As the fusion energy finally dissipated, Karnel returned to his normal form, the Potara earrings falling silent on his ears. He floated in the void where the planet had been, taking a moment to process everything that had just occurred.
"Kairos," he called out, his voice carrying across the emptiness of space. "You need to understand that martial arts have no limits. Don't lose your fighting spirit just because you've seen how powerful I've become. This is only the beginning, there will be far stronger opponents in the future. You just haven't encountered them yet."
Kairos drifted closer, a wry smile on his face. "Look at you, learning how to give pep talks. But you're right, of course. Even though you're incredibly strong now, I'll catch up to you someday." His expression brightened with renewed determination. "Actually, you know what? I can't wait to challenge even stronger opponents! This has given me a whole new perspective on what's possible."
He straightened up, his warrior's pride fully restored. "I'm heading to the Southern Galaxy to continue my training. There are bound to be powerful fighters there who can help me grow stronger. Until we meet again, Karnel!"
With that declaration, Kairos shot off into the starry void, leaving a trail of energy in his wake.
"Good luck," Karnel murmured, watching him disappear. "The worry that's been weighing on my heart is finally resolved. Now I need to find those Super Dragon Balls the Grand Supreme Kai mentioned and begin my journey home. But first, I should ask Kibito and Leila about this matter. Speaking of which... where did Kibito end up after Buu launched him into space?"
Karnel quickly extended his senses, scanning the surrounding area for Kibito's energy signature. When he found it, he couldn't help but shake his head in amazement.
"Incredible. He actually crashed into a planet hard enough to shatter it."
Using Instant Transmission, Karnel appeared beside the injured Supreme Kai. Kibito was standing on the remains of what had once been a beautiful world, now reduced to floating chunks of rock and debris. But what caught Karnel's attention was the small figure hiding behind Kibito, a young boy who couldn't be more than ten years old.
"Karnel, you're here!" Kibito exclaimed, relief evident in his voice. Despite his own injuries, his first concern was for others. "What about Buu? Please tell me you managed to escape. We need to regroup and find another way to—"
"It's over," Karnel interrupted gently, offering Kibito a Senzu Bean. "Buu has been completely destroyed. It's all thanks to your Supreme Kai's Potara earrings, they gave me the power I needed to eliminate him once and for all."
Kibito stared at him in disbelief, slowly accepting the healing bean. "The Potara earrings? Each Supreme Kai possesses a pair that can fuse two people together, multiplying their combined power exponentially. Did you fuse with Kairos?" He looked Karnel up and down, puzzled. "But your appearance hasn't changed at all..."
Karnel smiled mysteriously. "No, I fused with myself. But let's not worry about the technical details right now." He looked curiously at the small boy who was peeking out from behind Kibito with wide, frightened eyes. "Who is this child?"
"This little one is named Jebit," Kibito explained, placing a protective hand on the boy's shoulder. "He's a native of this planet. Buu struck me, I was so badly injured that I couldn't control my trajectory, I crashed straight into his world and destroyed it. Jebit here was the only survivor I could save." His expression grew sad as he continued. "I plan to take him back to the Sacred World of the Kais. It will be good to have another person there, it's been far too quiet since we lost Todd, Barro, and the Grand Supreme Kai."
"Jebit..." Karnel studied the boy more closely, a strange sense of familiarity nagging at him. "I was wondering why I hadn't seen your attendant in the Sacred World of the Kais. Could this little boy possibly be...?"
The implications were staggering, but he decided to keep his thoughts to himself for now.
"That's a wonderful idea," Karnel said instead. "Having three people in the Sacred World of the Kais will definitely make it feel less empty. Let me take you both back now."
"Let's go," Kibito agreed, taking young Jebit's hand. "Leila has been worried sick about all of us."
With a soft whoosh, they vanished from the destroyed planet.
When they materialized in the Sacred World of the Kais, Leila rushed forward to greet them, her face bright with relief.
"Thank goodness, Karnel! You actually managed to eliminate Buu. Everything that Todd, Barro, and the Grand Supreme Kai sacrificed for wasn't in vain." Her voice carried a mixture of joy and lingering sadness.
Kibito gently guided Jebit forward. "Leila, this is Jebit. I'd like to bring him into our family here in the Sacred World of the Kais, so he won't be alone. What do you think?"
"I have no objections at all," Leila said warmly, kneeling down to Jebit's eye level. "It really has been too quiet with just the four of us. Welcome to your new home, little one."
"Leila," Karnel interjected, "I'm afraid I can't stay here much longer. Before the Grand Supreme Kai died, he told me how to return to my own universe. Do you know anything about the Super Dragon Balls?"
Leila's expression grew thoughtful. "Super Dragon Balls... the Grand Supreme Kai did mention them before. Let me think for a moment..." She tapped her finger against her lips, then suddenly clapped her hands together. "Oh yes! There are seven Super Dragon Balls in total, each one the size of a planet. They're scattered across multiple universes throughout the multiverse."
The blood drained from Karnel's face as the full magnitude of the task hit him like a physical blow.
Seeing his distress, Kibito quickly stepped in to clarify. "Leila, you really need to give complete explanations from the start. Don't worry, Karnel, the teleportation platform in our temple can transport us directly to other universes. I'll accompany you on this quest. Once we've gathered all the Super Dragon Balls, we can use the same platform to return to our universe's Sacred World of the Kais."
"I can't ask you to go through such trouble for me," Karnel protested, though he was clearly grateful for the offer.
Leila shook her head firmly. "It's not trouble at all, Karnel. You directly saved our entire universe from destruction. We haven't even had a proper chance to thank you yet."
"There's no need for thanks between friends," Karnel replied with a warm smile.
"That's right," Leila agreed, her own smile brightening. "You're our dear friend now! It's just... it's such a shame that we'll never see Todd and the others again."
The mention of their fallen comrades cast a shadow over the group's mood. Sensing the growing melancholy, Kibito quickly changed the subject.
"Karnel, have you given any thought to how we're going to locate these Super Dragon Balls? If we have to search planet by planet, it would truly be like looking for a needle in a haystack across infinite space."
"Actually," Karnel said, reaching into his dimensional storage, "the Super Dragon Balls are still Dragon Balls at their core, so this radar should theoretically be able to detect them." He pulled out the device that Bulma had created, though his voice carried a note of uncertainty.
He pressed the activation switch, and the radar hummed to life. The display screen remained blank for several long seconds.
"Is it not working?" Leila asked, peering over his shoulder.
Just as disappointment began to set in, a series of soft beeps emanated from the device.
"Wait, there is a signal!" Karnel exclaimed, quickly adjusting the detection range to its maximum setting. Gradually, five large white dots appeared on the screen, pulsing steadily.
"It actually works!" he said, jumping up in excitement. "I suppose all Dragon Balls must operate on the same fundamental frequency, regardless of their size or power level."
Leila examined the simple but effective technological device with admiration. "This little instrument can actually detect the signatures of the Super Dragon Balls? That's remarkable! And it looks like there are five of them in our universe, which means we only need to find the remaining two in another universe."
"This makes our quest much more manageable," Kibito observed with relief. "Though I suspect gathering planet-sized Dragon Balls will present challenges of its own."
Karnel nodded, studying the radar display with renewed hope. The impossible task suddenly seemed within reach. Soon, he would be able to return home to his own universe, but first, he had seven cosmic treasures to collect.
The real adventure was just beginning.