Chapter 13
“And what was that supposed to prove?!” Goku exclaimed.
“That evil is freedom,” Buu said. “That good is nothing more than chains that hold back one’s potential. Those puny races I gave Majin power to…they were freed their overlord’s grasp!”
“That is truly disgusting,” Goku said. “You think wickedness is fun?! You’ve convinced me of nothing more than your own vile nature! You should be destroyed before you can spread more evil across the universe.”
“Well…” Buu said. “I see the point of my story went right over your head. You can’t understand that the ability to commit evil is, in and of itself, a wonderful freedom that we should cherish. Not abhor.”
“How filthy,” the Super Saiyan answered.
“It is the cycle of power that drives civilizations to evolve and prosper!” Buu stated. “A civilization will never peak if it is too obsessed with keeping its hands clean and not stepping on others toes! They must be evil to grow!”
“You remind me of Freeza,” Goku said. “And I can’t let any creature like Freeza continue to exist. But I suppose that’s natural since you empowered Freeza’s race long ago, didn’t you?”
Buu nodded.
“Freeza’s race were among my finest creations,” Majin Buu said. “They were powerful, evil to the core and ever ambitious. I gave one of his ancestors the gift of my Majin energy and he not only flourished but passed it on down to his ancestors.”
“So I can pin the death of my friends, the Namekians and untold millions on you?” Goku asked.
“Oh don’t get so defensive,” Buu said. “Whether I did it or not, a tyrant would still have risen up to conquer others.”
“That’s your excuse?!” Goku cried. “That I should let you give people the power to do evil because evil will exist whether or not you do so?! That’s completely insane!”
“Maybe you should stop pointing the finger at me,” Buu said. “And look at yourself. Your intolerance of evil has led you to this spot where you cannot tolerate life itself. You believe good to be so pure a motivation in and of itself that you wish to kill literally every being that has any in them. Goku…does that sound good? Or does that sound like the hypocrisy of the Supreme Kais?”
Goku flared his qi, the faces of those empowering him surrounding his body and his golden aura shimmering across his skin.
“Stop portraying me as the villain,” Goku said. “You talk about freedom a lot but I know the only thing you care about in regards to the people of this universe is how they feed you. You merely want more denizens to draw evil from so that it strengthens you.”
“True!” Buu said. “I won’t deny that! They are as sheep to me! Nothing but cattles that I devour until I have gorged my fill!”
Buu laughed.
“But even a farmer cares for his flock,” he said. “No matter how much he realizes his animals are cattle, he cannot help but bond with them. He protects them from predators who would end their life far sooner than the farmer would, feeds them, and aids them in sickness. Just as a shepherd would his cattle, I care for mortals. And I think of you as one of those predators that are threatening my sheep.”
“So what do you want?” Goku asked. “To just let evil pervade throughout the universe? To let your seed of evil permeate until there is no more good in this world?”
“That would be nice,” Buu answered. “But more than that, I want you to resurrect everyone you killed. Freeza, Cold, the Heras…all down to the last tsuba you crushed beneath your foot. If not…I’m afraid I’ll have no choice but to force you to bring them all back.”
“So that’s your demand?” the Super Saiyan asked. “You want me to bring back those cretins that tainted this universe with their sin and malice?! Even to my last, dying breath I’ll never allow that!”
“Oh you will once I beat you to an inch of your life,” Buu replied. “Remember Goku…I’ve lived far longer than you have…and I’ve seen how desperate people are when their life is on the line. Once I bring you to the brink of death you’ll do anything I ask. Including resurrecting those you slaughtered.”
“Then make me, Majin Buu” Goku said. “Make me.”
Buu laughed.
“Suit yourself,” he replied. “But I want you to know, Goku…you will not have such an easy time fighting me as you did with all those insects.”
“I know you’re far more powerful than Freeza or anyone in his lineage,” Goku replied. “But I can take you on.”
“Oh that’s not what I mean,” Buu said. “I know you can handle insects like that. What I was referring to was how much power you’ve lost.”
Goku’s eyes went wide at Buu’s proclamation. It only made the Majin giddy with laughter. For the first time since transforming, the Super Saiyan felt scared.
“Oh don’t think I haven’t noticed,” Majin Buu said. “You can’t take out those thousands of races without losing some kind of energy. And I estimate you’ve lost around half your total power doing so.”
Goku growled at him as the Majin continued chuckling.
“So don’t think you’ll have such an easy time with me,” he said. “When you’re wasting so much strength taking out those weaklings. I say you just give up now before I send you to hell where you belong.”
Buu’s laughter increased into an uproar of mirth.
“In fact,” he said. “I’ll let you just walk away right now without laying a scratch on you if you give up now.”
Goku quietly leered at Buu as the Majin’s laughter echoed in his ears. He had wished Buu hadn’t noticed that his power had dropped significantly since the initial transformation. He ground his fanged teeth, trying to think of a way out of this.
Darn it. He thought. I’ve used up so many of the souls composing the Trampled Innocence to destroy planet after planet. Their energy is gone once I use it up, like normal qi. And Majin Buu does nothing but get stronger over his centuries of hibernation. I don’t know if I can win this since he was done sleeping from his last–
“But he was not done resting from his last exploit!” the Trampled Innocence cried out.
“What?!” Goku asked.
The souls composing his qi began explaining to Goku Buu’s handicap. He didn’t understand at first but after a moment it became clear to the Super Saiyan. He no longer feared Majin Buu. Goku turned back to see Buu’s smirk had disappeared and he was now glaring at the Super Saiyan who was smiling at him.
“What’s so funny?” Majin Buu asked.
“I agree,” the Super Saiyan said. “I may not be at full power. But neither are you.”
Buu practically jumped at the declaration, fear written all over his face. He began shivering in fright as it was Goku’s turn to laugh. The Majin shook his head as the Super Saiyan chortled.
“What’s so funny?” Majin Buu asked.
“That you didn’t actually complete your hibernation on schedule,” Goku answered. “You were reborn prematurely in the Womb of Evil. You came out too early.”
“Nonsense!” Buu shouted. “You’re just trying to bluster into scaring me!”
“Then why are you so short?” Goku asked.
The Majin’s expression shattered into a face of pure terror, the holes in his body contracting as steam poured from them. Buu’s arms and legs floundered about, the pink creature clearly angry at the Super Saiyan’s remark. That was when Goku knew he had him.
“That’s right,” he said. “I know you’re secret. You’re in your kid form.”
“What are you talking about?!” Majin Buu pretended. “I’m no kid! I’m the revolutionary villain who can destroy this universe at the flick of a wrist! I’ve freed many, I’ve killed many, I’ve unleashed my fury on even the Kais that rule this universe! You think such a being can be called a kid?!”
“Of course,” Goku said. “At least, that’s what the Trampled Innocence tells me.”
Buu glared back in hatred, his face painted with admittance.
“Darn those countless souls,” Buu said. “They record everything…especially the ones I’ve encountered…”
“They have,” he said. “And those that know of you hatched out from the Womb of Evil too early, like a butterfly that escaped from its cocoon before gaining its wings.”
Goku had to hold back his laughter as the Majin shivered in fear.
“Usually you don’t burst forth until you’ve attained your super form, which requires a grand amount of energy that takes centuries upon centuries to amass,” he said. “If you come out too early, you’ll be in your less developed kid form rather than your true super form. And one indicator of your body’s premature status is how tall you are. You don’t even come up to my waist.”
“So?!” Buu shouted. “What does that matter?! I’m still more powerful than I’ve ever been!”
“That may be true,” Goku said. “But because you didn’t properly fully develop in the Womb of Evil our power levels are more even than you think. Sure I’ve lost a lot of power…but you’re not in your super form. You’re in your kid form. You probably only woke up because you could sense my immense Super Saiyan strength. I’d be afraid of Super Buu after destroying so many evil beings…but not Kid Buu.”
“Then how about you find out how super I am!” Buu shouted.
“Gladly!” Goku shouted.
The two propelled themselves at one another at the highest speed they could muster, their fists clashing with force that could split planets in half. Buu and Goku attempted to punch one another in the face but their punches only met the others’ knuckles, not only sending pain through each others’ arms but creating immense shockwaves. It was at that point Goku noticed the empty darkness around him shattering.
In between punches and kicks he traded with Kid Buu, he saw the void around him split like paper being cut. The slices in space reminded him of a knife cutting into parchment, they were so fine and even. It was like the world around him was made of cardboard and Goku was becoming too rough for his surroundings.
And from the rends made in the space, Goku could make out hands and feet stretching forth. The tear their battle caused in the void of space was still too thin to make out but Goku could definitely see something trying to wiggle its way through. It reminded him of a mouse trying to push itself through a small hole in a wall or an insect burrowing through a thin tunnel in wood.
Odd. He thought.
Buu flung dozens of balls of pink qi at Goku while the Super Saiyan blasted back with yellow jets of energy. Even after exploding on contact with one another, Buu didn’t stop blasting away at the Saiyan. Goku did the same, defending himself from Buu’s qi blast with one of his own.
The resulting explosion was enormous, enough to vibrate through Goku’s body and leave him quivering. The Saiyan’s eyes went wide at this sensation as he had never experienced this before. He was feeling damaged by his own attacks. Not because he was attacking himself, like what had happened with Ginyu, but the aftershocks of their battle was just too much.
When the smoke cleared from the two’s energy blasts colliding, Goku stared on horrified. Screams could be heard from the giant hole made through the cosmos. The black void they had fired into was gone.
In its place was a scenery of fire and smoke. Flames poured from the cavity in front of him, faces of beings tortured by the immense heat wailing as they poked their head through. As they all attempted to escape through the hole, their attempt to all flee at once clogging the hole Goku and Buu unwittingly made. With so many souls pushing against one another trying to get out, it hampered their ability to escape what Goku could only assume was hell.
“That can’t be good,” he said.
His blank expression as he stared on was interrupted as Majin Buu smacked Goku in the jaw. The Saiyan was hurtled backward before stopping himself in midair as Kid Buu continued to race toward him, this time sending a flurry of punches all aimed at his opponent’s face. As Goku fought back with all his strength, deflecting the Majin’s fists and landing a few blows to the pink thing’s stomach and neck, more tears in space continued.
The aftershocks of their attacks spread around them, splitting the empty void of space as easily as black construction paper. Flames poured from some tears in the blackness of space while in others, Goku thought he could make out Snake Way. In one larger tear that was produced from the aftershocks, Goku had a clear view of what he recognized as Other World.
“What is going on?” Goku asked.
“What do you mean Goku’s fighting someone almost as dangerous as a Super Saiyan?!” Krillin shouted.
“It’s just as I told you,” King Kai answered. “He’s currently engaged in combat with the literal amalgamation of all evil in the universe…Majin Buu.”
“Majins?” Piccolo asked. “I feel like I’ve heard of that…”
“Majin are not physical creations like we normally think of,” King Kai explained. “They exist in the hearts of all sentient races. They are formed by the culmination of evil actions and thoughts before attempting to seduce and further corrupt people. They normally can’t enter the mortal realm. Since Majin Buu is the pinnacle of such creatures, he is the only Majin who can normally leave that realm of reality as a result. His nature is subsequently chaotic.”
“Does that mean Goku is going to lose?!” Yamcha asked. “Is he going to be killed by this evil thing?!”
“I honestly have no idea,” King Kai said. “Majin Buu left the Womb of Evil, the place where all sinful energy gathers, before he reached his full power. His slumber is like that of a butterfly in its cocoon, growing stronger and stronger with each era of evil in the universe. Buu left before he was fully developed and is now fighting Goku in his immature Kid form rather than his proper, fully developed Super form.”
“So that means Goku can win!” Krillin said. “He can beat this Buu guy and send him packing!”
“Sorry, Krillin,” King Kai answered. “But that isn’t true either. Goku has exhausted so much of his strength killing race after race that he’s lost quite a bit of energy. Neither combatant is fighting at full power.”
“So then they’re…?” Teinshinhan tried to ask. “Even?”
“I’m not sure about that either,” King Kai explained.
Goku slapped Buu into a plateau on the deserted planet they continued their battle on. After Majin Buu had kicked the Super Saiyan more than a dozen times in the chest, the Saiyan was sent hurtling from space into the barren wasteland below. However, Goku quickly retaliated by battering Buu like a ragdoll.
The pink Majin was out of breath as he reemerged from the crater he’d made for himself, gasping for air in the hot climate. Seeking an opportunity for attack, Goku fired a beam of qi at Buu as he attempted to recover. However, Buu reacted quicker than the Saiyan thought he would.
Kid Buu screamed at the top of his lungs at the blast of yellow light, high pitched enough that it hurt the Super Saiyan’s ears. The beam of light exploded against the roar of sound before reaching Majin Buu, forming a cloud of dust that obscured his enemy. Goku leered into the black smoke before he saw Buu rushing forward at full speed, headbutting Goku in the face.
This sent the Super Saiyan careening into a plateau behind him, the Saiyan creating a tunnel into the large rock formation as he jettisoned through it. Once he regained momentum, Goku exploded the stone surrounding him to reveal Kid Buu laughing at him as he stood on the plateau above. The Majin’s sneering laughter echoed throughout the desert until he coughed up a fit up blood. The pink creature shivered weakly as he bent over, clearly wounded from his battle. Goku continued glaring as the stone pieces from the plateau he shattered circled around him.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Their power levels are like bottomless wells of qi,” King Kai said. “It’s honestly hard to gauge how strong they are due to how absurd their strength is. Comparing them is like comparing the length of two tunnels whose end you cannot see.”
“That’s impossible!” Piccolo said. “As strong as Freeza was, we could still gain accurate measure of his power level in comparison to others! That’s madness!”
“Yeah,” Krillin said. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
“Feel for yourself,” King Kai said. “Their power levels should reach you soon.”
“I don’t-” Krillin said.
It felt as though an earthquake was flowing through his insides. Krillin couldn’t stand, his entire body being rocked by an immense pressure. As he stood on the sandy shore of Roshi’s island. It was as though Goku’s qi, along with millions of others and a presence that felt more evil than Freeza’s were jettisoning inside him all at once.
Krillin looked around to find that Piccolo, Master Roshi, Turtle, Yamcha, Tein and Chiaotzu were experiencing the same thing. Horror was painted all across their faces. Their bodies jittered and twitched unnaturally, as if something was moving inside them and using their skin to cover itself. It was almost as if no one could keep still no matter what.
It was beyond sensing two power levels clashing. It was physically hurting them to experience the titanic weight of the qis dueling it out. The only comparison Krillin could begin to make was not sensing qi, but being held up by a giant and shaken in his vice-like grip. Krillin felt ill sensing these powers more than anything.
“Is-?!” Yamcha asked. “Is that Goku? It can’t be! It just can’t!”
“I don’t know what power level I’m…” Teinshinhan said. “But it’s not Goku…”
“It’s not even a power level we’re sensing!” Piccolo said. “It’s like the world is exploding all around us!”
“Is this what you were all doing on Namek?!” Master Roshi asked. “Making an old man feel like his whole planet was shaking?!”
“I can’t take it anymore!” Yamcha shouted.
He fell to the sand below, quivering in pain as he continued shaking.
“These qi signatures!” he shouted. “They’re all too much! Make it stop!”
Krillin was almost at Yamcha’s level of pain. He tried his best to maintain his balance, unable to keep himself from quivering. It was only through putting all his might in stomping the ground beneath him was able to keep from flopping like a fish on the beach.
“You see what I mean?” King Kai replied. “What you are feeling is Goku going all out against Majin Buu…at least with what power he has left.”
“I can’t believe this,” Teinshinhan said. “This…this feeling is beyond just power. Goku…Goku isn’t just fighting a monster…he has become one.”
“But how come we didn’t feel this before?!” Piccolo said as his body rumbled. “This power…I know I would have felt it from halfway across the galaxy no matter who he was fighting…why didn’t we feel it earlier?”
“I believe…” King Kai said. “I believe it was because Goku was deliberately hiding his power level from everyone on Earth.”
“What?!” Krillin asked. “How can that be?! When one masks their energy and hides their true strength, they’re more likely to be taken down! How could Goku be flying around all over the galaxy killing one planet after another without us all sensing it?”
“Such is the power of one fueled by the Trampled Innocence,” King Kai answered. “They are not just strong…they can bypass the normal rules of qi manipulation. Goku made a deal with the Trampled Innocence that he would be willing to destroy all life in the universe with even little evil except for Earth. The Trampled Innocence agreed and Goku hid his true strength from every inhabitant of Earth to spare them from the aftershocks of his power.”
“Aftershocks?” Krillin asked.
“Yes,” the Kai answered. “The transformation into Super Saiyan and its subsequent power is so great that it is not only harming people millions of miles away…it is also ripping the very fabric of space-time. Now that Goku is engaged in probably the toughest battle of his life he cannot afford to hide his strength from literally any inhabitant in the universe.”
“Wait!” Piccolo said as his body was rocked back and forth by the vibrations. “Goku chose to spare us?! You mean, even if he had the strength to destroy Earth he wouldn’t?!”
“You’d be surprised how easily swayed by the Trampled Innocence is by its host,” King Kai said. “They only trust the most pure hearted of the pure hearted but when they find that special champion…they’ll cave to nearly any demand. How do you think Goku was able to give Vegeta a second chance at life?”
“Makes sense,” Krillin said before he lost his footing and fell. “Aw! Goku’s power…! No, it’s not just him! This Buu guy…it’s beyond a mere battle!”
“Yes,” Teinshinhan said as leaned over and out of breath, almost tired from trying not to faint or fall over. “And didn’t you say something about ripping apart spacetime?”
As Goku’s Kamehameha met Kid Buu’s blast of pink aura, he noticed the rending effect took place after the beams of light exploded upon impact. When the smoke cleared, the Super Saiyan found a large slit-like cavity in midair. From what Goku could tell it was of Hell again, with many beings screaming as the fire surrounded them.
He had little time to watch them before Majin Buu fired several dozen balls of qi at him. Goku barely had time to dodge them, disappearing for a split second before reappearing at Buu’s side. He punched Buu in the side of the face, causing the Majin to tumble across the flat surface of the plateau they stood upon. Goku raced toward him to press the attack further before Buu quickly stood up and met the Super Saiyan’s punches with those of his own.
When their fists clashed, a shockwave could be felt echoing throughout the barren wasteland. A crack formed in the stone structure beneath them before the same rip in midair formed. This time Goku found it was of Otherworld again, with King Yenma’s face appearing in the rip. He stared at Goku, clearly afraid.
“The Super Saiyan!” Yenma shouted. “I can’t believe it! Everyone, run!”
Yenma and the other ogres at the check-in station of Otherworld fled in panic, leaving their papers and pens at their desks. As strange as it was, Goku had little time to react to such a debacle. He instead turned back to Buu who promptly smacked him in the face, the Super Saiyan caught off guard seeing the familiar face of the king of ogres.
Goku fell to the ground before Majin Buu pounced on him, ready to strike again. However, Goku jumped up before kicking Kid Buu squarely in the chest as the force flung him backwards. As Kid Buu attempted to slow his momentum, Goku formed a ball of yellow qi in his right hand and threw it into Buu’s gaping mouth as he screamed in pain.
The Super Saiyan steadied himself, landing on solid rock and planting his feet squarely. As the black smoke cleared and Buu became visible once again, Goku found the top half of Buu’s head gone. The Super Saiyan used this chance to catch his breath before finding Kid Buu’s head slowly reforming. His tongue, teeth and eyes emerged before the long tentacle-like antennae atop his head came into existence.
However, Buu was gasping for air, the regeneration clearly taking the breath out of him. He was clearly shaken, his body jittering from the blow the Super Saiyan had dealt him. Goku would have continued the attack had he not also felt exhausted from their battle. Truth was, he was trying to move as little as possible to recover his strength.
“I see your regeneration takes a great amount of your qi reserves,” Goku chided. “Just as it does Namekians.”
Buu growled at him, only making the Saiyan smile in reply.
“Yeah,” he said. “When Piccolo has to regrow a limb, it drains them of their energy. I learned that when my soul fused with the part of the Trampled Innocence they consisted of. So…regrow your body all you want. It only makes the battle easier for me.”
“GAH!” Majin Buu shouted in defiance.
He flung a ball of pink qi at Goku as the Super Saiyan shot a beam of yellow qi to intercept the attack. Upon exploding, forming smoke and said smoke clearing, Goku found himself not looking at Majin Buu but Snake Way. The tear that had formed this time was clearly of the path he traveled to meet up with King Kai. He shook his head, confused at the sight.
Am…? Goku thought. Am I tearing a hole through reality right now?
“Goku’s tearing a hole through reality?!” Piccolo asked.
“Yeah!” Krillin said. “That sounds probably crazier than anything you’ve told us up to this point!”
“But that doesn’t make it any less true,” King Kai said. “You must understand, the power levels clashing right now are amongst the greatest this universe has ever seen. Now that these two warriors have no reason to hold back any more and are exerting the absolute pinnacle of their power to kill the other…reality itself is collapsing in on itself.”
“That terrifies me,” Krillin said.
He was now standing on his own two feet as he’d been able to maintain balance better
“It should,” King Kai said. “If you think of space time as the material that holds all life itself, then it makes more sense. Whether you know it or not, you still exist in the universe. And the universe has material, like anything else. Even the dark void of space still consists of some sort of matter. Thankfully, that material is very strong, stronger than even any Supreme Kai. Us Kais can manipulate that reality to some extent to trap beings in stars or other such tricks. However, now that Goku and Buu have exceeded even that limit their power is ripping holes in the fabric reality itself consists of. In other words, he is bridging the gap between the reality of the living and the dead in doing so.”
“Is there any way to stop this?!” Yamcha asked who had slowly stood up. “To…to patch up reality or whatever.”
“Only after their battle is finished,” King Kai said. “Then we can repair what is broken.”
“But you said their power levels are like bottomless wells!” Piccolo shouted. “How can their battle end if it’s infinite?”
“Because Goku’s power is not infinite,” King Kai said. “Not even as a Super Saiyan.”
“But you said-” Krillin said.
“I said I could not accurately measure the two,” he answered. “Measuring these two power levels is difficult not because they are truly never ending but because the measurements we are using to ascertain them, meaning our qi sense, is too short in comparison to the amount or length of their power. And from what I am gathering…their energy is vastly decreasing every second.”
“What do you mean?!” Yamcha said. “They’re still incredibly strong!”
“Not for long,” King Kai said. “Have you noticed that you’ve been able to stand back up?”
Yamcha looked down at himself, amazed to find King Kai was right. And now that Krillin was looking down at himself, he found he was able to stand mostly straight. He was not as jittery as he’d been a minute ago. He looked around to find that his friends had mostly calmed down and were not shaking as hard. In fact, now that Krillin concentrated on the powers clashing far beyond them, he could tell their strength was lowering.
“Yeah…” he said. “They’ve both lost a tremendous amount of power…and they’re continuing to lose a tremendous amount of power.”
“Exactly,” King Kai said. “Meaning…this battle will soon be over.”
Buu and Goku were trading blows at lightning speed, faster than either of them had up to this point. Blood poured from each landed punch and kick, each warrior tiring after slugging the next heavy hit. Their latest struggle ended when Goku smacked Kid Buu in the face, sending him backwards. The Super Saiyan thought that would have been the end of it until the Majin glared back at him, wiping the blood from his face.
“So, Saiyan,” he said. “Tell me…do you give?”
“Not until you’re dead,” Goku shouted. “AND THIS ENTIRE UNIVERSE PURGED OF EVIL!”
Buu leered back at him before coughing up more blood.
“Fine,” he said.
Buu stretched his arms out to the side as far as he could, balls of pink energy filling his palms. Within the spheres, Goku could see frighteningly evil deeds being committed. Murders taking place as the killers echoed, violation of women and children, the setting on fire of entire villages as a horde of enemies pillaged the innocent.
“I see we are…” he coughed up more blood as he spoke. “Near evenly matched. As a degree of respect for giving me such a worthwhile fight…”
The balls of pink qi in his hand grew larger than his own body. Goku could feel what strength the Majin had left rising to its pinnacle. He was charging one final attack.
“I will finish you with my greatest technique,” Kid Buu said as he smiled. “Just so you know…whether I win or lose…I’m glad this happened. I had fun. This was…a real treat…to fight possibly the greatest warrior in all of existence. You deserve to die a warrior’s death with my ultimate move. This is your last chant to recant and resurrect all those you slayed. Revive them and I shall spare your life.”
Goku clasped his wrists together at his side, gathering his qi in his palms. The very souls that the Saiyan could see victimized in Buu’s qi flowed into his hands. The great ball of golden qi forming in his clasped palms grew into a sphere larger around than Goku’s head.
“I’d rather die than resurrect those evil beings,” Goku said. “And it’s more like you have little strength left. And wish to finish me off quickly.”
Kid Buu laughed.
“Seems as though you’re doing the same thing,” he said. “With your little kame…kama…kahaka…”
“IT’S-” Goku shouted.
The sphere of golden qi filled with the faces of countless victims grew in size.
“KA-”
It grew greater.
“ME-”
Buu clasped the two giant balls together to form one that completely obscured the pink creature’s body.
“HA-”
The huge pink ball of energy formed into a beam so wide it eclipsed all of Goku’s vision.
“ME-”
The blast of pink came within inches of hitting Goku.
“HAAAAAAAAA!” the Super Saiyan shouted.
He positioned his clasped wrists in front of him and watched the golden blast eclipse the pink energy. The golden energy filled with faces of murder, violated and distressed victims pushed through Buu’s attack. It quickly penetrated the middle of the pink blast, the evil quickly dissipating as it was torn in half by Goku’s attack.
Goku found Buu on the end of the Kamehameha screaming in surprise as the golden beam reached him. He attempted to back away as the superior blast of power reached him before he was quickly consumed by the bright yellow energy. Goku watched in pleasure as Kid Buu disintegrated before his eyes, the Majin’s screams the only remaining piece of him. The Super Saiyan his Kamehameha flew through space above, smiling as he lost all remaining feeling.
Buu found himself surrounded by the darkness of his cocoon again. He sighed as sleep overcame him, regretting his time in the mortal world was so short during this cycle of hibernation. He shook his head as he curled into a fetal position and gave into the sensation of slumber.
A shame it was so short… He thought. But boy…was it fun.
Goku was leaving the barren planet’s atmosphere when he felt funny. As though he was about to vomit. He felt as though all his remaining qi was gathering in the pit of his stomach and trying to escape. He began coughing as some object slid up from his gut into his throat, forcing him to spit it out. Goku looked up and screamed as the round thing shot into space above.
The Super Saiyan marveled as a white egg covered in golden yellow liquid was ejected into the cosmos, a trail of yellow qi following in its wake. As Goku breathed a sigh in relief that it was out of his throat, he found another one forming in the pit of his stomach. From his gut he threw up another egg.
Goku did this repeatedly until he lost count. From what he could tell, the eggs were being directly guided by the souls of the Trampled Innocence to certain planets that were barren of life. Most of those planets bereft of sentient organisms were purged by Goku and would soon hatch.
“This reminds…” he said as he spat out the last of the eggs. “Of king Piccolo…”
“Yes,” the Trampled Innocence said. “This is how Namekians were born. The cycle of the Super Saiyan’s life gave birth to them. After purging planets of evil populations, we then create genetic material that will create beings who are pure in heart. They will have no evil in them once so ever. The last Super Saiyan who did this, Yamoshi, birthed the Namekians in this process.”
“The Namekians?” Goku asked. “But–but King Piccolo-”
“Only existed because the original Namek he was born from was exposed to evil on Planet Earth,” they answered. “Otherwise, Namekians are gentle, kind, and incapable of evil. After the Saiyans fled their homeworld, the original Super Saiyan spat out the egg on the planet that was bereft of all intelligent life.”
“So Planet Namek…?” Goku asked as he continued floating into space.
“Was the original Saiyan homeworld,” the Trampled Innocence said. “The Grand Elder of the Namekians who you’re Krillin and Gohan met was the first to be born of them.”
“That-” he said. “That’s quite a coincidence. I’m glad Krillin and Gohan were able to meet such nice people.”
“If we had wiped out the entirety of all life in the universe Majin Buu would no longer exist and we could make more people like the Nameks,” the Trampled Innocence said. “But we could not do that due to Buu’s interference.”
“But if a Namekian like Kami could be tainted…” Goku said. “Wouldn’t they eventually become evil?”
“Not if there was no evil to taint them to begin with,” the Trampled Innocence replied. “That’s why we had to kill all life that had even a little evil…because it would taint our new creations like humans did with Kami. So while we did not accomplish our goal entirely…we did to some extent.”
Breaking from his egg he felt so pure and alive. Smashing the shell from the inside, he stood up to stretch his body. He looked around with his eyes still adjusting to the bright sunlight.
He saw flowers blooming beside a gently flowing river with fish breaching the surface. The wind blew the bright green leaves of the tree to make a soft rustling sound. He heard birds chirping in the distance.
Out of curiosity he looked at himself to find his body was a bright yellow. His claws were somewhat insect-like, like a cross between an ant’s and a bird’s. He turned around on his long neck to find his gossamer wings fluttering against the yellow liquid that coated them.
I don’t know who or where I am. He thought. But somehow I feel…good. Pure…and complete.
“Excuse me?” a voice said.
He turned around to find a creature that looked much like him staring back. However, her claws were more like talons than his ant-like ones. Her coat of yellow was also shinier and she sported silver hair that flowed down her back. She was beyond beautiful.
“Who…?” she asked. “Are we? And…where are we?”
He walked towards her, mesmerized by her appearance.
“I…” he said. “I think it has something to do with the Super Saiyan. The Super Saiyan…”
“That birthed us…” she finished. “Yes…it’s all coming back. We were made…to do good. So…now what?”
He ran his hands down her silver hair, fascinated by how attractive she was.
“I don’t know,” he said. “But all I do know is…nothing we can do now…is wrong. Because…this world we have for ourselves…is pure.”
“The purest pure…” she said. “More pure…than pure itself.”
“Yes,” he said. “Quite right.”
As Goku flew into space, feeling weaker than he ever had in his life. He could barely stand, twitching in exhaustion. He coughed blood as he reached the void of space. Goku was surrounded by tears in reality, many of the denizens of hell reaching their limbs out of the holes in spacetime to escape.
His mind was blank, all thoughts and emotions melted. Goku saw his golden aura dissipating, his wings crumbling into dust. His sharp teeth withdrew back into his gums and his talons withdrew back into his hands. Goku was soon his normal self, but instead barely awake and listless. With what consciousness he had left, he asked one question.
What-? Goku asked. What now?
Now? The Trampled Innocence asked. Now, you die!
Die?! Goku asked, snapping awake. No…no! I…I need to go…I need to go home! Gohan…Chi-Chi…Krillin! They’re all waiting for me!
His environment changed in a moment. Goku was no longer in outer space. He was now in the Realm of Souls. The pillars filled with the energy of dead beings racing from the bottom to the top surrounded him.
However, he was no longer standing in front of the original Super Saiyan. However, he was no longer a bluish-white silhouette like how Goku originally saw him. He was a Saiyan sporting spiked black hair wearing a red robe with his tail wrapped around his waist.
Goku looked down at himself to find his body no longer consisted of flesh and blood. He was now surrounded in the same bright white light the other Super Saiyan was when Goku first saw him. He tensed up in surprise as he realized they had traded places.
“As the new Super Saiyan,” the other Saiyan said. “You now rule the Realm of Souls.”
“What?!” he said. “But how?!”
“You died using up all your energy to destroy Majin Buu,” he answered. “And since you were designated by the Trampled Innocence as their new host…your body and soul will stay within the Realm of Souls rather than merely exist within it as most beings do. You are now the very center of the afterlife, and that is why you cannot go to the afterlife or mortal realm. You have ascended in ways never imagined.”
“No this can’t be!” Goku said. “I have a family I have to look after! Friends who need me!”
But the original Super Saiyan didn’t seem to care. He merely waved back at Goku.
“Bye,” he said.
And then disappeared.