"Then what's with you? I just saw you sweating," Ken said.
"You saw it. Our timeline was one step away from being destroyed," the Grand Priest said.
"Destroyed?" Ken said.
"You heard him. The Space-Time God of Destruction came to inspect our timeline. If there were problems, he would've destroyed it without hesitation," the Grand Priest said.
Ken went quiet.
"So you called me over to watch him destroy our timeline?" Ken said.
"That's why I said it would broaden your horizons," the Grand Priest said.
"Then why not bring Merus?" Ken said.
"Merus is my son. If the Space-Time God of Destruction truly destroyed our timeline, I'd rather Merus vanish without understanding than face it in terror," the Grand Priest said, looking up at the sky above the palace.
Ken didn't answer.
"So if our timeline is destroyed, Merus and I disappear too?" Ken said.
"Not just you and Merus. Everyone and everything in this timeline—gods, mortals, planets—everything except me, would vanish together," the Grand Priest said.
"Zeno-sama too?" Ken said.
"He would vanish as well," the Grand Priest said.
"And you'd be fine?" Ken said.
"More or less," the Grand Priest said. "Ken, you're smart. I showed you this so you stop doing things that break the rules. I can tell you clearly—the Space-Time God of Destruction has already set his sights on our timeline. That's why he came."
"Got it. I'll be careful," Ken said.
"Let me emphasise what I mean by 'breaking the rules,'" the Grand Priest said. "First: angels are absolutely forbidden from using Instant Transmission. Have you ever seen an angel do it? Angels are a special lifeform. If an angel uses Instant Transmission without authorisation, it adds extra impact to spacetime—and that can draw the Space-Time God of Destruction."
"So if I have a Supreme Kai bring me along, that doesn't count?" Ken said.
"It doesn't," the Grand Priest said. "Second: angels must not interfere in battles between mortals. Forcing interference also affects spacetime—and could lead to the Space-Time God of Destruction erasing you directly."
Ken fell silent.
"Third: angels must not traverse timelines—especially not the past," the Grand Priest said. "Using temporal cycles doesn't count. You may follow a Supreme Kai to the future to research planets or humanity's direction, but you must not change that future—only treat it as reference. And the future you visit must be the future of our own timeline, not a parallel timeline's future."
Ken didn't speak.
"For example, you cannot go to Trunks's future," the Grand Priest said.
Ken wasn't surprised the Grand Priest knew about Trunks.
"Those are the main three. The rest is minor," the Grand Priest said.
"Understood," Ken said. "If one day every god in Trunks's timeline is wiped out… we still do nothing?"
"If that day comes, it's not for you to worry about," the Grand Priest said. "If all the gods in that timeline are destroyed, that timeline likely has no reason to exist. There's a high chance the Zeno-sama of that timeline would erase it personally. If he doesn't, the Space-Time God of Destruction will destroy it. At least if Zeno-sama does it himself, Zeno-sama remains. If the Space-Time God of Destruction destroys it, everything goes."
Ken went quiet again.
"The Space-Time God of Destruction… he looks a lot like Beerus," Ken said.
"Your impression is correct. He is Beerus's father," the Grand Priest said.
Ken didn't know what to say.
"Not every child of the Space-Time God of Destruction is powerful. Beerus is the only one who truly inherited his strength," the Grand Priest said.
Ken nodded. "If every timeline has a Beerus, which one is his real son?"
"All of them. They all share a blood connection to the Space-Time God of Destruction," the Grand Priest said.
"Alright. That makes sense," Ken said.
"The logic of timelines is simple. Sometimes a single thought creates a branch," the Grand Priest said. "For example: at the start, you planned to cultivate Vegeta. Because of a slight change of mind, you switched to cultivating Broly. Deviations like that can create branches."
"So there really is a timeline where I trained only Vegeta?" Ken said.
"No. That was an example. Don't get stuck on details," the Grand Priest said.
Ken stared at him.
"You are the only Ken in all timelines," the Grand Priest said.
"What does that mean?" Ken said.
"Simply: you exist only in our current timeline. You do not appear in any other," the Grand Priest said. "In that sense, you're somewhat similar to the Space-Time God of Destruction."
Ken thought for a moment. "So the me from the past… no longer exists either?"
"That's right," the Grand Priest said.
"That's a headache. I wanted to say hello to future me—or past me," Ken said.
The Grand Priest didn't respond.
…
Trunks's timeline.
With the Dragon Radar, Trunks spent several hours gathering all seven Dragon Balls.
They were arranged on the ground at the Lookout, shining with golden light.
"Shenron! Come forth and grant our wish!" Trunks shouted.
The Dragon Balls flared brighter.
A moment later, the light merged into a golden pillar that shot into the sky, twisted, and became a massive azure dragon.
The sky darkened.
Shenron coiled across the night, huge eyes blinking as he looked down at Dende and Trunks.
"Kami, I already know your wish. I will now revive all those killed by the androids," Shenron said.
"Shenron, can I change the wish?" Trunks said.
"Speak," Shenron said.
"Can you return Earth—and everyone on Earth—to how it was twenty years ago?" Trunks said.
It was Bulma's idea. She had Trunks ask, just in case.
If it worked, Goku could come back too.
"I'm sorry. It has been too long. I cannot do that. Many have already been reincarnated, and reshaping time is forbidden," Shenron said.
"So it won't work…" Trunks said. "Then we'll stick to the original plan—revive everyone the androids killed."
"Please," Dende said.
"I must add this: I can only revive humans who still have souls. Those who have lost their souls or been reincarnated cannot be revived," Shenron said.
Dende nodded.
Shenron's eyes glowed with divine power, and that power swept across Earth.
In truth, not many were revived.
Twenty years had passed.
Fewer than a thousand people returned.
Those who could be revived were either great saints… or monsters of the worst kind.
Trunks had wanted to add "excluding bad people."
Bulma stopped him.
Vegeta might count as a bad person. If they added that, Vegeta might not return at all.
Earlier, Trunks had asked Dende directly—was Vegeta a bad person?
Dende answered without hesitation.
Yes.
In this timeline, Vegeta had slaughtered a Namekian village. Dende hadn't forgotten.
Dende also knew Trunks was Vegeta's son—and knew Trunks was a good person—so he didn't blame Trunks for it.
"Kami, your wish is granted. Farewell," Shenron said.
He became a streak of golden light.
The seven Dragon Balls shot into the sky, turned to stone, and scattered across the world.
The sky brightened again.
In the next moment, an elderly Namekian appeared at the Lookout.
The former Kami.
"Kami…" Mr. Popo burst into tears.
"I… I'm alive?" the old Kami said.
In Trunks's timeline, Piccolo and Kami had never fused, so Kami existed separately.
When Shenron revived Piccolo, Kami returned as well.
"This is great…" Trunks said.
He reached out with his senses, trying to find his father's ki—and Gohan's.
He was so worked up it took him thirty seconds before he finally caught Vegeta's presence.
"Dende, I'm going to find my dad and Gohan!" Trunks said.
"Go," Dende said.
Trunks shot down toward the surface.
Not long after, he reached the first battlefield where they had fought the androids—and found his father.
He dropped from the sky and landed right in front of him.
"Dad!" Trunks said.
"Hmph. Who's your dad?" Vegeta said.
"Dad, it's me—Trunks!" Trunks said.
"Trunks?" Vegeta said. "That's my son's name… How are you this big? Wait—was I revived?"
"Yes. You were revived," Trunks said.
Most people forgot their memories in the Other World after being revived.
Only a few retained them.
Those who trained hard there—especially those with physical bodies—tended to remember more.
Even Frieza retained his memories after revival.
That was why he tempered himself in Hell, reached a new realm, and achieved Golden Frieza.
Vegeta didn't remember much.
His soul had been locked in an ordinary Hell, with little chance to sharpen itself.
Frieza, on the other hand, had been "specially cared for"—put somewhere tailored to torment him.
"What happened?" Vegeta said.
Trunks explained everything: the time machine, going back to fetch Goku, Goku using Instant Transmission to find a new Kami, restoring the Dragon Balls—everything.
"So Kakarot from twenty years ago came to our era? Hmph. Always sticking his nose in," Vegeta said.
Trunks didn't respond.
"And the androids? Did Kakarot kill them?" Vegeta said.
"No. A Supreme Kai from Universe 6 erased them," Trunks said.
"A Supreme Kai from Universe 6… who?" Vegeta said.
"I… don't know. Dad, I'm glad you're back. I'm going to find Gohan-san. Go to the Lookout and wait. If you run into the others, tell them to head there too," Trunks said.
Vegeta gave a grunt that counted as agreement.
Trunks shot off toward where he sensed Gohan.
Before long, he found Gohan in the ruins of a city.
"Trunks," Gohan said.
"Gohan-san! It worked… you're back," Trunks said.
"Trunks, you're incredible. Did you defeat the androids?" Gohan said.
"No. It was the Supreme Kai of Universe 6," Trunks said.
"You brought Dad from the past?" Gohan said.
Goku appeared beside them.
"Dad!" Gohan said.
After Goku died, Gohan hadn't seen him in so long.
When they met again, it had been in Heaven.
This was different.
This time, Gohan felt being alive was good.
"Gohan, you're huge. I'm not used to it," Goku said.
"Dad came from twenty years ago, right? After being revived, my age… I might actually be younger than Trunks now," Gohan said.
Trunks scratched his head.
"Gohan… your arm," Goku said.
"I lost it a long time ago, fighting the androids," Gohan said.
"Those androids…" Goku said. "I'll try to heal it."
"Heal it?" Gohan said.
"I don't know if it'll work after so long," Goku said.
Healing light gathered in his hand and flowed over the stump.
Gohan's missing arm began to regrow.
Thirty seconds passed.
The arm fully returned.
"It's done," Goku said.
"Dad… you can use healing now?" Gohan said.
"Sort of, but I'm not a healer. That took more than half my energy," Goku said.
"If only we had Senzu Beans. We could restore your energy right away," Gohan said. "I wonder… did Korin revive?"
"I heard everyone revived except the me of this era," Goku said.
"This era's Dad died from a heart virus. So he still can't be revived…" Gohan said.
"Ken can revive the dead. I don't know if he can revive someone who died of a heart virus, but when I get back, I'll ask him. There has to be a way," Goku said.
Trunks watched, openly envious.
"Gohan!" Piccolo dropped beside them.
"Piccolo-san!" Gohan said. "You're back too?"
"This is… Goku?" Piccolo said.
"Hey, Piccolo," Goku said.
"Whose Dragon Balls are these? They can revive someone who died from a serious illness now?" Piccolo said.
"That's Dad from twenty years ago," Gohan said.
"Twenty-years-ago Goku? What happened?" Piccolo said.
Trunks explained again.
"That's unbelievable. So Dende came to Earth as the new Kami… good. I never liked that old Kami anyway," Piccolo said.
Goku and Trunks both went quiet.
"Let's gather at the Lookout. We have to rebuild Earth," Trunks said.
"Alright," Goku said.
They took off together and flew toward the Lookout.
About an hour later, everyone had gathered there.
Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, Yajirobe, Korin, Master Roshi… every fighter was back.
Laughter filled the Lookout.
Goku remained the heart of the group.
Only Vegeta looked displeased.
"Kakarot, how long are you staying in this era?" Vegeta said.
"At least three years. The time machine needs three years to recharge, right?" Goku said.
"That's right," Trunks said.
"On the day you leave, I'll beat you. I'm the strongest Saiyan," Vegeta said, fist clenched.
"Go for it. Back in my time, you were this close to going Super Saiyan," Goku said.
Vegeta didn't answer.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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