Yamcha balked, taking a step backwards. His entire body was screaming one single instruction: Run. He felt like he had to flee. This man's very presence commanded fear, and Yamcha felt like the first movement would be enough to get him killed. T-That isn't an option...!He thought to himself. He outright said he'll destroy the Earth...if I run now, I'll let Earth be blown up without a fight! We're still martial artists, after all! Yamcha clenched both of his hands at his sides, his face working, shouting forward a kiai. Around his palms, the ghostly visage of two wolf heads materialised. "Shin Rōgafūfūken — Dainiji!"
Tenshinhan's three-eyes widened, watching Yamcha from the waiting wings. "H-He's going to fight him?!"
Piccolo growled. "Damn it! Everyone, caution to the wind! If he's already set on destroying the planet, there's no reason to hold back now!"
At Piccolo's command, the Dragon Team armed themselves, so to speak, and hurtled themselves into battle. Yamcha lunged forward first, the lupine images on his palms ethereally following his movements. A torrential hurricane rushed forward from the martial artists thrusting motion, twin wolves bearing down upon Beerus as they forced the wind to bend to their shape. The Hakaishin, clad in his purple glow, stood calm within the rushing storm, and it passed over him akin to a light breeze. The ground beneath him was rent asunder, yet the Hakaishin remained unperturbed.
"I think it's a shame, really," said Beerus to a stunned Yamcha's face. "This planet was almost beginning to grow on me. The food is delicious, and I was received well. You even provided entertainment unlike any other planet — the fighting competitions hosted on other worlds are dreadfully dull — so it's almost a shame." His body slinked out of the way flawlessly, avoiding the rush of an incoming Videl. The girl nearly lost her balance, and Beerus placed his forefinger and thumb to her back, flicking his finger with thunderous force. Videl was violently pushed into the path of Yamcha, who in a panicked tried to catch the girl. She crashed into him, and the two were knocked off the fighting stage. "I'm quite a friendly god, but disrespect is something I simply will not tolerate."
Following shortly behind Videl was No. 18. Her forward rush was countered easily when Beerus vanished and re-emerged behind her, striking the woman in the back of the neck and knocking her out. He sent her unconscious form flyong from the stadium after Yamcha and Videl without batting an eye.
"I-I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU, FOLKS!" shouted the announcer, who long since fallen from the shattered barrier and taken cover in the above floating stands. "A FELINE MAN FROM THE STANDS HAS SUDDENLY BEGUN TO ASSAULT THE CONTESTANTS! AUDIENCE ON COMPETITOR VIOLENCE IS A FIRST IN THE HISTORY OF THIS VENERABLE TOURNAMENT!"
The glimmering deity shifted his attention to Piccolo and Goten, the latter having transformed into a Super Saiyan 2. Master and student bolted towards Beerus, but were met violently with the same composed savagery. Beerus' clawed hand clasped around Goten's throat, and his tail snaked its way around to Piccolo's ankle. He slammed the Super Saiyan 2 into the tournament arena, pulling Piccolo down and dragging him across the tiles before letting him fly. Almost in perfect sync despite the pain, Goten and Piccolo thrust their hands forward towards Beerus, releasing a kikōha apiece.
Yellow and blue crashed into what appeared to be thin air around Beerus before fizzling out entirely.
He...
...has a barrier?!
Goten and Piccolo felt equal, simultaneous amounts of shock at seeing their techniques shrugged off so easily. The Nameccian skidded to a stop, having been freed from Beerus' hold, while Goten was still pressed to the ground. He pressed both palms to the stage, and forced ki to tunnel beneath the surface. Rushing his arms upward, the ki followed his command, and erupted from beneath Beerus in a glowing geyser. The blast collided with the 'air' around Hakaishin, proving his barrier was applicable from every angle.
"Desperate to have him back, are you?" asked Beerus. "Then here, take him." Casually, he tossed Goten towards his teacher. Piccolo braced himself, catching his student before tumbling backwards from the force.
"What's going on?!" Trunks' voice came from the direction of the hospital wing as he flew pell-mell towards the source of the chaos. The long-haired martial artist was aghast when he saw a strange, cat-like man standing in the center of a now pummeled ring, his master and best friend splayed out on what were formerly tiles. He could sense Videl only a short distance away — thank Dende she was alive — and could see Yamcha standing only a foot from Beerus, mercifully conscious.
Beerus looked up at the floating form of Trunks, the soft glow died down from his body, flashing a sinister grin. "Ahh, the young Prince. You're late to the party, boy. I was going to destroy this entire planet, but before I do, why don't you tell me — do those of royal blood know of the existence of a Super Saiyan God?"
"Super Saiyan...God?" repeated Trunks. "No, I have no idea what that is, but more importantly, did you do all of this?" Trunks gestured to ruination of his mother's tournament and the scattered bodies of his friends.
Beerus scratched behind his ears, letting out a dramatic sigh. "So even the Prince doesn't know what the Super Saiyan God is...I really should just blow up this planet after all."
That was all Trunks needed to hear, regardless of whether he got an answer. He could put two and two together and realise that this man was the 'Hakaishin' that Piccolo had mentioned to them not much earlier. But if he was the Hakaishin, and he'd easily sent Piccolo and Goten flying...Trunks felt a bead of sweat slide down his face. Thinking was't going to do him any good. Hesitation would just result in the destruction of their planet. He clenched his fists, and charged down Beerus, transforming in a burst of light into a Super Saiyan.
The Hakaishin cast a lazy glance towards Trunks, and lightly stepped aside, dodging each and every punch and kick with the ease of a skilled dancer. Light on his feet, and quick to react, Beerus didn't allow a single one of Trunks' blows to touch his skin. Refusing to take Trunks' onslaught seriously, the Hakaishin was unable to hide his boredome, and caught the fist of the incoming halfling. "Three powerful Saiyans in a single day and not one of them is the arch-rival I'm looking for."
Trunks found himself completely unable to move, despite Beerus only gripping his arm. He was frozen. Was it fear? Or something else? In an instance, Beerus thrust his hand forward, sending Trunks careening away with a powerful kiai. He crashed into the exact spot where Goten and Piccolo were, laying still. The Hakaishin turned around from the unconscious bodies, and began to rise into the air. If there was no way to bring out a Super Saiyan God, ridding this world with its disrespectful humans was the next step. His purple aura began to burn around his body again, but before he could make good on bringing down the final blow, a voice called out to him.
"Beerus!"
Beerus, yellow eyes wide, looked down to see who was speaking to him in such an audacious way. A bald man had just hopped onto the arena a stranger to the Hakaishin who had yet to participate in the first round of the now interrupted tournament. From his three eyes emitted a glow of blood red that wiped away his pupils, pulsing with the thrum of a heartbeat. His skin itself had turned a shade of deep red as well, as if all the blood boiled beneath and shifted the pigment of the outer surface of his body completely; bulking his enormous built to befit his demonic image. From this skin bore an overlapping shroud, bubbling like boiling water within the light, cracking crimson tendrils of bio-energy ebbing across the surface of the exterior mantle over the three-eyed warrior. With this mantle came faux appendages, branching out of his shoulders and an additional pair of faces contorted with the same expression as the front, with three-eyes becoming nine and their intense visages all acting as one.
"You won't have a chance to destroy the Earth without fighting me first!"
"Is that so?" replied the Hakaishin. "You're interesting for an Earthling...your power is almost familiar. Didn't the blonde girl from earlier exhibit a similar power?"
"That's right!" breathed Tenshinhan, steam emanating from his throat. "This is the power I received from the Chōshinsui!"
Ten Years Ago, The Sacred Land of Karin, Karin Tower
"I can't stress how dangerous this will be," said Karin, holding the container of the Chōshinsui. "I only allowed Gohan and Erasa to drink this water because the situation was incredibly dire. The same with Gokū all those years ago. The Kame-Sennin came here seeking Chōshinsui once, but I merely gave him the same tap water I'd given Gokū the first time around. This..." he poured the black liquid into a cup, and placed it in front of Tenshinhan "...will be something different entirely. What are your reasons for pursuing more power, Tenshinhan?"
"My...reasons?"
"It's only natural that I would ask," replied Karin as if it would obvious. "The water in essence draws out one's hidden powers, but this isn't all. It was created by the former God of Earth, Shangdi. This water—" he gestured to the black liquid in the cup that appeared to be the absolute furthest thing from 'water' "—will test you in ways you cannot imagine. And if your convictions prove to be just and true, the essence of Shangdi that resides in this water will bring out your hidden powers, and bless you with abilities you couldn't dream of."
"Blessed..by God?" Tenshinhan gaped. It all seemed too good to be true for such a simple looking liquid. He knelt down, and looked at the cup. "And this is what happened to the girl Gohan is with?"
"Correct," replied Karin. "To Gohan as well, hence why you can barely recognise him when you feel his
ki. Those two drunk the Chōshinsui for the sake of protecting the planet; Shangdi recognised their desires and brought out their strength and then some. To keep the Earthlings he cherished safe. It isn't the way a martial artist should gain strength, but desperate times call for desperate measures. But for now, we're past those desperate times." He leaned on his staff. "Peace is beginning again, and while I do not recommend slacking off on your training, power might not be needed for power's sake."
Tenshinhan frowned. His convictions? Tested by the Chōshinsui? He stood up, picking up the cup and holding it gingerly within his palms. "I'm the same as the others. Earth is my home as well. I hate myself for not being able to protect it when Majin Bū was unleashed. But at the same time...I'm ashamed. I should have been stronger. I've dedicated my life to my training, and Bū killed me with the ease of stepping on an ant." His convictions may not be noble, but they were burning regardless. "I'm willing to risk my life to become stronger, Master Karin."
Karin smiled. "You're as tenacious as any Saiyan. Then drink, Tenshinhan. Drink, and let Shangdi judge you."
Tenshinhan's burning red aura blazed to life around his body, and he launched himself into the air. All six of his appendages readied themselves for battle. The shroud of ki that bubbled around him flared, the Crane School martial artist launching himself into the air. The demonic-Earthling materialised in front of Beerus, the flashing of his eyes growing even more intensely. In a single stretch of all six palms, a seemingly insignificant gesture, manifested something bizarre. The wind contorted, forming colossal fists of blazing flame. The Hakaishin's eyes widened, and he cocked his fist back, retaliating quickly. His barrage of physical punches matched the onslaught of manifested ki fists. Fist crashing against ki, Beerus and Tenshinhan released waves of shocking force that could be compared to a shower of bombs; it was a nightmare and a beauty in a single motion.
"YAMCHA!" shouted Tenshinhan above the cacophony. "NOW!"
"Right!" responded the white-clad martial artist. He cupped his hands to his sides, taking the familiar stance of the Kamehameha. The ki began to swirl and glow within his palms, dyeing Yamcha in the blue hue of the familiar technique. Bleeding through the gaps between his fingers, the Kamehameha was fully formed, burning brightly. "TAKE THIS, HAKAISHIN! THE SUPER KAMEHAMEHA!" Yamcha thrust his arms upward, his entire body erupting in ki, rushing upwards in a blue beam, closing in on Beerus.
Tenshinhan leapt backwards instantly, disrupting the exchange between him and the Hakaishin. Beerus was instantly enveloped in the Super Kamehameha's storm of ki, obscuring him from view. Staring into the blue abyss, all six of Tenshinhan's arms formed the vaguely triangle shaped sign of Tenshinhan's signature technique. "MUGAMI: KIKŌHŌ!" Instantaneously, three gigantic yellow blasts of ki coalesced into a single blast that encased Beerus' within its glow, completely overwhelming Yamcha's Super Kamehameha with ease.
The onlookers who hadn't fallen unconscious due to Beerus' sheer pressure could only watch in awe, witnessing the strongest fighters on their planet attempt to fend off the Hakaishin. They had never seen a battle of this magnitude, and apart from the explosions of ki, much of it had been lost on them.
It was only when the flashing and blinding lights had died down, however, that Yamcha and Tenshinhan were able to look on in sheer horror. All seven sets of eyes between the two of them widened, their mouths agape, trembling in dread. The Hakaishin floated calmy where he had been at the moment of impact between their two techniques. He hadn't even budged. There was a slight flickering of ki that circled his body and quickly faded away, making it very apparent what had denied their ultimate techniques.
Beerus' barrier had neutralised them entirely. The difference between a human and a Hakaishin was to the extent that a god didn't require movement to defend himself.
"His...power..." stammered Tenshinhan, pushing himself backwards in the air. "It...it can't be real." In that instance, his entire body felt a surge of fear. Without his own conscious command, he fled to the arena itself, his feet clacking against the destroyed tiles. Tenshinhan looked down at his original set of arms, and saw his entire body trembling. Fear...?! Without even thinking, my body ran from this man in fear...! He glanced back to the sky, seeing that Beerus was no longer there.
"You have good instincts," breath hit his neck; the three-eyed martial artist turned to see Beerus standing behind him, both arms folded behind his back. "Much like the Saiyan I fought before. But not a single one of you can match me." He inched closer to Tenshinhan. "For humans, you all are quite interesting. I had high hopes for this planet, surprising to you though that may seem." He inclined his head slightly. "I don't often keep my identity under wraps you know; I'm quote proud of being a deity. But I wanted to see how you humans treated someone who you thought was your equal or lesser; the general fear response can become quite tired. But suffice to say...this planet is a disappointment."
"Tenshinhan, ru—" Yamcha shouted, but his sentence was never completed. Beerus sharply kicked Tenshinhan in the side, sending him careening towards Yamcha. He crashed into the man, and they skidded off the arena and down to the ground. Despite having dispatched fresh new opponents, Beerus could feel movement on the arena. Piccolo, Goten, and Trunks were forcing themselves to their feet, looking ragged. The 'M' that emblazoned Piccolo's forehead was flashing, and the Nameccian showed obvious irritation.
"A godly test?" he muttered, having heard Beerus' proclamation. "Don't you think that's a little bold, Lord Beerus?"
"I admire your tenacity," said Beerus. "But I can feel you were formerly a sort of 'god' yourself. Don't you think you of all people should know that challenging me is pointless?"
"Logically, you'd think so," replied Piccolo, flashing an exhausted grin. "But we're more known for our stubborn streak at this point. Underestimating Earth will come back to bite you, Lord Beerus."
"Oh?" Beerus flashed a sinister smirk. "Then why don't you show me? Prove that this trip wasn't an entire waste of my time."
Vibrant yellow ki began to burn around Piccolo's palms. He thrust his arms forward repeatedly, releasing a flurry of kikōha into the sky. Each and every sphere missed Beerus without any effort on his own to dodge them, and the Hakaishin was admittedly bewildered. He looked left, right, upwards and behind, and soon found himself surrounded on all sides by shimmering golden spheres. With simply this display to draw conclusions from, the Hakaishin assumed the obvious; each and every blast would collapse in on him.
"Boys, get down!" Piccolo thrust both hands forward. "Makankōsappō!" From his palms, a thin beam of ki erupted, with another layer of ki spiraling over it. The blast lunged straight for one of the first ki spheres, and bounced off of it, redirected to another sphere. The Makankosappō proceeded from sphere to sphere, reflecting off of each like light from a mirror. Typically, Piccolo would utilise his own mind to do this, but Beerus had beaten him close to exhaustion already. A supplementary method was needed. The spiraling beam of ki kept its trajectory going, ensnaring Beerus in a light cage. The deity watched, moderately impressed, as the beam danced around him in its strange manner.
Suddenly, it took a dive, bouncing from the topmost sphere of ki and barreling downward. Despite what some would consider certain death, the Hakaishin remained still in the face of it. The Makankosappō crashed into the air above his head, making effort to tunnel against it in the hopes of finding purchase against his skull. A slight cracking sound occurred, and it soon became clear that it might very will happen. Piccolo grinned. It wasn't proper conduct to kill a god, especially not one such as the Hakaishin – but protecting their planet was one of the reasons they continued to train. To simply lie down and accept death because God said so was foolhardy.
"GO!" shouted Trunks.
"YOU CAN DO IT, PICCOLO!" cheered Goten.
Just as hope seemed to raise its head, Beerus's body began to flow purple. His mouth opened, the Hakaishin let loose a bellow of frustration. A curious shout that spread shockwaves throughout the arena. Piccolo's Makankosappō was disrupted, exploding, and the cage of light that had made it impossible to move was blown away by Beerus' might.
"I-Impossible…" gawked Piccolo.
"With only the shockwaves from his voice…" "He…really is a monster," said Goten weakly.
Beerus angrily glared at the trio. "In any other circumstance, I might be impressed. But right now, you're only compounding my anger." The Hakaishin's teeth bared themselves, and he made to lunge for the group. Only to find his body unable to move. Every muscle had seized up, nerves weren't sending messages from the brain, and he felt completely paralyzed. The situation ended as quickly as it had come – Beerus had shrugged it off with such ease – but it was enough to demand his attention.
Two individuals floated in the air, their arms outstretched and faces stony. The heavyset Majin Bū and slimmer Miss Bū. The Majin duo had employed their unique powers to keep Beerus delayed, if only for a moment.
Beerus blinked in surprise. "Oh…you're Majin Bū, aren't you?" He advanced closer, only meters from the two of them. "I heard you caused quite a ruckus not long ago…but now you're here on Earth? Did that Saiyan boy defeating you turn you over a new leaf or something?"
"This is our home now," said Miss Bū. "It doesn't really matter what Gohan did at this point. We're here now. Not even a god is going to stop that."
"That's some awful big boasting," replied Beerus. "Fine; let's see if you put up a better fight than the rest of this lot."
"Bū no fight you!" shouted the Djinn. The antennae on his head arched forward. "Bū turn you into chocolate!"
"Did you say choco—" For a split moment, the deity showed an expression of utter excitement — until he was cut off mid-sentence by a vibrant burst of pink light. The pink glow covered Beerus entirely, being the first thing to actually make it past his ki defence since the battle has begun. His body began to contort, shrinking and spasming until Beerus was no longer there. In his place was a round, chocolate drop of candy. Miss Bū, quicker than her husband, reached out and grabbed the chocolate before it fell to the ground. "Looks like my idea was a success; fighting him seemed pointless, so why not cut to the chase and turn him into candy instead?"
"Oh my," a surprised Whis remarked from the audience stands. "Lord Beerus slipped up. Magic is separate from ki, so it slipped right past his barrier." He placed a blue finger to his chin. "This might end poorly."
Chi-Chi shuddered. Beyond being an uncomfortable reminder of how she'd been killed a decade ago, the fact that the Majin family could still do that to what appeared to be a god was chilling.
Meanwhile, Pen was squirming in her lap, trying to edge her way towards the battle. "Grandma, I want to go fight too!"
"Absolutely not!" the young grandmother borderline shrieked. "You're a baby! Besides, the Majin family seems to have settled it."
"I never said that," chided Whis. "I suppose you may as well watch."
"Watch?" Chi-Chi looked over at Miss Bū, whose slim blue hand was tightening over the chocolate drop.
Piccolo frowned. "I never thought that Majin Bū's dreaded ability would actually come in handy. It's almost a bit…ridiculous?…to see Lord Beerus defeated like that."
"I still have nightmares about that technique," said Goten, his generally cheerful face dark. "But I suppose they are on our side now…" "
"Young Master Trunks, is it over?" The brunette Android, Qirka, flew over towards the scattered group. "The Mistress was formulating a plan, but if it's over…"
"Yeah, I think it's o—" Trunks' very statement was ill-advised; as if in cue, Miss Bū's eyes widened in horror as her hand was beginning to undergo a grotesque phenomena. Under ordinary circumstances, the putty-like hand would be unaffected by external forces; worse for wear, sure, but never annihilated. The air vibrated, making a loud thrumming sound akin to a rapidly buzzing engine that operated on thousands of decibels higher than the human ear could withstand. When a blur of momentum had inflated the appendage, it soon dissolved in a loud BANG, letting loose a fissure of sound barrier as the sonic technique utilized to destroy the Majin appendage showed precision and technique where none of Earth had conceived the notion of doing so.
The explosion that led to her hand's destruction blew both the Djinns backwards, Miss Bū gaping horrifically. Even as her body worked its natural magic and began to reform the destroyed appendage, she couldn't deny the shock of having it completely annihilated out of the blue.
"Well, if that isn't an interesting technique?" The deep, rumbling affair of Beerus spoke almost ethereally. Floating in the air was the chocolate drop, and with no mouth to speak of, his voice seemed to project itself. "It seems I slipped up; I didn't take 'magic' into consideration, now did I?" The candy-form of Beerus made several loops in the air, spiraling around, then settling back into one spot. "I hope you're not so naïve as to think downsizing me like this will be enough to win."
"He's...still moving...!" The horror in Piccolo's voice was very apparent. "The almighty Hakaishin is a piece of candy...but he's moving and talking...!"
"It looks like you two made a miscalculation," said Beerus, floating in the air, still resembling the seemingly harmless sphere of sweets. "You turned me into something absolutely mouthwatering…and yet I can't have any of it. That was your first mistake!" The chocolate drop rushed towards Miss Bū first, slamming his small body into her stomach. She rocked over in pain, clutching her guts, spilling bile forth that splashed onto the tiled arena. Liquid still dripping, she glared at Beerus as the latter moved deftly away.
"Secondly!" replied the angry Hakaishin, barreling towards Majin Bū with the force of a bullet, ripping through his skull. "You had the ability to create such delicious sweets but you didn't share with anyone? Such rudeness is a punishable offence!"
"Sweetie!" Miss Bū choked out, turning towards her husband in worry, but the Djinn was already hurriedly regenerating his head. Bū grit his teeth, and steam issued from every opening in his body, screeching akin to a kettle. "You make Bū big mad! You make big mistake! You already chocolate! Bū eat you!"
"Thirdly!" Beerus continued to list off offences, imagined or otherwise. He dashed towards the couple, avoiding Bū as the latter made a grab for him. Dancing madly around them, he crashed his small body into the both of them like a crazed pinball, leaving indentations against the pliable skin of both. "You made the mistake of underestimating a god! You thought your magic was foolproof? I've retained every ounce of strength! I suggest you turn me back, before I have Whis do it instead and make your punishment far, far worse." While lacking a face, it was clear that the Hakaishin was not bluffing. Even as a candy, he still held the upper edge.
Begrudgingly, it was Miss Bū who arched one of her tentacles towards the chocolate drop, and flashed bright blue light onto his form. Within the seizure inducing beam, and a puff of smoke, Beerus was easily restored to his usual state. The Hakaishin's restoration was followed by a brief silence, the tension in the air palpable. If Beerus had been annoyed by anyone — and truly, he was blaming the entire planet for the infractions of a small few — the family of Djinns were the ones that had angered him the most. Beerus leaned in towards the battered Majin Bū and Miss Bū, his expression disturbingly tranquil.
"I appreciate the fact that you were able to follow directions," he said, his tone light. "As I promised, your punishment will be light." As the Hakaishin raised a clawed hand to dispose of the two Majins, he found himself immediately accosted by a fierce blow and powerful sword strike, both of which he parried with an arm and leg. On one side was the feisty Rayo, and on the other, the calm and collected Mifune. Both martial artists had thrown themselves into the fray against Beerus, when they had previously been nowhere to be seen.
"What's this?" inquired Beerus. "More humans who want to stave off the inevitable?"
"I do not stake much in this planet," said Mifune, keeping her grip on her sword firm. "But I do not think it is just to allow someone to threaten destruction without care."
"And the old bag wouldn't let me here the end of it if I sat this one out," grinned Rayo, the markings on his body proceeding to spread again. "You'll find we're quite fond of our planet. Blowing it up just doesn't sit right with us."
"R-Rayo!" called out the exhausted Goten from below. "Where the hell were you during all of this?"
"Honestly, I wanted to scope the guy out," Rayo shouted, he and Mifune leaping away from Beerus. "To be honest, I don't think we can do anything at all...but I always told myself I'd die fighting!"
Beerus laid his hand down, surveying his opponents. The two Majins, an Earthling, and an Aarenian. To any human, these would be formidable opponents. To Beerus — well, his expression said the rest. His white teeth glinted in the afternoon sunlight, and the Hakaishin flexed his fingers. Without a warning, he lunged towards Mifune first; blurring out of sight, his hand crashed into the woman's torso. Blood sprayed into the air, though mercifully internals did not fly. The Hakaishin grinned, the blood seeping from his claws.
"Your race isn't so average after all; those were good reflexes. I only grazed you."
Beerus' vision was acute; to avoid being gored, Mifune had instinctively stepped backwards, avoiding the brunt of Beerus' strike. The lithe woman gripped her side, the red blood moving in with her blue kosode, dyeing it near black at the site of the wound. "Praise from a god…should not feel so unearned."
I didn't see him move, Rayo thought, eyes wide. A Destruction God. The idea had seemed ridiculous at first, yet he didn't think he could deny it now. He was within inches from this man, and he hadn't seen a single motion that had led to Mifune's fresh wound. I've dealt with some pretty fast people…but this bastard makes them look like they're all in slow motion.
In that instant, the mood shifted. Rayo, the duo of Būs, and the wounded Mifune shifted into an attacking formation. Beerus' lazily reached over to catch Rayo's strike, and casually threw him into Mifune, causing the two crash into each other, disrupting their rhythm. He snapped his leg behind him, catching Miss Bū with a blow to the chin, following this by ramming his elbow to strike Majin Bū, the latter of whom had aimed to attack from the other side. Gripping the husband and wife by their head tentacles, he thrashed them together, casually dropping their defeated forms to the ground below.
Goten and Trunks watched on in horror, while Beerus began to make short work of Rayo and Mifune as well. Batting away her sword as if it was made of plaster, the Hakaishin suddenly pulled Mifune in by the tip of her blade, and placed pressure onto the middle of her forehead. The woman's eyes whited out, her body went limp, and Beerus let her fall. Rayo was the final target. Beerus casually avoided each and every strike made by the tattooed martial artist, at one point casually deflecting an incoming strike with ease. With a claw, the Hakaishin hit multiple points on Rayo's body; Rayo faltered, his vision swimming, after which he too lost consciousness and crashed to Earth.
"He's too much...!" Piccolo gasped. "Is this what it means to be a Hakaishin?"
A gust of wind erupted into the air, Quirka propelling herself aloft. Her brown hair whipped in the wind, and bespectacled girl formed a glowing mass of ki within her palms. "Young Master, try and take cover to protect yourself! Wait for the Mistress!"
"W-Wait, Qirka—" Trunks immediately objected, on the grounds of common sense, but Qirka was determined to at least provide some sort of a decoy for the Hakaishin to focus his attention on. To the chagrin of all, it worked very well, for focus Beerus did. His ki flared up, raising an arm towards the incoming Android. Golden ki swirled around his hand, and the Hakaishin grinned. "So you're the last one?" A burst of light, an impact, and the situation became clear. Goten had thrown himself between Beerus and Qirka, placing both hands in front of him. The kikōha was stopped in its tracks by a powerful wall of Super Saiyan ki, keeping it at bay. His face working, Goten forced the sphere of ki into the air. Grabbing Qirka, he dashed back towards the ground, panting exhaustively.
"Why did you—" Qirka stared at him in amazement.
"That was reckless," replied Goten firmly. "There isn't a need for just anyone to throw themselves at him anymore. We have one last ace!"
Papaya Island, Inside the Dome
Two beings materialised inside of the Tenkaichi Budōkai dome, landing neatly within the shopping centre. An alarm still hadn't been sounded for the events occurring within, so the shopping centre was functioning as it should. Store clerks hadn't been evacuated, and it didn't seem like they were even aware of the goings-on above. A lot could be said for Bulma's architectural capabilities, and blocking out sound — desirable due to the fact that fighting would be occurring high above — to the fact that her employees didn't even know that there was danger.
Erasa stepped forward, surveying the area. "I can feel a massive disturbance in the ki up above. Everyone's fighting...but I can't feel what they're fighting. You really can't sense a deities' power, can you?"
"No," replied Kibito curtly. "You noticed this a decade ago, did you not? When you couldn't sense the ki of the Lord Kaiōshin during our sojourn on Earth."
"Yeah," Erasa sighed, running her hands through her head. "But this all seems like suicide, throwing ourselves at Lord Beerus in the hopes of just buying time. Someone must have done something, if we're at this point already." The woman groaned. "Thanks, Kibito. I'll try not to die while Gohan and Father come up with something. Please, hurry back so my husband can get here!"
Nodding, the Shinling bid Erasa adieu, and instantly teleported himself away. Erasa looked up at the ceiling, and tightened the obi sash around her waist. Everyone hang on...I'll be there in a moment!
Tenkaichi Budōkai Arena, Just Earlier
"What's that?" Beerus called down from the sky. It was remarkable how he'd barely moved once he'd actually taken to the air. "You have an 'ace' you say? Well, the two of you are Saiyans. Show me this supposed trump card."
A decade. It had been a whole ten years since Goten and Trunks had last used this technique, but their memory was as strong as ever. The two assumed what Piccolo recognised as the Fusion stance. Memorized correctly, the teenagers executed each and every stance flawlessly. Their movements in sync and perfectly timed, they stretched their bodies out to the opposing sides, extended their left legs, and their fingers touched. At the point of impact, both bodies began to glow an impressive bright light. Goten and Trunks' forms were immersed in this light, obscuring them from Beerus' vision. Within the massive sphere of light, a new figure was formed, and limbs began to make themselves known.
The light died down, revealing a young man of similar height to Trunks. He was even more toned than he had been as a child, his figure resembling that of Vegeta in his prime. Onyx eyes glinting, his dual-toned lavender and black hair stood tall, the two bangs that framed his face whipping in the wind. His attire hadn't changed; a blue vest with yellow accents, white gi pants tied with a blue obi off to the side, and thick black shoes with dark blue wrappings. Crouching slightly, he extended his left arm forward, raising his right hand to see his side, clenched in a tight fist.
"Lord Beerus!" declared Gotenks. "If you want an opponent, then I'm your man!"
"Ah!" Beerus gasped in recognition. "The human art of combining! I see you can use one of its many variations! The two of you might be something else, to have mastered that sort of art so young," Beerus grinned, a condescending sort of respect on his face. He motioned the young man towards him. "I'll take you on, boy."
Gotenks rose into the air, his stern eyes set. A mighty shout escaped his throat, his ki skyrocketing. Gotenks' black eyes flashed emerald, his dual-toned hair exuding golden light. The rigidity of his golden tresses increased, plasma crackling within the confines of the golden blaze which erupted over his form. Gotenks' aura spread out vastly from his body, pushing the wind in its wake, creating a typhoon. As he powered up to his maximum, the Earth began to shake, the very ground quaking behind Gotenks' ki.
The Hakaishin smirked menacingly. "Your ki is impressive enough to make the planet quiver...but you aren't showing me anything that Son Gohan didn't earlier. Nothing beyond your lack of control and finesse. You're his brother, right? Then I hope you can put up a better fight than he did."
"What did you say?" Gotenks' voice dropped to a venomous baritone. Super Saiyan 2 was already fueling his aggressive instincts; Trunks had only nascently achieved the form, and Goten had never properly trained it, so the Saiyan instincts that it brought out in Gotenks were only multiplied further. A vein was throbbing in his head now, and he waited for the response from Beerus that would send him over the tipping point.
"Your power may cause the ground to quake, but what's so special about that? Tornadoes shake the air. Eruptions make the earth quiver. Thunder pulsates throughout the skies." He raised his arms to the distance, off into the far-flung horizon, as if drawing attention the natural beauty that existed within the Universe. "And yet, for as marvelous as they may be, these too are naught but mortal phenomena. It isn't enough to even make a god look down at you."
Whatever fragile composure was held onto was shattered by the half-Saiyan's seething fury. Gotenks sprinted through the air, bombarding Beerus with an assault of furious strikes. If anything was to be expected, it was Beerus' reaction. With a single hand, he deflected each and every blow, moving only slightly to accommodate the shifting of his shoulders. Beneath them, the arena began to shatter and crack; Piccolo and Qirka started to lose their footing, and had to rush to get the four unconscious fighters to safety. Following the final solid punch that made the air explode with the intensity of a hundred-tonne bomb, Beerus gripped Gotenks' fist with a vice-hold.
"Uwah!" A cry of surprise escaped his throat, Beerus casually throwing Gotenks down towards the arena and out of his sight. Reacting reflexively, Gotenks caught himself, pivoting on his hand and vanishing with a burst of impressive speed. He appeared above Beerus, thrusting his fist towards the Hakaishin's skull. Instantly, Beerus' hand rose up to meet it, the blow creating another cacophony of noise and bursting pressure.
"The Young Master...and Goten...are they going to be alright?" Qirka watched Gotenks' poor showing against Beerus concernedly.
"No," replied Piccolo bluntly. "Those two...alone, they don't touch my power...but together, they're stronger than the rest of us. Only Gohan surpasses Gotenks...and even he couldn't win." The former Daimaō swore in frustration and anger. "All this is doing is buying time! We can't win like this!"
Gotenks cupped his hands above his head, forming a glowing sphere of blazing blue flame. "SEARING BUSTER!" Driving both arms through the air, Gotenks' palms detonated into an azure firestorm. Beerus was engulfed by the blaze, the remainder crashing into the arena, scorching it horribly. To the onlookers and the announcer, Gotenks' technique had created a pillar of flame, and the sight was truly magnificent. The heat's intensity was such that the MatterWave tiles melted to slag before truly fading away into nothingness. The Super Saiyan 2's breath turned ragged, yet a grin slipped onto his face regardless. He'd definitely felt that connect.
A fierce gust blew away the smoke, revealing Beerus' form in all of its unblemished majesty. Raising a paw to his shoulder, he dusted himself off. "You know, you've been watching this entire sordid affair for the past several minutes. Did you actually think that if nothing could pierce my barrier, hit it harder?"
Tch...! Gotenks felt a twinge of shame mix with the irritation. He's right...I let that barrier slip my mind completely. Damn it...! The sheer fact that ki attacks did nothing meant he only had physical techniques left up his sleeve. The fused Saiyan fighter bellowed, his ki flaring out from his body, then retracting in like a glowing rubber band. It wrapped around his limbs, creating a flaming shroud that only further amplified his strength. Launching himself into an assault, Gotenks' appeared behind Beerus, rushing him with every sort of physical combination he could.
Without turning to face him, Beerus leaned forward, allowing only so much space for Gotenks' first punch to completely miss. The following snap kick breezed by him, and Beerus lifted his form over Gotenks, avoiding the young man as he tried to land every solid blow. The Hakaishin began to circle Gotenks, bending his body to flow with each and every strike. He materialised in front of Gotenks; the fused Saiyan saw an opening, and unleashed an extreme blend of jabs and kicks. Using nothing but the soles of his feet, Beerus danced to the rhythm of Gotenks' strikes, blocking each and every one with his feet alone. Seamlessly, Beerus floated behind Gotenks, nuzzling a paw to his muzzle as if staving off a bothersome itch.
Gotenks turned in the air, bringing a glowing fist behind him. The Hakaishin himself revolved on the spot, his yellow eyes meeting Gotenks'; in that instance, Gotenk's stopped the attack, leaping away from Beerus.
"What did I...?" He glanced at his body, seeing his entire form trembling. He knew for certain he had been about to attack, but when the Hakaishin met his eyes, everything was overridden, and he instead leapt backwards.
"The instincts of a true fighter are something else," noted Beerus. "Your brother, yourself...even the bald madman I engaged earlier. Your combative instincts are erased the moment I so much as consider attacking you. That is merely the difference in our power." Gotenks blinked; the simple act of closing his eyes was all it took for Beerus to make the distance between the two fighters meaningless. The Hakaishin leaned towards Gotenks. "Since you were so eager, I'll give you a taste of the Hakaishin's strength."
Faster than Gotenks could react, Beerus struck the same pressure point on his forehead that he'd struck on Mifune earlier. Gotenks' eyes rolled back, his Super Saiyan 2 form dispersing in a burst of golden light, and the fused Saiyan fighter fell to the ground. Beerus watched him fall, beginning to rise into the air. His large ears twitched, and he picked up a noise coming from the spectator stands. Circling around to look, he saw a small glow in the distance, and realised that someone from the stands was flying at him.
"That's my uncle, you big jerk!"
Pen, in what could only be considered a surge of bravery that had rolled over into stupidity, had wrenched herself from Chi-Chi's hold when she saw Beerus manhandle Gotenks.
"Pen! No!" Piccolo shouted hoarsely, echoing Chi-Chi's cries from the stands. "Get back here before you get yourself killed!"
The quarter-Saiyan girl ignored the warnings from her family, barreling towards Beerus in a rage. Glowing with white ki, she snapped her left leg forward to kick the god. The Destruction God put absolutely no effort into his next move, merely raising his hand upwards to left the blow land softly into his palm. "Now this is the most unusual of all...a little monkey, all on her own." He appraised her with some amusement. "Yet it seems you still have no clue how to use your body." Beerus released a bundle of invisible ki from his palm, impacting the girl and knocking her out almost immediately. She rocketed from him, shooting downward.
Chi-Chi's screams shrilly filled the stadium amidst the silence, and Piccolo screamed in rage...
...but the girl did not fall to her death. Instead, she landed softly in the arms of a blurred figure that had raced to catch her. Breaking through the air, the new arrival landed onto the arena easily, her feet touching the seat next to Chi-Chi lightly. Erasa held her daughter to her chest, frantically searching for signs of life. It was to the mother's great relief that she saw Pen wasn't in critical condition; her breathing was normal, and she hadn't suffered any manor wounds. Exhaling in immense relief, Erasa couldn't help but hold Pen for another moment longer, kissing the young girl's forehead, before handing her off to her grandmother.
"Erasa, I'm sorry, she just rushed away from me, I tried to—" The devastated grandmother tried to explain, but Erasa raised a hand.
"Mother, it's alright," she said quietly. "Please, keep her safe." The blonde woman jumped from the stands towards Beerus, her blue-eyes glinting fiercely. The wind rushed between the two of them, but the feeling didn't register with Erasa's skin. Every cell in her body, every impulse from her neurons to her brain, wanted to waste Beerus for laying a hand on her child. Her thin fingers clenched into a fist at her sides, her mien more stony than ever. "Normally, I'd consider this to be out of line...but after you just struck my daughter...Lord Beerus, I wouldn't mind something like killing a god."
"I recognise you," Beerus noted. "You were with the Saiyan over at the Kaiōshin Realm, isn't that right? You know, normally I appreciate a certain amount of gusto in you humans...but opening declaring a desire to kill me? That's blasphemy."
Red flames engulfed Erasa's form, painting the woman red with power. Her blonde hair became rigid and stood on end, dyeing itself a bloody crimson. Her normally exuberant blue eyes narrowed, tainting themselves black. Her familiar halo-like formation of ki orbs encircled her back, floating freely. Despite her fury, Erasa was processing thoughts clearly enough to attempt to formulate a plan. She'd watched her husband fight this man on the Kaiōshin Realm, but the results weren't pretty. Even at the height of his power, which dwarfed her's to a ridiculous extent, Gohan hadn't made Beerus feel a thing. And from the looks of it — she looked around to see the unconscious Tenshinhan and Yamcha, the wounded Piccolo, her brother-in-law completely out of it, and the fact that Videl and No. 18 were nowhere to be seen, most likely unconscious elsewhere — even her family and friends had amounted to nothing but a short distraction.
"What's the matter?" inquired Beerus. "In spite of that blasphemous boast, you aren't going to make a move? Or are you trying to formulate a plan?"
With all the subtlety of a crashing bull, Erasa charged forward, red aura trailing behind her like a comet. Her left leg snapped forward, and Beerus dodged accordingly. She brought both arms down in a sledgehammer, simultaneously striking forward with her right knee. The Destruction God caught both fists in his single fist, and parried her strike with his own knee, deflecting her with ease. Erasa took a dive downward, rebounding with the charred and battered arena. She launched back into the sky like a rocket, and bore down on Beerus with a powerful diving kick. The Hakaishin slid leftward, causing Erasa to miss; she crashed hard into the dais, debris erupting into the air.
Pulling one of her spheres from behind her, Erasa flung it at Beerus. The single sphere erupted into multiple smaller blasts, which bombarded Beerus. They exploded against his barrier, doing little more than erecting a smokescreen. This, however, was what Erasa had been angling for. She reached for a multitude of other spheres, throwing there towards Beerus and causing them to stay in place. One above, in the fore, to the rear, to the sides, and under. Six spheres encircling Beerus, which linked together to form her multi-faced barrier. When the smoke cleared, Beerus found himself encased in this strange container, and flashed Erasa a look of excitement.
"Clever," he said with a grin. "You've attempted to contain me. But what will you do now?"
Erasa glanced at her back. With this stunt, she only had one free sphere left. She would have to make it count. Pulling it between her palms, she began to recite the familiar incantation. "Ka...Me...He..Me..." Light spilled from the red sphere, bathing Erasa in the glow. She dashed through the air, somehow managing to skid to a stop right before Beerus. One of the glass-like faces of the barrier faded at her command. "Let's test your barrier at point blank range. "HA!" The red light within her palms detonated within the confines of her barrier, resulting in a awe-inducing flare. The faces of her barrier began to crack and shatter, the light flooding out of it and off into the horizon, the entirety of the confines fading. Her arms limping slightly, she panted. Within that trap, there wasn't a way to dodge. Even his barrier had to have taken damage.
The end result of the blast was a thick smog rises up, hissing in the air and blanketing the space between Erasa and Beerus. With the steam dispersing before her eyes, she saw a sight that had horrified many others today.
Beerus standing unharmed.
"Not even close," he said casually. Erasa began to — wisely — step back, but Beerus was having none of it. She was the last obstacle in his way. The last of whatever resistance this blasphemous planet had left. Then he could destroy it and be on his way. It was quick. It was an instant. His fist crushed into her stomach, winding the girl and causing her to puke. He struck her squarely in the back, and caused her to crash towards the planet...
...only to be caught almost immediately by an intervening Gohan.
"My my," muttered Beerus. "I have to admit, I didn't expect to be quite so popular today. Are you my last visitor, Saiyan?"
"Erasa, are you alright?" Gohan asked, ignoring Beerus entirely. His expression was already dipped in cold fury, and ignoring the Hakaishin right now was the most he could do to avoid lashing out. Instead, he turned and directed his concern towards his wounded wife.
"I'm...fine..." replied the girl, her transformation having worn off entirely. She could barely speak, but she was alive. "You're...late..."
"Sorry," said Gohan shortly. "Where's Pen? I can barely feel her ki."
"She...tried to attack Lord Beerus..." Erasa explained. "Mother has her right now...but she's unconscious."
In that instance, Gohan's face contorted in rage, his eyes widening lividly. He landed onto the tiles, and turned towards his former teacher, who had gotten a safe distance away. "Piccolo! Take Erasa away from me, please! And get some distance!"
Piccolo was shocked. Gohan had never barked orders at anyone before, but this time felt different. He could feel his former protégé's ki laced with rage. He was barely controlling himself as it was. The Nameccian drifted over, and took Erasa into his arms. "You're going to fight him?"
"Piccolo...!"
"Alright, I understand!" Piccolo kicked off from the ground, attempting to gain as much distance from Gohan as he could within the space permitting.
Plasma crackled in splintered snaps around Gohan's body. He lifted himself into the air, placing a distance between his body and the planet. It was his last rational thought, before Gohan simply gave himself over to the anger that was steadily rising. "BEERUS!" His voice echoed in a resonating shout, causing the air to tremble. "You've brought this much pain to my family...you harmed my wife and my daughter...I'll bathe this planet in your blood!" His hair burned white-gold, the rigidity increasing as it became a mass of shimmering spikes. His eyebrows thinned, muscles bulged, and the firestorm of golden ki erupted from his entire body, mixing in with the plasma. The ocean's waves began to crash into the island, and the sky itself darkened, resembling the oncoming of a massive storm. His gi and earrings whipped in the fierce wind. The ground began to rumble beneath the feet of every Earthling and extraterrestrial on the planet; the glass of buildings even miles away from the island exploded instantly, raining down shards of debris into the streets. The island itself was beginning to crack, and it was only due to merciful timing that Gohan's power had risen even quicker than it had against Beerus; experience in using this new form.
"Prepare yourself!" Gohan hurled his body through the air, closing the distance and leaving a sonic explosion in his wake.
"What?!" Beerus was stunned; Gohan's speed far exceeded himself the first time they had fought. It was as if he was a different person. Gohan's first strike stuck home, crushing a powerful blow into the Hakaishin's jaw that sent him reeling. When Gohan pursued, Beerus retaliated with a punch that Gohan defended himself from with both arms. He struck fiercly with the back of his elbow, slamming it into Beerus' chin. What followed was a series of unrelenting punches and kicks; the cacophony of noise exploded in the air, each and every punch that Gohan unleashed onto Beerus reacted with the same concussive force. Each pair of knuckles struck Beerus' face, chest, and abdomen. In his surprise, Beerus could only react by taking the blows.
"This...is amazing...!" Piccolo was astounded. "None of us could make him move...but Gohan's pushing him back...!"
"That's to be expected..." Erasa smiled weakly. "If it was anyone...it'd be Gohan..."
In the stands, Chi-Chi cheered her son on in a mad fury. "Get him, Gohan! That monster hurt my precious granddaughter! Make 'im pay!"
Whis observed the proceedings, however, with the same expression he'd been wearing from the start. While Piccolo, Chi-Chi, and the others might let themselves get fooled, he already knew the outcome.
Near Piccolo, Gotenks was beginning to rouse from his brief comatose spell, racking his head. His senses were immediately assailed by the feeling of an immense ki, and he looked skyward. In his vision, Gohan was fighting evenly with Beerus. "P-Piccolo...is that my brother?!"
"Yeah...and he's fending off Beerus...!"
With his family and friends' hopes behind him, Gohan slammed both hands into Beerus' face, and the Hakaishin rocketed high into the sky. Gohan followed in a burst of golden light, dashing above where Beerus was flying. He rocketed into the Hakaishin with a powerful kick, and sent Beerus pinwheeling back in the direction he had come from. Even rage-fueled, he knew that he couldn't simply beat this man to death. He would have to test his luck against that barrier. Gohan dashed downward, and curved, blasting off to Beerus' underside as the Hakaishin caught himself in the air.
Both hands were raised into the air, a glowing sphere of burning brightly. "MASENKŌ!" In a single moment, both Gohan and Beerus were immersed in a powerful globe of golden ki. The sphere contracted before blowing up, resulting in a gigantic thick fog of smoke. It dispersed in moments, revealing the truth to the onlookers and Gohan; Beerus stood tall. His rage and power expended, Gohan had reverted to base state, pouring all of his ki into that single finishing move.
"I'll admit...you were slightly more impressive there, Saiyan," congratulated Beerus. "This time, you managed to make me move. But I still can't feel the ki of the gods. In the end, that was merely a human's last ditch efforts." He swung at Gohan, elbowing him in the neck and sending him spiraling to the surface. Beerus raised a finger towards Gohan — and the gathered group of fighters as a whole — his yellow eyes narrowing. In a flash of orange light, a sphere beginning to glow. "I have to admit, I've never quite seen this sort of impressive resistance from any planet facing destruction before. Out of respect for you, Saiyan, I'll send you off to the Afterlife first." In an explosion of light, a burst of ki rained down from Beerus' clawtip, rushing right towards the falling Gohan and his comrades. While all seemed lost, following a dramatic BOMF!, an explosion of smoke, and suddenly Bulma appeared standing in front of them.
The haggard woman tossed a bright crystal into the air, and it released thin layers of ki in an intersecting shape, creating a cross-section with multiple layers of shimmering barrier. These layers pushed outward, pressing into the sky and making contact with Beerus' fingertip kikōha. Each barrier was almost instantly destroyed when the attack made contact, but it kept producing more barriers, and Beerus' attack was slowed down tremendously. The resultant explosions of barriers created a brilliantly beautiful light show, flashing in the air like fireworks. Beerus himself was shocked, lowering his hand as the final remnants of kikōha crashed into the crystal, blowing it to utter pieces.
"B-Bulma...!" gasped Gohan, surprised. Barely conscious, he still forced himself to steady in the air and land onto the stage with the rest.
"Mother!" came the shocked exclamation of Gotenks.
"Hey, you!" Bulma jabbed a finger towards the Hakaishin, who felt his eye twitch involuntarily. "You said you were a friend of my husbands, I was nice enough to invite you into my Tenkaichi Budōkai, and you thank me by attacking my family, friends, employees, and patrons?!" For the first time in a long time, the 'fire' that Bulma was well known for was burning again. "Well?! Are you gonna explain yourself, or just keep floating there?!"
A vein throbbed in the Hakaishin's forehead, and he began to grind his teeth. Beerus could feel his hand twitch, and he shouted back down at Bulma. "Have you lost your mind, woman?! I am the Hakaishin, I don't have to explain myself to the likes of a human!"
"Well, you may think that's how it is in your neck of the woods, buster, but this is my tournament, so I'm the one hosting you," snapped Bulma. "Trashing my ring, terrifying my patrons, and beating my family into submission is the furthest thing from a 'thank you' that I expected! Why did you even come here?! Whatever cover story you told me earlier isn't holding water!"
"I don't know what good it'll do now, Bulma, but he's looking for something called the 'Super Saiyan God'," explained Erasa quickly.
"A 'Super Saiyan God'?" repeated Bulma. "I've never heard of that," she placed a fingertip to her chin, her brain working a mile a minute. "But...I might know how to get one here!" The former president of the Capsule Corporation pointed directly at the floating deity. "What do you say, Beerus? I have a plan to get you your 'Super Saiyan God', so how about you trade me the safety of Earth until I can bring him here?!"
Beerus frowned. Just what kind of creature was this woman that, not only did she speak so brazenly, she tried to dictate their argument by her terms? He would be lying if he said he wasn't inclined to just turn the planet into cosmic dust this very second...but his curiosity at finally seeing a Super Saiyan God was too high. He sighed. "Very well, woman. I'll give you your spare time. And while you work to bring about the Super Saiyan God...I'll just have to sample more of this planet's delicacies in the meantime!"
A/N: Hi, everyone! So, good lord this chapter is the longest I've written in awhile, I think. I actually feel the need to apologise for the utter length and receptivity of it, because this all boils down to "people attack Beerus, Beerus no sells it, someone else tries" but I felt the need to give everyone their moment. Gohan and Erasa weren't here, and there's no reason the Dragon Team would lie down and die for the sake of anyone, not even "god". I actually had fun writing this, because I really want to convey that Beerus is a "god", and I think that got through. Sorry if some of the moments were the most repetitive things, and this chapter did wind up being WAY longer than the 6,000 words I intended (oh, you know...about 3,000 words more lol). I underestimated the amount of people here. So, to cover a bit of naming? 'Dainiji' (第二次) quite literally means "the second". Meaning it's the second in the list of Yamcha's new techniques. 'Mugami' (六神) means "six gods", in reference to Tenshinhan's six arms, and his new form. His transformation, which I haven't named, is based off of an Asura, to anyone at home that doesn't know. To any No. 18 fans, I sincerely apologise for her having such a shit moment. I actually had to go back and add that in at the end, because I forgot, I'm so sorry, there's so many people in this chapter and it's 4 AM, please don't hold it against me, I love you all! As always, let's thank Demod20 for proofing! Super Saiyan God is coming very very soon everyone, so please, bear with me! I hope you all enjoy this chapter for what it is though! I shall see you in the next exciting chapter of the Erased Chronicles!