Vados broke out in a cold sweat, hastily reaching out to cover Kaito's mouth and whispering,
"Don't say things like that! You'll cause a huge mess!"
In her panic, she leaned in so close that her whole body was practically pressed against his. Kaito could clearly feel the softness brushing against his chest.
He gently grasped Vados's wrist and removed her hand from his mouth, then spoke slowly,
"Then what do you suggest? If someone's trying to erase the whole universe, am I supposed to just sit back and wait for annihilation?"
Vados shook her head in confusion, murmuring,
"I don't know either… I can't control the fate of the universe. I can't even control my own fate..."
Kaito frowned slightly and tried to put a bit of distance between them, but whether intentionally or not, Vados followed every time he shifted away. After a few awkward moments, they ended up even closer than before.
In the end, Kaito gave up struggling and simply let her rest against him.
"So what's the point of telling me all this if you won't let me do anything about it?"
A faint bitterness crossed Vados's face. She sighed softly.
"You're right… Even someone as strong as you can only protect your own Seventh Universe. That alone is already enough."
Seeing her so disheartened, Kaito felt a rare flicker of sympathy. He gently ran his fingers through her high ponytail and said quietly,
"Alright, don't be so negative. If that day really comes, I'll protect you."
Vados lifted her head, staring at him in surprise. As an angel, this was the first time anyone had ever said they would protect her. The feeling was completely new—yet not unpleasant.
At least it worked—her gloomy expression faded away.
She poked Kaito lightly on the chest with her finger and smiled faintly.
"Thanks. Just hearing you say that makes me happy. Honestly, even if the universe perishes, we angels won't truly die—we'll just fall into slumber."
Kaito smirked and replied,
"And how's that any different from being dead?"
"...Kaito, you really are a straight man!"
"It seems you've learned quite a lot from living on Earth. But I should probably remind you—our position right now isn't exactly proper. If Eighteen walks in and sees us like this, it'll look real—"
Realizing what she was doing, Vados quickly straightened up and pressed a finger to her lips in a shh gesture.
Kaito just spread his hands, looking completely unconcerned, which made Vados feel oddly frustrated. She huffed and sat back down on the other sofa, her lips slightly pouting.
Just then, Eighteen returned from shopping. Since she could fly, her grocery trip should've been quick—but considering she'd practically cleaned out the entire market, it actually took her a while.
The vendors there were utterly shocked to see a "delicate-looking" girl effortlessly carrying an armful of heavy bags.
Unaware that her home had nearly been "invaded," Eighteen cheerfully set the groceries down in front of Kaito.
"Kaito, check if we're missing anything. If there's not enough, I can go buy more!"
Kaito smiled faintly, snapped his fingers, and all the groceries floated neatly into the kitchen. Eighteen couldn't help but look on enviously at that display.
Rolling up his sleeves, Kaito headed into the kitchen. Before long, a mouthwatering aroma drifted out, making both Vados and Eighteen exchange eager looks.
When Kaito finally brought out six beautifully prepared dishes and placed them on the table, both women were utterly stunned.
Especially Eighteen—she didn't recognize a single dish on the table.
They were all Chinese cuisine.
Seeing the two of them staring blankly, Kaito chuckled.
"Don't just sit there—eat! It'll get cold."
"Not bad," he thought. "Looks like my cooking skills haven't gotten rusty."
Vados tried a piece of candied sweet potato, and the soft, sweet flavor instantly amazed her. Her eyes lit up, and the way she looked at Kaito completely changed.
She couldn't help saying,
"Kaito, I heard you're from another world. You're not some kind of cooking god there, are you?"
"Ah, that's exaggerating. My skills there would only be considered amateur level—far from earning that kind of title."
"Really? Then can I visit your world someday?"
"Hmm… I suppose that's possible."
The "world" he referred to, of course, was Earth—his true home.
Eighteen immediately chimed in,
"I'm going too!"
Kaito gave a helpless smile.
"Alright, alright, everyone can come."
Under the combined assault of the two women's appetites, the entire meal was wiped out in no time—the plates were so clean they hardly needed washing.
Eighteen rubbed her slightly swollen belly and said lazily,
"That was amazing! Too bad Seventeen wasn't here to try it. Let's just leave these plates for him!"
...
At that exact moment, in some bar somewhere—Seventeen was dancing with a pretty girl when he suddenly sneezed, spraying spit all over her face.
The furious girl stormed off immediately, leaving Seventeen dumbfounded. He'd spent half the night flirting with her, only for one sneeze to ruin everything.
Rubbing his nose, he grumbled under his breath,
"Ugh, it must be my sister again—coming up with some new way to mess with me. Being her little brother really sucks!"
...
At the Capsule Corporation—
"What?! You're saying we all died at the hands of androids!?"
Krillin pointed at himself, his face full of disbelief as he shouted at Trunks.
Trunks nodded grimly, then gestured toward Goku.
"Except for Goku-san. He… died from a heart disease."
Since this timeline was already completely messed up, he decided to just tell them everything that had happened in the future.
But when it came to his own parents, he didn't say a single word—
Because in this world, Vegeta and Bulma were total strangers, people whose lives would never intersect.
His eyes swept across the gathered faces and finally stopped on Gohan.
Looking at the small boy whose height barely reached his waist, Trunks's expression grew complicated.
He would never forget that hopeless day in the rain—
Gohan's lifeless body lying in his arms was a memory carved into his very soul.
If the Gohan from his world could see this carefree version of himself, he'd probably be happy for him.
Thinking of his fallen mentor, tears welled up in Trunks's eyes.
Little Gohan quickly offered him a tissue and said softly,
"Don't be sad. Is there anything I can do to help?"
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