Even though Axis knew exactly what was coming, he couldn't help but shiver at the scene before him. A wave of nausea washed over him.
Seriously? Why on earth would this pervert demand a kiss as a tribute?
A woman's kiss could theoretically answer more questions, implying that his physiology or sexual orientation was somewhat normal.
But a man's kiss? Axis felt sick just thinking about it.
"Seriously, you are repulsive!" Vegeta looked as though he were constipated, his expression utterly wretched.
Damn it. If he hadn't tagged along, Bulma probably would have just kissed the guy!
Damnation! No matter what, neither he nor Bulma would ever kiss this creature. Axis likely wouldn't either. It seemed they would have to find another way to make this guy talk.
"Don't be like that. Lord Zuno simply asks for a kiss, not some precious treasure. It is merely a sign of respect," Jaco said.
"You should just treat it as a local custom. I'm telling you, Lord Zuno is incredible! He is practically omniscient. For example, Lord Zuno, my question is: what is the breast size of the Earthling named Bulma?"
"Hmm. Her bust measures 67.7 inches total. However, due to her advanced age, they have sagged. In the past, she measured 87.5 inches," Zuno answered Jaco's question with blunt honesty.
This answer caused Vegeta's face to turn a violent shade of crimson, looking uglier by the second.
Bulma, meanwhile, looked deeply embarrassed. Damn it! So what if they sagged a little?
"You idiot! Why are you asking such a question? Couldn't you simply ask about the Super Dragon Balls directly?" Vegeta roared in fury.
Damn it all. This moron, this colossal idiot. Why was everyone he knew a complete imbecile?
"Now it is your turn," Zuno said, touching his cheek. "If it is a man, a kiss buys one answer. As for that woman, she is a bit old and her chest sags. One kiss from her will buy three answers, as she is not my preferred type."
Hearing this, Axis burst out laughing, unable to hold it back any longer.
Compared to the oppressive, infinitely dark, and cold nature of the Warhammer universe, the Dragon Ball world was truly full of joy.
There were too many characters capable of making people laugh and endless amusement to be found. Even the top powerhouses of the universe would occasionally perform a comedy routine.
"I will never let my wife kiss you. Give up on that idea. I will not obey you either. Answer my questions immediately, or I will blow this place to smithereens." By now, Vegeta's fury had reached the heavens.
His body ignited with golden light as he transformed directly into a Super Saiyan.
He extended a hand toward Zuno, clearly ready to start violence if they could not agree.
Zuno looked at Vegeta with a blank expression.
Really, this guy's power had already surpassed the average god. He had even exceeded the Supreme Kais. Should he make an exception and answer for free?
Strictly speaking, when facing a god, he could answer questions for free.
However, Vegeta was currently in a demi-god state; he had merely comprehended a bit of divine Ki and was not a god in the complete sense.
Forget it. Maybe he would just answer one question for him.
"If you aren't willing to answer, perhaps I can demonstrate a little trick regarding the manipulation of Energy of Destruction," Axis said.
He patted Vegeta on the shoulder, stepped in front of Zuno, and extended his palm.
A purple sphere of light coalesced in the center of his palm. This sphere contained a terrifyingly dense energy of annihilation, the signature power of a God of Destruction.
Feeling this horrific destructive energy, a sheen of cold sweat broke out on Lord Zuno's forehead. He looked at Axis in astonishment.
Who was this guy? As an omniscient existence, how could he fail to see this person's background?
He could only see what this man had done in this universe, but that record only existed before the age of six, and then again starting very recently. How was that possible?
One had to realize that his eyes could see everything happening within the twelve universes. Even parallel universes outside the twelve were not safe from his gaze.
Yet, this man before him was a blank slate from the age of six until his sudden appearance a little over a month ago.
By observing Axis's actions, Zuno noticed some irregularities.
Axis had likely traveled to other worlds, worlds not created by Lord Zeno or the Dragon God Zalama.
No wonder there were no records!
And now, this Axis had comprehended Energy of Destruction. Did that mean Lord Whis intended for him to be the new God of Destruction for Universe 7, or at least a candidate for the position?
If that were the case, breaking the rules wasn't out of the question. If a God of Destruction came to visit, Zuno would have to kowtow anyway.
"Respected Candidate for the God of Destruction, please ask whatever you wish! No matter how many questions you have, I can answer them," Zuno said, coughing twice to clear his throat.
The shift in attitude was so drastic that the red-faced Vegeta and Bulma were caught completely off guard.
Even the Galactic Patrolman, Jaco, looked shocked.
That energy just now was Energy of Destruction. Did that mean the man before them was likely the next God of Destruction?
This was a big shot! A truly major figure!
"That's the spirit. I like your attitude. Now, we need to know all the intelligence regarding the Super Dragon Balls created by the Dragon God Zalama."
"No problem, Lord Axis, Candidate for Destroyer. The Super Dragon Balls are treasures created by the Dragon God Zalama in the 41st year of the Divine Calendar. Their dimensions are... they are perfect spheres... existing within the Seventh and Sixth Universes..." Zuno held nothing back, revealing every detail about the Super Dragon Balls down to a heinously precise degree.
"The God of Destruction has already collected six of the Super Dragon Balls. Where is the final one?" Bulma asked.
If it was this convenient, she wouldn't have needed to build the radar. Asking this guy saved so much trouble!
"The final Super Dragon Ball is located in Null Realm." Zuno replied.
Null Realm? Vegeta glanced at Axis. Wasn't that the location of the deciding tournament Beerus had mentioned?
"I have a question," Vegeta said. "Besides the Dragon Balls, is there any other way for an ordinary human to achieve immortality, or to directly ascend into a god?"
"There are actually many ways for an ordinary person to achieve eternal youth and life. However, there is no true 'immortality' in the absolute sense, because if Lord Zeno takes issue with you, you can be erased at any time. Thus, there is no perfect method," Zuno explained.
"Then give me the simplest method. I want my wife to revert to her twenty-year-old appearance and live forever," Vegeta demanded.
After a thorough lecture from Axis, he had thought things through. He wanted Bulma to be like him, so he and his wife could live together eternally.
At this, Bulma looked at Vegeta in shock, then her expression turned coy and bashful. Truly, as a matron approaching fifty, she was distressed by her fading looks and had tried multiple times to gather the Dragon Balls to restore her youth.
She never expected Vegeta to want immortality for her. Although this man appeared cold on the outside, his heart was as hot as a raging fire!
It was actually quite embarrassing with so many people watching.
"The Fruit of the Gods grown by the Supreme Kais, the Divine Energy of the Supreme Kais, or perhaps Divine Energy bestowed by an Angel? Or wishing upon Shenron... all these methods can grant your wife eternal youth and immortality," Zuno listed.
"However, if one wishes to become a god, one must obtain the consent of the Supreme Kai. Even then, one would likely only become a planetary god, requiring supervision and responsibility for a planet's operation."
In truth, many planets lacked a corresponding Guardian.
As for King Kai, the Grand Kai, or the Supreme Kais, these deities belonged to a specific species born from the fruits of the Glind Tree.
Kings Kai and Grand Kais were born from ordinary silver fruits, while Supreme Kais came from golden fruits. Therefore, the only divine positions ordinary mortals could pursue were God of Destruction or planetary Guardian.
Vegeta nodded. It seemed the responsibility of becoming a god was too great; simple, crude immortality was better.
After the couple finished their questions and intelligence gathering, it was Axis's turn.
"I wish to acquire the Language of the Gods, and I want to know the detailed procedures for summoning the Super Dragon Balls and making a wish," Axis said.
"No problem. Come a bit closer. I can transfer the Divine Language directly into your mind, and you will be able to use it immediately."
Axis nodded and stepped in front of Zuno.
The man reached out and tapped Axis's forehead. Instantly, obscure and difficult divine characters and the information of the Divine Language flowed into Axis's brain.
This was the language of the gods. From this influx of information, Axis also understood a few things.
To use the Super Dragon Balls, one had to use the Divine Language; mortals were not deemed worthy of using such divine artifacts.
In fact, once the Super Shenron was summoned, he would not even spare a glance at mortals. He would only accept wishes from gods.
The first time Super Shenron was summoned, it was Whis who communicated and made the wish.
The second time, Zamasu, the apprentice Supreme Kai of Universe 10, summoned him to wish for an immortal body and then to switch bodies with Son Goku.
The final time was during the Tournament of Power. Android 17, who remained at the end, spoke his wish, which was then translated and relayed by the Grand Minister.
Fortunately, Axis had comprehended Energy of Destruction and had already achieved godhood back in the Warhammer universe ahead of time.
Otherwise, the Super Shenron probably wouldn't have bothered with him.
"I have another question. Do you know about the 'Evil Third Eye' of the Demon Realm?" Axis asked.
"I know of it. However, that universe does not exist within our cluster of twelve universes. It exists in another universe entirely," Zuno answered. "The Demon King of that realm guards the Third Eye. Upon using this eye, even an ordinary person can obtain extremely potent combat power, though there is a certain price. If you wish to obtain this eye, you must go to a general store in the Demon Realm of that world. There are still two unsold eyes remaining."
Axis nodded upon hearing this. What this guy said matched the plot of Dragon Ball Daima that he knew about!
He really did know his stuff. No wonder he dared to claim omniscience.
One couldn't climb the mountain without the proper tools.
"I possess the ability to travel across parallel universes. I want you to tell me how to get to the universe that holds the Third Eye," Axis requested.
Although he had the ability to traverse, searching one by one was troublesome. It was better to get a direct location.
"No problem. The coordinates are as follows. I will carve them into your mind; you merely need to use your ability to go there." Zuno nodded and immediately transmitted the detailed coordinates of the parallel universe to Axis.
"There, I have told you everything I can. Do you have any further questions, Lord Candidate Axis?" Zuno asked.
"One final question. I want to know the training method for Ultra Instinct," Axis said.
"You are already walking the path of Ultra Instinct. When your body can fight completely on its own, without your control, you will have achieved this goal. You will complete perfect Ultra Instinct," Zuno stated.
Axis nodded. It seemed Whis's teachings were correct. No wonder Goku could master Ultra Instinct; without a teacher, it would have been absolutely impossible.
The seemingly mundane training Whis put them through was actually instructing Vegeta and Goku in the true utilisation of divine power found in Ultra Instinct.
Come to think of it, the protagonist duo of the Dragon Ball Super universe could be considered the luckiest.
The Gokus of other universes, specifically the GT universe, didn't exactly have happy endings, seemingly disappearing with Shenron. It looked like a legend, but in reality, it wasn't much different from death.
Axis casually produced a small flask and funneled a portion of Energy of Destruction inside.
"Consider this payment! I have placed a thread of God of Energy of Destruction inside. If you encounter any fool who dares to offend you, you can guide this energy to attack them. This energy will not harm you," Axis said, handing the flask to Zuno.
Axis never took things for free. This method of controlling Energy of Destruction was something Axis copied from Sidra, the Destroyer of Universe 9.
Sidra had once sealed his energy inside a mortal assassin sent to kill Frieza. The result? The meager amount of Energy of Destruction was actually withstood by the tyrant Frieza!
Worse, Frieza had deflected it onto Goku, and Goku had nearly been killed by it.
"Thank you very much for your gift. I will accept it without hesitation." Zuno nodded, taking the gift from Axis.
This counted as an offering, meaning he hadn't technically broken his own rules.
This Destroyer had quite a good temperament, certainly better than Lord Beerus. Zuno truly hoped he would replace Beerus as the God of Destruction for the Seventh Universe soon.
After finishing all inquiries, Vegeta, Axis, and Bulma did not take the spaceship back. Instead, they gathered around Axis, who used Instant Transmission to transport them directly back to Earth.
As for the Galactic Patrolman? Jaco could fly his ship back to headquarters to report in on his own.
Time flew by. Three days passed in a flash.
After resting for three days, Axis joined Vegeta and Goku in a vacant lot. The two had selected the final participant for the tournament: Piccolo.
Although Majin Buu had greater combat power and far stranger abilities, they weren't lacking in raw power. They needed a strategist. After all, the four Saiyans didn't exactly look like military masterminds.
After some discussion, they decided to bring Piccolo along. Piccolo's intellect was very reliable in critical moments.
Once Beerus arrived, Kratos also stepped out of a flying vehicle.
"Father!"
"Good. It seems your strength has grown somewhat in these three days. In this competition, you may encounter an opponent who is your match. It will be a good chance to let loose," Axis said.
The assassin Hit from Universe 6 was quite strong. He was someone who had handled Goku, and if not for Goku forfeiting to repay a debt of honor, Universe 7 would have lost.
"It looks like everyone is here. Let's cut the chatter and get moving! I can't wait to teach that fat tub of lard a lesson," Beerus said, nodding to the group before leading the way into the massive, rectangular transport Cube.
Everyone followed him inside with curious expressions.
This time, the Z Fighters brought their families along to watch the tournament hosted by the two Gods of Destruction. In addition, the Old Supreme Kai, the Supreme Kai, and his attendant from Universe 7 joined the trip.
"Lord Beerus, we have detected information regarding the Super Dragon Balls. According to Zuno, the final Dragon Ball is located in Null Realm," Vegeta stepped forward to report the intelligence on the seventh Super Dragon Ball.
"Oh? That makes things much more convenient. Bulma has finished the radar, hasn't she?" Beerus asked.
"It's done. Don't worry! As soon as we win the tournament, we can find them all."
"Good. Give the auxiliary radar to Axis. That was my promised payment to him."
Vegeta nodded and immediately handed the Super Dragon Ball Radar crafted by his wife over to Axis.
Bulma then came forward with a serious expression and explained to Axis in detail how to operate the device.
After flying for some time, the group arrived at a desolate planet located in Null Realm.
The area had already been terraformed by the Angel Vados, featuring an arena the size of a soccer stadium and spectator seating.
Upon meeting, the two large purple cats immediately began to bicker, trading insults and taunts.
"Enough, let the first test begin. I need to distribute a set of exam papers. The questions are very simple," the Angel Vados said, producing a thick stack of papers. "I must test whether your intelligence is normal."
"..." Axis was speechless.
After all these years, he still had to take written exams?
...
..
.
ps?