Goku and the others stayed quiet.
None of them wanted to interrupt. Goku, for one, wanted to hear what Elder Kai would say.
Shin kept going, completely unaware that every word was digging the hole deeper.
"Goku and the others also said there are twelve universes," Shin said, scratching his head. "And above us Supreme Kais, there are gods called Angels. I've seen a few of them. They carry staffs, like magicians."
Elder Kai's mouth twitched.
"And above the Angels," Shin continued, "there's apparently some great steward of the gods called the Grand Priest. Isn't that name funny?" He laughed. "And the most ridiculous part is that there's supposed to be a greatest god above all the universes, called Zeno. That one really—"
Elder Kai's face had gone through several colors by then.
Kibito leaned in, worried. "Elder Kai, are you all right? You look terrible."
Elder Kai ignored him and stared at Shin. "You met Zeno-sama?"
Shin laughed again. "Elder Kai, come on. Why are you calling him Zeno-sama?"
"I asked you a question," Elder Kai said. "Did you meet him?"
"You mean the one who looks like a little porcelain doll?"
Elder Kai went white.
Then he sat down hard and fainted.
"Elder Kai!" Shin panicked and slapped his face. "Elder Kai, wake up!"
Kibito rushed over too, healing light already in his hands.
It took several long breaths before Elder Kai finally came back around. He stared up at the purple sky with the exhausted look of someone who wished the Z Sword had stayed broken and buried forever.
"Continue," he said weakly.
"Continue what?" Shin asked.
"Zeno-sama," Elder Kai said. "Tell me exactly what happened."
"What's there to say?" Shin replied. "He's with those magician people, isn't he? He helped control Majin Buu and had Buu beat me up. One day I'll settle that score myself. I'll destroy that demon with my own hands."
Elder Kai jumped up and punched him on the head.
Shin yelped and clutched his skull.
"You idiot!" Elder Kai shouted. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Shin stared at him, more lost than hurt.
Elder Kai was so angry he could barely form a sentence. He spun around, lifted his senses toward Universe 7, and only relaxed a fraction when he realized it still existed.
Zeno-sama had not erased them.
Somehow, the universe was still there.
A miracle. A very stupid miracle.
"Elder Kai," Shin said carefully, "what exactly is wrong?"
"What is wrong?" Elder Kai rounded on him. "Zeno-sama is the highest god in all existence! If he wants, he can erase an entire universe with one wave of his hand. And you called him a porcelain doll?"
Shin's mouth opened.
No sound came out.
"He's really… the greatest god in all the universes?"
"What else did you think he was?" Elder Kai snapped.
Shin looked as if the floor had vanished beneath his worldview.
"Then what are we Supreme Kais?"
"We are gods of creation," Elder Kai said. "We create life. And where there is creation, there must also be destruction. That is why the Gods of Destruction exist. They are our counterparts. If one side dies, the other dies with them."
Shin stared blankly.
"Your teacher never told you this?"
"No," Shin said.
The pieces began falling into place, one after another, and every single one hurt.
Ken had been telling the truth.
Merus too.
Even Whis had said something similar once.
And Shin had ignored all of them.
"You fool," Elder Kai muttered. Then louder, "You fool. You fool!"
He rolled up his sleeves and beat Shin until Shin was howling.
Then Elder Kai turned on Kibito.
"And you! You're his disciple and attendant. You just let him run around like this?"
Kibito stiffened. "Elder Kai, I truly didn't know."
"Come here. I won't kill you."
Kibito obeyed.
Elder Kai beat him too.
By the time he finally stopped, half an hour had passed, and both Shin and Kibito looked as if the history of the universe had been taught entirely through punches.
Shin rubbed his swollen face. "Elder Kai… can you explain it more clearly?"
"More clearly?" Elder Kai almost exploded again. "Zeno-sama stands above everything. Under him is the Grand Priest, the steward of all gods. The Angels you mentioned are, in principle, the Grand Priest's children. Their status is above ours."
Shin listened with his head lowered.
"The Gods of Destruction stand opposite us Supreme Kais. They destroy; we create. That balance keeps the universe moving. And their power is far beyond yours. Far beyond Majin Buu too." Elder Kai jabbed a finger at him. "You provoked Beerus-sama? Do you know one sneeze from him could kill you?"
Shin swallowed. "Elder Kai, that is… a lot. I need a moment."
Elder Kai trembled with rage. "How did Universe 7 end up with a Supreme Kai like you?"
Shin took several minutes to digest it all. His face shifted between red and pale, and neither looked healthy.
"Zeno-sama did not erase us on the spot," Elder Kai said, almost in tears. "That means he showed more mercy than we deserved."
"Erase the whole universe…" Shin shook so hard his voice wavered. "Is it really that serious?"
"Serious?" Elder Kai snapped. "We go to Zeno-sama now. You will apologize before this gets worse."
"Yes," Shin said at once.
"Take me there."
Shin froze. "How?"
Elder Kai stared at him. "You don't know the way?"
"I don't even know where Zeno-sama lives."
Elder Kai said nothing.
For thirty full seconds, he simply looked at Shin as if trying to decide whether despair counted as a valid retirement plan.
Finally, he sighed. "Then we ask another universe's Supreme Kai to guide us."
"So you don't know where Zeno-sama lives either," Shin muttered.
Elder Kai glared.
Shin shut his mouth.
"What are you standing there for?" Elder Kai said. "Go to another Sacred World of the Kai and ask for directions."
"Another universe…" Shin hesitated. "Which one?"
"I know how to reach Universe 6's Sacred World of the Kai," Goku said, raising a hand.
Elder Kai looked at him with new interest.
A mortal who knew how to travel to another universe's Sacred World of the Kai.
That was not ordinary.
"Oh," Shin said. "That round Supreme Kai earlier was Universe 6's Supreme Kai?"
"I told you before," Gohan said awkwardly. "You didn't believe it."
Kale leaned closer to Gohan and whispered, "Ken-nii was right. Universe 7's Supreme Kai really is the dumbest one."
Gohan tried not to laugh. "Yeah."
Caulifla, meanwhile, stayed quiet.
Cabba leaned toward her. "Caulifla, what exactly happened with that smoke earlier?"
Caulifla's eyes sharpened.
Cabba immediately regretted asking.
"I mean—nothing. Never mind."
Before Goku could leave for Universe 6, someone appeared beside them.
Fuwa, the Supreme Kai of Universe 6, stepped into view with an easy smile.
"Elder Kai. You're finally out."
Elder Kai squinted at him. "Little Fuwa? Is that you? You got fat."
Fuwa's smile stiffened.
Then he returned it. "And you got uglier, Elder Kai. Is that because you fused with that old witch?"
"That was a long time ago," Elder Kai said quickly. "No need to bring it up."
Fuwa let the jab go. "I came to deliver the Grand Priest's message."
The air changed at once.
Elder Kai went pale and dropped to his knees.
Shin saw him kneel and followed immediately.
Kibito knelt too.
Fuwa clasped his hands behind his back. "The Grand Priest says there is no need to go apologize to Zeno-sama for now. First, handle the Majin Buu situation."
"Yes," Elder Kai said, bowing his head.
"That is all. Good luck."
Fuwa looked toward Goku with a small smile, then vanished.
Elder Kai stood slowly.
Then he kicked Shin.
Once was not enough.
He beat Shin again until at least some of the anger left his body.
Goku waited for the beating to end before stepping closer. "Now that things are a little clearer, what do we do about Majin Buu?"
"Majin Buu…" Elder Kai rubbed his chin. "I have heard of him. He is strong, yes. But compared with Beerus-sama, he is nowhere close."
"Beerus-sama is really that strong?" Goku asked, suddenly serious.
"Among the Gods of Destruction, Beerus-sama is absolutely one of the strongest," Elder Kai said. "His temper, however, is dreadful."
Goku grinned. "So he's the one who sealed you in the sword, isn't he?"
Elder Kai gave him a sharp look.
Goku laughed. "I knew it."
"We are not discussing that," Elder Kai said, clearing his throat. Then he looked Goku over again. "You said your father is a God of Destruction. Universe 9?"
"Yeah."
"As far as I know, Universe 9's God of Destruction is Sidra."
"Sidra died," Goku said. "So my dad became Universe 9's God of Destruction."
Elder Kai stared. "Died? How?"
"I forgot." Goku shrugged. "It doesn't really matter now."
Elder Kai nearly choked.
It absolutely mattered.
This man was going to be the death of him.
"Can you help us beat Majin Buu?" Goku asked.
"If you only want him defeated, that is simple," Elder Kai said. "Call your father. If he is truly a God of Destruction, he can erase Majin Buu without trouble."
"That would work," Goku said, "but I'd rather we beat Buu ourselves."
"Ambitious." Elder Kai looked over Goku, Gohan, Kale, Caulifla, and Cabba.
His gaze settled on Gohan.
"You pulled out the Z Sword, didn't you?"
Gohan blinked. "What?"
"I did," Cabba said quickly, raising a hand. "That was me."
"Not you. Be quiet."
Cabba froze.
Gohan scratched his head. "No, he really did pull it out."
"Doesn't matter." Elder Kai waved him over. "You. Come here."
Gohan pointed at himself. "Me?"
"I told you earlier, I possess a special ability." Elder Kai grinned. "No matter how strong someone is, I can draw out their hidden power beyond its limits. Have you ever heard of an ability like that?"
Everyone stared at him.
Goku looked disappointed. "That doesn't sound that amazing."
"What are you talking about?" Elder Kai shouted. "Beyond the limits! No one else can do that!"
He pointed at Gohan again.
"You handled the Z Sword and swung it with ease. With my help, you can become the strongest warrior in the universe."
Gohan gave him a helpless look. "I'm telling you, I didn't pull it out."
Cabba stood there in silence.
He had pulled out the sword.
So why was everyone ignoring him?
Was he really that forgettable?
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]