The team's laughing then stopped when they realized that they still needed to fix everything. The world was in a state of disrepair after the battle with Pepkorn. Almost all of the infrastructure had been obliterated and the vast majority of humanity had perished. They still had the Dragon Balls, which was always a good thing, but Dana couldn't be returned to life with them. That was a job for the Namekian set. Having read the proverbial room, Baezel spoke up. "Alright. I'm sure you guys have noticed by now, but we have a hell of a lot of work to do. So here's what the plan's gonna be. We'll split up into different subdivisions to help out with different things. Radichio will go to Earth and gather their Dragon Balls, then summon Shenlong and wish to revive everyone that died in the past week, and to restore the planet to...a..." Baezel trailed off in his sentence, as he sensed an incredibly powerful level of ki approaching. "S - say, we didn't awaken any sort of ancient demonic force or whatever by killing Pepkorn, did we?" he asked, with sweat dripping down his forehead. "Because this ki coming towards us...I've never sensed anything like it in all my years as a fighter. Not even my fusions come close to this!"
"Baezel...you must not be familiar. But in short, you know that there are multiple gods within the universe. I'm the Kaioshin, who's in charge of creation and whatnot," Shin shakily explained. "And the old Kaioshin is the one from 15 generations ago. Kibito's my assistant. But the insane ki you feel coming towards you is a god higher than me in pretty much every way. It's the Destruction God of our universe...ππ²π²πΏππ." Baezel's heart sank like a rock upon hearing an announcement like that. How could there be any one single person with this much power? "We woke up aΒ GOD?!" Radichio screamed in fear. "Surely there's something we can do to stop him, right?! Is he coming to kill us?" The old Kaioshin bowed his head. "We can only know his true intentions when he arrives here. But trying to fight him? Sorry, but there's nothing you can do to beat him. He's too strong." The gang folded their arms and had no choice but to wait around. After a few minutes, Baezel began to grow impatient. He was about to go and do something, but in a rather convenient twist of fate, the massive ki signature made its presence known by arriving on the Kaioshin's planet, mere feet away from Baezel and company. Beerus was here, with his assistant Whis.
With shaking, sweaty hands, Shin and Kibito tried to walk up to the god, saying, "It's an honor to have you here, sir!" But Beerus met them with a cold stare. "Step aside, Shin. You can already guess who I'm here for," he replied. The two of them did as asked and stepped away, as Beerus slowly walked up to Baezel and Radichio. The two of them stood firm, preparing to bow their heads in respect. The two were sweating so much that it could've restored the Aral Sea to its former glory. The deity stopped when he stood before Baezel, face to face. "Tell me, Saiyan...do you know anything about the Super Saiyan God?" he asked. "And I suggest you tell me the truth. I can sense godly ki within both of you."
"That would be...correct, my Lord," Baezel shakily said to him. "If you want, you can test out its power against the two of us. C - could I request a spar with you?" Beerus thought for a second, and made his decision. "Sure. No one's ever been so bold as to directly ask me to spar, but if that's what you want...fine by me." Beerus went into a battle stance, as did Baezel and Radichio. "Try not to go too hard on them, my Lord. You might accidentally kill them!" Whis joked. It was a pretty morbid joke to make in a situation like this, which - for all Baezel and Radichio knew - could be the fight that decides if they live or die. "But since I can sense that not a single one of you are at your best physical form right now, let me fix that right up!" With a twirl of his staff, he pointed it at the crew, with the black sphere on his staff and the Grand Battlers themselves temporarily glowing green, and the glow disappearing. Within an instant, not only were Baezel and Radichio now back to full strength with their injuries healed, Draft, Parakress, Lemogras, Phoenix, Taro, Jimaka, Dana and Okara all had their halos disappear, indicating that they had been revived. "Now then..." Whis proceeded to teleport behind Baezel and Radichio, as if he were their coach. "Have at it!"
Baezel and Radichio quickly understood the task at hand. Almost instantly, they transformed into Super Saiyan Gods, the red hair and eyes making its return on the battlefield. "Ah. This is the Super Saiyan God form? It looks like the being I had in my vision. A red-haired Saiyan, adorned in a godly aura. I never expected there to be two," Beerus said, surprised at this revelation. "BRING IT!" Baezel and Radichio both blasted off towards Beerus' direction at the same time, both of them jabbing the god in the cheek. They barraged Beerus with punches as they moved forward. Beerus actually had to block these attacks, something he never had to do unless he was training with Whis.
Radichio performed a kiai to blast Beerus away with a compressed burst of air, allowing Baezel to take the lead. He rushed forward and landed a mean uppercut on Beerus, making chase and continuing to lay hit after hit on the deity. Shin could only stare at Baezel in awe. He had NEVER seen a mortal that was beating someone like Beerus this hard. Beerus slugged Baezel in the cheek, sending him a few feet in the opposite direction. But with quick thinking, he teleported above Beerus with a giant yellow ki sphere in his hands, blasting him into the ground. It seemed as though Beerus was genuinely struggling...until the ki sphere gained a purple outline around it. This didn't worry him too much, as Baezel thought he was just filtering out Baezel's ki from the blast and replacing it with his own. But instead, the blast became all white and popped out of existence. "Did you honestly think a god like me could struggle against a mere Saiyan?" Beerus said to Baezel, as if nothing happened. "Because if I'm being honest, your power's impressive, but all those hits you landed on me? I let you land them. They tickled. But props to you for making me have to use more power than I usually would."
A vein of irritation appeared on Radichio's forehead. Who did he think he was? "Excuse me...? Tickled? If that tickles you, let me be the one to show you what real power looks like!" He clasped his fists, and began to charge his ki. His hair firmed up into the Super Saiyan shape, as it flickered between blue and black. Rocks tore up from the ground and exploded into tiny pieces, with his eyes having already turned blue. It was a genuine struggle to transform into a Super Saiyan Blue again, because the first time required a catalyst. Now that the catalyst for the transformation was gone, he had to tap into his raw power to transform again. He was successful, and managed to fully transform into a Super Saiyan Blue. However, he was still charging his ki to try and alleviate the intense stamina drain of the form.
When he felt that the amount of ki he had in reserves was sufficient, he slammed his fist into Beerus' face, sending him tumbling through the ground. Before he could get up, Radichio had already fired off a Super Galick Gun at the god. It managed to hit, but for some reason, it wasn't moving beyond its original spot. In fact, Beerus was holding it with one hand. Like what he did with Baezel's attack, his just popped out of existence. Astonished at this sight, he was prepared to continue fighting and struck a combat pose, only to be met with a burning pain in his abdomen. It was Beerus' fist. "Your strength is commendable, Saiyan," Beerus complimented him. "But that stamina drain in your blue-haired state is a serious detriment to your fighting capabilities." He pulled his fist out of his abdomen, not that it drew any blood. Radichio was forced to go onto his knees, returning to his base form.
"So that's the main issue with the form, is it?" Phoenix said. "Stamina drain would be pretty detrimental in a serious battle. That being said, was that all you came here for?" Baezel descended down to the ground in a squatting position, waiting for Beerus' input. "Honestly? Yeah. I had a dream quite some time ago, that a Super Saiyan God would be my greatest rival. Based on your strength, I think you have the potential to become incredibly powerful. But also...before I woke up, I sensed an incredibly powerful ki signature coming off of Earth. It felt disgustingly evil. Would you happen to know why that is?" the deity asked. "I'll explain it to you," Baezel said. He walked over to Beerus' ear and began to explain what happened - who Pepkorn was, his return to Earth, the training they underwent, everyone dying, Pepkorn's new transformation, everything. Beerus was astonished. "I never knew that any mortal achieved a transformation like that. I suppose I'll have to thank you for ridding the universe of someone so heinous. Thanks for the fight, I guess. I'll be on my way now." He flew over to Whis, waving goodbye. "I might visit again, so be wary of that, Saiyans!" A pillar of light shot up into the sky, as the Destruction God and his Angel left.
Baezel wasn't sure how to feel about this. He pretty much just saw his exact equal get schooled by a new god, and then he left like he didn't just beat Radichio's ass. They surely wouldn't forget this interaction. In any case, they still had to go pick up the pieces back on Earth. Baezel cleared his throat. "Right...what was I saying? Uh, me and Radichio can use the Dragon Balls on Earth to revive everybody that died and restore the damage. But here's the kicker. Hey, Shin. Can I get permission to use that black metal thing to rebuild the cities? It seems like a really powerful material," he said.
"That material is known as Katchin, the strongest metal in the universe," Shin replied. "You'd be right to want to use it as a building material. You've got my thumbs-up." Smiling at him, Baezel and the gang waved goodbye, as they used Teleportation to visit God, who had somehow survived Pepkorn's onslaught. Looking at their faces, he could guess what they were here for - the Dragon Balls. Baezel was about to speak, but God stopped him. "I know what you want," he said. The Namekian stepped inside his temple and brought out the Dragon Balls for them. "Splendid. Thanks, God!" Radichio said, as thanks. Taking out a notepad, he wrote:
- Wish 1: Revive everyone who died within the previous week
- Wish 2: Rebuild everything on Earth destroyed by Pepkorn
- Wish 3: Reinforce all buildings on Earth with katchin
With that, he summed on Shenlong. "Come forth, dragon, and grant me my wishes!" As is expected every time the eternal dragon is summoned, the sky became as dark as night, and the Dragon Balls glowed, as a yellow pillar of ki shot up from them. It twisted and turned in the sky, shattering and revealing Shenlong himself. The dragon paused for a second. "Oh. Baezel. I haven't seen you in over five years. How's the wife?" the dragon asked. "She's okay. It's not like she just got violently murdered or whatever," Baezel sarcastically replied. "Okay then. My first wish is to revive everybody that died within the last 7 days."
The dragon's red eyes flashed, and in an instant, the planet's population began to start ticking back up to 100%. Everyone who had been killed by Pepkorn - save for the menace himself, due to his soul no longer existing - had been revived in the same place that they died in. They were confused. How'd they come back to life? Why did they see that pink-sky yellow-cloud place again? "For my second and third wishes," Radichio spoke up, "restore any and all infrastructure destroyed within the last week and reinforce them with katchin!" Once again, the dragon's eyes glowed twice. The buildings and streets were fully restored. This time, they had been reinforced with katchin. This meant that not only would they be extremely hard to destroy, they'd be able to take a serious beating. With all three wishes granted, Shenlong disappeared, the sky returned to its normal sunset color, and the Dragon Balls scattered across the Earth, turning into undetectable stones for 1 year.
The Grand Battlers, God and Mr. Popo looked off into the sky, wondering what could be done now. Earth was restored and is reinforced, so that's good. Everyone got revived, that's good too. Pepkorn could never return to life again, so that's great. God thought for a moment, then spoke up. "You know, Baezel...you and your friends have saved humanity from certain doom several times now. Without you, I wouldn't be alive and well, even though I'm on the older side." Baezel turned his head, intrigued with the idea God was brewing. "So what are you saying? Are you just singing my praises, or do you have a plan for something?"
"I do. Baezel...I want you and the Grand Battlers to go out and tell the world the truth. The humans have been ignorant to your victories for nearly thirty years now, and I say it needs to end here," God said. Baezel thought about it for a moment. On one hand, it'd be great publicity. The people might regard them as heroes, and shower them with praise! On the other hand, it could cause a massive panic attack from humanity, and have them get worried that the Grand Battlers would turn on them. It could have the potential to make or break their relationship with humanity. Not wanting to take that risk, Baezel said, "I'm sorry, but I just weighed the pros and cons of doing that. There's no way we could do this without causing a panic. We're gonna have to ditch the idea." Bowing his head in disappointment, God replied, "Oh, well. It was a shot in the dark anyway. With that being said, I wish you all the best." The old Namekian did a goodbye salute to Baezel, with him doing it back. The Grand Battlers leapt off of God's Temple, and began flying home. The flight home was rather silent, with not much dialogue between the gang.
As Baezel's family diverted home, Taro and Jimaka followed suit. "Eh? What're you guys doing?" Baezel asked, wondering why they weren't going elsewhere. "Well, it's not like we have any permanent housing. We used to live on some backwater planet a while back, but neither me or Taro would want to go back to a place like that. So, er...could we stay with you until we find a house of our own?" Jimaka asked Baezel. He hesitated, glancing at Dana, who was listening intently with a raised eyebrow. Sensing Jimaka's discomfort, Dana nudged Baezel with a playful elbow. "Come on, honey," she said with a warm smile. "They can't exactly pitch a tent in the middle of a city that just got rebuilt, can they?"
Baezel chuckled, suddenly understanding. "Right, right. Makes sense." He turned back to the hovering figures, a grin spreading across his face. "Alright then," he boomed, his voice filled with friendly authority. "How about you two crash with us until you find a place of your own? We've got plenty of room, and my son's a whiz with interior design β he can probably whip up a guest room for you in no time." Taro's face lit up with relief. "Really? That'd be...amazing, thanks a bunch, man!" Jimaka, ever the stoic one, simply gave a short nod of gratitude. "Thank you," he said, his voice gruff but sincere.Dana beamed at them both. "No problem at all! Besides," she added with a wink, "it'll be nice to have some extra muscle around the house. You never know when a rogue space carrot might try to crash our next barbeque, right?" The tension from earlier completely evaporated, replaced by a sense of camaraderie. Jimaka and Taro exchanged glances, a mixture of amusement and gratitude flickering in their eyes. "Rogue space carrots, huh?" Jimaka chuckled. "Sounds like our kind of neighborhood."As they continued their journey home, the setting sun painting the sky in vibrant hues, a newfound sense of peace settled over the group. The future remained uncertain, but for now, they had each other, a place to call home, and the promise of a future built on hope and laughter.
Meanwhile, Radichio landed softly in the backyard of Draft's house, his gaze fixed on the fiery orange bleeding into the twilight sky. The day's events replayed in his mind, a brutal montage of pain and loss - his friends, Draft's sacrifice, and the image of Phoenix, lifeless in his arms. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, a silent question. He turned slowly to see Phoenix, her eyes filled with concern.Β He couldn't bring himself to speak. He just nodded, a single tear tracing a path down his cheek. He hated that he was still shaken, especially since everyone had been revived, including Phoenix. But the memory of her absence, however brief, was a fresh wound.
Sensing his turmoil, Phoenix pulled him into a tight embrace. He buried his face in her hair, the familiar scent a balm to his soul. "I can't believe I lost you," he finally choked out, his voice ragged. Phoenix held him closer, stroking his back soothingly. "I lost you too," she admitted. "But we're both here now. We're alive." He pulled back slightly, cupping her face in his calloused hands. Guilt flickered across his features. "I wasn't strong enough," he whispered. "I couldn't protect you." Phoenix smiled sadly. "It wasn't your fault, Radichio. You did everything you could. If I'm being honest, it stings to know that our training wasn't sufficient." Her touch was light as she brushed a stray tear from his cheek. "And besides," she continued, her voice barely a murmur, "if it weren't for my death, you guys wouldn't have been able to beat Pepkorn. The two of you turning Super Saiyan Blue...that was pretty cool. You two really cemented your place as the strongest out of all of us." He stared at her, surprised. A blush crept up his neck. "You - you saw that, while you were up there in Other World with the others?"
"Every bit of it," she confirmed, her eyes sparkling with a hint of amusement mixed with awe. "You two were incredible, especially you." A spark of pride ignited within him, quickly overshadowed by the lingering fear. "But...I lost you today," he repeated, his voice firm. "That can't ever happen again. I'll never forget the sight of you being dead in my arms..." Phoenix leaned in, their faces inches apart. "Listen, Raddy," she said, her voice low and steady, "there are no guarantees in life or in battle. But I promise you this: we'll face whatever comes together. You're not alone. You never were. You've got your best friend Baezel and his family, you've got the boys as well. And most of all?" She held his face with her hands, using her thumb to wipe away his tear. "You have me. And just like I said back at the Kaioshin's planet, I know you love me. I have for a while now. I love you as well, best friend."
He locked eyes with her, the raw vulnerability in her gaze mirroring his own. A new understanding bloomed between them, a silent promise forged in the crucible of loss. In that moment, under the fading embers of the sunset, a love unspoken found its voice. He pulled her close once more, the world fading away until all that remained was the warmth of her embrace and the promise of a future they would face together. Leaning her head upwards to her friend, she reciprocated Radichio's closeted love for her with something he never thought he'd get from anyone - a kiss on the lips. It took him by surprise, his eyes dilating from it, before quickly turning back to normal and fully embracing it. The kiss continued for a bit more, before pulling away from each other. The two of them blushed hard, not out of embarrassment, but out of love for each other, that neither of them expected to bloom. All of the Grand Battlers - Baezel, Radichio, Draft, Parakress, Lemogras, Okara, Taro, Jimaka, Phoenix and Dana - had a long road ahead, filled with healing and rebuilding, but for now, they had each other, and that was all that truly mattered. The last embers of the sunset faded into a star-dusted night, with Radichio and Phoenix's love for each other sealed with a kiss and the world now at peace.