“She what?” the Elder Kai said, equal parts stunned and outraged. “The fools. Didn’t she realize the danger of such a thing?”

  “Presumably, Great Elder, but she did it anyway,” East Supreme Kai gave a slight shake of his head. This situation dwarfed the West’s usual reckless headstrongness.

  “Disturbing,” the Elder shook his head.

  “It’s unorthodox, but is it really such a problem? You heard her. She’s just as dedicated to our cause as ever.” South’s expression turned sly. “And didn’t you fuse with a mortal?”

  “True, but there are some differences.” Elder Kai coughed into a fist, somewhat embarrassed. “The fusion cost me dearly, for one. I used to be stunningly handsome and quite powerful. But fusing with the old witch crippled me to the state you see today.”

  “But it’s not just about power,” the Elder continued. “We Kais are wholly different beings from mortals. This combination poses risks to both parties.”

  “How so?” East Supreme Kai asked, fascinated. He’d always heard of the taboo, but never why. Wasn’t it simply a matter of mortals and gods being different?

  “Did Libra become a Super Saiyan during her fight with Buu?” the Elder gave an annoyed huff. “I was killed by one of those Android rapscallions, so I wasn’t there to witness it.”

  “No, I don’t believe so, Great Elder,” East Supreme Kai said after some consideration. “Why should that matter?”

  The Elder’s expression turned troubled, staying quiet as he watched Uub and Goku exchange blows. It was an impressive fight, its power stunning in intensity. East gasped as their energy caused cracks in the protective barrier around the ring. That shouldn’t be possible. They had reinforced it to be a thousand times stronger than the previous one, to avoid more accidents like the Bra vs. Eleim fight.

  “There’s been worry about Bra’s potential—about her difficulty controlling higher Super Saiyan forms,” the Elder said.

  “Yes. From what I read from Vegito’s mind, that was a genuine concern,” East Supreme Kai said, nodding. He gave an involuntary shutter, remembering the senseless destruction through Vegito’s eyes. Bra had destroyed an entire galaxy, unable to control Super Saiyan 2.

  “But surely, with West’s influence, she’ll be able to control her power without problem,” South said, frowning. “You don’t become a god because you lack control. We are the stewards of mortals. Our responsibilities mean we possess wisdom higher than all others.”

  “You worry Libra might become like Vegito?” Truthfully, the fused Saiyan had been worrying him. Ever since losing to XXI, he’d grown more erratic. Not madness, exactly, but he was displaying worse and worse traits inherited from both Vegeta and Goku.

  “We need to watch her carefully,” the Elder said. West prompted him for more, but the older Kai refused to respond. The Elder continued to study Libra from their high vantage point, like he was trying to read her soul. Was there something else they should know?

  “What do you think, South?” East asked.

  “There’s nothing to worry about,” South said, arms crossed. “This is West we’re talking about here. None of our order is as stalwart as she is.”

  “You’re probably right.” These were all hypotheticals.

  They’d sensed that Son Bra might become a potential problem. But with West’s influence, she’d go down the right path. Was this West’s reason for mentoring the girl? After all the destruction and death the Kais had caused for the greater good, it was nice to guide a troubled soul toward redemption. Everything would be fine.

  ---

  “Is this the best you have, girl?” Vegeta’s punches were a blur as Pan struggled to fend them off. She grunted as a kick struck a leg, knocking her off balance.

  But Pan recovered, hurling a punch at her opponent’s open blind spot. While Vegeta easily blocked the blow, it provided a brief contact, which was all Pan needed.

  “What the—?” Vegeta said, darting away as Pan leeched away his ki. It’d only been for a split second, but Pan’s legs were steadier as she reengaged her foe. She hated that she’d needed her draining power, but her situation was dire. Vegeta outclassed her too much.

  “Ah, so that’s the ki-stealing power you used to beat Cell. How cute,” Vegeta said in mock compliment. “But I’m not Cell. I won’t fall so easily to such a cheap technique.”

  “Big Sis!” Little Pan fretted as Vegeta landed blow after blow, giving no quarter. Each strike caused a miniature shockwave, shaking the stadium.

  “Gee, Vegeta. She’s just a kid. Don’t be so rough with her,” Goku frowned with disapproval.

  “I’m not soft like you, Kakarot,” Vegeta replied, landing a stunning haymaker across Pan’s chin. Her skull rattled hard enough that Pan feared he might have cracked her teeth. “Admit it! You let your student win! You feared fighting me! So you pretended to lose to make your little student feel better.”

  “You’re still on about that, geez. Vegeta, is fighting me all you think about?” And coming from her alternate grandfather, that was saying something.

  Distracted by his conversation, Vegeta left himself open for Pan’s version of a haymaker to the jaw. “I’m your opponent here!” With a double-fisted slam to the skull, the arena shattered as Vegeta’s body landed like a meteor.

  “You actually hurt me there, girl,” Vegeta said, equal parts annoyed and impressed as he stood, dust raining from his battle uniform. “It seems you might provide me some amusement, after all! Very well. If you want to play with the big boys, I’m more than happy to oblige you!”

  “So fast.” Pan’s eyes darted around in panic, struggling to catch her opponent’s movements. He’d been holding back this much? Vegeta was only a blur as he engaged her, hundreds of blows landing before Pan could raise her arms for defense.

  The onlookers watched the exchange, stunned at the sheer power on display by the Saiyan prince. Even her grandfathers had lost his smug expression, realizing the distance between him and his fusion component wasn’t as distant as he’d assumed.

  “What a freak! He was holding back that much?” Kakarot clenched his teeth, stewing in frustration. “What’s with these Universe 18 Saiyans?”

  “Yeah, you underestimated us,” Little Pan said, giving the evil Goku a smug grin. Kakarot recoiled, pretending he wasn’t hiding behind his brother Raditz.

  “Oh, brother,” Vegeta from Universe 13 said, rolling his eyes.

  “Father really held back against me,” Future Trunks said. “I have much to learn still.”

  The spiderweb cracks along the arena widened as Pan crashed into them. Above, Vegeta gathered ki in his palms and unleashed a devastating barrage of blasts. Pan almost got caught in the blast, but she used a beam to propel herself away before it destroyed her. She used the cloud cover to hide as she considered her options.

  “Stop hiding!” Vegeta hurled beams into the cloud cover, but they went wild, not even coming close to hitting their intended target. It only caused more obscuring dust, which Pan used to further conceal her location.

  “He can’t sense me,” Pan thought, relieved. It gave her an idea—though a long shot. If victory through raw strength was impossible, her only option was trickery.

  “Hide there like a frightened mouse,” Vegeta said, somewhat amused. “But it won’t save you.” With a swipe of his hand, the Saiyan prince created a whirlwind that sliced through the cloud cover like a knife, clearing the arena air.

  “Tsk.” Vegeta twitched in irritation to find his quarry gone. “Hiding like a rat, are we?”

  Unable to sense his undead quarry, a cruel smile grew across his lips. The Saiyan prince flew high into the air, away from any avenue of an easy ambush.

  “If that’s the way you wish to play it, then I’ll just flush you out.” Vegeta thrust out a palm, blue energy gathering within. People shifted uneasily as they sensed the amount of ki gathering in his hand.

  “Uh, Vegeta, isn’t that overdoing it somewhat?” Goku asked.

  “What’s he thinking? The Vargas’ barrier won’t be able to withstand that,” Piccolo said.

  “Is he nuts?” her father-as-Piccolo said. “That might blow up the planet!”

  “What?” The audience lost their nerve. Someone screamed as people scrambled over themselves to flee. The other tournament fighters seemed similarly alarmed, wondering if they should butt in.

  “Um, the tournament staff reminds you that destroying the planet is against the rules and will result in an immediate disqualification,” the announcer said, his voice unsteady.

  “Ha! What frightened sheep you are!” Vegeta said. “This is supposed to be a clash of the Multiverse’s mightiest warriors. How about a little show? Big Bang Attack!”

  The arena didn’t stand a chance, completely vaporized to dust. The assault’s full impact shattered the arena’s barrier. But it thankfully absorbed most of the energy of Vegeta’s super attack. It didn’t stop the shockwave, however, blowing everyone off their feet. Only a few remained standing, like Pan’s grandfather, who stood among the chaos unimpressed.

  “See? You worried for nothing.” Vegeta’s mouth extended into a self-satisfied smirk. He’d held off just enough power to not obliterate them all. His eyes scanned the scattered dust caused by his destructive blast, frowning as he still couldn’t find any trace of his opponent.

  “Pan!” Her father could barely hold himself back, terrified for his daughter. He gave Vegeta a scathing glare. “You better not have killed her.”

  “So what if I did? She’s a zombie. She’s already dead!” Vegeta replied. “Besides, we’ll just wish her back. And she’ll return as a normal, alive Saiyan again. Isn’t that what you want? You should thank me.”

  “Vegeta.” Her father-as-Piccolo said, his voice containing a warning. Vegeta’s jest didn’t amuse him.

  “That’s not funny at all, Vegeta,” Goku said, just as unamused.

  “Relax. I’m sure she’s not actually dead.” Vegeta’s eyes scanned around the arena. “Isn’t that right, Pan? How about you show yourself already?”

  “Dang it,” Pan cursed. She had hoped she’d fooled her opponent into thinking he’d destroyed her. She curled into a ball in the hiding spot she’d dug deep in the ground, wondering her next plan of action.

  “If she is alive—or undead, or whatever—she better show herself soon,” the announcer said. “If she doesn’t appear in thirty seconds, she’s disqualified.”

  “Shoot.” Pan was running out of options.

  “30, 29, 28, 27, 26…”

  “Think, Pan. There must be a way to win!”

  “15, 14…”

  Her only shot was to touch Vegeta and drain him into unconsciousness. But her opponent’s ki reserves were vast. Could she drain him quickly enough before he pummeled her?

  A voice spoke to her, whispering dark thoughts. It promised great power if only she surrendered to it. Embrace the killer instinct, and she’d ascend to a new form. Pan resisted the urge, digging to a better position.

  “Stubborn,” Anpan said, fists on her waist. “Why must she treat the darkness as her enemy?”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “3, 2…”

  “Clever idea, trying to sneak up on me. But you’re forgetting something. While I can’t sense your ki, I have ears.”

  Pan howled as a sudden explosion rocked her body, obliterating the patch of dirt she’d been using as a hiding spot. Sudden light filled her vision as she blasted clear, her body pinwheeling through the air.

  “You!” But Pan recovered in mid-air, energy gathering in her remaining hand. When her feet touched the ground, she dashed at her opponent.

  “You really can’t feel any pain, can you?” Vegeta said. “Tsk. Takes all the fun out of it. But you are resilient, I’ll give you that.”

  “I’ll show you resilient!” Vegeta’s eyes widened as Pan tapped into the infinite dark within her soul. She’d held off long enough using this power.

  After Anpan revealed everything about herself, Pan realized something. Anpan wasn’t evil—just dark. The whole night, she’d been pondering this. If it wasn’t evil power, should she tap it? Would it corrupt her? Or was it like any other tool? It was only destructive in evil hands?

  “Huh?” Vegeta’s head jerked around as Pan became a dark blur across reality, wincing as his brain failed to comprehend what he was seeing. Since he’d never seen Anpan or Nightmare Buu fight, he’d seen nothing like this before.

  “Kamehame…” Her blue energy took on a hue of utter darkness, like a black hole sucking in all light. The entire stadium dimmed, Pan stealing only the energy of the tournament audience, but the energy of light itself.

  “You!” Vegeta punched forward, only to gasp as his fist struck a Pan who wasn’t there.

  “Ha!” The beam lanced right into her opponent’s chest, blowing him back.

  “Finally!” Anpan said, pleased.

  “What the?” Goten stared at his niece in utter shock as her beam tore a hole through Vegeta’s side.

  “Oops,” Pan had overdone it. She might have killed Vegeta by accident.

  “Nice trick,” Vegeta said, blood oozing from his mouth as he struggled to stand. Do you truly believe the Prince of all Saiyans would be defeated so easily?” But Pan sensed his ki wavering as the pain made maintaining Super Saiyan Zero more difficult. Perhaps it wasn’t so much a Super Saiyan form, but a mindset.

  “She’s become more dangerous,” Libra said, scowling. “I knew she’d eventually curtail to her dark master.”

  “That’s not what happened!” Pan snapped.

  Though a sick part of her thought it’d been fun. She noticed how woozy everyone in the audience seemed, like they’d gone several nights without sleep. Even some weaker tournament fighters seemed unsteady. She better not try that again, else she’d cause serious damage to the audience members. She tossed away the issue of her dark power for later consideration as Vegeta charged her with his full might.

  Despite his diminished condition, the Prince of all Saiyans was a terror. He never gave an inch, each blow stronger than the last. For each clumsy punch thrown his way, Vegeta repaid it with a hundred. But Pan didn’t make it easy for him, tapping into Anpan’s distortion power to confuse. Unlike her nightmare counterpart, she used it for split moments to make it more confusing and less predictable. And her inability to feel pain worked against him as he struggled to cause any lasting damage.

  “You really are some freak.” Vegeta said, spitting away a tooth as Pan landed a lucky blow to the jaw. “You just won’t go down!” His ki was waving as his wound sapped his strength. He’d been too wasteful at the fight’s start and it was costing him.

  “Time to finish this.” Energy gathered in Vegeta’s palms.

  “Yeah.” Pan took a defensive pose, preparing her own ki blast. Her eyes widened in alarm as Vegeta’s ki kept spiking higher. He was pouring more and more energy into his attack. This time, he wasn’t kidding. Since Pan was difficult to put down, he was throwing everything into one decisive strike.

  “Kamehameha…” Pan began, getting ready to match Vegeta’s ki blast with her own. She gasped as he suddenly disappeared—then reappeared right beneath her. What the—?

  “After years of seeing it, you thought I’d never learn Instant Transmission?” Vegeta said, a satisfied smirk on his face.

  “That’s cheating!” Pan’s movements felt glacial as she tried to escape the incoming blast. Her mind raced, desperately searching for a way out—but there wasn’t one.

  “Big Bang Attack!”

  Energy engulfed Pan as the blast connected, light swallowing her whole.

  ---

  “Big Sis!” Little Pan watched as her counterpart vanished within the blinding glow of Vegeta’s ultimate attack.

  The protective dome around the arena shattered as the beam pierced through it, sailing off into space. If he had aimed it downward, it would have killed them all.

  “It’s over with,” Goku said, his tone somber.

  “Hey, Vegeta stole that from you, Dad,” her father said, indignant.

  But Pan wasn’t listening. She was hoping—praying—that Big Sis had somehow survived. Since she was undead, her ki was indetectable. There was no way to confirm her survival without seeing her. A thick cloud of dust still choked the arena, making it impossible to tell anything.

  In their corner, Universe 16 watched in stunned silence, fearing the worst. Even the usually stoic Vegito looked shaken. Tears welled up in body-swapped Piccolo’s eyes. Only Libra remained aloof, a satisfied smile on her lips.

  “No…” Little Pan clenched her fists and looked away.

  “You didn’t need to go that far, Vegeta!” Goku said, frowning deeply. “You’ve gone too far this time.”

  “Please. What does it matter?” Vegeta rolled his eyes. “They’ll wish her back soon enough. Stop with the ridiculous sentimentality.”

  “Vegeta.” A vein bulged on Gohan-as-Piccolo’s forehead, his voice sharp.

  “Typical, Vegeta,” Piccolo-as-Cell Jr. muttered, crossing his arms tensely. “Reverting to your old ways again.”

  The dust cleared, but nothing remained of Big Sis—not even a speck. The blast completely evaporated her. No… that wasn’t true. Little Pan spotted the remains of one zombified arm.

  Huh? Had it just twitched? No, must’ve been her imagination. The limb lay still. Big Sis was gone.

  “That’s the nice thing about our Multiverse Tournament—fighters need not hold back. Truly a tournament of legend!” a Vargas said, pleased with himself. “Anything less would be a mockery of true martial arts!”

  “Except Vegeta almost destroyed the planet!” Little Pan replied, seething. That’s been too close!

  “Is that right?” Goku said, voice low and dangerous. The Vargas sweated under his glare. The bird-like alien looked like he wanted to defend himself—but wisely kept quiet.

  “Beginning the thirty count,” the announcer said. “Thirty, twenty-nine…”

  “Don’t bother,” Vegeta said, walking away from the crater he caused.

  “Pan of Universe 16 has been defeated! Vegeta of—”

  “What the…” Vegeta grunted, stumbling as his limbs suddenly turned to putty. He glanced down—his eyes went wide at the thing clutching his leg.

  “I’m not finished yet!” a voice cried, emerging from the dust. It shook itself to reveal Pan’s head—only her head. The rest of her body was gone.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” Vegeta reached for the arm attached to his leg, trying to rip it off. But it slithered away—like it possessed a will of its own. The Saiyan Prince collapsed, unconscious. The entire coliseum went silent.

  Then it exploded into cheers.

  “Vegeta has lost consciousness! Pan from Universe 18 is the winner!”

  “Clever. Took a trick from my book, I see,” Buu said, clapping. “And since she’s undead, there was no way for Vegeta to sense her arm sneaking up behind him.”

  “I wasn’t worried!” Anpan grinned, baring far too many teeth. “I chose her for a reason!”

  “Way to go, Pan!” Gohan-as-Piccolo said, joining his daughter.

  “Yeah, at what cost?” Bitterly, Big Sis glanced down at her body, only seeing a head and an arm.

  “And you can still move it?” Little Pan asked, amazed.

  “Apparently.” Pan made the floating arm flex experimentally.

  “Congratulations, Pan,” Goku said warmly. “Well fought. That was a nice trick. I bet even I would’ve fallen for it.”

  “She is my granddaughter,” Vegito said proudly. “She’s the superior of both my fusion components.”

  “Sure.” Little Pan rolled her eyes. “But what now? You’re just… like this.”

  “Uh…” Big Sis hesitated. “I don’t know. Senzus can’t fix this.”

  “You have got to be kidding me!” Vegeta shouted, rising after a Namekian healed him. “I lost!”

  “You dropped your guard,” Goku said. “You kinda walked right into it.”

  “Only because she’s a freak! If I could sense her ki, it wouldn’t have happened!” Vegeta fumed. “She cheated!”

  As her grandfather and Vegeta bickered, Little Pan drifted over to Big Sis.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Um… not sure.” Big Sis looked down. “I’m glad I won, but…” She gestured with her floating arm. “I’m not thrilled with the result.”

  “Yeah, it’s not super great,” Little Pan said. Being undead was bad enough!

  Big Sis turned away, avoiding everyone’s eyes. “This is probably the end. Look at me! How can I fight like this?”

  To that, Little Pan had no answer. She couldn’t imagine anyone fighting in her sister’s condition.

  “That’s a tough one,” Goku said, subdued. “Still, I’d bet you can give it all you’ve got, regardless.”

  “She’s my granddaughter. Of course, she will,” Vegito said, smirking.

  “That’s not really helpful, Grandpas,” Big Sis replied, irritation creeping in.

  “Whatever you decide, we’re here for you,” Gohan-as-Piccolo said, placing a hand gently on her floating arm. The image looked ridiculous—but the emotion behind the gesture was sincere.

  “Quite the dilemma!” Buu said. Behind him, Anpan watched with quiet interest.

  “What do you want?” Big Sis snapped, her voice sharp with contempt.

  “Why, I thought I might offer my assist. I am a genie, of sorts,” Buu said, oozing with the slick charm of a used car salesman.

  “No way!” Big Sis replied instantly.

  “You really think you can help?” Goku asked, curious. Unlike the others, her grandfather seemed less hostile toward their old enemy. Little Pan sighed. He could be so na?ve sometimes.

  “Yes, she wants nothing from you, monster,” Vegito said. From his posture, he seemed ready for a fight.

  “So suspicious! You wound me!” Buu clutched his chest in mock pain.

  “And why are you helping, anyway?” Vegeta asked. “She’s a future opponent—likely the only one left who can threaten you.”

  “Thanks a lot, Vegeta,” Uub said sourly. He’d be Big Sis’s next opponent, assuming she didn’t drop out of the tournament.

  “I simply desire a fair tournament for everyone.” Buu replied.

  “Sure.” Big Sis’s voice dripped with doubt.

  “She could always fuse with me,” Anpan smile showed a shark’s row of teeth.

  “What? No way!” Big Sis said, already shooting down the suggestion. “Never!”

  “Why are you even suggesting it?” Little Pan asked, curious. “Wouldn’t you lose yourself?”

  “Like I care about that. It’s not like I’m a person and this soul I’m wearing isn’t mine.” Anpan replied. “I’m just curious what would if we did fuse? What power we would have! Would Pan be a monster or hero? The possibilities are tantalizing!”

  “Well, it’s never happening! Fine, Buu, what’s your suggestion?” Big Sis asked.

  “If you were alive, healing you would be easy!” Buu said. “So I was thinking of a creative alternative. And I believe our friends from Universe 9 can help!”

  “Us?” Yamcha said, pointing to himself. His group had been eavesdropping from a distance.

  “Yes. You have a technology that might just help our friend here.”

  “What? Turn her into a cyborg?” the alternate version of her mom said from Universe 9.

  “A cyborg?” Buu repeated, as if the idea had only just occurred to him. “What a splendid idea!”

  “Could that work?” Though Big Sis wasn’t open to getting help from Buu, Universe 9 was a more acceptable prospect. Little Pan realized that must’ve been Buu’s game all along—and her counterpart had walked right into it.

  “I suppose,” Yamcha said, a slight hesitation in his voice. “I have a basic idea of the process, but I’m no Dr. Gero.”

  “Fear not! With my help, this will be simple!” Buu said, beaming.

  “Leave it to me, Pan!” Yamcha said. “I’ll get you that new body, even if it means working into the late hours!”

  “Thanks…” Though Big Sis sounded less than thrilled. She’d be a zombie cyborg. How weird was that? Still, she couldn’t remain as she was.

  “The next fight is about to begin: Our wonderful, magnificent goddess of the Multiverse whose beauty surpasses all others, Mary Sue! And the hateful, vile villain known as Majin Buu from Universe 4! Both fighters, please enter the ring.” While Pan had been speaking with her counterpart, the Vargas had already replaced the broken ring with a new one.

  “That’s my cue. Toodles!” Buu said, floating away.

  “I really don’t like that guy,” Little Pan muttered.

  “Yeah,” Big Sis scowled. “What’s his game? I miss the murderous one. He was easier to understand.”

  “Oh, my beloved! There she is!” Trunks cried as Mary Sue entered the stadium. “Every second away from you has been torture!” Pan gasped as her uncle pulled up a sleeve to reveal gash marks on his arm. “I have marked every hour we’ve been apart! These scars prove how much every second our separation torments me!”

  Pan exchanged a horrified glance with her counterpart, equally disturbed by Trunks’s actions. Vegeta and Goku looked on, their faces twisted in horror at the grotesque display of love.

  “Ha! That’s nothing!” Goten declared. A pit of dread formed in Little Pan’s chest, terrified of what he’d done in his “love” for Mary Sue.

  “Not a second has passed in which I haven’t devoted myself to you, my beloved!” Goten pulled out a statue of Mary Sue made of trash and rotting food. “I’ve taken everything you’ve discarded and built a shrine worthy of your greatness! For everything you touch is sacred!”

  “Ugh. That’s just…” Little Pan didn’t even want to finish the thought.

  Others in the audience declared their undying devotion as well—thankfully, not to that extreme. They waved elaborate homemade signs with impressive craftsmanship. Had they spent all night making those?

  “I worry we won’t last to the end of the tournament,” Big Sis said, and Pan silently agreed.

  Mary Sue’s influence was spiraling out of control. The crowd hissed as Buu entered the arena. They pelted him with trash, their words shockingly hateful. The mere idea of anyone opposing their goddess, Mary Sue, offended them. Buu took the abuse in stride, his smile never wavering.

  “What the heck happened to you?” Mary Sue asked, alarmed at her friend’s state.

  “Vegeta plays rough,” Big Sis replied.

  “Are you okay?” Mary Sue’s face was full of genuine concern.

  “I’ll be fine.” Big Sis gestured with her remaining arm. “I’m more worried about you! You’re facing the worst monster in the multiverse!”

  “I’ll manage somehow,” Mary Sue replied, looking unconcerned.

  “Remember everything I taught you!” Big Sis shouted, earning a thumbs-up from her friend.

  “Begin!”

  ---

  Next time!

  Buu vs Mary Sue! The perfect girl vs the perfect magician! Gast vs Libra! What happens when a god turns Super Saiyan?