"Something must have happened in Trunks's timeline," Ken said.
He lifted his staff and searched through the crystal at its tip. The moment the image cleared, his suspicions were confirmed.
Zamasu was gone.
Ken had stopped paying attention to him for too long, and the Supreme Kai apprentice had followed the same path as before, slipping into another timeline and turning it into his personal playground.
Perhaps killing him earlier would have prevented all of this.
Then again, Zamasu had done nothing at the time to justify an execution. He had kept his head down and behaved himself. Ken could hardly kill a Supreme Kai apprentice simply because he knew what the man might do one day.
There was no point dwelling on it now. The damage had already been done, so they would deal with it.
Besides, Goku and Vegeta could use the experience.
"I'll go see what happened," Bardock said, bowing to Ken before joining the others around the time machine.
Goku's healing power soon pulled Trunks back from unconsciousness.
His eyes cracked open, and Goku's familiar face slowly came into focus above him. Relief had barely begun to settle over Trunks when he noticed Bardock standing nearby.
Rage replaced it at once.
"You bastard!"
Trunks surged upright and threw a punch at Bardock's face.
Bardock raised one finger. Trunks's fist struck the tip and stopped dead, as though he had punched an iron wall.
"You murderous monster!" Trunks snarled, straining against that single finger.
Bardock glanced at Goku, clearly wondering what he had done to deserve this welcome.
"Trunks, calm down!" Goku caught him by the arm and pulled him back. "What's gotten into you?"
Trunks looked from Goku to Bardock, his breathing ragged.
"Goku, that's Goku Black!"
"Goku Black?" Goku scratched his cheek. "Who's that?"
"They're all dead…" The fury drained from Trunks's face, leaving him pale and hollow. "Everyone you brought back in my timeline. My father, Gohan, Piccolo… all of them. I'm the only one left."
His voice cracked.
"Even my mother and Bulma…"
The rest dissolved into sobs.
Goku's mouth fell open, while Vegeta's face tightened as the meaning of those words sank in.
"The one who killed them…" Goku began carefully. "Was it this Goku Black?"
Trunks confirmed it with a sharp nod.
"He looks exactly like you. I thought that man was him."
His finger swung back toward Bardock.
"That's my father," Goku said.
Heat rushed into Trunks's face. Now that the panic had passed, the differences between Bardock and Goku Black were obvious.
"I'm sorry. I saw his face and…"
Bardock waved it off. Trunks had clearly been through enough.
Once his breathing settled, Trunks told them what had happened in his timeline. He described Goku Black's arrival, the deaths of Earth's warriors, the destruction of its cities, and the months spent running while humanity was hunted toward extinction.
As soon as he finished, his gaze swept desperately across the grounds.
"Where's Ken?"
The people surrounding him stepped aside.
Ken was still reclining beside the lake as though the end of an entire timeline were merely a passing inconvenience. The sight of him loosened something in Trunks's chest, allowing him to breathe properly for the first time since arriving.
Goku was still stuck on one detail.
"So this Goku Black really has my face?"
"Exactly the same," Trunks said.
"What a headache…" Goku rubbed his chin. "But when you returned home last time, did you find the Super Dragon Balls and revive the version of me from your timeline?"
"I couldn't. I never found the Dragon Balls, and I can't survive in space long enough to search for them."
"I figured that might happen." Goku's brow furrowed. "Then where did this other me come from?"
"Let's ask Ken instead of standing here guessing," Vegeta said.
They crossed the lawn together, and Ken sat up as they approached.
Trunks started to explain, but Ken stopped him with a small gesture.
"I already know. Zamasu is behind this."
"Zamasu?" Goku asked. "Who's he?"
"A Supreme Kai apprentice from Universe 10. Before that, he served as its North Kai." Ken rested his staff against the lounge chair. "He's fanatical, self-righteous, and convinced mortals are a stain on creation. If he has gone this far, he probably intends to wipe them all out."
"That's exactly what he said," Trunks replied. "He wants every mortal dead."
"Then I'll return with Trunks and defeat him, just like before." Anticipation crept into Goku's voice as he tightened one fist. "Problem solved."
Hope flickered across Trunks's face, though the memory of his last fight quickly tempered it.
"He's far stronger than Cell ever was. Even my father, Gohan, and I couldn't stop him."
"That's all right." Goku grinned. "I'm a lot stronger than I was back then too."
"Zamasu has probably killed every Supreme Kai in that timeline," Ken added.
Goku's grin disappeared.
"All of them?"
The revelation unsettled Bardock as well. Killing one Supreme Kai was an act of rebellion. Systematically hunting every one of them was something else entirely.
"When a Supreme Kai dies, the God of Destruction linked to them disappears as well," Ken explained. "Zamasu removed the only gods who could have stopped him before he began his plan."
Goku's expression darkened as he remembered his own teacher.
"Then Fuwa is…"
"Almost certainly dead."
Goku's fingers curled into his palms.
"That bastard. I'm going right now."
He raised the hand bearing his Time Ring, but Vegeta stepped in and clamped a hand around his shoulder.
"You're not leaving without me, Kakarot."
"Take me too," Trunks said. "I won't sit here while everyone I cared about remains unavenged."
Goku looked between them, then accepted with a nod.
"All right. The three of us will go."
"Kakarot."
Bardock's voice stopped him.
"You want to come too, Dad?" Goku asked. "If you do, there probably won't be anything left for us to fight."
"A God of Destruction is forbidden from traveling through time." Bardock placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder. "You need to be careful. Anyone who murdered every Supreme Kai through ambushes and deception won't suddenly fight fairly when you arrive."
"I'll watch out."
"You three can handle the first trip," Ken said. "I'll visit that timeline when I have a chance."
Goku's confidence faltered for a different reason.
"You're coming too? Then we'd better finish quickly. Once you show up, Zamasu won't last long enough for the rest of us to do anything."
Ken answered with an amused smile.
Goku had just prepared to activate the Time Ring when Ken's staff vibrated beside the chair.
"Wait."
Ken picked it up and accepted the call. The Grand Priest's image appeared within the crystal.
"Well, this is unexpected. It's been a while, Grand Priest."
At the title, Bardock nearly dropped to one knee on instinct.
"Ken, Zeno-sama wishes to see Goku," the Grand Priest said. His calm tone made it clear this was a summons, not an invitation. "Bring him to Zeno's Palace immediately."
The mention of the palace brought a spark of interest to Ken's eyes.
"Are the Left Guard and Right Guard there?"
The Grand Priest paused.
He turned his head and glanced toward the two guards standing nearby. Neither understood why they had suddenly drawn his attention.
"They are both here."
"Perfect. We'll leave immediately."
The connection ended.
"Zeno-sama wants me?" Goku asked, pointing at himself.
Bardock's expression grew tense. The Omni-King did not casually summon mortals, and his son had a rare talent for saying the worst possible thing at the worst possible time.
"Maybe he wants to talk about that tournament between all the universes," Goku said, brightening at the thought.
"He may simply want someone to play with," Ken replied.
Goku's enthusiasm vanished.
"Then tell him I'm busy. I'll play with him later."
Bardock crossed the distance between them and seized his son by the back of the neck.
"Dad! What are you doing?"
"When Zeno-sama summons you, you go immediately. You don't tell the ruler of all creation to wait until you're less busy!" Bardock tightened his grip. "You're exactly like your mother."
"All right, all right. I'll go."
"And when we arrive, mind your manners."
Goku looked out across the sky.
"Where is the Palace? I've never been there."
Ken pointed toward a distant region beyond the universes.
Goku followed the direction, closed his eyes, and searched. A few seconds later, his face lit up.
"I found the Grand Priest."
Ken rose and placed one hand on Goku's shoulder.
Bardock hesitated only a moment before gripping the other. Leaving Goku unsupervised in front of Zeno-sama sounded like a reliable way to lose several universes.
"You're coming too, Dad?"
"I'm paying my respects to Zeno-sama—and making sure you don't get us all erased."
Goku glanced back at Vegeta and Future Trunks.
"Wait here. We'll be back soon."
Vegeta answered with silence, though his displeasure at yet another delay showed plainly on his face. Future Trunks looked no less confused than before.
Goku locked onto the Grand Priest's energy and vanished with Ken and Bardock.
Once they were gone, Trunks turned toward his father.
"Who exactly is Zeno-sama?"
"Do you remember the child who appeared on the hill during the Cell Games?"
Trunks searched through memories of that chaotic day until the strange little figure surfaced.
"That was him?"
"He is the highest god in existence. With one gesture, he can erase a universe." A bead of sweat ran down Vegeta's temple. "If he chooses, he can erase every universe."
Trunks's face lost its color.
"Every universe?"
"About a year ago, we fought Universe 7 in a tournament. They brought in several fighters from another timeline."
"Did you know them?"
"Another Kakarot, another version of me, Broly, and Uub—the reincarnation of Majin Buu."
Trunks tried to follow the explanation, but none of it answered his original question.
"What does that have to do with Zeno-sama?"
"The timeline those fighters came from had already been erased by him. The destruction was delayed, leaving its people alive for a while even though their universes were doomed."
Concern crept across Trunks's face.
"Then the people there will eventually disappear?"
"In a few centuries, most likely. Saiyans don't live much longer than Earthlings, so they'll probably die naturally before that happens."
That was a grim sort of reassurance, but it was enough for Trunks to release the breath he had been holding.
Goku arrived outside Zeno's Palace with Ken and Bardock.
The Grand Priest stood waiting at the entrance, hands folded behind his back and his usual serene smile in place.
Ken approached first and bowed. Bardock followed immediately, careful to show the proper respect.
"Welcome," the Grand Priest said.
"It has been a while," Ken replied.
After acknowledging him, the Grand Priest turned toward Goku.
"You must be Goku."
"Hi! That's me."
Bardock's expression darkened so quickly that Goku barely had time to notice before his father forced his head down into a bow.
"Please forgive my son's lack of manners, Grand Priest. He means no disrespect."
"There is no need to concern yourself with formalities." The Grand Priest turned toward the palace interior. "Please follow me. Zeno-sama has been waiting for Goku."
They followed him through the vast halls.
Goku watched the Grand Priest's back with growing curiosity.
"Ken, he looks ordinary, but I can tell he's unbelievably strong."
"You noticed?" Ken's smile widened. "He's stronger than I am."
The answer wiped every trace of casual curiosity from Goku's face.
"Stronger than you?"
Bardock shot him an irritated glance.
"How did you not know that? The Grand Priest is the strongest god in existence."
Goku looked ahead again, his amazement quickly turning into motivation.
"Then I still have a long way to go. I'll have to train even harder."
The throne room soon opened before them.
Zeno-sama sat at its center, with the Left Guard and Right Guard stationed on either side of his throne.
Both guards noticed Ken at once.
The confidence drained from their faces, and their gazes dropped straight to the floor. After losing even with Super Fusion, neither had any interest in letting eye contact be mistaken for a challenge.
"You finally came!" Zeno-sama called when he spotted Goku.
He leaped from the throne and rushed toward him.
Ken stepped into his path and caught him in a hug.
At level 80, even Zeno-sama's erasure no longer frightened him.
The warmth of the reunion was entirely one-sided. Zeno-sama's face darkened as he pushed himself free, then turned back toward the guest he had actually summoned.
Goku watched the exchange and scratched his cheek.
"Oh. Did you want a hug and a lift?"
Before anyone could intervene, he scooped Zeno-sama up and raised him over his head.
The throne room seemed to stop breathing.
Zeno-sama's already sour expression grew darker, while the Left Guard and Right Guard fixed Goku with murderous looks.
Ken turned toward them, still smiling.
The threat in their eyes vanished. Both guards returned their attention to the floor, suddenly unwilling to involve themselves.
Bardock swayed where he stood, all the color draining from his face.
At this rate, his son really was going to get him killed.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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