Broly had no time to counter—his hand gripping Mule's neck was pried open with a violent wrench.
Boom!
Sidra drove a kick straight into Broly's chest.
Broly pinwheeled backward and crashed hard into Majin Buu behind him. The two of them tumbled together across the void.
"Hmph. Clueless brats," Sidra scoffed, eyes full of disdain.
Then he paused, a small frown creasing his brow.
"This armor… what's it made of? Even Destruction energy didn't erase his arm." Sidra muttered, puzzled.
"T-That… that's an alloy condensed from cosmic essence!" Mule rasped, voice raw with fury.
"Oh?" Sidra blinked. "Cosmic-essence alloy? That's Third Universe tech. Where did he get it?"
"And you say he didn't kill my son?" Mule exploded, eyes spitting fire.
"You can still mouth off?" Sidra glanced at him sideways.
"I'm the strongest of Universe 3! You think I lose to a kid like this?" Mule clenched his fists, teeth grinding. "I won't forgive him."
"I told you to fight using Mosco. You wouldn't listen—now look at you." Sidra chuckled.
Mule stopped arguing and streaked toward Mosco.
"You can handle them yourself, right?" Sidra called after him, amused. "An old-guard God of Destruction failing to subdue two newbies? That'd be embarrassing."
"Hmph. I'll kill them with my own hands! I'm sure that armor was smelted by my boy, Luke!" Mule snarled.
He drifted to Mosco's side.
Click!
Mule slipped inside.
The hatch sealed.
Mosco stirred, hammered both fists against his chest.
"Rraaah!" With a roar, violet-crimson light surged over Mosco as he launched toward Broly.
Broly and Majin Buu were still skidding across space before they slammed into a huge, lifeless planet in the distance.
One kick from a God of Destruction had made Broly taste just how terrifying the gap was.
Even wearing Ken's battle suit, one casual kick from Sidra had sent him flying.
Broly had flattened Majin Buu beneath him, leaving a cratered silhouette in the ground.
"Buu, up!" Broly gritted, forcing himself to his feet.
Buu groaned and tried to reconstitute his pudgy body—but his injuries were too heavy; he was slow to bounce back.
Broly popped a senzu bean and shoved it into Buu's mouth.
Buu's body sprang back to plump, pristine form at once.
"I'm turning them into chocolate!" Buu fumed.
"He's coming—already synced with Mosco," Broly said, face tightening.
"Uh…" Buu scratched his head.
"Buu, absorb me," Broly said, making the hard call.
"Huh?" Buu stared, unblinking.
"I was naïve. I thought Sidra wouldn't step in," Broly said low. "At my current level, I can hang with one of them. If they team up, I don't like my odds."
"Okay. Once I absorb you, I'll beat them up and then spit you back out," Buu nodded earnestly.
"No. Absorb me—and run," Broly shook his head.
"Run?" Buu blinked.
"You can't beat them together—especially together." Broly looked skyward.
High above, Mosco knifed toward the planet, violet-crimson contrails ripping the sky.
"After you absorb me, run—and try to contact Merus or Ken immediately!" Broly said, voice grave.
In that instant, he seemed to grow up.
"I tried to reach Ken just now—no signal," Broly grimaced.
"No signal?" Buu was puzzled.
"Ken said no matter what universe he's in, the comm would reach him instantly," Broly said, baffled. "I don't know what's wrong."
Buu scratched his head, saying nothing.
"So—absorb me, then try again. Merus works too," Broly urged.
"Got it." Buu's eyes sharpened. He glanced up. "He's here!"
Mosco was a streak of violet-crimson now, closing fast.
"I'll make you pay! Both of you are gonna die today!" Mosco's voice thundered.
"Eh? Mosco, you can talk?" Sidra, flying behind, couldn't help chiming in.
Mosco: "…"
Oops. Slipped.
"Just updated my voice module," Mosco said, voice going colder.
He'd already spotted Broly and Buu below.
Then he witnessed something baffling.
Buu's body suddenly opened like a cloak—and in one motion wrapped Broly and his green armor up like a rice dumpling.
"What are you—?" Mosco blinked, confused.
In a blink, Buu had Broly fully cocooned.
Ka-ka-ka!
Buu's form shifted, lines hardening into mechanical contours.
Majin Buu had successfully absorbed Broly—and Broly's armor.
"What…?" Mosco stalled for a beat.
Whoosh!
Buu—empowered—fired a shot from his palm.
A deep green energy shell tore the void, screaming toward Mosco at a speed that made even him blanch.
Mosco swung a massive iron palm to meet it.
KRA-BOOM!
Palm met blast. The shell detonated with a concussive thud.
A cloud of grit billowed.
Using the cover, Buu plunged both hands into the ground and heaved.
Crack!
The entire planet split in two.
Buu grabbed a half in each hand and hurled both chunks at Mosco.
Then he blurred into a green streak and bolted.
RUMBLE!
Explosions rolled where Mosco hung.
Dust boiled everywhere, blotting sight.
"Hakai."
Mosco didn't have a scratch—only boundless rage. Scarlet-violet energy flared in his hand.
Pop!
The Destruction wave erased the area into nothingness.
The void gulped down every mote of dust; in the next blink, the region was calm again, as though nothing had happened.
"They fused their power, huh? Interesting trick," Sidra mused.
"I won't forgive them!" Mosco raged, aura flaring.
"There—he's got a brain at least. Knows he can't win and ran," Sidra smirked.
"Even better. Two became one—easier to hunt," Mosco growled.
Whoosh!
Mosco launched after Buu without hesitation.
Buu fled at full speed, lobbed blasts over his shoulder whenever he could.
Universe 10, Supreme Kai Realm
Fifteen minutes earlier.
In the courtyard of the Supreme Kai's palace, Zamasu bowed to Gowasu.
Gowasu sipped tea, serene as a pond.
"My apologies, Supreme Kai… I lost the tournament," Zamasu said through a twisted, unwilling face. "I wanted to return right away, but… I couldn't face you. So I wandered a few days…"
"It's fine, Zamasu. I understand," Gowasu said lightly. "No one dislikes victory. No one."
"But… to lose to a human…" Zamasu muttered.
"Let it go," Gowasu sighed. "Clinging to the past stunts growth. Look forward, and step forward, Zamasu."
"Yes…" Zamasu bowed.
Two star-bright streaks fell from the sky—Ken and Merus.
Gowasu blinked, unacquainted, but the angelic garb made Merus's identity obvious.
"Welcome, welcome, honored Angel," Gowasu greeted politely.
"Please don't—I should be the one honoring you, Supreme Kai," Merus said, a bit abashed—and moved.
Same "Supreme Kai," and yet… compare Universe 10's deity to Universe 7's—what a gulf.
Zamasu flicked a brow, unsure why they'd come.
"No, no—I must respect you, honored Angel," Gowasu insisted.
"I'm just a trainee," Merus scratched his head. "Merus is fine."
"Ah—so you are Merus. And this must be… the human training to become an angel?" Gowasu looked to Ken.
"Hi. Ken," he nodded.
"An honor. I never imagined a human could ascend to a true angel. I wonder if I'll live to see the day," Gowasu laughed.
"Why do you say that?" Merus asked.
"I've got a little over a thousand years left. A human's angelic ascension must be a long road," Gowasu mused.
"No—the Grand Priest said Ken could complete it in under twenty years," Merus smiled.
"The Grand Priest? Truly?" Gowasu was stunned. "Remarkable."
Zamasu stood aside, equally shaken.
A mere human… becoming a true angel? Unthinkable. Even a god like him felt a tremor.
"Zamasu, don't just stand there—brew a fresh pot," Gowasu said.
"Yes, Supreme Kai," Zamasu bowed and went to the tea.
"Merus, Ken—what brings you here?" Gowasu asked.
"The Grand Priest tasked us to each train a Supreme Kai," Merus explained. "We hoped to learn under a senior Supreme Kai to lay a foundation."
"Ahh, I see. Gladly," Gowasu laughed, agreeing at once. "I was about to start training Zamasu, actually… You've met—he competed in Universe 18's God of Destruction selection, though he lost."
"Met him—didn't speak," Merus smiled.
Zamasu returned with the tea.
Merus nodded courteously; Zamasu bowed to him—then ignored Ken, disdain plain on his face.
Be a decent person—why strive to be a god?
And if you must be a god, fine. But to aim for the greatest god in the cosmos? You shame me, a Supreme Kai-to-be.
He offered Merus a cup with both hands—and didn't pour for Ken.
Ken: "…"
He suddenly missed Broly. If Broly were here, he'd have ripped this guy in half.
You sneer at who, exactly?
Beating you up would be a mercy. No—that's too easy. I should think of something to keep you up at night.
"Ah—Lord Ken, tea, tea." Gowasu noticed and personally poured, handing it over with both hands.
Zamasu's brows pinched. Supreme Kai… what are you doing? He's a human. Not even a god yet.
Can he truly become an angel in twenty short years? I don't buy it.
"Thanks," Ken said, warming to Gowasu.
In truth, Gowasu's Supreme Kai craft wasn't bad at all. Shame about the disciple.
"If you don't mind, could Ken and I stay and study under you for a while?" Merus asked.
"Of course—an honor," Gowasu replied, all courtesy.
"Much appreciated," Merus bowed.
"No trouble," Gowasu laughed. "If you two don't mind, you can sit in while I teach Zamasu."
"Now?" Ken asked.
"Haha—impatient, I see. Very well, finish this cup, and we'll begin," Gowasu agreed cheerfully.
He led Ken, Merus, and Zamasu into a vast chamber—like a domed arena. All around, crystal spheres floated, each showing a living world in Universe 10, rotating slowly.
"These spheres observe the cosmos. Any world where life blooms will appear, labeled," Gowasu said, bringing them to one sphere, excitement in his eyes.
Ken glanced in: a jungle world, green and lush. Sheer cliffs rose from the canopy.
"Barbari! Wonderful—their humans have reached this stage!" Gowasu exclaimed, leaning in.
Thunk!
Suddenly, in the sphere's scene, one "human" lifted a wooden stake and cracked another across the skull.
The shock made Gowasu stumble back.
Merus steadied him with a hand. "Are you alright, Lord Gowasu?"
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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