Goku stared intently at Saevia and then at Seraphiel as he tried to organize his thoughts. The proposal they had made to him was tempting—more than he wanted to admit.
Becoming the personal guardian of the Supreme Queen of Everything meant training constantly, facing enemies beyond his current comprehension, and reaching levels of power he could not even imagine at this moment.
It was exactly what he had always wanted.
But it also meant leaving behind everything he knew. Earth, his friends, his family.
'Even though they left me first.' He thought bitterly.
"How long would I have to stay at the Royal Palace?" He finally asked, breaking the silence.
Seraphiel exchanged a quick glance with Saevia before responding.
"As long as necessary. You could return to visit Earth occasionally if you wish, but your place would be with us at the palace."
"And before you ask." Saevia added, that amused smile still present on her face. "You wouldn't have to worry about training. Seraphiel will personally take charge of bringing you to levels that not even the Gods of Destruction have reached."
Those words made Goku's heart beat faster. The idea of training directly under the supervision of the Grand Priestess was something he had never considered possible.
"And what do I gain from this?" He asked, trying to sound casual even though inside he already knew the answer.
"Power." Saevia replied without hesitating for even a second. "Absolute power to protect what you consider important and to face any threat that may arise in the future."
"Additionally." Seraphiel continued, taking another step toward him until she was so close that Goku could feel the warm aura emanating from her. "You would be in a place where your way of being is appreciated and not constantly judged."
Goku felt those words strike directly at the core of everything he had been feeling since last night.
A place where he would not be judged for wanting to fight or train constantly. A place where his Saiyan nature would be seen as something positive instead of something selfish and destructive.
'Does a place like that really exist?'
He looked once more at the two figures in front of him and saw something in their eyes that he had not seen in anyone else's eyes for a very long time.
Genuine acceptance.
"All right." He finally said with a firm voice as a small smile began to form on his lips. "I accept."
Saevia's smile widened into an expression of pure satisfaction while Seraphiel nodded slightly, clear approval visible on her serene face.
"Excellent decision, Goku." The Grand Priestess said as she extended her hand toward him.
Goku looked at it for a second before gripping it firmly, feeling a strange tingling travel up his arm from the point of contact.
"So, when do we leave?" He asked, releasing her hand after a few seconds.
"Right now if you're ready." Saevia replied, crossing her arms once more as she watched him with evident curiosity in her shining eyes.
Goku turned his head toward his empty house behind him and felt a brief pang in his chest as he remembered everything that had happened there just a few hours earlier.
Milk telling him she needed time away from him.
Goten not even looking him in the eyes.
Gohan fully supporting his mother's decision without hesitating for even a second.
'There's nothing left for me here.'
He turned back toward Saevia and Seraphiel, renewed determination shining in his dark eyes.
"I'm ready."
Seraphiel nodded before raising her right hand toward the sky. A brilliant circle began to form above them, expanding rapidly until it covered the entire backyard with a blinding white light that made it impossible to see anything beyond.
Goku felt his body begin to rise slowly off the ground as the light enveloped him completely from every possible angle simultaneously at the same time concurrently in parallel conjointly coordinately synchronously harmonically uniformly homogeneously consistently coherently systematically methodically orderly structurally organizationally planned—
And then everything disappeared.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself floating in the middle of empty space, surrounded by stars and galaxies stretching infinitely in all possible imaginable conceivable thinkable feasible viable realizable reachable obtainable attainable achievable—
"Welcome to the Royal Palace of the Omni-King." Seraphiel said, appearing at his side along with Saevia, who observed everything with that same amused smile always present apparently permanent constant continuous perpetual eternal infinite limitless endless unending incessant uninterrupted sustained prolonged extended dilated—
Goku looked forward, and what he saw left him completely speechless for the first time in a very long time, probably years, decades, perhaps even longer, from the remembered currently present current moment now right now precisely now exactly now punctually now rigorously now strictly now severely now inflexibly now inexorably now implacably now mercilessly now cruelly now brutally now savagely now fiercely now violently now furiously now rabidly now enraged—
Before him rose an impossible structure that defied all logic known up to that present current moment now right now precisely—
It was an enormous palace, apparently built of shining crystals that reflected all the surrounding galaxies, creating a hypnotic fascinating captivating enchanting bewitching enthralling charming marvelous astonishing surprising impressive impactful spectacular grand magnificent splendid glorious majestic imposing sublime exalted supreme superior optimal ideal perfect impeccable flawless irreproachable immaculate spotless pristine pure clean clear transparent diaphanous crystalline—
"Impressive, isn't it?" Saevia asked, floating until she was in front of him, partially blocking his view of the palace but not enough to stop him from seeing it completely totally entirely fully wholly integrally exhaustively minutely in detail thoroughly circumstantially specifically particularly concretely precisely exactly punctually rigorously strictly severely inflexibly inexorably implacably mercilessly cruelly brutally savagely fiercely violently furiously rabidly enraged—
"Yes." Was all Goku could say as he continued to stare in awe at the impossible structure before him.
Seraphiel approached from the other side and gently placed her hand on Goku's shoulder, immediately drawing his attention instantly rapidly swiftly acceleratedly promptly readily agilely dynamically actively energetically vigorously powerfully strongly intensely deeply profoundly extremely exceedingly highly greatly enormously vastly widely extensively lengthily broadly spaciously freely comfortably comfortably pleasantly agreeably gratifyingly satisfactorily contentedly happily joyfully jubilantly gleefully blissfully beatifically celestially divinely angelically seraphically cherubically—
"Come, we'll show you your quarters and then we'll begin your initial basic fundamental elemental primary principal essential cardinal capital crucial vital critical decisive determining key important significant relevant transcendent transcendental substantial considerable notable remarkable noteworthy mentionable referable alludable citable—"
"Seraphiel." Saevia interrupted with a soft giggle. "I think you're overwhelming him a bit."
The Grand Priestess blinked before looking at Goku, who indeed appeared slightly confused by the sudden verbal torrent he had just received recently not long ago previously beforehand earlier preliminarily introductively—
"Sorry." Seraphiel murmured, withdrawing her hand from Goku's shoulder with a slightly embarrassed expression that completely contrasted with her usual serene calm tranquil peaceful composed demeanor.
Goku couldn't help but smile at that, finding it strangely comforting to see that more human, vulnerable, approachable, close, immediate, adjacent, bordering, neighboring, touching side of her.
"No problem." He finally said, still smiling genuinely sincerely honestly frankly openly transparently clearly evidently obviously manifestly patently notably ostensibly visibly perceptibly appreciably discernibly distinguishably recognizably identifiably—
Saevia watched them both with that amused smile still present as she began floating toward the palace, gesturing with her hand for them to follow.
"Let's go then. We have a lot to do and little time to waste."