broken sword.
"If I could snap this in half, how could it really be the key to defeating someone like that?"
His words hung in the air. Shin and Kibito were stunned.
They didn't have an answer. What Trunks said made sense, and for a moment, the two Kais were left speechless.
But then, Trunks suddenly sensed something strange.
A small, knowing smile crept onto his face.
(There it is... finally.)
Turning around, he called out with mock curiosity, "Hey, old man... who exactly are you?"
The aged figure who had just appeared stepped forward, brushing the dust off his robe.
"I am the Supreme Kai of the Fifteenth Generation," He said grandly. "So, who was the junior who set me free?"
The sight of the Old Kai left everyone stunned, except for Trunks. Both Shin and Kibito looked like they'd seen a ghost. Despite living in the Sacred World of the Kais, neither had ever encountered this elderly Supreme Kai before.
"O-Old... Ancestor?" Shin asked uncertainly.
The Old Kai glanced over at him, squinting. "Was it you who released me?"
But almost immediately, his gaze shifted. He noticed Trunks holding the shattered remains of the Z Sword and instantly understood.
"Ha! It was you?" He chuckled. "A human child broke the seal? Tch... the Supreme Kais really are getting worse with every generation."
('Still the same old attitude', Trunks thought, amused.)
Without skipping a beat, he addressed the elder. "Old Kai, the universe is in danger. Things are spiraling out of control, and even Supreme Kai Shin can't stop what's coming."
Shin and Kibito lowered their heads in shame. For the sake of the universe, Shin quickly explained the situation on Earth, about Broly, Babidi, and the looming catastrophe.
"Hmph. So even a so-called proper Supreme Kai has fallen into panic," the Old Kai scolded.
With a grunt, he pulled out a crystal orb, peering into its swirling energy to observe Earth. The first thing that came into view was Broly, unleashing a wild, guttural roar that shook the battlefield.
But before anyone could say a word, the vision shifted, to Babidi and... Majin Buu.
(To Be Continued…)