Beerus watched from afar as the giant robot swore its loyalty to Tundra in exchange for a single planet.
"…Whis?"
"Yes, Lord Beerus?"
Beerus grit his teeth. He hated asking for help with his own job.
"How beneficial will that robot be to the universe?"
Destroying it was already on his mind—he simply wanted to see how Tundra would react when faced with something catastrophic.
Whis tapped his chin thoughtfully. Gauging the usefulness of something so destructive wasn't simple, but—
"Well… given that its purpose is to optimize and improve all technology, if everything goes well, it would certainly raise the mortal level somewhat."
Beerus considered that for a moment. Then he thought about the fact that it was a machine.
"…Never mind."
Without another word, Beerus flew toward the planet.
Whis smiled faintly and shrugged, making no attempt to stop him.
__
Tundra was about to turn away when he caught a purple blur in the corner of his eye. He turned back—
Only to see Beerus hovering beside the massive construct.
"…Wait, what?"
Tundra's confusion lasted only a moment before he saw Beerus gathering a massive sphere of ki in his hand.
"…Are you kidding me?"
Without hesitation, Tundra shot away from the planet. He had no idea what had angered Beerus, but he wanted no part in it.
He quickly reached his spacecraft, grabbing hold of it and pushing it away from the planet. He steadily increased speed, careful not to accelerate too violently and harm those inside.
After putting sufficient distance between them, Tundra glanced back.
The planet was already cracking apart—then it exploded, much of it erased outright before the blast even fully formed.
He frowned slightly.
If he hadn't moved the ship in time, the crew would have suffered for it. Some of the more fragile members likely wouldn't have survived.
Tundra sighed and flew back toward where the planet had been, intending to question Beerus—
But he was gone.
Even after scanning the area, there was no sign of him.
Tundra paused, thinking.
Then he smiled.
"The chef I mentioned is on my ship!" he called out, amplifying his voice with ki.
He waited.
Nothing.
"…I suppose he wasn't interested," Tundra muttered, turning back toward his ship.
"Who said I wasn't interested?!"
The shout came from behind him, making him stop mid-flight.
"Ahem—I merely wish to meet her, that's all."
Tundra turned to see Beerus.
"…Right. Well, I do have a few questions, if you don't mind. Of course, my chef will prepare her finest dishes."
Beerus smiled instantly. The questions didn't matter—he was far more interested in this mysterious chef Tundra kept praising.
"Very well."
Tundra nodded and led the way back to the spacecraft, with Beerus and Whis following behind.
__
They entered the ship in silence, greeted by Shitaki, who looked confused at the sight of the two figures behind Tundra.
"My lord… who are these two? Guests?"
Tundra nodded. "Gods. Is everyone alright?"
Shitaki froze, shocked. For a brief moment, he wondered if this was some kind of trick—but quickly dismissed the thought. Deceiving Tundra was impossible.
"Uh… most of us are fine. Though, regrettably, Kukki fell and hit her head on one of the kitchen counters."
Beerus immediately perked up.
"'Cookie'? Is she the chef?"
Shitaki nodded. "She is. The kitchen is also in disarray from the sudden acceleration, but we're cleaning it as quickly as possible."
Beerus hummed, glancing briefly at Whis before looking back.
"Where is 'Cookie'?"
Shitaki hesitated for a moment, glancing at Tundra. Tundra simply nodded.
"…If you wish, I can take you to the infirmary."
Beerus nodded. "Lead the way."
Honestly, this was getting irritating. He had seen how carefully Tundra accelerated the ship—the chef must be incredibly fragile to be injured by that.
Shitaki quickly led them through the ship. Due to its size, the walk took several minutes.
__
They entered the infirmary.
Rows of healing pods lined the room, with one much larger pod at the back—clearly meant for Tundra, should he ever require it.
Shitaki guided them to one of the smaller pods and stopped.
Inside, Kukki floated in a green healing fluid, her body suspended as the system worked to repair her injuries.
Beerus coughed lightly and looked away.
"…Whis. Heal her."
Whis nodded, clearly amused. He tapped his staff against the glass, sending a pulse of energy through the pod.
The monitor beside it immediately reflected improvement—her vital signs stabilizing rapidly.
Moments later, Kukki's eyes opened.
She looked around in confusion. The last thing she remembered was losing her footing—then darkness.
A nearby nurse activated the controls, draining the fluid and removing the breathing mask and sensors.
As the pod opened, Kukki stepped out, slightly unsteady.
Beerus still avoided looking directly at her, his expression faintly strained.
Whis, meanwhile, watched with quiet amusement.
A nurse quickly handed Kukki a set of clothes, which she changed into without hesitation.
Once she was fully dressed, Beerus waited a moment longer before finally looking at her.
"Good. Now that you've recovered—prepare your finest meal for me."
Kukki blinked, confused, and looked toward Tundra.
He simply nodded.
Still uncertain, she gave a small nod in return.
"…Alright. Let me get my bearings in the kitchen first."
Without another word, she hurried off.