Several weeks had passed since the threat of Majin Buu was neutralized.
During that time, Lisette had dedicated herself to Buu's education, thoroughly drilling into him the lesson that killing was wrong. While the Majin could be a bit selfish, he possessed a surprisingly honest streak and proved to be a fast learner under her tutelage.
She had also introduced him to several new ways to pass the time. Bibidi had taught him that murder was a game, much like a child might pull the legs off an ant. By providing him with better outlets, she hoped to curb his destructive impulses.
Lately, he had become obsessed with video games. On his screen, the truck driven by his player character was currently mowing down row after row of pedestrians.
Wait... I did remove the evil from his heart, right? Regardless, the fear of Majin Buu was a thing of the past. Unlike the original history, the Earth hadn't been destroyed, and the human race hadn't faced extinction. It was a monumental success. In fact, ending up with Buu as an ally was a better outcome than she could have ever dreamed.
That victory belonged to Goku and the others—especially Goku.
While the threats of Janemba and Hirudegarn still loomed in the distant future of her knowledge, she had taken precautions. She had advised King Yemma to change the staff monitoring the Spirit Laundering Machine to prevent Janemba's birth, and she planned to eliminate the sorcerer Hoi the moment he appeared to prevent Hirudegarn's complete resurrection.
With Towa and Mira gone, there was no one left to intentionally disrupt the timeline. She had expected things to proceed smoothly.
She was wrong.
"Lisette, this is terrible! The Other World has been encased in a barrier, and the balance between the living and the dead has collapsed! At this rate, the deceased will return to the world of the living, and chaos will consume the universe!"
That was the first thing the Supreme Kai shouted when he appeared at the Lookout unannounced.
Apparently, the universe was determined to hit every single plot point on the checklist. Lisette sighed. Why did the "Highest God" always bring his problems to her? What happened to the elite warriors of the Other World?
Where was Pikkon—the man who could one-shot Perfect Cell but lose to a weaker Goku? Or Olibu, the hero who was strong, but seemingly only when it was convenient?
Right. I forgot. Most warriors in the afterlife are useless when it actually counts.
Lisette pressed her fingers to her forehead.
"Give me a moment. I'll erect a barrier around Earth to sever our connection with the Other World."
"Is such a thing even possible?! Incredible!"
"It's an application of my spatial manipulation. If I can connect spaces, I can close them. I've never tried it on this scale, so I can't guarantee perfection, but we have to try."
Lisette could move through subspace, which meant she could bridge different dimensions. Logically, she should be able to do the opposite. She decided to attempt a global spatial lockdown on the fly.
Impossible is just a word until you try, she thought. With the power of the faith she had gathered, she found herself capable of increasingly miraculous feats. She imagined Earth being tucked away into a sealed pocket of her Heaven's Gate.
However, she needed to alert Goku's team. Some of the dead might have already slipped through.
She swept her senses across the planet. Her heart sank. Several signatures had already materialized. Frieza was back (as usual), along with Bojack's gang, Dr. Wheelo, the Red Ribbon Army's top brass, the Turles Crusher Corps, and the Ginyu Force.
But the most dangerous presence was Broly. Of all places, he had appeared near Goten, Trunks, and Videl, who were currently on a trip to find the Dragon Balls.
Of course. It's the 'Broly – Second Coming' plot, Lisette thought. No matter how many precautions I take, the events keep happening.
The only saving grace was that Goku was now powerful enough to handle Broly in a fair fight.
「Goku. Goku, can you hear me?」
「Oh? Goddess? What's up?」
「A disaster has occurred. An anomaly in the Other World has bridged the gap to the living world, and the villains of Hell are being resurrected on Earth. I'm going to the Other World to investigate, but I need you and the others to defend the planet while I'm gone.」
「The bad guys are back?! That's not good! Does that mean Broly is back too?」
「Yes. I'm going to seal the Earth to prevent more from entering, but Frieza, Broly, and several others are already on the surface. Can you and the others coordinate to take them down?」
「Got it! No time to finish lunch, I guess!」
Lisette felt a twinge of guilt for interrupting his meal. She broadcasted the locations of the villains to every warrior on Earth, trusting them to divide the labor. She didn't need to micromanage; she trusted their instincts.
She finished her mental broadcast and manifested a hundred "Valkyries of Light"—ki constructs designed to assist the heroes—and sent them to the front lines.
"Popo, Monster Carrot, and Buu—protect the Lookout. Send two God Guardons to Korin Tower. The remaining thirteen Guardons are to go to the surface and aid in civilian defense. Cell, observe the battle from here and use your subspace strikes to provide long-range support where needed."
"Yes, Goddess."
"Perfect. I shall command the battlefield from the shadows," Cell added with a smirk.
"I'm counting on you. Now... Heaven's Gate!"
Lisette expanded her spatial rifts, not as doorways, but as a spherical shell encompassing the entire planet. She severed all connections to external dimensions. The barrier was so dense it blocked out the sun, plunging the Earth into a sudden, artificial midnight. It would be terrifying for the civilians, but far better than being slaughtered by the denizens of Hell.
She poured every ounce of her ki into the seal, ensuring it would hold for several hours even without her presence.
"Kibito, heal my stamina. Then, take us to the Other World."
+++
When Lisette materialized in the Other World, she was met with a surreal, kaleidoscopic nightmare.
Vibrant crystals of all sizes were floating through the air, and the Check-In Station—the heart of the afterlife—was completely encased in a massive, yellow jelly-like structure.
She tried to move through subspace to get inside, but the barrier rejected her. Looking around, she saw Pikkon and Olibu slumped against nearby crystals, clearly defeated by the new threat.
Without Goku here, this is what happens, she mused.
"King Yemma! Can you hear me? It's Lisette!"
"Oh! Goddess of Earth! Thank the heavens you're here!"
King Yemma's face appeared within the surface of a yellow crystal, his expression one of frantic relief.
"This jelly has sealed the station! My authority over life and death has been neutralized! If this continues, the dead will continue to pour into the living world until the balance of the universe is shattered!"
"It's already happening, King Yemma," Lisette replied flatly.
"Please! You have to help me!"
She had every intention of helping. She couldn't keep Earth sealed forever, and if the universe collapsed, her planet would go with it. But first, she had a bone to pick.
"One thing, King Yemma. I specifically advised you to replace the staff at the Spirit Laundering Machine. I warned you that a malfunction would lead to catastrophe. Why did this happen?"
"I... I... look, I'm sorry! It was my mistake for not trusting your foresight!"
"Did you not change the guards?"
"I did! I really did! But... that red ogre... after I fired him, he came to me every day crying and begging for his job back. He was so pathetic I decided to give him one last chance and..."
"...And you let him back on the machine."
"Yes. He was doing a good job at first! But then he started slacking off again, wearing those headphones and dancing, and he forgot to change the tanks..."
Lisette stared at him with a look of profound disappointment. If this were a manga, a massive vein would be throbbing on her forehead. She gave him a cold, sidelined look and turned her back to the crystal.
"Fine. I think I'll just go back to Earth and strengthen my seal. Maybe I can find a way to pull the sun and moon into the pocket dimension with us."
"Wait! No! Please don't leave me here! The Supreme Kai and the elite warriors can't do anything! You and your Earth fighters are my only hope! If you abandon the Other World, everything is lost!"
She wasn't actually going to leave, but Yemma needed to understand that he couldn't just dump his administrative failures on her. She had to maintain the "I am angry" persona.
"You owe me a big one for this."
"Yes! Anything! Just fix it!"
Satisfied, Lisette floated up toward the roof of the Check-In Station. Perched there was a ten-meter-tall, obese yellow monster. He was hopping around like a toddler, chirping "Janemba! Janemba!" with mindless glee.
Lisette hummed to herself. She decided to test a specific weakness from her memories.
"Hey, you. Ugly."
"Janemba?!"
The monster recoiled as if he'd been slapped. The Supreme Kai and Kibito stared in shock, but Janemba was the one truly hurt. A crack appeared on his glassy skin, and he looked visibly wounded.
Lisette didn't stop. She maintained her polite smile while turning her words into daggers.
"Filth."
"Janemba?!"
"Non-recyclable trash."
"Ja?!"
"A failed mascot design."
"Nba?!"
"A sentient pile of lard."
"Janemba?!"
"You smell like an unwashed dog."
"JANEMBAAAAAA!!!"
The insults were effective, but they only dealt surface damage. Janemba's body shattered and reformed like glass. While she could stun him this way, she couldn't kill him. Eventually, she'd run out of material, or he'd develop a thick skin.
"Lisette... how did you know insults would work on him?" Shin asked tentatively.
"I read the mind of the guard who became the host for this monster when I visited months ago. He had a 'glass heart'—completely unable to handle criticism. It seems that trait carried over. Unfortunately, it's not enough to finish him."
The real problem was the inevitable transformation. In his current state, Lisette could take him. But Janemba's second form was a monster that surpassed Super Saiyan 3—a being that, in the original history, required the fusion of Goku and Vegeta to defeat. If she provoked him into transforming now, she would be in over her head.
"Can you win?"
"Against this version? Yes."
"Then what's the problem?"
"He hasn't revealed his true power yet. He's currently housing all the concentrated malice of the Spirit Laundering Machine. He should be infinitely stronger than this."
Lisette looked at the list of villains who had recently passed through the machine: Pui Pui, Yakon, and even Dabura. King Yemma had also informed her that Towa had been processed upon her arrival in the afterlife. With all that concentrated evil, Janemba was a ticking time bomb.
When she explained this, Shin turned pale. "Then... we have no chance?"
"It will be difficult," Lisette admitted. "But I have to try."
"Wait!" Shin shouted. "You are one of the few who can actually change this outcome. I won't let you throw your life away in a reckless gamble!"
"What other choice do we have?"
"I have an idea. A way to push your power far beyond its current limits."
Shin looked confident. Lisette was skeptical—she wasn't a Saiyan; she couldn't just scream her way to a new transformation. But the Supreme Kai was already nodding to Kibito.
"Supreme Kai! Surely you don't mean—"
"I do, Kibito. We are taking Lisette to the Sacred World of the Kai."
"But that is a sanctuary! Only the gods and their attendants—"
"She is a Goddess, Kibito. She defeated Majin Buu and avenged our brothers. She has more than earned her place there."
Lisette realized what he was planning. The Z-Sword.
In the original history, Gohan was the one meant to pull the sword to fight Buu. But with Buu already "purified," the role had fallen to her. It made sense; Shin had once noted that if he'd known how far the mortals surpassed him, he would have used the sword much sooner.
For Lisette, this was a dream come true. Her Burst Limit was powerful, but it was a temporary boost with a heavy recoil. If she could have her potential unlocked by the Old Supreme Kai, she would possess that level of power permanently, without the strain.
"Lisette, please. Come with us. Use the legendary sword of our people, and you will find the strength you need."
Lisette looked at Kibito's outstretched hand. If she wanted a guaranteed victory, she had to go. She could take the Old Supreme Kai into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber—under the protection of her barrier—and finish the 25-hour ritual in five minutes of real-time.
But ten minutes was an eternity in this battle.
What would Janemba do in those ten minutes? How many souls would he erase? Pikkon and Olibu were already down. If Janemba finished them off, they would vanish from existence forever.
"Lisette?"
"I'm sorry, Supreme Kai. I can't leave. If I go, people will die."
She steeled her resolve. She would fight him here, win or lose. She couldn't live with herself if she ran for power while her allies were erased.
She prepared to flare her ki, but a familiar voice stopped her cold.
"---A foolish decision. You're still far too soft."
Lisette whirled around. Standing behind her was a purple-skinned alien encased in white, organic armor. His eyes were a piercing crimson, and his massive frame radiated a pressure that rivaled Broly.
It was the brother of Frieza. Cooler.
"Cooler. I didn't sense your ki on Earth, so I assumed you were still here. I see I was right."
"I knew you'd come here eventually. You always were predictable," Cooler sneered, crossing his arms.
Lisette's expression darkened. She could handle Cooler as he was before, but this wasn't the man she remembered. His ki was denser, heavier. He had clearly been "training" in Hell.
"Is this the part where you attack me while I'm busy?" Lisette asked, taking a stance.
"Don't be absurd. Get out of here. You're in my way."
"Excuse me?"
"I said I'll handle this bloated yellow freak. Now leave."
Cooler stepped past her, facing Janemba. Lisette stood in stunned silence.
"What are you doing? Why would you help me?"
"Help you? Hahaha! Don't be pathetic. You truly are naive."
Cooler's eyes glowed with a predatory red light. He turned his head slightly to look at her.
"I will never forgive you. You shattered my pride. You defeated the great Cooler not once, but twice. I will kill you with my own hands. I will not allow some mindless balloon to take that pleasure from me! You are my prey. And I refuse to let you die to anyone but me!"
Lisette let out a dry, weary laugh. She had almost hoped for a "redemption" moment, a "softening" of his heart like Vegeta. But Cooler was different. His hatred was pure, distilled, and focused entirely on her. He didn't care about the Saiyans or the universe. He only cared about erasing the woman who had humiliated him.
The Supreme Kai was trembling from the sheer intensity of Cooler's malice.
"If you understand, then disappear," Cooler spat. "Go find your little power-up. Before I change my mind and kill you where you stand."
Cooler was holding back his rage with every fiber of his being. His fists were shaking, veins bulging in his arms. He wanted to kill her now, but he knew Janemba would interfere.
"Will you be alright? Your power against that thing is..."
"Hmph. To be worried over by a worm like you... how low I have fallen. Look closely, girl."
Cooler roared, and a brilliant golden aura erupted from his body. The pressure of his ki spiked, rivaling the weight of Majin Buu.
"Cooler... is that...?"
"There is always a higher level. You aren't the only one who can evolve. I haven't reached my new peak yet, and I know I cannot defeat you as I am. So go. Gain your power. Because when I finally master this transformation, it will be the last thing you ever see. I will crawl back from the depths of Hell just to put my hand through your heart. I promise you that."
Lisette wiped a bead of cold sweat from her brow. He meant every word. His hatred was the only thing sustaining him, pushing him toward a level of power he should never have reached.
"Let's go, Supreme Kai."
"B-But... are you sure?"
"Yes. If we stay, his sanity will snap and he'll attack us both within the minute. He's given us a window. We take it."
Cooler had provided her the one thing she lacked: time.
Lisette took Kibito's hand, and they vanished, heading for the Sacred World of the Kai. Cooler turned his attention back to Janemba, a mask snapping into place over his mouth.
"Now then... I need to test this power. You'll make an excellent punching bag."
Combat Power / Data Archive
Janemba (Fat Form): 100,000,000,000 (100 Billion)
Cooler (Hell Trained): 94,000,000,000 (94 Billion)
Lisette (Base): 550,000,000
Lisette (Burst Limit x100): 55,000,000,000
Technical Note: Cooler's "Golden" Tease
While not yet a "Golden Cooler," his aura suggests he is tapping into the same evolutionary potential that Frieza would later master. His sheer obsession with Lisette has allowed him to bridge the gap between a movie villain and a god-tier threat.
***
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