《Ascension》


 Bargain

    Chapter 1


    ¡°Goku!¡±


    It was the last thing Krillin said. The explosion obscured his appearance in a cloud of red and brown dust. Grayish-black pieces fell to the small isle below as Goku stared up in disbelief. In a moment, Krillin was gone, incinerated.


    ¡°Pop goes the weasel,¡± Freeza said.


    Goku was shivering in fear now. Piccolo looked to be dead and his qi was dropping faster than the Saiyan. The single attack was instantaneous and now only Gohan remained. Goku was now drowning in the fear of death.


    ¡°Father!¡± Gohan yelled. ¡°Father! Do something! Do-Do something!¡±


    I can¡¯t. He wanted to say. The Spirit Bomb was my strongest attack.


    Gohan¡¯s words were distant to Goku. Like background music, as disparate and meaningless as wind. His gaze was transfixed on the altitude in which Krillin died. In that place in the air was every memory Goku had of Krillin.


    To think I actually thought of you as my rival when we first met. He thought. When Roshi agreed to train us both¡­I thought I had to compete with you.


    Goku could almost feel his heart stop.


    I was selfish. He thought. Selfish to see you as a rival¡­rather than the best friend anyone could have. You tried¡­you tried so hard¡­always¡­always fighting and never giving up. No matter how hard it was¡­you wouldn¡¯t back down¡­because you were braver than I am. If I could do it all over again¡­I¡¯d rather be born your friend rather than the strongest in the universe. Krillin¡­


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Freeza said. ¡°Down to two little rats. A monkey is nothing more than an overgrown rodent. Let¡¯s see¡­the small one should amuse me, right?¡±


    Goku snapped to attention to stare at Freeza.


    ¡°Father!¡± Gohan cried.


    He looked down at his cowering son, the boy rushing over to his father as Freeza pointed at the half-Saiyan. Goku attempted to run towards his child but stopped as he did. He was frozen by fear.


    The Spirit Bomb was the last technique in my arsenal. He thought. If that won¡¯t defeat Freeza then¡­then what will?


    Goku didn¡¯t have time to contemplate further. Freeza squeezed his fingers together before Gohan disappeared in another explosion. When the dust settled, nothing remained of the child.


    My son¡­Goku thought.


    He immediately thought back to when Chi-Chi¡¯s labor pains were ceasing. Her screaming died down and she began to relax. When Goku held the newborn it was like tasting honey for the first time. No sweet compared to the infant¡¯s weak cries and the stretching of its small arms.


    Miraculously enough, he actually stopped crying after Goku held him for a while. The safety that the child sensed as it was within his father¡¯s grasp must have been instinctive. Even covered in blood and bodily fluid, the boy was a light to his eyes. The baby glowed brighter to Goku than any light in the room. A peace he¡¯d never known washed over him and filled Goku¡¯s soul.


    Love. He thought at that moment. It means more than anything.


    And now he was devoid of it. With that last explosion, all the love in Goku¡¯s life was destroyed. Even if he somehow made it back to Earth, Chi-Chi would die of grief if she knew her son was dead.


    The dragon balls¡­He realized. They can¡¯t be used on anyone¡­with Piccolo dead¡­and I can bet I won¡¯t be able to get any from Namek with Freeza around.


    He could see Chi-Chi¡¯s face now. A hollow mask where once existed her domineering and bold expression. She¡¯d be a shell of a person if her only child was killed. And Chi-Chi would never look at Goku with the faintest of adoration if he was gone.


    I have nothing! Goku thought.


    Goku coughed in pain as his lungs felt like they were being squeezed dry. Freeza laughed as tears erupted from Goku¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from where Gohan had been incinerated.


    ¡°This is wonderful!¡± Freeza said. ¡°Greater than immortality! To think I had Vegeta to toy with before you came along!¡±


    The strength in his legs vanished as he fell face-first to the ground.


    ¡°You make a far more amusing pet than Vegeta did!¡± he said. ¡°To break him I had to wound his pride! But with you¡­all I had to do was kill some maggots around you. What a soft fool you are! Even bigger an idiot than Vegeta.¡±


    Goku tried picking himself up but it didn¡¯t work. Strength had vanished from his arms as well. He lay as flat as a corpse. Goku squinted as he attempted to lift himself upward but he could only do so for a few inches. The wind was knocked out of him as his lungs were empty, like a dry well.


    ¡°Brilliant, brat!¡± Freeza said as he clapped. ¡°Brilliant!¡±


    Goku had gotten to where he could lay his palms against the ground as he rose, only to elicit an even more excited reaction from Freeza.


    ¡°You know what?!¡± Freeza asked. ¡°You can be my personal pet! A nice leash would suit you just nice! And how about a collar?! Written on it will be ¡°the last defier of Lord Freeza¡±! How do you like that? It¡¯s a kindness, really. A warning to whomever rebels against me again.¡±


    Goku could not get to his feet no matter how hard he tried, Gohan¡¯s shocked and frightened face being the only thing he could see.


    ¡°What do you think of your new role, Goku?¡± he asked.


    Nothing¡­Goku thought. I have¡­nothing¡­


    So will you give everything?


    The voice was accompanied by new surroundings. He could see someone standing behind him. He was no longer kneeling before Freeza.


    He was kneeling in front of someone else. He looked up to find that they were glowing with white light. They were less a person and more a white silhouette. They were shining with a light so bright it slightly hurt to look upon. Goku was even more shocked to see what wriggled out from behind them.


    ¡°A Saiyan tail?!¡± he shouted.


    Indeed a brown tail waved in the air as it sprouted from the silhouette¡¯s back.


    ¡°B-But-!¡± Goku said. ¡°I¡¯m the last true Saiyan! How-?¡±


    ¡°Now you are with all us Saiyans,¡± he said. ¡°No longer alone.¡±


    The shining silhouette gestured for Goku to look around and find that he was no longer on planet Namek. He stood up to look at his new surroundings. The Saiyan found it the strangest place he¡¯d ever stepped foot in.


    The ground beneath him was a smooth, onyx-like gem that reflected bright light. Goku found his own reflection in the dark gem as well as the silhouette¡¯s beside it. He looked above to find it looked more like a semi-solid than a proper ceiling.


    Murky shapes that looked like man-shaped shadows flowed along the surface like a pool of water. The current would sometimes fluctuate with an odd ripple that would reveal faces and skin-tone of the shadows. After observing the unblemished floor and odd ceiling, he looked around to find even stranger features.


    Pillars of surging white light surrounded them. They flowed from the shiny black gem floor to the ceiling to the murking ceiling. There were possibly hundreds as far as the eye could see. The white light was similar to how the silhouette who spoke to Goku looked. But the closer he observed, the more familiar faces shown in it.


    Piccolo¡­? He thought. No¡­no King Piccolo! And¡­and Krillin¡­


    Goku raced toward the flowing pillar of white to find Krillin¡¯s face within the white light. King Piccolo¡¯s face had disappeared to the top of the pillar in the upward floating current while Krillin¡¯s was still in the midsection. Goku stared at the moving face and followed it until it vanished above.


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    ¡°Krillin!¡± he screamed. ¡°Krillin! Krillin!¡±


    He almost touched the pillar to find another familiar face floating within a pillar to his right.


    ¡°Gohan¡­¡± he said.


    His son¡¯s face floated within the white surge until it too vanished from sight. Goku looked back down at the base of the white pillar, hoping Gohan¡¯s face would reemerge. Instead he found the head of a bald man with a thick mustache. A Saiyan responsible for all the trouble they¡¯d endured on Namek.


    ¡°Nappa,¡± Goku seethed with anger.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the white silhouette said. ¡°Here, the souls are drawn to those who remembered them in life.¡±


    He turned to find the shining being walking toward him, every step lighting the black gem-like floor with white for a second. As he walked toward Goku, certain streams of light beamed toward him. The white pillars surrounding the room shot out and appeared on the surface of his body. Once they made contact with what could be called his skin, they connected into his body. Faces flowed from through the thin streams of light into the silhouetted Saiyan until those faces ran through his shining body. Upon closer inspection, the souls all had horrified expressions.


    The souls of all these terrified people have joined with his own. Goku realized.


    ¡°Whether good or bad,¡± the silhouette said. ¡°The memories will act as a magnet to them.¡±


    ¡°What is this place?!¡± Goku asked. ¡°Who¡­who are you?¡±


    ¡°This place,¡± he said. ¡°Is the Realm of Souls. It is where all deceased spirits flow after their physical bodies cease functioning.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve been to the afterlife!¡± Goku said. ¡°It¡¯s not like this!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the silhouette said. ¡°The afterlife you traveled was merely one layer of what lies in the life to come. Think of this as a place in between the mortal world and the afterlife.¡±


    He then gestured to the pillar behind Goku.


    ¡°As you can see,¡± he said. ¡°The spirits that died are converted to energy that makes up the life force of all known organisms in the universe.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡± Goku said. ¡°Qi? The souls here are¡­are qi?!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± he said. ¡°Whenever an entity in the mortal realm draws upon their natural qi reserves they are drawing from the spirits of the dead. Some are born with more than others.¡±


    ¡°How can that be?¡± Goku said. ¡°One doesn¡¯t add to their qi potential by using spirits! They do so by training!¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the silhouette laughed. ¡°Shows what you know. The training for strength is really the user pumping more spirits from the Soul Realm into their body. These pillars, Spirit Pillars, channel the souls of the deceased into the living and as an organism grows, the more spirit they are filled with.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­¡± Goku said. ¡°Just like my Spirit Bomb.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the silhouette said. ¡°And Saiyans have the greatest connection to the Soul Realm.¡±


    ¡°Saiyans?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Their connection is the reason their qi reserves are the greatest in the universe. As you can see¡­¡±


    He gestured to the beams of light making contact with him.


    ¡°Saiyans can connect to one another via the Soul Realm,¡± he said. ¡°Dead Saiyans can visit the living this way.¡±


    ¡°Vegeta!¡± Goku said. ¡°That¨Cthat¡¯s how he was able to talk with me while I was drowning!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the silhouette said. ¡°When a Saiyan is at the brink of death they are closest to the Soul Realm. This is how Vegeta was able to communicate with you and increase your power while Freeza held you underwater.¡±


    ¡°But why am I here?¡± Goku asked. ¡°How¡­how is this possible? Did Vegeta come here before Freeza killed him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the silhouette said. ¡°Vegeta only arrived here after Freeza shot him dead. You, on the other hand, have a pure heart. Therefore, you can travel to the Soul Realm without having to be at the brink of death.¡±


    ¡°I have that ability?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the shining being said. ¡°But rather than be at the brink of death¡­you must be at the end of your rope. You must have given up on everything in your mortal life.¡±


    Goku¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡°So I could only come here once everyone around me was dead?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A pure heart cares more so for others than themselves,¡± he said. ¡°You are able to access this place because your heart has been awakened by wicked fury. An anger that cannot be quenched. You, Goku, can now become a Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°A Super Saiyan?¡± he asked. ¡°Vegeta¡­¡±


    He looked out of the corner of his eyes to find Vegeta¡¯s face staring back at him out of one pillar of light.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t stop talking about it,¡± Goku said.


    He then turned back to the silhouette.


    ¡°So, Goku,¡± he said. ¡°Do you wish to become a Super Saiyan?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I wish to kill Freeza. And I wish my friends had never died. Not the ones who died on Earth, not the ones who died on Namek.¡±


    ¡°That is what I meant,¡± the silhouette said.


    Goku¡¯s stoic face softened.


    ¡°A Super Saiyan¡­?¡± he said. ¡°Can you really do that?¡±


    ¡°Once a pure hearted Saiyan is brought to the pit of despair and arrives here¡­¡± he said. ¡°Their limit becomes exponential. They are not only gifted with immense power but an ability of their choice that puts them on par with the Kais themselves. As a Super Saiyan you will have a power that surpasses King Kai who you trained with.¡±


    He then laughed.


    ¡°But I warn you Goku,¡± he said. ¡°You will not be the same afterward. You will never be the same again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Goku said. ¡°If it means undoing all the horrible things Freeza and his evil soldiers have done¡­I¡¯m willing to go above and beyond.¡±


    ¡°So you are okay with¡­?¡± the silhouette said.


    A startling image appeared in Goku¡¯s mind. A giant ape similar to the one Vegeta transformed into burned into his brain. However, this one was different. For one its fur was golden-yellow. And it was far stronger than Vegeta¡¯s.


    It grabbed up Saiyans by the handful and devoured them. Its fangs were bathed in blood as it knocked over buildings with a swing of its arms and stomped into dust houses. Its very presence created windstorms that flung Saiyans into the air, debris smashing them to a bloody paste. Thunder and lightning rained overhead as the great ape raced forward to find more victims to kill. When it was no longer flashing in Goku¡¯s mind, he then stared back at the silhouette in front of him.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°Me,¡± he said. ¡°As the original Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Goku shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious! One with a pure heart would never do that?!¡±


    ¡°Oh yes they would,¡± he said. ¡°You see, Goku¡­when a Saiyan of pure heart travels to this place because their soul synchronizes with the Trampled Innocence.¡±


    ¡°Trampled¡­?¡± Goku asked. ¡°Innocence?¡±


    ¡°Trampled Innocence is a particular collection of spirits whose lives were snuffed out by evil doers,¡± he said. ¡°They are many in number. Tyrants from all over the galaxy destroy and plunder planets and those not strong enough to fight them off are driven mad with anger. They cry out for justice but gain no reply.¡±


    He laughed again.


    ¡°Until we come along,¡± he said. ¡°Us pure hearted Saiyans have a greater connection to the spirits of all the deceased rather than the regular, brutish Saiyans. Most Saiyans create victims as they have a love for battle and destruction. Suffering and unjust death are caused by the average Saiyan.¡±


    His laughter increased.


    ¡°And when our cries of desperation and anger are as loud as the Trampled Innocence, those wounded souls drag us to the Soul Realm!¡± he said. ¡°That is when we are closest to gaining unison with those innocent souls¡­and when they fuel our body, the rising increase in our qi causes the Super Saiyan transformation!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Goku said. ¡°But if we take on the pain of innocent souls¡­how do we become bloodthirsty monsters?¡±


    ¡°Because the wrath of the innocent is so great!¡± the silhouette said. ¡°The fact that no one attempted to stop the tyrant beforehand! The fact that so many supported him despite his evil! The unfairness of living at peace only for your livelihood to be plundered by the wicked! These are the cries of the innocent and they wish to be vindicated! Otherwise, it is as though they deserved to be destroyed for their virtue!¡±


    Goku felt hesitant as the shining being held out his hand. Every beam connected to him suddenly transferred into his open palm. Within, Goku could see the screams of innocents slaughtered en-masse, their corpses littering the ground.


    ¡°I felt no remorse slaughtering the Saiyans!¡± he said. ¡°They deserved it and I relished their distress! I only wish our kind could be eliminated completely!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible!¡± Goku shouted. ¡°The genocide of any species is wrong! You-You should be ashamed of yourself!¡±


    ¡°Ashamed?!¡± he asked. ¡°The Saiyans were mindless killing machines long before Freeza showed up! And once he enslaved them, they became his strongest soldiers to spread misery across the universe. Tell me, would it be good to allow them to live?¡±


    Goku couldn¡¯t say anything. The Saiyan¡¯s reasoning was perfect. He hung his head before turning away.


    ¡°Still, even if I do have the power to defeat Freeza and bring back my friends,¡± he said. ¡°You said I¡¯ll never be the same again. Will I be¡­like that monster you became?¡±


    ¡°All that and more,¡± he said.


    Goku looked down at the beams of light gathered in his palm. They danced wildly, showing pictures of soldiers in armor shooting civilians down with wild abandon. They laughed as they satiated their bloodlust, maniacal in their fervor.


    And standing prominently was Freeza. He was in a somewhat different form, one with horns and a pink tail but Goku still recognized him. Freeza¡¯s expression was the worst of all. He smiled happily as his warriors pillaged the innocent. If Goku looked closely enough, he could see the tyrant killing stronger opponents himself. It caused Goku to grimace.


    ¡°The wrath of these innocent deceased is greater than even the rage caused by the Saiyans,¡± the silhouette said. ¡°This is why I am so confident you will kill Freeza¡­because the more innocent souls killed by tyrants, the more souls fuel the Trampled Innocence and the more qi you will gain.¡±


    ¡°So you''re saying¡­?¡± Goku asked. ¡°I¡¯ll be more powerful than you were when you became a Super Saiyan?¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± the original Super Saiyan said. ¡°There have been more innocent souls killed since the one thousand years I have been the Soul Realms¡¯ guardian. You can take this power and destroy him¡­or live as Freeza¡¯s pet, with the death of your friends burdening you to no end.¡±


    ¡°But¡­?¡± Goku said. ¡°What will I become?¡±


    ¡°You will ascend,¡± he answered. ¡°To a level beyond what even King Kai would be.¡±


    ¡°But what exactly is that?!¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°The form I took as a Super Saiyan will differ from the one you will take,¡± he said. ¡°But to be honest with you¡­it is beyond description. All I can say is¡­Freeza will never bother anyone again. And you can return your loved ones to life.¡±


    Goku shut his eyes hard, gritting his teeth in frustration.


    It¡¯ll be just like the Kaio-Ken. He thought. Just another technique to increase my power level. I¡¯ll make sure of it.


    He then grasped the silhouette¡¯s hand before being overwhelmed with anger.

 The Bloodthirsty Beast Grins

    Chapter 2


    His sleep was disturbed at that moment. By what he couldn¡¯t tell. It was not enough to wake him more than a second, the featureless darkness surrounding his mind briefly pierced. Still too groggy from hibernation, he shook it off with a silent thought.


    What is that abominable power I feel? He mused. A qi¡­great enough to shake the universe?


    He then fell back to perfect sleep as the explosion of power wound down.


    Many powers¡­He thought. I sense¡­at once¡­


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    Freeza stopped laughing once he sensed something was off. An air of malice began emanating from the Saiyan that started out noticeable before becoming overwhelming. This was a new experience.


    Odd. Freeza thought. I¡¯ve never been able to feel qi before. Why¨Cwhy now? Did I just suddenly learn?


    He stared on as the yellow light flashed on and off his body like a flickering light. The golden aura was accompanied by a heavy wind filled with white mist. Upon closer inspection the aura and shining white mist had faces in them.


    Or is it just that overwhelming? Freeza wondered.


    The golden light was surging around Goku with angered expressions and smiles laughing in mad glee. The silvery mist that was spreading across the ground and sea carried even more faces than the gold aura. A vortex of wind swirled around them both until the water around them was fleeing away. And as the silver wind pushed against Freeza the faces whispered into his ear.


    Destroy. They whispered. Kill. Destroy. Obliterate. End the conqueror¡¯s life!


    Freeza noticed that any other light source beyond Goku was being snuffed out. He looked above to see the sky being covered by dark storm clouds that began to morph into more faces. The black clouds opened up with wide, cruel smiles and hollow eyes.


    In the midst of the hundreds of grimaces thunder began to roar. Lightning crackled in the sky with flashes of slaughter. Images of merciless killing appeared within the lightning before projecting a mirage of corpses strewn about. He thought he recognized some of those killed before looking away.


    He turned back to Goku, not wanting to look as he found a tail sprouting out from behind the Saiyan. But it was strange. It was gold as opposed to the usual brown and was thrice the length of a normal one.


    Odd. Freeza though. I thought only young Saiyans could grow their tails back.


    The oddness increased when Goku¡¯s skin ripped apart. Arms thicker than Freeza¡¯s head forced their way out of his chest. The limbs sprouted bronze talons twice the size of his hands. They shredded his flesh like paper to reveal they were covered in leathery golden skin. Freeza screamed in surprise to find more of the Saiyan¡¯s body eviscerated to bits.


    A new creature grew from Goku¡¯s body, like a parasite unveiling from its host. His legs were split into dozens of pieces to reveal new ones larger around than Freeza¡¯s limbs held together. Glowing yellow skin grew over the new limbs to shine like metal. His feet burst like balloons to reveal eagle-like talons that gripped the ground like a predator clutching its prey.


    And he grew taller with each second. Goku soon dwarfed Freeza in height as he cast a shadow over the frost demon. Freeza was eclipsed in the Saiyan¡¯s shadow before Goku¡¯s arms fell to the ground and new appendages sprouted from his shoulders. To replace his lost limbs were what Freeza assumed to be a new pair of arms before they grew too wide.


    A rod of yellow cartilage extended from each shoulder to grow wider across than Goku¡¯s entire body. Leathery, metallic matter extended downward from these rows of cartilage to become wide flaps of skin-like matter. Once the crescent-shaped wings flapped into existence the wind they whipped up incited pain in Freeza. He grunted in discomfort while skin cracked like eggshells to spill blood.


    Freeza stared up at the monster to find the creature horrifying. Most of his body was dressed in metallic gold skin shined with the brightness of a star. The bird talons seemed even more hideous than a mammal¡¯s claws. Adding to the horror of the bat-like wings, faces pressed against leathery appendages.


    Screaming in distress and anger the expressions of what must have been countless humans drifted inside the wings like they were trapped there. But upon closer inspection, Freeza found faces drifting across the metallic surface of Goku¡¯s new body. Each face appeared to be shrieking in distress and crying out against Freeza. He turned upward to avoid facing them only to find Goku¡¯s face.


    His irises glowed scarlet as opposed to their previous black. The bones in his head were almost pointed, like a wolf¡¯s in comparison to the more average flat face. His canine teeth were sharper than before. This tapered structure only incited more terror as Freeza looked up.


    ¡°G-Goku?¡± he asked.


    The Saiyan grabbed his arm by the wrist. Freeza did not have time to avoid the grasp as he screamed in pain. Just as he struggled against the Saiyan¡¯s grasp, Goku took hold of his other arm just as swiftly. At first the frost demon attempted to wrestle against the Saiyan¡¯s grasp before increasing his grip on Freeza. Freeza was brought to his knees as he yelled in pain.


    ¡°Stop!¡± he shouted. ¡°Stop! I command you to stop!¡±


    His arms felt like they¡¯d pop like a pimple.


    ¡°Don¡¯t-!¡± Freeza shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t-!¡±


    The Saiyan suddenly let go. Freeza¡¯s arms fell to the ground like rocks. At first he was relieved but when he tried to raise the limbs, he found this useless.


    He looked to see handprints pressed into the surface. It was like someone had taken two bars of clay and squeezed into it. Like his flesh was malleable.


    No. He thought. No one¡¯s ever been able to inflict this much damage to me. No one!


    He then looked up at the scarlet-eyed monster to find it baring its fangs at him.


    And in my final form no less¡­He thought. How¡­how¡­?


    ¡°What are you?!¡± Freeza shouted.


    The creature continued staring before opening its mouth. Rather than a singular voice arising, a million screams could be heard. The cries and screeching of tormented people hurt Freeza¡¯s ears. The closest thing he could describe it to would be the sound of static combined with a rushing waterfall magnified by a thousand.


    Kill! They cried. Kill! Kill! Judgment! Vengeance! Slaughter! Destroy!


    He recoiled in pain before the creature closed its mouth. After Freeza heard its strained and irritating cry he could feel his ears bleeding. Freeza looked down at himself to find himself covered in blood from hundreds of cracks.


    ¡°Me?¡± Goku said.


    A ripple disturbed the water around them once he spoke. It was Goku¡¯s voice but it changed. Goku no longer sounded calm and optimistic. His voice was loud even though he was not trying to be. Every word sounded like a stone digging beneath Freeza¡¯s skin.


    ¡°You ask what I am?¡± he said.


    Freeza quivered like a reed in harsh wind. He thought it was fear before realizing the Saiyan¡¯s voice alone was doing it. Goku¡¯s voice had so much force it was causing his body to ache.


    ¡°I,¡± he said. ¡°Am the answer.¡±


    ¡°The-the?¡± Freeza said. ¡°Answer to what?!¡±


    ¡°To you,¡± Goku said.


    Freeza almost fell down, his voice was so deafening. It hurt to listen to. He tried to stay up but his body continued to shake with each word the Saiyan uttered.


    ¡°An answer all innocent beings seek,¡± Goku said. ¡°A hope all the weak in this universe share. When tyrants go out into this world to destroy and plunder the innocent and the just are the victims. Slaughtered like lambs the corpses of the good gather in mountains as the evil launch campaigns of terror.¡±


    Goku¡¯s hand suddenly wrapped around Freeza¡¯s wrist. The frost demon didn¡¯t even notice until the Saiyan was hanging him in the air. With his free hand, Goku placed his thumb and index finger around Freeza¡¯s middle finger. The frost demon shook in disbelief as the Saiyan jerked the digit out of its socket.


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    ¡°Gahh!¡± Freeza shouted as blood spurted from his hand.


    ¡°Their screams cannot protect them,¡± Goku said. ¡°Because the tyrant is too drunk on bloodlust and their neighbors are already dead. So the innocent die for no reason other than the amusement of the evil.¡±


    Goku then placed the same fingers around Freeza¡¯s pinkie before slowly pulling on it.


    ¡°Ah-ah-ah-¡± Freeza shouted breathlessly.


    ¡°The innocent across the whole universe feel this in their bones,¡± Goku said. ¡°Wondering if they will die helplessly or live enslaved to a conqueror¡¯s whims. They do everything they can to protect those they love and secure bonds of friendship. Holding onto those precious joys that make life worth living, the innocent dread the day a tyrant appears.¡±


    He then plucked the finger out of its place. Freeza screamed in pain again for his blood to redden his torturer¡¯s fingers. Goku remained stoic at the sight.


    ¡°Lives of peace,¡± Goku said. ¡°Are not a deterrent to evil. But an invitation for villains like you to swing the sword at them. They wonder¡­¡±


    Goku took Freeza¡¯s other wrist into his own hand and squeezed, eliciting another moan.


    ¡°...why someone so powerful yet so evil arises,¡± Goku said. ¡°Why do the wicked always seem to be the strongest? Why do the peaceful live on death¡¯s edge, at the mercy of monsters, while the wicked and demonic have domain over the universe?¡±


    The Saiyan took Freeza¡¯s index finger with his own two digits before bending it backwards. Audible breaking violated Freeza¡¯s ears as unbearable pain wracked his hand. He¡¯d give anything for it to stop, even for it to snap off to end the suffering. But Goku seemed very well aware and prolonged the agony.


    ¡°And that desire is what I answer,¡± Goku said.


    He snapped Freeza¡¯s finger off for the third time.


    ¡°Gahh!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°The cruel tyrant shall know his day of vengeance,¡± Goku said.


    With a quick jerk he tore off Freeza¡¯s left arm. The frost demon fell to the ground and squirmed in pain. His cries of agony were no longer loud shouts but quiet whimpers. Freeza felt so drained of strength that he didn¡¯t even have the fortitude to screech in discomfort. Only mill about like a worm in the dirt.


    ¡°The lives of all who were snuffed out will have their greatest wish answered,¡± he said. ¡°Not only for their cries of revenge to be met but an end to further evil.¡±


    Freeza suddenly found the strength to shout in pain as the Saiyan¡¯s talons stomped on his right leg. Freeza coughed up a stream of blood and saliva once his knee was smashed like a bread against an iron weight. After the initial cry of pain, he continued to spit out spurts of blood and saliva until the ground around his head was soaked in it.


    ¡°I am the hope of the universe,¡± Goku said. ¡°The protector of the weak. The savior of all peaceful people. I am their shield that stands against the tempest of evil that those like you rain down. The wall that shall prevent further evil from crushing innocents.¡±


    A gold aura lit up around the Saiyan like a flame. The heat of such qi burned Freeza¡¯s white skin until it slightly blackened. He had whimpered in pain as he saw the golden energy surge into the sky.


    The souls of thousands could be seen flying into the dark clouds above them. The ghostly faces formed a pool of yellow light that shone brighter than the sun. It hurt to look up at but Freeza could not avoid noticing lightning flash with amazing radiance. Reaching down from the black sky were shining silver arms the size of trees that slapped at the air beneath. The movement of these hands created fierce winds.


    The sea around them began to whip into mighty vortexes from the wind Goku produced. The souls screamed as their movement generated wild water spouts that almost reached into the black sky. Freeza then began to feel the ground shake. Lying down he could see much of the remaining earth was beginning to crack open.


    Emerging from the splits in the surface of the Earth emerged scarlet flames. The tongues of fire had expressions in them that laughed with wicked mirth. Freeza could hear their jeers over the wind and thunder.


    ¡°I am Son Goku,¡± he said. ¡°And I am a Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°Suuu-per¡­¡± Freeza said before he coughed up more blood. ¡°Saiy-aiy-aiyan.¡±


    ¡°You should feel stupid, Freeza,¡± Goku said. ¡°Your evil was great enough to awaken the most legendary warrior in the universe. You will go down in history as a tyrant whose foolishness instigated such a transformation.¡±


    Goku gripped what remained of the frost demon¡¯s knee with his talon before ripping it from his leg. Freeza had grown numb to the pain by now but the blood rushing from his stump of a leg was still agonizing. His vision blurred with each drop of blood that reddened the ground around him. However, Freeza put all his remaining strength into his speech. He wanted to have the last word.


    ¡°I knew I had to wipe out you Saiyans,¡± he said. ¡°The Super Saiyan¡­it is said that when it appears¡­it cannot hold back its fury.¡±


    He spat out more blood onto the ground.


    ¡°That-that-that,¡± he choked. ¡°That was¡­the reason you¡­you monk-monkeys couldn-n¡¯t¡­be allowed to¡­live!¡±


    More blood spilled from his mouth. Goku glared down at the dying tyrant. Freeza gasped for air to find his lungs on fire.


    ¡°The Super-!¡± Freeza said. ¡°Super¡­Super Saiy-an-an! It destroys everything! It-it does¡­it does not stop¡­until¡­until it dies!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°The Super Saiyan¡­¡± Freeza said as he rolled his head to face Goku. ¡°It-it¡¯s too dangerous to¡­! To be a possibility!¡±


    The Saiyan glared down at him, his red eyes burning with wrath.


    ¡°I was¡­¡± Freeza said. ¡°S-Sav-Saving the¡­the universe! If¡­if even one Saiyan had the possibility of¡­of¡­of unlocking this transformation¡­it would cause¡­¡±


    He spat at more blood to smear red across his mouth.


    ¡°Disaster beyond repair!¡± Freeza said. ¡°It would do¡­do in a day what you claim my¡­my crimes would in my¡­entire liiife.¡±


    The Saiyan laughed.


    ¡°Really?¡± Goku asked.


    He spread his wings to their fullest length. The flames pouring from the cracks in the ground increased in height. The laughter that could be heard within the tongues of fire tore into Freeza¡¯s ears more. Blood poured from his ears in the quantity it flowed from his legs.


    ¡°You''re going to blame me for your destruction?¡± Goku asked.


    The Super Saiyan slammed his free talon onto Freeza¡¯s chest. Freeza screamed like he never had before as the claws dug into his chest. The force at which the talon slammed him into the ground crushed his innards. The frost demon could feel much of his internal organs burst.


    ¡°No,¡± Goku laughed. ¡°You villain. You did this to yourself.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Freeza shouted as tears ran from his eyes. ¡°I know about¡­! About the legend! They¡­they were passed down¡­from¡­from¡­¡±


    He winced in pain before drawing in one last breath.


    ¡°The story was passed down,¡± Freeza said as his vision blurred with tears. ¡°From ancestor¡­to¡­ancestor¡­by Saiyans and I¡­¡±


    He inhaled again to continue speaking, the act hurting his throat.


    ¡°¡­didn¡¯t believe them at first¡­¡± Freeza said. ¡°But¡­I was told to protect the world from the¡­the¡­the Super Saiyan¡¯s wrath. I was told¡­if it¡­it ever came¡­into being¡­the whole galaxy¡­would be¡­in danger.¡±


    Freeza¡¯s head rolled over to the side, the mere act of talking too much for him.


    ¡°So,¡± he said. ¡°So¡­I did what¡­what I could¡­to prevent the universe from¡­from being destroyed¡­from¡­from¡­¡±


    The talons gripped into Freeza¡¯s innards even tighter, eliciting another scream.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Goku said. ¡°Very interesting.¡±


    Freeza¡¯s body began shaking from the cold. He had lost so much blood all warmth left him. He was now waiting to die. Freeza clenched his teeth, wondering what his father would think.


    To think¡­He thought. That our kind¡¯s strongest lineage would be destroyed by a filthy Saiyan¡­I¡¯m sorry, father. I failed to live up to your expectations.


    ¡°You claim to wish to protect the universe,¡± Goku laughed.


    He clamped down on Freeza¡¯s body even harder, causing him to grunt in pain once more.


    ¡°While you wipe out every race that rebels against you,¡± he said. ¡°Or have a planet you¡¯d like to sell.¡±


    His laughter increased.


    ¡°You think I¡¯d show sympathy to a lame excuse like that?¡± Goku said. ¡°Freeza¡­the souls in me harbor a deep anger against you.¡±


    The frost demon winced in pain as the Saiyan pressed him harder against the ground.


    ¡°They tell me the bloodshed you ordered on their homeworlds,¡± he said. ¡°How you wiped out population after population before selling the emptied planet to the highest bidder.¡±


    Freeza felt the last of his blood leave his left leg before the limb went numb.


    ¡°You think I¡¯d believe a monster like that would have any fear for the safety of the innocent?¡± he asked. ¡°No¡­no!¡±


    Goku picked the tyrant up in his talon before slamming him down again.


    ¡°You only cared that someone stronger than you would arise and dethrone you as the most powerful in the universe,¡± the Super Saiyan said. ¡°Well I have news for you¡­you now lie at the mercy of the very thing you feared. And I¡¯m here to tell you¡­your reign of evil is over!¡±


    ¡°Filthy Saiyan!¡± Freeza shouted.


    Every word caused him to cough up more blood.


    ¡°And just know,¡± Goku said. ¡°That I will wipe out all you have built. Your empire will die with you.¡±


    ¡°Wh-What?!¡± Freeza asked.


    ¡°Your fear,¡± he laughed. ¡°Was more than correct.¡±


    Freeza¡¯s eyes widened in realization. He tried to shake his head but as he did, the ground beneath him cracked. The earth he lay on split open before intense heat lit up his body.


    He turned to find flames roaring out of the crevice. Freeza shouted in terror as the fire engulfed him. The faces in the fire surrounding Freeza were familiar to him. Each one was a person he killed or ordered his soldiers to. Their numerous arms wrapped around the frost demon¡¯s body before he was dragged into the crevice.


    He struggled against the flaming figures but Freeza had no strength left. He looked up to find Goku¡¯s smiling face was the last thing he saw as the ground above closed up. His laughter was deafening.


    ¡°As Super Saiyan,¡± he said. ¡°I am lord over those who are damned. And I deem you worthy of the worst punishments. Please, enjoy the hospitality of Hell.¡±


    ¡°No-!¡± Freeza shouted. ¡°No! No!¡±


    He reached up with his limp arm to grasp at the earth around him, only for his hand to slide off.


    ¡°I¡¯m invincible!¡± he shouted. ¡°I¡¯m Lord Freeza! I cannot-¡±


    The ground above him closed. Freeza was amazed at how the fire around him burned so hot and did not light the darkness at all. He could say it was pitch black but that wasn¡¯t true. The darkness was beyond black. It wasn¡¯t so much that he could not see what was there as much as there was nothing there. Light did not exist where he was. It was a foreign concept to everything. And as Freeza was set aflame he was pulled to a depth he¡¯d never known, a place light had never touched.

 Fury A Thousand Years In The Making

    Chapter 3


    It¡¯s not enough. They whispered to him.


    Goku could feel the anger surging through him. Every dead person swarming within his transformed being was crying with dissatisfaction. Every soul was another drop of rage that fueled his hatred. Freeza¡¯s death was not enough to satiate their anger.


    It¡¯s not enough. They screamed. It¡¯s not enough. It takes more than one life to make up for the horrors we¡¯ve been afflicted with.


    At that moment Goku realized what he¡¯d done. When he accepted the Trampled Innocence from that strange being he gave his life away. He surrendered his will to those millions that empowered him.


    Their collected power came with a price. He could no longer control himself. It wasn¡¯t his emotions driving him. Goku was subservient to those who inhabited his body. And it scared him.


    We must make more than Freeza pay. They said at once. We must destroy his empire. Obliterate all he has created. His army and his legacy. His army, the Freeza Force, must be the first to go!


    No! Other voices cried. We must destroy those who profited from his destruction of our races! We must wipe out those who stole our planets from us!


    You¡¯re all wrong! Another group said. We must destroy those who threaten the universe the most! We need to kill the most immediate threats to the innocent civilians of the galaxy! Kill the most evil races!


    The murdered souls would not stop arguing about who needed to die. Their debating of the issue drove Goku mad despite his wish that they would stop. What made it awful was they composed his being. He was no longer a singular entity but constructed of hundreds of millions of different beings.


    The conflict of the different individuals was analogous to one¡¯s cells forming into groups and slamming into one another. With each clash of separate spirits it caused him pain so deep it was beyond physical. Goku could feel his own spirit tearing apart with their arguments.


    But he fully wanted to give into their rage. Their desire for revenge was overwhelming. It was the one connecting thread between every individual. Within his being, Goku could sense the Trampled Innocence was millions of different races. Most did not know one another outside their own species but were in complete unison. They all had one enemy.


    The evil of the universe. Goku said to them. Must be stopped.


    Yes! The souls cried together. Yes! Destroy the evil that plagues our galaxy! Punish the wicked for their crimes! Rain judgment upon the tyrants!


    The Saiyan could not hold back his wrath. His emotions weren¡¯t his own. Just as his body was no longer the same, his spirit wasn¡¯t either. Every spirit was knit into his own soul. Each one was like a piece of cloth woven into a pre-existing blanket. Now that they were attached, Goku could not deny them their revenge. Because their revenge was his. And when the different souls bickered with one another it was like a blanket rending itself.


    There will come another Freeza. Goku said. Another tyrant.


    He glared into the horizon, the expression generating another whirlwind of gold aura.


    And that is why we cannot kill Freeza alone! He shouted to them. We must do everything possible to be the shield to the innocent of the universe!


    YES! They all cried. YES! Our champion finds our cause worthy!


    We can¡¯t be satisfied with one path of destruction! Goku said. We must destroy every possibility of evil! And rid the universe of those who benefit from Freeza¡¯s tyranny! We shall do all that and more!


    Every soul laughed in excitement.


    However¡­Goku said. Before we annihilate the wicked¡­we should bring back those who never deserved to die.


    He lifted his hands into the air before tracing outlines of his fallen friends in the ground around him. Perfect outlines of Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo were drawn at Goku¡¯s feet before twinkling stars lit up their borders. He then lifted the traced cutouts into the air as they slowly rotated around him with a silvery aura.


    I will do everything as you command. Goku answered the voices. Your pleas for vengeance cannot go unanswered. But first I must return my fallen comrades to life. After all¡­they fought to their deaths to protect the innocent.


    Every spirit within him agreed with this sentiment. Righteous vindication swelled up within Goku as their collective respect for his friends came into existence. The millions of souls then spoke in unison.


    ¡°To gain the true power of a Super Saiyan,¡± they said. ¡°You must be willing to make a sacrifice.¡±


    When they spoke aloud, it came from Goku¡¯s own mouth. After he spoke to them, they then replied using the same tongue he used. Their collected voices sounded so odd coming from Goku¡¯s lips. A trillion voices, none his own, erupted from his throat without his willingness.


    ¡°A sacrifice?¡± Goku asked. ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°The Super Saiyan¡¯s Qi Vendetta,¡± they said using Goku¡¯s mouth. ¡°A Qi Vendetta is a unique power they make for themselves. They can wish any specialized, personal ability into existence¡­so long as an appropriate cost is made for it.¡±


    ¡°I wish to resurrect everyone killed by Freeza, his soldiers and the Saiyans on Earth,¡± Goku said.


    ¡°Why?¡± the Trampled Innocence spoke.


    ¡°Why?!¡± Goku asked. ¡°What reason should I give?! Not only were my friends killed by Freeza¡¯s forces but the entire population of Namekians was wiped out! Should there be a better reason?¡±


    ¡°We do not ask for moral justification,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°We mean your personal reason for doing so. A Qi Vendetta is more than just a power. As the name implies, it is an ambition that arises from the user¡¯s innermost being, brought about by injustice they wish to rectify. In your heart of hearts¡­what is it you seek?¡±


    Goku lowered his head.


    ¡°I suppose¡­¡± he said. ¡°I have always wanted to protect my friends no matter the cost. But in this case¡­¡±


    He looked to the place in front of him where Freeza climbed out of the water to kill his friends.


    ¡°What caused me to transform is that suffering like this should not exist,¡± Goku said. ¡°The evil should suffer! Only the wicked! And the innocent should feed on and rule over anyone who is impure!¡±


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    ¡°Then that shall be your Vendetta!¡± the Trampled Innocence cried. ¡°You shall resurrect your friends by redirecting agony and pain into reviving energy! Your Qi Vendetta shall be Suffering Redirection Revival!¡±


    Goku¡¯s eyes opened wide as he was overcome with the sudden urge to lift his hand in front of him. The Super Saiyan held his palm forward and directed it at the piece of ground where Freeza had been swallowed up. A crevice in it opened before tongues of red fire rose from it. To Goku¡¯s enjoyment, Freeza¡¯s screams rang in the Super Saiyan¡¯s ears again before shining red sparkles flowed into the earthen cutout of Krillin¡¯s body.


    Once the crimson stars touched his best friend¡¯s silhouette of dirt and rock, the human¡¯s face appeared in it. His smiling, happy expression showed on the flat surface like in a mirror before disappearing. Goku gasped in relief.


    ¡°Krillin!¡± he cried.


    Goku almost wept when his friend¡¯s face disappeared and the Trampled Innocence further goaded him.


    ¡°It will take more than just one person¡¯s suffering to resurrect even one person,¡± the collection of spirits shouted through his mouth. ¡°You must take on cosmic-like destruction of evil that has never been seen. And with so many of us empowering you¡­your power level will be hundreds of times stronger than the original Super Saiyan.¡±


    He wiped a single tear in his eye as he ground his teeth.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Goku answered. ¡°Those that took innocent lives and profited from war¡­they shall be the ingredients to my resurrected friends.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± the Trampled Innocence cried. ¡°Now¡­let us have our revenge!¡±


    Goku smiled as raised his hands and wings to the sky.


    ¡°Certainly!¡± he shouted. ¡°We will start with Freeza¡¯s heritage!¡±


    Goku now found himself standing in the Soul Realm again. Pillars of translucent white with flowing faces appeared around him. Goku walked through the room of pillars as he tried finding the correct qi signature.


    If only I could find Freeza¡¯s spirit in here. He thought. Then I¡¯d be able to sense his qi signature and find his homeworld.


    Out of the corner of his eye he found Freeza¡¯s white face with a purple scalp. His expression was one of immense agony as Goku could vaguely make out the faint shape of tongues of fire around him. Before his appearance could disappear from the surface of the pillar, Goku placed his hand on it.


    This room connects the living with the dead. He realized. It¡¯s not only a space between the afterlife but the world of the living as well. I not only have some control of the other world but the living world as well. With that in mind¡­I should be able to locate beings that have a similar qi signature. I¡¯ll just enhance my sense of qi across the entire universe and¡­


    Goku absorbed the qi of Freeza through his right hand before repulsing it from his being. He then sent the signature he absorbed into the base of the pillar before it pulsated outward into the rest of the floor. The Super Saiyan then had a different vision.


    He was suddenly jettisoned thirty lightyears into space from the planet Namek. Moons, space satellites, ships and stars blurred past Goku before he found what he was looking for. The planet he ended up looking at was a world composed mostly of land and very little water, the complete opposite of Earth. It looked pale purple in color.


    The sentient inhabitants were a dead ringer for Freeza. While most of them had horns they generally had the same shape about them. The aliens were humanoid in appearance and their skin was a combination of white, purple or light pink. They had prehensile tails they often used to grab things as easily as one would with a hand.


    The buildings on the planet were very ornate, usually decorated in silver and gold. They had various ornate windows that were like stained glass that depicted all sorts of wondrous alien creatures. The streets were a pristine pale blue and each city seemed to have very well-kept gardens of lush greenery and showy flowers.


    And each inhabitant seemed incredibly evil. Goku had never felt such a vast collection of wrath, greed and wickedness. Each frost demon, as Goku came to realize they were called, was just as heartless as Freeza. They were just not strong enough to be the tyrant they wanted to be, like Freeza.


    The frost demons, as Goku now knew them to be, were among the strongest warriors in the galaxy. Apparently the planet¡¯s name was Cold. Their kind not only had enormous natural qi reserves but also had the habit of producing mutants like Freeza¡¯s lineage that could steamroll even the Saiyans. Freeza¡¯s specific family was hundreds of times stronger than any of the ordinary frost demons, which was how he became the ruler of the galaxy.


    However, that did not excuse the entirety of the frost demons. As Goku kept sensing Freeza¡¯s species through the tyrant¡¯s qi signature, he found the spirits stirred with even greater anger. They were excited at the sight.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Trampled Innocence spoke. ¡°Yes. The frost demons have repeatedly produced the most evil and greatest of galactic conquerors.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was the Saiyans?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°No,¡± the collected souls stated. ¡°The Saiyans sought to increase their battle strength and took pleasure from fighting. Frost demons naturally seek money, territory and ruling others. If a Saiyan¡¯s highest pleasure is battle, then the frost demon¡¯s highest pleasure is annexation of planets and people. They are born with the instinct to reign over as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°So there are others like Freeza?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°Take a look at the Planet Cold,¡± they answered. ¡°Freeza is not even the greatest of them. Freeza¡¯s family, called the evil lineage, has produced many frost demons that were feared for their enslavement and genocide of entire species. They shall be the first to fall. But before that, there is something you must be shown.¡±


    The Trampled Innocence gave Goku a picture in his mind of thousands of different planets. Each planet they showed him had an ominous stream of purple energy flowing from it. Different planets had varying amounts of evil qi arching from them with some being small while others being large.


    The streams of purple all flowed into one single point in the middle of the galaxy that was blacker than the rest of space. Goku could sense nothing but pure evil from the rivers of violet qi intersecting at that portion of space. It was odd to him as he would have thought he could sense something that strongly embedded with the presence of evil before becoming a Super Saiyan.


    ¡°Wh-What is that?¡± Goku asked. ¡°Is it¡­something to do with Freeza?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°It is an amalgamation of evil beyond even what Freeza could produce. It is gathered by one being for the sole purpose of empowering him.¡±


    ¡°Where does it all go?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°To a place we cannot reach,¡± the Trampled Innocence explained. ¡°Now, to defeat it¡­you must cut off its supply of power. A good place would be to start with Freeza¡¯s father¡­¡±


    Goku nodded before leaving the Soul Room. He pictured the place in the galaxy where it was. A mental map formed in his mind of where the Planet Cold was. It had the largest amount of evil qi flowing from it to the center of the galaxy. Not only did he know the directions by heart but Goku¡¯s qi sense was locked onto the planet. He then raised his wings and flapped into the air, rocketing toward the sky.


    Behind him trailed the three silhouettes of his friends. As he got airborne, Goku used the Soul Room to track Piccolo''s soul. After finding his spirit flowing within the pillar, Goku saw every Namekian that had recently been murdered. He cut out silhouettes of rock and dirt in the shape of them and had them levitate around him.


    After carving the shapes¡¯ of the Namekians, he then made three more for Yamcha, Teinshinhan and Chiatzu. As he rose into the air, these carvings of earth spinned around him even more rapidly. Ironically enough, every Namekian killed by Freeza or his soldiers was championing Goku to take revenge.


    ¡°The only reason my friends went to Namek was to revive my friends who died fighting Vegeta and Nappa,¡± Goku said. ¡°And the only reason that Freeza brought his army here was because they heard about the origins of the dragon balls from us. I am sorry¡­I-I can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°Do not be sorrowful. You are a mighty warrior of justice. You did everything you could to prevent the deaths of good people.¡±


    ¡°Thank-you,¡± Goku said.


    He then looked down one last time at Namek as it became further and further away.


    ¡°But there is one more person I must restore to life,¡± he said.


    Goku then made a carving out of Vegeta. The soil beneath him drew an outline of the Saiyan prince before he felt some resistance. The Trampled Innocence was skeptical of this move.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± they shouted. ¡°Some of us were killed by him!¡±


    ¡°I have to give Vegeta a second chance,¡± he answered. ¡°I pity him!¡±


    ¡°For what?!¡± the Trampled Innocence shouted.


    ¡°Before Vegeta died,¡± Goku said. ¡°Freeza took him as a child to serve him. Not only did Freeza take Vegeta from his father but threatened to kill his father if Vegeta defied him. He looked so sad when he died¡­¡±


    Goku shook his head as the carved cut out of Vegeta rose to him and began rotating like the others.


    ¡°Please,¡± he said. ¡°Give me this one chance¡­and I¡¯ll prove Vegeta can be redeemed.¡±


    He could feel the Trampled Innocence skeptical of this decision but eventually gave in.


    ¡°We do not like the Saiyan prince,¡± the spirits said. ¡°He is just as cruel and vile as the other Saiyan elites were. But since you are of pure heart, are willing to rid the galaxy of the evil plaguing and have used up your Qi Vendetta only to bring your fallen comrades back¡­we will allow this as a token of gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Thank-you,¡± Goku cried.


    Goku flapped his bat-like wings with greater ferocity as he left Namek¡¯s atmosphere. He was surprised to find that he had no trouble breathing in space. Apparently his newly transformed biology did not need oxygen. Goku flew through the cosmos, not caring for the celestial objects he sped past. The planets and stars were blurs to him as he flew toward Planet Cold at speeds not even the spaceship could produce.


    ¡°And now for our revenge!¡± Goku cried.

 Judgement

    Chapter 4


    Like a thorn in his side, the power pierced his slumber yet again.


    That power¡­He thought. It is on the move.


    He then fell back asleep.


    Fixing the Namekian ship was easier than Bulma thought it would be. When one of Freeza¡¯s goons had blasted it, she thought it would mean the machine was completely busted. While the ship did have a hole blasted through it, it was still able to fly. A little tinkering with the ship¡¯s database would allow the vessel to retrace the path they had taken from Earth and arrive onto her home planet in roughly the same time it took to get to Namek. Bulma was almost done rewiring the ship as she thought about what she¡¯d seen a little over an hour ago.


    ¡°I am Porunga,¡± the giant green dragon roared. ¡°Granter of wishes.¡±


    Once she had seen the sky darken and the dragon appear in the distance, she knew coming to Namek was worth it. She hightailed it to their ship they traveled in on an air contained in a capsule she had in her pocket. Bulma had forgotten about it up until she saw Porunga.


    ¡°I never leave home without one,¡± Bulma said.


    After seeing the dragon, took it and fled to the Namekian ship they restored. However, Bulma was afraid of what forces remained on the planet that could kill her. Whether it be Vegeta or Freeza¡¯s army, she didn¡¯t want to stay on anymore. After she


    ¡°If they resurrect our friends, including Piccolo¡­¡± she said as she worked. ¡°Then that means Kami will return and so will the dragon balls. When I get back to Earth, I¡¯ll summon Shenron and wish them off Namek and onto Earth. Even if Gohan and Krillin die, I could still wish them back with the dragon balls made by Kami and still be okay.¡±


    Even though Bulma hated the thought of leaving without Gohan and Krillin, she felt it was either now or never. It was what she believed now that she needed to get off considering what all she felt had happened on the planet. In the time between heading back to the damaged Namekian ship and fixing it up until now, the whole planet had been shaking.


    While Bulma couldn¡¯t sense qi like her friends, she could sense that. Whatever it was, it felt downright bloodthirsty and evil, with tortured screams filling the entire planet¡¯s air. She was afraid of staying on Namek any longer because of that.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay here anymore after feeling¡­¡± she said. ¡°Whatever that was. I need to get off now. Maybe it¡¯s Freeza, maybe it¡¯s Vegeta¡­I don¡¯t know¡­all I know is they probably brought Piccolo back to life and he¡¯s in Otherworld right now¡­waiting to come back to Earth.¡±


    With the ship back online and the course for Earth reset, Bulma sat at the helm before the ship levitated back into the air and zipped through space.


    I just have to get back to Earth before Piccolo does. She thought. So that I can wish my friends back to life and they can protect the world from him in case he gets like his father again.


    King Cold sat on his throne, drinking wine from his favorite glass as he waited for a response from his son. His twelve attendants were at the monitors of his castle where he received calls from his subordinates. Cold¡¯s soldiers were dressed in the standard attire of white and brown equipped shoulder pads. The castle he sat in was very spacious, made of glistening purple metal with a crystal chandelier hanging above.


    Normally the king would be asleep at a time like this but he was curious of how his son was doing. He had heard word from some of Freeza¡¯s soldiers that many of his men had been killed on Namek. This made the king afraid of his son¡¯s organization¡¯s reputation. Cold had received no response from Freeza himself in the last twenty-four hours.


    There should be no warriors in the universe that can stand up to the Ginyu Force save me or my family. He thought. But apparently they had trouble with the rogue Saiyan Vegeta who rebelled against Freeza. And¡­another Saiyan named Goku. But I was unaware that any Saiyan besides Vegeta was currently alive. Where did he come from? No way he could be as strong as Vegeta. I wonder how much trouble he gave Freeza before the Ginyu Force must have killed him. If word gets out that they interfered with my son¡¯s plans then others may get the idea that they can stand up to us.


    Cold took a sip from his glass before sighing at the thought as he reclined against his seat.


    And that¡¯d be annoying to deal with. He thought. If a rebellion springs up from one of the conquered dust mites I might have to put my vacation to the pleasure planets on hold. I was looking forward to a fine evening in the fleshpots.


    ¡°King Cold!¡± a soldier said.


    His bored expression shifted to Sergeant Beska, a green-skinned alien with horns growing around the edge of his face.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Have you found communication with my son Freeza?¡±


    ¡°No word has been received from Freeza at this time!¡± Beska replied.


    ¡°Sergeant,¡± he said. ¡°I told you only to tell me if you have received word from Freeza or his subordinates. I need to know how disastrous his campaign to Namek was.¡±


    ¡°But this is incredibly important!¡± he said. ¡°A huge energy source is heading directly to Cold Planet 391!¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the king said with dull enthusiasm. ¡°That¡¯s this planet.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± a fish-looking soldier said.


    Sussi, a yellow skinned private with fins around his body, turned to King Cold.


    ¡°He¡¯s headed straight for us!¡± Sussi cried. ¡°And his power level is¡­we can¡¯t really read it! It¡¯s almost as if it¡¯s millions of different powers in one colliding object!¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Cold said. ¡°A power level you can¡¯t read heading in the direction of us. Another annoyance I have to take care of.¡±


    ¡°No sir!¡± Sussi said. ¡°We don¡¯t just mean heading towards Cold Planet 391! We mean headed straight for the capital city!¡±


    King Cold finally sat up straight against his seat as he leered at the private.


    ¡°The capital city of Marzipan?¡± he asked. ¡°I-I find that very odd news.¡±


    He looked at the monitors to see a black silhouette of some humanoid creature entering the atmosphere of the planet.


    ¡°You must be joking,¡± he said. ¡°The inhabitants of my universe know that such an action would result in the death of them and their family. Their entire race if they annoy me enough. Surely this is a funny looking meteorite or a lost denizen that drifted in space.¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt that, sire,¡± Passa said.


    The yellow alien with dark yellow stripes running along his body pressed a button to gain a better visual of the entering projectile. There were other objects flying around the speeding creature that were humanoid in shape but were obviously non-living. While the object was traveling too fast to clearly distinguish, it somehow seemed familiar to King Cold.


    Vegeta¡­? He wondered.


    Suddenly a shock of surprise raced through Cold. The sensation was so unexpected it was almost painful. He leaned forward and gasped in intensity. The king shook in nervousness as his eyes widened at the feeling. Cold could see all his soldiers jumped in surprise as well. There was no explanation for what King Cold felt and yet there was only one possibility.


    I just sensed their power level! He thought. But I can¡¯t sense qi! Why-why now of all times?!


    For the first time in his life, a shiver of fear ran down his spine.


    And that power¡­He thought. It felt overwhelming¡­just¡­just so¡­so big. Not just big¡­vast, immense¡­like the humbling feeling of looking over an ocean for the first time.


    An even scarier thought crossed his mind.


    Is¡­? King Cold asked. Is it because¡­it is a power greater than anything the universe has to offer?


    He jumped to his feet in fear.


    Could¡­? He thought. Could it be a power greater than mine?


    King Cold stomped in defiance at the thought, breaking the smooth stone beneath him. All twelve of his soldiers jumped at the sensation, some knocked down at the shockwave he caused. He glared forward at the monitor as the creature continued descending toward his planet.


    No. Cold challenged. No. No. No. No. No. Even if it is a power greater than anything in the universe¡­is it still not as powerful as I am. Because nothing is. Not even my son Freeza.


    ¡°Lord¡­lord Cold¡­¡± Sussi said as he scrambled to his feet to look at the monitors.


    ¡°What?!¡± King Cold snapped.


    ¡°The¡­¡± he said. ¡°That power level has¡­it has arrived. Outside¡­.th-th-this very castle.¡±


    ¡°Well then¡­¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s time to show this young upstart who he¡¯s messing with!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sussi asked. ¡°Y-You mean you¡¯re going to fiiiight-?¡±


    ¡°Aaaahhhh!¡± King Cold roared.


    His armor shattered into pieces as his anger soared. He began willing his qi to be released to trigger the transformation. His soldiers scurried in fear as King Cold flew out his castle, the king too concerned with the coming threat to bother walking. He nearly ripped the castle doors off their hinges before pushing them and having them burst open from sheer force.


    King Cold landed outside his capital city to see that every other inhabitant was looking up at the sky in terror. The streets paved with blue sapphire and glistening white buildings were glistening in the light above. As the outermost layer of King Cold¡¯s skin broke into fragments, he turned to look above him. The brilliant white light above him was like a sun with the silhouette of a large, winged beast in the center. Various man-shaped figures floated around him. For some reason, Cold could continue sensing the figure¡¯s qi.


    It¡¯s¡­He thought. Beyond immense. It¡¯s deep and eternal. His power level almost feels so large I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m drowning in it. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m skipping straight to my most powerful transformation.


    And he finally did reach his pinnacle form. The blue gem street beneath him cracked for maybe fifty feet across and many windows shattered. The weight of his transformation was too much for his surroundings as most physical morphing was for his race.


    When Cold¡¯s skin broke apart and was replaced, his body was no longer pink as much as it was a dark purple. His upper body was shielded in a white chestplate with both arm and leg skin the deep violet. However, his elbows and knees were fitted with white spikes that surrounded the appendages. The horns atop Cold¡¯s head becoming a circular crown with the eight spikes surrounding his scalp.


    For the first time in his life, he had achieved this form purely out of necessity. This angered the king, a burst of purple aura surrounding him as a result of his rage. He glared up at the being who had discomforted him.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± the king shouted. ¡°Why have you come here?! Do you want to be crushed like an insect?!¡±


    The being did not respond. He merely landed on the surface of the streets of Marzipan so he could be seen properly. The light around him faded as his silhouetted shape disappeared to reveal his monstrous form.


    King Cold shuttered in horror. He looked like an eagle at first if his wings were anything to go off of. But the span of his wings was broader across than any avian Cold was aware of. The talons on his hands and feet squeezed reflexively, as though just itching to dig into something. His gold tail waved behind him like a snake. And the metallic gold surface of his body glowed like the sun. Faces screaming in terror traveled along the surface of his body as though trapped within the form of the enormous creature.


    Their screams were somewhat audible as they cried in anger of horrid, murderous things. Stone cut-outs of people floated around him. He was taller than Cold himself and had the face of a wolf. However, within his scarlet eyes, the king could see what race he was.


    ¡°A-A-A Saiyan of this caliber of strength¡­?¡± he gasped in surprise. ¡°B-B-But who are you?¡±


    The cries of the faces pressed against the golden skin of the creature grew louder in their infernal screeching. King Cold stepped backward in fear, wishing they¡¯d quiet down. He would rather go deaf than listen to them for the rest of his life.


    ¡°You¡¯re not King Vegeta¡­¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re not his son¡­you¡¯re not even that pipsqueak Raditz¡­just¡­just who are you?¡±


    He almost regretted asking the question. Once he did, the clear skies of Cold Planet 391 changed from blue to black in an instant. Dark clouds swarmed above to encompass the entirety of the atmosphere. Crackles of thunder could be heard as they lit up the cloudbanks.


    A Cold looked up at, he found faces flashing within the lightning of the evil looking sky. Sick laughter roared from above with each thunderous explosion. He then turned back to the Saiyan in front of him to watch his jaw open. With this simple gesture, King Cold felt the air around him shake with intense force.


    Many buildings around King Cold shook before collapsing to the ground, the streets around them shattering. The closest thing he could relate it to was an earthquake occurring in the air around him but one so forceful it shattered the air like ice. King Cold felt his body vibrate so violently he stumbled to his feet. He almost landed on his hands as he tried to steady himself.


    As the airquake died down, Cold slowly stood back up to face the monster to find his hateful gaze looking down at the king. For the first time in his life, King Cold felt under someone else¡¯s authority while being stared by the bright red eyes. The irises that glowed like gems had a certain power and sway that Cold had never before experienced. He was no longer kneeling out of losing footing but kneeling out of a command to a higher authority.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he said. ¡°Am all those you killed.¡±


    King Cold could feel his grasp on reality slipping. In the same way a man starts seeing double from a head injury, his understanding of the world becoming more and more tenuous. It was the oddest sensation.


    It was like his five senses were on the fritz. He couldn¡¯t see, hear or feel anything and yet his body was functioning fine. Information was no longer registered to him.


    Everyone¡­? Cold asked. Everyone?


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Saiyan said. ¡°Everyone.¡±


    ¡°What-?!¡± the king shouted. ¡°How-How could you-?¡±


    ¡°AAAHHH!¡± the Saiyan roared.


    A great gust of circulating whipped up around the tall Saiyan, the tornado expanding to tear everything around it. Once the wind expanded its diameter, Cold was lifted off his feet by the force and flung through the air. His mouth fell open in amazement at the sensation of an attack knocking him off his feet. He crashed into the outer wall of a building behind him before plopping onto the street. The stone cutouts of those around him disappeared as the Saiyan laughed.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± the king sighed in pain.


    He couldn¡¯t stand up, the wind was just too strong. Any attempt to his feet would slam him against the wall again. However, King gained a very good view of what happened around him.


    What buildings in the city were not destroyed were being shattered into pieces before being thrown skyward. The frost demons living in the capital were carried almost as effortlessly into the air as the tornado roared to life. Their purple and white bodies circling in the air before disappearing in every imaginable direction made them look like specks of purplish-pink snow rotating in the sky.


    Only King Cold was able to resist being flung into the air and that¡¯s because he was doing everything in his power to stay on the ground. He fully concentrated his qi into magnetizing to the street below him. He was clinging to the ground like a man hanging on a rope for dear life.


    My people¡­Cold thought as he watched them rocket and spin skyward.


    Tears ran down his face.


    My city¡­He thought. Everything I worked for¡­destroyed by this one random insubordinate getting mad.


    Cold shut his eyes in pain, not daring to look at everything he¡¯d attained collapsing before him.


    I¡¯m done for. He thought. And so are my people. But how can that be? What Saiyan has this much power? I mean¡­there¡¯s no creature in the universe who could have stood up to Freeza in his first form. Who¡­Who is this man?


    And then the tornado stopped. Cold could feel the terrifying wind wasn¡¯t scarring his skin anymore and the loud roar was gone. It was such an odd, abrupt halt of movement. The wind didn¡¯t die down so much as it was commanded to cease. The king looked up to find falling from the sky was every person and piece of solid matter the whirlwind lifted up.


    The corpses of his people smashed against the street as lifelessly as airless balls limply flailing on the ground. The broken shards of buildings and pieces of street the tornado tore asunder also rained down from above. They meteored down into every crevice of the destroyed city, burying most of the corpses and destroying all standing remains of the buildings. Almost all of the pavement had been ripped from the ground and thrown into the air as stone shreds. Some pieces of building walls even landed on King Cold.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± he cried in pain.


    The large, flat stones covered King Cold as he laid on the ground. And they hurt. They hurt badly. In just about every fight Cold had taken apart in, debris from the battles had ever hurt him. But they did now for a reason he had no explanation as to why. He could chalk it up to the small cuts the wind scarred into the surface of his body but that didn¡¯t seem to quite explain it. It felt as if King Cold¡¯s spirit was hurt.


    ¡°How-?¡± he asked as he shook under the debris. ¡°How can I be this weak? He¡¯s¡­he¡¯s just one lone fighter?¡±


    A frightening realization then crossed his mind.


    Could it be true? He thought. Could his power¡­truly be the amalgamation of all those I killed? Could their combined power have dwarfed mine?


    He gritted his teeth in anger.


    No. Cold said. No. No. No!


    He stood up in a fit of rage and flung the large pieces of debris off him. He then stood up and stared at the Saiyan in a rage. The Saiyan stared back in apathy, clearly unimpressed by Cold¡¯s presence. The dark sky above was flashing with white lightning. King Cold¡¯s fists tightened in anger as purple qi surrounded him and formed cracks in the bare earth.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°So!¡± he shouted. ¡°Monkey! You think you can come to my home, my planet and tear down everything I built with my own two hands?!¡±


    The Saiyan didn¡¯t respond. His expression barely changed. The warrior looked at him with a bored expression, as if King Cold was no more than a child throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°Well?!¡± Cold roared. ¡°Well?!¡±


    Again, he gave no response. This angered the king, his breathing becoming shallow. Fear crept into his heart, further reducing Cold¡¯s reasoning. He increased the purple aura surrounding his body, searing the dirt beneath him like flames did to paper.


    ¡°Alright!¡± he said. ¡°Not going to say anything! Then I¡¯ll show you the punishment I give to those who defy me!¡±


    He propelled his qi off the ground and rushed at the Saiyan with every bit of force he could. King Cold expected his enemy to attempt to retaliate but he merely stood there, unbothered by the assault. With all his might, he punched the winged Saiyan in the face. And it felt like jamming his hand into a wall.


    ¡°Gah!¡± King Cold shouted.


    He knelt to the ground in pain as his fist rattled with pain. The Saiyan¡¯s hand was stronger than any substance Cold had ever touched. His right arm was shaking with severe agony, like a bell that had just been rung. He cradled his arm with his undamaged one.


    He screamed in pain for a solid minute before letting go of his arm. He could feel the bones of his knuckles, hand and wrist cracking from the pressure. King Cold began whimpering in fear as the inside of his arm felt like shattered ice.


    ¡°M-My a-arm¡­¡± Cold said. ¡°How¡­?¡±


    ¡°Haaaa!¡± the Saiyan roared.


    The scream itself was enough to send him flying. King Cold felt like his entire body was swatted with an enormous hand. A wisp of golden aura washed over him before knocking him into the building behind him. Just as the structure collapsed onto him, he saw the warrior move his arm to the side.


    Cold didn¡¯t have time to slump to the rubble before his entire body was thrown to the right again. His head plowed into the ground, causing him to catch a mouthful of dirt and rock before his neck and upper torso was further buried by the force projected onto him. Cold felt more than half his eight horns snap off at the ends while the others broke off from their base. He glided further into the dirt before half his body was submerged within it.


    And there he sat, humiliated with his legs flailing in the air before stopping all movement. As uncomfortable as it was, Cold felt almost relieved. He hoped that this state of embarrassment and obvious defeat would cause the Saiyan to leave him alone. This slight reprieve was destroyed once he felt a tight, iron vice squeeze Cold¡¯s leg so hard that he feared the limb would be severed. Effortlessly dragged out of the ground, the frost demon began coughing up mouthfuls of dirt to hang upside down in front of his attacker. His glowing red eyes looked like death incarnate as King Cold hung weakly.


    ¡°Pl-Pl¡­¡± he strained. ¡°Pleassssse¡­spare me and¨Cand-¡±


    He shook in fright as the Saiyan¡¯s grip tightened.


    ¡°I shall give you half my kingdom,¡± King Cold said with all his might. ¡°If you spare me.¡±


    The Saiyan¡¯s grip tightened so much that King Cold was sure his leg had been severed.


    ¡°Gaaahhh!¡± he shrieked louder than he ever had in pain.


    The Saiyan threw the frost demon across the city. It was at that moment that the king was gliding even faster from that motion than he had ever flown on his own might. The world to him was beyond a blur, the world around him nothing but a smear of light and color.


    It was actually strangely pleasant for him to fly this far and this fast without relying on his own qi. The sensation was like being on a rollercoaster ride without any restraint. Beyond a thrill as far as the adrenaline boost went.


    That was, until, a black shadow appeared out of the corner of King Cold¡¯s eye before that his entire body was obscured by it. As fast as King Cold was flying, he was amazed that his attacker could move at even faster speed to keep up with him. Just as Cold looked up at the source of the shadow, he felt a wicked elbow drive into his stomach, the power of which was enough to pierce his organs and cause blood to erupt from his chest and mouth.


    The frost demon plowed into the ground beneath him once again but this time there was no relief. He cratered into the planet below him, a windstorm stirring up around him from the force the Saiyan assaulted him with. His arms, legs and tail splayed out around him as they each created an impression at least seven feet deep into the ground.


    To say Cold was in pain at this point was beyond an understatement. His body was paralyzed with agony. The idea of movement felt like an alien concept now that he¡¯d been knocked down this much.


    In all his years of training and fighting, he had never experienced a blow like this. Practically any warrior could get up from being knocked into the ground but not this time. This time, the crater he made from such overwhelming force felt real. It was not a display of strength from the opponent or a testament to the durability of the losing party that they had formed a hole in the ground. King Cold felt trapped on the surface of the planet, as if his own grave had been dug for him.


    And just as Cold was sure that he would never be able to escape this grave, he felt his body rise. The edges of his body submerged into the rock around him were being scratched something fierce, blood coating the stone before he levitated into the air. His body then turned to be displayed face forward. Cold found himself facing the Saiyan directly.


    The hundreds of golden faces moving along his body and screaming tortured Cold¡¯s ears. He could not, for the life of him, concentrate with such noise. He panted in exhaustion, the pain in his body and the screaming in his ears too much for the frost demon. What scared him was that he thought that he recognized many of the faces coursing across the Saiyan¡¯s body.


    I¡­He thought. I killed many of them.


    In the Saiyan¡¯s open palms burned bright flames of golden aura with those recognizable faces that Cold had killed. Each expression was carved into his psyche as he levitated in the air. He had forgotten them until this point, thinking them to be nothing but ants under his feet. Now, the frost demon was forced to see their sorrow captured just before King Cold annihilated them.


    And now they wish to do the same to me. He thought.


    ¡°Feel the wrath of the Trampled Innocence!¡± the Saiyan cried.


    The qi filled with faces of long dead men and women was turned on him as an attack. The Saiyan began flinging the aura in his hands at King Cold faster than the frost demon could blink. Rapid-fire balls of light exploded all across his body, every one burning pieces of his skin to ash.


    But it wasn¡¯t just his body that was breaking down as a result of this attack. He could feel his soul doing so as well. While King Cold had never really believed in the idea of a ¡°soul¡±, he could suddenly feel it inside him. Feel it be destroyed.


    It was like discovering an organ in one¡¯s body that you¡¯d never known of being torn to bits. The portion of him he felt to be destroyed laid deeper in his being than any of his organs, deeper than his flesh, deeper than even his mind be utterly ripped out from within. The burning of the qi blasts ignited the core of who he was, each second more painful for the next.


    It was strange to die this way. Strange to experience this sensation but most of all painful. King Cold¡¯s emotions were set ablaze, disappearing little by little. His bravado and pride he had accumulated over the years was gone, leaving a hollowed out, empty feeling. Those emotions of laughing in sheer ecstasy from experiencing his own power disappeared along with his sense of being.


    I have no¡­He thought. No feelings anymore. I¡­have no sense of¡­of confidence. No elation of victory¡­I am¡­nothing¡­


    Cold could even see his soul being consumed in flames. Golden fire exploding from his arms and legs each contained images of his life. One image of drinking wine on his throne while telekinetically tossing around rebels his soldiers had captured was visible in the flames. The image disappeared almost as soon as it became visible.


    Another one of his memories visible in the flames was standing over the piles of bodies from a planet that had defeated the soldiers he sent there. After reprimanding his surviving men for not being strong enough to take the planet, Cold himself arrived to obliterate the entirety of the planet¡¯s inhabitants in less than half an hour. After that, he took the various body parts of the slain and sent them all around the galaxy as a message and warning to any who would disobey him. It vanished from sight along with feeling of superiority it gave King Cold


    Another image that appeared in the golden flames was King Cold sparring with his son. Freeza had been seriously bruised from the exchange, one of his arms clearly broken and his left eye shut and spilling blood while facing his father. As the younger of the frost demon¡¯s begged his father to stop the training, King Cold had none of it.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± he barked. ¡°You will continue training until I say we stop.¡±


    Freeza was too tired and broken to respond, panting for every last bit of air. Freeza raised his fists to his father, his legs shaking in agony as he attempted to continue fighting. While Cold said this was for Freeza¡¯s benefit, in reality the king was doing so because he rarely had an opponent that gave him a real challenge and Freeza was one of the few who did that. Cold was basically torturing Freeza at this point to vindicate his sense of pride. This vision faded into the fire as well, the meaning and sense of joy it gave vanishing with it.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± the Saiyan cried as he destroyed the frost demon.


    Just as the frost demon was surrounded in a cloud of smoke, his nostrils filled with the stench of his own flesh burning, he could feel the Saiyan let go of him. At first it felt relieving for his assailant to release King Cold from his telekinetic grip. But then Cold realized he was too weak to keep himself afloat.


    He dropped to the shattered remains of the street below like a rock, a large grunt and blood spilling from his mouth. It took all his strength to lift his head up to view the damage done to his body. And once he saw it, King Cold regretted the decision.


    His legs had been blown off so that only bloody stubs remained. His right arm was nowhere to be seen as the right half of his torso had been burned away. His left arm from the elbow down was burned away, leaving only a smoking stump in its place.


    In fact, that was a constant throughout his body. Every portion burned away from the Saiyan¡¯s enormous qi blasts were smoking like a campfire. Red embers lingered on the destroyed portions of his flesh, continuing to cause the king.


    I¡­He thought. I am defeated¡­I don¡¯t know how or what this creature is but¡­this¡­is my end¡­


    The warrior with faces running across his body and a bright gold aura walked forward until he stood over the king. His bloodthirsty grin only grew larger as he leaned down to the frost demon. The Saiyan picked King Cold up by his neck, his large, talon-like vice firmly surrounding his throat.


    ¡°Now¡­¡± the Saiyan said. ¡°Are you regretting your malevolent actions?¡±


    He tried to answer but all that came from his speech was more blood to be spat up. King Cold did his best to stare his captor down, trying to form the confidence to speak. With his strength depleted, speaking was a chore.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± he said. ¡°I-I apologize¡­for¡­my evil¡­¡±


    Every breath  felt as though it was a punch to his gut.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he said. ¡°Am sorry to all¡­those I killed.¡±


    The Saiyan¡¯s wolf-like face smiled at that. He then held out his palm to the frost demon. A burst of qi at first scared the king before feeling a gentle wave of relief flow through him, the golden light spreading across his body like water flowing across the ground.


    King Cold¡¯s strength returned to him, his ability to move no longer hindered by his injuries. Better than that, he found his limbs growing back. His legs and arms grew themselves back inches at a time, the bone, tissue and skin reappeared. In an instant his body was fixed and King Cold was able to stand on his own. After his body was regenerated, the Saiyan let go of the frost demon as he stood up on the shattered remains of the streets.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± he said. ¡°That feels much better. Thank-y-¡±


    And then an awful feeling of sorrow hit him. King Cold felt horrible, downright nauseating. The worse he had ever felt in his life. Pain welled inside him something fierce. Agony coursed through him in such a way he¡¯d never known.


    ¡°Wh-¡± he said. ¡°What¨Cbut¡­how? I was revived¡­I felt it¨CI know I was healed by the Saiyan¡¯s power! So-SO why-?!¡±


    And then it hit him again. His memories flashed through him. The same ones that had been incinerated by the Saiyan¡¯s qi attacks washed through him but now with a bitter taste.


    It was the oddest feeling. It was like a sweet drink being turned bitter. Every memory King Cold ever had taken pride in was somehow soured in that instant. He couldn¡¯t figure it out until the memories played out in his mind again. But this time, he could only feel pain.


    In the memory of him standing over the bodies of innocent people, he felt no ounce of victory. Instead, as he looked over the corpses, he sensed their agony. Their sorrow. Their hatred.


    King Cold stumbled back in pain, gripping his chest in pain and choking on the weight of so many disparate sensations of torture. The pain of the victims he¡¯d created was overwhelming his soul, like a flood of negative feelings. Each moment in his life when King Cold gained some amount of superiority due to his glorious conquest or immense combat prowess was tainted with the pain of those killed to achieve it.


    He could feel the deaths of each and every being he¡¯d slaughtered in his heart happening. There was no way to overcome it, each moment of his kingly reign tainted by shared agony. King Cold stumbled over himself, gasping for air.


    ¡°No¡­¡± he said. ¡°No¡­No¡­my flesh is healed but¡­¡±


    He collapsed to his knees.


    ¡°My soul is destroyed,¡± he realized. ¡°Since their pain has become my own.¡±


    He looked toward the Saiyan, the ruthless monster grinning wider.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± he said. ¡°Heal my soul! I-I beg of you!¡±


    No response.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± King Cold cried. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a planet! No, no, an entire solar system! Please, you can have up to half my kingdom if only you will-!¡±


    The punch to his face was as sudden as it was painful. King Cold flew backwards until he slammed into a fallen skyscraper, cracking the broken structure before falling to ground. He attempted to pick himself back up but that one blow had knocked the window out of him. Cold fell flat on his face, defeated once again.


    Then he felt the familiar sensation of the Saiyan¡¯s grip around his neck. Lifted to the monster¡¯s face again, King Cold winced in pain, knowing the illusion of mercy was gone. And it started again with ripping his right arm off.


    ¡°Gaaahhhh!¡± King Cold screamed louder than any other time in his life.


    Blood spilled from the newly made stump after the Saiyan tore the arm clean off. It was quite elegant to watch, in a morbid way, like a silk dress cleanly torn in two with a swift movement. His assailant then threw King Cold to the ground again and began ripping into his body with all his strength.


    ¡°No-no!¡± Cold cried. ¡°Stoooooooppppp!¡±


    His pleas were met only with shouts of victorious vigor as the Saiyan literally tore into him. With his bare hands, the monster shoveled more and more of the flesh in his chest away. Blood erupted from Cold¡¯s chest, his cries of anguish only encouraging the monster to keep killing him.


    Once a sizeable hole was gouged into his stomach, the Saiyan then gripped his remaining arm and right leg with a hand each and tore them from his body. King Cold cried in pain, blood erupting from his throat into the Saiyan¡¯s face. The monster licked the red liquid covering lips and cheeks up before standing straight up again.


    The Saiyan let out an incredibly loud laugh as he eviscerated the frost demon, screaming in pleasure. And after that, he stopped and stood over the king with a sick grin. He laughed, having clearly enjoyed his fun of torturing Cold.


    ¡°No¡­¡± King Cold said. ¡°No¡­No¡­what are you?!¡±


    Cold used what little strength he had left to shake his head in defiance.


    ¡°Why-?¡± he said. ¡°How? Who¡­Who are you?!¡±


    At this, the Saiyan¡¯s grin disappeared. His laughter subsided and he looked upon the kind with a level of hate he never thought possible. The malevolent expression elicited a reaction in King Cold so painful it felt as though his body was set on fire.


    ¡°I told you¡­¡± he said. ¡°I am all those you have killed.¡±


    His very voice made the air crackled. The sky above instantly darkened, a storm approaching. Just as King Cold could sense an immense power flow from him when the Saiyan arrived on the planet, he felt it again. The hatred the Saiyan was exuding began filling Cold with even more pain.


    ¡°I was once known as Kakarot,¡± he said. ¡°A Saiyan cast from his home planet for his very weakness.¡±


    ¡°Kakarot¡­?¡± King Cold asked. ¡°Why does that name sound familiar¡­?¡±


    ¡°I was then given a new name upon coming to Earth,¡± he said. ¡°By a kind man named Gohan¡­that name was Goku.¡±


    ¡°I remember now!¡± King Cold cried. ¡°You were the only Saiyan among four to escape Planet Vegeta before it was destroyed by my son! Your power level was puny enough you were thrown away for your inferior genetics! Your brother was Raditz and father was Bardock, warriors among the lower levels of the Saiyan army Freeza commanded!¡±


    Cold shook his head.


    ¡°But¡­¡± he said. ¡°But this doesn¡¯t make any sense! How could a weakling like you gain this much power in so little time?! You weren¡¯t even strong enough to defeat Raditz¡­and Raditz was helpless against Vegeta! Wh-What¡­What gave you this level of strength?!¡±


    And then it dawned on him.


    ¡°Nooooooo¡­¡± King Cold said. ¡°You¡­are¡­¡±


    He lifted his head to face the horrid expression of his assailant.


    ¡°I am the culmination of the many souls killed by all evil beings in the universe,¡± Goku cried. ¡°A warrior who is pure of heart, awakened by wicked fury, with strength unmatched.¡±


    Lightning cackled from the sky, the dark clouds above alive with the roar of thunder.


    ¡°The amalgamation of every crushed innocent has filled me with force beyond what any mere mortal could reach,¡± Goku shouted. ¡°The fangs of the wicked have destroyed hopes of the good and honest far too many and now those same bystanders who longed to live in peace have grown weary of the burden of evil.¡±


    The faces racing across his body stretched out from the surface of skin. They were like projections of bright yellow, everything behind their mouths and eyes beams of liquid gold. The golden expression shrieked so loud they hurt King Cold¡¯s ears, causing him to groan in pain.


    ¡°I am Son Goku!¡± he shouted. ¡°And I am a Super Saiyan!¡±


    A bolt of lightning struck the collapsed building behind them just as he said that, shattering it to pieces.


    ¡°No¡­¡± King Cold said. ¡°The legend was true¡­¡±


    He shook his hand again.


    ¡°No¡­¡± he said. ¡°I thought we were warned¡­I thought we had this whole legend nipped in the bud. It can¡¯t be!¡±


    Goku looked down at him, angered by his words.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡­¡± he said. ¡°We were told¡­told that if the Saiyans were not killed¡­the entire universe would be in danger of destruction. I¡­I let Freeza handle it, thinking he could be trusted to wipe you all out.¡±


    King Cold coughed up more blood as he spoke, groaning in pain.


    ¡°But¡­¡± he said. ¡°I guess he failed.¡±


    Goku roared at him, causing several more crackles of lightning to erupt from above.


    ¡°Warned?¡± he asked. ¡°Warned by who?¡±


    ¡°Warned by the guardian¡­¡± he said. ¡°That¡­that observes us. He said¡­said you were a danger due to the legend of the Super Saiyan and that¡­that if we let the Saiyans live it would potentially destroy the universe as we know it.¡±


    ¡°And you do not?¡± Goku asked. ¡°You don¡¯t destroy things? You don¡¯t end life en masse or take away freedom from people?!¡±


    Goku stomped down on King Cold¡¯s chest, causing him to cry in pain.


    ¡°So what gives you the right to kill others but not me?!¡± Goku demanded. ¡°You believe you¡¯re so superior to us all that only you are allowed to cause destruction?!¡±


    Goku pressed his bird-like foot even further down onto the frost demon.


    ¡°Answer me!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°I can only tell you what we were told!¡± King Cold shouted.


    He barked in pain, more blood spurting from his body.


    ¡°My son and I didn¡¯t want to get rid of the Saiyans!¡± he said. ¡°They were our greatest army! Millions upon millions of capable fighters, loyal to us out of fear! I recommended not doing so but my son Freeza-!¡±


    He groaned in pain.


    ¡°He was scared by these warnings into destroying Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Super Saiyan legend!¡± King Cold shouted. ¡°Please¡­please¡­I did not wish to destroy them! Do not take umbridged with me for your people¡¯s destruction!¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand, do you?¡± Goku asked.


    He kicked Cold into the building behind him, eliciting a cry of agony from the pain that soared through his body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care for the Saiyans,¡± he said. ¡°I was raised as a human on Earth before the Saiyans came to my home. They kidnapped my son, killed me, many of my friends and are known as one of the most murderous races in the galaxy. I care nothing for those of the same blood.¡±


    His qi surrounded him again, the golden light illuminated the darkness that surrounded them.


    ¡°I only care for protecting my loved ones and the innocents in this universe from evil men like you,¡± Goku said. ¡°And not only have I made you feel the wrath of those you destroyed¡­I will make sure you never do the same to anyone again.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± King Cold said. ¡°No! Anything! I¡¯ll give you anything if you don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± Goku said as he lifted his hand forward.


    A crevice beside Cold opened up to his right. As it widened, the king could see talls fire reaching from it. Smoke and the shrieks of people in utter agony filled his eyes and ears. King Cold shook his body in pain, the shouts alone causing him fear.


    Hands of fire grabbed what remained of King Cold¡¯s body, their touch burning his flesh. King Cold grabbed onto what remained of the street, desperate not to be dragged in but it was futile. As he was dragged in, he heard the voice of someone rather familiar crying from below. He turned to see something horrifying.


    ¡°Freeza!¡± he shouted.


    His son was screaming from below, his face contorted in fear. His limbs kept regenerating before being burnt off from the hot flames. This cycle repeated until non stop, the fellow frost demon shouting with every lick of the fire.


    ¡°Father!¡± Freeza cried. ¡°Father, help me!¡±


    ¡°F-F-Freeza!¡± King Cold cried.


    The king looked back to Goku, a wicked smile etched into his face.


    ¡°I thought it only fitting to let you stay with your son in eternal agony forever,¡± Goku said. ¡°I hope you two find each other¡¯s presence¡­mutually comforting.¡±


    Cold gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into the ground as the arms of fire pulled against him.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he said. ¡°I did not know you killed my son!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Goku said. ¡°He was my first victim. And I can assure you there will be many more. It is only fitting that Freeza was slain before the rest of your empire collapses.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± King Cold asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act surprised,¡± Goku said. ¡°After you arrive in hell, so will your empire. I will destroy what you have carved with your own might until nothing remains. There will be no evidence of your great kingdom as even the ruins will be burned to ashes.¡±


    King Cold looked back down at Freeza, a new pain etched into his body. He then looked back to Goku, the Saiyan smiling at his discomfort. He shook his head before Goku snapped his fingers.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± the Saiyan said.


    And the arms of fire dragged him into the crevice below, his last sight of anything besides flame and misery disappearing before his eyes.

 Wish Granted

    Chapter 5


    He began seeing images in his sleep. His dreams turned to that of the source of the mountainous power. The winged Saiyan, covered in horrid faces and gold aura, had tortured to death the two mightiest men in the galaxy. Just looking at the being that had done this hurt him.


    This Saiyan¡­He thought. It-it¡¯s too¡­it¡¯s too¡­powerful¡­


    After King Cold had been taken to hell, Goku willed the stone cut outs around him to reappear. The stone images of Gohan, his other human friends, Piccolo, the other Namekians and Vegeta floated around him. While his friends didn¡¯t even number a dozen, the Namekians slaughtered by Freeza and Vegeta were more than a hundred in number. After the crevice Cold had been dragged into closed, Goku held out his right arm to draw forth the qi that had been produced from the massacre of this city.


    Upon his will, Goku began drawing energy produced from the dead citizens of the capital city. They took the form of small, purple stars that levitated toward him. The qi from the denizens of Marzipan was contaminated not only with evil but fear. In the few moments before they were wiped out, each of them were overwhelmed with misery upon feeling the Saiyan¡¯s immense wrath. The knowing that there was nothing to do to stave off such deaths meant they felt terror, which translated to suffering.


    The small, purple sparkles of qi that flowed from around him touched the stone silhouettes of Goku¡¯s friends and the dead Namekians, igniting them with a strange light. Their faces could be seen on the surface of rock cutouts, flashing for an instant before disappearing. Goku felt relief to find Gohan and Krillin¡¯s cut outs had their faces flicker on the shapes of rock before disappearing. He grunted in displeasure at this development.


    You will need more suffering than that. The Trampled Innocence said. If you wish to resurrect your friends. You are heading in the right direction, you have gained some suffering needed for your friends'' revival. Now¡­


    Goku sensed them directing his attention further beyond the city. He looked over the destroyed remains of Marzipan before feeling many qi signatures similar to King Cold and Freeza. They were nowhere near as powerful but certainly contained a certain kind of malice in each of them.


    This is not the planet the frost demons originate from. The many souls said to the Saiyan. Freeza¡¯s lineage killed the original inhabitants before taking it for themselves. Now¡­in order to complete your Suffering Redirection Revival-


    ¡°I must purge them from this life,¡± Goku replied.


    Yes! They cried. You must rid this world of its invading population!


    Goku stretched out the fingers of his right hand to fully open his right palm. It glowed with golden qi before igniting into golden fire. Within the golden fire were the horrified expressions of innocents before they were killed by the frost demons. The flame reached far above Goku¡¯s head before dissipating as he smiled.


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± he said.


    With a single flap of his wings, he jettisoned into the air. At a speed beyond anything Goku had experienced before, he soared through the sky. His wings carried him as he scanned the land below.


    With supernatural sight, the same way he was able to navigate his way from Namek, he observed the movements of those below him. The Trampled Innocence¡¯s access to all the souls in the universe made clear everything happening below, as if it was occurring within inches of Goku. And by what he could see, the inhabitants of the planet were clearly frightened by what happened in the capital.


    The frost demons were looking on at the rising smoke and dust arising from Marzipan. As others stared in terror, paralyzed by fear and confusion, others raced away from the destruction. Some did so in the flying, silver ships that crowded the roads of the pristine cities while others did so without such aid. Goku glared down at such things.


    Bold enough to kill a planet¡¯s people and steal it. He thought. But cowardly enough to run in terror when another does the same to you.


    Goku stopped in midair, his anger reaching a boiling point. He found the frost demons staring up at Goku once he hovered in place above. The portion of the Trampled Innocence that was formed by Planet Cold¡¯s original race were feeding him images of their destruction. He could see it as clear as if it happened that day.


    The day the frost demons showed up caught them by surprise. They were a race of orange-skinned people with teal hair. The women¡¯s hair was longer than the man¡¯s while the males of their race grew four horns from their scalps. The alien race was known as the Monim and were known for their farming capabilities. The soil was rich in nutrients thanks to their agricultural techniques.


    The frost demons, wanting a lush planet for themselves, took it by force. They showed up one day, led by a frost demon with an orange and purple color scheme. This man, named Chilled, killed every Monim they could find before taking the race¡¯s expertly tilled land for themselves.


    Goku¡¯s anger only grew as he saw the army of frost demons led by Chilled incinerate the orange skinned aliens with beams of purple qi. They laughed as the Monim fled for their lives in terror, proving in vain as the frost demons turned to ash.


    Why should we die unavenged? The Monim within him said. Why should our people have been annihilated while these monsters continue to breed on our land? The land we tilled? Why should we live in peace while murderers and the ancestors of murderers subsist off our labor?


    Goku willed the souls of the Monim into his hands and held them together.


    ¡°Say no more,¡± he replied.


    Goku moved his hands, held only inches apart, to the right side of his waist. The golden qi in his hands ignited with a strange visual effect, the Monim¡¯s cries of agony and terror resounding so loud he was sure those below could hear. As their screams were the only thing that Goku could hear, the silhouettes of countless Monim floated around him. The frost demons from below looked up as the ball of golden light surged between his hands.


    ¡°Kame-¡± he cried.


    The ball of golden light grew in size, causing his hands to move wider apart.


    ¡°Hame-¡± he shouted.


    The ball of light doubled in size.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Goku shouted.


    But rather than a single beam of light as usual, the beam of qi split into separate blasts. The numerous blasts of qi, each filled with the souls of the Monim as evidenced by their enraged expressions, struck the planet on different sides. Though Goku deliberately did not destroy the planet, the force with which it struck was strong enough to shake the planet. His Kamehameha was meant to disperse the qi of the dead Monim rather than explode Planet Cold.


    Some of the blasts didn¡¯t land much further from where Goku hovered over. Other portions of the blast reached back around the planet to strike the other side. The Kamehameha, scattered into hundreds of different beams, impacted Planet Cold on multiple locations.


    With the Trampled Innocence giving the Saiyan supernatural sight, he found the scattered Kamehameha exploding the various oceans on the planet, wiping out several cities and even incinerating some forests. But that was not what he had fired his attack for. Goku had fired it to release the souls the attack was composed of.


    And that was when the true terror began. With his supernatural vision, Goku could see the vaguely humanoid life forms crawling from the craters made by the attack. But their qi signatures were nothing like he¡¯d ever sensed. And once they fully emerged from the depressions within said craters, they were nothing like Goku had seen either.


    They were composed of what looked like pale green mist. Their bodies were not solid in the least bit, flowing like gaseous wind. The souls of the Monim arriving onto their old homeworld did not even truly resemble their original, man-like shape. Their appearance more closely resembled demons than men.


    The shapes of green mist bore hideous faces that resembled tigers with rows of sharp fangs. Some of the shapes had multiple mouths, their many jaws layered beneath one another. Spikes covered their backs while sword-like appendages grew from their arms. Some of the souls even resembled bats as they had grown odd ears and leathery wings. Some of the creatures of pale green fog even had multiple eyes covering their bodies.


    And there were millions of them. Literally millions swarming the planet. As Goku sensed their qi, he began to find the reason for their odd appearance.


    These are beings made entirely of qi. He realized. They have no physical component at all. And because of them having no bodies to contain their qi¡­it manifests in their new forms resembling their true emotions. The Monim¡¯s souls, weighed down with hatred, have morphed into something unlike their original appearance.


    Goku watched as the souls ran amok the planet¡¯s surface gliding towards the inhabitants at a speed he¡¯d never seen before. No matter how far away they were from civilization at first, they quickly found the planet¡¯s inhabitants to attack. The souls soared across the other side of the planet in mere seconds. Their lack of bodily presence not only seemed to allow the Monim to travel at a breakneck pace but extraordinary physical capabilities.


    Upon reaching the frost demons, the result could only be described as wholesale slaughter. With claws like that of tigers, the Monim slashed the frost demons to shreds, the sliced halves of their bodies wetting the ground in blood. Many jumped onto the individuals of Freeza¡¯s race, biting their heads off. Any time the souls of the Monim ate something, it was instantly digested.


    The remains of the slaughtered frost demons caught fire. The mere touch of the Monim superheated their flesh before green flames erupted across their white and purple skin. The cities constructed by the frost demons were catching on fire as well, as even the metal touched by the Monim erupted in green fire.


    The frost demons attempted to fight back, but it was futile. Any time they struck the figures made of green mist, their fists or feet passed through them. Any beams of qi the attacked race would fire had no effect, phasing through the Monim as if it had passed through water. Any attack the Monim used against the frost demons was effective but any attack used on them was impotent. Goku soon figured out why.


    The Monim are not attacking the frost demons¡¯ body but their qi. He realized. Since they are attacking the very life force of the frost demons, there is no bodily defense against it. But the frost demons cannot kill something that doesn''t have a body, meaning it''s futile to put up any defense. You can¡¯t kill something that¡¯s already dead.


    Goku waited patiently for the Monim to have their revenge. He smiled with glee as the frost demons were massacred before his eyes, tens of thousands falling every second. It was not more than a few minutes before every frost demon lay dead, their blood painted their streets red and the green fire lighting their cities on fire. Once the frost demons had all been killed, the flow of violet qi ceased flowing from it.


    As they had their revenge, Goku began drawing more qi tainted with suffering from below. With a wave of his hand, sparkles of green energy flowed from the planet¡¯s surface into the stone cut outs that floated around him. Now, unlike after killing King Cold, they began to truly come to life.


    Krillin and Gohan¡¯s faces began flickering across the stone cut outs far more intensely. Piccolo¡¯s image was even perfectly transposed over the rock silhouette. The other Namekians¡¯ flat, rock cut outs began gaining depth, their stone bodies widening and gaining muscle. The stone soon turned to flesh and blood before Goku¡¯s eyes, much to his relief.


    They''re coming back to life. Goku realized. They¡¯re truly becoming real. And with them all alive, the dragon balls will exist again.


    After enough stars of green qi flowed above, Krillin was the first to awaken. The stone cut out that composed his body morphed into the pale flesh of a human before he was dressed in the orange gi he typically wore as opposed to the Saiyan armor he wore on Namek. Goku was careful to restore Krillin to a state he remembered him as, as a student of Master Roshi. When he fully materialized, the short man opened his eyes with an expression of bright wonder.


    ¡°G-Goku?¡± he asked.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    He then jumped in fear of the Saiyan¡¯s new appearance.


    ¡°Wh-What-?!¡± Krillin said. ¡°What happened to you?!¡±


    For the first time since his transformation, Goku gave a genuine smile. Tears filled his eyes as he was so happy to see his friend alive. In that moment he saw all the memories he shared with his best friend, all the dangers, the fun, the tournaments, even the early days they were rivals. Goku looked upon it with a sense of nostalgic mirth.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t save you. It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    ¡°Wh-What?!¡± Krillin asked. ¡°B-But-?! I still don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on! The last thing I remember, I¡­I¡­¡±


    He then jumped in fear again.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Freeza?!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Gone,¡± Goku said. ¡°He will never hurt anyone again.¡±


    ¡°B-But-!¡± Krillin said.


    ¡°Krillin,¡± Goku said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make it back to Earth. So I¡¯ll tell you something before we part ways.¡±


    At this, Krillin¡¯s eyes watered with tears. Goku could feel his heart break, his qi filled with a deep sadness. It almost broke the Saiyan¡¯s heart to sense but he pushed through the pain to say what he needed.


    ¡°Krillin,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re better than me. In every way.¡±


    This broke his friend more than anything else.


    ¡°Wha-Wha-?¡± Krillin asked, sniveling. ¡°No¨CNo¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re the bravest person I¡¯ve ever met. By far.¡±


    ¡°Bu-But-!¡± Krillin said. ¡°I-I-I-I¡­am worthless! Especially compared to you! You¡­You-¡±


    ¡°Krillin,¡± Goku said. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest. The only reason I¡¯m anything is because I¡¯m a Saiyan. I was born with immense power and an ability to grow stronger after each beat down. I¡¯m not special¡­I just was born with the right amount of brute force in my bones.¡±


    He gave him a smile that only hurt Krillin more.


    ¡°I know you think you''re useless,¡± Goku said. ¡°And weak. But in reality¡­you¡¯re not. It¡¯s easy for someone with immense power to get their way. That¡¯s how Freeza was. But with you¡­someone not as strong or as talented¡­you didn¡¯t care.¡±


    It was at this point that Krillin couldn¡¯t look at Goku anymore. His eyes were shut all the way, tears running down his face. Everything he was telling Krillin was painful but Goku didn¡¯t care. He had to tell his best friend the truth about himself. The truth that he didn¡¯t want to hear. Because he didn¡¯t want to know his best friend he idolized wasn¡¯t as good as him.


    ¡°You, Krillin,¡± Goku said. ¡°No matter how many times you had to face monsters stronger than you, even fights you knew you couldn¡¯t win, you stuck it out no matter how hard it was.¡±


    ¡°Goku¡­¡± Krillin said. ¡°Goku¡­please don¡¯t leave me!¡±


    ¡°You did everything you could to protect the innocent and your loved ones,¡± he said. ¡°No matter who it was or how hopeless the situation¡­you never gave up. And for that reason¡­you saved so many lives.¡±


    Goku shook his head.


    ¡°You¡­¡± he said. ¡°Krillin¡­you¡¯re a testament to willpower and courage. You represent what a hero should be, more than me. Someone like me, born so strong, has no right to claim we¡¯re anything like you¡­someone who manned their station even when the odds were against them.¡±


    ¡°But you fought when things looked dire!¡± Krillin shouted. ¡°You did more to help than I ever could! I¡¯m not as-¡±


    ¡°Krillin,¡± Goku said with a shake of his head. ¡°Just¡­Just realize that you¡¯re a treasure. The best friend anyone could ever have¡­because of that strong spirit you possessed. When you return to Earth¡­I want you to be remembered rather than me because of your virtue.¡±


    ¡°GOKU!¡± Krillin shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t-Don¡¯t talk like that! I-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never known someone like you,¡± Goku said. ¡°It was honestly the reason I became a Super Saiyan. The wrath born in me from that moment¡­the hatred welling up against a tyrant who used all his immense strength for violence and greed¡­while those born with less like you expended it on sacrifice for others.¡±


    ¡°Goku¡­¡± Krillin said in between cries. ¡°You act like¡­like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like I¡¯m not returning?¡± Goku said. ¡°I¡­I honestly can¡¯t say I will be. I¡­I have much to do. This duty I¡¯ve been given¡­it¡¯s beyond what a normal mortal could accomplish. So please¡­¡±


    A single tear ran down Goku¡¯s face.


    ¡°Take care of Gohan,¡± he said. ¡°Just as you¡¯ve been doing. I know that you can be Earth¡¯s new protector and¡­his new guardian.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°This can¡¯t be the end¡­it can¡¯t be the end-¡±


    ¡°And hey,¡± Goku said.


    He said it so gently that it abruptly stopped Krillin¡¯s crying.


    ¡°I hope you get married like you said you wanted,¡± Goku said. ¡°You deserve a good woman.¡±


    This was too much for his friend.


    ¡°NO!¡± Krillin shouted. ¡°GOKU! GOKU NO-!¡±


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± he said.


    And with a wave of his hand he was sent flying away, headed back towards Earth. His body became nothing more than a stream of light, flashing through the cosmos. The golden qi that Krillin turned into before disappearing made Goku happy. He was glad that his friend¡¯s life was renewed.


    Goku looked around to find every one of the stone cut outs had taken on real flesh and blood. He found they greeted him with a similar expression of confusion. Everyone, without exception, was beyond shocked. Most couldn¡¯t even speak, they were too terrified.


    Of all those surrounding him, it was Gohan he turned to. The boy was dressed in his purple gi that resembled Piccolo¡¯s. The half-Saiyan was shaking his head as he looked at his father before finally uttering something.


    ¡°D-Dad!¡± he said. ¡°What-?! What are you?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like Vegeta said,¡± he answered.


    ¡°What?!¡± Vegeta cried. ¡°No! No! It-It can¡¯t be!¡±


    Vegeta backed away in midair, clearly scared of him.


    ¡°It¡¯s¨C¡± he said. ¡°Your qi! It¡¯s¨Cit¡¯s massive! I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m so-!¡±


    ¡°Scared?¡± Goku asked. ¡°Glad you didn¡¯t become this?¡±


    Vegeta shook in fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all safe now,¡± he replied. ¡°I did what I could to revive you¡­now¡­go make your own futures.¡±


    ¡°And what future is that?¡± Piccolo asked. ¡°Do you have something in mind for us?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Goku said. ¡°Just protect the Earth from tyrants like Freeza. Be sure that you can do so without me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can do that, Goku!¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°I mean¡­you¡¯ve always had our backs when facing the biggest threats but¡­but are you saying you¡¯re leaving for sure?!¡±


    He shrugged.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure,¡± Goku replied. ¡°I¡¯d like to return home but part of me¡­part of me feels like I have too much to do here to return.¡±


    ¡°You have to come back,¡± Yamcha said. ¡°It just won¡¯t feel the same without you. I mean¡­you changed my life. I met Bulma because of you¡­I became a martial artist after meeting you¡­we¡¯ve been through so much together. I became a better person because we met.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yamcha,¡± Goku said. ¡°But the way things are¡­I want you guys to stop relying upon me. All of you¡­you¡¯re all so good in your own way. I don¡¯t want to outshine you all anymore. I want, more than anything, for you to be as strong as I am. Even stronger if you can believe it.¡±


    He then turned to his son.


    ¡°And Gohan¡­¡± he said.


    Goku could see tears well up within his son¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Uh-huh?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Gohan, you have so much potential in you, it¡¯s unimaginable,¡± Goku said. ¡°You can do so much more than me. You¡¯re far stronger than me when I was your age. And smart too.¡±


    ¡°Th-¡± he said, unable to form the words.


    ¡°Promise me¡­you¡¯ll study hard like your mother wanted you to,¡± Goku said. ¡°Don¡¯t become someone who can¡¯t count, like you¡¯re dad. Stick to those books.¡±


    Goku could see tears well up within his son¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± he said. ¡°Da-ad¡­I will.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said.


    With a wave of his hand, Gohan disappeared in a flash of light. As he disappeared in the form of a golden stream of qi, Goku wished to give him one last segment of wisdom. He reached out to Gohan with telepathy to give him his parting words.


    He was sent flying back to Earth as a golden stream of qi, guided by the cosmic map given to him by the Trampled Innocence. Everyone around him stood in stunned silence as he vanished. Goku then turned to Piccolo.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°For taking care of him when I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Piccolo shook his head.


    ¡°You-¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Honestly¡­I¡¯m glad to have met him.¡±


    ¡°Before he left for Namek,¡± Goku said. ¡°Gohan told me you died saving him back on Earth. He must have really changed you, considering you were pure of heart enough to be amongst the Trampled Innocence.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Piccolo said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call myself pure of heart. I-I-I was just too angry at Freeza for¡­for all he¡¯d done. For killing Gohan. Once I sensed Gohan¡¯s soul while¡­while on the other side¡­I knew I needed him dead. Though¡­I suppose Gohan wanted him dead as well, so¡­so my wrath didn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Goku said. ¡°Gohan wasn¡¯t a part of the Trampled Innocence. Krillin wasn¡¯t either.¡±


    A collective gasp followed everyone, save Vegeta, who looked a little disinterested in the conversation and was more so admiring Goku¡¯s new power and appearance.


    ¡°B-B-But how?!¡± Piccolo shouted. ¡°Gohan, Krillin¡­! Especially Gohan¨Che had to be pure of heart! Just had to!¡±


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re pure alright,¡± Goku said. ¡°But they never sought revenge. Because they held no anger against Freeza, they were not a part of the Trampled Innocence. You not only have to be pure of heart to be amongst that collection of souls¡­but your heart¡­it must be filled with the desire for revenge.


    A collective sigh fell across Piccolo and the rest of the humans. The Namekians Goku had never met began to understand the situation from this conversation. They began to understand it was not only Goku that resurrected them and avenged them, but that they were part of the Trampled Innocence before being resurrected.


    ¡°So Piccolo really is a good guy after all,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°I guess I can understand after fighting off Freeza and the Saiyans but¡­¡±


    He then turned and glared at Vegeta.


    ¡°What about him?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Yamcha cried. ¡°What about that murderer?! He¡¯s the reason we¡¯re even here to begin with!¡±


    Goku gave a soft smile toward Vegeta, the Saiyan prince too prideful to face them.


    ¡°Vegeta may have been a monster in his life,¡± Goku said. ¡°But somewhere beneath that¡­I could feel some reluctance to do the things he did. He was forced to become the killer we know him as since Freeza held his father hostage. In a different situation¡­I feel Vegeta would have been a different person.¡±


    Vegeta glared back at Goku, his expression downright murderous.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve fallen for your wretched sentimentality, Kakarot,¡± he answered. ¡°I regret telling you what I did on the brink of death.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re pride would never have allowed you to say it in any other time. But now¡­¡±


    Goku held his hand forward.


    ¡°You have a chance to start over.¡±


    And after saying that, Goku flung his hand forward and Vegeta became a whisk of golden light that sped towards Earth.


    ¡°Start fresh,¡± he said upon Vegeta disappearing. ¡°Do better next time. I sensed you¡¯ve already changed a little.¡±


    He then turned to Piccolo, the Namekian stunned.


    ¡°You too,¡± Goku said. ¡°You¡¯ve become different as well. And with you back, so is Kami.¡±


    As Piccolo turned into a beam of qi headed towards the Earth, Goku did so to Teinshinhan as well.


    ¡°You were the strongest on Earth before me,¡± the Saiyan said. ¡°I hope you can gain that title again.¡±


    With a whisk of his hand, Chiaotzu disappeared in the stream of gold as well.


    ¡°Do your best to help Tein become even stronger,¡± Goku said.


    With a flinging of his hand, Yamcha turned into a stream of light headed toward the Earth.


    ¡°Take care of Bulma,¡± he said to him.


    Goku then turned to the Namekians, all of them looking stunned at the spectacle.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you all did what you did,¡± Goku said. ¡°After transforming, I saw your plight. Even to the point of death, you would not tell Freeza the password to the dragon balls. That¡­That takes a special kind of morality. I¡¯m proud of you¡­and for taking care of my friends when they left Earth.¡±


    With a whisk of his hand, the Namekians turned into streams of gold and were sent flying back to Namek. With the last of those he resurrected arriving on their home planet soon, Goku then turned back to the destruction occurring on the planet below. With his connection to the Trampled Innocence, Goku called out to all of the Monim.


    Are you satisfied with your vengeance? Goku asked them.


    Yes. The Monim collectively answered. We have reclaimed this planet for ourselves.


    Goku nodded before flapping his wings and jettisoning off into space, hungry for his next planet to wipe clean of invaders.


    Next stop¡­The Trampled Innocence collectively said. Planet Hera, once known as Agar. It is not far from here.


    Good. Goku replied.


    With his immense speed, he arrived at Hera. Goku overlooked the planet, finding it full of red oceans and teal trees. With his supernatural sight, he found the people below to sport orange hair and greenish-blue skin. Goku did not find nearly as much malice here as he did on Planet Cold. While he was still filled with a great rage, he was a bit confused. This planet did not have near the same amount of evil qi flowing from it as Planet Cold¡¯s.


    And what did this race do? Goku asked.


    The Hera bought our planet once Freeza¡¯s men killed us. A portion of the Trampled Innocence said. We were the Agarians, a race that lived within its seas before Freeza¡¯s soldiers destroyed us. After Freeza¡¯s men did the dirty work, the Hera bought it for the highest price and named it after their home world that had been destroyed.


    The Super Saiyan narrowed his eyes, growing more furious as the Trampled Innocence fed him images of the Agarians being wiped out in droves. Goku then put his hands together as he gathered the souls of the Agarians into his next Kamehameha. He glared down as he could see the Hera below looking up in fear.


    They shall bear the sins of their ancestors. He told the Trampled Innocence.


    He then fired his attack, releasing the souls of the Agarians onto the Hera.

 The Interventionist

    Chapter 6


    He watched as the Saiyan annihilated race after race. He was getting faster. In his dream, he could plainly see Goku releasing millions of souls onto one planet after another before they eradicated said world¡¯s population. After letting the deceased beings kill them, he¡¯d fly to another planet to personally wipe out all life on it.


    His body became bathed in the blood of entire races'' remains before none were left. He noticed with great trepidation how swiftly Goku was growing accustomed to his new powers. Within less than half an hour¡¯s time, he had killed more than a hundred planets¡¯ population. And he was still getting faster. He tossed and turned in his sleep as he watched.


    He is cutting off my source of energy! He yelled. I¡¯m growing weaker with each planet¡¯s population he wipes out!


    Everything was going according to the Super Saiyan¡¯s plan. In the thousand years he had been the lord of the Soul Room, he¡¯d never held such pleasure. He watched as it unfolded before him.


    The Soul Room allowed him to see anything in the universe occurring in the past or present. And right now, there was nothing the original Super Saiyan wanted to see more than just desserts. Watching Goku obliterate planet after planet was more than glorious, it was cathartic. It was relieving on a level no mortal could ever experience.


    This universe has gone without punishment for far too long. He thought. I delivered the grandest justice ever seen when I transformed¡­and to think Goku¡¯s will be even greater.


    He then turned his attention to all the souls that composed him, the portion of the Trampled Innocence that the original Super Saiyan avenged. While the original did avenge each person that had created his transformation, they still flowed through him. Even while they were still alive or at least not in the afterlife, their essence still existed in the Soul Room. Just as all life did, dead or alive. And even if Goku was releasing the souls killed by Freeza and other tyrants, the first Super Saiyan was still intertwined with them.


    I am glad you know you¡¯ve been avenged. He said to those empowering Goku. With all my sincerest beliefs, you deserve to know what true justice is like.


    He then concentrated on one soul out of the trillions in the universe.


    I will see you soon. He said.


    ¡°So that is your true intention after all?¡± a familiar voice said. ¡°To be reunited with your better half?¡±


    The first Super Saiyan winced at the sound of the voice. He curled his hands into fists, anger erupting from his heart. He could feel even the other souls composing him grow angry at his tone.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± the original Super Saiyan asked.


    ¡°I merely came to witness the person corrupting my star pupil,¡± the Kai of the North said. ¡°I wished to understand your reasoning for tainting the heart of a pure man but also why you wished to destroy so much sentient life.¡±


    ¡°You know why,¡± the first Super Saiyan said, his anger boiling over. ¡°It is because cowards like you refuse to help the ordinary man. Mortals, like us, are at the mercy of evil men and must carve out an existence under their reign. And when we strike back at our oppressors¡­¡±


    He transferred his anger and images of innocents being slaughtered to King Kai.


    ¡°You tell us to call off our plea for justice,¡± the original Super Saiyan said. ¡°Because you do not want to be called biased.¡±


    ¡°I thought I told you before, Yamoshi,¡± King Kai said. ¡°In the past, us Kais had a great role in dealing with mortal affairs. We observed and gave our judgment of matters between mortals often, our courts filled with-¡±


    ¡°Do not call me by that name!¡± the original Super Saiyan shouted at him. ¡°You know not to call me by that name! I am no longer that person! I am composed of the various souls you failed to protect! I am more of a guardian of the universe than you, so do not address me by my mortal name!¡±


    ¡°But that was your name,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°Long ago, before you became this wretched monster of hatred and despair you were once the kind and gentle Yamoshi¡­¡±


    The original Super Saiyan was straining at this point, trying at every opportunity not to think about his time as a mortal. He hated it. He hated thinking about it worse than any other atrocity. No matter how many children were slaughtered, women captured and violated, cities toppled or forests and gardens burned to the ground¡­it wasn¡¯t enough for the Saiyans bloodlust.


    He hated the very name he once went by, despising that existence so much. Just saying his old name, his Saiyan name, was enough to bring up horrible, horrible, images. The constant lust for battle his people had, where they would invade other Saiyan villages for no reason. No want for food, for water, for slaves, just the desire to kill and test their power.


    They did it to other planets too. When the Saiyans had no one that could compete with their strength in their home world, they would arrive at others. In their search for strong fighters, they utterly devastated many worlds so that hardly anyone remained alive. Considering how strong Saiyans were in those days, there was no one that could stand up to them. As ferocious as more modern Saiyans were, those from a thousand years ago were about ten times as strong as the more modern ones born on Planet Vegeta.


    If word got out that a Saiyan fleet was invading your home planet, almost no one fought. They merely fled with all their valuables as fast as possible. And the original Super Saiyan saw it all. And worse yet, they wanted him to join them.


    ¡°My own race¡­¡± the first Super Saiyan said. ¡°Amongst the worst of the worst¡­the most evil and powerful people this universe has seen¡­¡±


    A deep sorrow filled him as he thought of that moniker, as he remembered the lost soul who called him that most sweetly.


    ¡°I hated my existence on our home planet of Salada,¡± he said. ¡°And my only regret¡­¡±


    His anger flared, causing his body to turn bright red.


    ¡°IS THAT I NEVER WAS ABLE TO KILL ALL THE SAIYANS MYSELF!¡± the first said. ¡°THEIR DESTRUCTION WAS MY JOY! THEIR TEARS OF DESPAIR AND PAIN MUSIC TO MY EARS! THE CRUNCH OF THEIR BONES AND THE SIGHT OF THEIR BLOOD POOLING AROUND ME THE GREATEST OF ECSTASIES!¡±


    His wrath only grew as he thought of the last moments he saw the lost soul he loved die before his eyes. She called his name, his Saiyan name, out to him just before her life fled this mortal realm. The emptiness that remained from her leaving could still be felt.


    As his anger grew, the Soul Room itself turned bright red. Blood colored energy washed over the formerly light blue world he¡¯d inhabited for one thousand years. It became a beacon of crimson, surrounding him in bright light.


    ¡°I DESPISE MY SAIYAN NAME!¡± he shouted. ¡°I DESPISE IT AND DESPISE THE PUTRID RATS WHO GAVE IT TO ME!¡±


    He bent over in anger, yelling with all the force he could.


    ¡°THEY LACKED ALL SENSE OF LOVE!¡± the original Super Saiyan shouted. ¡°THEY GAVE NO AFFECTION TO THEIR OWN CHILDREN! DEVOID OF COMPASSION AND EMPATHY THEY DESTROYED EVERYTHING PURE AND GOOD, UNTIL THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT!¡±


    He then directed his shouting up at King Kai.


    ¡°AND WHEN I REFUSED TO HELP THEM PILLAGE AND BURN, THEY KILLED MY GREATEST TREASURE!¡± the original Super Saiyan said. ¡°THE THING I ADORED AND PROTECTED ABOVE ALL ELSE! FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN MY PURITY OF HEART! AND ONLY THEN DID I WIPE ALMOST THEIR ENTIRETY FROM EXISTENCE!¡±


    He could sense King Kai¡¯s quivering upon hearing this, his soul shaking at his words. As strong a soul as the North Kai was, the might with which the original yelled was overwhelming. His voice could have killed anyone else less strong.


    ¡°AND YOU DARE CALL ME A MONSTER FOR SUCH THINGS?!¡± the original Super Saiyan said. ¡°YOU DARE CALL ME WARPED BY EVIL?! TELL ME¡­WHERE WERE YOU WHEN MY PEOPLE, THE SAIYANS, MOUNTED BODY UPON BODY OF THE SLAIN?! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THEY KILLED BILLIONS FOR SPORT?! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN MY TREASURED LOVER DIED AT THE HANDS OF THE WICKED?! WHERE WERE YOU, YOU HYPOCRITICAL COWARDS?!¡±


    King Kai did not respond at first, clearly waiting for the original Super Saiyan to calm down. It was only after the red light that filled the Soul Room faded that he spoke again. When the realm between the living and the dead was no longer cast in the color of blood, he replied. However, his anger was still palpable.


    ¡°Are you finished with your tirade?¡± King Kai asked. ¡°Your childish rants do not ward me off.¡±


    ¡°And now you dare tell me to cut off the souls feeding Goku¡¯s transformation?¡± the original Super Saiyan asked. ¡°You make me sick.¡±


    ¡°You act as though I am responsible for what happened to your lover and those killed by the Saiyans,¡± the Kai of the North said. ¡°When in reality I was not involved in the least.¡±


    Agitation rose up within the first Super Saiyan, wondering if he should cut the connection between them in that instant.


    ¡°And that is precisely why I blame you,¡± the first Super Saiyan said. ¡°For all the titles you Kais and Supreme Kais and whatever, you never act when evil is afoot. And because you do not intervene when oppression is about to be brought forth, those with power and morals must interact. And you are angered by my concern for the justice of the Trampled Innocence.¡±


    ¡°You call this justice?¡± King Kai asked. ¡°Goku had finished killing the entirety of the Hera clan before I called you.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± the original Super Saiyan asked.


    ¡°SO?!¡± the King of the North shouted. ¡°SO?! The Hera were nothing like the frost demons or Saiyans! They were a good people that lived in peace and haven''t made war with anyone in two-hundred years! You constantly cry about the slaughtering of innocent people yet you cheer and champion the deaths of an entire race that did no wrong?!¡±


    ¡°You cannot tell me there was no evil among them,¡± the first said. ¡°They were not as good as the Nameks or Monim.¡±


    ¡°So because they were not good in comparison it is okay to kill them all?!¡± King Kai shouted. ¡°Goku destroyed an entire people because of what their ancestors had done?! It was their ancestors who paid for the planet after Freeza¡¯s men wiped it out! The Hera had no part in killing them!¡±


    ¡°They took the spoils of innocents and you defend them?!¡± the first Super Saiyan cried. ¡°The Hera lived on Agarian soil for hundreds of years while they lingered in the afterlife. It is not fair for the Hera to have dominion over Agar when it was originally their¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°To think you called me a hypocrite,¡± King Kia said. ¡°You scream and whine about justice but kill an entire planet because of something their ancestors did more than eight hundred years ago. Do you even have the slightest idea how demented you are?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to guilt me into agreeing with you,¡± the first said. ¡°And stopping Goku¡¯s rampage, I¡¯d advise you to stop wasting your breath and leave. I have no intention of feeling sorry for any victims of the Trampled Innocence. Sinners must pay for their sins.¡±


    ¡°And what was the sin of the Hera killed by Goku?¡± King Kai asked. ¡°To be related to those who, hundreds of years ago, bid on a planet that no one lived on when their home was gone?¡±


    ¡°The anger of the Agarians still remains,¡± the first Super Saiyan said. ¡°Whether the Hera are sorry for what happened or contributed to it, the Agarians¡¯ anger is still within them. It has been building for more than eight hundred years and Goku finally released it. Blood must be paid for with blood, even if the payment is not made by the original instigator of blood.¡±


    ¡°Your logic is so crazy and nonsensical!¡± King Kai said. ¡°You¡¯re willing to let millions die just to let some petty grudge from the distant past be brought forth?!¡±


    ¡°So genocide is a petty grudge?¡± the first asked. ¡°You Kais. So self-righteous yet so blind to-¡±


    ¡°You truly are no longer Yamoshi!¡± King Kai shouted. ¡°And your lover from that thousand years ago would say the same!¡±


    This made the first Super Saiyan stop running his mouth, unable to speak. A mix of anger, sorrow and shock filled him. He almost thought the Soul Room would overflow with his anger again, the jolt to his heart from the North Kai¡¯s words gave him such an impact.


    ¡°The Trampled Innocence¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°It has so merged with your being you cannot see past the anger of the souls that compose your heart and mind. I understand the fury these victims give you¡­truly I do. But, whether they are righteous or not¡­¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    A somber silence followed.


    ¡°You have no more individuality,¡± the Kia of the North said. ¡°These different individuals, stretching across untold thousands of years of history within the galaxy¡­they now are attached to you in such a way you cannot separate yourself from them. You have no more remained Yamoshi than a drop of water has remained itself in an ocean.¡±


    The original Super Saiyan could feel King Kai exert his pressure onto him, their dueling desires clashing.


    ¡°So mixed in your soul is with these others,¡± the Kai explained. ¡°All begging for destruction of those who did them wrong, you have lost your own, individual, reason for living. Existence to you is nothing more than palpable hatred and murderous intention. It is not your hatred that has consumed you¡­merely the hatred of others that drives you.¡±


    Anger rose up in the first¡¯s heart.


    ¡°The Trampled Innocence¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°So devious they not only entice you to madness with their own anger but fan the flames of your greatest loss. I think there is no greater suffering than when a good man turns evil, whether it be from greed, loss or apathy. And you¡­you have turned the purest man I even met into that. You turned Goku into a genocider.¡±


    ¡°You have done that yourself,¡± the original Super Saiyan said. ¡°The souls that compose me are angry no one came to their defense. If the Kais that rule us do nothing to stop tyrants, what are they good for?¡±


    ¡°Because we have tried that and it failed,¡± North Kai said. ¡°As I tried telling you, us rulers of the universe deliberately intervened in every skirmish within our boundaries. Any time a planet was attacked we would do our best to stop it either through our direct power or sending a mortal emissary. However, when we did, this only weakened the attackers since we wiped out their military. Their race, then devoid of capable fighters, would be prey for another hostile group.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the reason a group of invaders shouldn¡¯t be punished for their crimes,¡± the first Super Saiyan said.


    ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t just be the invaders punished,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°Civilians are not the same as the governments that can control them. Once us Kais killed the soldiers of each planet¡¯s fighting force, the civilians of those defeated armies¡¯ planets would have no protection. Thus, we would then need to come up with a new strategy to protect the new, helpless victims with no way to defend themselves.¡±


    ¡°Freeza was not like that,¡± the original Super Saiyan replied. ¡°Neither were the Saiyans. Not only were the civilians of each race evil, they still had a mighty army to defend them from invaders even without their strongest warriors. Your attempt to put off responsibility for the tragedies occurring in your sphere of influence-¡±


    ¡°Let me finish,¡± King Kai said. ¡°You childish mortal.¡±


    The original Super Saiyan sent a rush of anger at the Kai of the North through their telepathic connection.


    ¡°I am no longer mortal,¡± he replied. ¡°I have reached beyond that level of existence.¡±


    ¡°You certainly act as simple minded as a mortal,¡± the North Kai said. ¡°Anyway, us Kais could not stop taking sides. Permanent sides. Each of us felt obliged to keep aiding the races that had been victimized, even after their enemies had been defeated. It resulted in different Kais arguing against one another, trying to proclaim victimhood over other races. This resulted in war between East Kai and West Kai as the races they chose to represent were in enmity with one another. After that, the rulers of Otherworld couldn¡¯t take it and us Kais were no longer allowed to aid so directly in mortals¡¯ lives.¡±


    ¡°And this is relevant because¡­?¡± the original Super Saiyan asked.


    ¡°You are making the same mistake,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°This constant intervening between races caused many problems. The mortals we attempted to protect kept accusing us of taking sides and being biased to certain races rather than others, which was true¡­to some extent. Order and war are natural parts of life for mortals. To intervene and stop that is to stop the flow of the universe¡¯s order. You must accept the brutalities of life or you yourself will be given to the worst of brutalities.¡±


    ¡°You act as though trying to defend the innocent is taking sides,¡± the Super Saiyan said. ¡°Is it taking sides when a man attempts to stop a murder from taking place? That is your level of apathy.¡±


    ¡°I was anything but apathetic in those days,¡± King Kai said. ¡°And it is taking sides. We attempted to only take the weakest and most helpless side. But with enough support through whatever means we provided, those weak and helpless races became powerful¡­powerful enough to become a problem.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t see what this has to do with Freeza or the Saiyans,¡± the original Super Saiyan said. ¡°You are not changing my mind. I will not call off Goku.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you see?!¡± King Kai cried. ¡°We were enmeshed in the same problem Goku finds himself in! Determining who is oppressed and who is not was more complicated than just the outward appearance of military feebleness! In some cases, the tyrants that invaded and took the attacked planets by force founded better governments than the original inhabitants! And at other times, the invading forces came from a planet that suffered ecological disaster! They had no choice but to leave for a new world to survive.¡±


    ¡°The Namekians suffered a great drought and their race still carried on without resorting to violence,¡± the original Super Saiyan replied.


    ¡°Barely,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°The Namekians could have flourished had they invaded another planet to take it by force when Namek was under crisis! Most races would have taken another planet by force if their own home world was made uninhabitable! And oftentimes¡­the original inhabitants were not peaceful themselves. Most civilizations have had wars amongst their own races, killing large portions of their brethren to cement their own empire. In that way, is it right to call an invading army that tries to build its empire on a different world evil when that world has experienced that same thing before.¡±


    The original Super Saiyan¡¯s anger rose again, disgusted by the North Kai¡¯s words.


    ¡°So you are apologizing for war criminals,¡± the original said. ¡°Your words only make me hate you more with each passing minute.¡±


    ¡°And you ask us Kais to constantly intervene in such complicated affairs,¡± King Kai said. ¡°By intervening and being forced to choose one race over another we soon became entangled with a mess of complications. When we intervened or sent emissaries in our place to do so, it often backfired. The invading forces would appear before our courts with a grievance.¡±


    ¡°So then help them,¡± the original Super Saiyan answered. ¡°Help them find a new planet or restore their own. I¡¯m sure a Kai could find a solution that does not require violence.¡±


    ¡°But the sheer number of appearances in our courts became a problem,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Since we did everything in our power to ward off invasion after invasion, it only became customary for us to invite smaller matters into our courts. And they exhausted us. Absolutely exhausted us. Not only would we have to cover each one with a fine toothed comb, but since they were millions upon millions we had to observe, there was literally no end.¡±


    ¡°I fail to pity one whose duty it is to protect the galaxy,¡± the original Super Saiyan said. ¡°When they so adamantly choose to be apathetic.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± King Kai said. ¡°When we heard the cases in courts, it often forced us to choose one side over the other. We would have to mediate and judge one planet¡¯s people over another in disputes. No matter what decision we made, someone was angry.¡±


    ¡°Evil should be made to feel angry,¡± the first Super Saiyan replied. ¡°If they do not feel fearful or unsatisfied of committing atrocities then-¡±


    ¡°Not every side could be so neatly packaged into good or evil,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Oppressor or non-oppressor. The cases ranged from how close a fleet of ships could get near a planet, if a colony of refugees could arrive on a densely habited planet, stopping pollution from filling a planet at the cost of the people not technologically advancing¡­some of it even covered how much money was offered in reparations to another race from a race that wronged them in the past.¡±


    ¡°And because it was too hard for you,¡± the first asked. ¡°You just gave up listening to the denizens of the galaxy altogether? You washed your hands of them and allowed the hordes of vile Saiyans and tyrants like Freeza¡¯s lineage to wipe out millions? Because that seems like a copout to me.¡±


    ¡°The Kais became hated in our time of direct intervention,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Reviled.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what that has to do with-¡± the original Super Saiyan attempted to say.


    ¡°We were despised for the same reason the Super Saiyan was feared across the galaxy,¡± King Kai cut him off. ¡°No matter what we did, we displeased people. Our large, expansive bureaucracy meant to reduce harm only caused others to be disadvantaged. Each decision we made was at the expense of others. We were not seen as caretakers of the galaxy¡­merely bloated government heads that stuck its head in affairs not our own.¡±


    ¡°I am not the same,¡± the original Super Saiyan answered.


    ¡°You are,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°Us Kais were not fit for the job for the same reason you Super Saiyans aren¡¯t. Us Kais are not the same as mortals and, thus, we do not have an understanding of what it is like to live as one. Our lack of experience struggling, suffering, and loving made us devoid of making the best decisions for them. So we Kais decided to abandon the practice.¡±


    The first could feel somber regret emanate from King Kai.


    ¡°Blinded by your rage and hate,¡± North Kai said. ¡°You have done the same. You do not understand the history or conflicts of the people you claim to seek justice for beyond their angered bias. The Super Saiyan was the universe¡¯s biggest threat because the lens through which they viewed conflict was too simple. Call off Goku¡­and we can save this universe another immense tragedy.¡±


    The original laughed at the Kai¡¯s request.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± he answered. ¡°You think too highly of yourself to believe I¡¯d acquiesce to such a request. Your recount of history has fallen on deaf ears.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± King Kai said. ¡°But do you feel bad at those you sent to hell? Even the unjust ones?¡±


    ¡°Not in the least bit,¡± the original Super Saiyan answered. ¡°For I feel no pity for those in hell.¡±


    ¡°I cannot believe your vindictiveness,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Do you know where everyone killed by the Trampled Innocence even goes?!¡±


    ¡°Hell,¡± the original Super Saiyan replied. ¡°Without exception. Why remind me?¡±


    ¡°And that is precisely the hypocrisy I am trying to show you!¡± King Kai yelled at him. ¡°The Hera¡­a mostly peaceful people that were gaining a reputation for being better than warlike ancestors¡­the Trampled Innocence killed them all, without exception! If they had been wiped out by anyone else they would have joined the Trampled Innocence but¡­but because the Trampled Innocence sends to hell every victim¡­whether good or bad¡­¡±


    As the original Super Saiyan could feel King Kai¡¯s frustration grow, he took pleasure in it. It served him right for not doing more to stop Freeza. Or doing more to stop the Saiyans from killing his lover.


    ¡°And they are trapped in hell,¡± he said.


    ¡°True,¡± he answered. ¡°I treasure their screams of torture.¡±


    ¡°Well I hope you are glad that you ruined the system that the Kais had established with those that died,¡± King Kai replied.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the first answered. ¡°How could I forget your insistence on not punishing the wicked?¡±


    ¡°It was to be a rehabilitation and reformation system,¡± King Kai said. ¡°By sending the evil doers to the lower portion of Otherworld, they would face sentencing and chastisement from below until we were sure they had turned over a new leaf. It¡¯s a slow process but it has produced literally billions of reformed villains over the past thousands of years.¡±


    ¡°So if Goku did not kill Freeza and his vile race,¡± the original Super Saiyan asked. ¡°Freeza would be pampered and cushioned until he becomes a nice guy?!¡±


    ¡°Everyone deserves a chance to start over,¡± King Kai said. ¡°And we give that in death.¡±


    ¡°And while the wicked are given a second chance,¡± the original Super Saiyan said. ¡°Those who were good in the mortal realm have to spend decades if not hundreds of years climbing to heaven above Otherworld. How is that fair?¡±


    ¡°You complain about fairness when everyone who is a part of the Trampled Innocence is allowed to go to heaven, if they wish?¡± King Kai asked. ¡°Normally, those responsible for killing millions would not make it into the heaven above Otherworld but due to your position as ruler of the Soul Room, you make that happen. So tell me, how do you justify the entirety of the Hera suffering in Hell for eternity while every Agarian that killed them either facing no consequences as they gained their home world back or going to Heaven?¡±


    ¡°I justify it by the wickedness of Freeza¡¯s armies that you failed to stop,¡± the original Super Saiyan answered. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your rationality for not intervening was. I took a stand against evil when you were too afraid to. The afterlife is only a reflection of the justice for individuals based on their actions in life.¡±


    ¡°You keep warping the afterlife in an unhealthy way,¡± King Kai responded. ¡°You have blurred the boundaries between death and life in a way that is too chaotic. Ghost planets, the places in the universe where the souls of the dead roam free, is what you have left in your wake. Ghost planets have violated the strict boundary-¡±


    ¡°Between death and life,¡± the original Super Saiyan said. ¡°Do you think I truly care? Do you think any of this will change my mind? I was born to barbarians who treated all weaker life as an opportunity to flex their killing instinct. My lover and I have parted ways for a thousand years due to my own brethren. I¡¯ve watched as tyrants like Freeza rise with no one to stop them. And now Goku is here to change all that. Why should I care about your weak pleas?¡±


    ¡°I beg of you,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Yamoshi¡­call off Goku. Stop this carnage¡­and maybe we can restore order to the universe in some other way.¡±


    The original Super Saiyan laughed at him.


    ¡°Pleas from a coward,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s all I hear. I hope you enjoy the fireworks on display. Because Goku will champion the innocent who have been buried underfoot by evil for too long.¡±


    He sensed intense anger from King Kai, the displeasure giving the original Super Saiyan a sense of joy. He felt triumph that the North Kai felt powerless. And then he said something rather shocking.


    ¡°I see I was right to try and stop your plans to create a new Super Saiyan,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Once I caught onto your schemes, I only wish I had acted quicker. My only regret was Freeza not finishing the job.¡±


    The original Super Saiyan¡¯s sense of triumph and accomplishment became muddled.


    ¡°What?¡± the Super Saiyan asked. ¡°Do¡­Do you mean-?¡±


    And then it dawned on him.


    ¡°You knew of my plan?!¡± the original Super Saiyan asked. ¡°But¡­but I¨Chow?! I kept it well hidden!¡±


    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t take special care to watch your actions?¡± King Kai asked. ¡°While being subtle enough not to show my hand?¡±


    ¡°YOU-¡± the original Super Saiyan cried. ¡°YOU TRIED TO-¡±


    He felt bitterness well up inside him.


    ¡°YOU TRIED TO STOP THIS?!¡± the original shouted. ¡°YOU TRIED TO STOP JUSTICE FROM BEING DISHED OUT?!¡±


    North Kai went silent, afraid of saying anything further.


    ¡°I knew I should have observed you closer!¡± the original Super Saiyan cried. ¡°I KNEW YOU DESPISED ME! To think¡­my plan could have been foiled by me not keeping tabs on you.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°You really are a snake in the grass,¡± the original Super Saiyan shouted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    But King Kai had withdrawn his presence from the Soul Room before the original even finished speaking, with one final word.


    ¡°You took my greatest pupil away from the path of the protector,¡± North Kai said. ¡°And for that, I will never forgive you.¡±

 Peaceful Return

    Chapter 7


    Gohan found himself lying in the grass, staring up at the sun during the bright noon day. It occurred to him that there was only one sun in the sky, a fact that seemed fairly odd to him. The last thing he remembered was seeing his dad in a form that overwhelmed him with terror, his appearance more like a hideous beast than a Saiyan¡¯s or even human. His father¡¯s qi was beyond anything Gohan had felt out in terms of raw power and horror.


    Could my dad really be that¡­? He asked himself. That evil?


    He didn¡¯t want to admit his own father had qi that felt more horrific and hostile than Freeza, Vegeta or the Ginyu Force combined but it was true nonetheless. If his father wasn¡¯t his father, Gohan would have mistaken Goku for a person worse in character than anyone he¡¯d fought before. The rage he sensed in his father that moment¡­it was beyond belief.


    He stood up, wondering if he was on Earth. When Gohan got to his feet and looked around, he found it more familiar than he originally thought. He was surrounded by grass that was green rather than blue, a tree with more leaves than any on Namek and plateaus in the distance. Gohan was shocked at how comfortable he felt.


    ¡°Is¡­?¡± he said. ¡°This my-?¡±


    He suddenly heard a door open behind him. He turned in the direction to find stepping out of the house he¡¯d been raised in all his life, a woman in a purple dress and hair in a bun. She was carrying a pot of boiling food in her oven mitt protected hands before she saw Gohan. Upon seeing her son, her eyes went wide.


    ¡°G-Gohan?¡± Chi-Chi asked.


    ¡°Mom?¡± he asked.


    At that word, his mother dropped the boiling pot at her feet, rushing toward him with all her strength. As the wan-tons she had spent cooking fell to the ground and the boiling water burned the grass, Gohan was death gripped by his mother as she practically tackled him. He was squeezed with such intense force he almost felt suffocated. His mother began weeping, her tears wetting his shoulder as the young boy was helpless to do anything.


    ¡°GOH-!¡± Chi-Chi cried. ¡°GOHAN! GO-OO¨COHAAAANN!¡±


    He stared over her shoulder, his expression as she wrapped her arms around him.


    ¡°I-¡± she said in between cries. ¡°I-I thought I¡¯d never see you again!¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how to respond, his body so constricted by his mother¡¯s strength that Gohan couldn¡¯t move an inch.


    ¡°Th-¡± she said. ¡°They told me¨C¡±


    His mother couldn¡¯t quit sniveling, Chi-Chi¡¯s crying the only thing Gohan could hear in that moment.


    ¡°They told Vegeta¡­¡± she said. ¡°Showed up¡­! On Namek¡­¡±


    She continued burying her face in Gohan¡¯s shoulder, thoroughly wettening his purple gi with her tears.


    ¡°And then,¡± she said. ¡°After that¡­even more evil and strong men came and¡­and I¡­and I worried I¡¯d never see my baby again!¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Gohan said as his eyes began to water. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I just want you to be safe,¡± Chi-Chi said. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever wanted for you. To be happy and safe¡­just please¡­never go on another one of these crazy adventures¡­don¡¯t make your mother worried sick for your safety¡­¡±


    Tears ran down Gohan¡¯s face, his mother¡¯s grip tightening just a bit.


    ¡°Have a normal life,¡± Chi-Chi said. ¡°A life that¡¯s worth living but a normal one. Be¡­be a good person. Help others¡­have a family¡­visit me whenever you can. Live¡­live a life of peace. Raise children¡­raise children in peace. Have a wife that¡­that loves you. Please¡­please never make me worry if you¡¯ll never make it out alive again.¡±


    ¡°I-¡± Gohan said. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°I love you, Gohan,¡± his mother whispered. ¡°I hope you know that¡­I¡¯ll always love you¡­I¡¯ll always love you¡­because you¡¯re a very good boy.¡±


    For the first time, he hugged his mother back, his grasp soft.


    ¡°I will mom,¡± he answered. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Thank-you,¡± Chi-Chi said. ¡°Thank-you¡­that¡¯s all your mother wants.¡±


    Kami found the halo above his head vanish before feeling an inner rejuvenation.


    I see Piccolo is back alive. He thought. I best make my way back to Earth.


    He found himself back in familiar territory. The lookout on Earth looked just as spotless as he left it. Just as he reappeared, he found Mr. Popo looked up at him as his servant was watering some flowers.


    ¡°K-Kami!¡± he shouted. ¡°Y-You¡¯re alive!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you my old friend,¡± Kami said. ¡°Truly, I have.¡±


    Vegeta found himself sitting against a tree, his surroundings completely changed. He was no longer facing a transformed Kakarot or lying dead before Freeza. He looked over the scenery to find it somewhat familiar.


    It was similar to Namek but different enough that Vegeta could tell he was on another planet. The sky had only one sun for instance, and there wasn¡¯t as much grass. As Vegeta surveyed his surroundings of plateaus and sparse trees to find it vaguely familiar. After a bit of looking around, he sighed as he realized he fought the Earthlings here.


    Nappa battled those humans and killed the Namek before¡­Vegeta thought.


    He was going to tell himself Kakarot killed him, but that wasn¡¯t true.


    Before I killed Nappa. He thought.


    Part of Vegeta now regretted that.


    Do-Do I-? He thought. Miss him?


    He shook his head.


    He was the closest thing I had to a friend once the rest of the Saiyans died. Vegeta thought. Also, the only consistent partner I had on missions. Do I regret turning him to dust?


    He shook his head, aggravated he would think that.


    No, NO! He thought. I am a Saiyan elite! I can¡¯t agonize over the deaths of lesser beings! I am the prince of all-


    He then leaned back against the tree before slipping off the trunk. Vegeta¡¯s back hit the mostly bare ground and he looked at the sun above him. He was so empty of emotion he couldn¡¯t bear to shed a tear.


    Oh. Vegeta groaned inwardly. Who am I kidding?


    He pounded the ground with his fist, causing it to crack.


    I¡¯m a prince of nobody. He realized. The only other pure blood Saiyan surpassed me in strength even before ascending. Freeza destroyed all my brethren and crushed me like a dust mite. But even worse¡­


    He thought back to when he faced the transformed Kakarot, a weird grin cast on his face.


    ¡°Scared? Glad you didn¡¯t become this?¡±


    Yes. Vegeta thought.


    He couldn¡¯t believe he was admitting that but it was true nonetheless. Vegeta could feel there was something seriously wrong with Kakarot¡¯s power level. His qi did not feel like his own. He didn¡¯t just mean that in magnitude, although that was certainly true, but in nature. It felt almost pure evil. Malice, hatred, vengeance, hostility, the thirst for blood.


    And yet it also felt pure. It felt like the qi signature of someone good-natured, like Kakarot or his earthling friends. And even weirder, Vegeta could barely feel the Saiyan¡¯s energy. It felt as though a bunch of different power levels were stitched together into one being. Kakarot didn¡¯t feel in control of his own energy because it wasn¡¯t his to control.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Kakarot couldn¡¯t control his power level anymore than he could his heartbeat. If Vegeta really thought about it, it was as though it wasn¡¯t even Kakarot anymore. He had no freewill and was a slave to the various other individuals connected to him. And that scared Vegeta.


    If that was a Super Saiyan¡­He realized in fear. If it meant giving up my free will¡­control over my own body¡­


    His eyes watered with tears.


    Then I wouldn¡¯t want to achieve that form. Vegetat thought. I would cease to be me¡­I would give up my Saiyan pride¡­


    And that thought broke him. It broke him more than Freeza soundly defeating him. It was worse than angering Vegeta. He had felt that too many times to count. It saddened him.


    ¡°I¡¯d never have my own freewill¡­¡± he thought. ¡°If I became a Super Saiyan¡­if I ascended¡­to think the pinnacle of Saiyan power is giving up all control!¡±


    He then sat up, looking at the places where Kakarot¡¯s friends died. The corpses of the earthlings lying there felt fresh in his mind. For the first time, Vegeta thought he felt regret.


    Then¡­He thought. What was all this for? If becoming the legendary Super Saiyan was a fool¡¯s errand¡­if it was suicide for my freewill, then¡­?


    His tears stained the earth in front of him after they had run down his face.


    ¡°Then my entire life is a joke,¡± Vegeta said. ¡°It was all pointless.¡±


    He shut his eyes in pain as he ground his teeth.


    ¡°Pointless,¡± he seethed. ¡°Pointless¡­pointless since I couldn¡¯t achieve it¡­pointless that it wouldn¡¯t be worth even if I achieved it.¡±


    It was then that an even deeper, more alien regret wormed its way inside of him. It was a regret for killing all those he did. The lives that Vegeta had taken were beyond number. Not as many as Freeza but more than enough to condemn him as a monster among monsters.


    He had never cared about that before, viewing them as mere stepping stones to unlimited power, hoping through enough fierce battles he¡¯d become strong enough to rebel against Freeza. But now, knowing that Kakarot had become the legendary Super Saiyan rather than him, Vegeta realized his crusade of violence had been pointless. At best, he was a stepping stone for Kakarot than the other way around. Vegeta and Nappa¡¯s time spent fighting on Earth had only allowed Kakarot to become the Super Saiyan, the ideal Vegeta himself had always wanted.


    And worst of all¡­! He seethed. Even if I did become it¡­! I¡­I¡­I-!


    He began weeping out loud.


    ¡°I would have hated it more than being killed by Freeza!¡± Vegeta yelled.


    He slammed his back into the ground, shattered the earth beneath him.


    ¡°I was merely a stepping stone for Kakarot!¡± Vegeta shouted. ¡°My entire life¡­a footnote for someone else¡¯s glory!¡±


    He glared up at the sky, hating he was alive to see it as a strange thought entered his mind.


    ¡°Is this how someone killed or defeated by me thinks?!¡± Vegeta shouted. ¡°That they¡¯re a tool for someone else¡¯s empowerment?! Kakarot, you fiend¡­you cursed me¡­and showed me¡­!¡±


    He closed his eyes and sighed in anger.


    ¡°That my quest to become a Super Saiyan was a suicidal one¡­¡± he thought. ¡°And the best I could do¡­was let you carry that burden instead of me.¡±


    He picked himself up and walked across the desolate land, the hollowness in his heart eating away any other feeling.


    ¡°I will never fight again,¡± he said. ¡°Or kill¡­because¡­because I don¡¯t need anymore stepping stones. A failure should know when to quit.¡±


    Krillin found himself staring up at the sky, the ocean breeze calming him. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing at first. The sun had risen above the ocean¡¯s horizon, warming him with its bright light.


    While on Namek, Krillin was terrified he¡¯d never see this beautiful scenery again. Everything on Namek was a disaster that only grew worse each passing day. At first, all he thought he had to worry about was Vegeta. Then Freeza¡¯s army showed up. Then he had to witness innocent Namekians die. Along with Gohan. Krillin would have willingly taken any suffering so long as Gohan didn¡¯t have to witness those villagers slaughtered.


    Poor Gohan. He thought. He didn¡¯t deserve to witness that. To witness any of it. His friend¡­Dende¡­who he risked his life to save¡­was killed by Freeza after all that. I deserve to die for being weak¡­I¡¯m an adult fighter who can¡¯t stave off anyone stronger than a dust mite at this point, so I don¡¯t mind being thrashed¡­but¡­


    Tears filled his eyes as he wondered how much Gohan must be emotionally terrorized by the events that took place.


    You don¡¯t deserve that. He thought. No one your age does.


    Then the two had to face the Ginyu Force and they were so strong they beat even Vegeta into dust. Even after they nearly killed both of them and Goku saved them, Gohan had to face his dad and try to kill him once Ginyu switched bodies. Even after getting their wish to restore Piccolo, the nightmare only continued when Freeza appeared.


    I just knew I wouldn¡¯t make it out. He thought. But I somehow did.


    Just as Krillin began wondering if the sight of Kame House was just a dream, he heard Tein behind him.


    ¡°W-Was that really Goku?¡± he said.


    Krillin turned to find Tein standing up as he had been lying in the sand of the shore. Chiaotzu floated behind him while Yamcha staggered forward, clearly disoriented from his abrupt change in surroundings. Yamcha looked out to the sea, his expression faintly mired in fear. Just as they stared at each other in disbelief, Krillin found Turtle shout in excitement. He was standing beside Yamcha.


    ¡°Kr-Krillin!¡± Turtle shouted. ¡°B-But-! Master Roshi! Get out here!¡±


    ¡°What-!¡± Roshi shouted from inside Kame House. ¡°Darn it, Turtle I was-¡±


    Just as Muten Roshi opened the door, his jaw dropped in disbelief. He walked down the steps in front of his door, nearly frozen in panic. He slowly shook his head.


    ¡°Yamcha, Tein-!¡± Roshi said. ¡°Bu-But-! How are you all still¨Chow did-?!¡±


    They all went silent, barely a single one breathing before Yamcha broke the silence.


    ¡°Did¡­?¡± Yamcha said. ¡°Did that really just happen?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Krillin said. ¡°I really don¡¯t know. I know this is Kame House¡­but¡­was that really Goku?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± a voice behind him said. ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been. Not really.¡±


    The three of them turned to find Piccolo standing behind them all. His icy scowl made Krillin flinch in fear. Now that Freeza and Goku weren¡¯t around to compare power levels to, he was reminded of just how strong the Namekian was. His energy felt suffocating to be in the presence of.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Krillin said. ¡°What are you doing here? Should you really be around-?¡±


    ¡°Easy Krillin,¡± Tein said.


    He walked up to the Namekian and gestured toward him.


    ¡°He¡¯s not that bad a guy,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Yamcha replied. ¡°After we got to King Kai¡¯s planet for training, we got to know Piccolo and he¡¯s really not a bad guy. He¡¯s kind of nice¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Chiaotzu said. ¡°Apparently, his friendship with Gohan really changed him! He¡¯s a whole new person and cares about people. He wouldn¡¯t have died defending you guys from Freeza if he didn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Krillin said, looking at Piccolo like he was a wolf about to attack. ¡°I-If you say so.¡±


    Piccolo glanced away from Krillin, looking slightly irritated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go all sentimental on me,¡± he said. ¡°I just wanted to protect Gohan from that monster. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m some kind of goody-two-shoes savior like Goku once was¡­you do well to remember I¡¯m the reincarnation of the demon king Piccolo.¡±


    Yamcha, Teinshinhan and Chiaotzu laughed while Krillin quivered in fright.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yamcha said. ¡°Piccolo¡¯s a good guy¡­he just doesn¡¯t know how to act like it.¡±


    Piccolo sighed in annoyance while Krillin prodded the Namekian with another question.


    ¡°So¡­¡± he said. ¡°What do you mean by that couldn¡¯t have been Goku?¡±


    ¡°I mean that it wasn¡¯t just Goku¡¯s qi I sensed,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°There were many, many power levels in one body. In one being¡­there were too many different qis to count.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Krillin asked.


    ¡°I felt it too,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°It didn¡¯t really feel like Goku¡¯s energy for the most part. It felt like a lot of different ones in the same body.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°The reason I recognized it was because¡­well, it¡¯s roughly similar to what happened to me.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°Nothing like that happened to you while Tein and I were around.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Piccolo,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°I just don¡¯t see it.¡±


    Piccolo grunted in annoyance.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what happened on King Kai¡¯s planet that I¡¯m talking about,¡± he said. ¡°On my way to fight Freeza, I found a Namekian that Freeza had beaten to near death. He was a strong warrior and taught me how to fuse with him.¡±


    Piccolo made his qi visible and a light blue aura extended forth. As he did, Krillin sensed not one but two power levels within him. It¡¯s like another person was hidden within the Namekian. The other person¡¯s qi was good in nature but not as pure or lighthearted as Goku¡¯s was. They seemed stoic and rather sad.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Roshi said. ¡°I see you¡¯ve all grown ridiculously powerful in the meantime. I don¡¯t know where you acquired that strength in such a quick amount of time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I feel it now,¡± Krillin said.


    ¡°So do I,¡± Tein replied. ¡°Feels like you really are two different people.¡±


    ¡°And come to think of it¡­¡± Yamcha said. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely different from how I sensed Goku when¡­¡±


    ¡°When he revived us,¡± Krillin said. ¡°Yeah but, come to think of it¡­it didn¡¯t feel like there were two power levels inside Goku¡­it felt more like¡­like¡­¡±


    He shook his head, thinking what he was about to say was stupid.


    ¡°It felt like-¡± he tried to say.


    ¡°There were a million,¡± Piccolo answered. ¡°Yes. I picked it up quicker than you two did because you wouldn¡¯t believe it. If I hadn¡¯t fused with Nail I wouldn¡¯t believe it myself¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Yamcha said. ¡°His energy¡­something wasn¡¯t right about Goku¡¯s qi¡­it felt more like a patchwork of different individual power levels than one single source of energy. And-and-¡±


    ¡°And Goku¡¯s power level was drowned out in the mixture of all of it,¡± Tein said. ¡°But-But-how¨Chow did that happen to begin with?¡±


    ¡°Because Goku was taken over by a force all Saiyans have access too,¡± a voice said.


    Krillin looked up to find that no one around him had said anything. Just as he was questioning if had imagined it, Krillin realized he had heard that voice before. It was when Goku had given him the Spirit Bomb to aim.


    ¡°K-King Kai?¡± Yamcha asked.


    ¡°You heard it too?¡± Tein asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Master Roshi asked. ¡°Who is this? And Goku was taken over by what now?¡±

 Plans To Destroy And Plans To Preserve

    Chapter 8


    He was half awake by this time, sitting upright in the Womb of Evil that surrounded him. He glared at the featureless void of black in front of him, the immense power level and destruction he could sense increasing the anxiety in his heart. If he had reached his full hibernation cycle, he would have fled the womb to destroy what was causing all this commotion.


    However, considering he was not fully rested, his body could barely move. Essentially a butterfly in its chrysalis stage, emerging before he was ready could destroy him. And if that happened, he would revert back to his original state and the cycle would start over. Leaving now would not just mean he wouldn¡¯t be fighting at full power, but he¡¯d be back at square one.


    I¡¯m not fully awake yet¡­He realized in the middle of his dream of the odd looking Saiyan destroying planet after planet. Yet¡­yet I could be¡­if I really wanted to¡­


    Goku watched as Cooler scrambled across the deck of his spaceship to its control station. He wasn¡¯t watching with his normal vision, but the supernatural sight the Trampled Innocence afforded him. Goku was through the spacious, silvery hallway of Cooler¡¯s ship while he had killed all the men in the space palace.


    The Trampled Innocence led Goku to Cooler¡¯s spaceship that was essentially a luxurious palace the size of a planet. While Goku had wiped out the races of tens of thousands of planets¡¯ already with the increased speed and power of the Trampled Innocence, this one had to be done personally. Freeza, King Cold and Cooler needed to be personally dealt with considering how many people that not only they personally killed but their men did as well.


    We wish to see the terror in Cooler¡¯s face once he witnesses how outmatched he is. The billions of souls within him said. Freeza¡¯s lineage must know true pain.


    Goku¡¯s talon-like feet crunched against the metal of the floor as he walked past the corpses of Cooler¡¯s men. The dead littered the hallway, their ashes and blood staining a once spotless room. The Super Saiyan walked over his most recent victim, Salza, who died trying to prevent Goku from entering any further.


    Within seconds, Goku had killed the entirety of the space palace save Cooler. He was honestly impressed with himself. Obliterating hundreds of thousands with a single qi blast felt cathartic, as it was the last thing that the souls killed by Cooler¡¯s men felt in their last seconds of life. With the Trampled Innocence¡¯s supernatural sight, Goku could lock onto any qi within thousands of miles and send a blast of energy directly towards them.


    I¡¯m no longer feeling my own emotions. He realized. It¡¯s not even my own anger propelling me. But¡­


    The image of Freeza killing Piccolo, blowing Krillin to ash and obliterating Gohan was seared into his mind.


    I honestly don¡¯t mind. Goku thought. Let them use me. I¡¯m glad to be of service to annihilating these monsters.


    Goku reached the door at the end of the hallway before ripping it open. It revealed Cooler at one of the control stations, his nimble, purple fingers pressing glowing buttons in a hurry. After Goku entered, he turned around to scream in terror.


    ¡°Did you really think you could run, Cooler?¡± Goku asked. ¡°Trying to launch an escape pod before I get to you? Do you really think you could hide from judgment?¡±


    The frost demon was too scared to speak, shaking his head in disbelief as the Super Saiyan drew closer to him.


    ¡°We both know how this is going to end,¡± he said. ¡°So convinced you¡¯ll lose you didn¡¯t even fight. You merely fled¡­now, let me ask?¡±


    The faces swimming across the surface of Goku¡¯s body began yelling in anger, these particular souls the ones Cooler personally killed.


    ¡°When those who posed no threat to you fled¡­¡± the Saiyan asked. ¡°Did you spare them, any?¡±


    ¡°Get away from you filthy monkey!¡± Cooler shouted.


    He shot a sphere of purple qi at Goku from his finger, only for the gold qi flaring around him to disintegrate it upon nearing him. Cooler attempted to punch Goku but the Super Saiyan swatted him away like a fly, breaking the control system the frost demon was knocked into. He attempted to stand up before the Saiyan held out his talon and willed Cooler¡¯s body toward him.


    The suctioning force slammed the frost demon in front of Goku before Cooler levitated in front of him. Unable to move even an inch, the Super Saiyan clamped his talons onto the frost demon¡¯s arms and sent qi into the fiend. Cooler screamed as a rush of alien emotions filled him.


    Goku willed the terror of every person Cooler had killed to fill his mind, causing his soul to brew with chaos. His pupils rolled into the back of his head while his entire body violently vibrated. Cooler¡¯s mental agony caused him to lose all physical control before Goku pulled at his arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me!¡± the frost demon shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! Please don¡¯t-!¡±


    The Super Saiyan ripped the arms from the sockets as easily as snapping kindling. Goku allowed the frost demon to fall to the floor as screaming increased in volume, the silvery surface now dyed red with blood. Tired of hearing his screams, Goku pressed a taloned foot onto his face. While this muffled the sound, it certainly didn¡¯t suppress them altogether so he squeezed hard and popped Cooler¡¯s skull like a balloon.


    Now that the Saiyan was the only remaining thing left alive in the space station, he flew through the roof above. After crashing through the metal surface like it was styrofoam, the Super Saiyan turned his attention to the remainder of the space palace. No more evil qi flowed from it. With a simple blast of golden qi from his mouth, the space palace was blown to smithereens. Pieces of scrap metal were jettisoned in the resulting shockwave, traveling hundreds of miles in an instant from such great force. Goku smiled at the sight.


    ¡°I made King Cold a promise I would destroy his empire,¡± Goku said. ¡°And I made good on my promise. I don¡¯t think anything remains of his empire.¡±


    Yes. The Trampled Innocence said. But there is so much more to do. More revenge to take.


    ¡°You are right,¡± he said. ¡°Blood must be paid in blood.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean Goku is no longer in control of himself?!¡± Krillin asked.


    ¡°What else could that mean?¡± King Kai asked. ¡°Goku has been taken control of by another being¡­or should I say, culmination of beings, known as the Trampled Innocence!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know who you are,¡± Master Roshi said. ¡°Mind filling me in on that little detail?¡±


    The rest of them sighed at Roshi¡¯s comment as they were too busy listening to King Kai. Krillin could tell Tein, Piccolo, Yamcha and Chiaotzu were listening as they wore anxious expressions. Even Piccolo looked disturbed, his normally stoic, somewhat angered glare painted with shock.


    ¡°I am King Kai,¡± he answered. ¡°The one who trained Goku during his time in Otherworld after being killed by Raditz. I taught him the Kaio-Ken and Spirit Bomb as well as took those who died fighting Nappa under my wing.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Muten Roshi said. ¡°Well, thank you for doing that. You really helped save the Earth. By the way¡­could you use this little telepathy power to give me the scoop on what attracts the ladies these days? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve failed to learn how to catch any fine broads in my time as an elder.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have more important things to discuss,¡± King Kai replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all looking for an explanation as to how Goku defeated Freeza so quickly, what you¡¯re doing alive and what Goku currently¡­is now.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Master Roshi said. ¡°Goku defeated Freeza?! Quickly?!¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Piccolo answered. ¡°As much of a monster as Freeza was¡­there¡¯s no one who could have defeated Goku in his current form. Not a single person alive.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s just the problem,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Goku has become something far more dangerous than Freeza. There is no tyrant or monster quite like a Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°Tyrant?¡± Teinshinhan asked. ¡°Monster? Goku would never become such a thing! There¡¯s no way he¡¯d ever do something to make him comparable to Freeza!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Yamcha said. ¡°You have to be out of your mind if you want us to believe that!¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Krillin replied. ¡°Goku¡¯s the best there is! He¡¯d never become a villain!¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± King Kai asked. ¡°I think the hundreds of billions he¡¯s killed in less than an hour would disagree.¡±


    After saying that, Krillin¡¯s mind was filled with images of utter terror. Faces he¡¯d never known shrieking in terror as they were slaughtered by what appeared to be green ghosts. Some only looked at a beam of qi for a moment before being obliterated. Blood and entrails of various aliens killed littered the ground, tainting it in a canvas of gore.


    And in front of all of it was a smiling Goku. While his body may have been different, his face was laughing at the destruction. His bloodthirsty bellows of joy echoed in Krillin¡¯s mind. The visions he witnessed were so potent that Krillin almost felt himself stop breathing.


    ¡°N-No¡­¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°G-Goku-¡±


    ¡°This is unreal¡­¡± Piccolo said. ¡°It can¡¯t be. I mean¡­it just can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why would Goku do this?!¡± Yamcha shouted. ¡°I mean, just¡­! Why?!¡±


    Tears welled up in and stung Krillin¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°G-Goku¡­¡± he said. ¡°Y-You were¡­you were amongst the best of us¡­how¡­?¡±


    He shook his head in disbelief at what he just saw.


    ¡°How could you do this?!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°I-I-can¡¯t believe it!¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°Goku¨Ckilling that many people? Including innocent lives?! That¡¯s insane!¡±


    ¡°What made him do this?!¡± Master Roshi shouted. ¡°Goku doesn¡¯t even like to kill his sworn enemies, much less people he¡¯s never met before!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated to explain,¡± King Kai said. ¡°But in honesty¡­this is what I was trying to prevent from happening.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Piccolo asked. ¡°How¡­how did you know this would happen?¡±


    ¡°It¡­¡± King Kia said. ¡°It is something I deeply regret¡­to inform you I failed at.¡±


    ¡°Failed at what?¡± Yamcha said. ¡°Are you saying you could have stopped this?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could. But I did my best. There are things you mortals don¡¯t understand¡­it¡¯s too complicated for mere denizens of the universe to comprehend.¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain what happened to Goku,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°Don¡¯t give me your high and mighty speech like you¡¯re above us. If Goku is doing something this horrendous¡­it can¡¯t be because he¡¯s in control of himself.¡±


    ¡°Well, Piccolo¡­¡± King Kia said. ¡°To be honest¡­you¡¯re completely right. Goku isn¡¯t in control of himself.¡±


    ¡°Then who''s controlling him?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°Is it Freeza? Or Vegeta?¡±


    ¡°Did Ginyu somehow switch bodies with Goku again?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°That¡¯s the only explanation I can think of!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°No one being is controlling him. More like, several trillion are.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°Trillions?¡±


    ¡°What you humans know as qi is really spiritual energy that is drawn from the souls of the dead,¡± King Kai said. ¡°All beings that are dead exist in a realm of reality known as the Soul Room or the Realm of Souls. It has existed as long as time itself, accumulating trillions upon trillions of individuals who have passed away. No matter who you are, once you die, your energy exists within it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­?¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°How can that be? We¡¯ve been dead but never saw anything like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is not a place that you can access,¡± King Kai replied. ¡°Not even us Kais can transport ourselves to it. It is a place that is only available to the dead¡­and certain chosen beings.¡±


    ¡°Chosen beings?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°Was¡­was Goku chosen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he was,¡± King Kai said. ¡°You see, the Soul Room recycles the life force of those who have died into currently living beings. When a person trains to gather a stronger qi force, or power level, they are really taking more spiritual energy from the Realm of Souls into their body.¡±


    ¡°That-¡± Krillin said. ¡°Sounds unreal. I¡¯ve been training for most of my life and I¡¯ve never known something like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Yamcha said. ¡°To think my power is just¡­just some dead person¡¯s life. It¡¯s so weird.¡±


    ¡°Well there¡¯s more to it than that,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Over the millennia of constant wars and brutal genocides, a certain collection of souls formed in the Realm of Souls. Within it, every individual that had been unjustly killed was drawn towards another, their mutual pain being a magnet for each other¡¯s life force.¡±


    ¡°Drawn together by pain?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°Like¡­like a magnet for sorrow? Why is there so much evil in the galaxy?¡±


    ¡°For the same reason there is on Earth,¡± King Kai said. ¡°It is everywhere.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with Goku?¡± Teinshinhan asked. ¡°Are you telling us they were trapped in this realm forever and got angrier and angrier as time went on? Did Goku become one of these souls?¡±


    ¡°I was just getting to that,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°You see, you¡¯re not trapped in the Realm of Souls. No one is. Well¡­except for Yamoshi, but that¡¯s beside the point. Basically, whether dead or alive, you simultaneously exist in the Realm of Souls and Otherworld or the land of the living. And the trillions of souls murdered by tyrants and monsters across time did not have an easy time crossing over into Otherworld.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Krillin asked.


    ¡°Because their hearts were weighed down by malice and desire for revenge,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°In the Otherworld, we try to rehabilitate souls by either cleansing them of evil or punishing them in the lower realms of the afterlife. This way they may have a chance to start over. However¡­the innocent souls killed by Saiyans, Freeza, the space pirate Bojack or whoever else did not think it was fair that they also had to be cleansed of evil at the same time their killers did.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°I agree¡­doesn¡¯t seem very fair to me. Why should the murderers and their victims be treated the same?¡±


    ¡°They should be because everyone has evil within them!¡± King Kai said. ¡°You mortals have such a limited view of reality that us Kais have to run the galaxy and afterlife for you!¡±


    ¡°What about tyrants like Vegeta and Freeza?¡± Teinshinhan asked. ¡°Do they get a chance to start over?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Us Kais like to give everyone a chance to go to heaven¡­and if not, they wind up in hell. However, we like to save the latter as a last resort if they refuse purification.¡±


    ¡°Heaven?¡± Piccolo asked. ¡°Hell? Where were they? I never saw them when I was dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because heaven and hell are outside Otherworld,¡± King Kai said. ¡°With heaven above and hell below. They are the final destination of souls once they have been thoroughly tested and purification has been attempted. Most of you have not been purified because you weren¡¯t dead long enough to receive such treatment or came straight to my planet for training.¡±


    ¡°Kay but what about these trillions of innocent souls killed by evil men?¡± Krillin said. ¡°What did they do to Goku?¡±


    ¡°The Trampled Innocence,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°That is what they are known as. Those trillions of innocent souls that accumulated over the course of millenia¡­killed by awful conquerors¡­they felt the entirety of the universe was unfair. That the system meant to give evildoers a chance to start anew meant their righteousness and peaceful living was not being rewarded. They had to wait for their chance to reach heaven along with their murderers. Both had to go through purification in Otherworld.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that anger,¡± Krillin said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I deserve to be treated the same as Freeza in my attempt to go to heaven. None of us do.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°The trillions of souls killed by evil men, the Trampled Innocence, felt the same way. Not only did they refuse to seek purification so long as people like Freeza were offered the same choice, they even sought out a champion who would not only take revenge for them but revolutionize the galaxy under their sense of justice. The Trampled Innocence¡¯s combined anger is so overwhelming they are willing to wipe out nearly the entirety of the galaxy for each race¡¯s crimes of destruction and violence. Destroying the universe for a better people to replace them seems to be their goal.¡±


    ¡°And they chose Goku for that?¡± Teinshinhan asked.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± King Kai asked.


    ¡°But how?¡± Piccolo asked. ¡°How did Goku gain access to this Trampled Innocence or Realm of Souls? Was it his training with you?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± King Kai said, mildly irritated. ¡°Have a little more faith in me than that, Piccolo. I would never allow my students to tap into a power more destructive and chaotic than Freeza. You see, while all living beings have a connection to the Realm of Souls, some races are more in touch with it than others. The race connected to the Soul Room best were the Saiyans. They drew the most energy from the Soul Realm, at least in general.¡±


    ¡°So that is why they¡¯re so strong!¡± Krillin said. ¡°They can tap into an energy source beyond what their own bodies can produce!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Krillin,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Saiyans are the race more connected to the Soul Realm than any other race, giving them great power. They abused this power to become tyrants, becoming drunk on their own capabilities as fighters. And when they are on the brink of death or sorrow, they connect to it all the more.¡±


    ¡°But the Saiyans don¡¯t seem like a race the Trampled Innocence would like to give their power to,¡± Teinshinhan answered. ¡°They¡¯re too violent and ruthless. But¡­but that¡¯s why they gave Goku their strength. Because he was pure of heart and would understand their cause.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± King Kai said. ¡°The Trampled Innocence would not align themselves with someone as evil as most Saiyans. So that was why they chose Goku.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°Why-Why now?! Of all times?! And didn¡¯t you say you could have prevented this?!¡±


    King Kai sighed, the expression of agitation filling their minds with an odd grievance.


    ¡°I tried,¡± he said. ¡°To prevent their rise. I knew ever since the ascension of the first Super Saiyan that they would try again to destroy most sentient races in the universe. I did what I could to prevent the emergence of the next Super Saiyan in a way that the Trampled Innocence would not be aware of but-¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°The first Super Saiyan? You mean, there was another?¡±


    ¡°Goku is not the first,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°Another Super Saiyan came before him, trying to avenge every race that had been wronged. His name was Yamoshi and he¡­his heart was warped by their influence on him.¡±


    ¡°Could you have done more to stop this?¡± Teinshinhan asked.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he answered. ¡°But I¡¯ve been trying to stop this long since before any of you were born. And I¡¯ve taken drastic measures in an attempt to prevent another Saiyan from ascending. It was the reason I didn¡¯t want Goku facing Freeza¡­I didn¡¯t want that tyrant to push him to the brink¡­so that the Trampled Innocence could take control of Goku in his wrath or desperation.¡±


    ¡°Did you take drastic measures while training Goku against the Saiyans?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°That sounds like the best time to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°It is precisely why I didn¡¯t train Goku to be as strong as you four that arrived on my planet to train. I wanted Goku to be an even match for Vegeta so that the two Saiyans would kill each other.¡±


    ¡°You did what?!¡± Krillin shouted.

 The Devil Is Reawakened

    Chapter 9


    Goku stomped his taloned foot down on the last of the Tsubas. With the yellow skinned, blue eyed alien with wings bled purple blood on the red soil of the planet Tuski. Goku looked around to find that the winged species¡¯ corpses littered the ground, their violet blood dying the ground the same color. As he scanned the surroundings of broken buildings and limp bodies, the Trampled Innocence cheered him on.


    Tsubas¡­The Trampled Innocence said. Playing innocent when their ancestors¡¯ killed us Tuskans¡­


    Goku nodded in agreement. Millenia ago, the Tuskans were raided by the Tsubas¡¯ large space fleet and unprovoked. While the Tuskans were stronger, the Tsubas had technology that overcame that disadvantage and allowed them to slaughter the entire planet. The original inhabitants of Tuski were wiped out due to the fact that the Tsubas had invented one of the earliest blasters the Tuskans had no protection against.


    The present-day Tsubas were actually peaceful and had little evil flowing from it in comparison to the other planets Goku had visited. However, that could not control the rage the Tuskans within the Trampled Innocence felt. Their rage boiled within Goku¡¯s soul just as passionately as the Namekians did. The Tuskans were enraged that they had to go through soul cleansing in Otherworld as the Tsubas they killed in battle to defend their planet.


    What an atrocity. Goku said to them as took his foot off the dead Tsubas. No matter what the modern Tsubas moral state is, they must pay for their forefathers¡¯ sin. This planet does not belong to them. And then the idiot Kais forced the slain to be treated the same as their murderers. As if they were both deserving of salvation.


    Yes. The Trampled Innocence replied. You have done well, Goku. You are the only one who understands.


    This planet was the 40,258th the Super Saiyan had rid of sentient life. Every planet he had genocided beforehand was done in a matter of seconds, save Planet Cold. Goku either killed them himself with speed that was beyond preposterous or qi blasts that reached all across the planet¡¯s latitude or allowed the ghosts of said planets¡¯ former inhabitants destroy them. The number of those he killed was beyond Freeza at this point.


    But Freeza didn¡¯t do anything for a good reason. The Trampled Innocence said. He merely wanted to expand his empire. You, on the other hand¡­you have realized the price of war and violence in the universe and wish for the living to pay the consequences. This galaxy¡­it deserves to be obliterated for a new one to take its place.


    Goku flapped his wings as he sped into the air, the Trampled Innocence showing him his next target.


    A new galaxy, devoid of pain and suffering¡­He thought. You think it could really happen?


    Yes¡­The Trampled Innocence said. If only we can delete all evil that currently exists.


    ¡°Why would you want Goku to die?!¡± Krillin shouted. ¡°That¡¯s crazy!¡±


    ¡°And you trained Goku so he could take out both Vegeta and Goku?!¡± Piccolo asked.


    ¡°But-But-King Kai!¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°I thought you said Goku took out Nappa rather easily¡­how could you want him and Vegeta to kill each other if Goku was so strong?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Yamcha said. ¡°You trained us, right? You didn¡¯t set out to have our strength limited, did you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± King Kai said. ¡°My plan almost worked, in that Vegeta and Goku barely survived their encounter with one another. You saw how powerful you were when you took on the Ginyu Force on my planet, right? Why do you think Goku wasn¡¯t that strong when he left for Earth but you were?¡±


    ¡°You guys fought the Ginyu Force?¡± Krillin asked.


    ¡°The who?¡± Piccolo asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°They creeps were from Freeza¡¯s army and thought they could push around those of us in the afterlife. They arrived on King Kai¡¯s planet sometime after you were resurrected, Piccolo.¡±


    ¡°It''s a bit scary to be fighting guys stronger than Vegeta,¡± Yamcha said. ¡°But we did win.¡±


    ¡°And why do you think you won?¡± King Kai asked. ¡°When Goku couldn¡¯t even defeat Vegeta after training with me?¡±


    This caused everyone to go silent, that bit of evidence convincing everyone. And when they realized how serious King Kai was, Krillin could sense fear rise in all of them. He shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°So you wanted Goku to die on Earth before he could become a Super Saiyan?¡± Krillin asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± King Kai said. ¡°I did. I trained him just enough so that he could stand up to Vegeta. I was almost right considering how the two nearly died killing each other.¡±


    ¡°That-!¡± Krillin shouted. ¡°That does make sense considering how close that battle was.¡±


    ¡°With Goku dead and with Piccolo dead from the Saiyan invasion,¡± he explained. ¡°I thought there would be little chance another Saiyan could ascend. However¡­Goku spared Vegeta and Vegeta ended up not killing his Saiyan rival. After that¡­I was unsure if Goku could be killed and so¡­so I planned to let him live while still keeping him from becoming a Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Krillin said. ¡°You-You told us how to get to Namek! Didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°I did. Something¡­something I now regret. As a Kai, I take pity on the noble of heart and merciful souls. I felt guilty for wishing Goku to die and so¡­I gave you earthlings a chance to return to your normal lives.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Piccolo grunted in anger. ¡°Some chance. We barely made it off Namek without Freeza ending our lives.¡±


    ¡°I am not omnipotent and my attention can be diverted!¡± King Kai shouted. ¡°Had I known Freeza had been eavesdropping on Vegeta and Nappa¡¯s conversation I would have never given you the coordinates. But I didn¡¯t think to look to Freeza¡¯s army¡¯s movements before sending you the coordinates to Namek. I thought that Goku would never face an opponent that would drive him to the edge of despair like Freeza did. Oh¡­oh if I had known what would happen¡­I would have taken more drastic measures.¡±


    ¡°Like destroying the Earth?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°Did you ever think about doing that?!¡±


    ¡°Of course I thought about it,¡± King Kai said. ¡°But I, along with all other Kais, strive to preserve life as much as possible. If I killed all the inhabitants of Earth just to kill Goku, then I would do the same thing the Trampled Innocence is guilty of. So I tried finding other ways of nipping the possibility of a Super Saiyan in the bud.¡±


    ¡°But then how do you expect us to believe you wanted Goku to die?¡± Piccolo said. ¡°Are you good, or are you evil?¡±


    ¡°My morality is not determined by whose side I am,¡± King Kai said. ¡°As a Kai, I¡¯m supposed to preserve life while interfering as little as possible in mortal matters. You see¡­I liked Goku. I liked him quite a bit. It is pure hearted men and women like him with strong power levels that end up becoming the servants of us Kais. They often act as our emissaries so we can attend to other duties, such as cleansing mortal souls of sin or judging those who have been led morally astray.¡±


    ¡°So you wanted to keep Goku as your lapdog?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°And that¡¯s why you gave him such special treatment?¡±


    ¡°Lapdog is not the right word for what us Kais call our servants,¡± King Kai answered, clearly offended. ¡°We have to choose which mortals we place our trust in and those we abhor very carefully. I would not have told you how to get to Namek had I known Freeza¡¯s army would arrive on the planet around the same time. I should have paid closer attention to Freeza¡¯s movements. Once I found the Trampled Innocence was too good at keeping their champion alive¡­I thought I could maneuver Goku in ways for him to still do good and-¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­?¡± Krillin said. ¡°The Trampled Innocence kept Goku alive?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°I thought¡­I thought you said¡­they only-¡±


    ¡°I did not say ¡°they only¡± anything,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°The Trampled Innocence goes beyond just providing Super Saiyans their power¡­their influence in the galaxy rivals even that of a Kai.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Teinshinhan asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± King Kai said. ¡°The accumulation of so many souls killed unjustly is so great they have their own means of manipulating reality. They sometimes whisper thoughts into a person¡¯s mind, change the climate of a planet and can even create the personality of a person who is born. Also, once Yamoshi, the original Super Saiyan, became one with the Trampled Innocence, they were able to look at any part of reality.¡±


    ¡°I find that hard to believe as well,¡± Tein said. ¡°If they can know everything and do anything, why don¡¯t they just get their revenge without taking control of Goku?¡±


    ¡°Because they are incorporeal souls,¡± King Kai said. ¡°They need a body to more directly exert their will over reality. Without a Super Saiyan currently alive, they can only manipulate and influence but not directly destroy. However, they can produce their own champion¡¯s nature. That¡­¡±


    The Kai let out a long sigh before continuing to answer.


    ¡°Was how they manipulated Goku,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want entire planets to die, so I trained Goku just enough to kill the most likely other candidate to become a Super Saiyan¡­Vegeta.¡±


    ¡°There was no way Vegeta could become a Super Saiyan!¡± Krillin shouted. ¡°His heart was as evil as Freeza¡¯s! He murdered innocent people left and right and was selfish to the end!¡±


    King Kai¡¯s silence was ominous, the vague impression he knew more than he was letting on settle in.


    ¡°Let us just say¡­¡± he said slowly. ¡°Vegeta was not always so¡­bitter. And leave it at that. If I say anymore about Vegeta¡­you wouldn¡¯t believe me. Or¡­or be angered.¡±


    The pause was odd, almost cold. It was as if King Kai wished to tell them but couldn¡¯t. So they moved on.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you send the Trampled Innocence to Hell?¡± Piccolo asked. ¡°I mean, as a kai don¡¯t you have that authority?¡±


    ¡°Not over the Trampled Innocence,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Not anymore. They became so strong that the individuals in the afterlife that form the Trampled Innocence in the Soul Realm are not affected by my presence. Only Yamoshi, the Super Saiyan before Goku who currently rules the Realm of Souls, can control them. And he¡¯s so warped by their collective anger and despair he would not call them off.¡±


    ¡°I think there was more you could have done,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°You were just incompetent.¡±


    ¡°Believe me,¡± King Kai said. ¡°I used every method available without drawing the Trampled Innocence¡¯s attention. If they suspected I was trying to eliminate the possibility of a Super Saiyan, it would raise the difficulty of my task. I wanted to kill Goku in his infant state but through indirect means, less the Trampled Innocence found out my hand was against them.¡±


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    ¡°And what does that mean?¡± Yamcha asked.


    King Kai sighed.


    ¡°It means I had to take drastic measures,¡± he answered. ¡°And had to convince Freeza to destroy the Saiyans.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± they all asked.


    A stunned silence followed as King Kai refused to speak, allowing the gravity of his statement to kick in.


    ¡°But I thought you said you were against destroying planets?!¡± Yamcha shouted.


    ¡°I know,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°You¡­Your morality is certainly drawn into question here.¡±


    ¡°And you said you were working with Freeza¡­¡± Krillin said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that also be off the table?¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± King Kai said. ¡°I was no fan of doing it. Even amongst the most evil races, I am willing to give leniency for their civilizations to learn their lesson. I actually expected the Saiyans¡¯ oppression under Freeza to make them see reason and soften up.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see that happening,¡± Master Roshi said.


    ¡°It¡¯s happened before,¡± he answered. ¡°Species learning from their rotten ways and turning over a new leaf has occurred before. However¡­I noticed that more and more Saiyans were being born with a pure heart. Vegeta was only the first of many in that generation that showed remarkable kindness.¡±


    ¡°There were?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°Culled by the Saiyans,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°And as tragic as their death was, I was more scared of Vegeta¡¯s stony heart being pierced by kind people and him reawakening his purity.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°Like¡­like on Namek?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± King Kai said. ¡°While only a little¡­you did change Vegeta for the better.¡±


    ¡°But then why didn¡¯t you convince Freeza to kill Vegeta?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°That could have saved us a lot of trouble here on Earth.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could have,¡± King Kai said. ¡°But I barely convinced Freeza to destroy Planet Vegeta. In reality, I talked with all of Freeza¡¯s family about it. Telepathically. Freeza¡¯s father, King Cold and Freeza¡¯s brother, Cooler. They were reluctant to accept my warning about the Saiyan¡¯s power, especially King Cold. They didn¡¯t want to get rid of their most powerful soldiers. I also had to force them to speak to me non-audibly so the Trampled Innocence would not hear.¡±


    ¡°Then why did Freeza agree to do it?¡± Krillin asked.


    ¡°For any other reason a tyrant does something,¡± King Kai said. ¡°They¡¯re afraid of losing their power. I had to convince Freeza it was plausible, which took a long time. Finally, Freeza destroyed the planet and I thought the chance of another Super Saiyan was gone, considering how wicked Vegeta was.¡±


    ¡°But what about Goku?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°Did you not have the gall to kill an infant?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± King Kai said. ¡°I had no compunction with eliminating the chance of a new Super Saiyan. I thought Cooler would have killed him as I¡¯d convinced him that the Saiyans were a possible threat to his race. However, Cooler spared Goku as the infant Saiyan traveled within his territory.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Teinshinhan asked. ¡°Why would a tyrant related to Freeza let a possible threat to his power live? Was he too arrogant? Was he not as bad as Freeza?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± King Kaid said. ¡°I thought I¡¯d convinced Cooler of the danger of the Saiyans¡­but I suppose that once he saw the destruction of Planet Vegeta and the only survivor being a baby with a power level of two¡­he thought it was beneath him to kill Goku.¡±


    Krillin felt like he was about to throw up. Goku, the savior of the Earth, was a bloodthirsty monster was too revolting. And the idea that one of Goku¡¯s mentors was willing to kill him along with no chance to revive him¡­it was too much. Krillin bowed his head in defeat as the hollowness ate him up.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Master Roshi said. ¡°That¡¯s it then, eh? Goku has become this super warrior or whatever that seeks to destroy all life in the galaxy? Do you think the Earth is in danger?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± King Kai said. ¡°As powerful as the Trampled Innocence has grown with all the souls collected over the millenia, Goku might reach this corner of the galaxy before he burns up.¡±


    ¡°Burn up?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is that the Super Saiyan transformation drains your body the more you use it,¡± he explained. ¡°If the Trampled Innocence attached to a Saiyan is like fire, the host they¡¯re implanted in is the fuel.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°You mean, Goku will eventually die?!¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± King Kai said. ¡°The trillions of souls are consuming his body and life force like nobody¡¯s business. It won¡¯t be long before they use him up and he¡¯s gone. If that didn¡¯t happen, then the original Super Saiyan, Yamoshi, would have destroyed all life in the universe.¡±


    ¡°So-So-¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°We need to do something before this happens! Piccolo, Krillin¡­we need to get the dragon balls ready! We need to unwish this so that-!¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Not happening.¡±


    ¡°No?!¡± Krillin asked. ¡°But why not?!¡±


    ¡°The Trampled Innocence is far more powerful than Shenron,¡± he said. ¡°The gap between the two¡¯s strength is wider than between Goku and Piccolo when they fought Radtiz and Freeza¡¯s. Absolutely gargantuan.¡±


    ¡°But what about after he dies?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°Could we resurrect him once his body is burned up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s also an impossibility,¡± King Kai said. ¡°When a Super Saiyan burns up their energy, they go directly to the Realm of Souls. They skip past Otherworld and become lord of the Soul Room. No one can remove them from the Realm of Souls and so they stay there until the next Super Saiyan who dies replaces them. Yamoshi, the original Super Saiyan, currently resides as the ruler of the Realm of Souls and is waiting for Goku to replace him.¡±


    ¡°That-¡± Yamcha said. ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± King Kai said. ¡°It is. In fact, it''s the reason I felt the need to explain this all to you. I wanted you to know why you¡¯d never see Goku again, even in death. I¡¯m sorry. I¡­I wish I could have done more.¡±


    A solemn silence fell over them all. No one spoke, the air growing uncomfortably tense. Finally, it was Roshi who broke the silence.


    ¡°Goku¡­¡± Master Roshi said. ¡°If I had known this would happen to you¡­I¡¯d never have trained you. I never wanted you to suffer like this.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°To think the Earth¡¯s greatest hero won¡¯t be around anymore. I¡¯m not gonna miss him as a protector¡­I¡¯m gonna miss him as a friend that drove me to try harder.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°If I knew this was going to happen¡­I would have not tried so hard to kill him.¡±


    ¡°G-Goku,¡± Krillin said as tears welled up in his eyes.


    He fell to the ground, covering his head in shame. His tears wet the sand of the beach as he fit his head between his knees. All this was too much for Krillin and he felt like someone was ripping his heart out.


    Goku, Goku¡­He thought as tears stung his eyes. You can¡¯t do this! You and I¡­we were too close for it to all be torn away like this! We¡¯ve been through too much! I¡­I loved you like a brother.


    ¡°Come on, buddy,¡± Yamcha said.


    He could feel Yamcha pat him on the back as the short man cried.


    ¡°Look,¡± Yamcha said as his voice quivered. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard¡­it¡¯s hard for all of us but¡­¡±


    It was obvious that the former desert bandit was trying hard not to cry himself.


    ¡°But we need to get you a lady friend,¡± he said. ¡°Like you always wanted! That way¡­that way you can have someone to¡­to be there for you. I mean I have Bulma¡­and she¡¯s safe, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Bulma fixed the spaceship she used to travel to Namek and is headed to Earth as we speak. With enough food and water on board, she should land safely pretty soon.¡±


    Krillin picked himself up, wiping the tears from his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he said. ¡°I-I guess you¡¯re right, Yamcha. I guess¡­I guess I could have a girlfriend. Maybe that¡­that¡¯d fix things.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yamcha said. ¡°I bet we¡¯ll get you a really nice looking girl that¡¯s sweet! There¡¯s plenty of fish in the sea.¡±


    Krillin stood up, still sniveling as Tein turned to Piccolo.


    ¡°What are you going to do, Piccolo?¡± he asked.


    The Namekian shrugged.


    ¡°Honestly¡­¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Honestly, I think I¡¯ll have to think about it. But now that you mention it¡­¡±


    He glanced at Krillin before sighing.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take care of Gohan in his father¡¯s absence,¡± Piccolo answered.


    ¡°What?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°Gohan¡­he taught me something during our training


    together. Something¡­something I can¡¯t really explain. Honestly¡­whatever remaining purpose I have on this Earth for as long as a Namekian can live¡­I think it can be found in the same boy who taught me the meaning of kindness.¡±


    Krillin smiled at that, wiping the tears from his eyes.


    ¡°Wow, Piccolo,¡± he said. ¡°That¡­that gives me hope.¡±


    Piccolo grunted, clearly embarrassed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rub it in,¡± the Namekian said. ¡°I don¡¯t like feelings anymore then I do thorns in my side.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Krillin said. ¡°Really, I mean it. It makes me think that¡­that if someone as cold as you can find a new purpose to live for in someone they love¡­¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Maybe I can too!¡± he said. ¡°I¡­I just hope I can find someone out there who likes short guys!¡±


    That elicited a laugh from everyone save Piccolo who just rolled his eyes. It gave them a bit of relief from the stress of King Kai¡¯s explanation. That was, until King Kai began panicking.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡± Yamcha asked.


    ¡°This¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°This can¡¯t be real! It¡­it¡¯s happening far too early!¡±


    ¡°What is it, King Kai?!¡± Piccolo asked.


    ¡°He is arising,¡± King Kai replied.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± Master Roshi asked.


    ¡°He¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°He is¡­do you remember how I told you the Trampled Innocence manipulates everything to its whim, without physically interacting with it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yamcha said. ¡°Is¡­is it doing that again?¡±


    ¡°No but¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°Something worse than the Trampled Innocence has arisen!¡±


    ¡°Worse?!¡± they all shouted.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°Did¡­did any of you grow curious about why the Trampled Innocence has to covertly manipulate its pawns against the forces of evil?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Teinshinhan said.


    ¡°I did but it was too vague a notion for me to ask,¡± Piccolo answered.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°If there¡¯s a reason you ever asked why evil exists for the Trampled Innocence to be angry at¡­it has arisen.¡±


    ¡°What has?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to the Trampled Innocence in a way,¡± King Kai said. ¡°It rests in a plane of existence that normally can¡¯t be accessed by any sentient being. That place is called the Womb of Evil, where every evil action and thought is connected to and accumulates. While resting in the Womb of Evil for millenia, it subtly manipulates the hearts of sentient creatures to gather more evil for its plans to manifest. It draws strength from malice as hatred and naughtiness are what compose this creature.¡±


    ¡°But what is it?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°What¡¯s its name?¡±


    Majin Buu broke the dark cocoon that surrounded him. After placing his foot onto the black web that composed the Womb of Evil, he found he was in his kid state. He was displeased he had not reached his super form.


    Hmm¡­He thought. I hate to think I can¡¯t get out of this fully manifested.


    Buu looked around his surroundings. Besides the gray cocoon he had laid dormant in for an untold time period that had been busted through, the Womb of Evil was just as he remembered it. In front of him spread a pitch black, sprawling spider web whose individual strings pulsed like a heartbeat.


    Various creatures crawled along the web, all of them hideous in shape and color. They varied from walking skeletons that roared furiously as they balanced their bony feet on the web to spiders that crawled along the individual strings. Things with bat wings flew overhead screeching loud enough to hurt Kid Buu¡¯s ears. And all of them had the ¡°M¡± on their head to signify their status as beings created from primordial evil qi.


    Kid Buu looked up at the featureless dark dome above him and willed it to open. He floated upward as he levitated into pitch black space. However, this space was interspersed with stars in the distance and metal remains drifting around him. As the portal to the Womb of Evil closed beneath him, Buu looked upon his enemy.


    The Super Saiyan had just finished blowing up an artificial planet, a space station large enough to be mistaken for a celestial body. Wings stretched across his back and his hands and feet were that of a bird¡¯s. His shiny, golden skin was metallic looking, almost smooth appearing. The only thing that kept Buu from believing it was smooth was the horrifying faces that stretched from the surface of his body, all growling in pain and anger. Upon witnessing Kid Buu arrive, he glared him down.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the Saiyan asked.


    Kid Buu glared back, pink aura surrounding him as his anger reached a boiling point.


    ¡°I,¡± Buu said. ¡°Am the one whose meal you are stealing.¡±

 Origin of the Devil: Part 1

    Chapter 10


    Buu watched the Super Saiyan levitate in the middle of empty space with a glare almost as murderous as his own. Goku was obviously sensing the demon¡¯s energy just as Kid Buu was. And what he could feel from the Saiyan was overwhelming.


    Goku was no longer a single entity. His entire being was a collage of different souls sewn to his own spirit to create a monstrosity of a creature. He was a patchwork of untold billions, every one of them screaming for revenge. It was difficult to sense Goku¡¯s power level at first due to having so many other qi signatures attached to the Saiyan.


    ¡°I see,¡± Buu said. ¡°So the Trampled Innocence attached itself to another Saiyan, despite my best efforts.¡±


    His eyes narrowed on the glowing yellow creature.


    ¡°Lost in the turmoil of others'' free will¡­¡± Kid Buu said. ¡°You have made yourself a slave to the desire of others rather than living as your own person. And that¡­¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Has proved to be far more a danger than living selfishly,¡± Buu said.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Goku asked. ¡°One of Freeza¡¯s kin?¡±


    Buu laughed at this.


    ¡°No,¡± he chortled. ¡°I am¡­beyond anything Freeza could hope to match up to. I am far older than Freeza could hope to be, even with immortality. You could even say I¡­¡±


    His smiled at his next sentence.


    ¡°Created Freeza,¡± Kid Buu stated.


    At this the Super Saiyan¡¯s expression broke. His face had been nothing more than utter rage up to this point shattering was cathartic to Buu. Mad pleasure surged through him upon watching this display of confusion and panic overcome Goku. He was disappointed to find the expression quickly reversed back to anger.


    ¡°Created?!¡± Goku asked. ¡°Freeza?! H-How¡­How what are-?¡±


    And then Goku fell silent. Buu could tell Goku''s attention was distracted as the Saiyan¡¯s eyes darted away from Buu. The demon could tell what was happening.


    ¡°Let me guess¡­¡± Buu said. ¡°The Trampled Innocence is filling you in on how we are mortal enemies to one another? That we¡¯ve been playing this song and dance of passive aggressive war for untold millenia?¡±


    Goku glared back at the demon, clearly frustrated at his words.


    ¡°They¡¯re telling me¡­¡± he said. ¡°Telling me you¡¯ve been¡­spreading evil throughout the universe since almost the dawn of¡­the very dawn of time. The Trampled Innocence for¡­for¡­since¡­since their inception have been¡­quarreling with you.¡±


    The Saiyan shook his head.


    ¡°What are you?!¡± Goku demanded.


    Buu smiled.


    ¡°I am evil,¡± Kid Buu answered. ¡°I am evil itself.¡±


    He began laughing, chortling to himself in a loud uproar as the Super Saiyan¡¯s glare intensified.


    His first memories were of pure blackness, darkness so deep he was sure nothing could be on the other side of it. He could feel himself clawing his way through something murky and squishy, almost like thick jelly. The pitch black, semi-solid he pushed himself through was suffocating.


    LET ME OUT. He thought as he beat against the walls that contained him. LET ME OUT.


    Once the curved walls of the barrier that contained him had been breached, Buu fell out with a splash of dark liquid. He winced in exhaustion as his nerves tingled with electric pain. He looked back to see he had emerged from a pitch black cocoon with equally dark liquid spilling out. He groaned in displeasure as he looked at his surroundings.


    The world was one large spider web. The pitch black strings that composed this realm were spun masterfully by spiders the size of dogs. Each one was the color of obsidian, their bodies shining in a light Buu could not find for the life of him.


    The spiders seemed endless in their quest to spin more webs, the space around them expanding every time more room needed to be opened up for their construction. The webs were incredibly strong and very thick, allowing the newly hatched lifeform to lay down without any discomfort or fear of following. And more monstrosities than just huge spiders surrounded him.


    Crawling on the web were elephants with swords for tusks and knives growing from their bodies. Wolves with chattering skulls embedded in their fur walked across the strings without so much as a shake of the web. Birds with multiple tongues wriggled from their wings perched on the web and made nests. And everyone had the same ¡°M¡± mark on their forehead or other part of their body. He could hardly believe his eyes as he laid there.


    ¡°Wh-What?¡± he asked. ¡°Wh-What is this place?¡±


    He then looked down at himself to find his body was pink. His hands were tipped black nails and his arms covered with wrist warmers. His lower half was dressed white pants and a gold belt buckle with the same ¡°M¡± mark.


    After looking down at himself for a little bit, awful memories flashed through his mind. He covered his eyes as the worst scenes imaginable flooded him. People being blown to shreds by qi blasts, others being sliced to bits by swords, women being violated and children being enslaved. And the more he looked at these horrid images, the more he realized they were a part of him.


    They were just as much his memories as they were of the victims who experienced such. He could feel himself living through these painful events as though they happened yesterday. Each memory stung him with stout poison, making him quiver in pain. He grabbed his single antenna in agony and looked up to the pitch black sky before screaming.


    ¡°Wh-What am I?!¡± he shouted.


    He screamed at the blackness above him as loud as possible, wishing with all his might to leave this accursed place.


    ¡°The darkness that pervades the heart of sentient beings does not disappear even when their evil deeds are finished,¡± Buu said. ¡°Their sin must go somewhere¡­and that place is the Womb of Evil. It collects and manifests in a space not even the Trampled Innocence can enter.¡±


    ¡°The Womb of Evil¡­¡± Goku repeated. ¡°That¡­that is the-¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°The place where every ill-begotten thought or dark deed manifests as a monster,¡± Buu replied. ¡°Those said monsters then go on to fill the hearts of other lifeforms that had no prior connection to them. Majin, as they are called¡­they can infect any and sentient lifeforms there are. You, Goku, were one of the only beings in the galaxy to be morally fit enough to defy their influence.¡±


    ¡°Where did you come from?!¡± Goku shouted.


    ¡°I told you¡­¡± Buu said. ¡°The Womb of Evil. It is a dimension that exists within the heart of sentient life itself¡­the dark corner in every mind where hopelessness, strife, jealousy and selfishness exist.¡±


    He chortled again.


    ¡°And I am the ultimate Majin,¡± he said. ¡°Buu.¡±


    ¡°A Majin¡­?¡± Goku asked. ¡°Yes¡­that is what the Trampled Innocence are telling me.¡±


    Kid Buu laughed at the Super Saiyan¡¯s glare, gladenned he finally understood.


    ¡°You¡¯re spirits that can infect and influence the most pure of souls to do evil,¡± he replied. ¡°And since the Womb of Evil is a dimension that exists within the heart itself¡­they have direct access to the morality of said people.¡±


    Buu smiled as the antenna on his head wiggled.


    ¡°You finally get it,¡± he said. ¡°Evil itself is a real force, an energy signature that does not go away. It is stored and accumulated by thousands¨Cno, millions¨Cof years of wrongdoing. The Womb of Evil stores said evil in its dimension and then-¡±


    ¡°It creates a cyclical loop,¡± Goku said. ¡°The Womb of Evil stores the evil of the heart, that evil then becomes Majins that crawl into a person¡¯s heart to influence them into more wrongdoing, thus creating more malevolence. The Trample Innocence knows this very well. It''s a realm like the Soul Realm that almost no one can get into unless called forth by whoever rules said dimension. And you are the ruler of the Womb of Evil.¡±


    Kid Buu nodded.


    ¡°Although I didn¡¯t take so kindly to my existence at first,¡± he said.


    As Buu shouted with all his might, a portal above him opened. The black, featureless ceiling grew a hole where he could see something more than the black spiderweb. He quickly flew through the portal to find a complete change of surroundings.


    Surrounding him were yellow, humanoid looking creatures with long lanky limbs. Their lemon colored skin formed into deep wrinkles that was complimented well by their bright red eyes. Each one of them had an elephant trunk growing from their face.


    Most of them looked rather sad or disturbed. Buu could see plots of land where brown, dried husks of plants grew, burnt by the bright sun. Many of the odd creatures tried going to a well in the middle of their city made of red clay with less than an inch of water in their buckets.


    Buu was the greatest oddity to them, the tall creatures turning from their misery to gaze in awe at him. Buu sat in the hot, red sand of their planet in complete fright. He was so paralyzed with fear he couldn¡¯t move, afraid of what they were thinking of him. He found that he knew each individual here more than their own friends and family did. He could see purple qi flowing from each individual one of the alien creatures trailing the air before landing on him.


    Every sin they have ever committed¡­Buu thought. Has¡­has created me. Their evil¡­from the one on my write who stole water from his neighbor, to the one on my left who killed a man after robbing him to his wife who left him for another man¡­their evil fills me.


    Buu closed his hands into fists as he stood up, his instincts took over.


    This anger¡­He thought. This pain¡­I never produced it myself¡­but it is there with me¡­their collective suffering and wickedness¡­


    He glared at them as he screamed in pain.


    I need to shed this pain they give me. Buu thought. And the only means of catharsis I can think of¡­


    He shot a wave of pink aura forward, vaporizing five of the yellow skinned aliens. A scream of terror and confusion erupted from the entire village before Buu killed more. As he did, his pain lessened.


    Is by killing the source of that pain. He realized.


    ¡°My first exposure to sentient life was the Tragarians on Planet Tragar,¡± Buu said. ¡°They were a people who had once been peaceful but as war and plague spread across their planet, became more hostile.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Goku replied. ¡°The Tragarians became violent as sickness lessened their population and killed their crops. Truly horrible.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Buu said. ¡°But as horrible as their situation was¡­I learned a lot from them.¡±


    Buu sat in the remains of the twentieth city he destroyed. Layers of burnt rubble smoldered around him as he looked on in confusion. He didn¡¯t know what to make of his current feelings.


    I¡¯ve killed nearly their entire population. Buu thought. I feel the pain and suffering in my own heart gone because the very source is. But if that¡¯s true then¡­


    He looked up at the sky as it was now dark. The blazing red sun had been replaced by a pale blue moon, its cerulean color mesmerizing him. Buu felt tired just looking at it, almost regretful.


    Why do I still feel so empty? He thought. What is this hollowness in my heart that¡­that just won¡¯t leave me alone? Just won¡¯t go away?


    He shook his head.


    Is it sorrow? Buu thought. Regret for killing them?


    He then looked down at himself, finding there was no more purple qi filling him.


    What happened? He thought. I suppose¡­I suppose¡­as much wickedness and pain they filled me with.


    He ground his teeth in realization.


    They were a part of me. Buu thought. Everyone of them. Their sin¡­was what shaped me. And now that they are gone¡­


    He stood up, choosing to walk through the ruins before flying upward.


    So is that part of me. He thought.


    ¡°Destroying much of the Tragarian race was a very eye opening moment for me,¡± Buu said. ¡°Realizing I was the embodiment of evil itself¡­I figured that my only purpose was to destroy things.¡±


    Buu laughed as threw blast after blast of pink energy at the Kesurians below. The red skinned creatures with purple dots fled as fast as they could but there was no escaping his attacks. Hundreds were instantly turned to ash by his attacks, a fact that only maddened his laughter. In less than an hour, Buu had killed every inhabitant of Kesur.


    After his victory, Buu once again found himself sitting on a smoldering slab contemplating why he did this. This time the sun was setting on the Kesurians¡¯ home planet and he was watching the sky turn a bright green. He shook his head, once again feeling empty.


    Why? He asked himself. Am I trying to get rid of our mutual pain that binds us from killing that pain? Am I doing it because I have nothing else to do?


    He shook his head again.


    Is this my life? Buu wondered. Is this what I¡¯ll do for the rest of my life? I don¡¯t really regret killing all those insects but¡­I feel so bored of this activity already. Is it really this draining killing so many people?


    He looked over the horizon, finding the smoke of his wrath rising to the sky.


    I guess that after I kill everyone¡­Buu thought. There¡¯s not much left. And with nothing left¡­I have little more option than to find something I haven¡¯t destroyed and¡­go destroy it.


    Buu only half-heartedly fought the Ulvarians. Even the strongest of their warriors were little challenge to him. After killing one of their giants, a man with eight arms and red stripes running the length of his forearms, with a single punch, Buu was disappointed.


    The planet of Ulvari was caked in red moss that blanketed the ground like snow. He sat on a rock covered in the stuff so completely it looked like a lump of red carpet. The citizens of the walled city he attacked were fleeing in droves, even though Buu had given up on killing.


    He found no more delight in it. After killing two planets worth of people and defeating the strongest warriors of this era, Buu had nothing more to do. Hollow victory pained his soul more than the memories of every person¡¯s pain. The catharsis of killing the sources of those vile, foreign memories was absent from his experience at that moment. In fact, if anything, Buu felt tired.


    Sleep. He thought. I¡­I want sleep. I feel sleepy¡­


    And he quickly fell unconscious. The next thing he knew, Buu was surrounded by pitch black darkness. In the cramped, pod-like chamber that held him, Buu finally felt relief.


    I must¡­He realized. Expanded all the wicked qi I absorbed¡­and now¡­I the Womb calls me back to slumber.

 Origin of the Devil: Part 2

    Chapter 11


    ¡°And what was that supposed to prove?¡± Goku asked. ¡°Your little story doesn¡¯t make me sympathize with you anymore or less.¡±


    ¡°Sympathize?¡± Buu laughed. ¡°Sympathize?! You think I¡¯m unaware how wrathful a giant hypocrite like you is?!¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°No,¡± Buu said. ¡°Goku¡­I just want you to understand the gap between the wisdom we both share.¡±


    ¡°Wisdom?¡± the Super Saiyan asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t know wads of sticky sin and contempt could even have wisdom.¡±


    The strange, pink creature laughed yet again.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Buu said. ¡°Far older than you¡­you or your murderous gang of souls¡­I have wisdom you could never possibly dream of. For example¡­¡±


    The second time Buu woke up he was not as surprised as the first but definitely more apprehensive. During his whole second slumber he had been drifting in and out of consciousness. He had images of beings emerging from planets, dying off and suffering before rising back up. It wasn¡¯t until Buu was awake that he realized the sights he had beheld were the events of the universe transpiring.


    Once he burst from his cocoon again, Buu was in even more pain than when he first emerged. Visions of unspeakable horror from enslavement of entire planets to synthetic plagues to ripping children in half for the sheer enjoyment filled the Majin. His hands were pressed flat against the thick strands of web that covered the Womb of Evil while he noticed the monsters had doubled in number.


    Hideous¡­He thought as he looked at the Majin. All of them¡­hideous.


    Buu tried catching his breath, unable to end the pain he was experiencing. The combined evil of every being in the universe weighed down on him like many boulders strapped to his body. Buu was straining to keep himself from falling to the ground while his arms wobbled. As he attempted to stand, he noticed one of the many horrible creatures approaching him.


    The monster carried itself on the hooved legs of a deer but had as many legs as a spider and was arranged like an arachnid as well. The surface charcoal black skin was ruffled in a diamond shaped pattern, like a rattlesnake. For a tail, it had the rattle of a snake that was as long as a human arm.


    But its face was perfectly human in appearance. The pale, snow white face was that of a beautiful woman with long dark hair that waved in the air without wind. She stared at him with an unnerving calmness that stood in stark contrast to Majin Buu¡¯s sweating, irritated expression.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± the strange creature asked. ¡°Does your existence trouble you so much you do not wish to move?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± he cried. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure what I am!¡±


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± the spidery thing replied. ¡°You know what you are.¡±


    Buu froze in even more terror, pain ricocheting through his body.


    ¡°It¡¯s written all over your face,¡± she said. ¡°You know that you are the culmination of all evil in the universe.¡±


    Majin Buu was now on his feet, staring down at the creature¡¯s odd and disgusting form.


    ¡°You should feel honored and proud of being such a thing,¡± she said. ¡°Us normal Majin are usually just born from one or two acts of depravity or evil. For example, I was born from a woman¡¯s house being burned down by an enemy army. They trapped her inside with her family before setting it on fire. Now I exist as the manifestation of her suffering and the cruelty she endured.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s a horrible fate to be consigned to!¡± Majin Buu shouted. ¡°To know you¡¯re nothing but¡­but a being made from the worst thing! I-I can¡¯t enjoy life knowing I¡¯d be like that!¡±


    ¡°Yes you can,¡± she replied. ¡°You can enjoy life as a being of complete evil. In fact¡­it¡¯s among the best ways to enjoy life.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Buu shouted. ¡°What are you saying?!¡±


    ¡°The invading warriors who killed the woman whose face you see before you¡­¡± she said. ¡°They did not do so because they were told so. They did it out of a sense of fun and enjoyment. The thrill of killing others is what drove them to commit such an evil act. Oftentimes, the most vile and evil acts are the ones that give one the most glee.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Buu asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Good deeds are often done out of a sense of obligation and stress. Nobility requires discipline and a sense of sacrifice, evil just fundamentally doesn¡¯t. No matter how hard an evil action is, the morally sound alternative almost always requires stronger character. So, yes¡­evil often results in a greater sense of pleasure than good.¡±


    ¡°Then what will you do with your life?!¡± Buu shouted. ¡°What is your purpose as a creature of such vile origin?!¡±


    ¡°To corrupt the hearts of more sentient life,¡± she said. ¡°My purpose is built into my creation!¡±


    She laughed a little, causing Buu to be confused.


    ¡°In the Womb of Evil,¡± she explained. ¡°One can quite literally crawl into the soul of a person and try to corrupt them. I have done so with ten people and managed to drive six to become monsters. Only two defeated my temptations of their heart while another left society altogether so that he could not hurt anyone with his dark desires. But my favorite had to be the boy I drove to suicide. He was the most delicious soul to corrupt.¡±


    Majin Buu wanted to say that was horrible but in reality he found great pleasure in that. He wanted to laugh at the prospect of eight people being ruined in such a despicable way. He shook his head, perturbed at his own sensibilities.


    I acknowledge it¡¯s evil¡­Buu thought. But I enjoy it nonetheless. How can that be? How can misery be both a curse to me and something that brings me pleasure?


    The spidery creature smiled, seemingly knowing what he was thinking. In her eyes, Buu could almost feel that she was reading his mind. She then turned and crawled away, elegantly balancing on the strings that supported her.


    ¡°You must find your own sense of purpose and enjoyment,¡± the odd creature said. ¡°Only then will you be content with the evil that brought you into existence.¡±


    After she left him, Buu turned to the featureless black ceiling above and roared as loudly as possible. Just as it did last time, a portal opened up to a world outside the Womb of Evil. And he found himself on a planet he recognized. Most of the people around him were light blue in color and had yellowish blond hair. Only four were not, their skin being red and their hair white. Their speeder was parked to the side.


    The planet was covered in massive, tall trees with large red and blue spotted fruit. The buildings were rather dilapidated, made of decaying yellowing soil. Mold grew on some of them and large dents could be seen in the walls.


    The people surrounding him were the brench-seijin, a race of mostly red and blue skinned people. Buu knew their history from his dreams. The stronger, blue-skinned seijin had conquered their weaker red skinned brethren in a bloody civil war.


    The blue brench-seijin had either been enslaved or forced into ghettos made of poorly constructed buildings, like this village Buu found himself in. The red brench-seijin only spared these blue ones for the sake of extracting enormous taxes from them and to farm the land. If the blue brench-seijin were caught eating the produce of the trees or they come up short in the estimated fruit harvests, they¡¯d be killed.


    They all stared at Buu as walked through the crowd, casually observing the environment around him. Every brench-seijin stared in terror as he mozied his way into the village, completely aware of his monstrous power. If he remembered correctly, the blue brench-seijin could naturally sense power levels. The Majin could see streams of purple qi that were invisible to villagers flooding into him.


    The evil qi they fed him was not nearly as strong as what their red counterparts did, though.


    Buu noticed he had grown accustomed to the misery flooding him. It still hurt but he could put up with it now. It no longer crippled him.


    Now what? He thought.


    Buu thought of killing some of the villagers gawking at him but remembered how hollow that felt during his first awakening. While there was some enjoyment in it at first, there was no fun in killing warriors who were of no threat to him. It just became pointless after a while.


    What am I supposed to do with the remainder of my time here? Buu wondered. Are my life¡¯s best moments where I¡¯m asleep, so I don¡¯t have to live with the boredom of daily living? Where I don¡¯t have to experience the pain of another¡¯s memories and sins?


    He stopped into the marketplace of the village, looking over at a wood counter where various food items were displayed. The blue brench-seijin cowered behind it, petrified from fear. Buu looked over what he sold, from various meats to fruit to candy.


    ¡°Take whatever you want!¡± the blond haired man said as he huddled in the corner. ¡°Zero price! An offering of peace on my part!¡±


    Buu¡¯s eyes lingered on the counter behind him, drawn to nets of small balls in various colors.


    ¡°What are those?¡± he asked, pointing.


    ¡°Th-Those?!¡± the brench-seijin cried. ¡°Th-Those are¡­those are brench fruit candy!¡±


    ¡°Candy?¡± Buu asked.


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± he said. ¡°Amongst the most delicious in the galaxy! Us brench-seijin are known to make nearly anything from the brench fruit, including candy! Try some! On me!¡±


    He quickly stood up to grab a small net of them nailed to the wall and handed it to Buu. The Majin held the brightly colored candies in his hand, admiring the swirling and spotted patterns on them. He then opened the net bag and took one out.


    After eating a red one, a strange sensation overcame him. It was like an explosion of happiness went off in his mouth. The sensation was so alien to the Majin, as his existence was consumed mostly with misery. This was the first time happiness, genuine happiness with no ill intent, had found him. Buu smiled brightly at the candy before taking another into his mouth.


    ¡°Y-You like?¡± the blue skinned man said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Buu said softly. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been happy before¡­until¡­¡±


    A tear ran down his left cheek.


    ¡°I ate this.¡±


    ¡°Halt!¡± a voice from behind him cried. ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    Buu turned around to find that four red-skinned brench-seijin glared at him. Their shoulder-length white hair was braided into four strands. They had arrived in a small speeder with six seats in total. They surrounded the counter Buu was eating his candy at. One of them pointed to the salesman that offered the candy to Buu.


    ¡°I thought your village was told all brench fruit products were to be given to his lord and majesty King Tasco!¡± one of them said.


    ¡°Yes!¡± another shouted. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly violated his rules!¡±


    ¡°Pl-Please!¡± the blue brench-seijin said. ¡°Can you not see how powerful this person is! He-!¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± the other said. ¡°Now, bring them to King Tasco!¡±


    One of them grabbed Buu¡¯s arm as the other three attempted to crawl over the counter of his shop. Just as the brench-seijin grabbing Buu¡¯s arm reached for his candy, Buu had enough. He shot a ray of pink qi at the soldier apprehending him, vaporizing him in an instant.


    The other red-skinned soldiers stood in shock at the sight. The one trying to crawl across the counter quickly jumped off and fled in fear, his two comrades following in step. As they did, Buu turned to the blue skinned shop keeper as he cowered in fear.


    ¡°Did you make this candy?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Y-Yes?¡± he said.


    Buu then turned back to the fleeing soldiers and lifted his arm toward them. A wide ray of purple qi consumed them before their remaining ashes fell to the ground. The entire village gasped in shock at the sight but then began cheering.


    Buu looked at them awkwardly for a minute, not knowing what to do. He had never experienced something like this before: astonishment and appreciation for his actions. Unable to come up with a proper response, he kept eating his candy, munching with pleasure. After the net was made empty from his feasting, Buu then turned back to the shop keeper who was steadily rising to his feet.


    ¡°More,¡± he said. ¡°Please.¡±


    The blue skinned brench-seijin nodded with a smile before rushing to fulfill his request.


    ¡°It was then that I discovered my purpose,¡± Majin Buu said.


    ¡°What purpose could a being of evil such as yourself hold?¡± Goku asked.


    Buu laughed.


    ¡°Anything I want!¡± he said.


    Empowering the blue skinned inhabitants was fun for him. After calling all the villagers together, lined up in front of him in rows of ten, Buu held out his hands and spread his qi amongst them. He smiled as he watched the misty pink energy engulf the crowd of villagers. He could sense their power levels skyrocket as their bodies absorbed the thick mist.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    At first, their bodies seemed to contort in pain. The brench-seijin whooped and hollered in agony, their backs bending more than should have been possible. They collapsed to their knees, holding their faces in discomfort. At first, Buu thought he made a mistake.


    But that changed when each brench-seijin stood up uniformly. Their pain was gone and their bodies returned to normal. However, as each stared back at Majin Buu he could see something different in their eyes. And each one influenced by him bore an ¡°M¡± on their forehead.


    There was something wrong with each of them, their faces holding an animalistic desire. The urge to kill was written all throughout their expressions. A deep purple, almost black aura surrounded each of them. Most of them had power levels ten times those of the soldiers that had harassed Buu.


    ¡°Now that each of you can crush these puny insects that have bothered you for so long,¡± he said. ¡°I shall lead you to a victory you never dreamed was possible.¡±


    They all shouted for joy before pumping their fists into the air. Buu gestured for them to follow as he lifted himself into the air and flew towards the capital. Being connected to the evil energy of every being in the universe, he could track the qi signature of King Tasco rather easily. The rest of the brench-seijin did as Majin Buu as he headed to their despot ruler¡¯s destination.


    It took them less than thirty minutes to arrive, the king¡¯s palace rather ornate looking. Swirling patterns of red gemstones covered the golden walls with the bulbous, tent-shaped roofs colored brilliant orange marble. It was taller than the trees of the forest that surrounded the walled city in which Tasco¡¯s castle was located in the center of.


    As soon as they landed at the front of the palace, the red-skinned guards turned to gasp in surprise. The civilians walking past the city guffawed at the sight, all turning to stare at the dozens of blue-skinned brench-seijin. The guards raced down the steps leading to the palace to glare at them.


    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± one of them shouted. ¡°You blue skin parasites know you¡¯re not supposed to enter the capital unless explicitly summoned forth!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± the other shouted. ¡°How do you have the gall to do this to us?!¡±


    Buu looked back to find that, while the blue-skinned brench-seijin he was leading were still hostile, they were subservient to him. They were obviously waiting for him to give the command, respectful of his authority. He laughed at this.


    ¡°You can make the first move,¡± Buu said.


    The blue skins collectively smiled at this. The male most closest to Buu lifted his hands and shot a stream of purple qi at one of the guards. He was propelled backwards into the wall, leaving a man shaped crater in it before his corpse fell face down into the street.


    The other guard looked terrified at the sight, shaking in fear. He turned before flying away before one of the blue-skins threw a ball of qi at him. Upon impact, the guard exploded in mid-air where the remaining ashes fell to the ground.


    The red-skinned civilians all shrieked in terror before the blue-skins that Buu led charged after them. In a moment, the massacre began. The brench-seijin under the Majin¡¯s command flew towards every capital citizen they could grab hold of and killed them.


    After dispersing into the city, the blue-skins shot the city up with beams of qi or tore the citizens apart with their bare hands. The streets ran red with the blood of the enemy brench-seijin and the ashes of those blown to bits flowed in the crimson river. Within seconds half the city was in ruins, making Buu laugh in glee.


    Perfect. He thought. Absolutely perfect.


    Buu then marched up the stairs leading to the palace, the remaining brench-seijin following him. There were thirteen blue-skins not enraptured by killing their fellow red-skins. Buu stepped aside as he let one of the blue-skins tear the doors off the hinges of the palace to meet those inside.


    King Tasco sat on his throne as he was apparently discussing matters with two other red-skinned brench-seijin. They wore silver robes that looked similar to Tasco¡¯s, indicating they were royalty. His skin had deep creases in it and his wooly, white hair reached down to his waist to indicate age. To his left side was a smaller throne where a beautiful red-skinned woman with very smooth skin and a wonderful complexion sat in gemstone embroidered robes.


    On both sides sat young brench-seijin that were too young to be called adults eating from silver plates on black marble tables. Their plates were covered in luscious vegetables, savory meat and wonderful looking sweets. Buu smiled at the sight.


    His children. Buu thought. This will be fun to watch.


    King Tasco immediately jumped from his throne to glare at those who had just barged in. His queen looked frightened at the sight and recoiled in terror. The children of Tasco sat up from their seats as they hurried to their parents'' side.


    ¡°What are you all doing here?!¡± he shouted. ¡°I have not summoned any of you lesser brench-seijin forth! And how dare you arrive while my children are eating! I don¡¯t want them to be disgusted at the sight of you blue mongrels just so they can vomit up their dinner!¡±


    Tasco then turned and pointed to Majin Buu.


    ¡°And who are you?!¡± he shouted. ¡°I did not expect to see an offworld guest today! I am busy¡­my advisers are consulting me on how to-!¡±


    One of the blue brench-seijin flew towards to smack Tasco in the face. The king was thrown, face-first, into the golden wall behind him before leaving a deep impression in it. The queen screamed in fear as the children raced out of the throne room.


    But none could escape the blue brench-seijin. Buu could feel the delight in each of their souls pouring from each individual blue-skin. The man who had oppressed their people for so long and killed so many of their brethren was at their mercy.


    Buu, able to remember every evil deed that formed him, knew the misery Tasco had caused them all. Every blue-skin Buu had been empowered had a family member or friend killed in the civil war led by Tasco. Their lives were made into laborious nightmares with how much Tasco taxed them and deprived them of food.


    It was their turn for vengeance and Buu was all for it. One girl who couldn¡¯t have been more than twelve was running in fear before a blue brench-seijin flew and grabbed her up. As she struggled in his grasp, he clamped onto her left leg and white hair before pulling. She screamed in pain as blood bubbled from the growing tear in her neck, as if she was a doll being ripped apart at the seams.


    ¡°This is for my son!¡± he cried.


    The girl shrieked one last time before her head was finally ripped from the rest of her body, blood gushing onto the floor below. A female brench-seijin pinned one of the sons to the ground as he pleaded for mercy. She merely dug her hand into his chest as he contorted in pain, shrieking for her to stop.


    ¡°Your father ordered the death of my husband and my son when they couldn¡¯t pay the food tax your wretched father laid upon us!¡± she shrieked. ¡°Every day¡­every day¡­!¡±


    His head rolled back and forth on the floor as he writhed in pain, her hand continuing to tunnel deeper into his body as tears welled up in her eyes.


    ¡°I wish that I had starved myself to leave more food for them!¡± she cried. ¡°I would have gone without dinner my entire life for them to still live! Well¡­how about I feed you more, you gluttonous pig?!¡±


    The boy let out his loudest speech when she pulled out his intestines. After that she then stuffed them into the boy''s mouth as his shrieks of terror died down. Buu then turned his attention to the blue brench-seijin encircling the queen of Planet Brench. Their glares were downright murderous, not a single inch of their expression forgiving. Each one grabbed onto a piece of the woman as she screamed in terror, some an arm, some a leg, some a piece of her hair.


    ¡°Please!¡± the queen yelled. ¡°NO! NO! NO! I¡¯ll give you anything! ANYTHING!¡±


    ¡°Give me my father back you wench!¡± a woman cried.


    ¡°Give me my childhood back!¡± a man shouted. ¡°The time you stole from me when I watched my father, mother and sisters butchered by your soldiers! They only spared my life because they thought it funny to beat me until my body swelled with sores!¡±


    ¡°Give me my babies back!¡± an older woman shouted. ¡°I bore twins to my husband! Twins! We were so happy to have two children for my first pregnancy¡­at that moment we thought our joy would be doubled!¡±


    The woman pulled back with all her strength until the queen¡¯s right arm tore off. She cried in pain as the blue-skinned brench-seijin death gripped the severed limb, a crazed smile etched into her face. A quiet, freakish laugh spilled from it.


    ¡°Only for your husband¡¯s vile soldiers to kill them in the war!¡± she cried. ¡°Took them from my arms¡­my very arms¡­! And I was powerless to do anything! And why?! WHY?! For the mere fact we were weaker?! Were our lives not hard enough being the lesser class you had to deprive us of our only joy?!¡±


    It was at that point that the other brench-seijin tore the queen¡¯s body even further. Most of her hair was torn away, leaving several bald patches on her scalp. Each of her limbs was stripped from the woman until she was nothing but a torso that fell to the floor, flailing in agony. However, that was not the worst of her torment.


    Two blue-skinned brench-seijin carried two young, red-skinned children to the queen as she squirmed on the floor. The two youths shrieked in misery as tears ran down their faces. She rocked her head back and forth, defiant of the reality engrossing her. She used the last of her strength to beg for their safety.


    ¡°NO!¡± the queen cried. ¡°NO! NO! I-I CAN¡¯T HANDLE MY BABIES DIE! PLEASE! IF¨C¡±


    Her cries only delighted them. With a swing of their arms, the children were cut in two, just above the waist. Her shrieks of pain were drowned out by the bellowing laughter of the brench-seijin that tortured her and killed her children.


    Buu found himself amused by the scene. He turned to see if the king was still alive. Strangely enough, he was.


    King Tasco was standing in front of three blue brench-seijin that were chuckled as they surrounded him. His body was bloodied and battered, the slam into the wall hurting him a great deal. However, he still stood proud, lifting his fists to them.


    ¡°I-I-¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you all became so strong but-¡±


    He spat blood onto the floor of his palace, coughing in pain. He nearly collapsed to the floor before straightening his posture and forcing himself to stand. Tasco shook his head at them.


    ¡°You¡¯re all¡­¡± he said. ¡°Lesser¡­lesser blue-skins. And I¡­I am¡­by virtue of blood better than any of you.¡±


    He gritted his teeth in determination.


    ¡°Die!¡± he shouted.


    The blue brench-seijin merely side-stepped his punch, the king staggering forward and falling to the floor. He attempted to stand up but one blue brench-seijin kicked him before skidding across the floor. Another blue-skin flew across the palace to kick him back across the surface of the palace, causing him to hit a wall.


    The king attempted to stand back up before the third brench-seijin stomped his back, causing him to scream in pain. The king laid still, breathing heavily and bleeding profusely as the three brench-seijin surrounded him. They all laughed as the middle one chose to speak.


    ¡°Well, my liege,¡± he said. ¡°You see¡­you¡¯re kind are no longer the¡­superior race.¡±


    ¡°Now we are,¡± the one to his left said. ¡°And right now¡­I think we will showcase that to the rest of your kind.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± King Tasco said. ¡°Please¡­I¡­I beg of you. Don¡¯t-¡±


    His face was kicked in by one of the blue-skins, causing blood to flow from his lip and him to shut up.


    ¡°Too late,¡± he said. ¡°Your highness. The hierarchy has been flipped.¡±


    Buu watched from the throne he constructed of rubble. With the capital city of Planet Brench reduced to ruins, the blue-skinned brench-seijin were rebuilding it according to their own liking. A statue was being constructed of Majin Buu and stone carvings were being made of the king and his family being killed. The heads of the queen, her children, the king¡¯s attendants and many civilians were placed on pikes where the city¡¯s walls once were.


    King Tasco was held on a leash by one of the blue brench-seijin. Tears ran down his eyes as he was stripped to his underwear and forced to watch his city in ruins and his people subjugated. His robes were torn from his body and were woven into clothing for the poorer blue-skins. The people not only felt it was a worse punishment for Tasco to live the rest of his life as their pet and to watch everything he¡¯d created crumble before him.


    Every blue-skinned brench-seijin that could flew to other villages and brought their fellow blues to the remains of the capital. The uninitiated were then introduced to Majin Buu who increased their qi level a great deal before the empowered individuals fled to find red brench-seijin to torment. The red members of the race were then rounded up in groups from all corners of Planet Brench and promptly dealt with.


    Vengeance was the name of the game here. The blue brench-seijin cared nothing for stealing or pillaging their red brethren. They merely wanted to see their faces contort in horror.


    The blue randomly selected which reds they wanted to kill or torture. The blues had a great fondness for killing the children of the reds in front of their parents. As the parents shrieked in horror, the killers laughed at their misery and taunted them. Anytime the reds pleaded for mercy the blues would say something along the lines of:


    ¡°If your children were slaughtered in the great war, do you think you would forgive us?! Blood for blood!¡±


    Buu was mostly unconcerned with the actions of the blues. He was more concerned with the deserts the blue-skins provided him. They were eternally grateful for what the Majin had done for them and practically through every desert they could at him. Bowls and bowls of sweets were offered to Majin Buu out of sheer gratitude. And honestly, this was the greatest he¡¯d ever felt.


    I helped these people out. He realized. They overthrew their dictatorship and attained justice¡­through my doing.


    He then swallowed more than a hundred brench candies as he poured the bowl into his mouth and licked his lips at the tasty sensation.


    And got gourmet food on top. He thought. I guess being a revolutionary has its perks.


    ¡°Oh Mr. Buu!¡± a voice said.


    He turned to see a blue brench-seijin child running to the Majin. He hugged the leg of Buu and squeezed tight. Majin Buu looked down to find the child¡¯s eyes practically glowing with delight.


    ¡°I would have died if you had arrived even one day later!¡± he said.


    Buu gave him a curious look and nodded.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡± the child cried. ¡°I was taken prisoner when my village rebelled and tried to flee offworld! My family was killed and I was to be executed publicly to send a message to anyone else who might think of leaving Planet Brench or defying the king! But when you came along¡­¡±


    Tears filled the child¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I was freed from the dungeon the king put me in!¡± he shouted. ¡°Along with other captives¡­and we were set free from the reign of the evil red brench-seijin. Thank-you so much!¡±


    Buu patted his head and handed the boy one of the candies from the bowl. The child¡¯s smile grew even bigger before swallowing it. His hug grew tighter around Buu¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Thank-you,¡± he said. ¡°For all you¡¯ve done for my people!¡±


    ¡°What is your name, child?¡± Buu asked.


    ¡°Casseral!¡± he shouted. ¡°My life is devoted to you!¡±


    Buu smiled.


    ¡°Well then¡­¡± he said. ¡°My life shall be devoted to you.¡±


    ¡°Must you die?!¡± Casseral asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been with us so long!¡± Spateghi shouted. ¡°How are we supposed to get on without you?!¡±


    Buu sat on his throne, feeling weak. The crowd of blue-skinned brench-seijin surrounding him was in the thousands. His most trusted aides, Casseral and Spateghi, stood in front of him with pleading expressions. Both were considerably old, wielding canes to stand up and had deep wrinkles in their skin.


    But Buu wasn¡¯t much better off. His skin had grayed and he was a husk of his former self. He could barely stand from his throne that he built for himself nearly a hundred years ago. He had ruled the brench-seijin in that time, the blue-skins continuing to oppress and torture their red brethren for the crimes of their ancestors.


    They fed Buu sweets during his time as king as that was all he cared for. He never asked for women, money or land. The simple delight of deserts was his payment and he governed them in return. Buu kept the planet safe from invaders and had even expanded the brench-seijin¡¯s civilization into an empire. They ruled as much as ten solar systems at the peak of their rule, until Buu began to weaken.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t die!¡± Casseral said. ¡°There must be some way of keeping you alive!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Casseral,¡± Buu said. ¡°But all the energy I gathered before¡­before I came here¡­it has been expanded. And now¡­I must go back to where I came from to¡­to hibernate.¡±


    ¡°But you were our strongest warrior!¡± Spateghi shouted. ¡°If you go now¡­what remains of our empire will crumble!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry but-¡± Buu said.


    He could feel himself dying. His body began to fade, like a flickering fire the wind was blowing out. Those around him cried as his life became snuffed out of existence.


    ¡°The qi that was stored to create me¡­¡± he said. ¡°It is gone. Farewell and¡­do not ever let¡­yourself be pushed around.¡±


    And then he found himself in the familiar darkness of the Womb of Evil. The cocoon that surrounded him felt comfortable, like a blanket wrapped snugly around oneself in winter. He smiled as he remembered his duration as king of Planet Brench.


    ¡°Not a bad way to spend life,¡± Majin Buu said before he went to sleep. ¡°Not a bad way at all.¡±

 Origin of the Devil: Part 3

    Chapter 12


    ¡°And so I realized that even evil can masquerade itself as good,¡± Buu said. ¡°If given the right circumstances.¡±


    ¡°You make me sick!¡± Goku shouted. ¡°Evil that disguises itself is far worse than evil that has no pretension at all! It¡¯s utterly filled with lies!¡±


    Buu glared.


    ¡°Is that why you wish to wipe out life?¡± he asked. ¡°Because you recognize yourself to be evil and merely wish to be honest about it? You prefer malice that is open rather than malevolence that has the appearance of benevolence?¡±


    ¡°I am not evil!¡± the Super Saiyan shouted. ¡°I do not wipe out life for the sheer sake of pleasure. I do so because good and evil cannot coexist. And when I remake the universe, I will fill it with good and good alone¡­where no evil can touch it!¡±


    Majin Buu glared at him.


    ¡°I see you have missed the point entirely,¡± he replied. ¡°Maybe this will convince you¡­¡±


    The third time Buu woke up, he was more ready to leave the Womb of Evil than he ever had before. He felt restless, ridden with anxiety and itching to go wild. The memories of freeing the blue brench-seijin from their oppressors and leading them for several decades made him ready to do so once again.


    How has the universe changed since then? He wondered. Has the brench-seijin empire remained? Do Casseral¡¯s ancestors lead it as I wanted them to? Will they even remember me?


    He could tell that he had been asleep longer now than his previous two hibernations. Leaving his egg-shaped prison was slightly harder as the shell that encased him had hardened considerably. Majin Buu felt weak at initial struggle to push the curved, ovular wall in his way.


    Huh¡­He thought. I must have been sleeping more than I thought. I¡¯m still too tired to break out.


    However, just as the egg surrounding him cracked from the pressure he was exerting, the entire front of the structure collapsed. Black liquid poured from the gray husk of what had once protected him as Buu emerged. His eyes hurt for a moment as they strained to adjust to something that wasn¡¯t absolute black. Then, he found the territory around him to be somewhat unfamiliar.


    The Womb of Evil still had the thick spider webs stretching all across the realm. And various creatures still crawled on it. However, their appearance was far in a way different.


    The creatures that had normally been mostly pitch black were rather gray looking. Some were so light in color they almost looked like a cloud. Instead of the rather menacing looking abominations that Buu was familiar with, these were less outwardly reprehensible. In fact, there was a certain elegance to many of them.


    I don¡¯t sense near as much evil here as I did upon first waking up. He thought. This place is still filled with great sin and malevolence but¡­but nowhere near the levels I am used to.


    They were taller and far more human-like than the Majin Buu had known during his first and second awakening. One creature was light gray with the body of a giraffe and the face of a young boy. The child¡¯s silvery hair waved in the non-existent wind as it walked along the thick strands of web.


    Another creature flew above the platform of spider strands on its large, eagle-like wings. However, its body was exactly like that of a beautiful woman dressed in silvery strands of bandage-like material. The only portion of her body aside from her wings that was avian was a large, black beak fixed above her lips but below her eyes.


    The animal walking to Majin Buu¡¯s side was a very oddly shaped creature. The portion of its body that Buu first saw was a blackish simple cyclops. It was like most of its kind were, more than ten feet tall and rather hideous looking with its single eye fairly ugly to look at. The top of its head was fitted with a single, crude horn as black as tar.


    But then Majin Buu looked at the other half of its body. As it came walking past him, he saw that the cyclops¡¯s thick, leftmost leg was the only one truly carrying the thing¡¯s weight. Its right leg was in complete contrast to its left counterpart, gray and very thin. It was so much shorter than the right that it was lifted off the ground by quite a few inches, only occasionally pressing against the web-like ground.


    The cyclops¡¯ rightmost arm was the same way, gray, thin and far shorter than its black arm. Buu walked toward the cyclops to find its entire left half didn¡¯t look like it was a part of the same creature as the right. It looked as if the cyclops had its body cleanly severed down the middle and then the grayish, gaunter, left half had been melted on with high heat. The center between its two disproportionate halves was a perfectly straight line of smelted flesh whose color was an undetermined mix of black and whitish-gray.


    This unnatural duality was most prominent when looking at the other side of the giant¡¯s face. While its right half was perfectly cyclops-like, with a single eye and wrinkled, rough skin, the other half was that of a fair-skinned boy. The boy¡¯s face was a pristine pale, more white than the rest of its body, and he had a single blue eye.


    With both halves, the cyclops had two eyes but with each made up of two halves of different faces glued together. And like its other extremities, the face of the right was so much larger than the left half of its face. It disgusted Buu to look at, so much that he faced the creature in such awe.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­?¡± Buu said.


    ¡°Yes?¡± the monster¡¯s left mouth and right mouth said as they moved out of sync.


    ¡°Wh-What has happened to this place?¡± he asked. ¡°The creatures¡­they¡¯re different in soul and flesh. What overcame them? Has¡­someone¡­has someone tampered with them so they are not as evil.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± the cyclops said, only its right mouth moving while its left did not. ¡°I see that the pride of the Womb of Evil cannot see much when he is sleeping.¡±


    The half-cyclops chuckled to himself as he looked down at Majin Buu.


    ¡°What a shame,¡± he said. ¡°How you cannot see the world beyond you in your hibernation.¡±


    ¡°I have dreams,¡± Buu replied. ¡°But in them a split second can account for a decade or longer. They are too rushed for me to understand the history between then and now. What has caused such drastic change in this place¡¯s inhabitants? Have this universe¡¯s inhabitants become¡­become more moral in nature.¡±


    He chuckled again, but this time it came from the left mouth.


    ¡°I understand your confusion,¡± he said with the voice of a child. ¡°In a way yes¡­but not really.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± the Majin said. ¡°How can a people, all the people become both worse and better?¡±


    ¡°It has to do with the Kais,¡± the cyclops¡¯ more robust and loud voice said. ¡°And their interference with mortal matters.¡±


    ¡°The Kais?¡± Majin Buu asked. ¡°Yes¡­I am aware of their existence. And I know of their wish to control the galaxy and suppress its more¡­unsavory inhabitants.¡±


    ¡°Well, with you gone,¡± the cyclops¡¯ child voice said. ¡°The Kais figured it was their best opportunity to swoop in and truly control the universe.¡±


    Anger shot through Buu as he realized what the Majin was telling him.


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± he demanded.


    ¡°I mean they have instituted their own government on multiple different planets and outposts in space,¡± the cyclops'' childish voice continued. ¡°Each Kai has taken up a different place in the universe to watch over. They have each chosen warriors to act as their champions and enforce the policies the Kais create.¡±


    Majin Buu leered at him, his fists curling up as he heard this.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he said. ¡°Has this limited the freedom of the universe¡¯s inhabitants?¡±


    ¡°It most certainly has,¡± the cyclops'' childish voice continued. ¡°Many, if not most, governments and kingdoms in the galaxy have been toppled or directly taken over by the Kais. They now answer directly to the Kais, travel and trade are restricted by the Kais¡¯ orders and each citizen is subject to tests of morality at a moment¡¯s notice at the Kais¡¯ arbitrary time of choosing.¡±


    Buu growled at this, shaking his head furiously.


    ¡°That is not what I freed the blue brench-seijin from!¡± he said. ¡°I gave them the power to defeat their red oppressors so they could choose their own destiny and forge their own path! I didn¡¯t free them just so they could be dominated by a bunch of moralistic tyrants!¡±


    ¡°But that is precisely what the Kais have done,¡± the cyclops male voice said. ¡°The age you ruled the brench-seijin under was one full of tyrants instilling order one after another. This revolving door of evil made the Kais extremely scared for the fate of the various galaxies they looked after and so sought to suppress these oppressive dictatorships by becoming direct heads of the governments. Freedom is at such an all-time low that mortals are forbidden from unauthorized training and traveling.¡±


    ¡°You mean you are not allowed to grow stronger or even move locations without express approval from the Kais?!¡± Buu shouted.


    ¡°Anyone caught without direct permission is jailed or punished,¡± the cyclops said. ¡°The Kais are more serious than ever about preventing crime and destruction.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Buu breathed before collapsing.


    He was brought to his knees at the thought, landing on his hands as tears stung his eyes.


    ¡°No¡­¡± he shouted as he slammed his hands against the webs that upheld him ¡°I wanted a world full of freedom! Where people were freed of the meaningless boundaries called good and evil!¡±


    He gritted his teeth, unable to think what kind of misery the blue brench-seijin were experiencing.


    ¡°To know the universe is being held hostage under some kind of dictatorship-led babysitting¡­¡± Buu said. ¡°I won¡¯t allow this!¡±


    ¡°But it has happened whether you like it or not,¡± the Majin replied. ¡°The people are always on edge, wondering if they will be moral enough to avoid imprisonment and reeducation. They despise their Kai emperors worse than the tyrants that came before. I can tell you this would have never happened had you been awake but in your absence¡­¡±


    His voice changed again.


    ¡°Monsters like me have spawned.¡±


    He looked up at the cyclops that was staring down at him. Ever confused by his appearance, Buu focused hard to sense the mish-mash of a creature¡¯s energy. What he found was surprising.


    ¡°I now understand¡­¡± Buu said. ¡°Your monstrous side is your true nature. The nature of the being who spawned you. While the weak child¡­¡±


    You leered at the Majin, attempting to accentuate his qi sensing ability by concentrating.


    ¡°Is the lapdog facade you presented before your progenitor¡¯s master,¡± he said. ¡°It was the personality they used as a mask in order to survive. And the frustration your progenitor had with trying to balance their true wishes and ambitions and how they were forced to obey their master-¡±


    ¡°Created me,¡± the monster and child said in unison. ¡°I was a strong warrior who would have otherwise made for a strong ruler and formed my own empire. However, through the Kais¡¯ sealing ability, they captured me in a star and absolutely refused to let me out until I promised to serve them. Knowing they could seal me if I rebelled, I had no choice but to live as their lapdog.¡±


    Majin Buu stood up, now understanding everything.


    ¡°The Majin are much less evil than the ones created during my previous awakenings because the Kais forcibly prevented more evil deeds from being committed,¡± the cyclops said.


    ¡°And why the increase in your power was not as great this time as in times past,¡± the Majin¡¯s child voice said. ¡°You are still stronger during this reawakening than last time but you could have been even stronger had the Kais not intervened. Evil still exists in the heart of almost every being in the universe but the ability for them to act on it was prevented. Like a wolf in a cage, the hearts of the people instilled with wrath, selfish ambition, crude lusts and perverse desire for revenge. I stand before you as possibly the best Majin representing that.¡±


    ¡°So what do you do now?¡± Buu asked. ¡°Do you tempt the hearts of men as Majin did in the past?¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°I am not able to,¡± the cyclops¡¯ monster voice said. ¡°If my progenitor had been able to act upon his true nature I would have the desire to. However-¡±


    ¡°Because I was limited in the evil I could commit,¡± the child voice said. ¡°I cannot tempt men. I would like to, but then I think of all the sorrow that would bring. I think of how that would hurt other people. I think of how it would destroy the fragile balance of the universe and¡­and-¡±


    ¡°I keep feeling as if I would displease someone by doing so,¡± the monstrous voice said. ¡°And then circle endlessly in my desire. Wishing to, but afraid of the consequences. I was born from a very particular sin. Not a sin of doing evil but wishing to do evil and having to look over my shoulder, afraid if someone was looking at me, waiting for me to act out. My evil nature-¡±


    ¡°Is neutered from a fear of punishment and retribution,¡± the child¡¯s voice said.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Buu said as he searched out the qi of a Kai in the mortal realm.


    After locking onto the qi of the Kai, he willed the featureless black ceiling above him to open up. He floated up to the cavity he formed between the realms as he left the Womb of Evil. His search for the qi signature brought him to a place he had conquered as ruler of Brench.


    He found Planet Arlia to no longer be a grassland. A hundred years ago the area was savanna. However, the city Majin Buu arrived in was nothing like he¡¯d previously encountered. When he conquered Bas during his reign as Planet Brench¡¯s ruler, the Arlians were a mostly rural people with farms with some of the lowest grade technology of any sapient race.


    Buu found himself in a gigantic city with tall, white skyscrapers that reached further than he could see. He floated above the streets to look down to find bustling streets. Pedestrians and cars raced between the buildings faster than they did in Buu¡¯s time. But there was an oddness to their movement.


    It was too uniform. The people moved so robotically, not a single person out of step with another. Each walked with the same speed, the same gait and their arms so straight side-to-side they were as stiff as wooden planks. Buu drifted further down to find that the more he watched, the more his fears were vindicated.


    To the sides of the marching pedestrians were red and blue-skinned workers with horns who were not Arlians. The Arlians were an insect-like species that looked like humanoid grasshoppers. The Arlians all wore gray, clean robes that covered most of their body, as opposed to the homespun garments Buu had seen them in almost a hundred years ago.


    The blue and red-skinned creatures were slightly shorter than the Arlians and wore white shirts and shorts. Buu knew they were not native of this planet. It took him a minute to recognize them but after sensing their qi he figured it out.


    Ogres of Other World. He realized. Servants of the Kais.


    They had black radar like devices with blinking lights. When an Arlian passed by, the black bars would blink differently depending upon the individual. The radars seemed to change depending on the individual walking in front of them.


    The devices were black bars that had as many as ten glass pieces which would periodically blink as Arlians walked by. If only four or less glass pieces blinked when one walked by the ogres seemed to not care. However, if five or seven blinked, the ogres pulled them away to give them a stern warning. More than seven and the Arlian would forcibly pull them away from the street and take them away. It enraged Buu.


    Those are devices meant to measure the evil currently coursing through that person. He realized. Truly a dictatorship of morally uptight hypocrites.


    Buu launched a ball of purple qi below, killing two of the ogres. The people below looked up in surprise to see Majin Buu firing more bolts of qi at the ogres. The servants of Other World were vaporized as the Arlians scattered. The uniform marching through the street and seamless traffic was instantly brought to an end as the panic ensued. All anyone cared for was getting out of the city alive, Arlian and ogre alike.


    Just as Buu continued killing the ogres from above, he was body slammed by an unseen force from behind. He hurtled through the air to find him being confronted by a Gelboan, a creature that looked exactly like a human, save for pointed ears and a bowl-cut crop of black hair. He wore a blue tunic and stared at Buu with a stoic anger. Flying behind him was the being that Majin Buu had locked onto.


    Behind him was a fat pink being with a mohawk of purple hair. He was dressed in dark blue robes and a purple cape. He looked at Buu with a very stern expression.


    ¡°I see the culmination of evil known as Super Buu has arisen,¡± Grand Supreme Kai said. ¡°I take it you were not fond of us Kais¡¯ improvements to the state of matters.¡±


    ¡°Improvements?!¡± Buu shouted. ¡°You¡¯ve put these people under a harsh yoke, forcing them to comply with your self-righteous standards of morality! You have denied them the essence of what life is!¡±


    The Kai¡¯s glare only harshened.


    ¡°And what is that essence of life?¡± he asked. ¡°Committing nefarious actions? Stealing from your neighbor? Making wars? Pursuing ambition by stepping on those beneath you? Destroying all that is sacred for fun and enjoyment?¡±


    ¡°YES!¡± Majin Buu cried. ¡°ALL THAT AND MORE!¡±


    He pointed at Grand Supreme Kai accusingly.


    ¡°Morality is nothing more than a barrier for the powerful to impose onto others to prevent them from getting in the way of his own fun!¡± Buu shouted.


    He sneered at the Kai.


    ¡°All those who wish to do good and live righteously¡­¡± he said. ¡°Are fools who have fallen for the schemes of conmen. There is no good, no evil¡­only pleasure! I will not allow your prudish sense of entitlement get in the way of my fun!¡±


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    ¡°Your fun is killing those in your way and conquering other worlds to cement your vain pride,¡± Grand Supreme Kai replied. ¡°In your own time as Planet Brench¡¯s ruler you conquered many worlds.¡±


    ¡°But I also freed the blue-skinned brench from their oppressors,¡± Buu answered. ¡°I am still a warrior looking for his next dose of excitement. I won¡¯t let the squealing of lesser beings get in the way of my happiness. I free those when it pleases me, and stomp on them when it doesn¡¯t. To do anything more would be to deny myself the pleasure of being¡­just as you have done to the galaxy.¡±


    ¡°Of course a being of evil would see it that way,¡± Grand Supreme Kai said. ¡°Well¡­I hate to burst your bubble but I estimate Millm here is stronger than when you awoke your first time.¡±


    He pointed to the Gelboan in front of him.


    ¡°I know that the evil committed throughout the universe empowers you during your cycles of sleep,¡± he said. ¡°However, us Kais have eliminated evil since you¡¯ve been gone.¡±


    Buu laughed.


    ¡°Then how did I reawaken?¡± he asked.


    ¡°For the most part,¡± Grand Supreme Kai stated. ¡°And now with so little evil being committed, you have had little in the way of a meal for your next awakening. So I am certain of Millm¡¯s victory.¡±


    The Kai gestured for Millm to attack.


    ¡°Destroy him!¡± Grand Supreme Kai shouted.


    The Gelboan formed balls of yellowish qi in his hands before launching multiple strikes at Majin Buu. Within seconds, Millm replaced the bolts of energy thrown at Buu with another wave of qi. For a full minute, the Gelboan sent a flurry of one attack strong to destroy multiple planets after another, all of them exploding on contact before Buu was surrounded by smoke. He found Grand Supreme Kai to be looking pretty smug at the sight.


    However, once the smoke cleared, Majin Buu stood unscathed. Both Millm and the Kai screamed in panic as they watched the Majin remain unharmed. Grand Supreme Kai screamed in defiance.


    ¡°How?!¡± he shouted. ¡°How, how, how?! The evil that once fed you we shut off! We have controlled the government and movement of every sentient species we could get our hands on! More than ninety-five percent of the universe is under our control! How can you have gained this much strength if your powersource has been shut off?!¡±


    Buu chuckled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t merely draw strength from evil actions¡­¡±


    He released his full power level. As Buu became surrounded in a pink light, the wind from the aura blew back Millm. As he was flung into the air, Grand Supreme Kai shook in fright.


    ¡°I draw power from evil itself,¡± Buu stated.


    ¡°N-No!¡± the Kai said. ¡°We did everything in our power to stop evil! Everything! We took all precautions and measures to reduce crime and tyranny to near zero! How can so much evil still be prevalent?!¡±


    Buu tapped his head with his index finger.


    ¡°Think,¡± the Majin said. ¡°If the only way to keep all these vile creatures from committing evil is to monitor them, track their every move and punish them for even minor infractions, do they stop being evil?¡±


    Majin Buu laughed as Grand Supreme Kai¡¯s eyes widened in realization.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°They do not. They are still evil. They are merely caged in a prison of moral-do-gooders, unable to act on their true instincts and secret wishes.¡±


    He sneered at the Kai as the Supreme Kai¡¯s expression went aghast with realization.


    ¡°You have caged wolves,¡± Buu said. ¡°Wolves who would rip you apart at the very seams if they could. And you know that, which is why you felt forced to police them at every stage of life.¡±


    He laughed as Millm charged back at him. The Gelboan was putting his full strength into charging at Majin Buu, his fist held forward as he attempted to punch Buu¡¯s face. His fist bounced off Buu¡¯s face harmlessly, Millm screaming in pain as the density of the qi empowering the Majin was far greater than the qi enhancing Millm. Buu then punched the Gelboan in the gut, causing Millm to cough blood before Buu beheaded Millm with a single swipe to his neck, the man¡¯s head and body falling below.


    ¡°You succeeded in controlling them,¡± Majin Buu went on. ¡°But you failed to change them! Which is why the Womb of Evil exists! Evil is a force that only accumulates and distorts reality the more you try to suppress it! I am just as much made of the secret desires and unfulfilled ambitions of the denizens of the creatures of this universe as I am the ones they act upon!¡±


    The Grand Supreme Kai screamed in fear as Buu held out his open palm.


    ¡°So,¡± he said. ¡°You accomplished nothing in the end.¡±


    And with a wave of purple qi, the Grand Supreme Kai was vaporized. With nothing but his ashes remaining, Buu looked down to find his newest victims. He laughed at those scurrying below.


    Now to destroy the remaining ogres before the Kais sense me and try to do me in. He thought. I still can¡¯t tell if I¡¯m doing this to free the Arlians or because this will allow me to grow stronger in the future. But¡­


    He smiled as soared toward the city below, firing upon the ogres.


    I don¡¯t care for motives¡­Buu thought. I just want everyone to have fun!


    As Majin Buu flew through space to meet more Kais, he stopped by planet after planet to empower the inhabitants with his qi. While they grew more menacingly, they also grew more powerful. This way, they were strong enough to resist the ogres or other forces of the Supreme Kais. This way, Majin Buu didn¡¯t have to fight every single one of them.


    That will surely show those uptight, prudish stiffs. He thought.


    Majin Buu then sensed a strong qi signature on a nearby planet with a Supreme Kai nearby.


    Ooh. He thought. Company. This should be interesting.


    Buu quickly arrived on the planet, traversing its atmosphere in a matter of seconds. The planet was Ulqora, a place he had heard of, but had never been to. The planet had no vegetation he could see and was full of red plateaus. Buu had seen quite a bit of it in his dreams as it had once been home to a race of beings that waged a bloody civil war against one another.


    On one of them was the Supreme Kai, Shin, a humanoid being with pink hair, a white mohawk and bluish green robes. As Buu landed atop the flat rock formation, he began to recognize Shin from the dreams he had while the Majin was asleep. However, he did not recognize the warrior standing in front of Shin.


    His skin was dark green with large pink lips and red eyes. He had white robes with a blue undershirt and a large black hat atop his slightly elongated head. While Buu did not initially recognize him, he seemed familiar, as if the Majinn had seen his shadow before but not the one who cast it. He glared daggers at Majin Buu.


    ¡°We were waiting for you to arrive,¡± Shin said. ¡°I felt a great evil awaken on Planet Arlia as well as the disappearance of Grand Supreme Kai¡¯s qi as well as his champion¡¯s. Tell me¡­did you murder them in cold blood as you have many others as you have others in your previous life?¡±


    Buu laughed before his smirk vanished and he glared back at Shin.


    ¡°I see you have a very incorrect idea of murder,¡± he said. ¡°You suppress the galaxy¡¯s freedom to the point improper thoughts are punishable and you act as if I have done something wrong?¡±


    The Majin held his fist up, radiating purple qi from it as he smiled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you call good and evil,¡± he said. ¡°The only thing that means anything is freedom. It is just the kind of irrational and oppressive corral you pen others in when you believe that those two words have any real meaning. Merely fetters for authoritarians like you.¡±


    ¡°Answer the question!¡± the green warrior cried.


    His qi flared up and surrounded his body, eliciting a growl of surprise from Buu. Shin¡¯s champion was stronger than he realized. However, attempting to save face, he laughed at the green man¡¯s question.


    ¡°Did you or did you not kill Grand Supreme Kai?!¡± Shin demanded.


    Buu laughed at the Supreme Kai.


    ¡°How could I not have?¡± he asked. ¡°Planet Arlia under his reign was just like it was on Planet Brench with Tasco! Denying people freedom and pleasure just for the sake of power! Except with Grand Supreme Kai, he was deluded into thinking he was helping those under his yoke. Killing him was the greatest thing that has ever happened to Arlia!¡±


    ¡°You fool!¡± Supreme Kai shouted. ¡°You have killed one of the most important beings in the universe! And all because you wish to rule the universe instead!¡±


    Buu laughed again.


    ¡°No¡­¡± he said. ¡°No¡­I don¡¯t. I just want to have fun. And become the strongest. Life is about freedom¡­the freedom to pursue anything you want! If what you call fun is frowned up because it seems immoral or violates your own or another person¡¯s sensibilities of good and evil¡­you should do it anyway! Good and evil are just chains that are in place to hold you all back from having fun and becoming your greatest self! Whether it''s murder, adultery, theft or common decency, you shouldn¡¯t be worried about breaking those rules and do it anyway! If no one catches you than you¡¯ve done nothing wrong!¡±


    ¡°I have never heard anyone else say that in my life,¡± Shin said. ¡°Only a being made of pure evil would even suggest something like that.¡±


    ¡°You Kais wouldn¡¯t understand!¡± Buu said. ¡°You¡¯re too focused on justice¡­morality¡­righteousness¡­all that boring stuff!


    ¡°How?!¡± Shin shouted. ¡°The Grand Supreme Kai was the most righteous man I ever knew! There was nothing evil about him at all!¡±


    ¡°Again you¡¯re wrong,¡± Buu said. ¡°There was evil in his heart. Remember, Shin¡­I am formed from the heart of every single being in the universe. Literally¡­and I can tell you that the Kais¡¯ idea of this universal government did not come from a sense of altruism.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Shin asked.


    Buu¡¯s grin widened.


    ¡°Knowing the hearts of every being that has formed me,¡± he explained. ¡°I know the secrets of their hearts as intimately as the back of my hand. And I can tell you this little project came from the Kais¡¯ prideful and narcissistic belief in their own superiority. It¡¯s the strangest, worst type of oppression possible¡­that which is masqueraded so well as benevolence it fools even the oppressors themselves.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Shin said. ¡°This is the greatest amount of peace the universe has experienced in its entirety! History has never been more free of war, poverty and hunger!¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s true,¡± Buu said. ¡°You¡¯ve eliminated many things mortals bellyache about. And you believe it came from a good motive. But in reality the desire for all this came from a dark corner of heart to oppress other beings. It came from the desire to conquer others¡­the belief that mortals were so stupid and helpless without the strong and wise hand of the Kais that they¡¯d never survive. Every being in this world wishes to grow in prosperity, in power and wealth. And this is the manifestation of your desire to gain more.¡±


    Shin¡¯s expression was breaking like glass thrown against stone. Buu knew he would have denied what the Majin was saying but both of them could see it. The purple stream of energy flowing from both Shin and the green warrior told all.


    It was only a trickle compared to most beings but it was there regardless. The green warrior was unaware of it as he was not perceptive enough of qi to observe the evil qi. But Shin was staring directly at it, obviously embarrassed at the sight.


    ¡°You see that?¡± Buu asked as he pointed to the purple qi. ¡°That is where your desire to control mortals comes from. It is the same thing that creates me.¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t care where it comes from!¡± Shin said. ¡°I¡¯m not letting a monster like you continue to live in the state you are! I need to send you back to the Womb of Evil where you belong!¡±


    Shin pointed to Buu.


    ¡°Pikkon!¡± the Supreme Kai shouted. ¡°Kill Majin Buu!¡±


    Buu shook his head, snickering as the warrior flew towards him, his fist raised high. Majin Buu merely flared his qi up when he faced the Gelboan, expecting Pikkon to hurtle away. Instead it deterred the warrior very little.


    Buu screamed in pain as agony exploded along his jaw and he was hurtled into a nearby rock formation. He was flung deep into the plateau to form a tunnel halfway through its width. Angered, Buu flared his qi to destroy the red rock surrounding him so that he hovered where he once stood.


    As pieces of stone floated around him, Pikkon leered at him as he floated from above. He extended his qi as much as possible, letting Buu feel the weight of his energy. As Buu felt the other warrior¡¯s energy, he then realized this was the strongest fighter he¡¯d ever faced.


    ¡°I am not a warrior weak enough that you can hold back,¡± he said. ¡°A simple deterrent like that is no defense against me.¡±


    Majin Buu then laughed. He realized where he¡¯d felt this energy from. Buu growled before smiling at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve met the Majin you created before coming here,¡± Buu said. ¡°You¡¯re nature is divided, your ambitions are suppressed. You wish you could conquer worlds and show the universe your true might but the Kais have threatened you with imprisonment if they do not fight for you. I know your true self, Pikkon. And it is sad you have become someone¡¯s errand boy.¡±


    Buu could see the green man¡¯s expression wavering. He thought that would break him, like it did Shin. Only, that did not happen and Pikkon merely shot the Majin with a beam of yellow qi. Buu cried in pain before rushing towards Pikkon, smoke still pouring from his body.


    The green alien cried in pain as Buu¡¯s fist connected with the warrior¡¯s jaw, causing him to hurtle into the plateau that Shin stood on. The Supreme Kai quickly fled their battleground, as Pikkon formed a man-shaped crater on the flat rock formation. Just as Buu fired twin beams of purple energy at him, Pikkon jumped from the hole he¡¯d formed in the stone to deflect blast away with a slap of his right hand. However, the second hit him square in the chest to form a cloud of brown smoke.


    Buu smiled, thinking that he¡¯d killed Pikkon before realizing he could still feel his energy. When the smoke cleared, the green alien stood levitating in front of the crater Buu punched him into, mostly unfazed. Buu laughed.


    ¡°Good to know I¡¯ll have some fun killing you,¡± the Majin said. ¡°You¡¯re tougher than any opponent I¡¯ve fought up to this point.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°But you¡¯re still not quite as strong as I am,¡± Majin Buu stated. ¡°The time I¡¯ve spent absorbing evil throughout the universe¡­it¡¯s made me too great for any mortal.¡±


    As Pikkon levitated in front of the plateau Buu threw him into, he took the tall black hat off to reveal the black spots covering his bald head. The Majin leered at this, confused at this gesture before notice his energy increased. After taking his hat off, Pikkon took the belt with a golden buckle at his waist and tossed it to the ground. Finally, he took the white robe that doubled as a cape and shirt from his chest and flung it away. After these gestures, he flared his qi again for Buu to see it increased significantly.


    ¡°Weighted training gear,¡± Pikkon stated. ¡°A unique technology my race created. It allows us to surpass most everyone in the universe.¡±


    Buu ground his teeth together, angered at this.


    ¡°By my estimate¡­¡± the green alien said. ¡°My true power isn¡¯t too different from that of your own.¡±


    The Majin growled at this and formed a ball of bright pink qi in his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± he shouted.


    Buu flung the ball of pink energy at Pikkon before the green warrior dodged it and closed the distance between him and the Majin in less than a second. Buu punched the warrior square in the face, Pikkon screaming in agony as a result. Buu then aimed a kick at his enemy¡¯s side before Pikkon grabbed his foot and threw him to the dry ground below.


    Buu shouted in pain as his back slammed into the ground before Pikkon unleashed wave after wave of qi balls. The shots of yellow energy caused Buu to continue shouting in agony as he crossed his arms over his face, feeling his skin burn from the power Pikkon was unleashed at him. Most of Buu¡¯s opponents fell to one, maybe two attacks but this was different. This scared Buu.


    This will be more difficult than I thought. He realized.


    Buu was bleeding all across his body. He was gasping for every bit of breath as he crawled across the desert. He tried to muster up strength to fly away but attempting to gather his qi felt like swimming with lead weights. Buu felt on the brink of death.


    That fight¡­He thought. It was like nothing else I¡¯ve felt before.


    ¡°Pikkon!¡± he heard Shin cry in the distance. ¡°Pikkon! Are you alright?! Speak to me!¡±


    Buu occasionally looked back to find Shin standing over Pikkon¡¯s battered and bleeding body. Pikkon groaned and screamed in agony, rolling in his own blood. The last Buu saw of Shin, the Supreme Kai was healing his champion with his own qi.


    The energy spread out in waves from the Kai¡¯s outstretched fingers. Buu was glad of this as it meant that Shin healing Pikkon from so much damage meant he would lose the strength to kill Buu in his weakened state. It gave the Majin hope for escape.


    I just need to get off this planet as fast as possible¡­Buu thought. I need to fly¡­


    ¡°Majin Buu!¡± Shin screamed.


    He turned in fear, watching as the Supreme Kai glared at him. His eyes glowed as his qi welled up from anger. Only about half of Pikkon¡¯s wounds had healed, most of them scabbing over but the green warrior still looked like he¡¯d been hit by a truck. Supreme Kai¡¯s qi further expanded around his body before he held up his arm, forming a ball of light in his open hand.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Buu screamed.


    Any thoughts of flying away had disappeared from his mind once the Supreme Kai switched his focus from healing Pikkon to destroying Buu. He tried to think of a way to escape before realizing how many cracks there were in the stony ground. Dry areas like this had plenty of small fissures and crevices that various animals slipped into. Buu knew from his travels and dreams that small rodents even bore extended tunnels into already made spaces in the ground.


    Buu took a deep breath before reshaping his body. His form was malleable and very stretchy, allowing him to fit into nearly any shape. After forming into a semi-liquid substance, Buu fled into the crevice nearest to him and flowed down like water. He immediately found a tunnel that a rock mouse had made, a kind of rodent that loved dry habitats like Ulqora and could burrow down further than a hundred miles.


    The Majin could feel an explosion rock the surface above as Buu fled deeper into the tunnel with every bit of speed he had left. He could feel Shin setting more and more explosions off on the surface with his qi blasts, each one shaking Buu¡¯s jelly-like form. He did not feel safe until he reached the very bottom of the tunnel, more than two hundred miles down. Upon arriving at this depth of a destination, Buu rested in his gelatinous state and sighed in relief. He suppressed his qi signature as low as possible to prevent Shin from sensing him.


    I¡¯ll recover quickly in this state. He thought. I estimate I¡¯ll be back to full strength in a few hours as I rest that quickly. The Supreme Kais will devastate the mantle of this world attempting to find me but I¡¯ll just dodge their every attempt while trying to rest. And once I do¡­I¡¯ll see what the soldiers I created are doing in my absence¡­


    Majin Buu landed on Planet Bas sooner than he thought he would. His recovery period took less time than he thought it would and since he kept traveling within the tunnels of Ulqora he was able to avoid the Supreme Kais devastating planet. Everytime Buu felt a qi blast rock the tunnels he hid in, he moved in the opposite direction as well as took careful notice of where he felt the qi signature of a Supreme Kai.


    They were attempting to destroy as much of the surface of the planet as possible without blowing up all of it since there were still people who lived on Ulqora. Blast after blast made large craters in the rocky ground as Buu traveled through the tunnels to avoid them at all costs. However, Buu was already gone by the time they destroyed the desert region he arrived at. The Majin was traveling to Planet Bas, which he had stopped by in between visiting Arlia and Ulqora.


    There, he had seen the fruits of his labor take off. Buu had killed the vast majority of ogres that had governed and controlled the planet as well as additional warriors the Kais sent. As Buu arrived he found the native Bouleans he empowered to be killing the remaining ogres the Majin didn¡¯t bother killing.


    The Bouleans were a rather short, weak race that didn¡¯t even come up to the average person¡¯s waist. Most were some shade of green but there were red, blue, pink and yellow individuals amongst their kind. And all Bouleans had at least one eye on the side of their head. The power levels of their average adult was around the same as that of the average child on any other planet. However, that had all changed since they were among the races Buu had shared his power with. Each Boulean Buu saw had a black ¡°M¡± stamped across their head, the calling card of someone influenced or empowered by a Majin.


    Buu walked through a destroyed city of tall skyscrapers littered with dead blue and red ogres. Their machines they used to gauge the amount of evil in a person¡¯s heart were smashed to pieces and some even stuck out of the ogres¡¯ bodies like knives. The Bouleans obviously hated the messengers of the Kais.


    The first group of Bouleans he spotted were mounting the ogres¡¯ heads on pikes of makeshift metal poles. They smiled upon seeing Buu. It was a group of twelve lime green ones and three red ones.


    ¡°And what do we owe to our new savior?¡± one female Boulean asked. ¡°What do you request?¡±


    ¡°We will give you anything!¡± a red male said. ¡°Just¡­just do not let the Supreme Kais take control of us again! Anything but that!¡±


    Buu smiled.


    ¡°Join my army as we fight these tyrannical nannies,¡± he said. ¡°The universe isn¡¯t a very fun place with them around.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± a green one said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to become their slave again! But¡­we would have fought them anyway if they attempted to conquer us again. Is there anything¡­anything else we can give you?¡±


    Buu smiled.


    ¡°Candy,¡± he answered. ¡°And lots of it.¡±


    Buu could still taste the Boulean chocolate in his mouth as he faced down the forces of the Supreme Kais. Thousands upon thousands of warriors commanded by the remaining Supreme Kais flared their qi as they stared down Buu¡¯s army. His army was around the same amount as he had continued empowering other races so long as they agreed to rebel against the Supreme Kais. And every one he asked said yes.


    They met on Planet Bas, one of the largest in the solar system where the battle could take place. At the front of the Kais¡¯ army was Shin, the strongest of the remaining Kais and Pikkon, their strongest warrior. Pikkon glared stoically at Buu as the Majin laughed.


    ¡°Fight for your freedom!¡± Majin Buu shouted.


    They all charged at his command, the Majin flying at full speed at Pikkon who had taken off his weighted training gear. Pikkon was the first to get in a solid punch, a blow to Buu¡¯s gut that made him scream in pain. This was followed by Buu slamming Pikkon¡¯s throat with a strong kick, hurtling the green warrior into the air. They continued their fight in midair, battling with every ounce of qi they could exert. It would have been great fun if Buu hadn¡¯t realized something too late.


    He really is stronger than me.


    Buu soon found himself hibernating in the Womb of Evil again. Darkness surrounded him as the last few moments of his third life flashed through his mind. He pitied himself for how short it was.


    I think I killed Pikkon. Buu thought as sleep overtook him. He was half-dead before he killed me. But unlike him¡­no matter how many times I die¡­I merely come back stronger. And I know for a fact that I will accumulate more strength than I did during my third sleep. I gave so many races the power to defy the Kais that had oppressed them for so long. They will definitely use that strength to spread evil across the universe thus strengthening me¡­as well as being as free as possible¡­and making the world that I will awaken to more fun.

 The Final Kamehameha

    Chapter 13


    ¡°And what was that supposed to prove?!¡± Goku exclaimed.


    ¡°That evil is freedom,¡± Buu said. ¡°That good is nothing more than chains that hold back one¡¯s potential. Those puny races I gave Majin power to¡­they were freed their overlord¡¯s grasp!¡±


    ¡°That is truly disgusting,¡± Goku said. ¡°You think wickedness is fun?! You¡¯ve convinced me of nothing more than your own vile nature! You should be destroyed before you can spread more evil across the universe.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Buu said. ¡°I see the point of my story went right over your head. You can¡¯t understand that the ability to commit evil is, in and of itself, a wonderful freedom that we should cherish. Not abhor.¡±


    ¡°How filthy,¡± the Super Saiyan answered.


    ¡°It is the cycle of power that drives civilizations to evolve and prosper!¡± Buu stated. ¡°A civilization will never peak if it is too obsessed with keeping its hands clean and not stepping on others toes! They must be evil to grow!¡±


    ¡°You remind me of Freeza,¡± Goku said. ¡°And I can¡¯t let any creature like Freeza continue to exist. But I suppose that¡¯s natural since you empowered Freeza¡¯s race long ago, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Buu nodded.


    ¡°Freeza¡¯s race were among my finest creations,¡± Majin Buu said. ¡°They were powerful, evil to the core and ever ambitious. I gave one of his ancestors the gift of my Majin energy and he not only flourished but passed it on down to his ancestors.¡±


    ¡°So I can pin the death of my friends, the Namekians and untold millions on you?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t get so defensive,¡± Buu said. ¡°Whether I did it or not, a tyrant would still have risen up to conquer others.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your excuse?!¡± Goku cried. ¡°That I should let you give people the power to do evil because evil will exist whether or not you do so?! That¡¯s completely insane!¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should stop pointing the finger at me,¡± Buu said. ¡°And look at yourself. Your intolerance of evil has led you to this spot where you cannot tolerate life itself. You believe good to be so pure a motivation in and of itself that you wish to kill literally every being that has any in them. Goku¡­does that sound good? Or does that sound like the hypocrisy of the Supreme Kais?¡±


    Goku flared his qi, the faces of those empowering him surrounding his body and his golden aura shimmering across his skin.


    ¡°Stop portraying me as the villain,¡± Goku said. ¡°You talk about freedom a lot but I know the only thing you care about in regards to the people of this universe is how they feed you. You merely want more denizens to draw evil from so that it strengthens you.¡±


    ¡°True!¡± Buu said. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that! They are as sheep to me! Nothing but cattles that I devour until I have gorged my fill!¡±


    Buu laughed.


    ¡°But even a farmer cares for his flock,¡± he said. ¡°No matter how much he realizes his animals are cattle, he cannot help but bond with them. He protects them from predators who would end their life far sooner than the farmer would, feeds them, and aids them in sickness. Just as a shepherd would his cattle, I care for mortals. And I think of you as one of those predators that are threatening my sheep.¡±


    ¡°So what do you want?¡± Goku asked. ¡°To just let evil pervade throughout the universe? To let your seed of evil permeate until there is no more good in this world?¡±


    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Buu answered. ¡°But more than that, I want you to resurrect everyone you killed. Freeza, Cold, the Heras¡­all down to the last tsuba you crushed beneath your foot. If not¡­I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have no choice but to force you to bring them all back.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s your demand?¡± the Super Saiyan asked. ¡°You want me to bring back those cretins that tainted this universe with their sin and malice?! Even to my last, dying breath I¡¯ll never allow that!¡±


    ¡°Oh you will once I beat you to an inch of your life,¡± Buu replied. ¡°Remember Goku¡­I¡¯ve lived far longer than you have¡­and I¡¯ve seen how desperate people are when their life is on the line. Once I bring you to the brink of death you¡¯ll do anything I ask. Including resurrecting those you slaughtered.¡±


    ¡°Then make me, Majin Buu¡± Goku said. ¡°Make me.¡±


    Buu laughed.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± he replied. ¡°But I want you to know, Goku¡­you will not have such an easy time fighting me as you did with all those insects.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re far more powerful than Freeza or anyone in his lineage,¡± Goku replied. ¡°But I can take you on.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Buu said. ¡°I know you can handle insects like that. What I was referring to was how much power you¡¯ve lost.¡±


    Goku¡¯s eyes went wide at Buu¡¯s proclamation. It only made the Majin giddy with laughter. For the first time since transforming, the Super Saiyan felt scared.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed,¡± Majin Buu said. ¡°You can¡¯t take out those thousands of races without losing some kind of energy. And I estimate you¡¯ve lost around half your total power doing so.¡±


    Goku growled at him as the Majin continued chuckling.


    ¡°So don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have such an easy time with me,¡± he said. ¡°When you¡¯re wasting so much strength taking out those weaklings. I say you just give up now before I send you to hell where you belong.¡±


    Buu¡¯s laughter increased into an uproar of mirth.


    ¡°In fact,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll let you just walk away right now without laying a scratch on you if you give up now.¡±


    Goku quietly leered at Buu as the Majin¡¯s laughter echoed in his ears. He had wished Buu hadn¡¯t noticed that his power had dropped significantly since the initial transformation. He ground his fanged teeth, trying to think of a way out of this.


    Darn it. He thought. I¡¯ve used up so many of the souls composing the Trampled Innocence to destroy planet after planet. Their energy is gone once I use it up, like normal qi. And Majin Buu does nothing but get stronger over his centuries of hibernation. I don¡¯t know if I can win this since he was done sleeping from his last¨C


    ¡°But he was not done resting from his last exploit!¡± the Trampled Innocence cried out.


    ¡°What?!¡± Goku asked.


    The souls composing his qi began explaining to Goku Buu¡¯s handicap. He didn¡¯t understand at first but after a moment it became clear to the Super Saiyan. He no longer feared Majin Buu. Goku turned back to see Buu¡¯s smirk had disappeared and he was now glaring at the Super Saiyan who was smiling at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Majin Buu asked.


    ¡°I agree,¡± the Super Saiyan said. ¡°I may not be at full power. But neither are you.¡±


    Buu practically jumped at the declaration, fear written all over his face. He began shivering in fright as it was Goku¡¯s turn to laugh. The Majin shook his head as the Super Saiyan chortled.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Majin Buu asked.


    ¡°That you didn¡¯t actually complete your hibernation on schedule,¡± Goku answered. ¡°You were reborn prematurely in the Womb of Evil. You came out too early.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Buu shouted. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to bluster into scaring me!¡±


    ¡°Then why are you so short?¡± Goku asked.


    The Majin¡¯s expression shattered into a face of pure terror, the holes in his body contracting as steam poured from them. Buu¡¯s arms and legs floundered about, the pink creature clearly angry at the Super Saiyan¡¯s remark. That was when Goku knew he had him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said. ¡°I know you¡¯re secret. You¡¯re in your kid form.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Majin Buu pretended. ¡°I¡¯m no kid! I¡¯m the revolutionary villain who can destroy this universe at the flick of a wrist! I¡¯ve freed many, I¡¯ve killed many, I¡¯ve unleashed my fury on even the Kais that rule this universe! You think such a being can be called a kid?!¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Goku said. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what the Trampled Innocence tells me.¡±


    Buu glared back in hatred, his face painted with admittance.


    ¡°Darn those countless souls,¡± Buu said. ¡°They record everything¡­especially the ones I¡¯ve encountered¡­¡±


    ¡°They have,¡± he said. ¡°And those that know of you hatched out from the Womb of Evil too early, like a butterfly that escaped from its cocoon before gaining its wings.¡±


    Goku had to hold back his laughter as the Majin shivered in fear.


    ¡°Usually you don¡¯t burst forth until you¡¯ve attained your super form, which requires a grand amount of energy that takes centuries upon centuries to amass,¡± he said. ¡°If you come out too early, you¡¯ll be in your less developed kid form rather than your true super form. And one indicator of your body¡¯s premature status is how tall you are. You don¡¯t even come up to my waist.¡±


    ¡°So?!¡± Buu shouted. ¡°What does that matter?! I¡¯m still more powerful than I¡¯ve ever been!¡±


    ¡°That may be true,¡± Goku said. ¡°But because you didn¡¯t properly fully develop in the Womb of Evil our power levels are more even than you think. Sure I¡¯ve lost a lot of power¡­but you¡¯re not in your super form. You¡¯re in your kid form. You probably only woke up because you could sense my immense Super Saiyan strength. I¡¯d be afraid of Super Buu after destroying so many evil beings¡­but not Kid Buu.¡±


    ¡°Then how about you find out how super I am!¡± Buu shouted.


    ¡°Gladly!¡± Goku shouted.


    The two propelled themselves at one another at the highest speed they could muster, their fists clashing with force that could split planets in half. Buu and Goku attempted to punch one another in the face but their punches only met the others¡¯ knuckles, not only sending pain through each others¡¯ arms but creating immense shockwaves. It was at that point Goku noticed the empty darkness around him shattering.


    In between punches and kicks he traded with Kid Buu, he saw the void around him split like paper being cut. The slices in space reminded him of a knife cutting into parchment, they were so fine and even. It was like the world around him was made of cardboard and Goku was becoming too rough for his surroundings.


    And from the rends made in the space, Goku could make out hands and feet stretching forth. The tear their battle caused in the void of space was still too thin to make out but Goku could definitely see something trying to wiggle its way through. It reminded him of a mouse trying to push itself through a small hole in a wall or an insect burrowing through a thin tunnel in wood.


    Odd. He thought.


    Buu flung dozens of balls of pink qi at Goku while the Super Saiyan blasted back with yellow jets of energy. Even after exploding on contact with one another, Buu didn¡¯t stop blasting away at the Saiyan. Goku did the same, defending himself from Buu¡¯s qi blast with one of his own.


    The resulting explosion was enormous, enough to vibrate through Goku¡¯s body and leave him quivering. The Saiyan¡¯s eyes went wide at this sensation as he had never experienced this before. He was feeling damaged by his own attacks. Not because he was attacking himself, like what had happened with Ginyu, but the aftershocks of their battle was just too much.


    When the smoke cleared from the two¡¯s energy blasts colliding, Goku stared on horrified. Screams could be heard from the giant hole made through the cosmos. The black void they had fired into was gone.


    In its place was a scenery of fire and smoke. Flames poured from the cavity in front of him, faces of beings tortured by the immense heat wailing as they poked their head through. As they all attempted to escape through the hole, their attempt to all flee at once clogging the hole Goku and Buu unwittingly made. With so many souls pushing against one another trying to get out, it hampered their ability to escape what Goku could only assume was hell.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be good,¡± he said.


    His blank expression as he stared on was interrupted as Majin Buu smacked Goku in the jaw. The Saiyan was hurtled backward before stopping himself in midair as Kid Buu continued to race toward him, this time sending a flurry of punches all aimed at his opponent¡¯s face. As Goku fought back with all his strength, deflecting the Majin¡¯s fists and landing a few blows to the pink thing¡¯s stomach and neck, more tears in space continued.


    The aftershocks of their attacks spread around them, splitting the empty void of space as easily as black construction paper. Flames poured from some tears in the blackness of space while in others, Goku thought he could make out Snake Way. In one larger tear that was produced from the aftershocks, Goku had a clear view of what he recognized as Other World.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°What do you mean Goku¡¯s fighting someone almost as dangerous as a Super Saiyan?!¡± Krillin shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as I told you,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°He¡¯s currently engaged in combat with the literal amalgamation of all evil in the universe¡­Majin Buu.¡±


    ¡°Majins?¡± Piccolo asked. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve heard of that¡­¡±


    ¡°Majin are not physical creations like we normally think of,¡± King Kai explained. ¡°They exist in the hearts of all sentient races. They are formed by the culmination of evil actions and thoughts before attempting to seduce and further corrupt people. They normally can¡¯t enter the mortal realm. Since Majin Buu is the pinnacle of such creatures, he is the only Majin who can normally leave that realm of reality as a result. His nature is subsequently chaotic.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean Goku is going to lose?!¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°Is he going to be killed by this evil thing?!¡±


    ¡°I honestly have no idea,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Majin Buu left the Womb of Evil, the place where all sinful energy gathers, before he reached his full power. His slumber is like that of a butterfly in its cocoon, growing stronger and stronger with each era of evil in the universe. Buu left before he was fully developed and is now fighting Goku in his immature Kid form rather than his proper, fully developed Super form.¡±


    ¡°So that means Goku can win!¡± Krillin said. ¡°He can beat this Buu guy and send him packing!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Krillin,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°But that isn¡¯t true either. Goku has exhausted so much of his strength killing race after race that he¡¯s lost quite a bit of energy. Neither combatant is fighting at full power.¡±


    ¡°So then they¡¯re¡­?¡± Teinshinhan tried to ask. ¡°Even?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that either,¡± King Kai explained.


    Goku slapped Buu into a plateau on the deserted planet they continued their battle on. After Majin Buu had kicked the Super Saiyan more than a dozen times in the chest, the Saiyan was sent hurtling from space into the barren wasteland below. However, Goku quickly retaliated by battering Buu like a ragdoll.


    The pink Majin was out of breath as he reemerged from the crater he¡¯d made for himself, gasping for air in the hot climate. Seeking an opportunity for attack, Goku fired a beam of qi at Buu as he attempted to recover. However, Buu reacted quicker than the Saiyan thought he would.


    Kid Buu screamed at the top of his lungs at the blast of yellow light, high pitched enough that it hurt the Super Saiyan¡¯s ears. The beam of light exploded against the roar of sound before reaching Majin Buu, forming a cloud of dust that obscured his enemy. Goku leered into the black smoke before he saw Buu rushing forward at full speed, headbutting Goku in the face.


    This sent the Super Saiyan careening into a plateau behind him, the Saiyan creating a tunnel into the large rock formation as he jettisoned through it. Once he regained momentum, Goku exploded the stone surrounding him to reveal Kid Buu laughing at him as he stood on the plateau above. The Majin¡¯s sneering laughter echoed throughout the desert until he coughed up a fit up blood. The pink creature shivered weakly as he bent over, clearly wounded from his battle. Goku continued glaring as the stone pieces from the plateau he shattered circled around him.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Their power levels are like bottomless wells of qi,¡± King Kai said. ¡°It¡¯s honestly hard to gauge how strong they are due to how absurd their strength is. Comparing them is like comparing the length of two tunnels whose end you cannot see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Piccolo said. ¡°As strong as Freeza was, we could still gain accurate measure of his power level in comparison to others! That¡¯s madness!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Krillin said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Feel for yourself,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Their power levels should reach you soon.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± Krillin said.


    It felt as though an earthquake was flowing through his insides. Krillin couldn¡¯t stand, his entire body being rocked by an immense pressure. As he stood on the sandy shore of Roshi¡¯s island. It was as though Goku¡¯s qi, along with millions of others and a presence that felt more evil than Freeza¡¯s were jettisoning inside him all at once.


    Krillin looked around to find that Piccolo, Master Roshi, Turtle, Yamcha, Tein and Chiaotzu were experiencing the same thing. Horror was painted all across their faces. Their bodies jittered and twitched unnaturally, as if something was moving inside them and using their skin to cover itself. It was almost as if no one could keep still no matter what.


    It was beyond sensing two power levels clashing. It was physically hurting them to experience the titanic weight of the qis dueling it out. The only comparison Krillin could begin to make was not sensing qi, but being held up by a giant and shaken in his vice-like grip. Krillin felt ill sensing these powers more than anything.


    ¡°Is-?!¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°Is that Goku? It can¡¯t be! It just can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what power level I¡¯m¡­¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°But it¡¯s not Goku¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not even a power level we¡¯re sensing!¡± Piccolo said. ¡°It¡¯s like the world is exploding all around us!¡±


    ¡°Is this what you were all doing on Namek?!¡± Master Roshi asked. ¡°Making an old man feel like his whole planet was shaking?!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± Yamcha shouted.


    He fell to the sand below, quivering in pain as he continued shaking.


    ¡°These qi signatures!¡± he shouted. ¡°They¡¯re all too much! Make it stop!¡±


    Krillin was almost at Yamcha¡¯s level of pain. He tried his best to maintain his balance, unable to keep himself from quivering. It was only through putting all his might in stomping the ground beneath him was able to keep from flopping like a fish on the beach.


    ¡°You see what I mean?¡± King Kai replied. ¡°What you are feeling is Goku going all out against Majin Buu¡­at least with what power he has left.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°This¡­this feeling is beyond just power. Goku¡­Goku isn¡¯t just fighting a monster¡­he has become one.¡±


    ¡°But how come we didn¡¯t feel this before?!¡± Piccolo said as his body rumbled. ¡°This power¡­I know I would have felt it from halfway across the galaxy no matter who he was fighting¡­why didn¡¯t we feel it earlier?¡±


    ¡°I believe¡­¡± King Kai said. ¡°I believe it was because Goku was deliberately hiding his power level from everyone on Earth.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Krillin asked. ¡°How can that be?! When one masks their energy and hides their true strength, they¡¯re more likely to be taken down! How could Goku be flying around all over the galaxy killing one planet after another without us all sensing it?¡±


    ¡°Such is the power of one fueled by the Trampled Innocence,¡± King Kai answered. ¡°They are not just strong¡­they can bypass the normal rules of qi manipulation. Goku made a deal with the Trampled Innocence that he would be willing to destroy all life in the universe with even little evil except for Earth. The Trampled Innocence agreed and Goku hid his true strength from every inhabitant of Earth to spare them from the aftershocks of his power.¡±


    ¡°Aftershocks?¡± Krillin asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Kai answered. ¡°The transformation into Super Saiyan and its subsequent power is so great that it is not only harming people millions of miles away¡­it is also ripping the very fabric of space-time. Now that Goku is engaged in probably the toughest battle of his life he cannot afford to hide his strength from literally any inhabitant in the universe.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Piccolo said as his body was rocked back and forth by the vibrations. ¡°Goku chose to spare us?! You mean, even if he had the strength to destroy Earth he wouldn¡¯t?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how easily swayed by the Trampled Innocence is by its host,¡± King Kai said. ¡°They only trust the most pure hearted of the pure hearted but when they find that special champion¡­they¡¯ll cave to nearly any demand. How do you think Goku was able to give Vegeta a second chance at life?¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Krillin said before he lost his footing and fell. ¡°Aw! Goku¡¯s power¡­! No, it¡¯s not just him! This Buu guy¡­it¡¯s beyond a mere battle!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Teinshinhan said as leaned over and out of breath, almost tired from trying not to faint or fall over. ¡°And didn¡¯t you say something about ripping apart spacetime?¡±


    As Goku¡¯s Kamehameha met Kid Buu¡¯s blast of pink aura, he noticed the rending effect took place after the beams of light exploded upon impact. When the smoke cleared, the Super Saiyan found a large slit-like cavity in midair. From what Goku could tell it was of Hell again, with many beings screaming as the fire surrounded them.


    He had little time to watch them before Majin Buu fired several dozen balls of qi at him. Goku barely had time to dodge them, disappearing for a split second before reappearing at Buu¡¯s side. He punched Buu in the side of the face, causing the Majin to tumble across the flat surface of the plateau they stood upon. Goku raced toward him to press the attack further before Buu quickly stood up and met the Super Saiyan¡¯s punches with those of his own.


    When their fists clashed, a shockwave could be felt echoing throughout the barren wasteland. A crack formed in the stone structure beneath them before the same rip in midair formed. This time Goku found it was of Otherworld again, with King Yenma¡¯s face appearing in the rip. He stared at Goku, clearly afraid.


    ¡°The Super Saiyan!¡± Yenma shouted. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Everyone, run!¡±


    Yenma and the other ogres at the check-in station of Otherworld fled in panic, leaving their papers and pens at their desks. As strange as it was, Goku had little time to react to such a debacle. He instead turned back to Buu who promptly smacked him in the face, the Super Saiyan caught off guard seeing the familiar face of the king of ogres.


    Goku fell to the ground before Majin Buu pounced on him, ready to strike again. However, Goku jumped up before kicking Kid Buu squarely in the chest as the force flung him backwards. As Kid Buu attempted to slow his momentum, Goku formed a ball of yellow qi in his right hand and threw it into Buu¡¯s gaping mouth as he screamed in pain.


    The Super Saiyan steadied himself, landing on solid rock and planting his feet squarely. As the black smoke cleared and Buu became visible once again, Goku found the top half of Buu¡¯s head gone. The Super Saiyan used this chance to catch his breath before finding Kid Buu¡¯s head slowly reforming. His tongue, teeth and eyes emerged before the long tentacle-like antennae atop his head came into existence.


    However, Buu was gasping for air, the regeneration clearly taking the breath out of him. He was clearly shaken, his body jittering from the blow the Super Saiyan had dealt him. Goku would have continued the attack had he not also felt exhausted from their battle. Truth was, he was trying to move as little as possible to recover his strength.


    ¡°I see your regeneration takes a great amount of your qi reserves,¡± Goku chided. ¡°Just as it does Namekians.¡±


    Buu growled at him, only making the Saiyan smile in reply.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°When Piccolo has to regrow a limb, it drains them of their energy. I learned that when my soul fused with the part of the Trampled Innocence they consisted of. So¡­regrow your body all you want. It only makes the battle easier for me.¡±


    ¡°GAH!¡± Majin Buu shouted in defiance.


    He flung a ball of pink qi at Goku as the Super Saiyan shot a beam of yellow qi to intercept the attack. Upon exploding, forming smoke and said smoke clearing, Goku found himself not looking at Majin Buu but Snake Way. The tear that had formed this time was clearly of the path he traveled to meet up with King Kai. He shook his head, confused at the sight.


    Am¡­? Goku thought. Am I tearing a hole through reality right now?


    ¡°Goku¡¯s tearing a hole through reality?!¡± Piccolo asked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Krillin said. ¡°That sounds probably crazier than anything you¡¯ve told us up to this point!¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make it any less true,¡± King Kai said. ¡°You must understand, the power levels clashing right now are amongst the greatest this universe has ever seen. Now that these two warriors have no reason to hold back any more and are exerting the absolute pinnacle of their power to kill the other¡­reality itself is collapsing in on itself.¡±


    ¡°That terrifies me,¡± Krillin said.


    He was now standing on his own two feet as he¡¯d been able to maintain balance better


    ¡°It should,¡± King Kai said. ¡°If you think of space time as the material that holds all life itself, then it makes more sense. Whether you know it or not, you still exist in the universe. And the universe has material, like anything else. Even the dark void of space still consists of some sort of matter. Thankfully, that material is very strong, stronger than even any Supreme Kai. Us Kais can manipulate that reality to some extent to trap beings in stars or other such tricks. However, now that Goku and Buu have exceeded even that limit their power is ripping holes in the fabric reality itself consists of. In other words, he is bridging the gap between the reality of the living and the dead in doing so.¡±


    ¡°Is there any way to stop this?!¡± Yamcha asked who had slowly stood up. ¡°To¡­to patch up reality or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Only after their battle is finished,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Then we can repair what is broken.¡±


    ¡°But you said their power levels are like bottomless wells!¡± Piccolo shouted. ¡°How can their battle end if it¡¯s infinite?¡±


    ¡°Because Goku¡¯s power is not infinite,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Not even as a Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°But you said-¡± Krillin said.


    ¡°I said I could not accurately measure the two,¡± he answered. ¡°Measuring these two power levels is difficult not because they are truly never ending but because the measurements we are using to ascertain them, meaning our qi sense, is too short in comparison to the amount or length of their power. And from what I am gathering¡­their energy is vastly decreasing every second.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Yamcha said. ¡°They¡¯re still incredibly strong!¡±


    ¡°Not for long,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Have you noticed that you¡¯ve been able to stand back up?¡±


    Yamcha looked down at himself, amazed to find King Kai was right. And now that Krillin was looking down at himself, he found he was able to stand mostly straight. He was not as jittery as he¡¯d been a minute ago. He looked around to find that his friends had mostly calmed down and were not shaking as hard. In fact, now that Krillin concentrated on the powers clashing far beyond them, he could tell their strength was lowering.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯ve both lost a tremendous amount of power¡­and they¡¯re continuing to lose a tremendous amount of power.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± King Kai said. ¡°Meaning¡­this battle will soon be over.¡±


    Buu and Goku were trading blows at lightning speed, faster than either of them had up to this point. Blood poured from each landed punch and kick, each warrior tiring after slugging the next heavy hit. Their latest struggle ended when Goku smacked Kid Buu in the face, sending him backwards. The Super Saiyan thought that would have been the end of it until the Majin glared back at him, wiping the blood from his face.


    ¡°So, Saiyan,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me¡­do you give?¡±


    ¡°Not until you¡¯re dead,¡± Goku shouted. ¡°AND THIS ENTIRE UNIVERSE PURGED OF EVIL!¡±


    Buu leered back at him before coughing up more blood.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said.


    Buu stretched his arms out to the side as far as he could, balls of pink energy filling his palms. Within the spheres, Goku could see frighteningly evil deeds being committed. Murders taking place as the killers echoed, violation of women and children, the setting on fire of entire villages as a horde of enemies pillaged the innocent.


    ¡°I see we are¡­¡± he coughed up more blood as he spoke. ¡°Near evenly matched. As a degree of respect for giving me such a worthwhile fight¡­¡±


    The balls of pink qi in his hand grew larger than his own body. Goku could feel what strength the Majin had left rising to its pinnacle. He was charging one final attack.


    ¡°I will finish you with my greatest technique,¡± Kid Buu said as he smiled. ¡°Just so you know¡­whether I win or lose¡­I¡¯m glad this happened. I had fun. This was¡­a real treat¡­to fight possibly the greatest warrior in all of existence. You deserve to die a warrior¡¯s death with my ultimate move. This is your last chant to recant and resurrect all those you slayed. Revive them and I shall spare your life.¡±


    Goku clasped his wrists together at his side, gathering his qi in his palms. The very souls that the Saiyan could see victimized in Buu¡¯s qi flowed into his hands. The great ball of golden qi forming in his clasped palms grew into a sphere larger around than Goku¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die than resurrect those evil beings,¡± Goku said. ¡°And it¡¯s more like you have little strength left. And wish to finish me off quickly.¡±


    Kid Buu laughed.


    ¡°Seems as though you¡¯re doing the same thing,¡± he said. ¡°With your little kame¡­kama¡­kahaka¡­¡±


    ¡°IT¡¯S-¡± Goku shouted.


    The sphere of golden qi filled with the faces of countless victims grew in size.


    ¡°KA-¡±


    It grew greater.


    ¡°ME-¡±


    Buu clasped the two giant balls together to form one that completely obscured the pink creature¡¯s body.


    ¡°HA-¡±


    The huge pink ball of energy formed into a beam so wide it eclipsed all of Goku¡¯s vision.


    ¡°ME-¡±


    The blast of pink came within inches of hitting Goku.


    ¡°HAAAAAAAAA!¡± the Super Saiyan shouted.


    He positioned his clasped wrists in front of him and watched the golden blast eclipse the pink energy. The golden energy filled with faces of murder, violated and distressed victims pushed through Buu¡¯s attack. It quickly penetrated the middle of the pink blast, the evil quickly dissipating as it was torn in half by Goku¡¯s attack.


    Goku found Buu on the end of the Kamehameha screaming in surprise as the golden beam reached him. He attempted to back away as the superior blast of power reached him before he was quickly consumed by the bright yellow energy. Goku watched in pleasure as Kid Buu disintegrated before his eyes, the Majin¡¯s screams the only remaining piece of him. The Super Saiyan his Kamehameha flew through space above, smiling as he lost all remaining feeling.


    Buu found himself surrounded by the darkness of his cocoon again. He sighed as sleep overcame him, regretting his time in the mortal world was so short during this cycle of hibernation. He shook his head as he curled into a fetal position and gave into the sensation of slumber.


    A shame it was so short¡­ He thought. But boy¡­was it fun.


    Goku was leaving the barren planet¡¯s atmosphere when he felt funny. As though he was about to vomit. He felt as though all his remaining qi was gathering in the pit of his stomach and trying to escape. He began coughing as some object slid up from his gut into his throat, forcing him to spit it out. Goku looked up and screamed as the round thing shot into space above.


    The Super Saiyan marveled as a white egg covered in golden yellow liquid was ejected into the cosmos, a trail of yellow qi following in its wake. As Goku breathed a sigh in relief that it was out of his throat, he found another one forming in the pit of his stomach. From his gut he threw up another egg.


    Goku did this repeatedly until he lost count. From what he could tell, the eggs were being directly guided by the souls of the Trampled Innocence to certain planets that were barren of life. Most of those planets bereft of sentient organisms were purged by Goku and would soon hatch.


    ¡°This reminds¡­¡± he said as he spat out the last of the eggs. ¡°Of king Piccolo¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°This is how Namekians were born. The cycle of the Super Saiyan¡¯s life gave birth to them. After purging planets of evil populations, we then create genetic material that will create beings who are pure in heart. They will have no evil in them once so ever. The last Super Saiyan who did this, Yamoshi, birthed the Namekians in this process.¡±


    ¡°The Namekians?¡± Goku asked. ¡°But¨Cbut King Piccolo-¡±


    ¡°Only existed because the original Namek he was born from was exposed to evil on Planet Earth,¡± they answered. ¡°Otherwise, Namekians are gentle, kind, and incapable of evil. After the Saiyans fled their homeworld, the original Super Saiyan spat out the egg on the planet that was bereft of all intelligent life.¡±


    ¡°So Planet Namek¡­?¡± Goku asked as he continued floating into space.


    ¡°Was the original Saiyan homeworld,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°The Grand Elder of the Namekians who you¡¯re Krillin and Gohan met was the first to be born of them.¡±


    ¡°That-¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s quite a coincidence. I¡¯m glad Krillin and Gohan were able to meet such nice people.¡±


    ¡°If we had wiped out the entirety of all life in the universe Majin Buu would no longer exist and we could make more people like the Nameks,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°But we could not do that due to Buu¡¯s interference.¡±


    ¡°But if a Namekian like Kami could be tainted¡­¡± Goku said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they eventually become evil?¡±


    ¡°Not if there was no evil to taint them to begin with,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°That¡¯s why we had to kill all life that had even a little evil¡­because it would taint our new creations like humans did with Kami. So while we did not accomplish our goal entirely¡­we did to some extent.¡±


    Breaking from his egg he felt so pure and alive. Smashing the shell from the inside, he stood up to stretch his body. He looked around with his eyes still adjusting to the bright sunlight.


    He saw flowers blooming beside a gently flowing river with fish breaching the surface. The wind blew the bright green leaves of the tree to make a soft rustling sound. He heard birds chirping in the distance.


    Out of curiosity he looked at himself to find his body was a bright yellow. His claws were somewhat insect-like, like a cross between an ant¡¯s and a bird¡¯s. He turned around on his long neck to find his gossamer wings fluttering against the yellow liquid that coated them.


    I don¡¯t know who or where I am. He thought. But somehow I feel¡­good. Pure¡­and complete.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± a voice said.


    He turned around to find a creature that looked much like him staring back. However, her claws were more like talons than his ant-like ones. Her coat of yellow was also shinier and she sported silver hair that flowed down her back. She was beyond beautiful.


    ¡°Who¡­?¡± she asked. ¡°Are we? And¡­where are we?¡±


    He walked towards her, mesmerized by her appearance.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he said. ¡°I think it has something to do with the Super Saiyan. The Super Saiyan¡­¡±


    ¡°That birthed us¡­¡± she finished. ¡°Yes¡­it¡¯s all coming back. We were made¡­to do good. So¡­now what?¡±


    He ran his hands down her silver hair, fascinated by how attractive she was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°But all I do know is¡­nothing we can do now¡­is wrong. Because¡­this world we have for ourselves¡­is pure.¡±


    ¡°The purest pure¡­¡± she said. ¡°More pure¡­than pure itself.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Quite right.¡±


    As Goku flew into space, feeling weaker than he ever had in his life. He could barely stand, twitching in exhaustion. He coughed blood as he reached the void of space. Goku was surrounded by tears in reality, many of the denizens of hell reaching their limbs out of the holes in spacetime to escape.


    His mind was blank, all thoughts and emotions melted. Goku saw his golden aura dissipating, his wings crumbling into dust. His sharp teeth withdrew back into his gums and his talons withdrew back into his hands. Goku was soon his normal self, but instead barely awake and listless. With what consciousness he had left, he asked one question.


    What-? Goku asked. What now?


    Now? The Trampled Innocence asked. Now, you die!


    Die?! Goku asked, snapping awake. No¡­no! I¡­I need to go¡­I need to go home! Gohan¡­Chi-Chi¡­Krillin! They¡¯re all waiting for me!


    His environment changed in a moment. Goku was no longer in outer space. He was now in the Realm of Souls. The pillars filled with the energy of dead beings racing from the bottom to the top surrounded him.


    However, he was no longer standing in front of the original Super Saiyan. However, he was no longer a bluish-white silhouette like how Goku originally saw him. He was a Saiyan sporting spiked black hair wearing a red robe with his tail wrapped around his waist.


    Goku looked down at himself to find his body no longer consisted of flesh and blood. He was now surrounded in the same bright white light the other Super Saiyan was when Goku first saw him. He tensed up in surprise as he realized they had traded places.


    ¡°As the new Super Saiyan,¡± the other Saiyan said. ¡°You now rule the Realm of Souls.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± he said. ¡°But how?!¡±


    ¡°You died using up all your energy to destroy Majin Buu,¡± he answered. ¡°And since you were designated by the Trampled Innocence as their new host¡­your body and soul will stay within the Realm of Souls rather than merely exist within it as most beings do. You are now the very center of the afterlife, and that is why you cannot go to the afterlife or mortal realm. You have ascended in ways never imagined.¡±


    ¡°No this can¡¯t be!¡± Goku said. ¡°I have a family I have to look after! Friends who need me!¡±


    But the original Super Saiyan didn¡¯t seem to care. He merely waved back at Goku.


    ¡°Bye,¡± he said.


    And then disappeared.

 Cosmic Pawn, Part 1: The Paradox of Kindness

    Chapter 14


    ¡°No!¡± Goku shouted. ¡°This can¡¯t be! I want to go home!¡±


    ¡°You have no home now,¡± the Trampled Innocence answered, the voice of the many souls reverberating throughout the entire room. ¡°This is your palace to rule. The reality of the afterlife is yours to govern.¡±


    The pillars of white surged with a certain brightness and Goku recognized many of the same souls that formed the Trampled Innocence. The glowing was more than just physical but Goku could feel it within him. His soul was surging along with theirs, a certain exuberance flowing through his entire being.


    As much as Goku hated the idea of being away from his family and friends, he could not help but share their joy. So many of the Trampled Innocence¡¯s souls had their vengeance and even those that didn¡¯t were glad that there was so much new life that was pure in heart and couldn¡¯t be corrupted. The Majins formed in the Womb of Evil would have their growth stunted or might not exist at all.


    Majin Buu certainly would have a smaller increase in strength during his next hibernation cycle. A major victory had been one over evil and the Trampled Innocence was beyond celebratory. Even so, Goku still tried to chastise them.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want this!¡± Goku shouted. ¡°I hate this! I didn¡¯t agree to it!¡±


    ¡°Oh but you did,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°When you agreed to the power Yamoshi gifted you, you sold your very soul for revenge against Freeza.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± he said. ¡°I knew I would die after burning up all the energy you gave me but¡­I didn¡¯t know I would be stuck in this level of reality. When can I leave?¡±


    ¡°When the next Super Saiyan ascends to take your place,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°You will remain here until we bring into existence the next Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°Bring into existence?¡± Goku asked. ¡°How do you plan on doing that?!¡±


    ¡°The same way we brought you into existence, Goku,¡± they replied.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Goku shouted.


    ¡°Oh yes¡­¡± they replied. ¡°It took many years of careful planning to give birth and position you in just the right place to purge this world of all evil and replace it with only good species.¡±


    ¡°You-!¡± Goku shouted. ¡°You planned all this?! But how?!¡±


    ¡°Many attempts were made¡­¡± the Trampled Innocence explained as Goku was swept away by memories he had never experienced.


    The Saiyan king, Salada, laughed as his subordinates piled up body after body of the Tsubas. The mound of corpses was twelve feet high, dripping with blood as the red liquid flowed down their winged forms. The Saiyan king, bit off a piece of grilled Tsubas meat, perfectly content to sit up his makeshift throne of wood built by his soldiers.


    Salada was having a grand time watching the Saiyan warriors lead a trail of shackled Tsubas to slave camps. There, the winged aliens would build homes and palaces for their conquerors. This was the one-hundred and twelfth planet the Saiyans had conquered in the name of Lord Salada. His wife, Queen Lettuk, painted her lips with rouge she found amongst the Tsubas royalty. She held up a mirror to her face while making herself attractive.


    ¡°Interesting the Tsubas have such good technology for a race as weak as them,¡± Lettuk said. ¡°I¡¯m really enjoying the make-up we pilfered. Do you think it¡¯ll be useful for building spaceships to do more spacefaring?¡±


    ¡°That could come in handy,¡± King Salada answered. ¡°After all, we have talked about wanting to conquer other planets outside our own galaxy. We spare the smarter ones if they build us some space cruisers capable of getting that far away. The rest¡­we don¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°Oh but I¡¯m going to need someone to apply my make-up!¡± Lettuk replied. ¡°Remember when I tried using face paint from Planet Hera?! I messed it all up until those slave women we spared did it for me! I¡¯m terrible at putting on facepaint!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Salada said. ¡°Okay. Anything for my favorite whore.¡±


    Lettuk nodded and laughed as King Salada stood up from his throne the Tsubas had quickly fashioned for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go find some Tsubas women to¡­¡± he laughed. ¡°Show my kingly presence. I think I¡¯ll spare some for my harem. Many of them are very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°That harem of yours is getting bigger and bigger,¡± Lettuk said as she adjusted the mirror. ¡°What do you have now¡­seven hundred women? I¡¯ve lost count.¡±


    ¡°My advisers keep track of them,¡± Salada said. ¡°If I remember while perusing the women, I¡¯ll suggest the spaceship and make-up thing.¡±


    ¡°Thank-you,¡± Lettuk answered. ¡°And get me something to eat. I¡¯m starving. Preferably a banquet of rare meat and sweets. I haven¡¯t had a desert in a week.¡±


    Goku watched in horror at this display of brutality and gluttonous adultery, disgusted he was related to these pigs.


    ¡°The Saiyans were drunk on their rare power,¡± the Trampled Innocence explained as Goku saw the memories flash through his mind. ¡°They were closer linked to any other species to the Soul Realm that recycles qi from dead beings to living beings. As a result, any time they were defeated in battle but survived they merely rose up stronger, fed by the dead souls¡¯ qi. On the brink of death they were close to the afterlife and it triggered a chain reaction allowing them to tap into the very universe¡¯s source of energy.¡±


    Goku¡¯s attention turned to the dead bodies that the Saiyan soldiers had been piling up on King Salada¡¯s orders. He saw them beginning to glow before their ghostly faces rose from the mound of corpses, screaming in pain and anger. By the way no one turned to gawk at the anger of the murdered Tsubas, Goku figured no one could see them except him.


    ¡°However,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°Their arrogance was their own undoing.¡±


    Goku was transported back to the Realm of Souls but not in his own timeline. He was looking at the Realm of Souls as it had been more than a thousand years ago. The faces of the murdered Tsubas as well as many others surged through hundreds of pillars, glowing with a wicked golden light. The bright yellow was so bright Goku was almost blinded, the screams of the souls surging through them screaming in a rage that was deafening.


    The light then flashed throughout the realm until all the Saiyan could see was bright gold. When he could gain visual of his surroundings again, he found all of these souls now flowing through one pillar. It had turned bright gold and churned violently with the faces of killed people.


    ¡°The anger of us murdered innocents was not a new phenomena,¡± they told Goku. ¡°But the Saiyans were the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Their plight upon the galaxy was so great that our anger and despair drew us to one another like a magnet.¡±


    His surroundings changed once again as he found a Saiyan child picking up a wounded baby bird in a forest. The bird had crushed part of its wing in its fall and the young boy was healing it with his qi. As a yellow aura overcame the bird, it grew feathers over its naked body and began chirping. It flew out of the Saiyan¡¯s hand and into the air as the child laughed.


    ¡°Yamoshi was our first attempt to bring about a revolution,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°He would have been born strong thanks to Saiyan genetics but we provided him as much power as possible.¡±


    ¡°But why couldn¡¯t you have just made all Saiyans pure?¡± Goku asked. ¡°Certainly you could have converted every Saiyan in existence into a good person or have them all born with benevolent natures.¡±


    ¡°It is not that simple,¡± the souls replied. ¡°We grow stronger with each innocent that was killed added to our amalgamation of souls. At this point in our numbers, we only had the power to bring one pure hearted Saiyan into existence at once. And even with our power, we cannot convert a Saiyan much older than a toddler into being good. Our power over the material world is limited and we did everything.¡±


    Yamoshi began jumping up and down in joy at the sight of the wounded bird almost reaching the top of the trees¡¯ branches.


    ¡°And most of all¡­¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°We gave him a kind heart. A heart so pure that it was pure white in the darkness of this world¡­¡±


    Suddenly the bird was shot down by a blast of qi. Yamoshi screamed in terror as the small creature fell to the ground, set ablaze. The poor thing flopped in the grass, desperate to put out the flames.


    Yamoshi rushed to its aid before a fist to the face set him falling to the ground. The Saiyan child held his bleeding cheek as he looked up to see a taller, older Saiyan pick up the flaming bird. It was King Salada, gripping the dying creature in his vice.


    As the bird chirped in pain, Salada squeezed its tiny head with all the strength he could muster. The baby bird¡¯s head exploded like a bomb, burned chunks of tiny guts and blood dirtying the Saiyan king¡¯s hand. He then tossed the rest of the charred body away to walk over to his son.


    He took his son by the head and began slamming his head repeatedly into a tree. The force with which Salada beat his son was so great a hole formed in the trunk he slammed him into. The Saiyan child¡¯s blood smeared the trunk of the tree before King Salada was satisfied. At first Yamoshi screamed in pain and misery until he fell unconscious, his body going limp before Salada dragged him off.


    ¡°...and was reviled by the Saiyans,¡± the Trampled Innocence explained.


    The image disappeared and Goku saw Yamoshi significantly older. He was a teenager by this point. He was standing in front of an army of Saiyans that were facing off against another battalion of Saiyan warriors. Beside him was his father, king of the Saiyans. Yamoshi looked afraid, his painfully reluctant to engage in battle.


    ¡°Attack!¡± King Salada cried.


    Every Saiyan on each side charged headfirst into the battle. Except Yamoshi. He weakly attempted to fly towards an enemy Saiyan that charged him in the chaos, only to be smacked by the opposing warrior.


    The long-haired man threw a dozen punches at Yamoshi per second, pummeling him into the ground. Not even once did the young Saiyan attempt to defend himself, merely jumping up to flee. However, just as he flew away, the enemy Saiyan grabbed Yamoshi by the ankle and flung him into the ground repeatedly.


    The young Saiyan began crying as the older one treated his body like a ragdoll. The older Saiyan then let go of him only to fire a qi blast at the battered young boy. The sphere of light exploded on impact just as Yamoshi continued to fly away, his speed unmatched by any other warrior.


    And what¡¯s more was that Yamoshi had taken practically no damage from any of the enemy warrior¡¯s attacks. Not only that but Goku could feel that Yamoshi¡¯s qi was at least four times that of the warrior who attacked him. If the young Saiyan wanted to, he could swat practically anyone engaged in the battle like a fly.


    ¡°Yamoshi was so gentle he could not kill even the most evil of Saiyans,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°He was truly dedicated to the ideal of peace, even when it cost him his humility. The idea of hurting others was so against his nature that he would rather die than give anyone a scratch.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Goku said. ¡°That reminds me of my son¡­Gohan.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Trampled Innocence said.


    Yamoshi flew outside of the field they fought in, hiding behind a tree to cover himself. He curled up to his body, wrapping his arms tight around his knees and he broke down crying. Goku himself was brought to tears at the sight.


    ¡°Just as your son Gohan has faced unimaginable horrors despite being so young and innocent,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°So has Yamoshi. It is without almost any exception that the most pure in heart and innocent of souls suffer the greatest in this world of unimaginable darkness.¡±


    Yamoshi hid his face in his knees, his sobs aching Goku¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Just as your Gohan was forced to witness death and war at an age when he should have received unconditional love,¡± the Trampled Innocence explained. ¡°So did Yamoshi.¡±


    The memories shown to Goku changed again. This time all he could see was the aftermath of the Saiyans conflict. And it was one of the most gruesome sights he¡¯d ever witnessed.


    Yamoshi walked across the meadow as he saw the horrors he fled from. The Saiyan warriors¡¯ corpses had been burned by qi blasts, holes punched through them and beaten to a pulp. They littered the ground more than the flowers of the once lush meadow. Blood ran in rivers across the vibrant greenery.


    Yamoshi stepped in a puddle of blood and began crying, rushing forward as fast as he could. The teenage Saiyan accidentally stepped on the limp heads and hands of the dead warriors, only eliciting more screams. He raced to the forest and arrived in the village that was just beyond the treeline. He then stopped in mid-run, his mouth agape in horror.


    The women and children of the enemy faction had not been spared the fate of the warriors protecting it. Yamoshi slowly walked through the wrecked ruins of broken walls, caved in roofs and still-smoking buildings to find the dead bodies of women clutching their babies. Most of the blood he stood in was that of toddlers and younger.


    Many of the women had a hole punched through them, the child they were lying on top of visible through the wound. Yamoshi turned away, too shocked at the horror, only to see a series of pregnant women lying dead not far away. They had all attempted to flee only to be brought down in a group.


    Their wombs had been ripped open and the child left submerged in the blood of its own mother. Yamoshi tried to look away from it only to find many Saiyan children beheaded, their lopped off faces lying in piles. The teenage Saiyan began screaming in panic, his aura flaring in fury.


    ¡°WHY?!¡± he shouted. ¡°WHY?! JUST WHY?!¡±


    He fell to his knees, crying, before a certain sound gained his attention. He looked up to find someone approaching him. Yamoshi¡¯s eyes sparkled with a certain relief as he stared at her.


    All Saiyans Goku had seen before had black hair and black eyes. In fact, Goku was barely sure she was a Saiyan at all. Her power level was so low she wasn¡¯t much stronger than an ordinary human.


    The Saiyan had blond hair and blue eyes, the golden curls tumbling down to her waist. Her green eyes sparkled in the light of the setting sun. The white robe she wore flowed a little in the light wind.


    The beautiful woman approached Yamoshi with her head bowed, clearly frightened. Once she met the teenage Saiyan, she bowed before him and ducked her head. Her voice quivered as tears flowed from her face and mixed with the blood around her.


    ¡°Please,¡± she said, trying not to sob. ¡°Kill¡­kill me quickly.¡±


    ¡°Kill¡­¡± he said. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die facing my family!¡± she shouted. ¡°Just¡­do it and¡­get it over with!¡±


    Yamoshi quickly quickly took her by the hands and lifted her up.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he said. ¡°I¡­I¡¯d never¡­kill anyone.¡±


    The blond Saiyan quivered in fear.


    ¡°Wh-?¡± she stuttered. ¡°Why? Are you¡­going to torture me?¡±


    ¡°Torture you?¡± Yamoshi asked. ¡°No! I¡¯m¨CI¡¯m just looking for survivors. And¡­¡±


    He ran his hand through her luscious hair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever come across someone like you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡­I just wanted to find someone my father¡¯s forces didn¡¯t murder.¡±


    The blond Saiyan drew close to Yamoshi, sensing a certain softness in his voice that she never knew a Saiyan could possess.


    ¡°Your father¡­?¡± the blond Saiyan asked.


    ¡°Only Yamoshi¡¯s pain was of a magnitude Gohan could never imagine,¡± the Trampled Innocence said.


    ¡°You defied the great King Salada?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°I just can¡¯t bring myself to commit violence. It doesn¡¯t make sense! And¡­and¡­!¡±


    More tears spilled from his eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t kill members of my fellow race just for being weaker!¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°My father¡­he¡¯s so paranoid of defective genetics tainting the Saiyan gene pool¡­he was willing to track down your village of weak Saiyans!¡±


    He shook his head.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bring myself to engage in pointless bloodshed!¡± Yamoshi screamed.


    ¡°Weak¡­?¡± Goku asked. ¡°Saiyans?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°One of our more insidious traps.¡±


    Goku looked at the corpses around him to slowly realize what the Trampled Innocence meant.


    ¡°You¡­¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t just make certain Saiyans like Yamoshi stronger¡­¡±


    His body tensed up as he watched the blond Saiyan break out into tears, burying her face in Yamoshi¡¯s chest as he held her slender figure.


    ¡°You made certain Saiyans weaker!¡± he shouted. ¡°Like this entire village! You wanted this slaughter to happen!¡±


    ¡°Oh, very much so,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°And we gave that particular Saiyan the ability to hide her presence from others.¡±


    ¡°But why?!¡± Goku demanded. ¡°Why not do something that doesn¡¯t involve the deaths of the weak and helpless?!¡±


    ¡°We only have so much influence,¡± the trillions of souls replied. ¡°Us spirits can only interact with the mortal realm so much. However, we can control the power levels of many beings in the universe, especially the ones we have the strongest connection to. Those empowered by Majin Buu we cannot touch, like Freeza¡¯s race¡­but the Saiyans. They were like puddy in our hands.¡±


    ¡°But why?!¡± Goku shouted. ¡°I thought you wanted to strengthen the hand of the innocent against the forces of evil! Why go through all this trouble to let these people die?!¡±


    ¡°So that we could do this,¡± the Trampled Innocence answered.


    The scenery around Goku changed once again. This time the memory he was being shown was even more desperate. Yamoshi and the blond Saiyan were hiding in a cave while it rained.


    Both were scarred and bruised, the female Saiyan moreso. While Yamoshi was bleeding from both legs and had a small gash on his side, the blond Saiyan had fresh gashes on both arms, a bleeding wound on her back and two wounds on her left side. The young woman was lying on a bed of pressed leaves, grinding her teeth in pain. Yamoshi was at the edge of the cave, squinting through the darkness the rain had cast.


    Goku saw two Saiyan warriors running through the forest around them, tromping through the wet forest floor. After enough leering through the rain, Goku could make out the duo was King Salada and a slightly shorter Saiyan with a bowl cut of black hair.


    ¡°Did you see where they went?!¡± Salada shouted. ¡°I thought they made a break for it through these woods!¡±


    Yamoshi was clinging to the stony edge of the cave, his face a mask of fear. The female sat up, watching the two men look around the woods. Just as Salada and the other Saiyan scanned the area, including the cave, they both sighed in defeat.


    ¡°Well there¡¯s no place they could¡¯ve hidden here,¡± Salada said. ¡°Guess we may as well head to another place to check.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± the other answered. ¡°They¡¯re nowhere around. Probably fled a few miles away.¡±


    And on that note they soared above and took to the skies. Once they were gone, Yamoshi turned to the wounded Saiyan and placed his arm underneath her back. The female groaned in slight pain before wrapping one arm around his neck.


    ¡°How¡­¡± Yamoshi asked. ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    The blond Saiyan looked up at him, her eyes fluttering in pain as breathe became more shallow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always had¡­¡± she said. ¡°This power. The power to¡­to make it as though I don¡¯t exist.¡±


    She ran her hand down his left cheek, tears welling up in her eyes.


    ¡°I was only able to save myself from¡­¡± she said. ¡°My parents¡¯ village. Once I saw everyone dead¡­I figured it was time for me to die as well.¡±


    She smiled as her smile grew wider.


    ¡°With no one to love me¡­¡± the female Saiyan said as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°There would be no reason to live.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yamoshi answered. ¡°I agree. That is why I don¡¯t believe the other Saiyans¡¯ lives matter. Their entire lives are filled with brutality¡­and they believe in nothing but proving their strength. All I wanted¡­¡±


    Yamoshi¡¯s tears then spilled onto the female Saiyan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Was a friend,¡± he said. ¡°And you¡­you gave me new meaning to my life¡­by becoming my first friend.¡±


    The blond Saiyan looked up at him and leaned forward to press her lips against his before withdrawing.


    ¡°And you¡­¡± she said. ¡°Were mine.¡±


    Yamoshi tightened his grip around the blond Saiyan, enraptured by her warm kiss as he ran his hands through her golden hair. The female Saiyan spilled tears onto the young man¡¯s shoulder as she wetted his shirt. She sniveled as he continued running his fingers through her hair.


    After another kiss, he let her down to the bed of leaves, Yamoshi trembling in nervousness. The female Saiyan looked up at Yamoshi, the fear gone from her eyes. The tears now flowed from the corner of her eyes as newly budded joy sparkled in her eyes. Yamoshi and the female Saiyan grasped the other¡¯s right hand, staring at the other in gentle delight.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to miss a single moment of life without you,¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave this world of gentleness and kindness you¡¯ve shown me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± the blond Saiyan said. ¡°I feel the same way. I don¡¯t ever want to leave this world of love you¡¯ve shown me. Yamoshi, please¡­never leave me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± he said. ¡°I mean¡­I won¡¯t. I¡­I don¡¯t know how to¡­now that I¡¯ve met you.¡±


    Her eyes almost closed, as if his words alone gently lulled her to slumber.


    ¡°My life is now¡­¡± she said. ¡°Yours. If you want it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°I¡¯ll take your life onto my shoulders. And I promise it will never fall off my back.¡±


    He leaned down to kiss her once again, holding his head just above her lips.


    ¡°To the very end,¡± he said.


    But just before he could kiss her, the scene changed once again. The cave was gone and so was the forest. The darkness of the rain-soaked forest was replaced with a canyon dyed red by the setting of the sun.


    Yamoshi and the blond Saiyan were surrounded by hundreds of Saiyan warriors who were all laughing at their victims¡¯ misery. The plateau they stood on was larger than Goku had ever seen, maybe miles wide. The female Saiyan was screaming in pain, holding her chest as it had a thin hole in it. She flopped on the ground while kicking in her own blood, holding her wound to prevent further blood loss.


    ¡°What-?¡± Goku asked. ¡°What happened?!¡±


    ¡°The Saiyans were still looking for the last weak Saiyan and the runaway prince,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°They were very far away from the lovers¡¯ true location. However, we led them to the ship Yamoshi planned to use to escape. And we took away his lover¡¯s cloaking ability. We can only change the power of beings¡¯ who we willed into existence, otherwise we would have destroyed the Saiyans much sooner.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡± Goku shouted. ¡°Th-th-that¡¯s unforgivable! There¡¯s no reason for that!¡±


    ¡°Oh but there is,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°There very much is.¡±


    Yamoshi also looked pretty tired, his body covered in burn marks and blood. Chunks of flesh were ripped from his body and he was struggling to stand. Behind the two renegade Saiyans was the burnt wreckage of a ship, making Goku realize they tried to flee the planet on it. As Yamoshi barely had the strength to stand up, his father approached him. The young Saiyan glared at his father, flaring as much qi as he could.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡± he said. ¡°Why won¡¯t you just leave us alone?!¡±


    The king didn¡¯t respond, merely chuckling at the boy.


    ¡°Well?!¡± he shouted. ¡°Answer me!¡±


    King Salada chortled as he towered over his son, clearly amused by his son¡¯s insistence to live. Yamoshi jumped at his father, swinging his fist at him, only for Salada to sidestep the attack and knock his son to the ground. Yamoshi tried to stand up, only to have his father¡¯s boot planted firmly in his face.


    The young Saiyan fell to the ground with his body limp, his aura disappearing. He strained his neck to watch as his father grabbed the female by the scruff of the neck. She screamed in pain as she attempted to wriggle out of his grip, Salada laughing.


    ¡°Leave you alone?¡± Salada asked. ¡°When you would ruin the gene pool with her defective children?¡±


    The blond Saiyan gasped for air as tears flooded Yamoshi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°That would taint our race¡¯s blood with her filthy heredity,¡± he said. ¡°I will not have our golden reputation as the greatest warriors the universe has ever known be muddied by her very existence.¡±


    ¡°Please-¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°I will do anything to-!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Salada said as he squeezed her neck harder.


    His iron grip caused the female Saiyan¡¯s face to turn blue, the woman scratching at his fingers to let her free.


    ¡°And as vile a parasite as she is to our kind,¡± he said. ¡°You are worse.¡±


    ¡°Worse?¡± Yamoshi asked.


    ¡°You are easily among the strongest Saiyans I have ever known,¡± Salada said. ¡°One of the most powerful members of our race¡­you might have even defeated me had you been my age¡­you had just that much potential!¡±


    He then punched the blond Saiyan, causing her a fresh new scream in pain.


    ¡°But now here you are!¡± King Salada shouted. ¡°Throwing it all away for this one girl!¡±


    Salada threw the girl to the stony ground, pressing her boot on her fair neck. Yamoshi stretched out an arm to her, trying to reach his lover¡¯s hand. His fingers were just within his grasp as his father continued taunting him.


    ¡°You could have had every whore in the galaxy, all the wealth in the world and a million battles won!¡± the king claimed. ¡°But since your childhood all you¡¯ve done with that great power is act like a little pansy!¡±


    He pressed his boot down harder on the blond Saiyan, her weak cry of pain growing weaker.


    ¡°You act like a little girl!¡± Salada shouted. ¡°You¡¯re amongst the most miserable little worms I¡¯ve ever come across¡­and I don¡¯t even know what I did wrong.¡±


    He took his boot off the female Saiyan¡¯s neck just to kick her away. Salada then kneeled down to face Yamoshi. He then took the young Saiyan by the head, his palm squeezing hard as his son screamed in pain.


    ¡°I did everything I could to turn you into the brutal killing machine meant to be a Saiyan king,¡± Salada said. ¡°I taught you to fight, tried to make you a man by subjecting you to battle and strengthening your resolve and pain tolerance by electrocuting you¡­and all it did was make you softer.¡±


    He then slammed Yamoshi¡¯s head into the hard stone, the young Saiyan crying blood flowed from his broken nose.


    ¡°Well no more,¡± he said. ¡°I will make you into a worthy Saiyan prince. An elite worthy of becoming my successor. Someone who shall rule over my people long after I am gone and lead them with pride and power.¡±


    He then walked over to where the female Saiyan was lying. Yamoshi tried to grab her hand as they each stretched the other¡¯s arm toward each other. The blond Saiyan¡¯s fingers finally reached her lover¡¯s hand, the two intertwining as best they could to prepare for their last moments.


    ¡°And I know that it is not through torture you through physical pain,¡± Salada said. ¡°But I will do so through showing you the brutality of losing others!¡±


    King Salada stomped his foot down on the blond Saiyan¡¯s head. A burst of blood and brain matter spewed from the impact spot, some of it painting Yamoshi¡¯s face red. And with no head, her hand went limp, her fingers no longer wrapping around the other Saiyan¡¯s.


    Yamoshi stopped crying, his tears dried up as he looked at his headless bride. His mouth was agape, barely a sound escaping from his lips. King Salada laughed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I can tell¡­this will be what changes you into a real Saiyan.¡±


    Goku could see a wind pass over Yamoshi, the breeze rustling his clothes. If he looked close enough, he could almost make out a face in the movement of air. Something in Yamoshi¡¯s eyes changed, certain sharpness appearing where there was only gentleness. And then, Goku heard the quiet voice that sounded like untold millions speaking at once.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Yamoshi didn¡¯t respond audibly, his eyes too locked onto the headless woman in front of him to reply immediately. He was too lost in sorrow, too taken up with the shock of seeing her dead. He was frozen in place. Goku shook his head, mortified at what he just saw.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this,¡± he said, tears stinging his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to drive him to this amount of despair.¡±


    ¡°Oh but we did,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°No one with a heart as kind as Yamoshi¡¯s would have killed anyone without severe pain.¡±


    Listen as you read:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4E83RKavUU</a>


    The sharpness in Yamoshi¡¯s eyes grew. They changed from black to a glistening teal. Something happened. Goku could tell Yamoshi had changed. He wordlessly decided something.


    ¡°But within that kindness,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°Is a paradox.¡±


    A violent whirlwind slowly surrounded Yamoshi as he stood up. King Salada began laughing before the gust of wind surrounding him began scratching his body. Thin gashes of blood appeared on his face and arms.


    The Saiyans encircling them began to quiver as more wind kicked up, occasionally knocking them on their feet. King Salada¡¯s expression of superiority and grandiosity changed to fear. Lightning shattered the sky above, the clouds dyed black with a hint of green.


    ¡°If a person with no evil experiences the worst of punishments,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°Their belief in justice shatters. They can no longer hold the morals they once clung to for dear life. And when that happens¡­a monster is born.¡±


    And that was when Yamoshi grew. His clothes ripped to shreds as his body shot into the air vertically. Golden fur burst from his body, every limb widening further and further until they were larger around than tree trunks. As his teeth became fangs, faces of the souls composing the Trampled Innocence burst from the surface of Yamoshi¡¯s body. Their faces of molten gold pressed against his body, screaming in anger as they empowered Yamoshi.


    His form was maybe twice as tall as Vegeta when he became a Great Ape. Gigantic didn¡¯t even begin to describe it. The Saiyans encircling him were more practically ants in comparison.


    Yamoshi turned to stare at a random Saiyan warrior with a bowl cut, someone Goku recognized as the Saiyan attending King Salada through the forest. Upon staring at the man, he exploded. His blood painted the warriors standing beside him a dark red as they screamed in panic.


    The newly transformed Saiyan then began looking down at another group of Saiyans forming the tight ring around him. Half a dozen more burst into bits of blood and flesh. The Saiyans then panicked, each one besides Salada fleeing as the king backed stared up in disbelief.


    However, once Yamoshi let out a great roar, the fleeing Saiyans were caught in a violent windstorm and thrown like ragdolls through the air. A wall of wind formed where Salada¡¯s army had gathered in the barren area as they became nothing more than debris kicked up in the storm. Goku could see the ghostly figures of those murdered by the Saiyans streaming through the tornado, all of them cackling in delight.


    ¡°You think you would get away with murdering us?¡± a spirit cackled.


    ¡°You Saiyans really thought no one would punish you for your insidious deeds?¡± another taunted.


    ¡°All the families you¡¯ve slaughtered?¡± an angered soul cried. ¡°All the women you¡¯ve tortured and abused? The children you killed without mercy?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± King Salada demanded. ¡°Where did you come from?!¡±


    ¡°We are the victims of your many conquests,¡± millions shouted at once. ¡°Those you brought pain and misery to for no other reason than to quench your bloodthirst. And through your own arrogance and treating your son like a dog, we have come into being!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Salada shouted. ¡°No that¡­that can¡¯t be!¡±


    ¡°Your son was our pawn all along, King Salada!¡± many shouted in unison. ¡°He was born as your destroyer! Brought it into this world with the sole purpose of destroying the Saiyan race!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Salada shouted. ¡°I would never bring a person who would endanger the greater species into existence! You¡¯re lying!¡±


    ¡°Oh but you did that yourself,¡± the whirlwind chided. ¡°You killed your son¡¯s lover¡­and rather than let them live in the comfort of the other¡¯s warm embrace, you took that chance from your son.¡±


    The whirlwind died down and before stopping altogether. Once the tornado stopped, the bodies of all Saiyans taken up into it flopped against the plateau¡¯s surface below. Most were dead, their limp bodies being dyed in their own blood. Those that were alive weakly attempted to stand before falling to the ground.


    Among those alive was Yamoshi¡¯s mother, Queen Lettuk, who coughed up blood as she attempted to rise. The giant ape¡¯s eyes diverted to the woman before he grabbed her up in enormous hand. King Salada flew toward Yamoshi as the queen screamed in terror.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Salada shouted. ¡°As King I-!¡±


    Yamoshi slapped him away, the Saiyan hitting the ground before leaving a crater in the plateau. He slowly stood up to see Yamoshi laughing as he tortured his mother. He was pulling at her left arm with his thumb and left index finger, the rest of her body secured in his right hand.


    ¡°Gaaahhh!¡± Lettuk shouted.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± King Salada cried. ¡°Please¡­Please stop it!¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°I¡¯m having too much fun.¡±


    Yamoshi continued laughing before Lettuk¡¯s left arm tore from her socket. The queen¡¯s blood spilled onto his hands before placing his thumb on the front of her face and his index finger on the back of her head. Her screams became muffled before he pressed hard on head to burst it like a ripe watermelon. Yamoshi held the mutilated corpse up to his face, giggling at the sight.


    ¡°You know, father,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re right. I believe battle and killing does have its own rewards.¡±


    He then flung his mother¡¯s corpse in front at his father¡¯s feet. Salada looked up at his son while quivering in fear. He shook his head as Yamoshi smiled down at him.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°I have a special surprise for you, father.¡±


    Yamoshi then yelled at the top of his lungs, the entire planet shaking as a result. The entirety of the barren lands was consumed with red fire, the flames engulfing almost every Saiyan besides Yamoshi. King Salada screamed as the tongues of fire wrapped around him before drowning out his cries of fear and pain. Once he disappeared, the Trampled Innocence whispered into Yamoshi¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Your Qi Vendetta,¡± they said. ¡°What will your ability be? And what will you exchange for that power?¡±


    Yamoshi looked down at the only body not covered in fire, carefully picking up the blond Saiyan¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°For my Qi Vendetta¡­¡± he said. ¡°I want her¡­to experience the greatest the afterlife offers. I want her to be given every luxury, to never be denied warmth or comfort. I shall call it¡­Lover¡¯s Gift.¡±


    ¡°And what will fuel this ability?¡± the Trampled Innocence asked.


    Yamoshi looked down at the headless body, the giant hands quivering.


    ¡°The screams of burning Saiyans,¡± Yamoshi answered as he closed his hands. ¡°As I bring Hell to their doorstep.¡±


    The next memory was more terrifying than any Goku had seen yet. The flames of Hell had engulfed everything in the entire planet of Salada. Yamoshi had killed off the entire population of Saiyans living on Salada, the planet literally being sent to Hell. After Yamoshi had destroyed it, he moved onto every planet the Saiyans had conquered.


    The destruction he spread was engrossing. Just as Goku had done, he flew through space at a blinding speed without needing to breathe air. Upon arriving to the next parts of the Saiyans¡¯ empire, he made the place bereft of all Saiyan inhabitants.


    Yamoshi released the spirits of the Trampled Innocence to carry out the slaughter. The Saiyan himself relished in the massacre, laughing with a wide grin as he smashed them like ants. The Saiyans had almost as little defense against the incorporeal ghosts of those they slaughtered as they did the Super Saiyan who brought the army. It was not long before barely a remnant of the Saiyans were left, the few that escaped Yamoshi¡¯s slaughter fleeing in high speed spaceships.


    But just as Yamoshi would have chased them to the end of the galaxy, he ran out of energy. Goku watched as the golden Great Ape with disparate faces pushing against his body began losing his bright yellow color. As he bit the head off a Saiyan warrior, his bright yellow aura and color evaporated from around his body. The souls composing him dissipated in greater and greater numbers until none were left.


    Yamoshi, sensing his demise, looked into the sky and screamed in anger. As he roared, a large white egg covered in bright yellow liquid shot from his mouth. After it was ejected into the atmosphere, another egg erupted from his gullet. Egg after egg erupted from Yamoshi¡¯s mouth was the last Goku saw of him before the great beast vanished.


    Goku now saw Yamoshi as he had when first entering the Realm of Souls, the Saiyan nothing more than a white silhouette with a Saiyan tail. He could sense the Saiyan was saddened, his head lowered in defeat. He looked down at his pure white hands, obviously unenthused.


    ¡°So what now?¡± he asked aloud. ¡°Am I just¡­just stuck here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°We have absorbed you into the Realm of Souls. You will now rest here as the ultimate determinator of the universe.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± he said. ¡°I want to see¡­I want to see my beloved. That is my purpose¡­to enjoy and to take care of her.¡±


    ¡°You cannot go to where she is,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°She was sent directly to Heaven as per your wish. The only way you can leave now is if we choose another host.¡±


    ¡°A new Super Saiyan, huh?¡± Yamoshi asked. ¡°Well then¡­I best get started right away.¡±


    And Goku¡¯s surroundings changed yet again.

 Cosmic Pawn, Part 2: Planned All Along

    Chapter 15


    ¡°And so Yamoshi planned to bring a new Super Saiyan into existence,¡± the Trampled Innocence explained.


    Goku found himself staring at a new planet. It was a complete desert with several rock formations like plateaus and towers of stones. He found the Saiyans living in villages domed houses made of some purple metal.


    As the Saiyans roamed about the town, Goku could tell something was off. They all sported frowns with none in his line of sight appearing happy. Most walked with a hunched over, humiliated gesture. Each Saiyan was looking at the ground as they walked, whether carrying water, picking crops or building new abodes.


    ¡°The remaining Saiyans were thoroughly humiliated by their defeat of the most soft-hearted of their kind,¡± the Trampled Innocence explained. ¡°Not only were there very few in number but Yamoshi also killed the strongest of their race. The Saiyans were neutered in their ability to fight.¡±


    Goku found the scene around him changed again and he now found himself staring at a large city. Skyscrapers, shopping malls and bakeries surrounded him. Creatures that looked human except for the occasionally odd hair color of bright green or magenta walked in and out of them. Most looked blissfully happy and laughing until a loud alarm rang throughout the city.


    ¡°What was worse was the few Saiyans that remained were forced to flee to Vegeta,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°A planet that was already inhabited by a mostly peaceful and isolationist race called the Tuffles.¡±


    The members of the alien race split into two groups: those that fled the city and those that decided to fight. Of the half that chose to defend the city, they disappeared into certain buildings before exiting with large blasters. After leaving the weapon stockpile the Tuffles took to the skies to confront their enemies.


    Goku found that those advancing upon them were Saiyan warriors. He felt pity for the alien race that shared the planet with the Saiyans as hundreds flocked to the city. However, once the Tuffles confronted them in midair with loaded blasters, the battle was almost over.


    Upon firing, the Saiyans began dropping like flies. The well-formed rows of monkey-tailed invaders broke as each were shot multiple times with bolts of plasma. By the time the remainder of the army physically confronted the Tuffles, less than a third of the Saiyans were left alive.


    Occasionally the Saiyans would kill a Tuffle with a single punch or blast of qi, but most that did were then shot down by another barrage of blaster shots. After witnessing most of their brethren effortlessly gunned down, most Saiyans fled within minutes after the battle began. The majority of the fighting Tuffles cheered after defeating their enemy before returning to the city they lived in.


    ¡°They were so weak that the superior technology of the Tuffles easily trounced any battle the Saiyans were engaged in,¡± the Trampled Innocence explained. ¡°To us, this was a huge victory in humiliating possibly the most violent race to ever exist. And so, throughout the years, we attempted to bring a new Super Saiyan into existence. We knew we shouldn¡¯t try immediately as the longer we waited, the more innocent people would be killed by murderous thugs and tyrants, thus fueling the legendary warrior¡¯s power.¡±


    The memory then transitioned back to the Saiyan village. However, he wasn¡¯t looking at adult Saiyans as much as his focus was on a child in the middle of the village. The child sported a few hair spikes that circled around his head, sort of like a palm tree.


    He was ripping apart a spider web that had caught a blue ladybug that was still squirming in its silk fetters. The spider web was anchored to both the ground as well as to the wall of a Saiyan abode. After freeing the ladybug he tossed the small insect into the air where it flew up toward the sky.


    ¡°That was Artiko,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°The first of the pure-hearted Saiyans born since Yamoshi. We had high hopes he would finally be the Saiyan who¡¯d destroy all evil in the universe and replace them with pure races.¡±


    After Artiko freed the bug, a large shadow loomed over him. The child turned around to find an obese Saiyan with a mustache glaring down at him. Before the child could react, the fat Saiyan grabbed the boy¡¯s neck and left leg and held him above his head. The child squirmed in his grasp before he pulled Artiko¡¯s body apart.


    With a thoroughly blood curdling scream, the boy¡¯s head and left leg were ripped from the remainder of his flesh before being thrown onto the ground. This caught the attention of some Saiyans as they turned to the fat man. He turned back, glaring at them.


    ¡°He was soft-hearted,¡± he said. ¡°Like Salada¡¯s son. He would have destroyed us.¡±


    With a nod and not a single word, every other Saiyan turned back to what they were doing.


    ¡°And from that day forward we were aware of the fatal error of our existence,¡± the Trampled Innocence explained. ¡°The species we had the strongest connection to and could influence the most easily were also the ones most drunk on the reserves of power offered by the Realm of Souls. Our next attempt at bringing about a Super Saiyan was our most unproductive one yet.¡±


    The scenery around Goku shifted once again. He heard a baby screaming, similar to how Gohan was when he was born. He found a Saiyan adult looming over a Saiyan mother who was lying on the bed and had just given birth.


    The woman smiled happily as the newly born Saiyan looked up at the one holding him, its arms outstretched. The father scowled angrily at the child and threw him to the ground. As the child squirmed on the ground, the adult Saiyan blasted him with a beam of qi. The mother screamed in distress as she sat up.


    ¡°No!¡± she cried. ¡°Why did you do that?!¡±


    ¡°Most Saiyan babies are violent and unruly when they are born,¡± he said. ¡°And I have never seen a Saiyan baby act that kind. I couldn¡¯t take the chance of another Super Saiyan being created.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± the Saiyan mother shouted. ¡°No, I-!¡±


    She shut up as her husband pointed his outstretched palm at her, gathering qi in it.


    ¡°And I cannot allow anyone who would threaten the glorious Saiyan race with such troublesome children,¡± he said. ¡°Goodbye, you traitor.¡±


    She was shot through the right breast with the beam of qi before falling back to her bed. Her face was a mask of pain and terror, her youthful beauty distorted by the misery of her last moments. Blood poured from her corpse to dampen the bed. Goku shook his head in anger.


    ¡°No!¡± he shouted. ¡°No! How could he?!¡±


    ¡°Such is the nature of Saiyans,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°You should know this by now. Other pure-hearted Saiyans we brought into existence were luckier than that child though.¡±


    Goku was taken to another memory of another young, pure-hearted Saiyan. The young girl was carrying two enormous pails of water to three Tuffles that were lost in the barren wasteland of Planet Vegeta. All four of them stood on a large plateau with each adult Tuffle looking haggard and tired.


    ¡°Still,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°We did not stop creating pure-hearted Saiyans, hopeful that one day a new Super Saiyan would take the reins of power and revolutionize this universe. Eggapala was our next attempt.¡±


    As they gulped down the water, the female Saiyan began fiddling with the curls of her black hair, looking rather anxious. After the three drank and thanked her before flying off, to which she smiled and waved back. Goku then was given a bird¡¯s eye view of the wasteland to find a Saiyan older than the teenage girl but still rather young was hiding at the bottom of the plateau and glaring up. With the Saiyan girl now resting atop the plateau, he rushed back off to his home village.


    The scenery changed again, this time with the long-haired Saiyan girl fleeing for her life, bleeding from each of her limbs and sporting a burn wound in her side. It was obvious she was being chased and her pursuers had nearly killed her. Tears streamed down her face as she landed near a somewhat small, triangular spaceship. It was hidden between three towers of rocks that were in close proximity to one another with another large stone atop all three.


    This made the ship well hidden from both a bird¡¯s eye view and from a ground level. It was only visible if walking directly to the left of the tall rock towers. After pressing on its metal wall, the door opened for her and she quickly rushed to the control panel. After the door closed and the coordinates were set, the ship slid out to the left of the tight confines of the stone structure before shooting into the atmosphere.


    By the time the Saiyans wishing to kill Eggapala had arrived to the tight space between the rock formations, she had already entered space. The three grown warriors scowled in discontent after realizing she had got away. They glared up at the glimmer of her silver ship before leaving.


    ¡°At least we¡¯ll never see her again,¡± one Saiyan commented.


    ¡°And they never did,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°Eggapala found love on another planet, had children and never once returned to Planet Vegeta. She became a pacifist who loved the beauty of nature as well as a culinary expert.¡±


    ¡°Good for her,¡± Goku said.


    ¡°NO!¡± the Trampled Innocence cried. ¡°Not good at all! After living a life of peace, she never experienced the heartbreaking anger that triggers the Super Saiyan transformation! A pure hearted person would never destroy the vast majority of all life in the universe unless they were filled with unspeakable despair and rage. This quagmire of conditions meant it would be difficult to fulfill the conditions of a Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°And was that when you brought me into this world?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± they said. ¡°You see, the legend of the Super Saiyan was passed down from one generation of Saiyans to another. They all wished to hold the power of one who ascended but we would never confer upon them the power of a Super Saiyan. The Saiyans who witnessed Yamoshi¡¯s rampage instructed that every Saiyan that showed even a little kindness was to be killed on the spot, lest another destroyer come along and humiliate their pride once again.¡±


    ¡°So then what did you do?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°We waited,¡± they answered.


    Goku watched the Saiyans in the village grow in greater and greater numbers over the years. Their hunched over, dour expressions grew more devious and sinister. He could sense not so much their power levels but their evil energy increase.


    He was shown the memory of a young Saiyan boy with curly black hair petting a red rabbit with wings. He was in the middle of the desert and sat crossed legged in the barren wasteland, leaning against a tower of rocks. Just as the rabbit fell asleep in his lap, a Saiyan quickly landed in front of him after flying in midair. At his belt was a large knife.


    The curly headed boy flinched in fear, the winged rabbit awakening in sudden surprise. The adult Saiyan landing in front of him looked similar to the boy, his hair the same but longer. He glared at the boy as the rabbit fled from his lap in fear before the adult caught it.


    ¡°I thought I told you to go hunting,¡± he said as he gripped the small animal by the ears. ¡°Not play with your prey, Guace.¡±


    ¡°Guace was our third attempt at a Super Saiyan,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°By this point, the wrath of the Super Saiyan was so long ago that many Saiyans regarded it as a legend. With this superstition, we thought the rule of killing the soft-hearted of their kind would be made more lax amongst the Saiyans.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± the boy cried. ¡°I-I-I was just-¡±


    With his other hand, the boy was picked up by the scruff of his neck and held up to his parent¡¯s face.


    ¡°I had suspected you were like this,¡± his father said. ¡°But now it was confirmed. Boy, I know that many don¡¯t believe in the myth of the destroyer of our homeworld but¡­¡±


    He threw the boy to the ground, Guace¡¯s expression cast with horror.


    ¡°I do,¡± he said. ¡°I certainly do. My grandfather remembered the looks of horror his ancestors had just from telling the story and even they did not see the destruction. He could only imagine what the Saiyans who experienced the obliteration of our homeworld saw.¡±


    He then took the knife from his side and tossed it to the ground in front of Guace. He held the squirming animal up to the child¡¯s face, the young boy shaking his head in dismay. This only made his father scream at him in anger.


    ¡°You will do it or I will kill you!¡± he said. ¡°Butcher this piece of meat or die yourself¡­and be roasted by your mother on an open fire.¡±


    Guace picked up the knife by the handle and quickly slashed the winged rabbit wide open. The creature twitched a little before going limp. Guace¡¯s father flung it to the ground before slapping the boy against the rock formation. As he slid down against the boulders, Goku recognized the Trampled Innocence¡¯s voice whispering to the young Saiyan.


    ¡°It is time,¡± they said. ¡°Take our power.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes went wide, his body shaking nervously. He clung tight to the rock formation, weeping. As tears streamed down his face, he gave his answer.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Not if it means killing that many people.¡±


    And then their presence was gone. Guace¡¯s father picked him up again and flew back to their village. The scene changed after they left.


    Guace was far older at this time and flying toward a Tuffle city with several other Saiyans. He and his father flew side by side as they descended upon the city full of armed Tuffles. Explosions of plasma rifles and qi blast commenced upon them seeing each other. Guace himself beheaded a female soldier before punching a hole through a male Tuffle. He laughed as he dodged the plasma projectiles shot at him.


    ¡°Guace became another ruthless Saiyan,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°Just as his father was and his father before him.¡±


    Goku watched as the fully grown Saiyan now shot multiple bolts of qi at the tanks the Tuffles used. The Tuffle manning the tank fled just as Guace¡¯s attack burnt the machine to a crisp. The Saiyans around him laughed as a new wave of Tuffle reinforcements raced towards them.


    ¡°It was then that we realized that even if we created a perfect person, or race, they could still be contaminated by the evil of those around them,¡± the Trampled Innocence stated. ¡°It made our predicament of trying to bring about the next Super Saiyan even more difficult.¡±


    Goku watched as the newly armed Tuffles fired upon the Saiyans in front of them. Guace and the remaining Saiyans flew towards them, the adult male Saiyan dodging most of the projectiles until one shot through his right shoulder. After falling to the ground he was then riddled with plasma bolt after plasma bolt until he let out one last scream of pain before going limp.


    ¡°And in the time we attempted to bring a Super Saiyan into existence,¡± the Trampled Innocence spoke. ¡°Another problem manifested.¡±


    The memory transitioned so that he saw multiple planets in the galaxy at once. The planets were being darkened by black clouds that swirled across their atmosphere. Goku could sense that among those suffering were Namekians.


    ¡°The Majin of the Womb of Evil could sense the good of the species Yamoshi birthed,¡± they said. ¡°So, they used their influence to cause climate disasters to wipe out all races with completely pure hearts.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how Kami and Piccolo arrived on Earth,¡± Goku said. ¡°They were fleeing the destruction brought by the Majins.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°When Buu said that he had been fighting against us for a long time, he meant that the Majins were using their subtle influence against our subtle influence. The Womb of Evil and the Trampled Innocence may not make very visible changes to the universe, but when we do make changes¡­they rival even the will of the Kais. We were disappointed to learn the Majins did this to many of the species we created.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± Goku said. ¡°To think how many innocents died.¡±


    ¡°It was worse than that,¡± the Trampled Innocence stated. ¡°The Majins sought to pervert the creations of the Super Saiyan to create a new race that would propagate more Majins. They wanted new Namekians to be as cold-hearted and evil as Saiyans.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how King Piccolo was born!¡± Goku said. ¡°The Majins infected Kami¡¯s heart while on Earth!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± they answered. ¡°While humans are not as bad as Saiyans, they opened doors to influence him negatively, so he separated the portion of his body and soul infected by Majin manipulation from his original body to create King Piccolo. Things were only growing more dire for us.¡±


    The scene then changed again. The Saiyans were fleeing from the Tuffles¡¯ weapons as the latter chased the former down. The Tuffles spared no one as they raced through the villages, gunning down women and children alike. With only a handful of Saiyans surviving the destruction of their village, the Tuffles cheered in victory.


    ¡°And what was worse was that the Saiyans were close to being wiped out by the Tuffles,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°And as much as we hated them, we could not allow the Saiyans to die until the universe was cleansed of all evil.¡±


    The scenery around Goku transitioned into a memory several years later. Someone that looked much like Vegeta but with a beard had several Saiyans standing behind him as they overlooked a Tuffle city. He was a little confused before finding a full moon visible in the night sky. Goku¡¯s mouth opened in a silent scream.


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    ¡°So we did what we could to extend the Saiyans¡¯ existence,¡± they said. ¡°Until the Super Saiyan of legend would manifest.¡±


    The Saiyans grew into Great Apes in mere moments. After transforming, their army of giant gorillas rushed to the Tuffle civilization. The enemy alien race attempted to gather their firearms but were quickly stomped to death before they could shoot. Blasts of qi shot from the Great Apes¡¯ mouths to blow away the buildings of the Tuffles.


    The memory Goku watched flash forward a few hours in the same night where he saw more Saiyan apes obliterating the Tuffle civilization. Only a few thousand Saiyans were able to destroy the entirety of the Tuffle race. By morning, any Tuffle that had not fled to outer space was dead, their towns lying in ruins.


    ¡°You did this?!¡± Goku shouted. ¡°You destroyed the Tuffles! But-But I thought you were allies of all that were good!¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°But sometimes, for the greater good, sacrifices must be made. The Tuffles were quickly making better and better weapons over the course of the next few centuries. The Saiyans had their backs to the wall and were nearly wiped out by the Tuffles. As much as we hated the Saiyans, we knew the only chance we had for cleansing the universe of all evil was a Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°So you couldn¡¯t afford for them to kill the Saiyan race,¡± Goku said. ¡°And as a result, you let the Saiyans destroy the Tuffles.¡±


    ¡°Planet Vegeta rarely experiences full moons,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°So using our cosmic influence, we brought one into existence.¡±


    ¡°How much power do you have?!¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°Our influence on the physical is not very strong,¡± they said. ¡°We usually need vessels to operate in the mortal realm. However, we were able to bring a moon from another solar system into the orbit of Planet Vegeta. The process was slow but it allowed the Saiyans to live another day.¡±


    ¡°The Saiyans were vile and disgusting,¡± Goku said. ¡°The idea you chose to destroy another race far better than them¡­it¡¯s hypocritical!¡±


    ¡°We continued to try,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°It was all a means to an end to permanently ridding the universe of evil.¡±


    The memory then transitioned from the destruction of the Tuffles to several years later. Goku was shocked to find a familiar, if child-aged, face out in the barren desert. A young Vegeta was bandaging the leg of another Saiyan child. He smiled rather happily as the equally aged girl cried in pain, the girl with short black hair holding the limb he was wrapping in cloth.


    ¡°It was my fault we got into this mess,¡± the girl said. ¡°I-I should have asked my father before going out to hunt. The fanged birds here are fierce.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Vegeta said as he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m the stronger of the two of us. It¡¯s my fault for not protecting you¡­¡±


    The girl smiled back at him.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied.


    ¡°What?!¡± Goku cried. ¡°Is that really Vegeta?! It can¡¯t be¡­can it?!¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°Yamoshi decided to try bringing a pure hearted Saiyan into this world again. Our last attempts to bring a Super Saiyan into existence was birthing pure hearted souls to the commoners of the Saiyan race. The numbers of innocent souls killed throughout the galaxy had grown and now we became strong enough to bring two pure-hearted Saiyans into this world at once. Yamoshi suggested not only bringing a pure hearted soul into the royal family of Saiyans but two at once. And thus Prince Vegeta and Patata were born.¡±


    ¡°But how come Vegeta turned out the way he is now?¡± Goku asked.


    After he was done tending to the girl¡¯s wounds, three Saiyans appeared out from the sky. Vegeta and the young girl looked up to find the Saiyan that looked like Vegeta with a beard, a Saiyan Goku didn¡¯t recognize, and another he did. Nappa, but younger and with hair.


    ¡°F-Father!¡± Vegeta said.


    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± King Vegeta asked. ¡°I thought you had battle practice today. You¡¯re not skipping out on sparring, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, father!¡± Vegeta said. ¡°It was just that¡­well¡­¡±


    He looked over to his friend he had treated for wounds.


    ¡°My friend, Patata, wanted to prove to Nappa her competency,¡± he said. ¡°By hunting a fanged bird and bringing it back!¡±


    ¡°Fanged birds are difficult for a young Saiyan to take down,¡± Nappa said. ¡°I¡¯m impressed my daughter would do that¡­only, you were also supposed to be training today.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Patata said as she stood up. ¡°I merely wished to make you proud, father! To prove my worth! It was supposed to be a surprise.¡±


    He merely glared at her before groaning in displeasure, a gesture that brought tears to the girl¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Then why were you with her, Vegeta?¡± the king asked.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± he said. ¡°Patata¡­Patata insisted she go alone but¡­but when I found out my best friend was going to the wilderness to take on an animal as dangerous as the fanged bird¡­I wanted to go with her to make sure she was safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Patata said. ¡°You see, your majesty¡­Prince Vegeta is my best. He goes wherever I do¡­he treats me as his own sister. I¡­I think he is the most loyal soldier in the Saiyan race for how many times he¡¯s helped me out. I¡­I am honored to know him.¡±


    Nappa and King Vegeta then turned to look at each other, a certain understanding coming over them. As soon as the former turned back to look at the children, Nappa then rushed toward his daughter to grip her by the hair and slam her into the ground. Patata screamed in pain as Vegeta attempted to rush to her aid before his father sent him skidding across the ground with a qi blast.


    Just as the young girl attempted to stand up, Nappa stood over his daughter as she screamed in terror. With a single qi blast from his extended palm, he vaporized her. The prince, just now attempting to stand up, looked on at the scene while quivering in fear.


    ¡°I have no use for a weak-hearted daughter,¡± Nappa said. ¡°You were dead weight to our race.¡±


    ¡°Patata!¡± Vegeta screamed.


    ¡°Vegeta!¡± Goku screamed.


    His father rushed forward and planted his boot firmly in Vegeta¡¯s face. He fell to the ground, holding his head in pain before the king picked him up. The king stared at his son before spitting in his eye.


    ¡°Do you not remember the time honored tradition of killing the soft-hearted and kind of our race?¡± King Vegeta stated. ¡°If we don¡¯t then they¡¯re defective genetics will spread throughout the rest of our race and weaken it.¡±


    He threw Vegeta to the ground, stomping on his neck.


    ¡°Wait¡­!¡± Goku said. ¡°I-I thought they killed kind Saiyans for fear of the Super Saiyan!¡±


    ¡°Not by this point in history,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°The Super Saiyan destroyed Planet Vegeta and the majority of the Saiyan race a thousand years ago. It had faded into legend with most Saiyans not sure if it ever existed. At this point, the killing of kind Saiyans had become a separate cultural custom of the race from the belief in a Saiyan that would wipe out their kind.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Goku asked. ¡°They¡­they separated the two beliefs?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°Most Saiyans aspired to be the Super Saiyan, wishing to live up to the legend of the greatest warrior in the universe. Watch for yourself.¡±


    King Vegeta glared at his son.


    ¡°You know I suspected some of this,¡± he said. ¡°But I thought it was just you being a child. Now¡­Now I suspect something more.¡±


    The young Saiyan shook his head, shaking in fear.


    ¡°If you were anyone but my son,¡± King Vegeta said. ¡°I would have you slaughtered on the spot like I did your little girlfriend. I will train you not to be weak.¡±


    The scene transitioned from the desert to within the palace of Saiyan royalty. There, Goku saw three adult Saiyans beating on Vegeta. Nappa was among them and Vegeta was developing fist prints on his skin from the punches. King Vegeta stood watching the display of brutality while wearing a scouter.


    His body was covered in deep, bloody wounds that only further drained him. Vegeta continued to fight back against his training partners but every attempt to dodge or deflect a punch only resulted in the prince getting further hurt. At some point he fell to the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood.


    Vegeta weakly raised his head, looking up to his father with pity. The king merely scowled at his son, clearly disappointed. The prince wailed in misery, tears flowing down his face to mix with the blood from open wounds.


    ¡°FATHER!¡± he shouted. ¡°FATHER! PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! ANY FURTHER AND I¡­I WILL DIE!¡±


    The king shook his head.


    ¡°Then I have no use for you,¡± King Vegeta said. ¡°I have no use for a Saiyan who cannot fight. You are dead weight as you are. If you do not show any aptitude for battle¡­I will merely sire another heir who will.¡±


    Vegeta¡¯s mouth continued to gape open in a silent scream. However, as his body quivered in physical and emotional agony, a bright aura surrounded him. Just as the Saiyans attempted to stomp on Vegeta again, the prince let out a deafening scream. The king¡¯s eyes went wide as the reading on his power level went up.


    All three adult Saiyans were blown off their feet by the tumultuous aura he was producing. After the three Saiyans hit the floor and Vegeta was screaming in rage, one quickly stood up and rushed the prince. The Saiyan child blasted a hole right through his chest, killing him instantly.


    The other two Saiyans advanced upon the prince at top speed but the prince weaved around their punches before kicking one of them in the head. Before he could crash to the ground, Vegeta punched the man in the gut, piercing his armor and making him cough up blood. As his lifeless body fell to the ground, Nappa attempted to fight Vegeta in one-on-one combat.


    He traded blows with Nappa with surprising efficiency, the speed almost matching the adult Saiyan¡¯s. Just as Nappa managed to land a good blow on the prince¡¯s face, Vegeta punched Nappa in the face as well. Just as Nappa fell to the floor, trying to regain momentum, the prince was already charging a qi beam.


    From the prince¡¯s hands a blast of yellow light blasted Nappa, in the chest, knocking him into the opposite wall. The large Saiyan warrior groaned in pain as held his wounded chest, the Saiyan prince desperately trying to catch his breath. He attempted to stay on his feet before King Vegeta broke the silence.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± he said. ¡°Your power level shot up far higher than Yam and Cucum in that last moment and almost reached Nappa¡¯s. Not bad. Now tell me¡­does the thrill of killing excite you?¡±


    Vegeta looked at him in a delirious state, his body swaying.


    ¡°Honestly¡­¡± he said. ¡°Yes. The feeling of taking life¡­I¡¯ve never felt more alive.¡±


    King Vegeta laughed.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said.


    Vegeta smiled before falling to the ground, fainted. The scene changed again where the father and son were shooting qi beams into a species of red winged aliens. They were laughing in unison as they fell to their attacks.


    In the next memory, Goku witnessed King and Prince Vegeta being given large sums of gold for their efforts. They were presented by Zarbon and Dodoria while Freeza sat on a throne. After that memory he was immediately transitioned into the Realm of Souls again. The white silhouette of Yamoshi was scratching his chin, obviously contemplative.


    ¡°Your latest attempt at a Super Saiyan just made another tyrant,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°There are more of us now than ever due to Freeza¡¯s evil deeds. So many of us have been killed by his thugs. If we could merely attach to another host, he would be unfathomably stronger than you were as a Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°Do you not think I know that?!¡± Yamoshi shouted. ¡°I have done everything I could to bring about another pure hearted Saiyan¡­! EVERYTHING! And every opportunity just slips through our grasp.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°If only there was a way to secure a pure hearted Saiyan¡¯s life once he was old enough to¡­¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°To be used for our purposes.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you take the next pure hearted Saiyan out of Saiyans while he is still young?¡± the Trampled Innocence asked. ¡°That way he¡¯ll be out of danger of Saiyan cruelty before reaching adulthood.¡±


    ¡°Yes but if he¡¯s out of his parents¡¯ protection then who will give him protection while he¡¯s young and weak?¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°We can only influence the physical world so much so we can¡¯t rely upon ourselves to protect him from everything.¡±


    ¡°Well you need to think of something fast,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°Remember, for some reason, Freeza¡¯s family are becoming afraid of the Saiyans. They believe the Super Saiyan legend might be real and fear their transformation into Great Apes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Yamoshi replied. ¡°We have little time to produce a new Super Saiyan¡­and we have to get it right before Freeza¡¯s paranoia gets the better of him.¡±


    ¡°We must remove the child from Saiyan influence from the youngest age possible,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°There is no other way.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°He needs to leave Planet Vegeta as soon as possible before the filthy Saiyans can taint his pure heart.¡±


    ¡°So we should give him the highest power level possible,¡± the Trampled Innocence replied. ¡°So that even as a baby he will not need protection.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± he said. ¡°I got it!¡±


    ¡°What did you think of?¡± the Trampled Innocence asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I say we give him the lowest power level possible.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± the Trampled Innocence screamed. ¡°But you were the one citing the safety concerns of the Saiyan! How will he survive on his own without a high power level?!¡±


    ¡°Simple,¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°We send him to a planet among the weakest in the universe.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean how Saiyans send their weakest babies to planets to conquer them?¡± the Trampled Innocence asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yamoshi stated. ¡°We make him so weak the Saiyans will be forced to rid themselves of him!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°That does make sense. Used to, before Freeza took control of the Saiyan race, the Saiyans would abandon any children they thought of as weak. But now under the Planetary Trade Organization, they send their weak babies to planets full of weak inhabitants in hopes they¡¯ll grow up and kill them off.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yamoshi stated. ¡°We will birth a pure hearted Saiyan with a power level so low they¡¯ll have to send him away!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°That won¡¯t work!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Yamoshi asked.


    ¡°Saiyan babies are often unruly and violent upon birth!¡± they said. ¡°Saiyans born with a pure-heart do not act out as much compared to their evil brethren! How do you know that he won¡¯t turn out like that one Saiyan baby killed not even a minute after leaving his mother¡¯s womb? We can not afford any plan that could fail even a little!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to think¡­¡± Yamoshi said.


    He shook his head as his tail wiggled a little.


    ¡°Could it be possible¡­?¡± he asked. ¡°To change the Saiyan¡¯s disposition after leaving Planet Vegeta?¡±


    ¡°Possibly,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°But only while they are still very young. We can only change a Saiyan¡¯s nature while they are still babies.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s doable,¡± the Saiyan said. ¡°Only¡­what planet will we whisper into their ears to jettison him to?¡±


    ¡°Earth!¡± the Trampled Innocence stated. ¡°That is where the son of Katas is! The Namekian has become guardian of the Earth and can potentially aid the future Super Saiyan by guarding him against evil. He can aid in mentoring the Saiyan so he is not corrupted by any evil.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll direct his spaceship to land amongst the kindest people on Earth,¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°A man named Gohan who has no children of his own.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°We have our plan.¡±


    ¡°And so you finally came into existence,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°Goku.¡±


    Goku then saw a baby version of himself in a Saiyan spaceship. From the glass exterior, he saw his child self whine loudly before jettisoning off into space. And the scene around him shifted to a giant ball of qi destroying Planet Vegeta, the small Saiyan leaving as it combusted.


    The scene shifted yet again so that was looking at Cooler and his three strongest soldiers. The monitor in Cooler¡¯s ship showed Goku in his ship flying through space, the frost demon¡¯s gaze locked onto the sight. His men discussed what they should do as they zoomed in on its interior.


    His henchmen talked of intercepting the Saiyan ship. Through the Trampled Innocence¡¯s power, Goku could read Cooler¡¯s mind to find the frost demon was thinking of destroying the ship. But just as he decided to destroy it, a voice whispered something into his mind.


    ¡°Surely destroying a Saiyan child is beneath you? You don¡¯t want to give the impression you¡¯re scared of such a dust mite, do you?¡±


    And Cooler ordered his men to not intercept.


    ¡°That¡­¡± Goku said. ¡°That was you. You convinced Cooler not to take me out when he had the chance.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°Our means of physical interaction with the mortal realm may be limited but our powers of suggestion are very potent.¡±


    The memory shifted again with Grandpa Gohan taking him from his spaceship and caring for him. Just as Master Roshi told him, the Saiyan baby kicked and screamed, fighting the old man every step of the way. However, just as Gohan was carrying the baby in a basket on his back while trekking up a mountain, a strong gust of wind pushed against Gohan. The baby who was attempting to crawl out of the basket was flung from the container and fell far below into the waterfall. Goku saw his babyself hit his head on the way down.


    ¡°And that was our means of changing you,¡± they said. ¡°Before you became Earth¡¯s guardian.¡±


    A montage of Goku¡¯s life on Earth played out before him. Meeting Bulma, defeating Pilaf, training with Roshi and Krillin and defeating King Piccolo and his son passed through his mind within a second. He was then staring at a more recent memory.


    Krillin was holding Yajirobe¡¯s sword over a wounded and scarred Vegeta. The hatred in Krillin¡¯s eyes was palpable and visceral. Goku had never seen so much rage in his best friend.


    ¡°We attempted to have you become a Super Saiyan during your battle with Vegeta on Earth,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°But you were not enraged enough to kill. With your resistance to end life and Vegeta¡¯s cruel nature, we were at a new impasse: getting one of you to transform. So rather than rely solely upon you, Goku, we thought about giving ample opportunity for both of you to transform.¡±


    ¡°But I thought you said Vegeta was thoroughly evil!¡± Goku said. ¡°What makes you wish to give him the power of a Super Saiyan?!¡±


    ¡°The fact that Vegeta was still bitter over Patata¡¯s death,¡± they answered. ¡°Do you not remember what he said to Nappa before killing him? I have no use for a paralyzed Saiyan? You are dead weight? Vegeta secretly hated his race for killing his best friend while at the same time wishing to become the penultimate member of his race to please his father. Since Patata was the only member of the Saiyans Vegeta missed, it meant there was a chance of redeeming him.¡±


    Goku watched as Krillin loom over Vegeta before he could hear the Trampled Innocence¡¯s whisper once again.


    ¡°Are you really going to let the man who gave you the most exhilarating match of your life die?¡± they asked Goku. ¡°Are you really going to let such a rare and precious specimen die?¡±


    Goku shouted in surprise.


    ¡°I remember thinking that and telling¡­!¡± he said. ¡°Telling Krillin not to kill Vegeta because I wanted to fight him again!¡±


    He shook his head, unable to believe what he just saw.


    ¡°That¡­¡± he said. ¡°That was you?!¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°We wished to ensure a backup Super Saiyan in case one was unable to transform. We knew Vegeta, you and Freeza would arrive on Namek eventually and that it was our best chance of a Super Saiyan finally arriving after one-thousand years.¡±


    Goku then saw Vegeta fighting many unfamiliar foes. In less than a minute, he saw the Saiyan prince killing a purple-fish faced creature, a fat pink man and a blue skinned alien who could transform from a handsome hunk into a dangerous monster. It then transitioned from that to him fighting the Ginyu Force alongside Gohan and Krillin.


    ¡°Seeing as how Vegeta was once pure of heart,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°We attempted to cultivate his redemption. Beings of pure heart like your son and best friend were our best chance of doing that. We did our best to empower Vegeta just enough to win against every foe he encountered except Freeza. By the time he locked horns with Freeza, we gave up on giving him our power.¡±


    ¡°And so¡­?¡± Goku said. ¡°I came along. And met all the requirements.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°It took quite a bit of time but we finally created a Super Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°My entire existence¡­¡± Goku said. ¡°I thought I was living my to the fullest of my own will¡­my thoughts my own, my ambitions my own. But in reality¡­¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°I was just your puppet,¡± he said. ¡°Whose strings you pulled every step of the way.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± the Trampled Innocence answered. ¡°You have no freewill after all. Merely an instrument in our game against the Majins and the evil that produced them. And now you rule the Realm of Souls.¡±


    The memories disappeared and Goku now found himself back in the Soul Realm. His body was perfectly white and he even had a Saiyan tail. He looked down at his hands, disappointed.


    ¡°So¡­¡± the Trampled Innocence said. ¡°What is your first act as ruler of the afterlife? To destroy more evil races? To cultivate the prosperity of good ones? To bring about the next Super Saiyan to replace you? With the great number of us that have joined the Trampled Innocence due to Freeza¡¯s massacres you have far, far more power than Yamoshi ever had. So, what¡¯ll it be?¡±


    Goku shook his head and sighed.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he said. ¡°I would like to tell my friends and family goodbye.¡±


    He could feel the trillions of souls composing the Trampled Innocence to sigh, some slightly angered at this request. Goku felt he had offended them too greatly for them to allow this desire to be met. But they soon gave in to his offer.


    ¡°So be it,¡± they answered.

 The Long Goodbye

    Chapter 16


    Vegeta flew as fast as possible to the coordinates Kakarot had given him. As he soared above the clouds and gazed down at the cerulean ocean below, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his mind was clear. Clearer than it had ever been.


    My world is like the water below me. Vegeta thought. Like the sky I¡¯m rushing through. It all feels so clear, so pure, so¡­new.


    Ever since he accepted he could never become the Super Saiyan of legend, it was like a burden had been shed. A massive boulder he¡¯d been carrying for decades rolled off his back without him needing to do anything. He felt so free he couldn¡¯t stand it.


    For the first time in Vegeta¡¯s life, he enjoyed flying. He had exactly no memories of soaring through the air giving him pleasure. Up to this point, flying was like traveling in a spaceship or walking for him. It was just what one did to get to their destination as fast as possible. Now that this burden had been shed, Vegeta could live in the moment more than at any point in life previously.


    The wind¡­He thought. It feels so good. What a pleasant rush. It¡¯s exhilarating yet calming at this speed. Why¡­why did I never notice it before?


    Every memory he had was of battle and death. Killing was the only thing he could recall in his life. The only joy Vegeta cultivated was through taking life. He never realized how much it hardened his heart.


    From here he could see so much beauty. The green islands below, vibrant with lush flora and springtime tropical flowers cast a grand sight for anyone above. The blossoms themselves formed a long chain of red through the middle of many of the pieces of land.


    The blue water rippled below him with an almost sapphire gleam, both energetic and tranquil. Vegeta couldn¡¯t help but stare down at the cascading waves that gently rocked against the islands. It was at that point the Saiyan decided blue was his favorite color, the water relaxing him as he watched it.


    After looking down at the water enough he found himself flying through the white puffs of clouds not out of necessity but for fun. Moisture crept along his body as he temporarily lost sight in front of him before coming out on the other side, slightly wet but nonetheless amused. He laughed a little as he did.


    ¡°Clouds¡­¡± he said. ¡°Surfing through¡­clouds.¡±


    The sheer amount of fun he was having by merely observing the simple things around him gave Vegeta a bit of a mental crisis.


    Is this what I was ignoring all along? He thought. Deliberately squeezing the joy out of life, just on the off chance it would make me weaker? So bound by superficial and insufferable pride I couldn¡¯t allow myself a modicum of happiness even once?


    And then he grew sad as he thought more about it.


    The people I slaughtered¡­He thought. Most of them were happy¡­til I showed up. And destroyed them. And I wondered, right before putting an end to their lives¡­why were they so content¡­when I wasn¡¯t? How could they be ordinary people, weak, insignificant and without pride¡­and yet so joyful? Why no matter how much stronger I grew and how much power I amassed, I became more miserable as time went on¡­while they would stay happy despite stagnating in strength and growing weaker?


    He shook his head.


    I wondered why Freeza would want to become immortal. Vegeta thought. Freeza didn¡¯t desire more years to his life, only more power. And no matter how many planets he brought under his reign or people he¡¯s conquered¡­I never knew a time when I was sure he was happy. Freeza obviously had moments when he felt good about himself but he never was content. Never at peace with his lot in life¡­and as a result he arrived on Namek seeking the last territory to conquer, death¡­and met his demise.


    It was then that he saw the island that Kakarot directed him to. It was tiny, even by the standards of islands. If he leered closely enough he could see what looked like a fairly large gathering on its single shore.


    And I was the same way. Vegeta thought as he stopped flying and levitated in midair. I didn¡¯t want to become immortal. Not really. If I did, I think I¡¯d be driven mad by trying to fill my time with enough activities. I just did it because¡­


    Admitting the next part to himself was more painful than being shot through by Freeza¡¯s Death Beam.


    Because I had no better idea how I could become stronger. He thought. And once you achieve the pinnacle of strength¡­there¡¯s nothing to do afterward. Why¡­why didn¡¯t I realize that? That for all my bravado¡­it was all for, for¡­


    He shook his head, trying not to cry.


    For a way of making myself feel important. Vegeta thought. All for the sake of pleasing my father. A man¡­a man I never felt any love for.


    He shook his head.


    No, that¡¯s not entirely true. Vegeta thought. I wanted to love him. I wanted to be his favorite person in the universe. I wanted to be his star, the thing he thought about every day and every night. Only¡­


    A tear finally rolled down his left cheek.


    Only he died before giving me anything that I wanted from him. He thought. But now¡­that¡¯s all behind me. And I can start over¡­like I¡¯ve always wanted to.


    He flew down to the island below, absolutely everyone turning to him. There was a crowd of more than a dozen people standing along the seashore with the single house on it. As Vegeta received both glares and looks of fear, he lowered his head in shame.


    If I¡¯m not reminded of my atrocities enough to kill me. He thought.


    Krillin was slightly nervous at the presence of Vegeta before Goku¡¯s voice turned him back to attention.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him,¡± Goku said. ¡°He won¡¯t hurt anybody. Vegeta¡¯s truly changed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if you say so,¡± Teinshinhan said, clearly unimpressed.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t trust him,¡± Yamcha said. ¡°I hope he didn¡¯t do anything to Bulma while he was on Namek. I hate the idea of him hurting-¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Piccolo said to them. ¡°Vegeta¡¯s no longer a threat to any of us. If he¡¯s given up his ambition of immortality, he has no reason to fight us for the dragon balls. Let¡¯s get onto more important matters. Goku, what was the reason you called us all here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Goku,¡± Krillin said. ¡°This is like a family reunion.¡±


    Krillin wasn¡¯t exaggerating when he said that. Chi-Chi and Gohan stood together, the boy¡¯s mother weeping while Gohan hung his head in silence. Krillin and everyone else resurrected by Goku¡¯s Qi Vendetta stood behind the wife and son of Son Goku. Puar levitated to Yamcha¡¯s right while Master Roshi, Turtle and Oolong stood to Piccolo¡¯s left.


    All of them had been called to Roshi¡¯s island by Goku¡¯s voice. However, it was no mere voice. It didn¡¯t speak to them audibly but more so arose from within their spirits. Krillin figured this to be because Goku was speaking from the Realm of Souls, where all life was connected through the recycled qi of the dead.


    ¡°Goku¡­¡± Krillin said. ¡°King Kai¡­he said you won¡¯t be able to return you to Earth even if we ask Shenron. Please¡­Please tell us that¡¯s not true! Please tell us you can come back!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Krillin,¡± Goku said. ¡°But he¡¯s right. I can¡¯t come back.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Chi-Chi said. ¡°I love you! You were supposed to raise a family with me! How can my son grow up without a father?!¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Gohan said, his eyes watering with tears. ¡°Is there anything you can do to come back? Anything at all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Goku said. ¡°But I¡¯m centered here in the Realm of Souls until the Trampled Innocence finds a new host.¡±


    ¡°Goku¡­¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°This world¡­it just won¡¯t be the same without you.¡±


    ¡°The world existed before me,¡± Goku said. ¡°It will exist without me. But while here¡­I¡¯ll do my best for all of you.¡±


    ¡°And how¡¯s that?¡± Chi-Chi asked. ¡°How will you take care of our family while you¡¯re away?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to the fact that the Trampled Innocence has increased in number that I have more influence over the world than Yamoshi did,¡± he said. ¡°With so many more souls empowering me during my transformation than Yamoshi¡¯s I¡¯ll have greater influence over the universe. Not enough to change everything¡­but enough I can have others treat you with extreme favor.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Chi-Chi asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get Gohan into a top-notch school,¡± Goku said. ¡°Whatever college or university you want him in, I¡¯ll whisper it into the ears of those that decide. You will never be wanting for bread or money. I¡¯ll make sure you and Gohan are well fed and supplied with money.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Chi-Chi said as she continued crying. ¡°Goku¡­thank-you. Thank-you so much.¡±


    ¡°Goku¡­¡± Krillin said as his eyes watered with tears. ¡°Even if you still plan on helping us¡­while you¡¯re¡­you¡¯re like this¡­I can¡¯t say my life will be the same. I¡¯ve¡­I¡¯ve never known someone like you. Everything good about the world is inside you, Goku. I¡­I don¡¯t think the Earth will find a protector greater than you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°I think it will¡­I think it will. I¡¯ve found people who are more than qualified.¡±


    Without him saying anything more, Krillin knew who Goku meant.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Krillin said.


    ¡°Krillin,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to use the immense amount of control I have to do something I think I can only accomplish once. I¡¯m going to shift the power levels of every mortal in the universe still alive. As the center of the Realm of Souls I am its lynchpin and know the hearts of every mortal. With this connection, I will do what Yamoshi was unable to do and increase the power of individuals I believe to be most deserving of it and decrease the power levels of individuals with the greatest wrongdoings.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Yamcha asked. ¡°You can do that by just wishing to?¡±


    ¡°Watch,¡± Goku said.


    And in a single moment, Krillin felt like his insides do a three-sixty shift. It was deeper than his internal organs or even his mind that changed. It was the center of his being that turned in a perfectly circular direction.


    And then Krillin was filled with immeasurable power. It was as though inside of himself was a huge dam and the rushing tide caused it to overflow and collapse. A rising rush of qi flowed so strong through him, Krillin was lifted six feet in the air. He could hardly breathe, the sensation so immaculate and glorious.


    I¡­He thought. This can¡¯t be real¡­I feel like¡­like I could do anything. Like I could even take on Freeza!


    He then gradually descended back to the ground, overcome with angelic warmth. He looked down at his arm, the same aura flowing over him that surrounded Goku after he recovered in the healing tank back on Namek. It was a white, slightly blue-tinted energy that continued surrounding Krillin. He couldn¡¯t turn it off if he wanted to.


    He looked around to find that he wasn¡¯t not the only one. Teinshinhan, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, Piccolo and Gohan were overcome by the same aura. Their power level had also spiked immeasurably. Their strength was also comparable to Freeza¡¯s.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Gohan cried. ¡°My power level! It feels¡­it feels like there¡¯s no end to it!¡±


    ¡°My goodness!¡± Roshi shouted. ¡°That¡¯s beyond power! You bunch are so strong no one can defeat you!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Piccolo said. ¡°Forget taking on Freeza in his second form¡­I feel like I could beat him in his fourth!¡±


    ¡°This is unreal!¡± Teinshinhan said.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me!¡± Yamcha shouted. ¡°Training with King Kai was nothing compared to this!¡±


    Just as Krillin was admiring his new power level, a soft voice spoke to him.


    ¡°What shall be your Qi Vendetta?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°Qi Vendetta? What¡¯s that all about?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°I heard it too. What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a special ability that goes beyond just sheer power level,¡± Goku said.


    ¡°What?¡± Piccolo asked. ¡°Special ability?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Goku answered. ¡°A Qi Vendetta is the very essence of one¡¯s soul that is manifested as an individualized power. It requires a cost to activate but that cost is chosen by the user. You don¡¯t have to decide now but be careful when you do. You can only create a Qi Vendetta once. I¡¯ve given every being whose power I changed the ability to have a Qi Vendetta for the sake of fairness¡­so use it wisely.¡±


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Teinshinhan said. ¡°No amount of training has ever given me the same results that¡­that what you just did, did.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Chiaotzu said. ¡°We¡¯re all so much stronger than any villain we¡¯ve fought to this point!¡±


    ¡°Not all,¡± Vegeta said.


    Everyone turned to look behind and face Vegeta. He was not surrounded by a bright aura of power. In fact, Krillin could barely sense his power in comparison to everyone around him.


    ¡°Vegeta¡­¡± Piccolo said. ¡°Your power level¡­it¡¯s decreased!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Krillin said. ¡°It¡¯s puny.¡±


    ¡°You went from stronger than Freeza¡¯s first form to¡­¡± Gohan said. ¡°To weaker than Guldo.¡±


    Vegeta¡¯s expression was downcast as he looked down at himself. He looked down at his gloved hand, sighing. Only Krillin couldn¡¯t tell if he was doing so in relief or disappointment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Vegeta said. ¡°I¡¯ve learned¡­I¡¯ve learned it was pointless to be the strongest in the universe anyways. I don¡¯t need that power.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Goku said. ¡°But considering your evil deeds, I couldn¡¯t allow you to continue having so much more reserves of qi than everyone else. I know you¡¯ve changed, really you have¡­but I had to be fair to the rest of the universe.¡±


    ¡°The entire universe?¡± Yamcha asked.


    ¡°As I stated earlier,¡± Goku said. ¡°Using my ability to connect with every living being, I¡¯ve assigned them new power levels based on their morality. You guys are not the only ones¡¯ whose strength I¡¯ve increased¡­and Vegeta is not the only one whose power I¡¯ve taken away.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Krillin said. ¡°If Vegeta has really changed¡­couldn¡¯t you give him our boost in power?¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Krillin,¡± Goku said. ¡°But Vegeta has not changed to the degree Piccolo has. I¡¯m not so strong that I can make everyone good with the flick of a finger.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡± Gohan said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Vegeta said.


    Everyone turned to him, clearly shocked. Krillin couldn¡¯t believe Vegeta had said that. The same person who couldn¡¯t stop bragging about his warrior race, how glad he was that he could become immortal or that he felt like he was on the brink of becoming a Super Saiyan was okay with being weaker than when he arrived on Earth. It was maddening to contemplate but Vegeta just continued to shake his head.


    ¡°I have no more need for it,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do with my life now¡­but I know I won¡¯t be trying to accumulate strength for strength¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Krillin said. ¡°That¡­that sounds as unbelievable as someone crushing Freeza like an ant and everything else we¡¯ve learned today.¡±


    ¡°I will say that Vegeta won¡¯t have to be like this forever,¡± Goku said. ¡°I haven¡¯t blocked off the ability for anyone to gain more strength so if he chooses to train more he can still grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°As I said before,¡± Vegeta said. ¡°Power for power¡¯s sake is worthless.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the only thing,¡± Goku said. ¡°With that act I have revolutionized the nature of qi itself. One thing that Yamoshi wished he could have changed but did not have the power to is that when one person has a power level higher than another, the fight almost always goes to the fighter with the greater amount of qi. It¡¯s a bit too complicated to explain but now I¡¯ve developed the nature of qi in such a way that will not always be the case.¡±


    ¡°You mean a person with a higher power level can now lose against someone with a weaker qi reserve?¡± Krillin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated to explain,¡± Goku said. ¡°But with my final change to how qi flows through individuals, each person drawing qi from the Realm of Souls can change their qi in more unique ways. This means if anyone with a pure heart I gave a power boost to became drunk on their newly given power, that doesn¡¯t mean they can become a tyrant that obliterates anyone in their path.¡±


    ¡°It seems you evened the playing field for the entire universe,¡± Piccolo said.


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely right, Piccolo,¡± Goku answered. ¡°And with this change, I¡¯ll speak directly to you guys over the coming years. I¡¯ll help you and guide you where I can. I won¡¯t leave you.¡±


    ¡°But what about the next Super Saiyan?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°There¡¯s still evil out there, meaning the Trampled Innocence still seeks to wipe out any race with even a little wickedness. Are you going to allow them to create a new Super Saiyan to destroy the rest of the universe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep the Trampled Innocence from doing such,¡± Goku said. ¡°I will not be like Yamoshi, who desperately wished to bring a new Super Saiyan into existence for the sake of complete and utter genocide. The Trampled Innocence will continue to grow stronger and stronger as more innocent people will die no matter how peaceful I make things¡­there will always be evil but I will try a more gentle approach than Yamoshi¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°And how can you be sure of that?¡± Piccolo asked. ¡°From what King Kai told us, both you and Yamoshi seemed to be pretty enslaved to the will of the Trampled Innocence. How can you be so sure you¡¯re not going to do the same?¡±


    ¡°Because my mind is pretty segregated from the will of the Trampled Innocence,¡± Goku said. ¡°From what I can tell, even though they empower me, they no longer drive to commit universe wide genocide.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯re not that monster that went around killing everyone?!¡± Krillin asked. ¡°But how?!¡±


    ¡°I think it has to do with Yamoshi¡¯s background versus mine,¡± he answered. ¡°Yamoshi grew up amongst Saiyans, who were cruel, backwards and cold-hearted. He was so hellbent on utter destruction not just because of the Trampled Innocence fueling him but because only being exposed to the most evil race in the universe meant he saw everyone that way. However, since I grew up on Earth, I was exposed to a race that had far better people. The people were so mixed in their morality that I can see both the good and evil in others. I believe in the potential for benevolence, unlike Yamoshi who could only see the evil in others.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t think the Trampled Innocence will find a new host?¡± Krillin asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ll try,¡± Goku said. ¡°They¡¯ll try until they finally get a Super Saiyan who will wipe everyone who has even a little bit of evil in their heart out of existence. But since I have greater influence over the world than Yamoshi did¡­I¡¯ll do my best to help the universe in a more peaceful way. I¡¯ve rerouted the system of qi recycling so much that I believe the Trampled Innocence could find a host that is not a Saiyan.¡±


    ¡°A non-Saiyan Super Saiyan?¡± Piccolo asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s preposterous,¡± Vegeta said. ¡°If anyone could become a Super Saiyan then the title is meaningless.¡±


    ¡°With so many souls empowering me,¡± Goku said. ¡°My power is beyond even that of the Kais. I now rule this world. And I will keep the Trampled Innocence satisfied by continuous acts of goodwill so they lose their hatred. I¡¯ll keep the Trampled Innocence satisfied by changing the universe without bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you can do that?¡± Krillin asked. ¡°There are some evil people out there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to eradicate evil with kind deeds,¡± Goku said. ¡°It¡¯s the path I¡¯ve chosen. I¡¯ll watch over all of you, without exception.¡±


    Krillin still felt hollow. The immense rush of power he received was gone. All he could think of now was living without his best friend who he¡¯d had so many adventures with. The pit of his soul felt bereft of all substance, as if someone had drained him of who he was. Krillin had never felt so void of emotion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Krillin,¡± Goku said. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to get you a girlfriend. Any woman would be lucky to have you.¡±


    He hung his head in shame, his eyes watering.


    ¡°Thanks, buddy,¡± he said. ¡°You know¡­you remember the reason I got into martial arts?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it to get noticed by women?¡± Goku asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Krillin laughed. ¡°It¨CIt was all just to show up the other guys when I asked a girl out.¡±


    His weeping was quickly turning to distorted, shivering laughter.


    ¡°I-I-¡± he said. ¡°I was so¨Cso nervous talking to them and¡­and didn¡¯t ever get noticed considered my height and stupid looking face¨C¡±


    He let out a scream that no one could tell was a shout of weeping or laughter.


    ¡°That I thought I had to be the greatest martial artist ever to get one to like me!¡± Krillin cried. ¡°And¨CAnd what do I have to show for it?!¡±


    He hung his head low, tears falling to the ground as he continued smiling.


    ¡°Not a single girl I got hitched to,¡± he said. ¡°Not one.¡±


    ¡°Krillin¨C¡± Goku said.


    ¡°But I found¨C¡± Krillin stated. ¡°I found something far better. I found¡­I found friends who would never leave me¡­no matter how bad things got. And¨CAnd one in particular.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that this is hard for you,¡± Goku said. ¡°It¡¯s hard for me. I-¡±


    ¡°And I knew from that time on,¡± Krillin said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t need anyone else. As long as I had¡­had my best friend.¡±


    He began sniveling as he tried wiping the tears from his eyes and looked up.


    ¡°Goku¡­¡± Krillin said, shaking. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t care who I find. I just¡­I just won¡¯t be the same afterward.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Goku,¡± he said. ¡°I failed you. If I wasn¡¯t¨Cwasn¡¯t so weak¡­Freeza wouldn¡¯t have done me in and¡­and you wouldn¡¯t have had to take such extreme measures to end his life. It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s my blame. I should have done more to not be the burden for everyone to carry.¡±


    ¡°Krillin!¡± Gohan said. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to yourself that way!¡±


    Krillin turned behind him, finding the young boy to have a similar expression of sorrow and disappointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s tough,¡± he said. ¡°I know it is but¡­but I know I have to go on. My dad would never want us to just keep doubting ourselves forever. We need to push forward¡­there¡¯s nothing we can do by being sad.¡±


    He turned away, shaking his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not sure I can do it,¡± Krillin said. ¡°It seems impossible to move on without¡­without someone who¡¯s been there for me. Can¡­Can I really move on?¡±


    Krillin felt a broad, strong hand placed on his shoulder. He looked over to find it was green with pointed nails. He jumped in surprise to find Piccolo was standing near him.


    ¡°Krillin,¡± he said. ¡°I know it¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°Wh-Wha-?¡± he asked. ¡°B-But-! How?!¡±


    ¡°You were incredibly brave both defending Earth and Namek,¡± he said. ¡°After combining with Nail, he told me of your heroic deeds and how the Grand Elder trusted you enough to willingly give you a Dragon Ball.¡±


    Krillin relaxed, finding the Namekian¡¯s words surprisingly comforting.


    ¡°And you will find others to fill the void you are experiencing,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°I¡¯m convinced at this point that we find our greatest friends in the most unexpected of places.¡±


    He glanced over at Gohan.


    ¡°I stole Gohan away from his life to turn him into a killer,¡± he said. ¡°Only to gain a friend who finally changed me. I owe everything to him and his father. I found a dying Namek who gave me closure over my origins and sense of belonging.¡±


    Krillin stopped crying, hypnotized by the Namekian¡¯s words.


    ¡°If beings as evil as me could gain new bonds,¡± he said. ¡°Then I¡¯m sure someone who has proven himself time and time again to be loyal will as well.¡±


    Krillin nodded his head in silent agreement.


    ¡°Go back to your stations in life,¡± Goku said. ¡°The time for weeping is over. The universe is a far better place now than it was before. And I¡¯ll always be there for all of you.¡±


    And with that, they all left. It was not a joyous occasion, more a silent and somber one. Chi-Chi and Gohan climbed back into the hovercraft they arrived on the island with and left, both downcast. However, before she left, Gohan was clinging to the edge of Piccolo¡¯s white robe.


    ¡°Gohan, you are coming with me right this instant!¡± Chi-Chi said. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be hanging out with anyone who could be a bad influence on you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Piccolo¡¯s not a bad influence!¡± Gohan shouted. ¡°He died protecting me! Didn¡¯t you, Mr. Piccolo?¡±


    Piccolo closed his eyes, too weary to answer.


    ¡°Piccolo¡­¡± the boy said. ¡°Please come with us. I-I¡¯m afraid without you. Freeza¡­the Saiyans¡­everyone I¡¯ve fought¡­it all feels like a nightmare and I¡­I need someone to stop it and make me feel safe.¡±


    Piccolo smiled and laughed.


    ¡°Gohan,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t need me. You need¡­you need to be with your mother.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t-!¡± Gohan said. ¡°I need you along with her. I¡­I can¡¯t go without you. You¡­You make me feel safe.¡±


    Piccolo¡¯s smile broadened before he shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll visit you,¡± he said. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll come with us?¡± Gohan asked. ¡°Will you, please?¡±


    ¡°Gohan,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°Know from the bottom of my heart I won¡¯t just visit you¡­I¡¯ll help you in anything you need. Really. But¡­But you need to live a normal life.¡±


    ¡°A¨CA normal life?¡± Gohan asked.


    ¡°You need to have the life a human would lead,¡± Piccolo stated. ¡°Go to school, have friends, get into sports. Things that are healthy for boys your age. If I became your full time guardian¡­you¡¯d never learn to grow the way a young man should. I¡¯ll be there for you when I can¡­but let me live out my days so I can prepare for the future. In case Earth ever needs warriors to defend it. Is that okay with you?¡±


    Gohan frowned before perking his expression up into a smile.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. ¡°I will.¡±


    He then entered the hovercraft and left with his mother, back to their home. Teinshinhan and Chiaotzu said they would go do some more training in the high mountains and left. Yamcha looked at Piccolo and Krillin before sighing and laughing.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to tie the knot with Bulma, you know?¡± he said. ¡°Goku promised she¡¯d arrive safely and I better get ready for her. I think after all the craziness of hearing Goku¡¯s brother killed him to fighting the Saiyans to training with King Kai¡­I just wanna live a peaceful life with the love of my life. You think you can handle having a permanent roommate, Puar?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Yamcha!¡± Puar said. ¡°That sounds great!¡±


    Yamcha and Puar left the island without saying much more. After they left, Roshi looked to Oolong and then Krillin. He smiled a little.


    ¡°To think two of my students would go into outer space to fight aliens stronger than even King Piccolo,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not only proud but immensely satisfied with the results of your training. You¡¯ve grown to be fighters of unimaginable strength. Legends will be told about you, passed from one generation to the next.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Krillin said. ¡°But¡­I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d care for that. Being a legendary hero¡­I¡¯m nothing like Goku.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Roshi said. ¡°If that¡¯s the way you feel¡­I suppose humility is also a virtue you learned under my tutelage.¡±


    He then looked at Oolong and sighed.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said. ¡°I got to get dinner going. Even old men like me need to eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do all the cooking tonight,¡± Oolong said. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do since¡­well, you¡¯re probably not in the best mood.¡±


    Roshi laughed.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really. One of my students ascended to the


    highest pinnacle of strength. You think I¡¯m sad? I¡¯m beyond proud. But if you think I¡¯m too mentally strained to feed myself right now¡­you¡¯re kind of right.¡±


    He laughed a little bit more.


    ¡°All this¡­¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s too much for me. A simple martial artist. All the thoughts I have swirling in my head¡­what would my friend Gohan have thought if he knew the boy he found would turn out like this? What would the Ox King think knowing his one and only daughter would have a son with this man? What would I think of having trained him? I¡¯ve come to realize that in life, no matter how old and wise you are¡­¡±


    He looked up a little, contemplative.


    ¡°There are some things too big for you to understand,¡± Roshi said. ¡°And this is one of them.¡±


    He entered Kame House where Oolong and Turtle followed after him. That left Piccolo, Krillin and Vegeta alone on the island. All three of them looked fairly reluctant to leave.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Krillin said. ¡°Is what you told him true?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°I meant it with all my heart.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really nice of you,¡± he said. ¡°Honestly¡­I should probably visit him a lot.¡±


    ¡°He needs all the support he can get,¡± Piccolo said. ¡°The boy¡¯s a wreck. A good-natured, smart wreck. Honestly the only thing that¡¯s keeping me from holding his hand at all times is that Chi-Chi couldn¡¯t trust me for the life of her. Not saying she¡¯s wrong for that¡­but Gohan¡¯s going to need someone who knows what he¡¯s been through to coach him through all this trouble.¡±


    He then turned to Krillin and gave a remorseful sigh.


    ¡°Be sure to keep tabs on him when I can¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°You two spent quite a bit of time together going to and arriving on Namek. He¡¯s probably attached more to you than his own mother after all you two went through.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to check up on him when you can¡¯t.¡±


    Piccolo nodded.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll be¡­preparing myself for any threat that comes to Earth.¡±


    He then jettisoned off into the air, kicking up a bit of sand as he left. Once Piccolo left, it was just Vegeta and Krillin standing on the shore. Krillin felt tired enough from today¡¯s activities to go to bed but found himself staring at Vegeta instead.


    The Saiyan warrior was uncanny in his stoic stature. If not for the color of his clothes and skin, Krillin could have mistaken him for a statue. His arms were firmly crossed and his gaze fixed on the blue ocean beyond him. He didn¡¯t turn, didn¡¯t shake even a little or move. Vegeta was perfectly frozen in place. Krillin honestly worried for him.


    Should I even say anything? He wondered. He¡¯s tried to kill me before. I don¡¯t even know if there¡¯s anything worth saying.


    ¡°Vegeta¡­¡± he said. ¡°Will¡­will you be alright?¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond at first, his response as cold and unmoving as a rock¡¯s. He continued to stare out at the ocean, nothing about him even suggesting he heard it. The question bounced off Vegeta like a stone thrown at a brick wall. Krillin was afraid to say anything further but also afraid to move. Krillin wasn¡¯t sure if he felt safe having Vegeta around. After a small pause that felt like an eternity, the Saiyan answered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright¡­so long as I am alone. I need to be alone¡­so, leave me.¡±


    Krillin nodded before turning and entering Kame House, shaking his head.


    What a weird world this is. He thought.


    For the first time in Vegeta¡¯s life, he felt as if there was no noise. No movement. No chaos. Everything was still. The setting sun cast against the bright blue water hypnotized him into a state of peace. As he began reflecting on what he learned.


    There¡¯s an afterlife. He thought. A world beyond this one¡­once you die. Determined¡­by what you did in this once.


    In his daily life, Vegeta had regarded that as mere superstition. Saiyans were told that the most glorious death was one met in battle where they would be given rewards based on their competence as a warrior. Vegeta, on the other hand, had seen that wasn¡¯t true.


    I remember being questioned by that giant red guy. He thought. What was his name, Yemma? He told me every wrong thing I ever did. I felt¡­I felt embarrassed in a way I¡¯d never known before. Normally I¡¯d be proud of those evil deeds but the way he made them seem¡­like they were truly bad. The Yemma guy even told me one of the few reconciliations for my horrendous past was that deep down I had changed a little.


    He shook his head, unaware anyone could change him like that.


    And he gave me a choice¡­ Vegeta remembered. go to the lower level of Other World and have punishment pronounced on me¡­or go through the soul scrubber. Which would be immensely painful and give me a second chance at life. Apparently that was pretty typical.


    He hung his head in shame, remembering how he spoke to Kakarot as he waited in line to be judged. Vegeta had heard rumors that Saiyans on the brink of death being invigorated by the souls of recently dead Saiyans but he¡¯d never experienced it before. Vegeta still wasn¡¯t sure why he did so to his most hated rival.


    I suppose I hated Freeza more than I did Kakarot at that point. He thought.


    But something else bothered him. It was that he realized, without Kakarot, he would be suffering in the afterlife right now. Whether it was through the hours or even days in the soul scrubber or waiting in Other World¡¯s depths, if Vegeta had not been resurrected by the Super Saiyan he¡¯d be suffering. The Saiyan couldn¡¯t help but feel like he dodged a bullet.


    I was saved¡­ Vegeta thought. Saved by a man I called a fool¡­a fool for the very reason he saved me.


    Vegeta shut his eyes as tears stung them.


    If it had not been for Kakarot¡­He thought. I¡¯d be suffering right now. But now that I¡¯m resurrected¡­I can start over. I don¡¯t have to endure the horrors of what Other World would give me.


    He hoped no one could see him right now as tears streamed down his face.


    Of all the Saiyans and other horrid tyrants in this world¡­He thought. I was spared of a justly deserved hell. I don¡¯t deserve that¡­I don¡¯t deserve that fate when so many evil doers have had to face what I should have. What do I do now?


    ¡°Take the path to someone who¡¯s been waiting for you,¡± he heard a familiar voice say.


    Vegeta turned around to see him standing behind the Saiyan. He was smiling wide, as if he¡¯d never known a day of sadness. He was dressed in the same orange gi he fought him on Earth with. Vegeta¡¯s face was distorted with shock.


    ¡°K-Kakar¨C!¡± Vegeta said.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Kakarot said as he waved at him. ¡°I told you that you had changed some! I believed you could!¡±


    ¡°Kakarot¡­¡± Vegeta whispered. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Vegeta,¡± Kakarot said. ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of time but I do have some good news for you.¡±


    ¡°And¡­?¡± he asked. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s waiting for you,¡± Kakarot said. ¡°Someone in the afterlife. The afterlife beyond Other World¡­in heaven.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Vegeta asked. ¡°Who? It can¡¯t be Nappa. It certainly wouldn¡¯t be my father. It only means¨C¡±


    He stopped himself, his mouth hanging open in understanding.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡± Vegeta said. ¡°She¡¯s waiting¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yamoshi told me all about your friend you lost,¡± Kakarot said. ¡°That you lost to Nappa¡¯s savagery. I spoke with her just recently and she misses you. Patata wants you to join her in the afterlife. She wants you to make it heaven.¡±


    ¡°That-¡± he said. ¡°That can¡¯t be true. I can¡¯t make it there! Not after all I¡¯ve done! I can¡¯t¡­I¡¯ll never-¡±


    ¡°Vegeta,¡± he said.


    He placed a hand on the Saiyan¡¯s right shoulder, his brilliant smile flashing like a second to the other Saiyan.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t tell you this if it were impossible,¡± Kakarot said. ¡°I know it may seem difficult at first¡­it¡¯s not easy to start over¡­but I wouldn¡¯t tell you this if it weren¡¯t possible.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­?¡± Vegeta said. ¡°Is she out there rooting for me? Like¡­right now?¡±


    ¡°As we speak,¡± Kakarot said. ¡°Now¡­as the new ruler of the Realm of Souls I don¡¯t want to be biased¡­but I know you can make it to where Patata is¡­if from this moment on you continue to change. Don¡¯t just stay here, in this state of listlessness¡­continue to be better and better¡­and I promise you¡¯ll see her once again.¡±


    Vegeta slowly gathered his composure again, closing his eyes one more time before wiping them from his face. He nodded to Kakarot before turning around and running towards the ocean. Upon reaching the water he flew into the air as fast as he could.


    Vegeta soared forward with all his might, the thought of seeing Patata stinging his eyes with more tears. The thought of being in her embrace again was more than enough to hurt him, it was so sweet sounding. All he could think of was the Saiyan girl¡¯s bright and innocent face.


    I¡¯ll be with you at every point in your new journey. Kakarot said. But know even more, that she wants you to succeed.


    Then tell her I¡¯ll go out of my way to help every miscreant and to bandage every stubbed toe. Vegeta replied. And I¡¯ll do it all for Patata¡­please¡­wait for me.


    He soon found himself flying over the city of a nearby island.


    Because every moment from here on out¡­He thought. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.

 Reunited Love

    Chapter 17


    Pikkon hovered down into the rift in spacetime Shin created. Having mastered the ability to trap air in one¡¯s qi field, he had enough air for days to breathe. Pikkon had been temporarily resurrected for the sole purpose of mending the space-time that had been ruptured. The warrior and the Supreme Kai looked around to the battleground to find it was just as they¡¯d been told of.


    The tears in space-time were definitely present. Some were tears that had been opened up in Hell, the true Hell and not just Other World¡¯s lower sections fit for punishment. Many denizens of Hell were leaving through the portals Buu and Goku tore up. Others opened up to Snake Way while another opened up to King Yemma¡¯s office, where the giant red man was suspiciously absent.


    ¡°I see the rips in space-time were not at all exaggerated,¡± Shin said. ¡°It seems a great battle took place here. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Pikkon.¡±


    The alien almost didn¡¯t hear the Kai speak. He was too busy thinking about his own battle with Majin Buu. Buu¡¯s words about his true nature rang in Pikkon¡¯s ears all those years later.


    When I first met Majin Buu¡­He thought. He knew what I was. Someone who wished to commit violent actions¡­to make this galaxy my personal playground and conquer it. Everyday I regret my foolishness.


    He hung his head in shame, thankful he was not on the receiving end of Son Goku¡¯s Super Saiyan wrath. Pikkon would be burning in Hell right now and he couldn¡¯t say he didn¡¯t deserve it. He sighed in exasperation of his former state.


    Is all it takes to reform someone, to truly change their heart¡­? He wondered. Is time?


    He looked up to the cosmos, knowing if he hadn¡¯t been threatened with being imprisoned in a star for all eternity, Pikkon would probably be rotting in Hell right now. His heart was truly changed for the better but only after being reined in for centuries by Shin and the other Kais. It was a blessing in disguise as they showed him happiness he¡¯d never otherwise know.


    ¡°Thank-you,¡± Pikkon said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Shin asked.


    ¡°Oh-!¡± he replied. ¡°Nothing! I, just¡­¡±


    He turned back to the mess at hand and began blasting at the souls crawling out of Hell. The figures that were slowly taking shape were blown to smithereens. Shin fired bolts of qi at the remaining ones as well, vaporizing the escaping souls.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get these small fries,¡± Shin said. ¡°You start patching up the holes.¡±


    Pikkon nodded before flying towards a portal between this world and Hell. After Shin had sent the escapees back to the afterlife, the remaining souls quickly retreated back into the fiery pit. Upon arriving at the torn space, he manifested qi into his right hand.


    After a moment of focus, he then solidified the qi into a sewing needle and thread. Pikkon quickly went to work patching up the two flaps of torn space-time. After binding it together he turned to find Shin had begun doing the same to another rupture in space-time.


    Reality Binding Thread. Pikkon remembered. One of the most skill intensive qi techniques, requiring years to master. It¡¯s one of the hardest powers to master due to the immense amount of qi one must concentrate into less than a centimeter¡¯s width. What a chore it was to attain it.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this side,¡± Shin said. ¡°Go ahead and do the northern corner.¡±


    Pikkon nodded before flying to the northernmost tears in reality. As he did, the alien warrior felt partially responsible for the signs of destruction around him. He remembered that, in a way, his evil deeds would always be a part of Majin Buu. The more evil one committed, the greater the portion they shared in Buu¡¯s power.


    If evil refuses to repent¡­Pikkon thought. The more likely actions like this will be carried out. Evil that goes unpunished only breeds further destruction. That is something I will never forget¡­


    After a thousand years, the wait was over. Yamoshi had never felt so good as he ascended to the land beyond everything else. He had seen it from his position in the Realm of Souls but never actually experienced it.


    Other World was far below him, even its highest peak so great a distance he could no longer see it. Above Yamoshi was light. A light so bright it practically blinded him. He could see and yet couldn¡¯t see the brilliant white he was approaching. Explaining was an impossible task as his soul was filled with intense warmth and mirth.


    It¡¯s so beautiful¡­He thought. So, so beautiful.


    He finally reached the pinnacle of what he was soaring too. Yamoshi found himself standing on ground as soft as silk that was shining as bright as diamond. Staring forward he could see a large light that encompassed all of the area in front of him that prevented him from gaining a better vision of the place.


    But there was someone he could see. She stood in front of the mass of light, staring directly at him. She was dressed in pure white, just as Yamoshi was. The blond hair that reached midway down her back shined almost as brightly as the light behind her. As she saw Yamoshi, she approached him. After drawing so close that she could embrace him, she ran her hands across his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting here since the moment I died,¡± she said. ¡°I never entered Heaven, knowing you could not join me.¡±


    ¡°So it is just as I feared,¡± Yamoshi said. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting here¡­for a thousand years¡­just for me. Tell me¡­was it worth it? To deny yourself for your lost love?¡±


    ¡°I cannot believe otherwise,¡± she answered. ¡°All I wish now is that¡­you will be with me. For all eternity.¡±


    Yamoshi stroked her face, unable to turn away from the joy in her eyes.


    ¡°I never intended otherwise,¡± he said. ¡°Just know that every day that I was fulfilling my duties in the Realm of Souls¡­I longed to join you. I never intended anything else besides resuming our love.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go together,¡± she said. ¡°As we were meant to.¡±


    He nodded before they turned the bright, white light in front of them. The pair of Saiyans clasped hands, just as they did before her death. Yamoshi forgot the invigoration of holding her hand that he had longed for a millenia for. In her grasp, he felt as if he could do anything, that nothing was impossible, that every accomplishment or desire was his for the taking. He could only describe it as the power of love.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t enter this place without you,¡± she said as they walked forward. ¡°All I could think of was how scared I was in my last moments because I never thought I¡¯d see you again.¡±


    ¡°As was I,¡± Yamoshi replied. ¡°I dreaded every moment in the Realm of Souls for the sole reason I was not with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d never want to live a life without you. Please¡­Please¡­share every moment moving forward with me.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Yamoshi answered. ¡°I will. Forever and ever.¡±


    And as they walked into the blinding light, the two were immersed in the most beautiful of sensations.