Universe 6, Planet Champa...
Vados had a problem.
It wasn't a problem she could solve with her staff, or her near-infinite power, or her eons of accumulated wisdom. It wasn't a problem that had any logical solution whatsoever, because it wasn't a logical problem.
It was a feeling.
And Vados did NOT do feelings.
She was an angel—one of the highest beings in creation, attendant to a God of Destruction, older than most galaxies. She had witnessed the birth and death of countless civilizations, had trained warriors who became legends, had served with perfect composure through every crisis the multiverse had ever faced.
She did not get distracted.
She did not stare.
And she most certainly did not feel her heart—metaphorical as it was—flutter whenever she observed a certain scarred warrior from Universe 7.
And yet.
"Vados. VADOS!"
Champa's irritated voice snapped her out of her reverie. The rotund God of Destruction was glaring at her, his pudgy face twisted with annoyance.
"Did you hear anything I just said?"
"Of course, Lord Champa." Vados's serene expression didn't waver. "You were discussing your plans for a rematch against Lord Beerus."
"I was talking about the food shipment from Planet Tritek! The one that's three days late!" Champa's tail lashed with frustration. "What's wrong with you today? You've been spacing out all morning!"
"My apologies, Lord Champa. I was simply... contemplating."
"Contemplating what?"
"Nothing of importance."
But even as she spoke, her thoughts drifted back to the orb she had been using to observe Universe 7. To the image of Kenpachi Zaraki, training alone in his wasteland, his massive form moving with brutal grace as he pushed himself through another grueling session.
Stop it, she told herself firmly. This is ridiculous. He's a mortal. A MORTAL. And not even a particularly refined one.
But the image wouldn't leave her mind.
It had started a month ago, when word of Frieza's death reached the other universes.
The galactic networks had been buzzing with rumors—the Emperor destroyed, his forces scattered, by a mysterious warrior who had appeared from nowhere. Vados, always curious about developments that might affect the balance of power, had used her abilities to observe the aftermath.
She had expected to find a Super Saiyan, or perhaps a previously unknown God of Destruction candidate. What she had found instead was Kenpachi Zaraki.
Her first impression had been dismissal. He was large, certainly. Powerful, obviously. But his technique was crude, his manner uncultured, his appearance almost barbaric with those scars and that wild hair.
Not worth her attention at all.
But something had made her keep watching.
Maybe it was the way he moved—that perfect economy of motion that came only from centuries of combat experience. Maybe it was the intensity in his eyes—that absolute focus that blocked out everything except the fight in front of him. Maybe it was his laugh—that genuine, unrestrained joy that seemed so foreign to beings at his level of power.
Or maybe it was the moment she had witnessed him reject Whis's offer of training.
Vados had watched that exchange with growing disbelief. Her brother was the greatest trainer in existence—his guidance was sought by gods themselves. For a mortal to refuse him, and with such casual certainty...
It was either the height of arrogance or the depth of conviction.
Watching Kenpachi explain his philosophy—that every ounce of power must be earned through personal struggle—Vados had realized it was the latter.
And something in her chest had shifted.
He's like no one I've ever encountered, she had thought. A being who genuinely doesn't care about power for its own sake. Who fights because fighting itself is enough.
The realization should have been academic. Interesting, certainly, but ultimately irrelevant to her existence as an angel.
Instead, it had become an obsession.
"Vados!"
Champa's voice cut through her thoughts again. The God of Destruction was staring at her with a mixture of irritation and concern.
"That's the third time today you've zoned out. What is GOING ON with you?"
"I assure you, Lord Champa, I am perfectly fine."
"You're NOT fine. You've been distracted for weeks now." Champa's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Does this have something to do with that fighter from Universe 7? The one who killed Frieza?"
Vados's expression remained perfectly serene, but internally, she felt a spike of panic.
"I have no idea what you're referring to."
"Don't give me that! I've seen you using your staff to watch Universe 7 at least a dozen times this week!" Champa's tail swished with smug satisfaction. "You're INTERESTED in him!"
"I am merely... monitoring a potential threat to universal stability."
"For hours at a time? While smiling?"
"I do not smile."
"You were DEFINITELY smiling. That creepy little smile you do when you find something amusing." Champa's grin widened. "Vados has a CRUSH!"
"That is a ridiculous and unfounded accusation." Vados's tone remained calm, but there was the slightest hint of color rising in her cheeks. "Angels do not experience such primitive emotions."
"Then why are you blushing?"
"I am not blushing. The ambient temperature has simply increased slightly."
"We're in climate-controlled chambers!"
Vados was saved from further interrogation by a chime from her staff. She seized the interruption with barely concealed relief.
"Lord Champa, I'm receiving a communication from Universe 7. It appears Lord Beerus wishes to speak with you."
Champa's smugness vanished, replaced by competitive irritation. "What does that skinny cat want NOW?"
As she established the connection, Vados allowed herself a small breath of relief. Crisis averted.
For now.
That evening, after Champa had retired...
Vados stood in her private quarters, her staff glowing softly as she prepared to do something she knew she shouldn't.
This is inappropriate, she told herself. This is beneath my dignity. I am an ANGEL.
But her hands were already moving, the viewing orb materializing before her with practiced ease.
Just a quick look. To see how his training is progressing. For purely academic reasons.
The orb shimmered, and there he was.
Kenpachi was shirtless, his scarred torso gleaming with sweat in the fading light. He was practicing with his zanpakuto—not fighting an opponent, but simply moving through attacks with a focus that bordered on meditation.
Vados felt her breath catch.
Look at those muscles, she thought, then immediately chastised herself. No. Stop. This is ridiculous. I am billions of years old. I do not OGLE mortals.
But she couldn't look away.
There was something hypnotic about watching him move. That raw power contained within such precise motion. The way his body flowed from one attack to the next, each movement building on the last.
He's beautiful, some treacherous part of her mind whispered. In a savage sort of way.
"Shut UP," she muttered to herself—something she never did, because angels did not talk to themselves like confused teenagers.
In the orb, Kenpachi paused. His head turned slightly, as if sensing something.
For one terrifying moment, Vados was certain he was looking directly at her.
But that was impossible. Her observation was completely undetectable. No mortal, no matter how powerful, could sense an angel's remote viewing.
...Right?
Kenpachi shrugged and returned to his practice, and Vados released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
This needs to stop, she told herself firmly. I'm acting like a lovesick child. It's embarrassing.
But she didn't dismiss the viewing orb.
Instead, she settled into a comfortable position and continued watching, telling herself it was purely for research purposes.
The lie was getting harder to believe.
Three days later...
"You're doing it again."
Whis's voice came through the communication link with characteristic amusement. Vados had contacted her brother under the pretense of discussing inter-universal affairs, but somehow, the conversation had drifted to other topics.
"Doing what?" she asked, her tone perfectly innocent.
"You've asked about Kenpachi Zaraki four times in the past ten minutes. Each time with increasing specificity." Whis's smile was knowing. "Something you'd like to share, dear sister?"
"I am simply curious about the anomaly in your universe. A soul from another dimension is worth monitoring."
"Monitoring. Yes. Is that why I detected your observation signature near Earth seventeen times in the past week?"
Vados's composure cracked for just a moment. "You were TRACKING me?"
"I track everything in my universe. Standard procedure." Whis's amusement was palpable. "Though I must admit, the frequency of your visits was... noteworthy."
"I was conducting research."
"Research that required you to observe him sleeping?"
"I—that was—" Vados struggled to find words, something that NEVER happened. "I was assessing his recovery patterns after training."
"For three hours straight."
"He has unusual physiology!"
"Vados." Whis's voice softened, becoming almost gentle. "It's alright. You don't have to explain yourself to me."
"There's nothing TO explain. I am merely—"
"Interested? Fascinated? Perhaps even... attracted?"
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Vados sighed—a sound of defeat that no angel should ever make.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Only to someone who's known you for billions of years." Whis's smile was kind now, rather than teasing. "Would you like to talk about it?"
"There's nothing to talk about. It's absurd. Impossible. He's a MORTAL, Whis. A crude, violent, unsophisticated mortal who solves every problem by hitting it with a sword."
"And yet...?"
"And yet I can't stop thinking about him." The admission came out in a rush, as if it had been building pressure for weeks. "Every time I try to focus on my duties, my mind wanders to him. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. That stupid, battle-hungry GRIN of his..."
"It is quite striking," Whis agreed.
"It's INFURIATING. He has no culture, no refinement, no appreciation for the finer things. He would probably eat with his hands if no one stopped him."
"Probably."
"And his PHILOSOPHY. 'I don't need teachers, I'll do everything myself.' The sheer arrogance of rejecting YOUR training—the greatest trainer in existence!"
"It was rather unexpected."
"It was INSULTING. On your behalf, I was insulted."
"How kind of you."
"And yet—" Vados's voice dropped. "And yet, when he explained why... when he talked about earning every ounce of power through his own effort... I understood. More than understood—I ADMIRED it."
"Ah."
"Don't 'ah' me. I know what you're thinking."
"I'm thinking," Whis said slowly, "that my sister has finally found someone who doesn't bore her. And she doesn't know how to handle it."
Vados was quiet for a long moment.
"He doesn't even know I exist," she said finally. "Has no idea that an angel from another universe has been watching him like some kind of... of..."
"Stalker?"
"I was going to say 'admirer,' but yes. That." Vados groaned—actually GROANED, like a frustrated teenager. "What is WRONG with me, Whis? I am billions of years old. I have watched civilizations rise and fall. I have seen things that would shatter lesser minds. And now I'm losing sleep over a mortal with a sword?"
"Love doesn't follow logic, sister. If it did, it wouldn't be love."
"I am NOT in love. I am merely... experiencing unprecedented levels of interest in a specific individual."
"That's what love IS, Vados."
"Shut up."
"As you wish." But Whis was smiling. "Though I will say this—if you're truly interested, perhaps you should introduce yourself. Rather than watching from afar like a lovelorn ghost."
"Introduce myself? As what? 'Hello, I'm an angel from another universe, I've been watching you train for weeks, please notice me'?"
"Perhaps with slightly more dignity. But the basic principle is sound."
"He'd probably just ask if I wanted to fight."
"Almost certainly. That IS his primary method of interaction." Whis's voice turned thoughtful. "Though I suspect he'd find an angel quite interesting as an opponent."
Vados considered this.
"You think he'd fight me?"
"I think he'd fight anyone who offered sufficient challenge. And you, dear sister, are quite challenging when you wish to be."
Something sparked in Vados's chest. Not quite hope—angels didn't do hope—but something adjacent to it.
"I couldn't just... appear in Universe 7 without reason. Champa would ask questions."
"Then find a reason. You're creative enough."
"Such as?"
"Such as..." Whis's eyes gleamed. "There ARE rumors of an inter-universal tournament being planned. Something to pit the best warriors from different universes against each other."
"I've heard those rumors. The Zeno are supposedly interested."
"Indeed. And if such a tournament were to occur, the angels would naturally need to... scout potential competitors. From all universes."
Vados's expression slowly shifted from despair to calculation.
"That would be a perfectly legitimate reason to observe Universe 7's warriors. In person."
"It would indeed."
"Including Kenpachi Zaraki."
"Especially Kenpachi Zaraki, given his unique abilities."
A genuine smile—rare and slightly unsettling—crossed Vados's face.
"Brother, you're a genius."
"I do try." Whis's own smile was warm. "Now, shall I arrange for you to 'accidentally' be present during your next observation? Perhaps when he's training?"
"That would be... acceptable."
"Then consider it done. And Vados?"
"Yes?"
"Do try not to act TOO desperate. It's unbecoming of an angel."
"I never act desperate. I am the picture of composure and dignity."
"Of course you are. That's why you've been watching him sleep."
"GOODBYE, Whis."
She severed the connection before he could respond, but she could HEAR his laughter echoing through the dimensional barrier.
Insufferable know-it-all.
But also... right.
If she wanted to meet Kenpachi Zaraki—and she was finally admitting to herself that she VERY much wanted to—she needed a plan. A proper, dignified, angel-worthy plan that did NOT involve hovering invisibly over his training ground like some kind of spectral admirer.
She needed to introduce herself.
And she needed to do it in a way that would capture his interest.
He responds to strength, she mused. To challenges. To opponents worth fighting.
A slow smile spread across her face.
Well then. Let's give him a challenge he won't forget.
Two days later, on Earth...
Kenpachi was in the middle of his morning training when he felt it.
A presence. Powerful, refined, and distinctly NOT from this universe.
He stopped mid-swing, Nozarashi's sealed form gleaming in the early light. His eyes scanned the sky, searching for the source of the unfamiliar energy.
And there she was.
Descending from the clouds with impossible grace, her staff glowing with divine light. Blue skin, white hair swept into a distinctive style, and an expression of serene amusement that reminded him uncomfortably of Whis.
But this wasn't Whis.
This was someone else entirely.
"Good morning," the woman said, landing lightly a few meters away. "You must be Kenpachi Zaraki. I've heard... quite a lot about you."
Kenpachi's eyes narrowed. "And you are?"
"Vados. Angel of Universe 6, attendant to Lord Champa, God of Destruction." She smiled, and something about that smile made Kenpachi's battle instincts twitch. "I've come to make you an offer."
"Already rejected one angel's offer. Not interested in another."
"Oh, I'm not here to train you." Vados's smile widened. "I'm here to FIGHT you."
Kenpachi blinked.
Then, slowly, a grin spread across his scarred face.
"Now THAT'S more like it."
Watching from a distant vantage point, invisible to all detection...
Whis observed his sister's opening move with a mixture of amusement and concern.
"Oh dear," he murmured to himself. "She's really going through with it."
This was either going to be the beginning of something beautiful, or a disaster of universal proportions.
Knowing both Vados AND Kenpachi, it would probably be both.
End of Chapter 7