Ken officially stepped into the realm of Level 60, reaching the true purity of angel power that real angels possessed.
Merus checked his own purity again.
Still Level 50.
The boost wasn't big.
We're both trainee angels—so why are you climbing so fast?
The thought sat badly with Merus.
"Merus, you really need to work harder. You're only Level 50, right?" Ken let out a long sigh.
Merus looked like he might cry.
Yeah, yeah, stop saying it twice. I know what level I'm at.
"But don't worry," Ken said with a grin. "I set a small goal a while back: leave you way behind. Now I've finally done it. From now on, I won't even use you as a benchmark."
Merus: "…"
"Out of the twelve universes' angels, who's the weakest again?" Ken muttered, thinking.
"I don't know," Merus said flatly. He had zero interest in answering.
"Probably Campari from Universe 3, yeah?" Ken smiled.
Merus didn't know what to say.
You already knew, so why ask me?
"Universe 3's God of Destruction is gone, so their angel lost the ability to act," Ken shook his head. "Until a new God of Destruction takes the seat, getting Campari to move is going to be tough."
"Yeah." Merus nodded.
"Honestly, I'd rather Universe 6's God of Destruction disappear. Universe 10 or Universe 11 would work too," Ken said, lost in thought.
"Huh?" Merus blinked. "Did those three universes' Gods of Destruction mess with you?"
"They didn't," Ken sighed again. "That's the headache. 'Make up a charge'… doesn't that sound a bit wrong?"
Merus's eyes lit up. "I get it. You want Vados-nee-san and the others to be unable to move?"
"Merus, you might end up being my little brother-in-law someday," Ken said, patting his shoulder.
Merus fell behind the conversation again.
He went quiet for two seconds.
"If you make Vados-nee-san and the others unable to move… what does that even do?" Merus asked.
"You wouldn't get it. You're still young," Ken said, not bothering to explain.
Merus didn't even want to talk anymore.
Young? I've lived thousands of years longer than you.
How old are you, exactly?
"Alright, I'm going." Ken patted his shoulder. "Work hard, Merus. I'm already a wall you can't climb over, so don't give up and start slacking."
Merus: "…"
That one landed right in the chest again.
We're both angels—why are you this ridiculous?
And you're a human who trained into an angel.
I'm a real angel and you're still faster than me.
…Fine. I'll work harder too.
After that, Ken left on his own.
"Starting today, we train properly—together," Merus said seriously to Kale.
Kale: "…"
"Merus-nii-san, if you can't get any stronger, you're just going to push your disciple harder?" Kale tilted her head.
Merus didn't want to talk.
"I still want to train with Gohan-nii…" Kale puffed her cheeks, clearly unhappy.
"Gohan's too weak," Merus said, shaking his head. "Training with him won't raise your strength."
Kale's lips pushed into a pout, and she looked even more upset.
"How about this," Merus said, struck by a thought. "Once you get stronger, you can go protect your Gohan-nii."
Only then did Kale's expression brighten.
Universe 7, outer space.
Ken flew toward the World of Void, planning to return to Universe 6.
He meant to find Vados, talk properly, and spar a little.
Ken really wanted to know what an eight-level gap actually meant.
As he flew, he suddenly sensed a strange presence surfacing within the World of Void—an unfamiliar energy laced with angel power.
Which angel is that?
Ken didn't bother wondering for long. He could just ask Amarella.
"Amarella, you feel that?" Ken asked.
"You want to know who it is, right?" Amarella replied instantly.
"It's pretty far, coming this way," Ken said, thinking. "They probably sensed me."
"I can't make it out," Amarella said, shaking her head. "That angel power… feels unfamiliar."
"An angel you don't recognize?" Ken paused.
"Since we're already at the World of Void, send me back to Universe 18 later," Amarella said, like she'd already made up her mind.
"You call that little ball 'Universe 18'?" Ken sighed.
Amarella: "…"
For a moment, she couldn't argue.
Fine. You've got a point.
"You'll be all alone on that white planet. No one to keep you company," Ken said, looking at her with a hint of concern.
"Then come back and keep me company sometimes," Amarella huffed.
"I'm busy. I don't have time," Ken said, fully serious.
"Busy doing what?" Amarella sighed. "Missing Vados, or thinking about how to marry Kusu or Marcarita."
"I get it." Ken nodded slowly. "You're jealous and running back to your parents' place."
Amarella: "????"
"What are you even saying?" she said, stunned.
"You're jealous, so you're leaving me," Ken explained.
"Don't be ridiculous," Amarella said, done with him.
"It's fine," Ken said earnestly. "Even if I marry all three of them, I'll still put you first. You'll be my main wife."
"You've watched too many dramas," Amarella sighed.
While the two of them chatted, a brilliant streak of light—like a shooting star—blazed toward them.
It stopped beside Ken with a sharp halt.
Ken looked over and saw a beautiful angel girl. She wasn't any less striking than Vados and the other two.
She had the same blue skin, neat silver short hair, and a figure that stood out.
Ken fell into thought.
So it's not just Vados and the others—there's another beautiful angel.
Where did this one come from?
He studied her from head to toe, and immediately asked Amarella inside him.
"Do you know her?" Ken asked.
"No," Amarella said, assessing. "But she looks young. Maybe she's from the same period as Merus."
"Another trainee angel?" Ken blinked.
"You're Ken, right?" the angel girl spoke, looking him over as she talked.
Her voice was sweet, almost cute.
"What's your name?" Ken asked.
"Bier," she said.
Ken went quiet again.
I've never heard of an angel with that name.
But as far as I know, angels are all named after alcohol.
Bier…
That's beer.
And I like beer.
"Bier—good name," Ken said with feeling. "Very drinkable."
Bier: "????"
What does that even mean?
"I've heard about you," Bier said, still studying him. "You're the human who trained into an angel, right?"
"That's me." Ken nodded.
It wasn't a secret. Pretty much every god in the universes knew by now.
"I'm a trainee angel too." Bier's face stayed flat as she introduced herself. "I'm training in Universe 12."
"Nice to meet you," Ken said. "I honestly didn't know there were other trainee angels besides Merus."
"Hmph. There's a lot you don't know," Bier said, shooting him a glare.
Ken paused.
What did I do to you?
What's with that look?
"Are you the Grand Priest's daughter?" Ken asked, curious.
"No." Bier answered. "I was condensed from Universe 12's cosmic essence."
"Amarella, you've really never seen this little angel?" Ken asked inwardly.
"Nope," Amarella replied. "When I disappeared, she hadn't been born yet."
"That's weird…" Ken muttered. "In my experience, the Grand Priest's kids are all good-looking, but angels made from cosmic essence are usually… well, they're not exactly pretty."
"How can you say that?" Amarella snapped, her voice rising.
I'm made from cosmic essence too.
Are you calling me ugly?
"You don't count," Ken added immediately. "You're an exception. Your skin tone, your face—everything about you doesn't match the other angels."
"Is 'exception' supposed to be a compliment?" Amarella shot back.
"I think you were born for me," Ken said, thinking it through.
"For you?" Amarella said, annoyed. "What does that mean?"
"Born to marry me," Ken said. "I was born before you existed. By the time you were born, I was already old—worlds apart, seas between us."
"What a beautiful line," Amarella said, genuinely impressed.
"That's called a poem," Ken chuckled. "No culture, huh?"
Amarella: "…"
"Hey!" Bier waved a hand in front of Ken's face. "Why aren't you talking?"
"Uh…" Ken blinked back to reality.
"You kept staring at me," Bier said, looking pleased. "Got moved by my beauty, didn't you?"
Ken: "????"
I wasn't staring at you. I was talking to Amarella.
Moved by your beauty?
This little angel's got that 'fairy princess' attitude…
And I like teasing fairy-princess types.
"Mhm, mhm." Ken nodded. "So how'd you grow into this shape?"
Bier froze.
This shape…?
Is that praise?
"Why are you here?" Ken asked.
"Hmph. I brought you a mirror!" Bier lifted her right hand, and a small mirror appeared.
Ken: "????"
A mirror? What's that supposed to mean?
She flicked it to him.
Ken caught it and held it up.
"Who's that in the mirror?" Ken said with a sigh. "Why's he so handsome?"
"SHAMELESS!" Bier spat the word out, syllable by syllable.
"Did I eat your universe's food or something?" Ken snapped. "Why are you targeting me?"
If you weren't an angel, I'd already have been rude back.
"Hmph! I am targeting you! What are you gonna do about it?" Bier puffed up, fuming.
Ken: "…"
This is impossible.
Ken looked at his reflection again, still not sure what the mirror was about.
Wait.
Universe 12?
Universe 12's angel is Martinu, right?
Whis called me before and said he wanted to introduce Martinu to me.
And I think I said… does she have a mirror?
So this little angel brought me a mirror.
She must be close to Martinu-nee-san.
Maybe Bier heard it when Whis complained.
Ken finally pieced it together.
"You remembered, huh?" Bier huffed, glaring. "Watch your mouth next time! If you disrespect Martinu-nee-san again, I won't let you off!"
With that, Bier spun around dramatically and flew off without another word.
Could Ken take that?
Of course not.
First, he had to catch her and ask what level she was.
He shot after her in a flash.
"What?" Bier looked back, acting all coy. "I'm that pretty, so you're chasing me to flirt?"
"Bier." Ken kept it simple. "What level are you?"
"Level 46!" Bier said proudly. "Got a problem with that?"
Ken: "…"
"Seriously? You're already Level 46?" Ken asked, surprised.
"Why would I lie?" Bier said, smug. "Shocked? Good. You should be."
"Merus is only Level 50 and you're Level 46," Ken said, giving her a thumbs-up. "You're doing great."
Bier: "????"
Isn't that backwards?
"Merus-nii-san is a genius," Bier said, and her cheeks flushed faintly. "I can't compare."
"Are you missing the springtime of the mortal world?" Ken asked.
"What does that even mean?" Bier didn't get it.
"What I mean is," Ken said, his tone flipping instantly, "you're a Level 46 little brat angel, and you're strutting in front of me?"
He lifted his right hand, and a whip appeared.
"You… what are you doing?" Bier scoffed, not backing down. "You want to fight? You think that whip can beat me? You're an angel trained from a human—what level could you even be?"
Ken didn't answer. He just released a burst of angel power and let her feel it directly.
The instant Bier sensed the purity of his angel power, her bravado collapsed.
"Level 60…" Bier stammered. "You've got to be joking."
"Now do you think this whip can beat you?" Ken grinned.
"Y-you… don't mess around…" Bier waved her hands frantically. "Angels are supposed to be friendly! We can't fight!"
Ken didn't do friendly.
He snapped the whip.
Bier yelped, and even her scream sounded oddly nice.
Ken snapped it again with even more enthusiasm.
You met me and immediately came at my throat.
"I'm the one who talks back. Who told you you could talk back to me?"
If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll never learn.
Bier bolted around in panic, shrieking nonstop.
And Ken's whip kept landing, dead-on.
With a gap of more than ten levels, Bier was helpless in front of him—no room to resist at all.
Ten minutes later, Ken had whipped Bier into tears.
She cried hard, tears streaking down her blue cheeks, looking pitiful in spite of herself.
"Waaah… I've never been hit in my whole life!" Bier sobbed, getting more and more wronged.
Not only did you hit me, you used a whip.
You're shameless!
"Now you understand what happens when you provoke an angel above your level, right?" Ken said, smiling, and swung the whip once through the air.
It cracked with a nasty sound.
Even in space, copying a sonic boom with energy wasn't hard.
Bier's lips trembled at the sound.
"C-can we just talk…?" Bier said softly. "Aren't angels not supposed to get rough?"
"I'm not picking a fight," Ken said, dead serious. "I'm giving you a lesson."
"A lesson?" Bier huffed. "With your whip?"
"At your current strength, you're weaker than a God of Destruction, right?" Ken asked.
"I… am weaker than a God of Destruction," Bier admitted, still confused. "But what does that prove?"
"With your personality, it's easy to provoke the wrong kind of God of Destruction," Ken said, lecturing her. "If a God of Destruction uses destruction energy on you, who are you going to complain to? When I hit you, it just hurts. If a God of Destruction destroys you, you're gone for good."
"You're making sense, but why would a God of Destruction destroy me?" Bier argued. "I'm an angel!"
"About twenty years ago, a God of Destruction tried to destroy me," Ken sighed. "You didn't hear? It was Mosco from Universe 3. I beat him to death."
"Huh?" Bier's eyes widened. "Universe 3's God of Destruction tried to destroy you?"
"Now you get how dangerous the universe is," Ken said heavily. "Me hitting you is for your own good. If I hit you, it hurts. If a God of Destruction hits you, you're gone. That's the difference."
Bier thought seriously.
Five or six seconds passed.
"Thank you, Ken," Bier said, bowing deeply.
Ken: "…"
Her expression didn't look fake, and Ken suddenly felt a little awkward.
I beat you like that and you're thanking me.
…She really is a good angel.
"No need." Ken waved it off. "Just remember this: the universe is dangerous. One careless step and you'll run into a crisis. You have to understand that. I'm speaking from experience—take it as advice."
"I'll remember," Bier said, nodding hard as she pressed her lips together.
"Train well. Keep at it." Ken encouraged her. "Level 46 to 50 isn't that far. If you train seriously, you'll surpass Merus someday."
"Mm." Bier answered obediently.
"Go on." Ken flicked his hand, telling her she could leave.
"Then I'll head back." Bier bowed again and turned to go.
But after flying a short distance, she suddenly flew back.
"Something else?" Ken asked.
"Uh… which way is Universe 12?" Bier asked, embarrassed.
"That way." Ken pointed.
"My sense of direction is awful…" Bier laughed. "It took me forever just to find the World of Void."
Then she turned and flew straight toward Universe 1.
Ken: "…"
"That's Universe 1," Ken said, wiping sweat.
"Uh…" Bier's face reddened even more.
Ken didn't even know what to say.
This angel girl is a sweet, clueless airhead.
How does an angel get this dumb?
At first I thought you were a little fairy princess.
Yeah… I misjudged you.
Still, whipping you earlier was pretty satisfying.
"Next time we'll switch to candles!" Ken shouted after Bier as she finally flew off in the right direction.
Bier: "????"
She looked completely lost.
Why candles?
"Candles?" Amarella was thinking too. "Why switch to candles?"
"Not important." Ken shook his head and changed the subject. "Since when did Universe 12 produce a new angel? Same period as Merus? I never heard any angel mention it."
"You never asked," Amarella said with a smile. "No one's going to run up and tell you, 'By the way, Universe 12 has a trainee angel too.'"
"Fair point." Ken nodded, then accelerated toward Universe 18.
Twenty minutes later, Ken landed on Universe 18's white planet.
Amarella flew out of his body in an instant, slowly taking shape until she stood around the same size as him.
"With proportions like that, it's a waste not to wear a bikini," Ken said, and flicked his staff at her.
In a flash, Amarella's angel attire transformed into a bikini.
Amarella: "…"
She didn't hesitate. With a shift, the bikini became angel attire again.
"Change!" Ken pointed with the staff once more.
In the blink of an eye, the angel attire switched back into a bikini.
"Are you done?" Amarella glared, and changed back into angel attire again.
"This planet has no one else on it," Ken said. "Just wear it and let me look properly."
"You already looked," Amarella shot back. "Stop messing around… and hurry up and think of a way to help me find a Supreme Kai. Otherwise this universe—this planet—won't keep developing."
"A Supreme Kai matched to Broly," Ken said, thinking.
"Yeah." Amarella held her staff and slowly scanned the white planet, then nodded.
"Anyone in mind?" Ken asked.
"If I did, I wouldn't be asking you," Amarella replied.
"I'm telling you, I'm built for suffering," Ken sighed. "If I'm not hunting for a God of Destruction, I'm hunting for a Supreme Kai. Giving Broly a Supreme Kai… it should at least live up to the title 'the Great God of Destruction.'"
"You mean make that Supreme Kai the Grand Supreme Kai?" Amarella said, thinking aloud.
"Actually…" Ken murmured. "I heard Universe 7 used to have a Grand Supreme Kai. Should we bring him over to help you build Universe 18?"
"Sure." Amarella nodded without hesitation. "I trust you."
A short silence passed.
"Where is this Grand Supreme Kai you're talking about?" Amarella asked.
"He's dead," Ken said.
Amarella: "…"
"More accurately, he's asleep inside Majin Buu," Ken added. "When the timing's right, we wake him up."
"You mean… he and Majin Buu have fused?" Amarella asked, exhausted.
"Something like that." Ken nodded.
Amarella didn't want to talk anymore.
"Majin Buu? What kind of guy he is—like I don't already know?"
If he becomes a Supreme Kai, who knows what mess he'll cause.
He's more suited to being a God of Destruction.
"Honestly, Majin Buu's great," Ken said with a grin. "Swap bodies back and forth—God of Destruction one moment, Supreme Kai the next. Saves a lot of trouble."
"Let's talk after Majin Buu gets back from Zeno-sama's palace," Amarella sighed.
Right now, no one even knew whether Zeno-sama would erase Majin Buu.
If he gets erased, they'd have to pick someone else.
"You staying?" Ken asked.
"I'll stay for a while," Amarella said. "Just to look after this… universe—this planet."
The moment she said "universe," she remembered Ken's point.
Can a tiny little planet like this really be called a universe?
Planet. I'll call it a planet.
No giving him another opening to roast me.
"Alright," Ken said quietly. "If you miss me, call anytime."
"Won't miss you," Amarella answered instantly.
"You stayed inside me that long," Ken declared, acting all domineering. "You're already mine. Even if you don't want to, you'll miss me."
Amarella: "…"
What kind of logic is that?
Ken left Amarella in Universe 18 for now. Then he turned into a brilliant streak of light and rushed back into the World of Void.
He returned first to Earth in Universe 6, appearing at Bulma's home at Capsule Corporation headquarters.
Worth noting: Broly had been staying here the whole time, keeping Ai company, and hadn't left.
Bulma's place was big enough that even if every Namekian lived here, there'd still be room.
"Huh? Ken, you went out again?" Bulma greeted him as soon as he appeared.
"Yeah," Ken said. "I just hit Level 60, so I had to share it with my best angel friend."
"Merus will be happy for you," Bulma said with a smile.
"Mhm." Ken nodded firmly.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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