Back On Earth
Everyone was gathered at Bulma's balcony, already informed about the news that had been bestowed upon them. They were serious and waited patiently for the three team members that went to fight at the Expo in hopes that they would gain some information on what they are up against. After a long wait, a pillar of light came from above and descended itself in the middle of the balcony. It dispersed, revealing the Supreme Kai, Whis, Beerus, and the three fighters. Wasting no time, the people who went to the Expo were soon crowded by everyone present. Zugo folded his arms and asked, "Alright, we know about everything so tell us, what are our chances?"
Goku kept a stern expression before answering, "I don't exactly know our chances, Zugo. We were able to win the Expo against one of the universes but we were the only ones that fought."
"Yeah, they didn't prove to be too difficult but our real troubles is that there is a guy who could be as strong if not stronger than Kugeki at least," Piccolo added.
Everyone let out a worried gasp. Though they have all gotten stronger than before, the fact that someone out there is potentially stronger than Kugeki is a frightening thought. Kuzuku also decided to add something as well, "Don't forget Piccolo that not only he is a god of destruction candidate, he also mentioned someone far stronger than him. Universe 11 is definitely not going to be an easy match up I'll tell you that much.". There was a dead silence that filled the air. Everyone didn't know how to process the news that was given to them until a certain someone spoke up.
"Enough sulking and worrying about what we have to fight! All we have to do is simple and that is to eliminate the competition so we can survive!" Vegeta said in his own way of encouragement.
"Yeah, you've all gotten way stronger so we should have more confidence in our abilities!" Riley encouraged as well. Everyone smiled and had a moments laugh before getting back to the topic at hand.
"Alright, so let us go over the rules one more time so everyone knows what to prepare for. The tournament as you know is a 10 man team for each universe and will be a battle royal. Teamwork is most likely key so we all should pair up in groups of 2 or 3 in the battle. Well most of us besides our three powerhouses that consist of Father, Kuzuku, and Vegeta," Gohan explained.
"Wait why are they the only ones separated? Shouldn't they be in pairs as well?" Hudo asked.
"It's because of the fact that their strengths are good enough to take on multiple adversaries at once. Kuzuku and father most likely displayed more power than they should have, making them a big target in the tournament while they will quickly realize that Vegeta is a big threat as well. Since 21 will be participating in the tournament, we have a healer but we should keep her in a group of 2 or 3. People will realize what she capable of." Gohan explained. Everyone looked with agreement until Zugo decided to point something out.
"The plan seems well constructed, however, we are still down two members in the tournament. We need to find extra participants before we could actually start forming formations," Zugo said.
Kuzuku looked over at him, curious with what he had just said, "Wait two members are missing? Don't we have nine?"
"No, because Riley can't participate. She's pregnant with my kid. We just found out today," Zugo answered. Kuzuku took a moment to process what Zugo had said, his eyes shrank with not anger but confusion. It didn't take that much longer till he finally replied.
"What!? Why didn't you tell me!" Kuzuku shouted, shock at what he had just heard. He was happy for them but also kinda worried since this meant one more member is out of the equation.
"Uh, we just did. Weren't you listening bro?" Riley said, a calmness filling her voice. Everyone was secretly congratulating her on the news but also thinking about the fact that two members are seemingly missing for the tournament. They had two days to come up with something, otherwise, they will be at a disadvantage when it's finally time. Goku rubbed his chin until he thought about someone he'd definitely consider to join.
"I got a great idea, hey 18! Do you perhaps know where number 17 is? If I strictly remember, he should be revived due to the fact that we used to dragon ball to bring back those who were killed by Cell!" Goku asked, enthusiasm filling his voice.
"If I remember, he should be patrolling an island out towards the west. He's become a ranger and has been fighting poulterers ever since. I can see why you want to recruit him since he was modeled to be superior to me," 18 replied, smiling at the rare cleverness coming from Goku.
"Great! Then I'll fly there right now! For the second guy, I'll head to Otherworld and see what I can do. This tournament is looking like we are going to need heavy fire power," Goku assured, giving everyone a thumbs up. Gohan looked at everyone before sighing. He smiled as he felt that they could most certainly win this tournament and live another day.
"Then everything is settled, we shall meet back here in two days. For now, I suggest that you all train hard and prepare for the remainder of your time as the other universes are still unknown to us. Just know that I will be cheering you guys on till you meet your demise somehow. I pray that you all win!" Whis encouraged. With that, everyone went their separate ways and flew home to get some rest. They knew that first thing in the morning is going to be endless and hard training for the next two days. Kuzuku couldn't help but have a smile plastered on his face and punch the palm of his hand, causing 21 to giggle at his excitement.
"Aren't you a little too happy for the possibility of us all being erased?" 21 teased.
Kuzuku looked at 21 and gave her a wide grin, "I guess you could say that but just thinking about the strongest opponents from each universe is exciting! We're going to take them all down!"
"Awwww, your optimism and seriousness are just way too adorable at times," 21 commented. Kuzuku let out a chuckle as they passed over a mountain, the stars in the sky contrasting with the seriousness of the situation.
The Following Late Afternoon In A Rocky Biome
It was the next afternoon and universe 7's strongest fighters have been training hard around the globe. At first, everyone was kinda nervous about the tournament but now, from all the training that they've done now, they just couldn't wait. It was getting close to complete darkness but two figures seemed to be training despite that. Eventually one was kicked backwards, clutching his gut as he was a bit overwhelmed by the blow. He looked up to see his wife placing the leg that she had just kicked him with on the ground. She wore some new clothes that were more suitable to her. She wore a black spandex Gi with pants to match the color. Around her waist was a white sash that went well with her hair and she wore gloves that allowed her fingers to slide right through. Her boots were similar to that of Vegeta since it was a wedding gift from him, as strange as it was. She was just glad that she found some use for them. Kuzuku wiped the blood that trickled down his mouth and deformed back to base, smiling at 21 who calmly deformed as well, "Looks like you're getting a hang of that transformation. You've close the gap and surpassed me in Super Saiyan 3. That latent potential is starting to show itself."
21 let out a relieving sigh and smiled, "Really? I guess it's because of the tournament pushing me to train harder.". The two shared a laugh together before a familiar power level came their way. In no time, it showed itself to be Zugo with Hudo just trailing behind him. The two Astackians landed on the ground and walked over to the couple.
"Hey guys, how's training going for ya!" Kuzuku greeted.
Hudo gave him a thumbs up and a wink, "It's going smoothly. In fact, we've haven't stopped training since this morning."
"Really? It's been the same for us as well. We've even skipped breakfast," 21 added. Kuzuku couldn't get past the fact that Zugo's been staring at him for a minute now. He knew something was up and looked towards Hudo for answers.
"Oh, how could I forget! Zugo wants to spar with you Kuzuku. He's just gotten the full hang of something that will surprise you!" Hudo noted.
Kuzuku looked back at Zugo with confusion in which he was only able to mutter one word, "Spar?". Zugo narrowed his eyes, the atmosphere changing so much that it caused the other two who were present to tense up a bit. Something told them that this "Spar" was going to be more personal than that.
"Kuzuku, I want to gauge my absolute true power against you. If I am to take part in this tournament then I need to accurately gauge my current full strength and you are the best opponent to test that," Zugo explained. Kuzuku looked at him sternly, knowing that there was more to his motives but he couldn't put two and two together. He smirked, relishing the fact that he was potentially in for one heck of a fight. 21 and Hudo backed away as the two flew backward. Kuzuku made sure to eat a senzu bean, recovering himself back to full strength and got into a stance. Zugo's serious demeanor had never faltered, begging the question as to why he was so serious. In no time, the group was joined by another who was wondering how her husband had been doing. She seemed tired but nevertheless, she still came. Riley caught the eye of the watchers, causing her to walk over to them. She quickly analyzed the situation at hand and pondered on it.
"So my brother and my husband are going to spar? This is a first," Riley muttered, noticing the two were oddly serious about a little sparring match. She remembered how Zugo described his relationship with her brother and understood what was going on.
"This is more like a rematch rather than a simple spar. It has been a long time since they faced off against each other in a one on one," Hudo noted, the atmosphere growing thicker by the second. 21 couldn't help but wonder about how this battle would unfold. She remembered their first matchup back at the tournament. It was gruesome and one of the most intense matches she witnessed. Zugo closed his eyes, focusing with simple breathing exercises.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Zugo roared, flaring his energy to new heights. Kuzuku merely stood tall as he watched the Astack's hair turn white and his pupils were ocean blue with a black sclera as usual. Kuzuku couldn't help but marvel at his Stage 2 form and couldn't help but notice that Zugo had raised his base power considerably.
"Starting off with Stage 2 I see? Then let me reciprocate! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Kuzuku shouted with excitement in his voice. He quickly transformed into a Super Saiyan before pushing even further. He generated strong gales that pushed the Astack back a bit until it dialed down and condensed into a smaller form. Kuzuku's electricity raged around as he completed his transformation into a Super Saiyan 2. Zugo couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"This takes me back you know? We've haven't squared off like this since the tournament, it's almost nostalgic. However, you've grown stronger, stronger to where I had difficulties catching up with you," Zugo admitted.
Kuzuku smirked at his words, understanding where he was going with this, "Is that so? The multiverse is vast and large with plenty of strong opponents. That would excite anyone, regardless of the circumstances...". Kuzuku got into a stance that looked as if he was ready to charge.
"But to me..., fighting against you, Zugo..., IS SOMETHING I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO!" Kuzuku exclaimed, charging right at the Astack. Zugo charged in to, roaring with all of their might before they met fist for fist in the center with both of their energy raging around like lighting. The three observant leaped back off the mountain they had been standing on before it was destroyed beneath them. They each landed on another pillar that was far from the battle. The light simmered down to reveal that Kuzuku had already landed a roundhouse kick to the gut. Zugo gasped for air before quickly realizing that another punch was coming towards his face. He ducked under the intended strike and threw a punch at Kuzuku's torso.
The Saiyan caught the punch before they burst out into a clash that unleashed shockwaves with each passing punch. Kuzuku managed to slip a kick in the back after pushing one of Zugo's fist to the side. Zugo groaned in pain before Kuzuku delivered another kick, this time to the face. The Astack flew through the sky for a bit before coming to a full stop in order to catch the Ki blast that Kuzuku fired shortly afterward. Zugo struggled to push back but he knew he had to push himself. He lifted the blast into the air before kicking it upwards. By the time he looked down, Kuzuku was already in front of him with a punch ready to send him flying again. Zugo avoided the strike, shocking his Saiyan rival before kicking him in the stomach. Not letting up, the Astack landed another powerful kick to the ribs and followed up a knee to the chin. Kuzuku was dazed for a moment until a barrage of front kicks that trailed all over his body forced him back into reality. After regaining his full composure, Kuzuku grabbed him by the leg and dragon throw him across the sky, separating some distance between them. Zugo's balance was disrupted, leaving an opening for Kuzuku to teleport behind him and knee him in his back before teleporting again. Zugo looked around aimlessly until he felt another strong punch slugged him across the face. He flew back a bit until he quickly sensed a punch coming from behind, quickly turning around to catch the Saiyan's fist. Zugo struggled to hold the punch as his temporary foe was pushing more and more by the second. Kuzuku thought he was getting nowhere with this and smacked the mutt with his tail, causing him to cough out some blood before being rocketed to the ground. Zugo tried to hoist himself up but the Saiyan was relentless as he kicked him firmly in his stomach, launching him through several rocks before he was embedded into the side of pillar. He moaned as he gained several new scrapes on his body. He opened one eyelid to see that Kuzuku was charging at him once one. Breaking his arms free, he began to power up even further, knowing that the moment of truth had arrived.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!" Zugo screamed with power, emitting pressure that halted the Saiyan from advancing further.
"What the hell?" Kuzuku hissed, shielding his eyes from the powerful winds. Once he felt it was safe, he glanced at the Astack's new appearance. He finally showed the mutt side of his but also had marks that covered over his eyes and parts of his face while his hair was notably longer than it was before and more wild.
"Is this the new transformation Hudo mentioned?" Kuzuku smirked, not believing how much stronger he's become. Zugo seemed calm, calmer than he has ever been. He faced the Saiyan as the power winds blowed his hair around with the bio-electricity dancing like flickers of a candle.
"Yeah, truth be told I didn't feel confident in this form's power but now that I have manage to manifest its true power I can safely say that this is indeed my current maximum," Zugo said.
Kuzuku crossed his arms before letting out a roar, his energy flaring even brighter until his hair grew longer. He smirked, wondering how far can that form of Zugo's can push him, "Then let's see what your maximum is capable of against my Super Saiyan 3!". The Saiyan charged in a speeds where the air was being ripped around him. He stopped in front of Zugo, ready to send him flying to the ground but disrupted his timing by dashing around him to strike him from the rear. Zugo tracked down his movements pretty easily and turned quickly, blocking his kick that was supposed to be a punch. Kuzuku followed up with a punch but Zugo was fast enough to catch his fist. The Saiyan gritted his teeth and went in for a axe kick but even then that was the wrong move since it gave his opponent enough time to sidestep the kick. Literally the force of the strike had enough to create a crescent air pressure that cut a pillar in half. Zugo smirked and punched Kuzuku hard in the gut, causing him to cough out blood from the force of his punch. He grabbed Kuzuku by the Gi and threw him over his shoulder before creating several large blocks of ice from the cold air. He use telekinesis and threw rocketed them at the Saiyan her was currently hurling to the ground. Kuzuku grimmed at the sight of numerous Ki enhanced blocks of ice coming at him and flipped himself so his feet would touch the ground first. He skidded backwards and raised his hand in the air, generating a Kienzan in his hand. With an rapid pace, he launched an equal amount of Kienzan at the rocks, slicing them him smaller pieces for him to easily disintegrate with a large energy wave to follow. Zugo saw that the wave was coming at him and sledgehammered it into the ground. Immediately after he did that, Kuzuku teleported above the Astack, ready to roundhouse kick him from a blind spot but Zugo was ready for that and dodged behind him. Kuzuku got punished for his mistake as he was punched square in the face and sent hurling through the sky before getting kicked in his back, send him towards the ground. Kuzuku landed back on his feet, cracking the ground beneath with Zugo on his trail. Kuzuku smirked as the Astack was falling right into his trap. As soon as he got into range, Kuzuku clenched his fist, signaling for the Kienzan that was just above them to coming crashing towards him. Zugo noticed quickly and fired a Ki blast to stop his plans until he realized it passed right through it since it bursted into miniature energy spheres.
"Tch, clever monkey!" Zugo muttered. He was now surrounded by numerous energy spheres and had no way out. Kuzuku smirked and gestured the spheres to close in on his target. Zugo crossed his arms and shielded himself from the onslaught of attacks. A large explosion illuminated the sky, causing it to change color for a minute. Out of the smoke, Zugo fell onto his knees before getting up, his clothes tattered a bit. He saw that Kuzuku was rushing at him still and proceeded to block the barrage of punches that were sent his way. He was backing up at a quickening pace since Kuzuku was still pushing with each punch in hopes for him to lose his footing. The mutt eventually had enough of his assault and brushed one of his fist aside and punched him in the stomach. Kuzuku coughed a bit before Zugo unleash a Kiai compose of cold air to pass through his stomach. The monkey boy was sent skipping across the ground before crashing into a wall. Zugo smirked as he got back into a stance, waiting for his rival to return. About thirty seconds later, the pile of rocks that buried the Saiyan was blown off along with the pillar, revealing the Saiyan to be still standing strong.
"Don't you think you should stop messing around and use your full power. I think you are reaching your limit in that form!" Zugo mocked, rushing the Saiyan once more. Kuzuku didn't have time to defend himself, earning him a knee in his stomach before being uppercutted into the air. Zugo chased after him, not letting up until he's pushed him to use his true power.
"Damn it Kuzuku, unleash your real power! Do it now!" Zugo ordered in frustration. This was all the encouragement he needed as he stopped himself immediately in the air.
"HRAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!" Kuzuku roared, the sky being plastered with his amber ki. Zugo didn't stop chasing him though, accepting the challenge that was floating above him. It's as if Kuzuku's new found strength was the pinnacle goal for him. Kuzuku's cloaked figure was soon revealed to be his Grand Super Saiyan 4 state, causing his rival to smirk with satisfaction. Kuzuku got ready to finish this as he watched his opponent come ever so closer.
"HERE IS MY FULL POWER, KUZUKU!" Zugo roared, cloaking his fist in an attack similar to before. Kuzuku didn't utter a word and dashed straight at him with his fist ready to deliver the finishing blow. Inevitably the two aura clashed, unleashing one gigantic eruption of Ki that seemed to be a mix of two colors. The area shook from the great collision and the observers merely awed at the fight that unfolded before them. However, the light simmered down, signaling the end of the light show and revealed the two warriors on the opposite side of one another, their backs facing as if they were parallel. Their auras were still visible until one faded away and deformed back into his base. Kuzuku toned down his Ki before turning to catch the Astack but felt some fighting spirit left in him. Just as he expected, Zugo let out a last ditch scream before aim a punch that stopped in front of Kuzuku's face. The Saiyan didn't even flinch as he knew it wouldn't have much effect, letting him pass by him and fall towards the ground. Riley gasped, worried for her husband who took a substantial amount of damage but her brother quickly grabbed him by the hand and put his arm over his shoulder. They descended slowly, touching the ground before the Saiyan rested his opponent on the ground. Hudo and Riley rushed over to Zugo's aid as they saw Kuzuku deform. While they were checking up on him, 21 flew over to Kuzuku, her expression kinda curious yet concern. Curious on how Kuzuku was feeling and concern about his energies to add specifically.
"That was a great fight, but didn't you think you two took it too far?" 21 commented.
Kuzuku looked back at the unconscious Zugo and smiled, "No, I think we've had a mutual understanding on each other now. He's strong and forced me to use more power than I'd expected. I even put more power than I anticipated on that last blow but he still stood strong.". 21 blinked a few times, confuse as to what he meant until she caught glimpse of something she'd never thought she see. Zugo, who was unconscious and exhausted, was smiling out of satisfaction. She stared for a moment before she felt a hand placed on her shoulder. Kuzuku smiled genuinely at her.
"Come on, let's go home. We've had a long day," Kuzuku insisted.
21 smiled cutely at her husband, "Alright!". The two said their goodbyes to their family and took of flying towards their home, ready for the last day of training before the Tournament of Power starts. With their rematch settled, Zugo and Kuzuku had gain a respect that only they can possibly comprehend. With Zugo displaying strength that could have potentially surpass a Super Saiyan, universe 7 takes yet another step into preparing for the tournament.