Part 10, Chapter 1: An Unprecedented Nightmare

That childish, dispassionate king... Those meek, obsequious gods... All of them, obsolete...!

...

And none of it would have been possible without you.

I thank you, Shallot.

Argh...! Za...Zahha...?!

How does it feel having your happy ending? You've made peace with your brother. Your battle is over... All your wants made into reality.

Huh...? What the heck are you...?!

Now it's time for me... to get what I want...

No hard feelings.

You have long been entombed, stifled...but I hereby liberate you from these twin-bodied vessels! Come forth, great crystal!

Argh...?!

Ngh...!

Wh-Wh-What...?!

What on Earth is that...?!

Heh heh... Beautiful, isn't it? Not that words can truly give justice to a thing such as this...

...Now, let the halves be one again!

The light coming out of Shallot and Giblet, it...it's combining!

What blasphemy is this...?! Just what does that swordsman think he's doing?!

Heh... So even an "omniscient" being such as yourself can be caught off guard... Bewilderment suits you well.

How dare you...!

Hmph... It seems my ruse is up. Well, Your Divinity, do you know what comes next?

You...! What is the meaning of this?!

Wh...What...?! Am I seeing double or are there two masterminds now?!

...

So that's how it is, is it? Hmph, come to think of it, you did have a way with your little magic tricks, didn't you...

You and your dirty illusions!!

What...?!

All this time, right from the very beginning, this "mastermind" beside me was nothing more than one of your underhanded gimmicks...?

Bravo, god. Maybe you are omniscient after all.

I suppose now would be an appropriate time to re-introduce myself.

The "mastermind", as Lord Beerus and Shallot's friends refer to him, the one who orchestrated this "Tournament of Time"...

...was me, Zahha. Pleasure to meet you. And I do assure you, the pleasure is all mine.

...

Heh... Hah hah hah...! To believe yourself capable of outwitting a god.. I'm afraid you simply do not know your place.

You mean Zahha is...?! It...It can't be! It just can't!

I don't believe it...! Why, Zahha...?!

Rghh...! Darn it...!!

(Cool it, Jaco, get ahold of yourself! One wrong move here and we could all be toast...!)

H-Hey, Bulma!

...!

You grab Shallot and get outta here!

We'll have time to work this out later, but right now you have to go tell Lord Beerus what's going on! Just focus on getting out of here ali!

Alive? Hmph... Do you really think I intend to let ANY of you leave here alive?

Ack...! Zamasu...!

After the unspeakable humiliation you people have dared to attempt perpetrating against me, you think I'm going to just let you leave?

Eek...!!

Uwahh...!!

...Don't even think about it, Zamasu!

...!

That voice! It's...!

Goku! A-And Gohan's with him!!

...

Are you two okay?

G-Goku! And big Gohan!

We're saved...!

Goku! You've gotta do something! The mastermind, he was just an illusion this whole time! And it turns out that Zahha was...

Sure looks that way, don't it...

Hm, are you not surprised?

Oh, I am... But right now the word I'd use is "furious"...!

Zahha, I don't suppose there's any chance you'll just come along quietly?

Heh... Even now, you're as diplomatic as ever, Gohan.

...But no, I don't think I will.

Looks like we don't have much of a choice then, Zahha.

Bulma! Jaco! You two get Shallot, Cabba, and the others out of here! ...Take Giblet too!

U-Understood! Good luck, Goku...!

Oh dear... Well, well... You can't possibly deem this wise?

...Zamasu, I'm sure your feelings towards me are...mixed...

...But it will not do for me to be impeded by these two right now. Do you understand what I'm saying?

Hmph, in one breath you deceive me, and in the next you would seek my allegiance...

How utterly outrageous!

...And yet, it is also inevitable that Goku must die by my hands. Quite the quandary...

...Very well, Zahha. Guard your little trinket while I dispose of this filth!

That I will. My thanks, Zamasu.

Well, Goku, are you ready to have righteous retribution brought down upon you?

Sorry, Zamasu, but the only one who's gonna pay today is Zahha!

And that means we don't have any time to waste on you. Let's take him down quick, Gohan!

Right!

Zamasu's fighting Goku and Gohan! This is our chance! Let's get everyone out of here!!

H-Hold on! If we do that, then Goku and Zahha are gonna end up fighting...!

T-That can't be helped...! The best thing we can do right now...

...is to get these guys to safety!!

...

...Wait a second...

Where's Shallot?! Wasn't he right over here a minute ago?!

...

...Za...hha...

...!

Ha...h...! Hah...!

No way...! Shallot?!

T-That idiot...!!

Hah... Hah...

Ah, there you are. You're nothing if not persistent, are you?

J-Jaco! Shallot's in danger! We've gotta!

"Go save him"? It's too dangerous! Hey, Shallot!! Get away from Zahha!!

...You should listen to them, Shallot. Unless you have some unfinished business with me?

...

Well, I guess after all this time, at the very least you do deserve to have your questions answered. Heh heh...!

...You were...

Weren't you listening? I'm the one you called the mastermind.

...tricking me...the whole time?

That's exactly what I did.

...Since...when...

From the very beginning. Or to be more precise, from before you came to this era.

...What...?

Oh, that's right, silly me. You'd gone and lost all of your memories, hadn't you? Ha ha!

Right, I guess it's time you get caught up. Not only did I fuel the hatred in Giblet's heart...

...but I was also the one who erased your memories!

...?! ...Wh?!

As far as you know, we first met when we rescued Gohan...

...but the truth is that by that time we had already met before...

...?!

Run, Shallot! Save yourself!

Giblet!!

Gwaaaaaahh?!

...Ugh...! Agh... Ah...!!

Seems like that refreshed your memory.

Yes, the truth is I first met you right after both of you arrived in this era.

That's when I implanted the crystals into your bodies and erased your memories.

...Why?! Why did you...erase...?

Simple, it would have been harder to manipulate you with your memories intact. Plus...

In order for my plan to reach fruition, I had to befriend you. I needed your trust.

...

Even if I left Giblet to his own devices, I knew his hatred towards you and your kind would continue to blossom...

But I couldn't afford that luxury with you.

I had to get close to you, give you an objective, point you towards evil to fight against...

It took a lot of time and effort, curating your every footstep.

We... We weren't...friends...?

Are you disappointed? For as long as we were together, I really did try my best to be a friend to you.

Plus, I'm sure you did make some good memories along the way.

Weren't you happy to see how you kept growing stronger? Didn't you have fun fighting against powerful enemies?

...And even though you were just a pawn, I actually grew attached to you! Hahaha!

...Agh... Ugh...

I am truly grateful, Shallot.

Fighting against Frieza... Cell... Majin Buu... The deaths of the Androids and Vegeta...

You and your brother went along with each part of my magnificent plan... Even fighting each other to the death! Well, almost... Heh heh...

...No... It can't be...

...No... It can't be...

There must be...some dark Ki...

Hm? I know you can't actually feel that kind of Ki coming from me.

...B...But...

Sigh... I just bared all my secrets for you, and you won't believe me? Some "friend" you are...

Well, let's see if you believe this!

GAAAAAAHHH!!

...Agh... Guh...!

...My, my! You're not dead even after that... You really are stubborn.

I can't bear to see you suffer. I shall show you mercy...in the form of obliteration!

Shallot!!

Zahha...!! How could you...?!

WOAAAAGH!!

I see, you're using God Ki...! But we will have to see if that's enough...

Out of my way!!

...Wh... WHAT?!

Gohan! I'll leave Zamasu to you!

Okay!

What?!

(C-Curses... I didn't think the Goku from this era would be this strong!)

Zamasu! I'm not going to let you get in Dad's way!

Tsk...!

(Even if I dispose of Gohan now and attempt to pursue Goku, it will be impossible to stop him in time...)

(If I want to protect the crystal... Then I have no other choice.)

...!!

Gotcha!!

Ka...me...ha...me...ha!!

Hello, Goku...

...?!

Guh...!

Well, that was unexpected.

Glad to see you have not changed, Goku.

He... He looks just like Dad!

Black! So, you wound up in this era too...?!

That was rather close, wouldn't you say? O adjudicator of this Tournament of Time...

You can give your thanks to the god you call "Zamasu"... He is the one who summoned me.

Heh, Zamasu never told me he had friends... Very useful ones at that... Or do gods only have "subjects"?

Come now, don't act like you haven't had your fair share of secrets.

Regardless, we can discuss all that after we have gotten rid of these pests. Somewhere quiet, preferably.

Grr...!

If that is what you wish, I suppose you're willing to do the job?

Of course. I won't let Goku lay a single finger on that crystal.

Your hour of reckoning has come, Goku!

This isn't gonna be easy...

But I'm way stronger than the last time we fought!!

I'm gonna show you... my true power!!

Ngh...!

...Hah hah hah! Well struck, Goku! Yes...this pain only serves to make me stronger...!

You really are a creep, aren't you?!

But I gotta hand it to you, you're pretty tough. Especially considering you haven't even transformed yet...!

I, too, have fought a great many battles since coming to this era...

Do not be so foolish as to think that you're the only one who has grown more powerful...!

Guh...!!

Dad!!

...Oh, man! That really did hurt! You weren't kidding about getting stronger!

Well, you would know, wouldn't you? This is your body, after all... I grow more powerful with every battle...

(He's so strong...! Even Dad from this era might not be able to beat him!)

(Speaking of Dad... Why does this guy have his body...?!)

Heh... It seems the circumstances have finally allowed for me to utilize the full extent of my power...

"Full extent"...? You mean...?!

Stay sharp, Gohan! If these two are gonna team up, then things are about to get ugly!

Daahhh!!

Ngh...! You'll have to do better than that...!!

Haaaaahh!!

Gah...!!

Gohan!!

What do you think, Gohan? Aren't Zamasu and I just the perfect match? Heh heh...

Damn it...!

...Alright, you got us.

There's no way Gohan and I can take both of you down right now...

Heh... Admitting defeat so soon? That's not like you at all, Goku...

...

But you aren't wrong either... I'll how about we finish this right now!

D-Damn...!

Yeah... I'd say right about NOW is a great time to finish this... Ha ha...!

Hm...? What are you snickering at...?!

Right...NOW!!

What the?!

...! What...?

Oh...I have been waiting for this...!

Ack...!

Beerus?!

...Hakai!!!

Damn it, why do I, the most powerful being in the whole universe, have to resort to some cowardly sneak attack?!

...Oh well, I guess the fact that you wouldn't expect me to stoop so low is why it worked... You let your guard down, Zahha...

Heh heh... I let my guard down?

I no longer have any need for vigilance or foresight... My defeat is now an impossibility...!

...! What the?!

This cannot be...! How was he not destroyed by Beerus's Hakai...?!

Oh, man...!! Don't tell me that was another one of his illusions...?!

...That's not it. I definitely got the real Zahha...

(Is it another one of his magic tricks...? No... Even if it were, there's no way it could withstand my power...!!)

Well, I won't try to deny that you took me by surprise. I didn't expect that you'd let me draw you out of hiding so easily...

But congratulations all the same on your pointless ambush, Lord Beerus.

Tch...! You'd better watch who you're mouthing off to...!!

Why don't you try this on for size...!!

Gohan! With Lord Beerus's lead! Let's let 'em have it!!

Right!!

HAAAAAHH!!

A-Argh!!

Ngh...!!

Don't lose your composure now...

...!

N-No way...! Even that wasn't enough?!

Hah hah hah... Strange, isn't it? Even a God of Destruction and the great Saiyan warriors together cannot defeat one measly swordsman...

You'd better tell us what's going on, Zahha! How are you withstanding even Lord Beerus's attacks?!

That's not it... He's not withstanding them...he's nullifying them...

...Nullifying them with that crystal, I'd wager... Just what the hell is that thing?

Heh heh... Oh, you mean this crystal?

Well, I suppose I do owe you for playing your part in making this Tournament of Time a reality...

Psh...! You sure do love hearing yourself talk, don't you...?!

Temper, Lord Beerus. As I was saying, I owe you, and so as thanks, I shall tell you...

...The true name of this crystal...

...is the "Omnificence Crystal"!

The "Omnificence Crystal"...?

The hell is that supposed to mean? ...Whatever that thing is, it's got enough kick to cancel out my Hakai...

But I've never heard of anything that could do that...

Oh, but you have... Better yet, you've used them before, Lord Beerus...

...!

The power to equal even a God of Destruction, to resurrect the dead... To create, or recreate, an entire universe... All but one wish away...

That's right... The Super Dragon Balls.

What did you just say...?

This crystal is what you might call the "prototype" of the Super Dragon Balls.

When it first came into my possession, it was nothing more than a shiny rock, unusable, a failure...

"Was" being the key word, I see...

...I think I get the picture.

You put that thing inside those two twins and waited until it powered up by forcing them into conflict...

You used them...made them vessels to carry that thing for you until it was ready to use...!

...Very astute, Lord Beerus.

So what, Zahha, you're gonna wish to destroy this universe or something?

Why go through all the trouble with this crystal for that when you could have just used the Super Dragon Balls?

What makes that crystal so special that you'd do all this to make it work?

...I think I know why. It's because that crystal can do something that the Super Dragon Balls can't, isn't it...?!

...

...Hah hah hah! Lord Beerus, you truly are divine wisdom made manifest!

Allow me to say only this: It depends on how you use it. To me, this "failure" is far superior to the Super Dragon Balls.

...

Tch...!

...But it will not do for me to be impeded by these two right now. Do you understand what I'm saying?

(As long as he has that crystal, Goku's attacks pose no threat to him...)

(Curses! Acting like he needed my protection was just another ploy, forcing my hand into using Black...! Insolent little...!)

(But this Omnificence Crystal... What I just saw was amazing. Its power is truly incredible!)

Eek! W-We're done for! Not even Beerus's attacks can reach him... There's nothing we can do!

...

Actually, there is something you can do.

Whis!

Take Shallot and get him away from here. Beerus's orders.

...Huh?!

Shallot is still breathing, although barely. You'd better hurry up!

H-Hold on a minute! Just Shallot?! What about Cabba and everyone else...? Giblet too!

We don't have enough time! If we wait any longer, it might be too late...!

B-Bu!

Just go!

O-Okay!!

Hm... Looks like we got ourselves into quite a pickle here, huh?

Well, I have to believe those two will be able to take care of Shallot...

...As for my part...

Well? You're doing an awful lot of talking, but it seems you're all out of attacks. Is this your surrender?

There's no point in attacking if none of it is going to reach you and your crystal, is there...?

Heh... Sounds like surrender to me. So much for divine power!

Ugh...

Don't let it get to you, Goku. As awful as it is...

...We're still standing!

...

Yeah... You're right! We still have a shot!

Hmm? So there is some fight left in you... That's what I like to see!

I can't stand to see you gloating over that crystal... There's still one little thing you should know...

A word to the wise, if you will...

...?

There is no way this is ending here. What you've done is unforgivable!

Hmph...

Hahaha! That's your final act of resistance? You're all bark and no bite! If being a sore loser was a competition, you'd actually be winning.

You think we're "sore losers", huh?

...!

Just wait and see!

Hmm. Just like Shallot, it seems both of you are full of baseless confidence... How repugnant.

...

Well, Beerus... If I recall correctly, you like to say something along the lines of, "Before any creation must come destruction."

...And destruction might just be what this upcoming creation needs...

I will finish you all...with your very own technique.

...Hakai!