(Continuing From Where Last Chapter Left Off, Back With Caulifla. . .)

From below, Cabba and Queen Chaya could only see the thick ray of light dissipating into the distance ever so calmly. Much to Chaya's disapproval of Caulifla as a character, she had to admit that what she had just done was nothing more than mesmerizing, to say the least. But that was just an afterthought in comparison to the results. As the wind blew the dust away, Okara's status was as clear as day. He was clearly unconscious, his eyes completely blank as steam oozed off his still floating body. Visible twitches were noticeable but even so. . .there was no way he could move now. Without warning, the traitor prince fell to the ground and crashed into a pile of rubble, the shards doing nothing to help wake him up.

The Queen let out a worrisome gasp, her motherly instincts kicking in before halting as soon as she noticed Caulifla land in front of him. Her sudden appearance made her tense, frightened even as her eyes bore down on Okara's figure. They were cold. . .ice cold. For Caulifla, her temper was typically like wildfire. Scary, yet not something she'd back down from. Now, it was different. Unlike before, a person who is angry yet withheld a cold demeanor was always the one not to be trifled with. Mostly because if you do, they wouldn't hesitate to retaliate. There would be no telling what they would do as there are no signs to be given. They simply just do it. Especially right now. She could only process it for a second but the fact that she notice the slight movement in Caulifla's hand was enough for her to spring into action. Faster than she had ever moved before, she leaped forward and spread her arms to shield her treacherous son from whatever the bandit Saiyan may have been thinking. To her avail, it seemed to have bided some time as her actions alone were enough to catch Caulifla by surprise before re-steeling her resolve.

"Move. . ." Caulifla demanded in a cold tone.

Queen Chaya swallowed but remained firm, "No. . ." Although, this only irritate Caulifla a bit and made her growl once more.

"Move. . .," She repeated, her eyes narrowing, "or be moved. . ."

"And I said no. . .," The Queen countered.

The feisty Saiyan's eyebrow twitched, her head lowering at what may be the inconceivable, "Are you delusional? Move now so I can finish this."

"I refuse," Chaya affirmed from a different angle, "I know you're furious but what you're about to do won't quell your anger. Trust me, we'll decide on what to do with Okara."

Caulifla couldn't believe what she was hearing. Despite all that he's done, she still wanted him to live? Such. . .such. . .idiocy. She wasn't one to boast about rational thinking but this was beyond her. So much that if she were to ball her fist now, they would be seen bleeding through, "Damn it, I told you I won't give him a second chance even if you were to beg me. I don't give a damn about some 'trial' or 'punishment' that you may think up. Even among the gangs in Sadala, death itself is the only option for scum like him. So do me a favor for once and move the hell out of my way!" Queen Chaya felt a bead of sweat trickle down her face but still. . .she shook her head. Caulifla hissed until she heard another voice intrude on their conversation.

"I'm with the Queen on this. I can't allow you to enact judgment just yet," Cabba said, his feet landing right beside the queen to aid her. Unlike her, Cabba was actually at the level of a Super Saiyan 2 at least. He'd be able to put up some form of resistance but feeling Caulilfa's current level. . .he might have his hand far too full on this and he wasn't the only one who knew that. The female warrior scoffed at his bravado.

"Fine, then I'll simply move you both!" Caulifla raised her hand in the air, her Ki emanating and ready to blow them off to the side. Cabba flared his Ki, his aura and body transforming into a Super Saiyan 2 to brace for the oncoming attack. However, Caulifla soon felt a hand wrapped around her wrist, her eyes widening at its touch. From the size and feel of it, she could easily deduce it wasn't Kale who was trying to stop her. She knew this as she could clearly see Kale floating up above them with an equally surprised look as Cabba and Chaya. The King was certainly dead and Champa wouldn't give a damn if she killed Okara. Out of everyone present, the only one left who could have possibly moved in was the other royal member. Her eyes confirmed this when she turned to face him, "Lo-Lottus. . ."

Despite him actually being conscious, Caulilfa could clearly see that he hadn't recovered fully. His face was completely pale and his eyes were dreary at most. His feet were wobbly yet the only thing that felt strongly about him right now was his grip around her hand. She could easily break free but she didn't want to run the risk of accidentally hurting him or worse.

"You've done enough, so please. . .," Lottus said weakly.

Caulifla stood baffled for a moment before quickly returning a snarl, "Why should you care? He killed your dad, did he not? He betrayed everyone for his own selfish reasons and now you are defending him after beating him into the ground? Have you lost your sense of reason—!"

"Caulifla!" Lottus shouted, his voice strained so much that he began to cough up blood. His body shivered from an excruciating pain that washed over him, his knees buckling away as they hit the ground. Caulifla stood stunned for a moment before instinctively kneeling down to help him. She was concerned yet she didn't know it. Nevertheless, the youngest prince continued with a hoarse voice, "There's no point in killing him. If we do that now then it's just allowing him to get away with the consequences of his actions. Death would simply be mercy and torture will just fuel hatred. I don't. . .we don't know what to do with him but leave the matter of dealing with Okara to the royal family of Sadala."

Lottus coughed a few more times which caused her arms to slightly move in hopes to help him but he stopped her with a mere gesture. His hand rested over her shoulder before giving an assuring smile, "I-I know that you've been hurting for so long, and seeing that probably made you want to seek justice for me. It's true, I understand how you feel but be-believe me. . .I'm alright. So. . .please, back-down. . .for me . . .Cau. .li." His voice began to trail off into just a whisper, his eyes fading while his body began to fall forward. Out of reflex, Caulifla caught the youngest prince into her arms, his head resting just over her shoulder before falling back into a deep slumber. The world seemed to freeze around her as she began to think. Their tragedies were so similar yet. . .Lottus still found it in himself to not hold a grudge. He was angry, furious, and hurt but still. . .he never wished death on his older brother unlike her who was silently cursing the bastard who betrayed her all those years ago. It said a lot about him. . .so much that she found herself unable to speak any form of rebuttal. Even when he said her nickname that she loathed so much. Before, she would have punched him despite his state. But now, that nickname didn't sound entirely bad. With that said, her anger began to cease with her hair glowing for a moment before reverting back into its natural state.

She sighed, and rested her chin on his shoulder before giving in, "Fine. . .you stupid idiot."


(Around The Same Time At The Battlefield Between Saiyan and God Of Destruction. . .)

"Whoa. . ."

That was the only word that could leave Ryo's mouth at the sight he had witnessed. Within the large crater within the center of the Saiyan's central capital were nothing more than crevasse, large holes, and several destroyed structures scattered throughout the terrain. Standing in the center of it all though were the two people responsible for said destruction, their bodies covered in bruises and scratches. However, as for the Saiyan himself, he looked more exhausted than his adversary, the spikes embedded within his legs slowly becoming more apparent by the second. He was losing blood, and fast. That coupled with the fact that the strain from using his techniques wasn't helping and only speeding up the process. Though, what choice did he have? However, one thing did catch Kuzuku's attention, his senses picking up the change that occurred in the distance, "That strange power towards Caulifla's Ki had diminished and her power had dropped as well though it's still readable. Seems they've managed to handle whatever that was. On the other hand, Goku and Vegeta are still going strong as well. . ." His eyes turned towards Krugel who managed to catch his eyes. One situation was handled, another was a work in progress but getting there, but this one. . .he was an issue.

"What's wrong, feeling pressured?" Krugel slyly questioned.

The Saiyan kept his composure, "Maybe but you don't look so good yourself. Whatever you had planned was just taken care of. My seniors are having a field day with those things and it wouldn't take long till you become outnumbered. All I need to do is hold you off." All that considered, Kuzuku was sure he was right. Even if he couldn't win this battle, Krugel wouldn't have enough energy to deal with both Goku and Vegeta afterward. That and factoring Caulifla and her group were still around meant that he could somewhat rest easy. Though, he felt his body tense as he could notice Krugel's expression change. Normally he would take this as a sign of wavering but his Saiyan instincts told him otherwise. They told him to run for his dear life.

"Well, I'll admit, you are right. . .," Krugel muttered, his aura shrouding his body with greenish flames. Kuzuku's eyes widened, the visual change so minuscule yet so drastic at the same time compared to before. God of Destruction energy was one thing but this. . .it felt entirely new to him as purple-electricity began dispersed from his feet. Before he could process anything, Krugel vanished from his sight, the ground shattering from where he previously stood. Now alert, his eyes darted back and forth in a panic until he heard his voice from behind, "But now that means I'll finish you quickly and kill that pathetic god myself."

Time seemingly froze still for the Saiyan. The ex-God of Destruction cocked his hand back, his aura shrouding the tips of his fingertips and sharpening them. He could tell by his eyes that he was aiming directly toward his heart and going for the kill. Especially considering how cold they were. He internally cringed at the amount of reserved power this guy had from the fact that he could increase it several times over compared to before. He really was beginning to question just how strong he was. If anything, he could probably compare his power to Broly. . .no even greater than him. It was staggering and worst of all, despite being able to process everything, his body was refusing to keep up. His legs were shaking due to the attempt to move out of the way in time, and the aches in his arms refused to raise themselves to block as well. He truly might die this time. . .He closed his eyes to brace himself for what was to come. If he's going to die now, then he'd at least be comfortable knowing he'd inflicted a good amount of damage to him before going out. However, as the Saiyan waited for death to take him, he heard the sound of someone grabbing and appearing behind him.

Confused, his eyes opened up wide to get a better sense of what had happened. Much to his surprise, Krugel was nearly mirroring his own expression at what he was processing, his hand just inches away from Kuzuku's chest with the only reason for it not puncturing through him is because of the powerful grip around his wrist. Kuzuku's only thought upon inspecting the hand lead to more questions than answers, "Scales. . .? Who's–"

"Sorry, but it looked like it was just about time for me to step in," A voice interrupted.

Now more curious than confused, the Saiyan whipped his head around only to see a familiar yet drastically different face. The unique magenta-eye color was the first giveaway from every other feature. Bright-crimson hair grew as long to the point that it reached the lower portion of their back and seeping between the strands of spiky hair were four, feathering red wings with a halo behind their back. Furthermore, protruding backward from both sides of his head were branch-colored horns. The only thing that he couldn't make out due to him being completely stunned was that the man's feet were completely covered in red scales similar to his hands, each having black sharp nails to boot. Though, refraining from jumping the gun, Kuzuku decided to verify their identity, "Ryo. . .?" The person in question smiled and nodded.

"Yup, you're probably confused but. . .," Ryo paused before returning a sharp glare towards Krugel, his Ki emitting a dangerous magenta that generated a sudden burst of force. Both Krugel and Kuzuku were taken aback before Ryo stepped around the latter to get in close. Before he could even react, Krugel momentarily felt the air leave his body as Ryo's palm struck him in the chest, his body rocketing several meters away as he let out a gasp, "Explanations will have to wait. Just leave him to me for now,"

As the Ex-God of Destruction skidded to a stop, Kuzuku stood a bit starstruck from what had just happened, almost not even processing the claim his space-traveling friend had made. He blinked a few times before returning back to reason. He could put aside the questions for now, that he could agree on but. . .,"He–Hey! Explanations can wait, I can agree. But, taking him on alone? At this point, he's far too dangerous and has been holding back."

"I'm aware of that," Ryo affirmed.

The Saiyan frowned at how casual he was from hearing that, "Then, let me he–"

"Help?" Ryo completed his sentence for him before adding, "Perhaps after so rest, sure. But right now, you've already reached your limit on how much damage your body can take."

Kuzuku was about to protest before suddenly as if it were on cue, his body began to feel heavy. Really heavy. His knees buckled and hit the ground while his hands were used to stop his fall. He breathed heavily, his body beginning to glow before finally reverting back into his base form with the tears of his black shirt flowing within the golden wind. Arms shaky and eyes dreary, the Saiyan inwardly cursed, "Damn. . .was the damage really that much? I'm completely drained. . ." Looking down, Ryo shook his head.

"I guess old habits do die hard. . .," Ryo mentally noted, his attention turning back to Krugel who had been catching his breath while shooting daggers at him. The space traveler sighed, "Now rest easy, I can handle this guy for a bit. His power isn't something so foreign to me anyways."

Krugel raised an eyebrow from hearing that. His power isn't foreign to him? Meaning he's familiar with the origin or rather, the root to where he obtained all this strength. Being a God of Destruction was one thing, and even the Saiyan he was fighting was familiar with it. But, the secondary power he was using wasn't knowledgeable to any of the current Gods of Destruction and only a few angels knew about it. Even though it was pretty much granted and nothing close to the real deal, he was positive no one would know. That only raised some form of suspicion towards this. . .new fellow that rudely interrupted the supposed-to-be climax. His eyes lingered on him for a moment, only spotting one feature that seemed to have gone overlooked by the Saiyan. Beneath their clothing and visible between the gaps was something that made his eyes widen with curiosity. A circle, outlined with flame pattern markings and a star in the center was emitting a specific Ki that was all too familiar. No. . .if he had to guess, "It's not just one marking, there are several more of them. Four? No. . .Seven? Definitely seven of those same markings probably hidden underneath his clothes." After reassessing his suspicions were true by double-checking his senses, Krugel couldn't help but smirk while standing up straight.

"Rude of you to interrupt," Krugel said bluntly.

Ryo raised an eyebrow before laughing it off, "Oh, my apologies. You were about to kill my friend here so I decided to intervene since I was close enough anyways. Good thing you weren't a tad bit faster." The remark didn't skip over the Ex-God of Destruction's head, his eyes twitching before calming himself down.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to be any use in the first place. Next time, I won't take my time," Krugel shrugged. His face then tensed, his aura indicating he was beginning to grow more serious, "Especially since it's you after all. I don't know what business you have with that Saiyan over there, but I guess once the dog is let off their leash they're free to suck up to just about anyone."

Ryo took a mental step back, his smile frozen on his face before frowning, "I see, so he's even told you about me as well. To be honest, I thought he would forget about me given how much he despised my existence itself." Krugel smirked and without a word, flared his Ki before instantly diminishing it to reveal an aura shrouding his body. His fist tightened before unclenching.

"A little bit," Krugel admitted before dashing forward. Ryo took his stance immediately, his guard already ready to defend himself from oncoming attacks. However, his sharp eyes were able to detect the deceit from the Ex-God of Destruction's movement, his scaled hand reaching across to grab his wrist of Krugel's aimed to skewer Kuzuku once more. The two locked eyes for a moment before Ryo retaliated with a punch aimed directly towards the frontal lobe, the strike stopping halfway as Krugel managed to catch his fist. A slight pause occurred, the rubble around them levitating from the energy unleashed from the physical contact. Krugel slyly smiled, "He just said that if I ever run across you then I must erase you at all cost."

Ryo's face deadpanned, "Yeah, I figured as much. Though. . .too bad." Before Krugel could even process the meaning behind his words, he suddenly felt a firm punch strike him dead in his chest. His eyes bulged, the feeling of his sternal cavity compressing in on itself nearly causing him to pass out with the pain distracting him from the fact that he was currently rocketing towards the other side of the crater before crashing into the wall. Standing before him was a long, dug-up trail as an effect of the punch as he faintly noticed Ryo's outstretched hand and the Saiyan's shocked expression. Brushing off the rubble that covered him and wiping the blood leaking from his mouth, he rushed forward once more only for Ryo to meet him in the middle of his approach. The two locked eyes for a moment before suddenly, their fist began to fly through the air to the point they looked like afterimages. Sparks of their respective Ki began to fly, the indications of collision of strikes cause a fierce gust around them. However, Ryo managed to slip under a fierce right hook and landed an uppercut that sent Krugel stumbling back a bit.

While dazed, the mysterious traveler angled his hips and raised his leg for a clear kick to the skull, the action alone causing Krugel to raise his guard. A glint was seen in Ryo's eyes, his leg changing directory to direct his kick downward towards the back of the Ex-God of Destruction's hamstring. An audible grunt was heard before he retaliated with a sudden Ki blast from close range, the sight of it practically forcing Ryo to block in surprise. Upon contact, the explosion accord and the ensuing shockwaves sent the mysterious traveler backward while blowing away the dust with his wings. His focus remained strong, his sharp eyes caught a faint sign of movement circling him. He didn't pay too much mind to it and simply acted, his red wings suddenly beginning to glow an oozing red. With a mere gesture of sweeping his wing across his body, Ryo fired several slash waves all around him that ripped through the ground indiscriminately. Seeing this, the figure that was Ryo leaped into the air to dodge it though, as soon as he was just about 50 meters above ground, he could feel danger lurking behind him. Turning a second too late, he felt a pair of closed hand slam into the back of his skull which resulted in him taking a nose dive towards the ground. The ground exploded on impact before Krugel let out a burst of Ki out of frustration.

"This bastard—!" He growled for a moment before stopping as soon as he saw him fast approaching from above with a fist cocked back and ready for him. Krugel mumbled an inaudible curse, his feet kicking backward as he watched Ryo's fist slam into the ground and create a crater from where he previously stood. Though he saw this as a chance and smirked, his body was already springing into action and lunging towards him when he got control of himself in the air, "He's mine!"

His thought was filled with momentary ecstasy that would soon turn into complete shock. Their eyes made contact and swirling around his current adversary was an all too familiar stance. The wind began to whip around violenting before Ryo unleashed his attack, "Teiryudou: Kechuku!". Similar to his previous encounters, an abnormally powerful air blast rushed towards him and rippled the ground like a spiral though this time, it appeared more deadly. Though with little choice, he crossed his arms and put up a barrier just before the attack collided, the ensuing winds exploding all around the surrounding area. Kuzuku covered his eyes, his weakened state struggling to keep a solid footing on the ground.

Soon enough, the dust began to clear to reveal Krugel's arms to be noticeably bruised and burned. He groaned and shot Ryo a glare, "So he can use the same style as well. . .fine!" Without a word, he decided to continue on the offensive, his speed increasing even greater than before to the point that Ryo could barely still perceive him closing the distance. Instinctively, the mysterious traveler motioned his hands to block, however, the Ex-God of Destruction was simply one step ahead. Cleverly, he latched his hand around Ryo's scaled wrists to prevent him from raising it to protect himself. Eyes widened in surprise before nearly growing dreary from the sudden roundhouse knee to the side of his temple. Though Krugel had to admit, either he was hard-headed or his skin was absurdly tough. Nevertheless, he kept up the ruthlessness and continued to unleash a barrage of knee strikes at the same spot in hopes of breaking through. Each blow left deafening shockwaves that stretched several meters around them and left Ryo even more dazed.

But, he wasn't going to take it. His eyes glared with a bright red and forced Krugel to halt his assault. His mouth opened, visible flames beginning to exude from the inners of his mouth. Acting quickly, he released his grip and retreated just mere milliseconds before Ryo unleashed a pillar of flames from his mouth that stretched out towards the sky. Krugel's feet skid to a stop as he watched the flames diminish. There was a small pause between them before Krugel touched the ground with his hand and dashed forward at the same time Ryo kicked off the ground. Within the time frame it takes for someone to blink, the crater began to become littered with multiple shockwaves from their exchanges with each warrior trading blow for blow. A left kick to the Ex-God's jaw. A straight punch to the traveler's face. A returned knee to the stomach while simultaneously taking a right hook across the jaw before finally the two cross-countered each other with power punches to each other's cheek before vanishing once more.

"Holy crap. . ." Kuzuku muttered as he was watching the whole fight unfold before him. Despite the two only really training with each other for such a short amount of time, he had to admit that Ryo's power was certainly impressive. In fact, he'd argue that he was definitely stronger than him in his Grand Super Saiyan 4 state several times over. That was just a rough estimation though one thing did stand to be a fact. He was certainly raising some questions. At first, he seemed normal and even he admitted he didn't have much combat experience. But now seeing him fight, Kuzuku couldn't help but become suspicious. Inexperienced as he may be, one doesn't just go up against someone capable of defeating a God of Destruction out of the blue with such little inexperience. The chances of that happening were as slim as winning the lottery three times in a row while also surviving multiple lightning strikes. Then there was this new appearance or form of his that came out of nowhere. He was dwelling between either him having it in his back pocket for situations like this or had somehow unlocked it with some secret training. Those two always seemed to be the case when it comes to the predicaments he along with his friends gets into. Nevertheless, he recalled back to what 21 had said earlier and awkwardly smirked, "Wow, I owe her an apology when I get back. She was right. . .Ryo certainly isn't normal. But. . ."

Just as that thought passed, the two reappeared in the center of the crater to reveal Krugel's knee colliding with Ryo's chin. As he was stunned, the Ex-God of Destruction took the opportunity to palm his face before slamming the back of his head into the ground. Mercilessly, he dragged his body across the dirt before finally slamming him into the wall. Then, as the smoke cleared, his aura began to shroud pressed together fingers aiming to puncture a hole through the mysterious traveler. However, before he could even take the attempt, he felt Ryo's foot implant itself in his chest, the sudden blow forcing him to release his grip as he was sent flying several dozen meters away. He somersaulted mid-air before landing on his feet, eyes remaining directly on the target that was dusting himself off with moderate breathing. He took the moment to make note, "He's the total opposite of the Saiyan I must say. His natural raw power is impressive considering his identity. Though, that's much easier to deal with over time in comparison to the Saiyan who's more skilled. All I need to do is buy a little more time. . ." On the other hand, Ryo took a glance down at his hand. A flicker of gold-energy wrapping around it managed to catch his attention.

"I'm running low on time. . .," Ryo frowned internally while noticing Krugel's smirk, "Any more power than this and I might go into stasis. If that happens then Kuzuku will be killed. I could of conserving more if I was as good as Kuzuku with Teiryudou but I barely managed to get the hang of Kechuku let alone imitate the techniques he just created. Regardless though. . ."

Before that thought could fully finish, Ryo dashed forward with the intent of taking the offensive. From his feet to his knee, his leg began to become surrounded by the wind before hurling the devastating kick toward his opponent's skull. Krugel's eyes glistened and ducked under the kick before taking the opportunity to grab his leg. The mysterious traveler hissed before Krugel spun around and tossed him towards Kuzuku who was still weakened. He was ready to move, however, he seconded against that action when he notice the Ex-God of Destruction extending his hand out. Internally cursing him, his body became tense the moment Krugel unleashed a barrage of spikes that came from multiple angles with some even bending. Quickly, Ryo touched the ground and clenched his fist. The spikes drew closer to him in what felt like seconds to him, his fist tightening in response. He couldn't afford to waste any more energy so he opted for a more conservative response. His fist began to fly rapidly, the spikes breaking one by one at a rate like no other. Yet, they seemed to be endless. As soon as one broke, several more came after to which he was starting to get annoyed.

Though, in a split second, they ceased only to somehow start to come from behind. Ryo didn't have more time to think, his body turning almost on instinct with a Kechuku ready and loaded. Fiercely, his leg swung, unleashing the very same spiraling torrent of air pressure that blew away the spikes as if they were a house caught in a tier 10 hurricane. His teeth clenched once his foot touched the ground, the strain starting to show from another use of the technique yet he couldn't let up. His eyes dart from left to right in searching for the enemy. However, he quickly noticed the two of them had already become surrounded from all angles. With little choice, he grits his teeth, his eyes becoming completely white while an immense power that made Kuzuku shiver began to surge from within. His left horn began to glow before gaining a crack while the spikes drew closer to skewer them alive. With a fierce roar that was akin to that of a dragon, his Ki exploded into a large, red wave of energy that spanned outward in all directions while disintegrating all of their assailants at once. Within a small period, the crater became filled with crimson light before diminishing into the rising cloud of smoke and debris.

From the outside, it was as difficult to see as it was inside, the thick darkness of dirt caught within the air being a veil as to what was going on. Regardless, Ryo made sure to stay close by, his eyes taking a glance at Kuzuku who was coughing a bit due to the debris. He winced from trying to stand before commenting, "That was close, but don't you think you could of tone it down?" Ryo's demeanor relaxed a bit.

"Sorry, I thought we were in a pickle that required drastic measures. That, and I was hoping to provide some cover for us within the smoke. . .," Ryo said.

Though, Kuzuku sighed and shook his head, "Yes, and also help conceal the enemy at the same time? Plus, it doesn't matter much if you can't have difficulty in concealing your Ki and I can't move well enough as is."

"Ah!" Ryo gasped in realization. He did have a point. Despite the intentions, he did kind of pull a double-edged sword out of panic. One that held more of a risk than actual benefit. He kicked himself mentally for being so rash and stupid at the same time but he knew he couldn't dwell on it. As of right now, he was counting on him and unlike before, he won't let him down. He turned and refocused on the fight at hand, his eyes scanning the surrounding cloud of dirt for signs of movement. Anything could spring out at any moment from anywhere. That was a given. However, what would happen next was something that he couldn't have accounted for as a voice within the concealing veil of brown filled their ears.

"Well, it's been fun."

Before they could react, the smoke suddenly cleared from something rising up from beneath the earth. Distortion from the ground within a radius of several dozen meters was the first thing they noticed before their eyes began to peer up towards the sky in complete shock. Surrounding the two warriors from Universe 7 were a dozen, glowing purple and green spikes, each one towering over them as if they were skyscrapers. Floating just a few feet above was none other than Krugel who was giving them a smug smirk from the shocked looks the two had on their faces. Ryo's mouth opened and closed in an attempt to speak out though without even hearing a word, the Ex-God of Destruction knew what was going on in his head.

"How?" He asked before answering, "I've planned this since our first few exchanges of course. Sorry, but dealing with you two has wasted so much time that I honestly don't have."

Hearing this, Ryo retraced the past events in his head, "When? When could he have—!" His thoughts halted when he recalled him touching the ground with his hand along with the spikes coming from multiple directions. It had to be during those instances that he had time to set this up. Moving around while attacking from different angles must have allowed him to plant the seeds for this trap. . .or whatever it was. Though, to Kuzuku, he could see anything special on the surface. His feet dug into the ground despite his condition. He was still rearing to fight.

"So what? Something like this won't stop us from flying up there and kicking you to the curb. Seems like a waste of time to me," Kuzuku claimed.

Though, this only served to make Krugel cackle, his stomach aching from the humor he was given. Then, with a sudden shift from amusement to pure sadistic malice, his eyes began to glow, "Don't worry, I'll just show! The technique that I used to use back in my hay day!" With a snap of his fingers, the sharp pillars that surrounded them began to grow in intensity. Not wanting to wait around and find out, Kuzuku was already getting ready to teleport out of the encirclement though he quickly realized that he was going to be a second too late.

"Destructive Way: Hakai Zone!"

*SSSSRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT*

Both Ryo and Kuzuku stood frozen as they felt a wave of pressure suddenly press against them. Oddly, their bodies began to feel heavy with their knees hitting the ground like they weighed the equivalent of a boulder. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to become outlined with a spiraling flame comprised of the Energy of Destruction before brightening it like it was a glowing purple hot plate. Soon enough, the two let out an audible scream of pain, their bodies being engulfed by the feeling of being torn apart. Similar flames began to exude off their skin, burning them relentlessly with no letting up. In fact, it only continued and Kuzuku could easily feel guess what was going on, noting with a pain groan"This is similar to Hakai but more like torture. . .!" Hearing this, Krugel mused before explaining.

"That's right, this technique is a personal one. By trapping the opponent with the Megaldon's Teeth imbued with destructive energy, I can enact a resonance between them. The Energy of Destruction bounces off each other and in return amplifies the effects within the area until the target is completely erased. It's rare to come across someone who can resist being erased from existence so this technique helps deal with pesky cockroaches such as yourself that refuse to accept their fate!" Krugel elaborated before snapping his fingers once more. The sharp pillars glowed even brighter than before, intensifying the pressure to the point that Kuzuku nearly blacked out. His body was slowly breaking and his mind was beginning to fade almost to the point that he couldn't hear Krugel's victorious laughter, "Hahahahahah, now cease to be and become nothing more than a memory!"

Inwardly and visibly, Kuzuku snarled at him before slowly turning his attention to Ryo who remained silent. He was panting but at least he didn't seem like he was in the same condition as he was. At least that was something but right now, he was really in a pickle. Weakly, he asked, "Ryo. . .can . . .can you move? I. . .I'm barely. . .concious . . . right now. . ." Difficult though still comprehensible through his blurry vision, Ryo shook his head and replied.

"N-No, I've used up too much power that I can afford. Anymore then I'll—" Ryo's last couple of words came out in an inaudible whisper. It was almost on purpose that Kuzuku got the gist of it and grunted before the mysterious traveler continued, "But, there is one thing I could do."

Kuzuku's ears twitched in hearing that, his consciousness even coming back a bit as he turned his attention to Ryo who was reverting back into his normal state. At first, he was worried that he had reached his limit as well though what made him more confused was the smile he was getting. It was weird. He couldn't understand it but it was almost like he was happy. In this situation where they were literally getting erased from existence? Had he lost his mind or. . .

"It's time that I return your gift. . .," Ryo muttered, his words drawing more confusion for the Sayain while he outstretched the palm of his hand towards him and touched his chest. Kuzuku raised an eyebrow at the sudden gesture. He had no clue what he had planned as he watched him close his eyes in focus nor did he know how this would help them in their predicament. But what did it matter? Anything would do to bring some hope to it even if it was just some bluff. He just had to believe in—!

Kuzuku's mind froze, his eyes widening while everything around him seemed to freeze and grow gray. He hadn't even noticed something transferring through his chest, a small, golden glow that came and went while his surroundings began to fade. Soon enough, he regained some form of awareness and his immediate question to everything was, "What. . .what's going on. . .?" Then, his surroundings began to fade into black in an instant


(Scenery Change, Within Kuzuku Ayoma's Psyche Or Rather. . .)

The moment Kuzuku thought he blinked, the world around him changed into something rather familiar. An occurrence that only had happened once and months ago when the fate of his universe was at stake. During the tournament, they pit the strongest of their respective universes in a death match that would decide their fates. The Tournament of Power. The place where his limits were shattered and he gained a form of clarity from his struggles throughout his early life. But now, similar to before, he found himself standing within the wasteland that he had imagined within his head. Where he confronted Kolard. . ."This is. . ." He looked around, expecting to see the full Saiyan side of himself yet it was to no avail. What did he expect, he literally watched him fade away as they became one which resulted in the Super Saiyan 5 transformation.

That's what he called it though, he knew that something was. . .off.

"I see, so it's about that time. . .?"

Kuzuku's eyes widened, his instinct causing him to turn and leap backward before taking a defensive stance. At first, he saw nothing but soon enough, something began to manifest. Fiery embers began to rise around him and collate into the shape of a humanoid figure whose features were nothing more than a blank canvas. The Saiyan stood dumbfounded at the new predicament and was having trouble discerning whether it was friend or foe. However, the figure raised a hand, "I mean you no harm. . .or well, I should say I'm nothing more than a vestige anyways so you don't have to worry." The voice entered his head once more. It was assuring and calm. From what he could infer, it was communicating with telepathy. His guard lowered, though he still stayed alert as he decided to start gaining some information.

"Vestige? Of what? Just who are you. . ." Kuzuku questioned.

The figure lowered its hand and for some reason, Kuzuku could feel a smile directed at him, "I suppose it's logical for you to ask those sort of things. Though my name is unimportant now. After this is completed, I'll cease to exist." This only served to garner more of the Saiyan's curiosity.

"Huh?" Kuzuku muttered.

Though without a word, the figure snapped its figure, the embers surrounding the two expanding into a golden flame that spread throughout the inner world. To the Saiyan's surprise, the landscape began to change, life flourishing into crimson grass and flowers resembling that of a lotus blooming within them. The sky began to be covered in golden clouds and the ground tremored as something began to rise in the distance behind the figure. Solid pillars upon pillars of flames came from the sky above and embedded themselves into the ground while something that looked to be in the center materialized out of thin air. Its appearance gave the Saiyan quite a shock, a feeling of familiarity washing over him as it formed. Fiery dust flurried around it, the golden gate standing tall enough to cause him to look like an ant in comparison. Subconsciously, Kuzuku took a step back before suddenly feeling the need to reach toward it. To open it simply because something was calling to him. If he had to make an accurate assessment on what it was it almost felt like. . .

"Home. . ." The Saiyan muttered.

Almost going unnoticed, the figure nodded, "I suppose . . .but as you said before, we have a new home to return to with people waiting for us, no?" Kuzuku's snapped out of his trance when he heard that. We? No. . .it couldn't be. He thought. . .

"There's no way, you're Kolard. Aren't yo—?" Kuzuku began though he was cut off by the figure shaking its head.

Now the Saiyan was confused even more, though he was given a quick reply, "The one you refer to as 'Kolard' never separated from you. You were always whole but self-conflicted and hated yourself which in return hurt me more in the process. I felt your anguish and bore with it ever since you were a child. All because I wanted to sedate my selfish desire of curiosity. But. . ." The figure paused, a part of his face slowly revealing itself. Once it was stopped halfway, Kuzuku nearly lost his breath. An identical face to his own was what he saw though the hair was slightly different in color. From what he could make out, it was silver and his eyes were. . .

"Regardless, you and I are the same. However, that will soon change. We. . .No, you will have to be the one to walk the rest of the way," The figure finished before raising his hand towards Kuzuku. Suddenly, the golden glow in his chest became noticeable to him as the figure smirked, "This power is now fully yours now. I'll leave everything to you so please stop him. . ."

"Just what are you saying. . .I don't understand a single thing—!" Kuzuku was interrupted by the sudden intensity of the embers that surrounded him. No. . .they weren't embers anymore. They were flower petals that were carried by the wind and it forced the Saiyan to shield his eyes. Though his vision was blurry, the man began to slowly fade, his smile still on his face despite what was happening. Kuzuku tried to move, however, his body felt heavy, "Wai–Wait. . .! Who are yo–you!?"

Something just wasn't adding up to him, which was why he asked that question again. However, there was no answer at first as the figure had fully vanished and ceased to be with the wind. Everything began to grow white as the lotus flowers fully took bloom around him, the only clarity given to him being a single echo in his head, "I'm a life you once lived. . .I'm. . ."


(Scenery Change, Returning Back To The Current Battlefield At Hand. . .)

"Sayonara. . .Sarutaku. . .May your Samsara begin. . .," Ryo murmured, a small tear sliding down his cheek before falling off the tip of his chin. The moment it touched the ground, Kuzuku's mind went blank. He couldn't even hear Krugel's laughter anymore, though he didn't need to as something seemed to have caused him to stop.

The Ex-God of Destruction leaned forward, his face shifting from ecstasy to curiosity, "What. . .something's not right here. There's a change in the air but I got them trapped. I'm sure of—!" His voice hitched the moment an immense pressure seemed to wash over him. He wasn't sure what had caused it but from what he could feel it was certainly frightening. Soon enough, he noticed the Hakai Pillars he had set up begin the crack under the weight, his shock plastered over his face at the sudden occurrence. His eyes darted down toward the two combatants that he was aiming to eliminate. The mysterious space traveler had already deformed as expected. He knew he couldn't have possibly kept that form given his nature but the Saiyan was different. Nothing had changed noticeably about him. No fur-like transformation resembling that of an ape nor was there any spiky golden hair that defied gravity. Not even blue hair like the other two he mentioned before.

He was still the same.

"Then what could have happened?" Krugel grumbled before losing his breath, "Wait. . ."

Before he could even finish that sentence, a small twitch of Kuzuku's hand was all it took. A slight movement and it happened.

*Crack!* *Crack!* *Crack*

Little by little, the pillars began to gain more cracks in them before finally shattering into millions upon millions of pieces before Krugel's very eyes. The Energy of Destruction quickly began to fade and in an instant, dread began to wash over him. Meanwhile, shards of the structures fell all around the two warriors from Universe 7, the silence between them deafening while Krugel took the opportunity to land just several meters in front of them. He had to get a closer look, to confirm his suspicions.

He wasn't the only one taken aback by this predicament either as the angels who were maintaining the barrier around the planet were also quite surprised as well though for a different reason than his own.

"Brother. . .I thought they weren't that far into their training?" Vados raised an eyebrow.

Whis slowly felt a sweat trickle off his brow not out of fear of being surpassed but surprise at the rate of their growth, "They weren't. . .but to think one of them had already obtained the quality of Supreme Ki is. . ."

"Yes, it's quite impressive. Though doesn't it feel weird?" Vados added.

The male angel of Universe 7 nodded in agreement and simply said nothing afterward They had to focus on keeping the barrier up anyways and angels aren't allowed to intervene in mortal matters anyways even if this Ki was certainly not normal.

Back to the crater, Kuzuku slowly stood up from where he stood and took several steps forward, his eyes shadowed by the strands of his hair and the pain from having his legs skewered nearly becoming an afterthought. His head tilted towards Ryo who seemed a bit drained before asking, "Ryo, you alright. . .?" The mysterious traveler nodded.

"Yes. . ., make sure you give him a good beating," Ryo assured.

The Saiyan nodded and averted his attention back to Krugel who stood in complete shock. As Kuzuku slowly walked toward him to make sure Ryo doesn't get caught up in the crossfire, Krugel was beginning to find that his suspicions were becoming more of a reality. This feeling of wanting to fight for his king was crawling all over his back and not letting up, "Lord Enshoku was right. There's no mistaking it. This Ki, the air around him, and even the way he breathes. He's the one. . ." Kuzuku raised his head while a halo made of orange flames began to wrap around his head as his eyes were revealed.

"The Wisdom King Who Wields That Can Perceive The Realm Of Karma."


A/N: Sorry for the wait! The turning point of the Sadala Invasion Arc has finally come with the unexpected surfacing from the shadows. I've decided to release this chapter a bit ahead of schedule since I was working on it at the same time I was working on the previous chapter. Mainly because the ending of this chapter was to serve as the first transition of the main storyline of Tenkai with Kuzuku's mysterious new awakening. Anyways, I don't want to explain too much about it for now. I'll let the story itself do it for me. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Until we meet again!