World Core stood as the epitome of sanctity across the cosmos. Unlike the individual Kai planets, including the Supreme Kai's own Sacred World, World Core remained an enigma to mortals throughout recorded universal history. Its purity and divinity were unparalleled, encapsulated within a single structure that embodied the essence of Shinjin existence. Layer upon layer of security safeguarded its sanctity, ensuring that its treasures remained untouched. What lay within was deemed too precious, too vital for the very fabric of the universe's creation and maintenance. While each of the twelve universes boasted its own World Core, they were delicately interconnected through the threads of time, facilitating seamless communication and the swift transfer of Shinjin between realms as needed.
To describe it as merely beautiful would be an injustice. The planet exuded an ethereal charm with its perpetually soft pink skies, crystalline sweet waters, and gentle breezes carrying hints of vanilla. Like all sacred worlds, it boasted moons of varying sizes scattered across the sky, resembling distant stars. Nestled within this idyllic setting was a modest metropolis, home to the Shinjin who resided there. Towering over the city were the colossal Kaiju trees, revered for bearing the fruit that would eventually develop into the aspiring gods—the Kai—of the multiverse. Not every Shinjin would ascend to the esteemed role of Kai; some remained at World Core, while others sought positions in Other World. Yet, all emerged from the towering Kaiju trees, their feathery leaves and roots intricately intertwined with the very fabric of the universe.
The Kaiju held authority over the appearance and temperament of every Shinjin it nurtured, and also maintained meticulous genetic records of all past and present individuals. This meticulous documentation extended particularly to those who forged profound bonds of love, whether as mentors, parental figures, siblings (considered familial ties within the same tree), friends, or, on rare occasions, in relationships akin to lovers. While many Shinjin perceived themselves as unique entities, some were unaware that their genetic makeup was actually a blend of two or more existing Shinjin, expertly combined by the Kaiju to potentially create a stronger, more resilient Kai.
The Kaiju diligently strove to refine its fruit with each passing season, aiming to imbue every successive generation with a heightened capacity for love, wisdom, and compassion—qualities deemed essential for effective Gods of Creation, or Kai; however, as is customary for any orchard, there were occasional rotten fruits and unfavorable years. Though regrettable, such occurrences were deemed necessary for maintaining balance within the universe. Typically, these undesirable fruits were promptly harvested and dispatched to their respective domains.
Two figures walked down a stone path next to each other, that cut through the Kaiju groves on either side, towards the most important infrastructure in the entire universe. Universe 10's, Divine Institute of Cosmic Academics (or DICA, for short), a place of higher learning where every Shinjin grew, studied, and were eventually sorted out for their future occupations. A guard sat in front of the DICA, with a complex energy security barrier behind him. He was a small red man, with a shirt tie, and two small horns on his head, recently transferred from U10's Recently Deceased Souls Station. He sat behind a large desk with a touch screen on its top, feet propped up, reading a magazine of what appeared to be of mortal nature. The approaching duo cast a large shadow over him as they walked up to the gate.
"Yes- names, business?" He asked lazily as he thumbed through his magazine without looking at the visitors. He sipped a dark drink from a mug afterwards, for good measure of his lack of caring what their answers would be.
"Universe 10's Supreme Kai and North Kai, Zamasu and Hanakotoba." A deep, echoing, male voice responded.
The guard spit his drink out and spilled the rest on his desktop as he struggled to quickly sit up. Had he just heard that correctly? He adjusted his glasses and took in the images of the two regal looking Kai in front of him. It was indeed, Zamasu, in his dark blue Supreme Kai cut tunic and green Potaras, though he looked slightly more filled out and with wildly different hair than he remembered; and next to him, the lovely former DICA instructor, and now North Kai, Hanakotoba, also in her formal attire.
"Ah shi…" the guard almost cursed, before catching himself as he blotted his spilled drink on the desktop, with the bottom of his shirt. "Lord Zamasu!" He stopped his cleaning frenzy for a moment to pay respect, and bowed deeply. "Forgive me, you…"
"Are we not on your list?" Hana said sweetly, as she cocked her head to the side.
"Uhh no.." The guard wiped the sweat from his eyes under his glasses as his hands flew over the desktop, checking all available records and notifications for the day.
Zamasu crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently, as he took note of a group of young Shinjin students beyond the gate on the other side, gawking at him. They'd never seen the Supreme Kai in person before! They whispered to each other and pointed in his direction. One bold one gave him a small shy wave. Zamasu smirked and threw a wink in their direction, reducing them to a puddle of giggles and blushes.
"I am so sorry, please just…give me a moment." Two small blinking red lights had caught the guard's attention. He adjusted his glasses again before turning his gaze upward to the two Kai with a frown. Zamasu and Hana snuck a look at one another in the corner of their eyes.
"Is there a problem?" Zamasu purposefully audibly cracked his knuckles. "I trust you won't be keeping us waiting another moment, if you don't want to be transferred back to Snake Way by the end of the day." He narrowed his grey eyes threateningly.
The guard wiped his brow of the dripping perspiration. His security system had identified a weak mortal energy signature emanating from not just one, but both of the Kai in front of him. He didn't believe it, but his orders were very clear in this scenario. "Yes, please, just let me ask someone real quick, it's the darndest thing but.." He hovered his finger over a button consisting of a picture of two white diamonds flanking an orange square.
It was the best kept secret in the universe, that every World Core had its own Destroyer, life-linked to the most senior elder Kai, and he was available all day, every day, at the push of a button. World Core Destroyers were very serious Gods of Destruction, with iron clad work ethics, unlike their lazy universal brethren, who slept and slothed most of their idle time at the bottom of the cosmos. Mortals trying to get through on World Core were considered acts of war against the Gods, and was one of the few conditions that qualified for immediate Hakai. The guard swallowed a lump in his throat as he considered the Kai in front of him- Zamasu- the highest ranking God in the entire 10th Universe. If the computer was wrong about its assessment of the supposed Supreme Kai, it would cost the guard his eternal soul.
"If your next move isn't to open that gate, I will do it myself with your dead hand after I snuff out whatever pathetic life force glues you together." Zamasu growled as he advanced forward. Hana put her hand on his chest to push him back and waved her finger.
"Might we speak to Elder Gowasu?" She smiled as she crept up into the guard's personal space. "Please? I'm not sure why your little computer is blinking, but I assure you we are here on official business." She gestured towards Zamasu. "I mean, he's the Supreme Kai." She dropped her smile. "Don't make him angry."
The guard let out a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, but…"
"Zamasu?"
All three parties looked beyond the gate to see the good fortune of Gowasu just happening by.
"Hello, Master Gowasu." Both Kai bowed and exclaimed at exactly the same time. Hana mentally scolded herself immediately afterwards when Gowasu looked at her with a puzzled expression. Right. He was not her master. What she just did made no sense. She had to remember better who she was trying to impersonate.
Gowasu's eyes trained up to Zamasu with a small bit of shock at his appearance. "Seems we have some catching up to do!" He laughed and walked over to the gate. "Well, what is the hold up, let them in already!" He scolded the guard.
The guard took one last look at the warning, and feeling defeated, pressed the override button and opened the gate.
…………...
"Can you do anything with that body?" Kosu asked his sister as she stared down at her cup of tea Yuna had just poured for her, with a stressed expression on her face.
"No…I don't know…maybe?" She sighed and put her hand to head. "I don't know. There's a lot going on in here." She trained a look at the Supreme Kai. "I don't know what happened to you, but your body is a real mess ."
Zamasu seethed with frustration as he listened to the North Kai's complaints, voiced in his own tone. It was an insult to what should have been the greatest gift bestowed upon them by the opposing side. Yet here she was, wielding his power with all the finesse of a child with a toy. She showed no dedication to mastering it, no respect for its potential. If only he knew the mechanics behind the transfer, he would seize that version of himself for his own without hesitation.
"Hana, please recount the events once more. Explain precisely how this transfer occurred," Zamasu requested, his voice tinged with urgency and impatience. "And ensure that you omit no detail, regardless of its perceived insignificance. Every aspect of this event may hold crucial," he added.
Hana let out a small scream of frustration into her hands. "I told you! You put out the call for us to meet you, but I waited because you said I wasn't allowed to do Kai-Kai anymore." She glared at him. "I was actually trying to be respectful of you!" She crossed her arms. "Suddenly you- well, me - appeared and I thought you came to escort me."
"And nothing concerned you about his appearance?" Aoume asked thoughtfully. This was the part he couldn't understand.
Hana looked down. "I mean yes, it didn't look or feel quite like our Zamasu, but I was in so much trouble already today, I ignored it."
Zamasu shook his head and put his fingers to the corner of his eyes by his nose. Any other day- any other Hana- and none of this would've happened. The dominos of the universe were sometimes maddening when they decided to fall.
"He told me that he needed me to help him with something. Next thing I knew, he hit me hard and knocked me out." She looked very uncomfortable discussing that part. "When I came to, I immediately transmitted out of there, it couldn't have been more than a few minutes or so. I don't know what happened between the time I was hit and when I awoke." She looked like she wanted to cry again. "I'm sorry."
As frustrated as he was, Zamasu agreed with this part, remembering his discussion with the other Hana. She originally didn't intend to keep the body swap, and admittedly claimed she was surprised by the transmission. She most likely flew into a rage after and started leveling the planet looking for her original body, the merged Zamasu Hana was in now. A very Zamasu thing to do, he thought shamefully.
Kasai, who had been very quiet the whole time, finally spoke up. "Your earring, Hana. Do you remember it? Was the other Zamasu wearing one?"
Hana pulled the red Potara off her ear.
"It's not green like our universe's Potara." Kasai added with a shrug. "Just a thought."
Aoume nodded in agreement. "That's actually a great observation, Kasai." It had slipped by his notice earlier, as he was focused on the number of potara and not the quality.
Zamasu perked up finally remembering what seemed like an insignificant detail at the time. "After the other Hana cut off her hair, there was a purple Potara in her ear."
Hana snapped her head up, her eyes wide with shock. "HE CUT OFF MY HAIR?" she exclaimed, rushing over to the Supreme Kai, tea spilling everywhere as she shook him. "How short? What do I look like?" Her voice was tinged with hysteria.
Zamasu grunted, slapping her hands away and pointing at her face, which mirrored his own. "You should be more concerned about your potential as a Kai, rather than your physical appearance," he retorted sharply. "You need a brain that cares about fighting, not just looks!" He shoved her back, asserting his personal space. "After this is over, I'm tripling your annual training requirement. I've seen what you're capable of." He stopped there, refusing to admit aloud that he had lost their recent fight, or that he had enjoyed her reward afterwards.
Crushing her green hand around the red Potara, Hana felt a surge of anger coursing through her. She was upset at the situation, tired of Zamasu's constant criticisms, and overwhelmed by the sensations in her new body. The oscillation between feeling like she was dying one moment and experiencing euphoria the next was impossible to bear. With a scream and a burst of hot pink energy, she released her frustration, the power surging upwards and outwards in a dazzling display.
As the energy subsided, Hana looked at her hands, which were still glowing with an iridescent light. She took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. That felt great.
The other Kai stood with their mouths open in silent awe.
"Hana, you could possibly be the strongest being in Universe 10 right now." Kasai said with wonder. "I bet you could take on Rumsshi."
Zamasu turned a nasty look at the East Kai and felt sick with envy at the awesome display of power emanating from a version of him, that was not him. It wasn't fair.
Kosu bravely approached the chi-charged Hana, his arm outstretched as he reached for her. Embracing Zamasu wasn't exactly his idea of a good time, however, he could sense his sister's gentle spirit still lingering within. She was clearly traumatized and in need of comfort. As Hana felt Kosu's touch, she began to power down, her breathing slowing as she regained control. With a grateful sigh, she threw her arms around her brother, finally finding solace in his kindness.
Aoume observed the unfolding situation with a critical eye. If he were in Zamasu's position, he would have immediately called for Rumsshi upon learning about a rogue Potara fusion wreaking havoc among the lower Kai and endangering planets. The situation demanded swift action and collaboration with the Destroyer, yet Zamasu seemed ill-equipped to handle it. He lacked both the physical strength and the emotional maturity to address the crisis effectively.
In Aoume's assessment, Zamasu's arrogance and jealousy towards Hana hindered his ability to act as a compassionate and capable leader. Despite these shortcomings, Aoume understood that pushing Zamasu further could exacerbate the situation. Instead, he considered a more diplomatic approach that might make a difference without escalating tensions or triggering Zamasu's insecurities.
"What about contacting World Core and getting in touch with Gowasu?" He put his arms behind his back. "He might know something about different uses of Potara that we're not considering."
Zamasu suddenly felt his heart hammer in his chest. Gowasu! He had forgotten entirely the threat made earlier to kill him and the other elders. He teleported out without a single word or explanation.
"Should we follow?" Kosu asked, still consoling Hana, while trying very hard to ignore the fact it was Zamasu laying in his arms. "It would be easy to chi lock onto wherever he went to."
Auome shook his head. "No, unfortunately until Hana learns how to make her body better cooperate with her intentions, she's a liability, not an asset." After what they just witnessed her do, the last thing they needed was their opponents getting the merged Zamasu's body back into more capable hands. "We should stay here, for now. Safety in numbers." He resolved he would also later communicate with his Kai contacts in Universe 7. Maybe they had some ideas about what to do, or at least, maybe Hana could hide there until they had a better handle on the situation.
…………….…
For security purposes, it wasn't possible to teleport directly into the DICA. All chi signatures got pushed outside the main gate, no matter how strong their divinity, or who they were emanating from, including the Grand Minister himself, should he ever visit. This cost Zamasu precious minutes as he raced through the open gate and past the empty security desk, towards the blasts that were emitting and shattering through the windows from the inside. He counted three different, very powerful, chi signatures. He suspected the Zamasu inside Hana for sure, the World Core Destroyer, Cori, most likely was the second - who was the third? Judging by the feel of it, he had a sick hunch that once he arrived, there would be a total of three Zamasu's inside.
The Supreme Kai ran against the tide of Shinjin that were still frantically exiting the large building. The fight couldn't have been going on for too long then, if not everyone had evacuated, he noted. He ran up the large staircase that was in the main foyer towards the blasts that were dashing across the hallways, tearing through the chandeliers, destroying strips of rock across the side of the walls, and blowing holes out the other side.
As he approached the top, there was a sudden lull in the action. It was eerily quiet. Broken glass cracked under Zamasu's boots as strained to see amongst the dust and darkness that was settling in the midst of the new quiet. Cori emerged out of the darkness and wreckage, his paw outstretched, a Hakai charged, ready to fire. He was an exceptionally large, powerful, stark white canine formerly from Universe 9, many millennia ago. He had thick fur and red eyes. He flicked his tail anxiously as he walked right past the Supreme Kai without acknowledgement, and cornered his prey on the other side.
Zamasu quietly stalked the white wolf, not wanting to break his concentration. What he was hunting, finally showed through the darkness. First, just the glow of their chi blades cut through the settling dust, and then their shadowy figures began to show clear. Hana and another Zamasu each held an elder Kai, Gowasu being one of them, close to their chests, their chi-blades searing against their throats. Cori stopped but a foot in front of them, his eyes darting from Kai to Kai, looking composed, but secretly panicking.
The merged Zamasu snickered. "Well, well, well, Destroyer. Eeny, meeny, miney, moe- which one of us to Hakai? Only you know."
Hana laughed. "If you choose wrong, you'll be destroyed, too."
Cori growled, baring his massive sharp white canines. He had no idea which of the damn old fools was his life link. It could be neither of them. There were so many of them here, because these old stubborn Kai refused to move on to the Other World. And they all looked alike to him. It had to be one of the two here - he knew Gowasu from his retirement celebration he was forced to attend not too long ago. But was he the oldest? Not even the old Kai themselves knew. They argued daily about who had more seniority, as they swapped war stories at tea time. He looked at the young, green Kai who held him - Zamasu was his name, right? He was the new Supreme Kai, he was at that party too. His speech was terrible, if Cori recalled. Couldn't even hear it through all the sneezing and coughing in the background. If he Hakai'd him, Rumsshi wouldn't exactly be having the greatest day of his life either. He sniffed the air in frustration.
"So much for your wise choice in successor there, Gowasu. How long did you train him for? Just to kill you in the end?" He was stalling for time.
Gowasu felt the heat of Zamasu's blade on his neck. He didn't care what Cori said, this imposter was not his former apprentice. He could feel it. "Feel free to destroy us, Cori. This one is not the Supreme Kai."
Hana laughed. "You old fool. He can't - he doesn't know if you're his life link, or this one-," she hoisted up the old teal Kai in her arms higher, "-is. He's got a 50/50 shot though. That's pretty good odds!" He would have to choose one to destroy, or have to let them all go. No matter his choice, he risked destroying himself in the process. Hana added insult to injury. "Of course, we can make the choice for him if he doesn't want to." She grinned wickedly as the old Kai cried out in pain as her blade singed his skin a bit.
The real Supreme Kai watched from the darkness, not wanting to make his presence known, just yet. Why didn't they just kill the old Kai and be done with Cori? Why play games? Zamasu slowly charged his chi, hoping it would get lost in the extreme emotions that were flying around in front of him. There must be something they still needed, or otherwise they would've made their move by now.
As if on cue, Hana lifted her long dark lashes up to gaze behind Cori's shoulder, and her black eyes shone at what she saw. "I was beginning to think you had abandoned us." She called out to the darkness. "But you're finally here."
Cori knew he shouldn't look. It didn't matter what was behind him, only the impossible scenario in front deserved his attention. But he did. He turned his head for just a moment, just quick enough to see another Zamasu behind him to his great shock, when the two other Kai simultaneously threw Gowasu and the other elder at Cori, distracting him, and then teleported out with a quick salute to the Supreme Kai.
Cori let out a loud howl as he flipped over a nearby table, punched the wall, and then grabbed a surprised Zamasu by his robes and dragged him outside.
"Cori! Stop this at once!" Gowasu chased the pair outside after collecting himself from his own fall.
The Destroyer lifted Zamasu into the air and slammed him down onto the security desktop, the same one that had detected the mortal signatures earlier. He crushed his face into it a little harder than necessary, just for good measure. Zamasu clenched his teeth and struggled under the incredible power of the white wolf. It was useless.
Cori watched a white light blink on the indicator as Gowasu finally managed to catch up, albeit out of breath. "There. 100% divine." He said between breaths. "See? Not one of them. Release him."
Cori growled, enraged at the situation and the semi-mortal Kai who escaped him, who only did so, in his opinion, with help from the real Zamasu. He was out of luck now that they were gone from World Core. His jurisdiction over the situation was over, and it was now, once again, the problem of the Supreme Kai. He begrudgingly picked Zamasu up and placed him on his feet.
"Get your Universe in order, Kai!" He yelled at Zamasu as he pointed at his face and loomed large over him.
Zamasu scoffed. "You didn't seem to be doing so hot yourself in there, from where I was standing." He crossed in arms. "In fact, it seems that I helped solve your little conundrum."
Cori bared his teeth. "I will not be erased by the Omni King because they gave the keys to the cosmos to a spoiled child!" He raised his fist. "Figure it out!" He barked, before swishing his tail and knocking Zamasu out of his way as he stormed back towards the building.
Gowasu watched Cori exit completely before making his way over to his former apprentice, who looked agitated, humiliated, and genuinely lost. A serious conversation was in order regarding what in good god's name just happened in there; but he knew Zamasu too well, and knew he had to try to pull him back from the ledge before he could engage with him in such a way. When Zamasu thought clearly, he was efficient, methodical, and even wise; however, he was still prone to wild swings in emotion, and when that happened, he acted unpredictably, and in the sole protection of his ego. A little levity was in order so Zamasu didn't feel what just happened was his failure, even if it was. He clapped Zamasu on the back and chuckled. "Not so easy is it? And you used to worry you'd be bored as the Supreme Kai."
Zamasu regarded him in the corner of his eye. "How can you make jokes after what just happened? After what you just saw?"
"What?" Gowasu laughed. "This? They'll fix this by tonight. You're already here, so there's no need for them to alert you to what is going on. And do you think after several millennia, that was the first time my life was ever threatened? I was Supreme Kai for longer than you've been alive." He put his hand on Zamasu's back. "It's a weird universe. Not even an imposter you trying to kill me can rival some of the inexplainable things I've seen in the cosmos." His trust that the Zamasu in front of him had nothing to do with what just occurred was iron clad.
Zamasu just stared at the ground.
"You know, there were bets against you finishing your apprenticeship." Gowasu said suddenly very seriously.
Zamasu finally acknowledged him with a wounded look.
Gowasu nodded. "Many were certain you were too volatile, and were bound to do something eventually that would blow up in your face." He laughed a little and put his arm around the Supreme Kai and shook him encouragingly. "I had to constantly tell them that Universe 10 would eventually have not only the strongest Supreme Kai in the multiverse, but the wisest."
Zamasu gave a small huff. He wasn't feeling any of those qualities presently.
"Well, anyway, you proved them wrong. You will again." He stepped back. "You'll do the right thing."
Zamasu let out a heavy sigh. He didn't even know where to begin with telling Gowasu about what was going on. "What did they want?" Was all he could manage to ask.
Gowasu knit his brow. "The one that looked like the North Kai wanted to know where the universal Potara were kept." His own ears were bare now that he was retired. "Considering the one that looked like you already had a pair from Universe 10, I can only imagine they were after the sets kept here from the other eleven universes."
Zamasu perked up. It was like Kasai had guessed. "They didn't find them, did they?"
Gowasu shook his head. "No. Despite their seeming hubris during the fight, it's my opinion that nothing in there went according to their plan. All they wanted was the Potara, and to get out. Even my death would've been quick and silent. And Cori was certainly an unwelcome surprise." He gestured to the security table. "A proactive guard was helpful in that case." Gowasu looked at the white blinking lights confirming both he and Zamasu's divinity. "Disturbingly, they had a partially mortal signature. Do you know where they were from? And why they looked you and the North Kai?" He did note Time Rings on their hands. "That they even made it as far as they did means our security here has to be updated." He omitted the part where he was the one who authorized their entrance.
"Can Potaras from opposing universes be used for merging?" Zamasu rudely interrupted. He thought for a moment and then clarified his question. "What would happen if an earring from ten was used with an earring from say eight?"
Gowasu considered the question. "I'm not sure, exactly. Why?"
Zamasu sighed. "I believe that's what this is all about."
"Experiments have been done in the past trying to unmerge fused Kai using different Potara configurations. But as far as I know, that is ancient history, as old as Potara fusion itself. I'm not sure if there's even any record of it. It certainly wasn't successful, as it's accepted knowledge that Potara fusion is generally permanent."
Zamasu thought of the switched Hana's. It had to be right. Potaras from other universes swapped instead of merged. The question was, could you switch back? Not even Hana was sure about that, per her own confession. It seemed the Zamasu inside her was using this timeline, this Universe 10, and the lower Kai here, as his proving ground for rogue Potara use, before using them for something bigger. Zamasu clenched his teeth and fists in anger at the thought. The other Zamasu also clearly considered him weak of both character and strength, to not have left immediately once he saw him as Supreme Kai of this timeline. Well, on that he'd be wrong.
But what was there to gain in exchanging in the first place? Zamasu shot up. "Master Gowasu, perhaps you should leave the Potaras with me? They will never suspect that they're right under their noses. Right in front of them is the safest place."
Gowasu wasn't so sure. He hesitated, especially considering Rumsshi was not as likely to show up at first call if things went south. He looked hard at his former apprentice. As Supreme Kai, he could technically demand them regardless of his opinion. That Zamasu even asked, was just a show of respect. Zamasu was in charge, despite the elders here pretending, or wishing, otherwise. "Alright Zamasu. Let's go. They're in the vault."
They walked in silence back into to the disheveled academy