"Forgive us for the spectacle, Lord Merus, Lord Ken," Gowasu said, a bit abashed.
"It's fine," Merus smiled, unfussed.
"Disciples can be a headache," Gowasu sighed. "You end up cleaning up after them."
"True enough," Merus said, thinking—despite himself—of that unreliable lug, Majin Buu.
"You could still swap him out," Ken suggested. "He's not suited to be a proper Supreme Kai."
Gowasu fell silent.
"Well… haha… about that…" He clearly wasn't agreeing. In the heat of anger he'd wanted Zamasu gone; cooled down, he knew Zamasu still ran the Northern Quadrant flawlessly and was easily the best performer of the four Kais. Who else would I train? I'm retiring in a few decades. I need a successor I can actually live with.
Ken could tell he was being brushed off, so he let it drop—though he made a note to ring Zamasu's bell later. Lay a finger on my Supreme Kai Goku in the future, and I'll grind your face into the floor.
Just then Ken's comm bristled.
He glanced at the display.
"Ken, a God of Destruction is beating me up!" Broly's voice crackled through.
Ken's eyes narrowed.
Whup.
He raised his right hand; angelic power bloomed. A window of light flickered to life, projecting a real-time feed.
Broly's armored figure filled the image—Mosco was hammering him, while Sidra hovered nearby, all but wearing "accomplice" on his face.
"What is this?" Merus stepped closer as Ken's expression turned grim. He peered into the projection. "What are they trying to pull? And… Broly looks odd. Where's my Buu?"
"Broly, slower," Ken said, then looked to Gowasu. "Lord Gowasu, I'll need a lift to Universe 9—right to that man."
He swept his hand. The angelic image expanded and floated before Gowasu, painting the scene in the air like a live broadcast.
"Universe 9, got it—no problem," Gowasu nodded.
"Mosco says I killed his son and he's pounding me!" Broly grit out. "I put the armor on—still losing!"
"Broly, where's Buu?" Merus pressed.
"I had Buu absorb me," Broly said. "He gave me the wheel—we're fused."
"That explains the look," Merus nodded.
"Hold on. I'm coming." Ken's face went cold.
They touched my God of Destruction?
Absolutely not.
Ken closed the feed with a flick.
Zamasu stepped out with a teapot, clocking the heavy mood on all three faces—Gowasu's included. "What happened?"
"Here, give me that," Ken said, reaching for the tray.
"Hmph. No need to curry favor," Zamasu snorted—yet he handed it over. Ken passed it to Merus.
Merus took it, baffled as to why.
Thud!
Ken sprang—his kick smashed into Zamasu's face.
"Gaaah—!"
Zamasu shot backward.
Ken's sleeve whispered; unseen angelic force hooked Zamasu midair and yanked him back like a fish on a line.
Crack!
Ken cuffed him, stomped his face, and ground him into the tiles, denting the floor.
"Aaah—aaah—AAAH—!"
Blood sprayed from Zamasu's mouth; his bones felt like a jigsaw scattered on the ground.
"From the start you've poked and prodded at me," Ken said, voice frigid. "You've got nerve."
Merus stood frozen. Gowasu could only gape.
"Lesson delivered," Ken said, pressing down once more before lifting his boot. "Next time you see me, you bow. If you don't, I beat you again. Every time."
Whump!
His follow-up kick sent Zamasu arcing into the sky.
Ken dusted his hands and told Merus, "Consider that my warm-up."
Merus: "…"
"My apologies for the mess, Lord Gowasu," Ken added evenly.
Gowasu had no words.
"Take me to Universe 9," Ken said.
"I'm coming too," Merus stepped forward.
Ken nodded.
"R-right," Gowasu opened his arms, about to teleport—
CRASH!
Zamasu tumbled back down, gouging a crater in the Supreme Kai Realm.
Gowasu could only laugh helplessly.
Universe 9 — Deep Space
Mosco muttered with Sidra, uneasy. "Sidra, this is bad. He's talking to the trainee angel and that human angel."
He lunged at Broly, pressing harder. Broly fought while falling back, relaying everything to Ken.
Sidra's brows knit as he slid in front of Mosco. "What now?"
"How long till they get here?" Mosco asked.
"No idea," Mosco said, visor dimming.
Sidra clicked his tongue. "Then we call it off. No skin off my nose. But about those ten No.7 android girls—you owe me ten. And this time no spilled lubricant. I got a mouthful last time."
Mosco: "…"
"Fine," Mosco said, voice turning colder. "Let them come. I'll ask to their faces whether they killed my son. This won't just blow over."
"You sure it was them?" Sidra probed.
"Look at that armor," Mosco jabbed a finger at Broly's green suit. "If that's really forged from cosmic essence, they're tied to my son's death."
"Suspicious, I admit," Sidra nodded. "Cosmic-essence alloy isn't exactly common."
"When do those angels arrive?" Mosco called out, halting his assault to wait.
Broly said nothing.
"And if they deny it? What then?" Sidra murmured.
"I won't kill an angel," Mosco said lightly. "But I can erase Broly in front of them."
"You think you can," Sidra snorted. "Don't forget—he's almost your equal now."
"Then I'll tune him up before they get here," Mosco growled—and blitzed forward.
Broly met him head-on, trading steel on steel. In under a minute, the pounding had Mule woozy inside the cockpit.
"Hah! Mule, you're getting sluggish. Don't pass out in there," Sidra laughed.
Mule: "…"
"Damn it—he's tougher than he was," Mule thought, hatred spiking. "At this rate, he might surpass me for good. If he keeps growing, what happens when he comes for me?"
His eyes hardened. He swung—
Broly's armor drank it; the fight clanged like two mechs battering each other.
Shff—
Ken and Merus arrived with Gowasu in a blink.
Sidra flinched. He hadn't expected them this fast. He shot a glare at Gowasu. Nosy universe 10 god…
"Many thanks, Lord Gowasu," Merus said.
"Think nothing of it," Gowasu replied.
The new arrivals stilled the battlefield.
"Gentlemen of Universes Three and Nine," Gowasu called across, "let's not escalate."
"You can go, Lord Gowasu," Ken said coolly. "This isn't your concern."
Not escalate?
They chased my Broly across half the void.
"Yes, please—thank you," Merus added.
"Very well. Talk it out—there's no feud that can't be eased," Gowasu said, and vanished.
Sidra and Mosco watched him go like he'd grown a second head.
"What's the plan?" Merus asked under his breath.
"They touched our God of Destruction," Ken said, face dark. "We hit back."
"Uh… they're actual GoDs." Merus winced.
"Lend me your staff," Ken said.
Merus handed it over without a second thought.
"I'll handle this," Ken told him, then drifted forward to face Mosco.
Mosco crossed his arms, iron mask expressionless. Ken glanced at Sidra, eyes narrowing.
"I loaned you my god of destruction for a little field trip," Ken said, voice soft and lethal. "And this is how you treat him?"
"Ken, is it?" Mosco replied. "Where did he get that armor?"
"Found it," Ken said.
Mosco's fists clenched; his frame shuddered. Found it? Who would believe that?
"Don't insult me. Only cosmic essence refines to that resilience," Mosco rasped. "You melted my son's android Luke down to make it, didn't you?"
"Set your son aside," Ken said, gaze turning to ice. "Why did you bully Broly?"
"Why set him aside? My son died—and reincarnated suspiciously fast! That screams of you and Merus!" Mosco jabbed a metal finger at Ken.
Ken twitched the staff.
He pointed at Mosco's midsection.
Teleport.
Angel light warped—
Blink.
Mule was ripped out of Mosco's chassis and dumped into open space.
Broly's eyes lit; he surged, iron fingers locking around Mule's head.
Mule gaped, stunned. Where—what—how am I out of Mosco?
Even Sidra's features twisted. He hadn't expected that. For Mule, forced extraction was a fatal weakness—and Ken had just yanked him out like a coin from a slot.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Broly's gauntleted palm cracked across Mule's face, swelling him into a pig-snout mask of bruises.
"My turn!" Majin Buu's voice chimed in Broly's mind.
Broly's form softened—pink flesh welled up around the armor, reconfiguring into Buu-with-mech-lines. Buu took the controls.
BANG!
His fist smashed Mule in the mouth.
"Gaaah—!"
Teeth flew. Blood sprayed.
"Pick on me and Broly? I'll turn you into chocolate," Buu hissed, eyes gleaming. His head tendril swiveled and leveled at Mule.
Ken watched calmly, a touch surprised at how smoothly Buu and Broly could swap drivers post-absorption. Neat trick.
Sidra's face kept working.
"You can help him," Ken said pleasantly, eyes sliding to Sidra.
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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