Merno and Enchantress floated silently through the Time Nest, their forms ethereal and almost invisible to the naked eye. The atmosphere was tense as they navigated this sacred space, aware of the immense power that governed it.
'Are you sure this place has a deity watching over it?' Enchantress inquired mentally, her curiosity tinged with unease. Merno gave a slight nod.
'Indeed. The Supreme Kai of Time, Chronoa, reigns here. She sits atop the throne of time itself, bowing to no one except the King of All. She is a prime Kaiōshin, said to have emerged at the very creation of time,' Merno replied. His tone was cautious as he added, 'If she catches us, I would have no choice but to engage her. But doing so would have dire consequences, at least until I summon the One Below All.'
'The One Below All?' Enchantress asked, her interest piqued by the ominous title.
Merno's response was straightforward. 'It's nothing for you to worry about. What you are to me, I am to them.'
He paused for a moment before continuing, 'Besides, Chronoa is one of the few beings in existence who can deal a fatal blow to me.'
Enchantress was about to respond when Merno suddenly grabbed her, covering her head as if to shield her from something unseen.
Meanwhile, Gohan and Chronoa stood in a different part of the Time Nest. "The honor is mine," Gohan responded with respect, bowing slightly as Chronoa descended to the ground.
"I've been watching your progress," Chronoa admitted, a smile playing on her lips. "I must say, I would have preferred to recruit you as a Time Patroller rather than see you ascend to deity status. But it seems Vermont got to you first."
Vermont, standing nearby, chuckled at her words. "Come now, Lady Chronoa, surely you're not suggesting that I bypassed any protocols to get my father to approve him as a destroyer?" he teased, though there was an edge to his voice.
Chronoa's eye twitched in irritation. "Stupid nepotism!" she muttered under her breath, casting a glare at Vermont, who seemed to carry himself with an air of superiority.
An awkward silence settled over the group, each waiting for the other to speak. But before anyone could break the tension, Chronoa's gaze suddenly snapped to a nearby wall. Without warning, she extended her hand, gripping the air as if seizing something invisible.
A powerful aura enveloped the Supreme Kai of Time, her presence almost overwhelming as she lowered her hand and narrowed her eyes. "Who dares to step foot onto these sacred grounds?" she demanded, her voice echoing through the chamber as she slammed her foot into the ground.
For a moment, the Time Nest was plunged into silence, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. It was clear that Chronoa had detected the intruders Gohan and Vermont were searching for.
"You snake..." Chronoa's voice was laced with venom as her eyes scanned the area, searching every corner of the Time Nest.
"You think you can hide from me here?" she challenged, her words directed at no one in particular, yet unmistakably aimed at Merno.
Merno's jaw tightened as he quickly erected a barrier around himself and Enchantress with his staff. 'Damn it,' he cursed silently.
He knew that this game of cat and mouse was about to get much more dangerous.