The 'Three Palaces' governed three vast time networks. Their jurisdictions were a bit blurry at the edges — according to Kuronoa's division, they roughly corresponded to before the current point in time, the current point in time, and after the current point in time. In plain terms: the three colossal networks managing past, present, and future.
From Ino's perspective, the administrators here were all sharp. Most of them sat comfortably at the level of a Supreme Kai who could crush Frieza with one finger.
The 'Six Academies' had a considerably more sprawling mandate.
Half of it went completely over Ino's head. She genuinely suspected some of these people were padding their budgets...
The 'Six Bureaus' were split into four administrative departments — managing the continuity of time, managing the sequential order of time, managing absolute time, and managing relative time — plus a Household Affairs Bureau that tended to the Supreme Kai of Time's daily life, and a Great Time Prison that handled inmates.
Ino was completely unfamiliar with this administrative system. Most of her subordinate officials weren't even in the main timeline — they were scattered across the future or the past. She gave herself a rough overview, said a few soothing words to reassure everyone that it was business as usual, and made no sweeping reforms. As she kept saying: she was exhausted and needed rest.
Ino sat on her throne, listening to reports from her subordinates across the various timelines with one ear while leafing through historical records with the other.
She paid especially close attention to anything concerning the Demon Realm Supreme Kai Mechikabura. The man had his movements completely concealed — the standard methods of observing timelines couldn't find him at all. On the timeline, he was essentially invisible. The only way to track him was to comb through historical records and piece things together indirectly.
"What a nightmare..." Mechikabura wasn't actually that fearsome an enemy. If the combined forces of every faction across the multiverses joined together, they could wipe him out in moments.
The most powerful Supreme Kai alive couldn't beat the most powerful Destroyer alive — it didn't matter how old you were, how senior your credentials, or how many divine artifacts you had strapped to your body.
The problem was that the Supreme Kai of Time's domain was a closed loop. They didn't go out, and outsiders didn't come in.
Once you 'took over' this territory, every problem inside it was yours to solve — and yours alone.
The Demon Realm Supreme Kai coveted the Time Power, which made him the Supreme Kai of Time's enemy. Kuronoa hadn't managed to resolve this problem — she'd only managed to seal it away. Now that mess had landed squarely on Ino's shoulders.
Her subordinate officials belonged to the Time Nest and no one else. Whoever held the Time Nest, they served. Aside from a few handmaidens who came from the Household Affairs Bureau to take her measurements and prepare new Supreme Kai robes, shoes, stockings, and gloves, none of the other officials engaged in any communication beyond official business.
One full day passed in the main timeline. Mechikabura did not lead a counterattack. Ino's tightly coiled nerves relaxed just a fraction. She rested for two days, and on the third day, she gathered all of her trusted people together — even summoning Bardock and Pikkon up from the Underworld — and they convened to discuss what to do next.
Keeping the timelines running was the officials' job. When it came to fighting, she had to rely on her own people.
"I am now the Supreme Kai of Time, which means dealing with the Demon Realm Supreme Kai falls to me," Ino said. "Does anyone have a good plan?"
No. 17 looked at her. "Before we deal with this Demon Realm Supreme Kai — shouldn't we first sort out what's happening in the Sixth and Seventh Universes? A lot of our friends and family are still over there."
"...Huh?" Ino blinked. The Sixth and Seventh Universes? What had happened there now?
She had already transcended her original frame of existence and now stood apart from the twelve multiverses entirely. But old attachments to the Seventh Universe didn't fade that quickly — she wouldn't get involved in minor matters, but for something big, she'd always try to lend a hand.
"I've been so busy my head's been spinning. Hold on, let me take a look." Her gaze grew distant and deep as she redirected her vision onto the normal timeline and examined the two universes.
What she saw gave her a genuine start.
The original Sixth and Seventh Universes had been like two trains running side by side on parallel tracks — similar speed, roughly the same direction.
Now, for reasons she couldn't quite fathom, both trains had ended up on the same track. They'd been colliding and jostling for position ever since, each barreling forward.
The two universes were supposedly merging — but whether from insufficient momentum or something else, they hadn't fully combined. By the look of things, at most about a third of each universe's regions had muddled together and stuck. The remaining portions were still pulling against each other on their separate timelines.
And the gods of both universes were, as ever, completely useless.
The Supreme Kais thought they should be cautious — the situation was unclear, so they sat and waited for the Destroyers to act. The Destroyers were all at home sleeping, obviously waiting for the Supreme Kais to make the first move.
Those with the power to handle it weren't handling it. Those without the power to handle it genuinely couldn't...
Ino had ascended now, and from that higher vantage point, looking back at the gods of her old home, she could really see how they came up short. No wonder Grand Zeno rode them like pack animals — or outright erased them. From up here, their way of doing things really was a problem.
"Whatever. This mess was Mechikabura's doing anyway — we might as well help them clean it up." Ino waved a hand, and two Super Dragon Ball Radars materialized out of thin air, one for each of them. "Mr. Trunks, Mr. No. 17 — take your teams into the Sixth and Seventh Universes and find the Super Dragon Balls. After that, we restore both universes first, then figure out how to deal with the Demon Realm Supreme Kai. Move out."
It had been three years since she last used the Super Dragon Balls. They were long since available again.
Time moved quickly. Five days later, with the assistance of the Supreme Kais of both universes, all seven Super Dragon Balls were gathered. Ino once again spoke the divine language and had the Super Shenron restore the Sixth and Seventh Universes to their original state.
The whole process went without a hitch — not a single obstacle encountered. It was almost as if this task had simply been waiting for her to come along and do it...
"Master, is that the Super Dragon Balls?" Zamasu and his teacher, Gowasu the Supreme Kai of the Tenth Universe, had also witnessed Ino summoning Super Shenron from within the Seventh Universe.
The old Supreme Kai nodded. "It's my first time seeing it too. Truly an unimaginable power — though to wield such force so casually... it does feel rather abrupt."
He was somewhat dissatisfied with his counterparts in the Sixth and Seventh Universes. In his view, they were occupying their posts without earning them — refusing to manage anything, and reaching for the Super Dragon Balls the moment something went wrong.
What was even the point of having Supreme Kais and Destroyers at that rate? Why not just make Super Shenron the Supreme Kai? But he couldn't say much — he was a Supreme Kai, and so were they. He muttered to himself in front of his own people and left it at that.
Zamasu, meanwhile, was deep in thought. Super Dragon Balls? Super Shenron? Hmm — another trick learned!
____
________________________________________
🌸 Help Love Bloom!
Our girls need a little push... and you can help!
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉