Chapter 3: Clubbed to Death

Having put Shin to bed, Beerus convened with Whis outside the temple.

"What will you do, my lord?"

"Do you know anything else?" Beerus asked. "Like the answers to Taro Bun's questions about getting the other Kaioshin out of Buu?"

"While I've picked up some knowledge of the Demon Realm and its inhabitants over the years, I regret to say that the answers you seek are beyond me. Of the three of us, I suspect Kaioshin-sama is the most knowledgeable, as well as the one who has been to the Demon Realm most recently."

"Well, that settles it, then. We'll need to go and see the guy that knows it all."

"As you wish."

Beerus didn't want to leave Shin alone on the Sacred World, but after their discussion, he was satisfied that Buu wouldn't be back to kill Shin in the near future. However, time was of the essence as he had no doubt that Bibidi had retreated to work out how to exert control over his new fused Buu. Once Buu was tamed once more, why wouldn't he go back to finish the job?

Zuno's planet was relatively close in the grand scheme of things, so it was definitely worth a visit.

"Ah, the Destroyer graces me with his presence once more," Zuno said as he watched Beerus waltz into his reception room without regard for others who had been waiting years to ask their questions. "Pray tell, what do you wish to know that your angel can't tell you?"

Beerus and Zuno had got off to a rocky start, but once Zuno had demonstrated that he was an asset to the universe and could trump Whis in a game of who knew more, Beerus had reigned in his temper and treated Zuno with a bit more respect.

"I wish to know more about the majin known as Buu," Beerus said.

Zuno nodded. "Hm, quite the trouble maker, isn't he? My omniscience doesn't extend to the Demon Realm, but I have been gathering intel from as many sources as possible, so I think it's fair to ask for payment on this occasion."

Beerus frowned. "Are you still asking for kisses?"

"Yes, but I don't want one from you."

Although that was a relief to hear, he still pulled a face at being slighted like that.

"I think we'd all like to be kissed by an angel."

Whis smiled, and Beerus couldn't tell what he was really thinking.

"Well, Whis, you heard the man."

"As you command."

Zuno offered his cheek and closed his eyes as he waited for Whis's lips to make contact. Yes, those purple lips were just as good as a fair maiden's.

"Ask away," Zuno said, satisfied.

"Can we get the absorbed Kaioshin out of Buu?"

"I do not believe it is possible unless Majin Buu himself wills it."

"And I'm guessing there's a fat chance of that happening?"

"I cannot claim to know the thoughts and feelings of those in the universe."

Beerus asked a few more questions, and even rephrased some to make sure he had exhausted Zuno's knowledge before leaving. The answer was clear: according to Zuno, they would not be able to separate out Dai Kaioshin and South Kaioshin from Buu.

However, Zuno was not the only person in the universe he could ask for information about such matters.

"Whis, we're going home."

"Oh? I thought you'd be running back to protect the last Kaioshin."

"Last?! Whis! Don't say it like that!" He took a deep breath. "Look, we're just going back to how it used to be, alright? You know, yonks and yonks ago, before Zeno-sama complicated things with letting the Kaioshin have cardinal-whatevers. Like, where are my little deputies, huh?"

"It takes you but a moment to destroy, my lord. The poor Kaioshin spend millennia building these things, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Say it with me: it's my job."

Whis chimed in as requested. "You wouldn't want four others living with you anyway. I can just imagine the complaints you'd make."

"They could have their own planets in their own quadrants."

Their hypothetical conversation continued until they reached home.

"Oh, Seer!" Beerus called as he walked through the halls of the castle.

He was starving, having skipped breakfast in favour of rushing off to the Sacred World, and had traversed across the universe since, all on an empty stomach. Lunch was a must before he did anything else.

"Hi, Beerus-sama."

"I've got a question for you. In the future, do you foresee Dai Kaioshin appearing again?"

The Oracle Fish curled an arm against her mouth and hummed, eyes looking upwards and swinging side to side, as if she was watching the future like reading a book.

As impatient as he was, Beerus knew not to interrupt this process. He also knew that the longer this took, the more likely he was to receive a negative answer.

"Yes," she finally announced.

"What?! Really?!" He'd been about to give up.

"Yeah, it's a long way off, but it'll happen."

This answer produced more questions, but he didn't know where to start.

"Wait," he said before he got ahead of himself. "You are referring to our current – I mean… Well, he's not deceased either, technically… The one that was Dai Kaioshin until earlier today."

"Yeah, that one. Peachy pink with purple hair, right?"

Beerus nodded. At least that ruled out the possibility of the position reappearing, although he supposed it still could, with a very similar-looking Kaioshin taking it on.

Whis put on a full spread, and the three of them ate as if there wasn't a powerful majin and wizard ravaging the universe at that very moment.

"I think capture is the option we're meant to choose," Beerus said. "Or do you think it'll come to a natural end without our involvement?"

"It's difficult to say," Whis said as he loaded his plate after Beerus had first pick.

"What say you, Seer?"

She sighed. "I just looked like five million years into the future for you! I need a bit of time to recover."

Beerus scratched his cheek in thought. "Five million, huh?"

"Besides, my foresight is more about the outcome you get rather than how you go about it."

He nodded as he munched on a bit of steak. "Ah, so I should ask you whether you foresee me being involved at all, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I can look at it that way… But seriously, I'm just a little fish! I need a break!"

"Fine, eat up and get ready to tell me when we're done. In the meantime, we can think about what a capture would look like. We shouldn't underestimate Buu; the fact is that he got through four Kaioshin. You'd think that by the time he got to Dai Kaioshin, they would have figured out how he operates."

"I'm sure absorbing the South Kaioshin changed the playing field significantly."

"You were watching it before I woke up, right? Let's see it. A bit of lunchtime entertainment."

Whis laughed. "I'm not sure many destroyers would call watching their life-links die 'entertainment.'"

It was difficult watching, but he was glad he'd asked. He felt a phantom pang in his heart when he saw each kai die or be absorbed. What did the Oracle Fish mean about Dai Kaioshin reappearing in the future when he'd clearly felt the link sever? Was he dead or not?

A memory of a severed link slowly bubbled up to the forefront of his mind. When he'd trapped that annoying Kaioshin in a sword many, many moons ago… He hadn't killed the kai for sure, but the link had snapped in an instant. It must be something to do with the physical state of the Kaioshin rather than their lifeforce itself. A sword cannot perform the duties the Kaioshin are contracted to do. A Kaioshin absorbed into Buu is in the same predicament.

The idea of Buu serving as a Kaioshin tickled him. The idea of the majin creating things just to destroy them soon after.

"Well," Beerus said as he licked his fingers clean, "I've got some ideas, but I'm wary. Dai Kaioshin was a smart cookie. Even if Buu looks more harmless now, I'm sure he'll be a bit more cunning if pushed into a corner."

"At least you never sparred with Dai Kaioshin. You should still retain some advantage in that respect."

"Hey, Seer, do you have an answer for me yet?"

She pressed her arms to her head and made a noise suggesting she was concentrating hard. "You're not involved."

"Oh. Good, I guess." He sat back and twiddled his thumbs. "Huh. I don't know what to do with myself now."

"So, will you go back to napping?" Whis asked.

Beerus thought through all the things he'd learned. "No. The Seer will not tell me if I'm about to die, so I'm not out of the woods yet. It could be that I'm not involved in whatever stops Buu because I'm not around to see it – I mean, that's not the reason, because I'll make sure that's not the case! We're going back to the Sacred World to pick up Taro Bun. We'll see if he has any ideas about how this'll pan out, or any hidden contacts I don't know about who can tell us, and take it from there."

"My, I don't think you've ever visited the Sacred World twice in one day."

"Well, I like to keep things fresh for you, otherwise you'd get bored of me."

Whis laughed. "Never, my lord."

OoO

"Hey! Kaioshin!" Beerus yelled. He was pretty sure at least one of them would have berated him for how loud he was being if they were all still here. So, if his yells weren't drawing Shin out, he had to believe he wasn't here.

There was nothing in the temple to suggest where he had gone. Nothing amiss that he could see either.

He had to turn to Whis. "Have a look for me, would you?"

Whis stared into the ball of his staff. "I'm afraid he doesn't wish to be found, Beerus-sama."

Beerus sighed. "I suppose if you can't find him, then neither can Bibidi or Buu." He turned and began walking off, Whis naturally following behind.

"What is the new plan?"

"It's very rare that you're unable to find things, Whis. Where could someone go for you to be unable to track them?"

"Outside of the observable universes. I suppose he could be visiting Zeno-sama."

Beerus seemed to skip a step at the idea.

"Or, as we're dealing with a majin, perhaps he's taken a trip to the Demon Realm?"

Actually, a trip to Zeno-sama was preferable. Beerus hadn't been to the Demon Realm, but he couldn't imagine it was a good place for his last Kaioshin to be alone.

"Don't look so worried. It's where he's from."

"Yeah, and it's where Buu's from, too."

After they'd walked a fair way, they came to the place Beerus had been aiming for. He stared down at the sword that was driven into the rock, still looking in pristine condition despite how many years had passed.

"I'm actually thinking of releasing him," Beerus said. "Just a little fuck around and find out if I can restore the link."

"You must really hate him if it's only a consideration. What did you two even fight over?"

Beerus continued to stare down at the hilt. "…I don't remember."

"…"

"But it must have been bad if I decided to seal him in a sword, right?"

"I suppose, otherwise you might have a small collection of Kaioshin sealed in objects."

Beerus's hand hovered over the hilt, fingers waving lightly as he considered whether he really wanted to pull it out.

Suddenly his fingers closed into a fist and he withdrew his hand. "Ah, I can't do it! I trust that I did the right thing in the past, and I can't face explaining it to the guy if I let him out now. He must have been insufferable. Imagine what he'd be like if I released him and said, 'oh yeah, I did that because I don't wanna die!' Argh! He'd mock me to death!"

OoO

Bibidi continued to do Beerus's job for him with Buu at his beck and call, and his Kaioshin continued to be mysteriously absent. It was now a waiting game to see how this would come to an end without his input – it had to be soon, or there'd be nothing left.

"I don't get it," Beerus moaned as he glanced at the image of Bibidi's spaceship flying through space projected from Whis's staff. "Is he just going to stop once he's decided he's destroyed enough? I think it's enough already – he's gonna have nothing left to rule over. Or whatever it is he wants to do. As I see it, he's just sent a bunch of profits up in smoke. If he has someone as powerful as Buu, he should have killed the inhabitants and kept the planets to sell to the highest bidder from the Demon Realm."

"Perhaps he'll come to regret it later."

"Hey, Whis, this solar system he's just entered…"

Whis looked closer and checked the coordinates. "One of the few with more than two planets. In fact, there are eight significantly sized planets."

"And he's zooming past the biggest ones… Oh for fuck's sake, he really is going for the one with water and life. I'm telling you, that planet was in my sights for being one to produce some really great food in a few million years once evolution got moving properly."

"Maybe you can petition Kaioshin-sama to make something similar, should it be destroyed momentarily."

Bibidi had taken to transporting Buu between planets in a special sealed ball to make controlling the majin easier. It would have been a piece of cake for Beerus to trail the wizard and kill him in the time it took for him to unseal Buu. The only reason he didn't was because the Seer had said it wouldn't be him, which meant this was not his problem to deal with. He didn't need extra work, so he may as well sit back and watch the show.

"WHIS!" Beerus stood up and pointed at the projection. "That's him, right?!"

"I do believe we're both seeing Kaioshin-sama, yes."

"Shit."

It was, at this point, too late to depart for the watery planet Bidibi had just landed on. Whatever was about to happen would no doubt be over before he was even halfway there. He had to calm down; just because Kaioshin was there, didn't mean he intended to get involved. This could just be a bit of reconnaissance. Kaioshin could just teleport away back to the Sacred World if needed. He'd rather Kaioshin teleported directly to him, but they didn't have that kind of relationship yet. Maybe he should try harder to foster that kind of trust and reliance now it was just the two of them.

Beerus pulled on his ears as he watched his worst nightmare play out before his eyes: Shin was heading straight for Bibidi.

He was going to die and all he could do was watch. Maybe this was preferable to dying without a clue. At least he knew who to blame for his death, and his only audience would be Whis.

Oh… This taro bun wasn't too bad at fighting, actually. Bibidi wasn't as formidable without Buu next to him. Could Shin actually win this?

"Come on, Taro Bun!" Beerus yelled as he watched.

Ki blasts flew, but Shin was the one that managed to get the hit that sent Bibidi flying backwards. He was on top of the wizard in an instant, pinning him to the ground and punching him in the face in a way that was quite unbefitting of a Kaioshin. Shin did not let up with his assault, even when Beerus could see the blood coating his fists, even when Bibidi's arms stopped trying to resist and fell to the ground.

"Holy shit…" Beerus whispered as he watched.

He'd just watched a Kaioshin – his Kaioshin – kill someone. Was it different because Bibidi was from the Demon Realm and not one of this universe's mortals? Maybe. But it was still crazy to him that a gentle kai could do such a thing. An accidental death during a fight was one thing, but what he'd just witnessed was done with intent. If he wasn't mistaken, that had been Shin's only purpose of this meeting. There had been no words, no attempt to disarm, nothing but intent to murder.

Once the initial horror washed over him, he realised he was wearing a crooked smile. This little guy he'd compared to a sweet fluffy bun was actually pretty badass. Alright, that was an understatement – he'd never had a kai like this! Wasn't this guy folded over like a wet sock the other day? Where did this come from? Was he actually batshit insane?

As long as he could defend himself and would kill someone to stay alive, then Beerus was quite happy to have him as the last Kaioshin standing.

They watched as Shin burned the body without so much as a second thought and then buried the spaceship underground.

"Huh? Why not torch it too?" Beerus asked, as if Shin could hear him.

He had to make-do with Whis's answer. "Buu is still sealed inside the ship. He probably doesn't want to risk releasing him. Besides, he still believes he can rescue the absorbed Kaioshin, so this is the best option right now."

"Oh, right. Let's go and tell him about what the Seer said."

Whis cocked a brow. "Go? Wouldn't you rather just use my staff to contact him when he's within reach of a crystal ball again?"

"Let's go and personally shake his hand for whatever the hell that was we just watched."

OoO

Shin jumped like a startled cat when Beerus appeared outside the temple. The kai had been treating himself to a well-deserved cup of the finest tea they kept on the Sacred World, hoping to have a moment of peace before he got back to business (whatever that was – he wasn't quite sure now it was just him).

"Expecting someone else?" Beerus teased.

"I wasn't expecting anyone," Shin said.

Beerus grinned and pulled Shin up out of his chair with ease. He'd seemed a lot taller in the projection… Then again, Bibidi wasn't hard to tower over. Still, right now, Shin looked every bit the taro bun to Beerus. He really was just that cute naturally!

"Ahem!" Beerus shooed those thoughts away, because no matter what Shin looked like, his eyes carried a haunted look behind them. He stuck out his hand, which Shin narrowed his eyes at before deciding to accept. "Excellent display. I didn't think you had it in you."

"Huh?" Shin looked confused, but he caught on quickly. "You were watching?"

"We've been keeping an eye since my fish told me I'm not involved with stopping Buu and you decided to go off-grid without a word. I just so happened to be watching Bibidi land on one of our best habitable planets when you turned up and filled in the gaps my fish couldn't."

"Oh…um, sorry." He hadn't considered that Beerus would want to know where he was. Even after Beerus had arrived during that critical time, once the destroyer was gone, he had left Shin's thoughts just like all the other times he had come and gone in the blink of an eye.

"I don't expect you to apologise for it!" Beerus laughed. "Apart from congratulating you for a job well done, I also came to tell you the more useful info my fish gave me."

"Your…fish?" Shin had been accepting the use of this term, but he had to ask now.

Beerus realised that Shin had never visited his planet. He should change that. "I've got an Oracle Fish. You should come and meet her some time. Anyway, she said that Dai Kaioshin will return at some point in the future."

Shin's expression changed, going through a cycle of shock to joy to confusion. "…How?"

"No idea. The fish isn't that good. Maybe you can make me a better one?"

Oh no…he was going to have to do so many more things now he was alone. He'd have to do all of Dai Kaioshin's duties, as well as those that used to be split between him and the other 3…

"It was a joke," Beerus said when he noticed he was losing Shin to his thoughts. "I think our best bet is to leave Bibidi's spaceship buried until we work out how to get him back, or the universe does it for us."

"Sounds sensible. I think it's a secure planet to leave it on. The life there isn't advanced enough to dig it up."

"Oh, and the fish also said Dai Kaioshin's reappearance is a few million years away yet, so I wouldn't worry about working too hard on figuring out how to get him back."

Shin's shoulders slumped. "Oh."

"Yeah, sorry to disappoint you, but I figured you should know."

"No, thank you for telling me. I…" He had many things he wanted to say, if only just to organise his thoughts, but Beerus was not the person to unload his problems on. "Thank you for coming by today, and the other day, too. I appreciate it."

"No problem, Taro Bun." Beerus couldn't help grinning – he didn't often receive such earnest thanks.

Shin held back a laugh. "My name's Shin." Even if he thought it was sweet that Beerus had come up with a nickname for him, he felt it only fair to remind Beerus in case he had actually forgotten.

"Right, Shin." How could he forget? Of course this one was Shin. The only one to survive was the one with the name that held significance. "Well, don't forget to come by and see my fish some time. I'll be waiting. Come, Whis, let's leave him to get on. Oh, and let's stop by Amai on the way home and grab a treat to celebrate the end of all of this."

"As you wish, Beerus-sama."