Zamasu blinked in back to his Sacred World, a box full of Potara richer, but physically worse for the wear. He was absolutely exhausted. He tucked the elegantly sealed box, containing the Potara sets from each universe, under his arm, as he made his way into the Temple, and tried his best to process everything that had just transpired in such a short amount of time.
His figure cast long, silent shadows as he strode down a narrow, dimly lit corridor. Strips of sunlight intermittently cut through the dusty hall, creating a play of light and shadow. Coming to a stop at the end, he closed his eyes and entered a state of deep concentration. With focused intent, he honed in on a specific energy signature required to gain access to the most secure room in the entire Tenth Universe—his bedroom. Personally sealed by Rumsshi and equipped with a scrambled energy signature lock, it could only be accessed by Zamasu himself through instant transmission. His full chi signature and both Universe 10 Potara served as the keys. It was Rumsshi's assurance that the Supreme Kai had the safest refuge in the cosmos when needed. Moreover, it housed some of the universe's most secure artifacts, now including the multiverse Potara.
Satisfied with the Potaras' security inside a small vault in the back of his room, he removed one of his own Potara, which hung from his right ear, before transmitting back to the main Temple. As he walked down the darkened hall, he paused at the sound of hushed voices coming from one of the side rooms. It was Kosu and Kasai, laughing. Immediately, his blood pressure spiked at the thought of his lower Kai enjoying themselves while he shouldered the burden of the entire universe. With a mix of frustration and indignation, he laid his hand on the door, preparing to tear it open and confront them.
Entering the room with a burst of energy, Zamasu found his suspicions confirmed as the West and East Kai visibly startled at the sound of his voice. "Ah, so this is what my esteemed Kai are occupied with while I'm embroiled in a battle with the Destroyer at World Core," he remarked with a touch of exaggeration. His gaze swept over the scene, noting Kosu and Kasai huddled around a large screen amid scattered food. "And it seems you're also indulging in my amenities," he added with a sneer.
"Zamasu!" Kasai jumped up and bowed immediately. "Sir? You got into a fight with Cori?" he said, half hoping the Supreme Kai would take it as flattery.
"We were gonna clean, Zamasu, relax." Kosu said between mouthfuls of food, still watching the screen, sitting with his back against a low table. "We didn't know where you went, what were we supposed to do while we waited?"
Zamasu flicked off the God Tube with a snarl. "I don't know, Kosu, what could possibly be more important than wasting away your time on God Tube like children!" He turned his attention to Kasai. "Have you even bothered to figure out what's happened to your mortals yet?"
Kasai shook his head. "No, Sir."
He turned towards Kosu. "Where is the North Kai?" He demanded.
"She has a name." Kosu said crossly. "You could be a little nicer to her."
Zamasu glared at the West Kai but backed down. "Alright. Where is Hanakotoba. It's important."
"Not here!" Kosu answered quickly with a grin as he put his arms behind his head.
Zamasu leaned down so he was eye to eye with him. "Well, where is she, Kosumosu?" He said slowly.
Kasai spoke up. He greatly disliked like the tension that usually occurred between the Supreme and West Kai. "Aoume took her to the 7th universe. We didn't know where you went. He thought it would be safer for her. And us."
Zamasu clenched his fist furiously around the loose Potara he was holding as he surveyed the two lower Kai back and forth. "Not one of you had the sense to wait for my return before making such a reckless decision? How do you expect me to switch with the North Kai if she's not even here?"He started to yell.
Kosu's disbelief turned to anger, evident in the narrowing of his eyes. "Hold on a moment," he interjected, holding his hands up in protest. "You were planning to ask her to switch again? After everything she's been through already?" He approached Zamasu, crossing his arms in a show of defiance. Despite Zamasu's higher rank, Kosu stood his ground, his broader frame making him appear slightly taller than the Supreme Kai. Though Zamasu may have had the upper hand now, Kosu couldn't help but recall their earlier days when he could easily outmatch Zamasu in a fight, whether through physical combat or energy blasts. "You can't be serious. Why?"
Zamasu scoffed. If Kosu couldn't grasp the simple logic required to comprehend that his sister wasn't capable of wielding the weapon she possessed, Zamasu wasn't going to be the one to spell it out for him. "If she wants to retain the title of Kai, she must be willing to make the necessary sacrifices in the name of her universe," he replied coldly.
Kosu paused, swiftly processing all possible scenarios in his mind. "Okay, let's say you switch. You now possess that far more powerful version of yourself, and she becomes you. What then? How will she reclaim her body? The one trapped in her doesn't want you; it wants the body she's currently in, which will be yours." He refrained from voicing the unspoken implications—that Hana's fate depended on Zamasu agreeing to be only a temporary steward of the Potara fusion, or that the other Zamasu would need to accept the Supreme Kai's body as a consolation prize. Either way, Hana would lack control over her own destiny.
Kosu watched Zamasu's mouth draw into a tight line. He was right, and he knew it. Whether or not he cared was the real question. Kosu sighed and shook his head as he started back towards Kasai. He didn't need another suspension, and Hana clearly needed him around to make sure someone was thinking about her in all of this. "Just, try and think beyond solving this yourself with brute force, Supreme Kai." He emphasized the title. "You can always call Kusu and wake up Rumsshi, for one."
"Enlighten me, Kosu. What could you possibly know about being a Supreme Kai?" He disregarded the mention of Rumsshi, feeling he had dealt with enough Destroyers for one day. "Besides the fact that you'll never be one." His patience, rooted in their shared history, was wearing thin. There were countless other Shinjin, more powerful and respectful, who would leap at the chance to become the West Kai of Universe 10.
Kosu turned around about to answer back when a slow clapping sound was heard out near the quad.
"Now, this is quite the spectacle! Painful and disturbing, yet somehow, still entertaining."
All three Kai darted out to the sound of Hana's voice. Zamasu quickly reattached his earring just in case his hypothesis regarding the universal Potara was correct.
Hana sauntered near the entrance of the Temple, casually leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. "I was hoping to catch you alone," she remarked, locking eyes with the Supreme Kai, "but I'll be the first to admit it's rather pleasant to see everyone again. It's been quite a while since I killed you all." She continued forward, halting in front of Kasai. "Except you. You're a new addition. Either the South Kai or East Kai, if I had to wager. Both those sectors were overseen by decrepit old fools long overdue for retirement."
Zamasu immediately assumed a light fighter's stance. Despite Hana looking visibly torn up from her earlier scrap with Cori, it seemed to have done nothing to diminish her energy level. He couldn't help but notice she now felt considerably stronger, emanating more of his own energy signature. If he had his eyes closed, he would've guessed it was himself standing there.
"I'm afraid I prematurely congratulated you," she remarked, redirecting her attention towards Zamasu. "Wish I could retract that kiss. It's rather painful watching you struggle to manage your lower Kai like that. Seems the price for achieving Supreme Kai status is allowing the Elders to drain you of your dignity. What a shame. I can assist you in reclaiming what you've lost, if you desire. The offer remains, though time is running short."
Kiss? Kosu appeared visibly uncomfortable, his gaze fixed on what appeared to be his sister. Despite his discomfort, he bravely positioned himself behind the Supreme Kai, assuming a fighter's stance in solidarity.
"It's not really her, remember Kosu," Kasai said quietly, breaking the tension. Both Kai looked at Zamasu, who was speechless. It was him. An alternate version of him, but still him. He had said so himself.
"Don't even bother attempting to fight, Kosu." Zamasu finally spoke, feeling their gaze, and their suspicion. "You won't even sniff at landing a single hit."
""Ah, a vote of confidence from your Supreme Kai, Kosumosu?" Hana's gaze shifted towards the West Kai. "But he speaks truth, does he not? You always did display a certain laziness, chasing after mortals instead of honing your skills. Easily killed, in case you were wondering." Her eyes darkened as she looked down at herself. "Hanakotoba posed a bit more of a challenge; lacking in strength, but crafty nonetheless. Yet she fell swiftly once within my grasp." Her attention suddenly swept across the room. "And where, pray tell, is the North Kai? She possesses something I require."
"She's no where you can reach." Kosu said cold and low, trying to keep composed. "There's twelve universes, take your first pick."
Hana paused and flashed a devilish look at Kosu. "She's not truly your sister, you understand that, don't you?" Her tone dripped with venom. "The entire Kaiju family tree nonsense—it's merely a feeble attempt at culture, concocted by some lonely Kai ages ago who sought kinship with minimal effort. They lacked true imagination and simply pilfered from the first mortals they happened to observe."
Hana observed Kosu's face contorting with a mix of hurt and confusion, and she feigned sympathy. "'Oh, if it brings you comfort, Kosu, it might actually break my heart a little to see your expression as I kill you with her body. You do hold such affection for her." She reached out, but Zamasu swiftly intercepted her wrist, pulling her away with a sharp tug.
"Don't listen, Kosu," Zamasu intervened, his attention fixed on Hana's once warm black eyes, now mirroring his own cruel gaze. Even he couldn't ignore the profound discomfort etched on Kosu's face, and he pitied his old rival in that moment. "She's weaving half-truths with blatant lies to sow despair." Despite himself, Zamasu couldn't shake the realization that his alternate self's words cut exactly as he would have intended to deeply wound the West Kai
Hana just smirked, shrugged, and jumped right to the chase, as she tried to wriggle her arm free from Zamasu's grip. "Did you retrieve the Universal Potara from Gowasu? Is it in your room? That's where I would have stowed it."
Both Kasai and Kosu looked at Zamasu, who tried to keep a steady face.
"I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to," he muttered quietly.
"You seem to have most of the answers already," she accused, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Gowasu likely agreed to let you bring them here from World Core for safekeeping, under the guise of responsibility, when in reality, you're just eager to utilize them for your own purposes." She smirked knowingly. "Just in case, right? Just in case the earring from Universe 10 and the one your dear real Hana wore weren't the perfect match to facilitate the switch." Her expression turned mocking. "Gowasu's misplaced trust strikes again. It's not a matter of if, but when."
Zamasu clenched his teeth and started to increase his power.
"You're intelligent enough to know when you didn't read the fine print. I was counting on that, in case you had any ideas about fighting us."
Kosu burned a look at Zamasu, who had nothing to say.
"You believe you'll excel as the captain of that much more formidable version of yourself. It's a shortcut to advancement on the game board," Hana remarked, a hint of mockery in her tone. She glanced once more at Kasai. "We've been here for quite some time, you know. Surprisingly inconspicuous, if you ask me. We were conducting our investigations, burning through mortals as we pleased, and then obliterating them afterward." She playfully pinched Kasai's cheek. "But now it all makes sense. An inexperienced East Kai and a naive Supreme."
Zamasu surged his chi upward in a sharp blast, determined not to be caught off guard again. Kosu followed the Supreme Kai, and Kasai, though reluctant, finally joined them after observing the two more experienced fighters complete their pregame. This would be his first real fight.
"That's the spirit." Hana outmatched Zamasu's energy easily with her own power up. Her immortality was also starting to finally feel in tact. She was worried for a little bit. She did a cursory scan for the Potara box, just in case it was in plain sight, as she darted a look between the three Kai in front of her ready to pounce. She twisted her Time Ring with a smirk. "I have friends too, you know. And they're easy to call."
……...
As Goku, the South Kai, and "Hanasu" returned to Universe 10, Goku couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu. Though it was a different timeline, the Sacred Realm felt eerily familiar, with that unsettling sensation creeping into his bones once more. It was as if the planet itself disapproved of his presence. Unlike Shin's planet, this one gave off a palpable aura of disapproval. Despite his earlier confidence, being here now sparked a subtle but nagging doubt in his mind, and on top of that, he hadn't even met this timeline's Zamasu yet. What if he made the same mistakes again?
Hana did her own deep sigh of anxiety as the three walked quietly, towards the Temple, which seemed eerily quiet, as they ambled down the hill towards it.
"What should I say again when I first meet Zamasu?" Goku made both Kai jump a little with his loud voice interrupting the thick silence. He was trying to remember all of the details in the etiquette crash course he was given earlier. He was determined not to screw up. Both Kai assured him that while their Zamasu did have an intolerance of mortals in theory, he had never been personally aggressive towards them in practice.
Aoume laughed. "First, introduce yourself. Bow deeply, and lower your head. Do not look him in the eyes. Then say, 'I am eternally grateful and humbled to be here in your Sacred Realm, and make your acquaintance, Supreme Kai of Universe 10.' "
"Do not use his actual name!" Hana added quickly. Goku's constant, casual, use of "Zamasu," like he was an old friend, concerned her. "Refer to him only as 'Supreme Kai'." She had seen Goku give Shin this courtesy, so he was capable of being considerate, if he wanted. "Oh, and please, please, please," she stopped in front of the Saiyan, folded her hands in front of her face, and looked at him pleadingly with Zamasu's grey eyes. "Whatever happens, do NOT touch him!"
Goku scratched his head in deep thought. "Ok…but that might make it hard to fight him."
"Why are you planning on fighting him?!" Both Kai shouted in alarm at the same time.
"No, I only mean if I have to! If he doesn't like me."
Aoume intervened, reassuring Goku, "You won't have to worry. Zamasu will make his intentions very clear before it reaches that point, and we'll ensure you're escorted out safely, I promise." Though he didn't have all the details, Aoume had heard the heart-wrenching tale of the Zamasu that Hana was entangled with. It was deeply troubling, but from what he understood, that Zamasu was much younger and still in the early stages of his Supreme Kai training. Aoume was confident that their Zamasu would exercise the necessary restraint with Goku, behaving according to his rank, regardless of any personal feelings.
"You'll be OK." Hana smiled and put her hand on the Saiyan's shoulder, keen to switch the subject. She was quickly learning that comprehension, and retention of detail, was not Goku's strength, and it was best to quit before he confused himself. "How about you refresh my memory, now, on how to fight in this thing?" She gestured toward herself. Truthfully, she was feeling more in control of Zamasu's body as time went on, but at the same time, was losing the ability to channel the fantastic power it held when she first switched in.
Goku grinned. After his etiquette lesson before they left Universe Seven's Sacred World, he was given a chance to share his own personal expertise with the Kai. "Just remember to K.I.S.S.!" Goku said enthusiastically.
"Keep It Simple, Stupid!" Hana said in her best Zamasu voice. She had to admit, Goku's fighting instruction more then made up for his lack of inherit IQ. She had learned more from him in 20 minutes, than 1000 years of Kai based training.
"Inch by inch is a cinch, yard by yard is hard. Focus on doing the few things you know really well, and maximizing them with Zamasu's natural physical capabilities." He had observed Hana attempting a few techniques she claimed she was proficient in, and quickly concluded she was both inexperienced and poorly trained, though she showed some potential if she truly cared to improve.
Hana playfully mimicked firing a chi blast. "POW! You're dead, other Zamasu!" Then, a more serious tone crept into her voice. "Hey Goku, try not to hurt my real body too much if you can?" It was a concern that hadn't crossed her mind until now, faced with the imminent prospect of encountering herself in a battle. "I need something intact to return to." She chuckled nervously, but beneath the laughter lurked the terrifying reality of being trapped as a fused version of Zamasu for the rest of her very long life.
"Oh." Goku looked at her curiously. She didn't know. "That won't be a problem, you're immortal."
"I am?" She pulled at her dark grey tunic and looked at Aoume with a puzzled expression.
"You mean the Zamasu in Hana's body is immortal?" The South Kai clarified.
"Right, yes!" Goku corrected himself. This whole thing was confusing, he kept forgetting he wasn't actually speaking to Zamasu every now and then. "The Zamasu that was in Hana's body now, but is now in her real body, is immortal." Did that make sense? he thought.
Aoume lifted his glasses. This was a major detail that no one thought to mention until just now? "Immortal? Are you sure?" This entire situation just elevated to a whole new, much more concerning, level if so.
"Positive. Zamasu can't be killed. He multiplies too if parts of him are blasted off."
Hana examined her green hands, then hesitantly felt around Zamasu's chest, as if searching for clues about his inherent immortality. Finding no answers there, she returned to her original question. "Wait, so am I immortal then?" she asked, her tone tinged with uncertainty. Had that intense, almost euphoric sensation she initially experienced been a sign of her immortality? It had faded now, but the memory lingered.
Goku crossed his arms. "Well, are you? I'm pretty sure you'd know something like that."
Aoume swiftly considered the available evidence and formulated a hypothesis. "I think the real question is whether the immortality resides in the body itself, and if so, whether it will retain that immortality when inhabited by a different spirit," he mused aloud. "Alternatively, it could be the spirit that holds the key to immortality. In that case, does it confer immortality to the new body?" He paused, pondering further. "And if it's the spirit that matters, how long does it take for full integration of mind, spirit, and body?"
Hana and Goku both looked at him blankly. She leaned over to the Saiyan and said quietly, "Yeah, he's really smart." She thought she understood what the South Kai was trying to communicate, and guessed she'd find out soon enough.
Aoume was about to question Goku on what he felt was the goal of Zamasu infiltrating this new timeline was, when a series of blasts suddenly erupted from the Temple.
"Looks like the party came to us!" Goku exclaimed, doing nothing to hide his excitement as he took off down the hill.
"Goku! NO! Wait!" Both Kai shouted in unison, as all of their etiquette lessons flushed down the drain within a matter of seconds, before their eyes.
………………
Inside the Temple, chaos reigned supreme. Hana immediately opened fire, blasting a hole through the side of the main corridor, revealing the outside quad. Zamasu wasted no time in taking the fight outside, but Hana persistently tried to lure it back in, aiming to destroy the Temple and expose its hidden secrets in the process. Zamasu pursued the possessed North Kai relentlessly, firing blasts and attempting to strike with his chi blade. He noticed that his alternate self had mastered Hana's body to its full potential, proving impossible to catch and engage with hand-to-hand combat. What's more, she seemed completely unharmed by every blast he directed at her. It was infuriating; Zamasu remembered being able to inflict damage during their initial encounter. Doubts crept into his mind—was he more fatigued than he realized, causing his aim to suffer, or were his blasts simply weaker in comparison? Frustration welled up within him, evident in his increasingly aggressive, sloppy, fighting style. \p
Zamasu paused mid-air, taking a moment to catch his breath as Hana momentarily vanished from his sight. He scanned the area for his backup and spotted the inexperienced Kasai on the ground, vulnerable to attack. Just as Hana prepared to unleash a devastating blast on the East Kai, Zamasu intervened, unleashing a barrage of energy blasts toward his alternate self. Hana deflected the attack, and Kasai narrowly avoided the brunt of the assault, but Zamasu could feel his energy reserves dwindling. The effort had taken its toll, leaving him bitterly aware of the cost of his actions as he looked down at his inexperienced lower Kai from above.
Hana appeared suddenly in his peripheral vision, looking fresh and ready for round two. "Kosu get her! Block her!" Zamasu yelled at the West Kai, who was not having the greatest showing himself. Whether he was tentative to throw an attack, due to not wanting to hurt what look liked his sister, or was just considerably out of practice, he completely wasted an opportunity to trap the North Kai along a side wall where both Kai could've ambushed her afterwards.
Hana gritted her teeth and fired at Kosu, landing the blast square in his chest and getting around to his other side. Zamasu swore to himself, then flew down and managed to cut her off, where they locked eyes for a brief moment before finally engaging hand to hand. They wielded the same weapon as before and clashed chi blades, while trying to knock the other out of the air with various counter assaults.
"I can't tell if you're just doing this for show, or if you genuinely don't want what we have to offer." Hana effortlessly kept moving her head out of the way of Zamasu's strikes before throwing a few counters of her own. "You can easily have one of the fusions, if thats a sticking point for you." She said as she trapped his blade between her hands and threw him to the side where she caught him with a knee. "The original intent was not to kill you, but it will be inevitable if you continue to persist with this delusion!" She wiped a few strands of sweaty hair out of her eyes. "Anyway, the Eastern sector is already infected, even if you did manage to somehow stop me here." She had a wild look in her eyes as the Supreme Kai collected himself from his gut check and refused to take the bait.
Zamasu wiped the violet blood off his cheek, his gaze fixed firmly on his alternate self. It was unmistakably him, seething with fury from within Hana's form. What vexed him most was his exclusion from the plan. The Zamasu within Hana assumed he would readily abandon his universe, handing over the multiverse Potara to continue his destructive path. But for what purpose?
"What could you possibly have to offer me that I don't already possess?" Zamasu's smile was fading as he ignored the growing pain in his side. "I am the Supreme Kai. I have attained all that I desire. You lecture me, yet you're the one trapped in the body of a lesser Kai, playing for time."
"And how has this skirmish fared for you? You're hopelessly outmatched, and deep down, you realize it. You're the one buying time. Even now, you're stalling." Hana's tone dripped with hatred. "Supreme denotes the apex, the zenith. Nowhere else to ascend." Her expression shifted from blank to a faint smirk. "Yet here you stand, beneath me, both figuratively and literally. Is that not the epitome of 'Supreme'?" The smirk faded into seriousness. "You know that if you persist with your current stance, death is inevitable. I warned you earlier. I can't risk the intervention of the Destroyer if you refuse to aid in his obliteration first." She raised her hand in a final gesture. "This is your last opportunity. Your last chance to elevate yourself and transcend your current limitations."
Zamasu hesitated. Just for a few slow deep breaths. But then held his palm out as a dark purple and black chi blast began to grow. He tried to think of something verbose to say, something that matched how above this desperate version of himself he truly felt, despite his impending defeat. "Get out of my universe." Were the only words he could form.
Hana shook her head with a "tsk," then ascended to a safe distance, charging a large yellow and orange sphere. Starting small, it rapidly inflated to an almost comical size. "I really don't want to do this to you. I was hoping you'd help us perfect divinity, perfect the universes. Give yourself the means to truly use the keys you control as Supreme Kai." She narrowed her eyes. "But you've exposed yourself to be as gutless as the mortals you pretend to care for. You're a disgrace." She raised her hand up higher in preparation to launch. "This hurts me too."
…………………...
Zamasu could feel the radiative heat spewing like hot wind from the massive attack Hana held up in her delicate hands as he gazed helplessly upwards at it. He caught the West and South Kai below in the corner of his eye bravely standing their ground below, in solidarity with him. The blast cast an infernal glow behind the North Kai, reflecting her untamed beauty, and echoed the desperation in her eyes. With a slight recoil, she prepared to unleash the devastating blow, but then hesitated. Something had caught her attention, and she began to frantically scan the surroundings. "No!" she exclaimed, as a resounding voice rang out from behind, its source obscured by the brilliance of the energy bomb shining above.
"Hey Supreme Kai, you might want to get down!" It yelled.
Zamasu plummeted from the sky, crashing to his knees in exhaustion. Filled with adrenaline, he didn't question the origin or intent of the command directed at him. As he hit the ground, his gaze shot up to witness a magnificent blue-white streak of power tear across the sky, striking the North Kai point-blank. Her own attack dissipated, absorbed by the stronger force that slammed her into the Temple wall, causing it to crumble and bury her beneath the rubble.
With a quick turn, Zamasu caught a fleeting glimpse of the new assailant before Hana exploded from the debris in a burst of iridescent light. She was injured, her torn clothes and bloodied skin revealing the extent of the damage inflicted by the invader's single shot. Clutching her arm as if it were broken, she collected herself amidst the outpouring of her energy.
"Nothing has changed, Goku!" she screamed into the air. "History will repeat itself, though you might not!" She clenched her teeth as Zamasu watched her body begin to repair itself right before his eyes. He wasn't sure what he was witnessing. His first guess was immortality, but he had never encountered anything truly immortal. It was all just theory and speculation. Even though Kai could live for eons, they could be easily killed physically; they weren't immortal.
The fighter wasted no time. He didn't speak or reply to the North Kai's threat. In a streak of blue he immediately engaged with her hand to hand, rushing her as her wounds continued to repair themselves. By the time they were in the thick of it, her torn blood soaked clothes were the only evidence she had been injured at all. The strange fighter had no problem landing strikes, though had to take a few hits himself in order to achieve them, and seemed keen to keep the fight in as close contact as possible.
Kosu and Kasai ran over to Zamasu and helped him to his feet as the fight waged on overhead. Kosu stared at the fighter in the sky with an impressed look on his face. He whistled. "Wow, who is he?" Kosu looked at Zamasu, who was barely holding himself up with an arm snaked around the West Kai's neck for support. "I think he's a mortal, if you want my opinion."
With the rush of imminent death finally subsided, Zamasu narrowed his eyes and properly assessed the mysterious fighter. He temporarily disengaged from the fight and observed the interaction between the mortal and the Zamasu inside Hana. It was unmistakably a mortal. Zamasu was certain of it, both by appearance and sensation. This mortal seemed to have some familiarity with him, engaging in conversation with the North Kai. While the mortal had remarkably been winning the fight thus far, he had also been wreaking havoc on the Sacred Realm and Temple. Continuing his assault would lay bare all of its secrets. With resolve, Zamasu released Kosu and charged up once more to rejoin the fray. This mortal had just declared war on him, in a manner reminiscent of the other Zamasu inhabiting Hana's body.
"Wait no! Zamasu! Don't go up there!"
Hana and the South Kai came rushing in what remained of the quad.
Zamasu's eyes widened at the sight of himself. "You chose NOW to return?" He angrily snapped at Hana. He looked back up at the fighters above before returning his attention to Hana. "You're going to get caught! You're useless here, get out!"
Hana went to reply but suddenly felt her Time Ring begin to singe, like a branding iron, against her skin. She quietly shrieked as the other Kai observed her struggle, and tried to pull it off her finger, but it sunk into her green flesh as the heat caused it to expand, making it impossible to remove. She cried out in audible pain.
…..
Goku grinned as he broke away from the initial skirmish, taking a momentary pause in the battle. "Well, hello there, Zamasu. You seem to have undergone a bit of a transformation," he remarked, eyeing the real Hanakotoba for the first time. He couldn't help but notice, though, the unmistakable expression of hatred, reminiscent of his old adversary on her attractive face. "I'm not entirely sure if we should continue fighting or perhaps head out for dinner together," he quipped with a hint of jest.
Zamasu's smirk widened within Hana's form. "Thank you for the hospitality, Goku. It's always a pleasure," she replied with a touch of sarcasm. "As for your offer, I'm afraid mortals aren't exactly my preferred company," she chuckled dryly. "But let's not digress. Nothing has changed. This will still have to end the same way, if you want it to end at all. You can't beat us," she declared firmly, crossing her arms in defiance. "I'd wager my immortal life that you didn't even think to bring that little Zeno button anyway. If you even still have it."
Goku narrowed his eyes. He did not have the Zeno button. It could be on the bottom of a laundry basket with Chi Chi for all he knew, but he was still confident this would turn out differently. "That's ok. I won't need to erase the timeline, just you."
"We'll see." Hana smiled as she wrapped her one hand around the other and squeezed iher fist around her Time Ring. She powered up a bright flash around it. "Escaping erasure did take its toll on my memory though. Enlighten me- about how many were there of me, right before the end?" Steam began to rise between her fingers where the ring sat absorbing her energy. "That is, if your primitive brain can even count beyond one hundred."