"Goku, explain this," Shin said, pointing at Zarotenks in the crystal ball. "What is that merging?"
"That's Fusion, Supreme Kai," Goku corrected him. "Not merging." Then his eyes lit up. "Those three little guys are amazing. That's my dad's Super Saiyan God Three! Hahaha! Incredible. Even I haven't broken through to that level yet."
Shin leaned closer, hope rising at once. "Then he may actually be able to win?"
"My dad is a God of Destruction," Goku said. "Last time I saw him, his strongest form was the same one those kids are using now."
Shin caught on faster this time. "So their Fusion has reached the level of a God of Destruction?"
Goku grinned. "There you go, Supreme Kai. You finally called it Fusion."
Shin stared at him. "Is that really the important part?"
"What did you say?" Elder Kai blurted out. "The level of a God of Destruction?"
"You sound pretty shocked, Elder Kai." Goku focused on the image inside the crystal ball, then nodded thoughtfully. "But yeah, I can feel it. Their God ki is really strong now. They're not as powerful as my dad, but I'd say they're at least about half his strength."
Elder Kai went quiet.
A moment later, he stood up from the ground.
"I'm done."
Gohan blinked. "Done?"
"Elder Kai?" Goku asked. "What's wrong?"
"If that Fusion has reached the level of a God of Destruction, then beating Majin Buu should not be a problem," Elder Kai said.
"So… Gohan doesn't need to go?"
"If a Fusion at that level can't beat Majin Buu, then Gohan won't beat him either," Elder Kai said flatly.
Goku scratched his cheek. "That's not what you said before."
"Idiot! How was I supposed to know your Fusion was this strong?" Elder Kai snapped. "I didn't even know three-person Fusion existed!"
"You don't have to shout. I can hear you." Goku sighed. "At least finish drawing out Gohan's power first."
"It's already finished!"
Goku blinked. "It is?"
"I don't want to talk to any of you anymore!" Elder Kai huffed, turning away with steam practically coming out of his nose.
Gohan looked down at himself, still a little lost. "It's done? I didn't even notice."
"That's great, Gohan-nii!" Kale bounced beside him, unable to hide her excitement. "Try it! Try bringing out that power!"
"Right. I'll give it a shot."
Gohan planted his feet and tried to raise his energy.
Nothing happened.
He tried harder. His face reddened. His shoulders tensed. Still nothing.
Kale tilted her head. "Gohan-nii?"
"I don't know how to bring it out," Gohan admitted, embarrassed.
Elder Kai crossed his arms and smirked like a petty old child. "Not telling. Not telling you at all."
"Gohan, don't worry about it yet," Goku said. "Let's watch Goten and the others first."
Gohan nodded, and everyone gathered around the crystal ball again.
…
Universe 6, Earth, the Lookout.
"Majin Buu," Zarotenks said, red lightning snapping over his long hair. "Let's start over."
Buu nodded hard, his eyes bright with anticipation.
"Then don't blame me if this hurts."
Zarotenks launched himself forward and rammed headfirst into Buu.
The impact blasted Buu backward through the air and straight into the Lookout's buildings. Stone cracked and burst apart around him, but Buu was still smiling as he flew through the wreckage.
Piccolo and Vegeta, freshly healed and barely awake again, both went tense at the sight.
Buu corrected himself midair.
Zarotenks appeared behind him and drove a small fist into his back. The punch sank deep into Buu's soft body.
Zarotenks grinned.
Buu's forehead bulged. "That tickles."
He grabbed Zarotenks's arm, spun in place, and hurled him away.
Zarotenks crashed into the Lookout hard enough to smash half of it apart.
Piccolo's eyes widened. "The Lookout!"
Dende went pale.
For one terrible second, everyone stared at the damage.
Then Dende turned slowly toward Mr. Popo. "Can it be repaired?"
Mr. Popo studied the shattered buildings. "Probably. With glue."
Dende had no answer for that.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow…" Zarotenks crawled out of the rubble with tears in his eyes. "That hurt…"
Buu shot after him like a pink cannonball.
"He's coming!"
Zarotenks braced himself, but Buu's speed was worse up close. The moment Buu crossed the distance, Zarotenks lost his nerve and jumped clear.
Buu punched straight through the Lookout instead.
A neat tunnel opened through the ancient structure.
Zarotenks clenched his teeth. "Damn it."
He had barely turned when Buu came around again. This time Buu shot up from below and slammed into him with his whole body.
Zarotenks folded around the hit, his face twisting. For one ugly second, he felt like Buu had almost knocked something out of him that should absolutely stay inside.
Buu kept going.
He ricocheted through the Lookout again and again, a pink blur punching holes through stone and buildings. Within seconds, almost nothing remained. The great platform that had stood above Earth for ages was reduced to a tiny patch of floor barely large enough to stand on.
Vegeta was already in the air. Dende and Mr. Popo had flown up as well.
Dende stared at what was left of the Lookout like his soul had left his body. "Can it still be fixed?"
Mr. Popo shook his head. "Hard to glue."
Dende fell silent again.
"Do something!" Piccolo shouted at Zarotenks.
"I know! I'm thinking!" Zarotenks struck a pose. "Watch my super—"
Buu blasted through the last remaining bit of floor.
The final piece under Piccolo and Zarotenks shattered, leaving them both hovering in the open sky.
Piccolo's temper snapped. "Can't you use a technique without posing first?"
Zarotenks whipped around. "Watch your mouth. You want another beating?"
Piccolo shook with rage.
"Of course I can use techniques without posing," Zarotenks said. "But my poses are cool. You can't just throw away something like that." He paused, then clicked his tongue. "Fine, fine. I'll skip them this time."
Buu charged from the front.
"Continuous Galactic Donuts!"
Red rings shot from Zarotenks's hands, one after another, and snapped around Buu before he could turn away. The rings layered over him until his arms, legs, and torso were wrapped tight.
Zarotenks darted forward and spun him several times, winding the rings until Buu's body was curled into a compact red ball.
"There."
Piccolo stared at it. "Did you seal him?"
"No. He'll break out if I leave him like this. That's why I'm giving him the finishing blow!" Zarotenks lifted the Buu-ball above his head. "Ultra Buu Buu Volleyball!"
Then he turned toward Piccolo and Vegeta.
"Don't stand there staring! Come help!"
Piccolo flew over. "Fine."
Vegeta clicked his tongue, but he came too.
Zarotenks glared at them. "No, no, no! When I say come help, you're supposed to say yes! Otherwise he'll break out! This move burns through a ton of ki, so I'm saying it again. Come help!"
"Yes! Yes!" Piccolo said quickly.
Vegeta's face darkened. He said nothing.
"Vegeta, say it!"
Piccolo cut in before Vegeta could murder him. "I said yes twice. One of them was for Vegeta. Now move!"
"Good enough!"
Zarotenks tossed the ball to Piccolo.
"Set!"
Piccolo knocked it upward with both hands.
Vegeta, still wearing the face of a man plotting future revenge, smacked it into position above Zarotenks.
"Spike!"
Zarotenks slammed the ball down with both hands.
The red sphere screamed toward the earth below and smashed into the desert with a tremendous blast.
"Wahahaha!" Zarotenks flew down after it, thrilled with himself.
Piccolo hovered beside Vegeta, speechless for a moment. "He could have done that without us, couldn't he?"
"When they split apart," Vegeta said through clenched teeth, "I'm going to beat those brats until they remember this."
"At least he aimed for a desert," Piccolo muttered. "No towns anywhere nearby."
"Cheh."
Vegeta shot downward. Piccolo followed.
Zarotenks reached the crater first and hovered over it, practically dancing in the air. "Hey, Majin Buu! Hurry up and come out! I know you're not dead!" He folded his arms. "I don't have time to wait forever. If this form runs out, I'll need an hour before I can reach this level again!"
No answer came from the crater.
Piccolo and Vegeta landed beside him.
Zarotenks blinked, then grinned. "Huh. Maybe I hit him too hard. Hahaha! Guess I got careless and killed him by accident."
A blast of energy shot up from the crater.
Zarotenks nearly jumped out of his own skin and threw himself aside. Piccolo and Vegeta barely avoided it as well, cold sweat running down their backs.
"That was close…" Zarotenks watched the beam tear into the sky, his face stiff.
"Finish him!" Piccolo barked. "Stop playing around!"
"I know, I know. Quit yelling."
Buu rose from the crater in one smooth motion and appeared near Zarotenks, grinning.
Zarotenks's mouth twitched. "Why does he look completely fine?"
"No," Piccolo said, eyes narrowing. "He should be weaker. I don't know about his stamina, but mentally, he's taken damage. He's never fought someone like you before. He's rattled, even if he's smiling."
Zarotenks brightened at once. "Heh! Scared, are you, Majin Buu? I knew it! I'm the strongest in the universe!"
"Piccolo," Vegeta said, every word edged with pain, "if you praise him one more time, I'm joining Buu."
Piccolo immediately hardened his voice. "Don't get careless. Even if he's shaken, he can still kill us easily."
"Hahaha! Relax, relax. I'm here." Zarotenks laughed with both hands on his hips. "Until Ken comes back, leave this to me!"
Buu punched him.
Zarotenks flew backward like a shot.
Piccolo bared his teeth. "Idiot."
Vegeta's eyelid twitched. "I meant what I said, Piccolo."
Buu chased after Zarotenks, fist raised, but Zarotenks recovered in midair and shot upward, slipping past the punch. He kicked down hard and struck Buu in the face, knocking him out of the sky.
Buu hit the ground, stood up, and calmly dusted himself off.
Zarotenks dove after him for another attack.
Buu raised one hand.
A blast swallowed Zarotenks mid-dive and blew him backward, leaving his face blackened and his long red hair frizzed into a wild mess.
Buu clutched his belly and laughed, his round stomach bouncing with every cackle.
"You…" Zarotenks wiped soot from his face. "You bastard!"
He swept both hands forward and buried Buu in a blast of his own.
Buu disappeared inside the light.
The moment Buu steadied himself, Zarotenks rushed in and kicked him hard enough to stagger him.
Buu caught his balance, and the two crashed together again.
Fists, kicks, blasts, and head-on collisions tore across the desert. Neither gave the other room to breathe. Zarotenks hit harder than before, faster than before, and for the first time since Buu had arrived, the monster had to fight instead of simply play.
Back on the Sacred World of the Kai, Goku watched the crystal ball with shining eyes.
"Amazing," he said, unable to stop smiling. "Super Saiyan God Three really is incredible."
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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