The mysterious masked boy in the red cloak finally faced the Universe-level gods who clearly don't recognize him at all. Now Vegeta got his full profile. The boy appeared to be the same age as Yonshir physically and if you put them next to each other, one would think they're actually twins or siblings. He had long brown hair, the top arranged in a wild but soft flame-like array almost similar to Vegeta's, but the fringes that framed his small face were long, layered bangs and he had long locks of hair in front of his ears. His irises were golden with slitted pupils similar to that of felines.
Vegeta also sensed the boy's power, and he knew that even if it was being suppressed, he was extremely powerful, though probably not as strong as he is. But his presence alone was extremely intimidating. He could tell that the boy, despite his petite size, could be a very cold and ruthless warrior, perhaps the same as he could become...
Or even more.
But there was something about the boy that made him feel oddly familiar with. Was it his aura or charisma which he could tell was similar to his own fearsome nature?
The boy's golden gaze swept across the room, observing his gawking and confused audience, before his fearsome stare fell in Vegeta's direction once again. The two of them stared at each other in what seemed like an intense glaring match. Vegeta felt insulted by the way this kid stared down at him, it was as if he meant nothing to the child at all. This made him furious, but one look upon his golden eyes, Vegeta was stumped. It was as if an invisible force was pushing him away from the kid. What was it? Was he feeling intimidated? By a mere child?!
Vegeta could feel himself shaking. He even heard Shin ask him if he was feeling okay. He fumed, trying to convince himself that this was not out of fear because he was feeling intimidated by a mere child's presence, but rather, some sort of excitement. His clone had witnessed part of this child's power when it encountered him on Magus Island. Vegeta's Saiyan instinct was telling him that the boy was extremely powerful and that's what's making him tremble with anticipation. The urge to fight someone like him was making his blood boil.
Vegeta fumed as he tried to control himself, clenching his fists on his sides and pursing his lips together. His brows furrowed, his eyes narrowed as his irises glowed a mauvish crimson light.
The boy rolled his eyes before he finally spoke to address the universe-level gods, "This should be the first time you met me in this form, but let's just pretend this is truly our first meeting. I am the Great Sage Flaming Pride of Heaven , Tajibe Sadal. I am a newly awakened immortal god standing above the ranks of the Multiverse-level higher deities. I have come from somewhere distant to help you in the preparation for this upcoming heavenly war."
Chapter 45: Vegeta's Rampage, Out of Control
"You say you will help us? We don't even know you. This is the first time we have seen you or even heard about you," Sidra said.
"Of course, that's because as I've said, I'm just a newly awakened god. Yet despite that, I am confident that I can help you in this preparation, especially the Destined Strong One."
Tajibe's golden eyes glowered at Vegeta's direction, which caused the God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe to fume.
"Hmph! No thanks. I don't take any help from anyone. I can do it on my own," Vegeta grumbled.
For once, the other Gods of Destruction agreed with him.
Tajibe let out a smirk, "Heh! I expected such responses from you. How about I introduce myself in battle? Surely after that you will see that I am more capable than any of you," Tajibe challenged.
"Any of us? Ha! You've gotta be kidding. Are you saying that a mere child who just recently awakened as a god would be capable of taking me out in a fight?" Vegeta snorted cockily.
"Don't underestimate him, milord. You'll be surprised to find out how powerful he actually is," Whis told him.
Tajibe turned his entire profile towards Vegeta's direction, raising his chin as if an act to belittle this pompous brat.
"Hm, such pride and arrogance you got there. God of Destruction, Vegeta Yonsei of the Seventh Universe, correct? The Destined Strong One, prophesied to become the strongest among all. I'm quite surprised to see that you don't seem to live up to what's expected of you. You're quite cocky and egotistical, I could tell," Tajibe said with a cold smile. "You're no different than the others. You're pathetic, insecure, and afraid to accept your own weaknesses, that's why you hold yourself with reckless superiority among the others, seeking greater strength because you are afraid of being seen as weak. Your overconfidence, pride, and self-assurance will be your downfall if you keep that up."
Vegeta scowled at that, "What?! How dare you look down on me, you little brat! I just completely overpowered all these fools earlier and you dare call me weak and lump me with the likes of them?! You know nothing about me!" he shouted.
"Then care to prove me wrong and demonstrate to me this prided strength of yours in battle?" Tajibe challenged.
Vegeta immediately stood up, "Fine, I will take your challenge and show you why you shouldn't underestimate me!"
Tajibe's golden eyes seemed to glow as he told Vegeta in a mocking manner, "Do what you want. I feel the same way about you, Vegeta. I shall warn you, it would be very very humiliating for you and your pride."
Vegeta fumed indignantly at that. How dare this brat look down on him, the strongest among the Gods of Destruction?!
"Daishinkan-sama, please take us to the Null Realm. I will teach this arrogant fool a lesson he will never forget," Tajibe said.
Daishinkan nodded and as he tapped the floor with his scepter, the surroundings shifted into the same arena from earlier but without the damage it sustained from the battle that occurred a few moments ago.
"This match is to test out the powers of the Destined Strong One against the Great Sage Flaming Pride of Heaven. There will be no rules, no time out, no limits. Each fighter is allowed to use their full power and abilities in any way they wish for it to be," Daishinkan declared in a loud, powerful voice.
"You heard him, Vegeta. Don't hold anything back," Tajibe said.
Vegeta smirked, "Worry not, I won't pull my punches just because you're a brat."
The God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe was the first to attack, which Tajibe effortlessly dodged.
"Is this really all the power the Destined Strong One could muster? If this is the full extent of your powers, then it won't be enough to destroy the Orochi!" he commented as he blocked and dodged Vegeta's relentless assaults.
His strength and speed are ridiculous! Just who the hell is this bastard?! Vegeta wondered to himself.
"What the hell are you?!" Vegeta demanded the ambiguous boy.
"I don't give answers to weaklings," the mysterious boy said, swatting Vegeta's punch away with his palm. "If you want answers, then you must beat me to it first."
"Cocky brat! Just who do you think you're talking to?! I am the—!"
"—The Prince of all Saiyans and the God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe, the strongest among the Gods of Destruction who has surpassed the Universe-level of divinity and power, the only one who mastered the Secret of Self-Indulgence technique. Yes, I know exactly who and what you are and I don't care about any of that. Now, if you want your answers, you can go ahead and try to beat me. If you don't think you can, then just give up and stop wasting my time."
"What did you say?" Vegeta was starting to get really pissed off at how disrespectful this bastard was treating him. He's the most powerful among the Gods of Destruction, damn it! He was about to charge furiously at Tajibe for such insolence when he abruptly sensed something within this darn child.
"This bastard... There's something about him that feels... strange. I can't tell what exactly it is, but... I can sense a very powerful aura emanating from him. His power is bottomless... Kind of similar to mine. Does he also use the Secret of Self-Indulgence technique? Or is it something similar?"
Vegeta suddenly stopped attacking upon this realization and leapt back, away from his seemingly unbeatable foe. Unless he could overwhelm the boy in both speed and power, he will never win. Tajibe will simply keep on dodging every attack coming from him.
Tajibe cocked his head to the side and smiled, "What's the matter? Are you actually hesitating to fight me? Fine, Let me give you a handicap then," he pointed at the mask over his face with his thumb. "If you managed to break this mask then I might answer that question."
An angry vein popped on Vegeta's left temple, "Don't you mock me!"
Vegeta's eyes glowed a magenta light and his muscles began to bulk up, a wild look took over his expression as his canines grew into sharp fangs and his fingers clawed, his nails lengthening and turning black in color. His hairstyle became wilder and spikier. The tail behind him bristled, each fur stood on end. This was the same form Vegeta took on when he fought Mago.
Vegeta charged at Tajibe once again, this time, his attacks were wild, like that of an animal, but the boy moved so fluidly and gracefully as he evaded each and every wild assault Vegeta threw at him.
"Pathetic. Is this really all the Prince of all Saiyans and the Destined Strong One could do?" Tajibe said. "Do you honestly think this power is enough to beat me? Fool, this is nothing! When I tell you to fight me at full power, do it! Don't make me repeat myself!"
"Why you..! How dare you insult me!" Vegeta growled. His growling voice was guttural and animalistic in tone.
"Speak for yourself. Aren't you underestimating me too much just because I'm a child? Let me tell you that I could be stronger than anyone in this room, including yourself."
"You bastard! Why don't you take this seriously either?! Stop running away like a coward!"
"Fool! Who says I'm running away?! I am merely testing you out. If I get serious and release my full power at you, it will be very humiliating for your stupid pride."
"You said that you are a newly awakened god, there's no way you could be much stronger than me! I admit that judging by your combat ability, you are an exceptional fighter by your own right, but your level of power will never be a match to mine no matter how long or hard you train!"
Vegeta concentrated his ki into his hand, his fingers clawed, and he attacked Tajibe in an attempt to pierce through him.
However, Tajibe grabbed his wrist and stopped Vegeta from impaling him. "Oh, really? Is that so?" he asked the God of Destruction calmly.
Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise at this boy's strength. He tried to push his hand, struggling but Tajibe held onto his wrist with an unyielding force.
"Vegeta. I'm disappointed in you. I always thought that you are a shrewd and calculating warrior and nothing could escape your notice. If that's true, you should have noticed it by now. Or did you? You're just in denial because you're too proud and too foolish to admit it," Tajibe told him.
"What are you saying?" Vegeta asked him.
"That I've been suppressing my ki all this time."
Vegeta let out a gasp at that. That was indeed true. Vegeta knew all along that Tajibe was still playing around at this point, he's not even unleashing his ki at all. This fighting style was eerily familiar to Vegeta. It was something that Whis was trying to teach him all these years which he, despite all his fighting genius, just couldn't even master at all.
"You have greatly miscalculated my level of ability, Vegeta," Tajibe said. "I've spent most of my life training to become the strongest all the while suppressing my ki. This is like a natural state to me by now. I only wear this mask as a way to conceal my true identity and nothing more."
"Just like a mask, huh?" Vegeta nodded. "Still, even if that's true, there's no way you could be this confident about being stronger than me! I'm a Saiyan Prince who has been a God of Destruction for 1,500 years! With the power of the Secret of Self-Indulgence technique, I was able to surpass the Universe-level gods!"
"Vegeta, the deity that stands before you right now has lived for 11,527 years."
Tajibe said this as he removed his mask off his face, finally revealing his true visage to everyone as he finally unleashed his aura. A swirling mass of red ki enveloped his petite frame as he stood calmly before Vegeta, who was surprisingly being pushed away by the sheer pressure of his power. The crimson aura was massive and mighty enough to cause the other gods to stare at him in surprise. King Mu and King Zen seemed impressed by it while Daishinkan and the rest of the angels simply stared.
"Wha–What?!" Vegeta could only gasp in his disbelief as he stared dumbfoundedly towards Tajibe's new form.
What the hell was the meaning of this?! Vegeta thought that whatever the boy was letting out from earlier wasn't his true power yet, but he never expected that he was concealing this much energy at all! Was this really the technique Whis was trying to teach him all along?
Vegeta recalled Whis' teachings back when he was still a mortal. There was a time when Whis tried to teach him a technique called the 'Secret of the Self-Centered: Ultra Instinct', a rare and highly-advanced ability which allowed a person to act and move automatically on its own, without the limitations of thinking and analyzing their movements, by their emotions, or acknowledging any upcoming threats or danger. One such lesson in the beginning of his training was concealing his ki and aura release so it wouldn't leak out of his body despite raising his powers. This technique was useful in deceiving enemies into thinking that their strength was only limited to what they're sensing.
Vegeta gritted his teeth in his frustration.
"Why you…" Vegeta snarled furiously and venomously before yelling out, "How dare you treat me like this?! You're starting to piss me off, you brat! Stop holding back and fight me with all you've got!"
Realizing that he's getting riled up by this bastard, Vegeta forced himself to calm down. It was obvious that this brat's trying to play some kind of mind game with him, obviously wanting to trigger something within him which Vegeta was trying to contain.
Now that I think about it. He does seem familiar to me... But how come I couldn't tell exactly who this kid is? Also…The way he moves… It's the same as that of Whis' technique. Is he actually using Ultra Instinct, the Secret of the Self-Centered technique?
"Stop trying to burn all your brain cells thinking about that and focus!" Tajibe suddenly yelled at him.
With that, Vegeta was taken aback. Wait a minute, did he just–?
"Read your mind? Sure, I did."
Vegeta's eyes widened in disbelief. Impossible! But nobody was able to do that before!
"Hmph! I guess I'm quite an exception to that rule," Tajibe huffed proudly, as if that was a huge accomplishment of his.
What the hell is this boy?!
Vegeta was stunned completely.
Finally getting so furious that he was having a hard time defeating a mere child and the realization that his once impenetrable mind was no longer as impervious to this boy, Vegeta finally gave in.
"Fine, you want to see my full power? Very well, I will show you. I will make you regret pissing me off like this. I will make you suffer my wrath!"
"Hmph! Finally, I can't wait to see what's in store within you." Tajibe said, putting back his mask and suppressing his power once again. This only brought Vegeta even greater fury, thinking that Tajibe was insulting him by doing so.
"Ghrk!"
The veins bulging on his temple pulsed, and Vegeta clenched his teeth. "I'm going to break that stupid mask of yours along with your ugly face!"
Vegeta closed his eyes and tried to relax, calming his emotions down and so as his body. Concentrating deep into himself, he reached out to the depths of his very being, willing for his inner beast to wake up from its slumbering once again. When he popped his eyes open, he lurched forward with a loud grunt, his teeth gritting together, before he threw his head back and arched his back, roaring like a bloodthirsty Oozaru into the skies.
"Gwaaaaaaooohh!"
His purple aura erupted into a bright streak of light which shot up into the skies, growing immensely brighter and larger with each passing moment. Vegeta's battle roar could be heard within that blinding light, changing tone until it gradually morphed into something deep and feral.
From the burst of light emerged an Oozaru howling its freedom ceaselessly, ready to unleash its devastating thirst for blood and chaos into the world. Then it gradually transformed back into something more human with fiercely glowing magenta eyes. The beastly growling changed into a choir of demonic screams until it returned to Vegeta's normal tone. His mouth wide agape as he continued to power up and transform into his Primal Self-Indulgence form. His destructive powers surged through his veins uncontrollably as the Secret of Self-Indulgence's influence tempted him to satisfy his desire to spill this boy's blood.
"Nnnngghh! Aaah! Aaaaaaargh! Gaaaaah! Haaaaaaaaaaaahh!"
Vegeta's fists shook on his sides as he fought valiantly for control. His rage at being insulted was making his rationality slip away. He wanted to rip Tajibe from limb to limb, to laugh as he made him suffer, to make him feel all his rage and to show him that he underestimated the wrong person.
His entire body quivered as he did that. Feral snarls escaped through his gnashing fangs. His eyes narrowed and squinted.
"Uuurghhh! Nnnngh! Uuuugh!"
The knowledge that this bastard somehow held power beyond anything plus the fact that this guy was angering him so much and was mocking him burned his fighting spirit immensely. His power continued to surge and Vegeta found that his control was gradually slipping away, causing his vision to blur and darkened.
He cried out as his power surged. The sclera around his magenta irises turning black as he clutched at the sides of his head, screaming in agony.
"Aaaaaagghhhh! Aahh! Aaaaaarghh!"
"Hmph! A fool who cannot control his own power doesn't deserve to be hailed as the strongest! If you are having difficulty in controlling that power, then you won't be enough to beat the Orochi . This is what the Orochi wants from you, Vegeta. You have to learn how to fully master that power of yours." Tajibe said calmly.
"Shut up! Can't you fucking see that I'm trying, damn it!" Vegeta retorted back. The colors of his scleras continued to change back and forth. He has already mastered this power, why was it so hard to control now?! Was it because of his anger? Or was it because of the fact that the opponent in front of him was making his Saiyan blood boil and his fighting spirit burn? Not just because Tajibe pisses him off, but because he knows how powerful the boy actually is?
Okay. That must be it. Maybe he should try to forget about his rage and excitement, or else he could cause more trouble than necessary. Vegeta tried to take a deep breath and calm himself down. However, he heard his inner beast roar in defiance, whispering that he must satisfy his desire for bloodshed and battle first. He had to beat that boy to appease its primal desires.
"No!" Vegeta sneered. He tried to ignore the temptation, but then, deep inside, he knew he truly wanted to make Tajibe pay for the mockery. His pride had been insulted here and this boy must pay with his blood! He felt his sense of self and reason gradually slipping away as his primal mind took over.
And then he finally snapped.
"GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Vegeta let out a monstrous roar. The whites of his eyes quickly turned cloudy, making them all black while his irises glowed a reddish purple light. His hair began to shed a purple light as his God of Destruction aura exploded around him, causing his power to surge uncontrollably.
His sudden power up sent deadly lightning strikes all around him, the surging energy was so powerful it began to shake the very fabric of reality itself. The arena beneath his feet shattered into fragments as his ki crackled wildly in the air, spiraling without control. The pressure he emitted caused the Universe-level gods to scream as they were all being pushed back by it. Sensing the danger, the guide angels stood in front of them, shook their scepters against the air, creating an ultra-powerful barrier to protect them.
This sudden loss of control caused great concern to the Destroyer Mercenaries and the Universe-level gods. It made the Grand Priest hold a rather surprised look. They all recognized that this was the ominous form of Vegeta that the Pond of Oracles showed them not too long ago, which holds the power to destroy the Multiverse, making Vegeta a dangerous threat to all existence!
"What is this power..!" screamed Yonshir.
"This must be the power the Pond of Oracles predicted that was developing from within him due to the Secret of Self-Indulgence technique," Khalua commented.
"Vegeta has given himself into his rage and has lost his mind! If he doesn't get his control back, he might start destroying everything from here!" Bairee shouted.
"Daishinkan-sama! Shall we step in and restrain him before he starts to go even more out of control?!"
"Wait a moment. Let Tajibe Sadal take care of this matter."
"But we don't even know who that kid is! Is he even capable of putting Vegeta down in that state?!"
Down below, Tajibe only stared at Vegeta, who was already glaring at him with eyes filled with his unrepressed rage. The God of Destruction had turned into a wild animal, without any sense of reason, just a bloodthirsty monster who wanted to rip this newly awakened god apart.
Tajibe's golden eyes held an odd look, somehow a sympathetic one.
Vegeta's tail bristled and swayed behind him wildly. His aura flared wilder as he snarled like that of an Oozaru.
"I–," Tajibe whispered, before stopping himself from saying anything more than necessary. He closed his eyes and shook his head as if to rid of his lingering thoughts about the past.
The moment he snapped his golden eyes open, he seemed to change into a different person. His demeanor completely changed, a much more serious and determined look overtook his earlier calmness. A red aura burst and enveloped his form. His hair spiked upwards, taking a shape that's strikingly identical to Vegeta's own, changing color from dark brown to a foxy red. His irises lit up with golden light.
Tajibe crouched down into a fighting stance and moved swiftly with a speed that completely overwhelmed the gods, leaving an afterimage behind his trail. He concentrated his ki into his tiny right fist and sent a mighty punch into Vegeta's gut, causing the rampaging God of Destruction to spit out a mouthful of blood from his mouth and was pushed away by the devastating force, making him ram backwards and crashing into the spectators' seat a few kilometers away, towards Shin, Kibito, and Whis' direction.
"Vegeta-sama!" the three of them cried out when they found their God of Destruction completely knocked out on the rubble where he collided into.
The other gods looked on in disbelief and with their mouths gaping and eyes almost bulging out of its sockets. Did Tajibe just knock Vegeta out in his most powerful and berserker form with a single hit?!
Tajibe levitated above the representatives of the Seventh Universe, looking down at Vegeta. The God of Destruction was already back to his base form, completely incapacitated by the extreme pain Tajibe just caused in him. It was pain unlike Vegeta felt before, rendering him unable to move any longer for quite some time. He was still bleeding from the mouth, gagging and coughing as his body quivered due to his agony. His regeneration ability didn't kick off as soon as most expected from an immortal god. It was the same effect he caused the other Gods of Destruction in their earlier fray.
But what hurt him the most was his pride, slashed to ribbons, broken and shattered to pieces by a mere child.
"I believe you overdid it, Jibei-sama," Whis said. "You don't really have to be this ruthless towards him."
"He will survive and he will be stronger from that, Whis," Tajibe said, his voice cold and detached. "Listen to me, Vegeta Yonsei. Don't be too complacent about your abilities. While your formidable strength and fighting skills are commendable, your lack of control over it makes you vulnerable, especially when you face your upcoming enemy. What's the use of all this strength if you cannot maintain it?
"You were always such a fool. You take too much pride in this growing strength of yours, making you too overconfident and aggressive, thinking that you can surpass any obstacle just because you held the secret to a power that allowed you to grow stronger the more your fighting spirit burned. Relying on that power too much will become your biggest regret one day, especially when you don't learn how to properly manage your emotions and control that power."
Vegeta didn't want to listen to this stupid brat's useless blather. He would have told him to shut up, to not tell him what to do, to curse back at him and retaliate out of his fury, but the damage he sustained from that single attack was so devastating it made him totally incapacitated.
"I have a suggestion to make," Tajibe said, turning away from Vegeta and looking back to the Grand Priest.
"What is it?" Daishinkan asked.
"We will have another but a more serious exhibition match in 30 lyds , to give them the time to train and grow stronger. And in that match, everyone must treat it as if I am the enemy, a serious threat to this multiverse. If anyone doesn't satisfy me, I will obliterate them all along with their entire Universe. I believe it would be enough motivation for them to participate in this preparation."
"Hey, are you serious about that?!" Champa said. If they were no match against Vegeta, who was so easily defeated in a single blow by this kid, what more if they're even going to fight him?"
"Of course," Tajibe replied. "So you better take this seriously. Train, reach a level of power you never even dreamed of. Just to give you a heads up, what you have seen from me earlier still is the tip of the iceberg. If you want to truly satisfy me, then surpass me! Of course, that doesn't mean I won't be falling back though. I will be keeping up with my training as well so think of reaching even further heights than that. Understand?"
"So it will be like a team effort of the Gods of Destruction, huh?"
"This will probably be the first time the Gods of Destruction are going to team up with each other."
The Kings of All and Nothingness were impressed by the suggestion Tajibe made.
"You're right. Let us have that. That would be a good way for everyone in the Universe-level to prepare," King Mu said.
"Finally, we're going to have some fun," Zeno agreed.
That was settled then, not like the Universe-level gods had any other choice if Tajibe Sadal was threatening to obliterate them all if they didn't satisfy him in 30 lyds. Despite how much they already despised the thought of teaming up against this mysterious boy, they were painfully aware how much they were no match against him, even if they also kept on their training.
However, they relished the challenge he was giving them now.
"Hey, would you like to come with us for a moment?" Zeno asked Tajibe.
"Yes, we would like to… know more about your quests," King Mu said. "Perhaps, let's also have a sparring session between us. I'm sure it has been a long time for you since we last fought. I'd like to see how much you've evolved from the last time we battled."
Tajibe chuckled. "Well, I would love to come with you, but I'm not sure if I can still impress you with my evolution as much as I did in the past."
"Hahaha. Considering that you have defeated Vegeta Yonsei in his berserker state in a single hit, I think you did grow stronger than the last time."
"Now now… We'll talk about this in a more private place."
With that, the higher gods disappeared along with Tajibe, and the scenery shifted back to the meeting hall, leaving the Universe-level gods, guide angels and the Grand Priest.
"Fuck! Who the hell is that kid?! Do any of you know or have heard about him?" hissed Quitela.
"Sadly, no. No one among us knows or ever heard of him," Sidra responded.
"Damn… I never imagined for him to be that strong… Too strong, even for Vegeta over there," Liquir said.
"Didn't he say that he was a former God of Destruction? How come? All the predecessors have been destroyed once a new God of Destruction has ascended to the role," Jinn questioned.
In the corner, Vegeta pushed himself up to rise to his feet. His face grimacing in pain, not the pain of his injuries any longer, but due to his shattered pride.
"Ah..! Vegeta-sama! I think you shouldn't—," Shin said in concern when Vegeta wobbled and he tried to grab his arms to help him balance but once Vegeta realized this, he quickly elbowed Shin on the gut causing his God of Creation counterpart to double over.
"Vegeta-sama—!" Whis was about to scold him for what he just did to his Kaioushin when Vegeta cut him off.
"Take me home, Whis," Vegeta ordered quietly, turning his back away from the other gods.
"Hey, Vegeta! Don't you leave us just yet! Have you forgotten that—" Quitela was saying, but a sudden pressure wave vibrated in the air across the room and Vegeta's invisible energy began to pulse along with a quiet, rustling rage, causing all the Universe-level gods to screech or to stare at him in fright.
"Vegeta-sama, please calm down," Whis told him, a calm but silent warning.
Vegeta pulled his energy back and everything became calm once again. However, everyone knew that it was only the calm before the storm as they were perfectly aware of Vegeta's pride and temper. His rage was only beginning to build.
"Why you little—" Quitela was about to yell back but Heles quickly intervened by raising her arm to block him. "What now, Heles?!" he snapped at her.
Heles shook her head at him quietly. One look of her eyes silently warned him not to push it any further or there would be terrible consequences they might deal with if any of them rile up Vegeta even more. Quitela, despite his animosity towards the God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe, still feared Vegeta's greater powers. So he conceded to Heles' caution and stepped away.
Heles turned to Vegeta and told him calmly, "Go, Vegeta-chan. You can join us whenever you feel like it."
Vegeta didn't say anything back as he walked behind Whis, who grabbed the still doubling over Shin and Kibito. Whis bowed down humbly to silently apologize for Vegeta's behavior before they disappeared to thin air.
"What's up with that guy now?" Arak finally muttered in confusion once those from the Seventh Universe were gone.
"Leave him alone for now," Champa said. "His pride was slashed to ribbons after that kid defeated him in one hit. It must have broken him to the core. He wouldn't be in the best of moods right now."
"Tch! We feel the same way about him when he has beaten us earlier but here we are being troubled to prepare for this upcoming heavenly war just because of his stupid lust for battle. I believe he deserved that beating he got from that kid. He was getting too cocky and arrogant about his powers! He was just taught his proper place!" Rumsshi huffed.
"Enough, Rumsshi!" hissed Sidra. "I believe this isn't the time for us to have grudges at one another. Let us rest for now and let Vegeta take some steam off. Once we're all ready, we will meet again. Let's go home for now and maybe think of something, a plan we can share with one another in our next meeting."
With begrudged sighs, the Gods of Destruction agreed at that. They all returned to their comrades and they each went home to their own Universe.
Seventh Universe…
Vegeta, Shin, Whis, and Kibito appeared in the God of Destruction's home planet, surrounded by the eternally gray and withering grass of a barren wasteland. The wind was strong, heavy, and chilling in this place, which eerily mirrored that of the intimidating, ominous mood of the silent deity of destruction.
Whis dropped Shin gently to his feet on the ground and they stared at Vegeta quietly, an unshakeable feeling of dread was unmistaken upon the God of Creation and his guardian's faces.
After a few seconds of complete silence, Vegeta finally spoke, surprisingly calm, "Whis, open the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time for me. Come with Shin and Kibito for a while. I wish to be left alone."
They all knew what that meant.
"But, Vegeta-sama—"
He was silent after that. However, the destructive phenomena that affected the planet due to the God of Destruction's power only grew more devastating. The wind began to blow heavier than earlier and the dark clouds above them began to swirl like a forming tornado. The ground started to rumble beneath their feet, causing Shin and Kibito to step back.
There was a single flash of a massive lightning bolt that struck from the dark clouds into the ground just a foot in front of them, making Shin and Kibito jump behind Whis.
The guide angel silently observed his lord for a moment, and knew that he was being seriously furious right now. This was perhaps the first time he saw Vegeta being this angry since Bloomer's death, so he took his scepter out and tapped its end against the ground. A portal leading to the endless white vastness of the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time opened up in front of Vegeta and as soon as it appeared, the God of Destruction's wrath upon his own planet seemed to calm down, even for a bit.
Vegeta entered the portal without saying a word. It closed as soon as he stepped within the Sacred Space. Once he was all alone in this indefinitely empty void, Vegeta's seemingly calm demeanor finally broke into a rage-filled rampage
With a mighty, furious roar, Vegeta unleashed his ki and powered up as high as he could, letting out every single drop of ki he had in his blood. The roar morphed into a scream of agony, rage, despair, and primal thirst for blood and destruction. His power began to shift the white vastness of space around him, turning it into a twisted reality that represented his inner turmoil.
His hoarse and lengthy scream changed once more as another but frightening sound seemed to resonate along it.
He began ranting, cursing, swearing at the empty air.
"Curse that damn bastard! How dare he… How dare he make a mockery of me just like that?! Who the hell is that kid anyways?! How is he… How is he stronger than— I can't fucking believe this! How could I be defeated like this?! I'm already the strongest amongst the Universe-level deities! With my newfound power and the power of the Secret of Self-Indulgence technique, I should be able to surpass any multiverse-level fool! How—How the hell did I get defeated by a single fucking blow from a mere child?! And to think he was able to affect my regeneration powers this much?!
"I swear when I see that bastard once again—I'll make sure he will pay dearly with his blood! I will make him regret ever crossing my path and he shall suffer hell for it!"
Meanwhile, at the divine realm of the Supreme Kai...
Whis let out an exasperated sigh as he stared down at the cup of tea that Kibito put down in front of him. The guide angel was sitting in front of a tea table with Shin. All three of them knew that the way Vegeta dismissed the three of them meant that this situation would be problematic to deal with. While it was good that he decided to lock himself in the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time where he was most likely unleashing his pent-up frustrations about his defeat and his broken pride, they still believe that this was only the beginning of what's about to come.
It was obvious that Shin was fearing about the fate of the Seventh Universe right now, considering Vegeta's explosive temper, he might later direct his aggravation towards the mortals and he would have to work tirelessly once more until Vegeta was able to satiate his bloodthirsty and destructive urges.
There was a flash of light that appeared nearby and the red cloaked child-like deity from earlier appeared before them. Whis and Shin quickly rose from their seats and lowered their heads to show respect to the newcomer.
Tajibe regarded them for a moment before asking, "Where is he?"
"Vegeta-sama is currently within the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time, probably letting some steam off after what happened."
Tajibe didn't seem impressed by that.
"Oh," he muttered. Then he walked forward, grabbed a seat and sat down between Whis and Shin. The Supreme Kai and his guardian looked at him oddly, wondering what he was doing here.
"I thought I already mentioned earlier that I'm here to help prepare that brat for the war against the Orochi," Tajibe said as he silently ordered Kibito to give him some tea. Shin's eyes widened, realizing that he just read his thoughts. Tajibe continued as he watched Kibito pour him his tea. "But he isn't here right now, is he? Whatever. If he wants to throw a temper tantrum about being defeated in a single blow, then let him be. Thank you, Kibito," he said when the Supreme Kai's guardian stepped away. He took the teacup by its handle and gently moved the cup in his fingers, as if to observe its swirling contents. "But why lock himself within the Sacred Space? He should have gone after the pathetic worlds or foolish mortals he should be destroying."
"Well…" Shin shrugged awkwardly, wondering if Tajibe was serious about that or not.
Tajibe turned his eyes to him, causing Shin to step back in terror. "I mean… a God of Destruction shouldn't destroy recklessly. It's not within their proper duty to destroy outside of their divine judgment."
"What? You think I didn't know about that?" Tajibe asked him coldly. "I was a God of Destruction ten thousand years ago, so I am aware of the divine law, Nahare."
Shin's jaw dropped. It had been a while since he was addressed by his real name since he left the Daimakai and began his training under Roh Kaioushin and the Dai Kaioushin.
The only ones who knows his real name aside from his older sister, Arinsu, and his younger brother, Degesu, were Kibito, Whis, his former masters, and Vegeta, though nowadays, nobody never really addressed him by that name again, aside from Vegeta when he was really, really mad at him. He thinks it's insulting for someone who held a high position to be addressed by his birth name for some reason even though Shin didn't really mind at all. Still, everyone who was aware of his real name all came from the Seventh Universe, and none from the higher realms at all.
So how come Tajibe Sadal knew this? He doesn't recall him coming from this Universe either.
"Excuse me, but how did you know that?" Shin asked him politely.
Tajibe simply smirked at him. Shin blinked his eyes. In his mind, Vegeta's face overlapped Tajibe's for some reason. It was when Shin realized that both Vegeta and Tajibe look and feel really similar to each other. He tried to focus his senses on Tajibe's Core of Existence to check on something, and then something about it made Shin's eyes almost bulge out of his sockets.
"You… You can't be—?!" he gasped.
Now, he's beginning to understand Tajibe's familiarity with Whis and Vegeta. They've known each other at some point in time.
Tajibe growled and he slammed his teacup on the table.
"Shut up, Nahare. If you say anything more, I will obliterate you," Tajibe growled.
Shin's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Is there a specific reason why you are helping Vegeta-sama?"
"..." Tajibe didn't answer. He simply stood up from his seat and ordered the guide angel of the Seventh Universe.
"Whis, open up the Sacred Space and let me in. I think I want to blow some steam off as well."
Vegeta seemed to shut down. After almost a day of unleashing his energy, screaming, yelling, ranting, and cursing within the Sacred Space like some rampaging animal, he had finally found himself calming down—or rather, shutting down. After spending most of his energy in his burst of fury, which he did his best to contain within this limited space to prevent the Seventh Universe from being affected by his destructive wrath, he decided he had enough of it and instead, analyzed the battle he lost to find a way to improve himself.
Thinking about it now, he had realized that indeed, that brat was right about him. He had been too complacent, too confident about his own strength despite sensing the overwhelming power Tajibe Sadal possessed. After he had reached what he thought was his pinnacle of unbounded strength, he had become too arrogant about it. It was a mistake he admitted and he knew he was wrong about that.
Another thing was that he found himself getting riled up by Tajibe's constant taunting. It was already obvious to him that the brat had been pushing him to the point of snapping, perhaps to test his temper or his control over his emotions, yet he still fell into his trap and had given in, thinking that he could intimidate the child with the power of his rage. It was a terrible, terrible mistake on his part.
He dropped to the ground, sitting with his legs crossed. He let out a calming breath and started to meditate.
But as soon as he began to do so, somebody grabbed him by the golden collar around his neck, hoisted him up and began making a punching bag out of him. Reeling in shock from the sudden attack, Vegeta opened his eyes and was surprised to find Tajibe Sadal in front of him. He fell backwards to his behind and Tajibe stepped into his chest with a seemingly proud and taunting look.
"What the fuck—?! You! What the hell are you doing here?!" Vegeta asked breathlessly, trying to push the little foot off him but Tajibe refused to budge.
"Weren't you paying any attention to what I'm saying in the King of All's Palace?" Tajibe told him coldly.
"Excuse me?! I don't remember agreeing to any of that!" Vegeta protested.
"Too bad though, because I clearly don't care. Whether you like it or not, I will stay here and you will obey my every order as I train and prepare you for the great heavenly war that's ahead of us. Otherwise, you can go ahead and say goodbye to everything you see around you."
It was a threat. Vegeta simply scowled like some child who was being forced to do something against his will.
"Now, you better get your lazy ass up and we will begin your training shortly." Tajibe said, finally releasing his foot and allowing for Vegeta to get up, coughing.
"I wasn't being lazy, you idiot! I was doing Spirit Control Meditation!" Vegeta defended.
"Now, now… Both of you. Why don't we take things a bit tad slower," Whis interfered with a gentle smile. "Jibei-sama, I know you have prepared a harsh training session for Vegeta-sama over here, but how about you give him a little break? He'd been in here for quite some time and I'm sure he's quite famished. He won't be able to train as much as you want him if he's not full."
Tajibe was about to open his mouth to scold the guide angel for protecting and spoiling Vegeta when his own stomach growled loudly. His face immediately reddened in embarrassment and he looked away in shame.
"I… I guess you're correct. Very well, we'll return to the God of Destruction's homeworld and have a meal."
"Yes, milord. I'll make sure to get you both a sufficient amount of Maguro Nigiri so you two won't start fighting over food—"
Tajibe cleared his throat loudly and Whis whispered a tiny "oops, sorry."
There seemed to be an awkward tension between them before Vegeta broke the silence as he timidly asked Tajibe. "Uhm… You love eating Maguro Nigiri too?"
Noticing the sudden change in attitude the God of Destruction was displaying before him, Tajibe turned to him with a side-eye. "Yeah, it's my favorite food, what's it to you?"
"Does that mean you're from the Seventh Universe?"
Tajibe glared at him for a moment, before he yelled, "You are a stuck-up idiotic fool if you believe that Maguro Nigiri only exists in your Universe! That is a food that has come from the heavens and the higher gods enjoyed such delicacy as comfort food!"
Vegeta blinked back at him as he ranted about food, before he smiled genuinely, "You think so? I think so too! Whis! I told you there should be somewhere else where Maguro Nigiri exists!"
"Right?" Tajibe agreed with a smile.
Suddenly, the tension between Vegeta and Tajibe lightened up as they agreed on their common love for Maguro Nigiri . They decided to return to the mortal world and share their food as Whis stared at the two of them before letting out a sigh of relief.
That was a close call.
When Vegeta, Tajibe, and Whis arrived back to the castle within the God of Destruction's Planet, still talking about the undefeated, divine sumptuousness of Maguro Nigiri, Bulma bolted through the door that connected Vegeta's living room to her studio-type apartment.
"What has taken you so long, Vegeta?! We have something to talk about—huh?" Bulma was saying but she was cut off when she found that Vegeta had a guest.
"Ah! Bulma! You're— Are you feeling well already?" Vegeta asked in concern.
"Mm-hm…" Bulma nodded as her blue eyes shifted to stare at the newcomer, who made her confused.
Tajibe's earlier mood quickly shifted into something strange as soon as he found Bulma before him. His smile had faded as he stared back at her with a look of surprise. That same look as if he had seen a ghost right in front of him. Then his golden eyes seemed to soften up, like he was looking at someone he had not seen for a very, very long time.
"Who's this?" Bulma asked curiously as she approached Vegeta. The God of Destruction turned to Tajibe and found the child-like deity's odd expression.
Tajibe turned his eyes to look back at Vegeta while Whis introduced him to Bulma, "His name is Tajibe Sadal. He's a multiverse-level deity who will be staying with us for a while because he will be training Vegeta-sama for—."
"Enough, Whis. That is none of her business. Knowing my name is enough for a low-level mortal like her," Tajibe interrupted coldly. He was now visibly annoyed, which made Bulma and Vegeta confused. "How about you? What is a mortal woman doing in the dwelling of a God of Destruction? Explain this, Vegeta Yonsei."
"Why? Because I let her in," Vegeta replied. "She's been in here for quite some time. I'm surprised you haven't heard but this woman is—."
Vegeta was cut off by an intimidating glare from Tajibe's portentous golden eyes.
"You said you let her in? What exactly is she to you?" Tajibe asked him coldly, a tone of simmering rage.
Vegeta's face quickly went red, "She's—"
Tajibe crossed his arms as he waited for him to finish his sentence but Vegeta kept on stammering like a fool who couldn't speak in his eyes.
"—What's it to you?! Anyways, if you dare to disrespect her one more time, I'll make sure I will make you pay for it in one way or another!" Vegeta finally snapped.
Tajibe shook his head in disappointment.
"Now I'm beginning to understand everything," Tajibe muttered. "The reason why a God of Destruction such as yourself has become undeniably weaker than what you're originally supposed to be."