Cabba pulled with everything he had.
His Super Saiyan aura flared around him, bright and restless, but the Z Sword stayed where it was.
Kibito gave a thin smile. "You can stop now. I told you, you're wasting everyone's time. Let someone else try."
The sword shifted.
Kibito's smile died.
A rough scraping sound dragged through the ground as Cabba forced the blade up by a fraction.
Then another.
The Z Sword came free.
Kibito stared as if the world had personally betrayed him.
Shin froze beside him.
Impossible.
Was Cabba their savior?
"Supreme Kai…" Kibito said slowly, still staring at the sword. "Is he also a Legendary Super Saiyan?"
Cabba hovered in the air with the Z Sword in both hands, breathing hard. The effort had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit, but he still forced the blade overhead.
"I did it!"
"Come down," Caulifla called.
Cabba obeyed at once and landed in front of her.
Caulifla stepped closer, eyes bright. "Well? Do you feel stronger?"
Cabba shook his head, disappointed. He gave the sword a small, awkward swing. "No. It's just heavy. I don't feel any power coming from it."
"Let me see."
She held out a hand.
Cabba hesitated. "Be careful. It's really heavy."
"How heavy can it be?"
Cabba placed the hilt in her hand but did not let go right away.
The moment Caulifla felt the weight, her expression changed.
"Oh. That heavy." She tightened her grip. "Let go."
"You sure?"
"Let go."
Cabba released it.
The sword dipped hard, but Caulifla steadied it before it could hit the ground.
Kibito's jaw nearly dropped.
She was holding it.
Without even transforming.
Caulifla tested the weight with both hands. "Yeah, it's heavy. Still no power, though."
Then she looked at Gohan.
Gohan blinked.
"Your turn. Catch."
Caulifla threw it.
Gohan caught the hilt and immediately felt the weight drag at his arms. His eyes widened, and he pushed his ki up on instinct before the sword could pull him down.
He managed to hold it.
Barely.
Kale frowned at Caulifla. "Sis…"
Caulifla grinned like she had done nothing wrong.
Gohan adjusted his grip and exhaled. "It really is heavy. But she's right. I don't feel any energy from it."
Shin said nothing.
Kibito looked shaken.
They were passing the Z Sword around like a training weight.
He had not even been able to lift it back then.
Gohan looked at the blade, then back at Shin. "Can this sword really defeat Majin Buu?"
He handed it to Kale carefully. "Kale, raise your energy first. It's heavier than it looks."
"Okay, Gohan-nii."
Kale took the sword and felt the weight settle into her hands.
Kibito stopped trying to understand.
Gohan turned to Shin. "The sword is out. What do we do now?"
Shin opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He had not thought that far...
Universe 6, Earth.
Goku brought Zarek, Goten, and Trunks back to the Lookout.
The moment they arrived, Goku turned toward Buu again. The pink figure was still flying across the sky, heading somewhere with purpose.
Piccolo frowned. "Where is he going?"
"Let's watch for now," Goku said.
Zarek spotted Vegeta and smirked. "Oh. You're still alive."
Vegeta's face darkened, but he ignored him.
Zarek gave him a thumbs-up. "For what it's worth, that whole noble-sacrifice thing was pretty impressive."
Vegeta snorted and looked away.
Then Goku's expression changed.
A familiar voice reached him.
"Ah, Ken!" Goku's face lit up.
Vegeta looked over at once.
"Goku," Ken said, his voice carrying directly into his mind. "I saw what happened on your side."
"Majin Buu is ridiculously strong," Goku said. "Vegeta blew himself up, and it still didn't kill him."
Vegeta snapped, "Kakarot, stop saying useless things!"
"It's not useless," Goku said. "I'm telling Ken how strong Buu is."
"I saw," Ken said. "Good thing you pulled Vegeta out in time."
"Ken, where are you? I can come get you."
"I'm still busy. I can't return yet." Ken's tone stayed calm. "And you can't expect me to solve every problem for you. Majin Buu is something you should be able to handle yourselves."
"That's the thing," Goku said. "He might be too strong. I'm not sure I can beat him either."
"That's why I contacted you. I'm going to teach you a technique that might give you a chance."
"A technique?" Goku perked up. "What kind?"
"Fusion."
"Fusion?" Goku scratched his head. "What does that do?"
"It lets two people become one."
Goku's eyes widened. "People can do that?"
"The original version can," Ken said. "But I made a few changes."
"Changes?"
"I added another person."
Goku stared upward. "So… three people become one?"
"That's the idea. I'll show you."
High above the Lookout, angelic light gathered into a simple image in the sky.
Three stick-figure shapes appeared, standing at the points of an equilateral triangle.
"Watch carefully," Ken said. "The three people must stand at the three corners of an equilateral triangle."
Goku frowned. "What's an equilateral triangle?"
Vegeta's patience snapped at once. "Kakarot, close your mouth."
This idiot did not even know basic geometry.
Piccolo rubbed his forehead. "I'll explain it later."
"Oh. Okay."
The figures in the sky began to move.
"Next, all three fighters must match their ki," Ken said. "Then move inward at the same time. Three steps. Stop. Hands into fists. Pay attention to the bend in the legs."
The three figures turned outward, stepped in, and struck the next pose.
Then their fingertips touched.
"Foot angle matters too," Ken continued. "The outer leg has to stay straight."
The group watched in silence.
Goku looked excited.
Everyone else looked like they were being punished.
Zarek's stomach sank.
Three people?
He looked at Goten.
Then Trunks.
Then himself.
No.
Absolutely not.
There was no way Ken meant Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo.
And Gohan was not even here.
Zarek clutched his stomach at once. "My stomach hurts. You all keep watching. I'm leaving."
He turned to run.
Vegeta moved faster.
He appeared in front of Zarek and blocked his path.
Zarek glared up at him. "Move."
"Running?" Vegeta said. "You're not going anywhere."
"You think I'm scared of you?" Zarek snapped.
Purple-red light flared around him. "I'm the son of a God of Destruction. I'll show you real destruction!"
Vegeta did not move.
"Hakai!"
Zarek threw a blast of destruction energy at him.
Vegeta caught it in one hand.
Then he crushed it.
The purple-red energy broke apart into sparks and vanished.
Zarek stared.
Vegeta sneered. "That's what you call destruction energy?"
"You're cheating!" Zarek shouted. "Try that without your Primal form!"
Above them, Ken's demonstration finished.
Goku looked from the sky to Zarek, then to Goten and Trunks. "Ken, you mean those three should fuse?"
"Yes," Ken said. "Let them try."
Then Ken added, far too casually, "If anyone refuses to cooperate, Vegeta can destroy him. Keeping him around would only waste resources."
Vegeta smiled.
"Did you hear that, Zarek?"
He punched Zarek in the stomach.
Zarek doubled over, coughed blood, and dropped from the air with a strangled cry.
Vegeta looked down at him. "What kind of Saiyan runs from a fight?"
Zarek clenched his teeth. "My dad won't let you get away with this."
"Oh? You can't beat me, so now you're hiding behind your father?"
"Just wait!"
Goku called down, "Zarek, come try the fusion."
Zarek glared at him. "You saw him hit me!"
"You tried to run first," Goku said with a laugh. "That's not good."
Zarek said nothing.
His brother had betrayed him.
"Zarek," Goten said, trying to help, "let's just try it. Maybe we'll become a really strong warrior."
Zarek shot him a look.
Goten turned to Trunks. "What do you think?"
"The pose is ugly," Trunks said. "I don't really want to."
"Enough," Vegeta barked. "All three of you, get in position."
Then he looked upward. "Ken, I'll make sure they learn it."
"Good," Ken said. "I'll return as soon as I can. One more thing—the original version still works with two people."
His voice faded.
Vegeta went still.
Two people could fuse too?
No.
Absolutely not.
He was not fusing with Kakarot.
Not now. Not ever.
Piccolo stepped in before anyone could dwell on it. "We should get started. Buu is still loose."
"Right," Goku said. "I don't think Buu is going to start destroying everything, but it's better to be ready."
Vegeta pointed to the ground. "You three. Stand at the corners of the triangle."
Piccolo flicked his hand, and lines cut themselves into the stone, forming a clean equilateral triangle.
Zarek looked at it like it was a prison.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered.
He still went to his corner.
Goten and Trunks took the other two.
"Now repeat the movement," Vegeta said.
The three boys began practicing.
Again.
And again.
Buu flew beneath the blue sky, following the scent he had picked up.
After a while, his nose twitched.
He slowed and looked down to the right.
"I smell Mr. Satan."
He dropped lower.
There.
A tournament ring.
And on it, Mr. Satan.
Buu's eyes lit up.
He landed on the stage, smiling wide.
The crowd froze.
A pink, round stranger had fallen out of the sky, and nobody knew what to do with that. Even the referee stared, mouth open, completely lost.
Mr. Satan trembled.
Then tears spilled down his face.
"Buu…" His voice broke. "Is it really you?"
Buu's eyes turned red at the edges. "Mr. Satan…"
They ran at each other.
A second later, they were hugging in the middle of the ring.
"Buu!" Mr. Satan sobbed, holding him tight. "I missed you so much!"
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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