Trunks stood there—hardly breaking a sweat, though covered in minor scrapes from Hell's treacherous terrain. He grinned sheepishly at them over his shoulder.
Trunks: Mom sent me after Goku showed up to challenge my old man, *he explained quickly.* She said you two were probably getting wrecked.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Full recovery was finally within reach.
Goten: Hey buddy, I thought your old man beat you to a pulp, *Goten said with a weak, rhetorical chuckle as he popped the Senzu bean into his mouth. Beside him, Melody mimicked his action instantly.*
Trunks: *He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.* Nah... if it wasn't for your dad showing up when he did, I'm sure my days would've been numbered.
Trunks plopped down beside them and pulled a extra bean from the pouch dangling at his belt. He popped it into his mouth—chewing happily as the magical warmth spread through his body, even though he barely needed it. For a brief second, the trio sat in quiet respite.
Naraka: How dare you treat my domain like a playground, you pipsqueak?! *It looked suspiciously like Naraka was about to pop an artery.*
Trunks froze mid-chew, his eyes darting up to Naraka—who was glaring at him as if he'd committed the ultimate sin.
Trunks: Uh… *Trunks swallowed hard, suddenly realizing he might've just infuriated Hell's ruler by casually eating snacks in front of him—completely forgetting the small detail of the explosive entrance he'd just made.*
The tension in the room spiked like a live wire. Naraka's glare alone could've turned Trunks into solid stone on the spot. Beside him, Melody subtly nudged Goten, her eyes wide as she silently communicated: What do we do?!
Trunks slowly raised both hands in a surrender motion… though he didn't stop chewing.
Trunks: Calm down, big guy! NO HARM, NO Foul! Right? *Trunks voiced out, surprisingly unruffled.*
Naraka's nostrils flared—this tiny, fearless pest wasn't even scared of him?! The absolute audacity.
Yet, Trunks' casual tone and complete lack of immediate hostility threw Naraka off balance. He was used to intruders screaming, begging, or flinging energy blasts—not treating him like an annoyed landlord.
The Titan huffed, crossing his massive, obsidian arms… but he didn't smash Trunks into paste. Progress?
Trunks: Now, how about you be a sensible guy and give us a splinter of that zircon? You can stop defending it like that. We don't want the whole thing—just a tiny piece. *Trunks held up his thumb and index finger, measuring out barely half an inch of air.*
Goten and Melody stared at their friend, completely speechless at his sheer nerve.
Naraka's icy gaze flicked from Trunks to the black zircon behind him—then back to the three Saiyan hyrbids. The audacity of this child, demanding a piece of his prized treasure as if Naraka would just hand it over like candy...
A long, suffocating silence passed over the ruins.
Then—shockingly—the Titan turned and walked toward the ancient catalyst. Without another word, his razor-sharp claw plucked off a small, glittering fragment of the black zircon. He turned back around, holding the piece out between two massive fingers, his blue eyes burning with cold anticipation.
Naraka: Come and get it... if you dare!