Author: Vincent Rodger & Landon Soto | Banner: Connor Clennell & Landon Soto

Universe 7, Age 789, Planet Namek

It was the end of all things.

Far from beyond the stars, the barrier between realities had shifted, allowing a great darkness the freedom to emerge within the universe.

Banished from his own people, a being of light corrupted by the most vile of destroyers, the two fusing into one entity as the light was swallowed. He had been seemingly destroyed after breaking free from his prison and wreaking havoc, but it had been shown time after time that where there was a purifying radiance, so too must there be a corrupting darkness.

They had cornered him alone on a remote world, seeking to purge the fallen knight once and for all. But the great darkness known as Belial had gained significant strength since their last encounter, causing the entire army to be pushed to their absolute limits.

“Hyperspace Destruction Bomb. Activate.”

With those four words, came the end of all things.

The fallen knight of light had sealed this universe’s fate, the very cosmos would be wiped away in an instant as the might of his masterpiece triumphed over those that had imprisoned him.

Only for the old bastard to rob him of his victory. The dark hero’s plan at the last moment had been foiled, the strongest member of the planet’s galactic task force, Ultraman King, managing to seal the bomb’s power away. Though at the cost of his life, the Ultra becoming nothing more than star dust as he sealed the dimensional cracks, Belial’s laugh turned into a cry of rage as even the very world he had detonated the bomb upon was restored.

They would pay with their lives for this, his revenge would be slow and agonizing as he stood over a foundation of corpses for his ever expanding empire. The dark warrior had escaped the wrath of his people, managing to stay hidden as something deep through the cosmos had just been alarmed within their slumber…

***

The far reaches of space

The center of the Other World.

Many species considered themselves to be the center of the universe due to their ignorance. Some civilizations were so primitive that they would crumble if they knew the truth about more life among the stars, much less another universe on top of the world of mortals.

But this strange world that housed a destructive power truly sat in the middle of the cosmos, its form much larger than most planets. There were levels to it, a triangular shape like that of a pyramid pointed down and was only connected by its unique gravitational pull, the very ground looking like metal had replaced the soil. A darkened blue covered the plant life that was seen growing off it, covering the pyramids in a unique color scheme. The top of the world held a deceased tree that reached upwards to the barriers of universes, spiraling up as it attempted to gain any life, but alas its time had long since passed. Carved within the tree was a palace housing a divine entity.

A man walked through the corridors of the palace, one arm being behind his back as his free hand held onto a tall staff of blue and yellow colorization. Blue skin wrapped around the middle of the handle as a black orb with a bright blue ring surrounding it hovered in place. The man’s tall pointy white hair slightly shifted with every step as he approached his destination, his maroon clothes underneath what resembled the clothes of a religious priest. White stripes lined the bottom layer of black cloth, as orange rectangles covering the top layer were surrounded by yellow lines.

The man had finally reached the gigantic doors at the end of the corridor, the attendant of who slept inside the chamber placing his free hand around the door handle to open it, only for the room to reveal itself as the one he went to speak to had already opened it.

“Oh my,” the attendant said with a raise of an eyebrow and a slight taunting tone. “You had already awakened it seems, so unlike you to wake up from your naps even during times like this.”

“Shut it, Whis,” the entity spoke, opening his jaws as he took a yawn, placing his hand on his mouth to cover it before finishing the act and stretching. “How could I have not woken up from that disturbance? The damn signature is emanating from the mortal world, the fact that I have felt it means true business to attend to.” The entity had a feline appearance, golden cuffs wrapping around his neck and wrists covered his purple skin. The mammalian humanoid reached up to his long pointy ears with one hand, scratching an itch on his pierced ear with a golden ring around it. The rag that the entity had called pajamas shifted slightly during the act.

“So what appears to be the problem? What disturbed me in my slumber?”

“Well Lord Beerus,” the angel spoke as he placed his staff closer to Beerus’ sight, truly showing the God of Destruction the seriousness of the situation. “Mere words cannot describe what has occurred.” The orb revealed that on a world with blue grass and green waters, a great evil had emerged within their universe. Cracks lined the sky as the red and black giant bellowed a hideous laugh and stood in front of a gigantic object. A series of other giants, most being lined with red and silver patterns, were seen fighting the demonic warrior. Flames coated the world as giants and the natives of the planet worked together to cease the fallen knight spreading chaos across the planet’s surface, the object he was protecting ticking with every second that passed.

The blue grass was coated in purple ichor as Namekians lined the plains floor, their eyes hollowed and white as the giants of light were pushed to the breaking point, even the strongest of them being sent flying as their enemy sought to finish the fight.

“Hyperspace Destruction Bomb. Activate.”

A white light engulfed everything in a matter of moments, the orb slowing down the event for the pair to truly observe what was happening, a gigantic black hole forming from the planet and pulling everything in. Several giants of light screamed as they attempted to escape the pull of the gravitational wave, the stronger and faster of them managing to do so, but they had to watch in horror as their comrades were swallowed whole…

Only for hope to reignite within their souls as golden dust surrounded them. As the giants continued to flee, some had instantly recognized the strange energy and felt sorrow for a moment. The golden dust quickly pushed back the wormhole, reversing the very damage to the cosmos itself, cracks disappearing as the stars and planets returned fully intact.

Beerus’ eyes looked deeper within the orb, fully realizing what had occurred while he slept.

It was the end of the universe, the end of all things, but unlike the power of the Omni King, this power had been contained through pure luck and power. “Whis, quickly pack a small snack for us to have on the way to our destination,” The God of Destruction demanded as he quickly picked up speed, walking towards another room in order to change. “We leave for this world as soon as I am dressed.”

“Yes, my lord.” Beerus entered the room and shut the door behind him as his attendant continued down the hallway towards the kitchen. Soon, Namek would be visited by the destroyer, and whoever was alive and responsible for this grave transaction…

Would pay with their lives if the answer did not suffice.

***

The world was restored.

The natural colors of the reborn planet returned, its people one by one awakening back to the world of the living. Ultraman King’s sacrifice purified all those lost within the conflict, their souls returning from the Other World almost as quickly as they had been embraced by it.

The army of giants all took in heavy breaths, the strongest warriors of the Land of Light being pushed to the very brink during their reunion with their fallen brethren. The peacekeepers quickly descended towards the reborn planet, their eyes filled with joy as the universe had been recovered, their mistake not costing trillions of lifeforms their very existence.

But at the cost of the mightiest member of their race.

Their strongest were bested during their rematch, senior officers that had traveled to Earth were nothing compared to Belial’s raw strength. The fallen knight simply laughed as the universe around them faded to nothingness, which brought a horrific question as they landed amongst the Namekian villagers. Where had Belial disappeared to?

It was unlikely that he had been vaporized by the initial blast, even if King had had the simple choice to let Belial fall victim to his own actions, it was but a dream. Knowing how he had survived against Zero and a small group at the Monster Graveyard, and within another universe for their rematch alone, it was more than possible that the villain had escaped the clutches of death once more.

“I wish that peace allowed for the nightmare to end,” The leader of the large army stated as his crimson cape flowed through the wind, the oldest member of the battlefield standing tall with his arms crossed looking over the horizon. He saw nothing but freshly grown blue grass while bright emerald waters shone from the sun’s rays. His large twin horns pointed upwards towards the sky as his chest piece returned to the bright blue of full energy. “But I do not believe that Belial has been destroyed.”

The others remained silent, wishing to take in the victory and revival of this universe, but it would not hold with the tension rising every second. The Father of Ultra had been the closest to Belial when they were younger, the fallen knight being a hero to the “younger” generations of the Land of Light for a majority of their lives. And they all knew this was not the end. A vicious cycle of violence repeating constantly with his every return, the end seeming to never come for this tale to conclude.

“Ken,” Ultraseven stated as he stepped forward, standing alongside his superior officer. “We will have to worry about that another time, for now, the battle is won. We must return to our home universe.”

The Father of Ultra looked around him, seeing many of his warriors on the brink of collapse, their energy drained and wounds all over their bodies. His oldest rival would for now have to wait for their confrontation, his people needed him to give the command to return home. For a moment there was slight hesitation, but the thought disappeared within seconds. “Perhaps you are right, my friend,” the general of the Land of Light’s army turned towards his battered soldiers with a wave of his hand, the hero about to give the order… when something alerted him from deep within the cosmos.

Ken looked towards the sky, while he truly couldn’t sense what doom was heading straight towards them, the sheer amount of malice from this feeling shook him a bit. The veteran had seen a various assortment of foes throughout his career, but the pressure around this entity was truly unique, it was as if destruction itself had a herald of its will. While confusion and a slight tint of fear creeped into his mind, the Father of Ultra’s thoughts quickly turned towards his younger soldiers. “The battle is won my friends, you are all to return home and regroup. I will stay behind, for I sense a great presence that wishes for confrontation.”

“Shouldn’t we avoid that then?” Mebius spoke openly, forgetting the chain of command for a moment of out concern. The young Ultra quickly took a moment to compose himself as he continued to speak. “I do not mean to overlap your judgment general, but even you in your condition might face something truly dreadful. Shouldn’t you return home with us?”

“I appreciate the concern Mebius, however I am the only one that can answer for what has happened here. Whatever approaches this planet, I will lure away from here and see what they want.”

The air went silent for the most part, little murmurs being spoken between the group as they took in what Ken had said. “However, there is something that must be done,” He said with utmost presence. “I will send one of you to this dimension’s Earth, we should inform this world’s Ultraman if they have arrived on the planet. After all, we only won by a miracle.”

“I’ll do it,” a voice in the back spoke, interrupting anyone who was going to volunteer before they could even get a word out. While he was not originally from their home world, he had shown just as much courage and valor in defending innocents from tragedy even as he was thrown into despair. Red colorization lined most of his body, while silver markings covered his chest and arms. His head matched in colorization except for the bright golden eyes which surveyed the area around him. A symbol which resembled a large “K” laid on his stomach, a letter from his home planet. A gold bracelet wrapped itself around his bicep near his shoulder, and twin horns that resembled a crown were placed on his cranium.

Ultraman Leo of Planet L77, one of the world’s only survivors of the genocide committed by Alien Magma, stepped forward to volunteer for the mission. “I know what it means to lose everything due to war, over and over again it has occurred before my eyes. Allow me to find the Ultra of this world.”

With no resistance, Ken nodded. Giving permission for Leo to embark on this new journey, the hero instantly taking off into the sky.

“Brother!” Astra cried out as he went to join his sibling, only for Ken to place a firm yet calm hand on the young hero’s shoulder.

“We must have faith in your brother, Leo will stop at nothing to succeed in his mission. Join the others back at homebase, I will join you all soon.”

***

Earth

It had been fifteen years since the last catastrophe had befallen Earth, a time of great peace for those who lived on the small remote world. Unbeknownst to the majority, their defenders took time to either finally retire or train for what was to come in the future.

Though peace had not been strange for the planet, time and time again threats emerged that sought to end the Z-Fighters and all they stood for. Armies marching across continents, sowing devastation all in the name of personal gain. Otherworldly invaders descended to take the mystical Dragon Balls and gain immortality, starting a chain reaction that would bring back horrors of the past. This then flowed into battle with an artificial organism created through hatred, aiming to take the so-called “perfection” that echoed within their mind since the day of their “birth”.

Finally, a demon locked away on Earth millennia ago had been unleashed upon the world. The Kaioshin were powerless to stop the revival of Majin Buu at the hands of the demon king Dabura and the wizard Babidi. Our heroes had only managed to defeat the Majin by uniting the energy of all that could hear their call into one singular attack, vanquishing the enemy in a blast of remarkable energy.

Despite the state of the world, peace had returned to the seemingly restless planet. In the present, high above in the atmosphere, a semicircle structure was suspended motionless amongst the clouds. Red, white, and teal in color, the structure resembled a toy spinning top. Atop its flat surface was a large sanctuary, with various trees and flowers that decorated the edges of the structure.

Standing at the entrance of the white, gold, and pink temple were two people. They watched what appeared to be an open door that led to a seemingly infinite white void. Dende, the God of Earth despite being a native of planet Namek, occasionally winced as powerful gusts of wind rushed against his emerald green skin. His pointed ears, as well as the twin antennae atop his head, twitched in response to the powerful forces that collided within the void.

Dende’s eyes darted back and forth as he tried to keep up with the spectacle before him. His white and mahogany robes flowed from the wind constantly being ejected from the room before him. Beside him was his assistant, Mr. Popo, a stout genie that wore baggy white pants and a red vest with gold trimming. Likewise his pointed ears with gold earrings occasionally twitched as he too felt the sheer power that emanated within the white room. Golden rings wrapped around Mr. Popo’s arms that were currently crossed, the white void a stark contrast to his obsidian black body. His seemingly deadpan eyes managed to keep up with the two people within the room thanks to his centuries of experience.

This special room, where there were modest living quarters amidst an eternal void, was known as the room of Spirit and Time. The gravity was harsh and the monotonous white could drive a lesser person insane if they could not handle the mental pressure. However, the two people that were currently sparring to their heart’s content inside were anything but ordinary.

Normally the door would be closed and thus time would flow differently within, one year inside was a single day outside. However, with no immediate threats at the current time, the door didn’t need to be closed, preventing the difference in time from occurring. What those inside needed was just a spacious area where they couldn’t cause unintended harm to the planet and innocent civilians.

The warriors locked in combat were currently some of Earth’s best defenders, flying at unbelievable speeds as kicks and punches that could level mountains with ease were thrown at one another. An older man kept his gaze on his young pupil as they moved around the void uninhibited, wearing a martial arts gi that flowed with the high speed currents that pressed against his muscular body, honed from years of hard work. The upper part of his sleeveless gi was turquoise, the baggy pants being teal, neatly tied together with a white belt. Orange cuffs wrapped around his wrists and ankles, his black shoes matching the color of his iconic spiky hair.

With a smirk, Son Goku, the Saiyan raised on Earth, descended to the pristine white floor. This martial arts genius had been through numerous adventures and challenges throughout his life, all alongside his family and friends. Now it was time to pass on what he learned from his masters onto the young boy that stood just a few dozen feet before him.

Wiping the sweat off of his forehead with his forearm, Uub smiled back at his master. Things were about to kick up. The boy wore an orange and blue gi like the one his master used to wear, his skin was tan with black hair and eyes. His hairstyle was a mohawk, and he was rather skinny, but had proven to be resilient. Uub was only ten years old, however, Goku could tell his potential was off the charts, no doubt coming from his progenitor. A decade ago, when the evil Majin Buu was defeated by Goku and everyone else, Goku had hoped that Buu could become a better person so that perhaps one day they could fight for fun. Unbeknownst to him, he would have that hope answered.

Buu had been reincarnated as Uub, so naturally Goku was elated by the news and chose to mentor the boy. Much to the surprise of his family and friends, Goku had once again gone off to wherever the wind took him with his new student.

“You’re making great progress Uub, I’m proud of you. You really have improved fast, so how about I show you a little something I like to call Super Saiyan 2?” Goku said as he took a fighting posture, his calm yet stern facial expression never wavering as his black hair rose upwards, changing from black to blonde. His eyes changed from black to turquoise as a golden aura enveloped his body, swiftly disappearing as fast as it arrived. Occasional blue bolts of electricity crackled around his frame

Uub was always awestruck whenever he watched Goku change the color of his hair on command. Despite that, he could feel a pressure emanate from Goku, one that was different from the one that enveloped this dimension as well as the previous Super Saiyan transformation.

“Incredible! Your energy is astounding master!” Uub said in amazement.

With a soft chuckle, Goku answered his student. “I’m glad to see that you’re still sharpening your ki sense, the more you do it, the more clearly you’ll be able to see in your mind’s eye.”

Uub gulped as he also took a battle stance, his body suddenly enveloped itself in a brilliant white energy as he shouted with intensity. Goku noticed his eyes had flickered red for a moment, oh yeah, he was getting pumped! Once more the two lunged at one another as the space between them had been crossed in the blink of an eye. Uub threw a flurry of punches with the intent to slug his master. Goku meanwhile took notes as he couldn’t help but smile, all the while dodging and weaving through the rain of fists. He’d give the rundown to Uub later, right now he was enjoying this.

Meanwhile, far above even the heavenly realm of Dende’s Lookout, out in space on Earth’s very own Moon, was a large round facility that resembled the business juggernaut on Earth, the Capsule Corporation. A translucent sphere was wrapped around the entire celestial body, invisible to the naked eye as to avoid being a distraction to the people below. Within the halls and rooms of the spacious base were numerous spherical flying robots that attended to various tasks that were required for keeping the base fully operational. The robot’s long tube-like arms ended with four fingers as the digits pressed buttons and moved along screens, filling the relatively quiet building with ambience.

Within a large room that was currently lit a striking red, one man moved about throwing punches at the air. His hair was black and spiked upwards, his gaze fierce as sweat rolled down his face. He wore a black tank top with baggy blue pants, white boots were planted firmly on the ground as white gloved fists continued to strike the air, and a long tail like that of a macaque swayed behind him. Vegeta, the mighty Saiyan warrior, was just finishing up some training for this session.

Vegeta walked to a control panel and pressed a few keys that made the red light dim to a plain white, the pressure that had been weighing down on the man easing up. This Gravity Chamber, where gravity could be manipulated, was based on a previous invention made by Vegeta’s father-in-law, the brilliant scientist Dr. Briefs. Of course his wife, Bulma, was arguably a greater genius and had managed to create this moon base just for him, all in order to further his training.

After the gravity had returned to normal, Vegeta made his way to the washroom. After a quick rinse, the man admired his musculature in the mirror. He also couldn’t help but lightly stroke the mustache that he had grown over this time, yes, very tasteful for an older Saiyan like himself. He couldn’t help but think of how he was starting to look more like his father with it. Vegeta smirked, as he was obviously a better father than his own old man. Speaking of which, now wouldn’t be a bad time to check in on his family. After putting on a fresh pair of clothes, he wrapped his tail around his waist and made his way over to a communication center.

Vegeta asked one of the robots to call his family, a request that the machine complied with. Despite being on the Moon, the service here was impressive. After a few short moments, the picture of a youthful woman with teal hair appeared on the screen. Bulma’s face lit up immediately at the sight of her husband, elated that he was thoughtful and actually bothered to check in on her, unlike a certain friend she knew.

“Hey babe, oh my, don’t you look handsome? How’s everything up there?” Bulma cheerfully exclaimed.

Vegeta grinned at the compliment before answering. “Everything is perfect up here. How are Trunks and Bra? They’re not giving you trouble, are they?” He said as he crossed his arms.

“Come on, you know they’re not like that. Trunks is off with Goten doing who knows what and Bra was here watching me tinker with some machines. Speaking of, she should still be around here.” Bulma said as she looked around the room before calling out for their daughter.

Immediately, a little girl that was the spitting image of her mother poked her head out from behind a box and ran straight to her. Her face beamed with excitement as she saw her father on the screen. “ Hi daddy! How are you doing on the Moon?” Bra asked enthusiastically.

Vegeta softly smiled back at his daughter, glad to see she was fine. “Hello sweetheart, I’m doing fine up here. Listen, I’ll be back by the weekend and I’ll stay at the house for a while okay?”

“Yay! Okay daddy! Oh yeah, you look like those wrestler guys Trunks and his friend like to watch on TV!” Bra innocently chuckled as she pointed at Vegeta’s mustache.

The older Saiyan felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment as he recalled seeing those exaggerated men in flashy colors, giving long winded speeches and using those over the top techniques. The absurdity reminded him of Gohan’s father-in-law, and that made him cringe even if he barely showed it.

“Tsk, thank you Bra. Believe me that wasn’t my intention. Besides, I believe you should go back and help your mother with her work, yes?” Vegeta said as he maintained his composure.

“Okey dokey, see you soon! I love you daddy!” Bra cheerfully exclaimed.

This time Vegeta quickly glanced around the room behind his daughter to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Seeing the coast clear, Vegeta cleared his throat. “I love you too princess, I will see you soon. I trust you know how to turn this off? I’m sure your mother has her head down doing whatever it is she’s working on, so tell her I love her too.”

“Turning this off is simple, and I’ll tell mom what you said, I promise! Bye bye!” The video feed cut off as Vegeta stood in place for a few moments pondering, before suddenly speed walking towards the bathroom. He grabbed a nearby razor on the sink as he stared back at his reflection.

“Tch! I didn’t want to look like that old fool anyways.” Vegeta grumbled as he applied some shaving cream to his upper lip.

Bulma meanwhile thought that call was a little quick, although she figured that the comment Bra made about Vegeta’s mustache gave him second thoughts, which was a shame. Nevertheless, she could get back to having some mother-daughter bonding time with Bra. Although now that she thought about it, it had been a bit since her and Pan’s last playdate, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to call Videl one of these days.

***

Elsewhere on Earth

They soared through the sky, the older of the two slowing himself down immensely so that his pupil could even have a chance to catch up to him. The former demon of the Earth was helping the next generation in preparing for the worst, to defend their home with everything they could. The Namekian wore weighted clothing on his form, white ceremonial armor along with a turban of matching color except for the purple at the top. A purple martial arts uniform covered most of his body, the midsection being wrapped with a bright red belt, brown shoes sitting perfectly on his feet.

The reincarnation of the Demon King, Piccolo Jr, rushed through the bright blue sky of the valley. Helping his newest apprentice to stabilize her flight, along with her training exercise.

“Mr.Piccolo,” the young child stated with a slightly upset tone. “Slow down! I can’t catch up!” The girl struggled to keep balance within the air, this power being quite new to the martial artist in training. She pouted as she held onto the orange bandana on her head with one hand, her other holding a small beeping device. A brown backpack, holding very special orbs of unimaginable magic within, held firm against the billowing wind. Bright red shoes and gloves shone in the sun’s light for moments at a time, the color reflecting perfectly off of the sunlight. The rest of her clothing was pitch black in colorization, a demonic drawing on the center of her shirt with the writing “GTH” being right above it, a gift from her silly grandfather that always made her laugh.

Pan, the youngest member of the Son family, daughter of Gohan and Videl, had been taken under wing by Piccolo. While her parents worked their respective jobs during the day and even sometimes late into the night, she was with the great hero of the Warrior Clan. As he had taught her father before her, Piccolo would make her into a capable warrior in her own right.

“There is no need to rush, young lady, allow your body to will yourself forward. Your ki will guide you just like the others. You have the other fundamentals down to a T, be patient.”

The young girl pouted again for a moment before continuing forward, her frown quickly becoming a bright shining smile as the radar in her hand finally drew closer to the signal. “It’s down there!,” She stated with a whimsical uproar of joy as she pointed towards the forest below. “The last Dragon Ball is down in the forest!”

“Very good Pan, let’s make our way down.”

The two warriors descended towards the ground, the master carefully landing on the forest floor while not disturbing the grass beneath his feet while the student for a moment began to panic. Losing control of her flight as she drew closer to the ground, her eyes widened as she quickly took action to not crash into the environment below. The young Saiyan simply took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing herself to focus before slamming into the earth below. When she had reopened them, she found herself hovering mere inches above the ground, a sigh of relief exiting her mouth as she properly landed. Turning to her master with a bright smile, “I managed to catch myself, but that was really close.”

“You must learn to concentrate on the easier things with Ki control, only then will you be able to master the vast potential within you.” Piccolo stated as he placed his hand on her shoulder, a slight grin making it onto his face before they began to march forward.

“You really think that I can be that strong?”

“You have vastly surpassed Goha- I mean, your father when he was your age. I am sure in time you will become one of the strongest people on the planet.”

Pan continued to smile as her master praised her, to have this much faith from her sensei along with her family, she felt more energized than ever to continue her training. As much as Grandma wished that she would never have to fight, she knew that Grandpa Goku would be more than happy to see her progress. She really missed him, not having seen him since the day of the World’s Martial Arts Tournament five years ago. Hopefully the next time they saw each other, it would be a joyous reunion.

The beeping grew incredibly loud, ending her thought and returning her to the task at hand. Looking towards a bright green bush on the forest floor, her hand reached into it and instantly wrapped around a circular object. She then pulled the last of the Dragon Balls out of the leaves. “Let’s gooooo!” Pan shouted with excitement, the young Saiyan had never seen the eternal dragon in person, only hearing stories from her friends and family of what he looked like. Finally seeing it after the myths that had been built up in her childhood was like a dream coming true.

Gently placing the seventh ball down in the center of the six that were neatly arranged in a circle, Pan carefully walked backwards to admire her handiwork. “There, perfect! Okay Mr. Piccolo, I put the balls down like you said.” Pan said as she pointed to the magical orbs on the ground. Her towering mentor nodded in approval.

“Good, now do you remember the phrase I told you that summons the dragon?”

The youngster smiled cheekily at the question. “Of course I do, let me get ready.” She began to clear her throat before taking a sip of some water. Piccolo rolled his eyes slightly. Although he quickly reminded himself that even though he had seen the Eternal Dragon countless times at this point, this would be Pan’s first time and thus the most impactful.

“Rise Eternal Dragon, come forth and grant my wish, please!” Pan yelled with confidence. Immediately the seven balls began to glow, their intensity increasing by the second. The sky began to darken as the sound of thunder echoed in the distance, Pan also noticing crackles of golden energy dancing around the spheres. The young girl backed up into Piccolo, who gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

Another massive bolt of lightning struck the balls as Piccolo instinctively shielded Pan from flying debris. The child had managed to keep her eyes open despite the intense light that shone from the orbs, watching in awe as seven columns of golden energy shot forth into the sky. She could’ve sworn that each beam had a monstrous head before they all converged into a single ray, which began to wrap around the entire sky.

Pan saw the shining silhouette of a serpentine entity for a brief moment, before the golden light that enveloped it began to break apart, dissipating into millions of tiny specks of light. With the being’s entire frame now no longer obscured, Pan was able to witness just who it was she had summoned. She was speechless at the distinguished, towering form of the Eternal Dragon, Shenron, who was now before her; she felt as if his gaze was examining her soul.

The dragon had fierce crimson red eyes that softly glowed amidst the darkened sky. Twin horns that resembled the antlers of a deer rested atop the head as long whiskers like that of a catfish rhythmically flowed like the waves of the ocean. Twin tufts of jade green hair rested on opposite sides of his jaws. Shenron’s crocodilian-esque jaws were parted slightly, enough to see the razor sharp teeth that rested within.

Emerald green scales covered the upper body of the dragon god, complimented by a single row of dark green fins that were serrated like a saw running down his back. A thin red line separated the upper body from the sand colored lower jaw and ventral scales of the underbelly. Two pairs of eagle-like claws flexed in anticipation before speaking with a mighty and booming voice.

“I am the Eternal Dragon, Shenron. You who have gathered the Dragon Balls and summoned me forth, state your wish an- Oh, it is you, my master.” The dragon god’s tone immediately shifted to a more casual one.

“Hello Shenron.” Piccolo nodded as he greeted the dragon. “My friend here wants to make a wish.” He gently nudged Pan forward, the dragon could see the child was cautious and timid, thus he spoke in a gentler tone.

“Greetings little one, tell me your desire so that I may grant it for you.” said the emerald deity.

Pan plucked up the courage to speak to Shenron with a similar familiarity like Mr. Piccolo, although more respectful as she had never met the Eternal Dragon until now. “Hello Mr. Shenron, my name is Pan, uh, is it true you can grant any wish?” The child said with innocent curiosity.

“Indeed little one, so long as it is in my power, I will grant you one wish.” Shenron stated.

Piccolo’s ears perked up at that statement as he quickly cut in. “One wish? What happened to the three?” The Namekian said as he crossed his arms, his gaze stern.

Shenron was slightly taken aback at the question, but explained. “Forgive me Master Piccolo, I had assumed you knew already, but Master Dende decided that it would be unwise to grant unknown first timers access to the three wishes.”

“Hmph, that does make sense.” Piccolo said as he looked down at Pan, hoping she wouldn’t be too distraught by the news. “Well then, you heard him Pan. Are you okay with this one wish?”

Pan shuffled side to side as she hummed to herself before speaking. “I’m uh, well, I was thinking about asking for Pokémon Vanilla version, but I could just ask Grandpa for it and he’d probably buy me it. I actually can’t think of anything since everyone is safe and there’s no bad guys around…” Pan said as she looked at her feet while rubbing the back of her head with one hand. “Dad taught me the word superfluous, and I believe it‘d be wasteful to ask Mr. Shenron for a video game or something silly like that.”

Piccolo was impressed, although he supposed that he really shouldn’t be. He had heard from the others that Gohan was quite intelligent and advanced for his age when they all met him. Naturally, his daughter would be the same. “You’re a good kid Pan, however, I highly recommend using the wish while we have it. There’s always the possibility that ill-hearted people could make a wish that snowballs into a massive problem down the line.” Suddenly, an idea came to mind. “Actually, if you really don’t want to use the wish, then do you mind if I use it?” The Namekian inquired.

“Sure Mr. Piccolo, you can have it!” Pan cheerfully exclaimed. Piccolo smiled as he nodded in thanks.

“Okay Shenron, I just need the one wish, but I have a question first. Can you unlock my potential the same way Grand Elder Guru could back then?” Piccolo inquired.

Shenron nodded his head in approval. “Indeed, a simple matter. I presume that this will be your wish?”

“That’s right, let’s go!” Piccolo exclaimed.

Without missing a beat, Shenron rose up and began to circle the sky like a living tornado. Gusts of wind were pulled towards Piccolo as flaming blue energy engulfed his body, he felt like he was getting a good stretch in as an immense power swelled up inside of himself. Shenron slowed down to a halt as he had finished the process.

“There, all you have, plus a bit extra,” Shenron said. A large mirror fell from the sky, allowing Piccolo to get a good look at himself. Pan watched in awe at the evolution her master had undergone.

Piccolo eyed himself up as he had noticed his skin had changed from shamrock green to a yellow-green. “I didn’t think I had this much power inside me.”

Likewise, Pan could also sense the immense power that emanated from Piccolo. “Woah, that power’s amazing, you’re crazy strong now!”

“With the one wish granted, I bid you farewell, until next time.” Shenron bellowed as he rose into the sky. The Dragon Balls began to rise up into the sky as well before being turned to stone. Once more, a golden energy enveloped the dragon as he began to disappear. The seven Dragon Balls proceeded to scatter far across the globe as the sky returned to its normal blue color.

Before Piccolo or Pan could do anything, a loud and panicked voice filled the Namekian’s head immediately. “Piccolo! This is Dende, can you hear me?” The guardian shouted.

Piccolo jolted at the sudden call, but composed himself. “Yes Dende, what’s wrong!?”

“Sorry for the short notice, but this is urgent! Vegeta is currently chasing a powerful, unknown energy to Earth. Goku is here with me, he knows, so now I’m warning you to be on guard!” Dende’s voice was clearly distressed, Piccolo knew that whatever was coming was no joke.

***

He sat still hovering in the air, the Saiyan prince returning to meditating after the small call with his family. His tail wrapped around his waist, the warrior’s eyes being closed as he sat crisscross while levitating.

During his time on the Earth, his anger had been dulled by quite a large margin, the hate slowly fading away as he adjusted to its people and climate. His body was not the only thing he had to keep sharp while training, to protect his home and family, his mind would also undergo intense preparation for the next threat. Fifteen years had gone by, a decade and a half since Majin Buu had caused chaos within their lives. And unlike that fool Gohan, he would not sit idly by and just do nothing during the peace.

They would always need to be prepared for whatever came from the vast emptiness of space or their own backyard. It was the least he could do, for all the horror he had committed across countless planets.

His eyes snapped open as he felt something quickly approaching the planet from the vast void, jolting to his feet before running towards the console nearby. Pressing his pointer finger onto a button in front of him, the shutters opened to reveal the planet below, and a bright golden light rushing towards it. Without a second to waste, Vegeta quickly sprung towards the door, running down the hallway to reach the exit of the facility. “Contact Bulma right now!” He yelled at one of the server robots committing to their tasks. “Inform her of something approaching the planet, and that I am pursuing it.”

He bolted towards the other side of the hallway, opening the exit door before rushing into the air towards the end of the facility’s dome. The experienced warrior took in a deep breath before the dome upon the moon opened up. Air rushed out into the void as he dashed towards whatever was about to make landfall on the planet as fast as he could. The energy was incredibly powerful, while he was confident in his ability to defeat whatever this entity was off of first glance, if the Earth had taught him anything, it was to never underestimate an opponent.

As he continued to draw closer to the signature, his eyebrow raised a bit as he felt an incredibly familiar energy close by. Turning his gaze for a moment towards the portion of Earth closest to him, a slight smirk formed on his face. The advantages against a possible opponent grew, if this presence warranted it. It would seem that Piccolo and Pan were the closest, while Kakarot was more than likely with Uub at the moment. He would try his best to resolve the situation and not force Kakarot to leave his task, training the reincarnation of Kid Buu remained top priority. After all, he had spoken quite frequently of leaving the Earth’s defense to the next generation, a world where he was not needed anymore.

He wouldn’t allow, for even a moment, that dream to be distracted.

***

Piccolo braced himself as he felt the foreign energy come closer and closer, soon enough he realized that it had to be coming towards him and Pan. The Namekian was about to tell Pan to leave, but with how fast that thing was moving, Piccolo begrudgingly knew that it would be better if she stayed with him. Even Pan could tell that something powerful was coming towards her, but she had faith in Mr. Piccolo. Besides, if things got out of hand then her father and grandfather, Goku, wouldn’t be too far behind.

Despite only minutes passing, the time felt agonizing as the master and student duo awaited whatever was coming towards them. Soon enough, they saw a brilliant yellow light appear in the sky, its speed decreasing as it grew closer to the ground. Nevertheless, the unknown object had indeed landed with immense force despite its pace having lessened.

Rocks and clumps of dirt were sent flying in all directions across the clearing the duo stood in. Piccolo snarled as he raised his cape again, Pan instinctively ducked for cover as she heard the sound of debris smack against the extremely durable fabric that belonged to her guardian. After a couple of seconds, everything returned to somewhat normal. Dust that had been kicked up from the impact began to slowly dissipate as a humanoid silhouette could be seen within.

Stepping out from the cloud of dirt was a horned silver and red humanoid. With the being before him and now clearly in no rush, Piccolo folded his arms as he got a feel for this person’s ki. He didn’t feel any malicious intent from the individual, but it was possible that it was masking its true intent. Suddenly, Piccolo closed his eyes as he opened his mind.

Within a dark void stood the glowing red outline of the figure that stood before Piccolo, wandering about as his head jerked around in various directions. The new arrival was impressed by this being’s mental strength, but was able to peer beyond the dark veil regardless, covertly gathering information about who he was standing before. However, before he could snoop around further, he felt two hands being placed on each of his shoulders.

The newcomer was shocked at the sensation, even more so when he was suddenly twisted around to come face to face with two apparitions. Unlike himself who appeared more abstract, these two appeared with what looked like complete physical forms. Every detail was clear as day, one being resembled the one that stood before him on the physical plane, but older and dressed in holy robes, a wooden staff in his hand.

Likewise, the second being was young like the one outside, but wore an open blue vest, white scarf, and baggy white pants. Before the interloper could make heads or tails of what was transpiring, he felt the two place their hands on his chest. With a forceful push, the red entity felt himself forced out of the mind of the pointy-eared person. On the outside, Pan watched as Piccolo and the red man stared at each other for a couple of seconds, before the horned being suddenly stumbled back a bit as if pushed by a gust of wind.

“I was unaware of your people’s telepathy, truly remarkable.”

Piccolo had obtained the information he needed rather easily, the Ultra’s mental barrier being far weaker than he had anticipated. The giant of light’s memories flooded his mind, from the genocide of his home world to his various battles on his Earth, to finally, what brought him here.

“So, the multiverse is far more elaborate than what we were led to believe. Either that or your Earth has never run into elements of ours, for better or worse.”

Ultraman Leo’s form suddenly began to shift as his body glowed bright. For a moment, the Namekian of the Warrior Clan was prepared to defend himself and his apprentice, but no harm came as the entity’s form changed to that of a human man. A warm smile met their gazes as he approached the two, reaching out his hand to meet Piccolo’s own. “You may call me either Ultraman Leo or Gen Otori, whichever you prefer.”

The Namekian reached out, grasping the newcomer’s hand and giving a firm handshake before giving his own name. “Piccolo, and this is Pan.” The girl briefly continued to hide behind her mentor, only for her courage to overcome her fear as she stepped out of his shadow. The shy girl looked at Gen as he smiled down at her, crouching down for a moment to meet her eyes.

“I’m sorry if I frightened you, Pan, I didn’t mean to cause alarm. I only wish to investigate this world.”

“What for?”

“Have either of you run into an ’Ultraman’ on this Earth?” Pan nodded back and forth for a firm no, the young warrior having only met the rest of her family’s friends. Such was the case for someone growing up in a time of peace.

“Closest we have is the Great Saiyaman One and Two,” A warm smile graced her face at the memory of watching old recordings of her parents being superheroes to the people of West City. “We have people to protect home, but no Ultramen or women anywhere.”

“That is both a relief that this world has capable defenders, and a concern that there is no Ultra present.”

Piccolo raised his eyebrow for a moment, feeling slightly insulted that this stranger had only just arrived to his home and doubted their capabilities. But if the slight glimmer of the foe that he saw Leo and the rest of the Ultras facing on Planet Namek was any indication, then perhaps he had a real reason to fear an outcome without an “Ultraman” on this world. Though seeing as his homeworld was inhabited by Ultras and they themselves could not escape genocide, much like the Namekian people, he didn’t know if he would put too much stock in a theoretical Ultraman of this universe.

“Seeing as this ‘Belial’ had managed to push the entire Land of Light’s forces back and almost destroy us all, I can see your concern. But if he were to arrive here, he wouldn’t escape alive.”

“How can you be so sure?” Gen asked as he stood back up, meeting the Namekian’s gaze. “I have fought alongside your people, warriors from across your planet fought valiantly to aid us against that demon. And yet, they were all slaughtered during the conflict.” There was a pause as he thought of what to say next, choosing his next words very carefully as to not offend the warriors before him. “But I must admit, there is something different about you, vastly…”

Piccolo went to continue the conversation, only for a familiar signature to gain his attention, looking upward into the sky to see Vegeta hovering above them. The Saiyan prince slowly descended towards the ground with his arms crossed, his tail swaying from side to side as his boots made contact with the forest floor beneath him. Gen turned to see the newest arrival, a shorter man with long black hair staring directly at him with a malicious glare.

“Hi Vegeta!” Pan yelled out excitedly, the young girl waving as she ran towards her friend’s father and hugging him. Vegeta for a moment was embarrassed, only for the moment to earn a smile from him as he patted her on the head and ruffled her hair with his gloved hand.

“It’s good to see you too, Pan,” He stated before turning his attention back to the newcomer before him, politely pushing the young girl aside and approaching, sizing him up while attempting to gain a sense of power from his Ki signature. “Piccolo, do you wish to inform me who our guest is? Or shall I gain answers through another method?”

Gen gulped, only to nervously attempt to explain himself, the Ultraman of Planet L77 finding himself strangely against the wall in a sense. “My name is Ultraman Leo, I come from another universe. We tracked down a great evil from my home dimension to Namek, where we held our final stand… If it wasn’t for the sacrifice of our strongest warrior, this universe would have been completely erased from existence.”

Vegeta’s glare left the visitor for a moment, turning towards Piccolo to confirm his story, the Namekian nodding that what he spoke was in fact true. “And why are you here on Earth exactly?”

“I was tasked to find another like me on this world, but with very little to go off of, it seems that this universe does not have an Ultraman yet. So…” He spoke before turning towards Piccolo behind him, a smile forming on Gen’s face as he went to speak. “I guess I will have to see if this planet has reasonable counters should Belial arrive to this world.”

“You propose a sparring session?”

“Yes but not here,” Gen stated before pointing at the celestial body orbiting the planet. “I managed to spot some sort of base on your moon, I believe it would be better to hold the battle there. No wild life would be hurt in the process, and under the Earth’s atmosphere I can only hold my original form for over two minutes at most.”

“Is that why you changed into a human form? To preserve your energy?” Pan asked out of curiosity.

“Partially yes, but I also wanted to show that I wasn’t a threat to either of you. Lowering my guard makes talking much easier when dealing with a situation like this.”

A moment of silence passed as Vegeta pondered the proposal, weighing his options to deal with the task at hand. What this “Leo” said seemed the most logical, but there had been very few people that visited this world and not had some sort of ulterior motive at play. The Kaioshin seemed to be the only exception in his time here on the Earth. Though, he was not reading any signs of malice from the visitor, the man seemed genuine.

“There are three things you must prove to us during this spar,” Vegeta stated as he held out his hand with three digits raised up while he explained. “The first is that you are not a threat to our home, if you so much as show any vile intent and manage to somehow defeat Piccolo, it will be the last thing you do. The second is that you are speaking the truth, if this ‘Belial’ is this much of a threat, then after the battle I want elaborate details on how to deal with this, and the third,” He said as he stepped forward, turning his hand into a fist with his thumb pointing at himself.

“Is that you are worth the time of day.”

Gen backed away for a moment, intimidated by the aggressive Saiyan as his tone was completely serious. The visitor nodded to confirm he understood as he took in the moment, while he would surely defend himself if need be, he would show Vegeta that he truly meant no harm. After all, he would have understood if humanity had been weary of him when he first arrived on his Earth. Luckily for him, however, he was seen as a hero by humanity due to the past actions of previous Ultras, letting his own deeds speak for themselves. “Good,” Vegeta stated before walking over towards the other, his back turned to the otherworldly hero of light. “We will meet you there.”

“Wouldn’t it just be easier to follow me?”

“Pan here has never been to space and I have a way for us to get in rather fast,” Turning back to Leo with a stern face, giving all that he needed to know from a single look, Vegeta added. “It will be much easier for her to watch the battle this way.”

Without another word, Gen returned to his original form before leaping into the sky and soaring through the air. Swiftly, he had exited the sight of the grounded group.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed, Piccolo,” Vegeta said as he turned with a smile, a bit of excitement and jealousy forming in his face and tone of voice. “You are much stronger than when we previously saw each other. Perhaps after this match, we should go a round.”

The Namekian shared the same look as the Saiyan, an earnest smile at a good sparring session with Vegeta would be a rush. After all, during all of these years, not once have they met in combat. “Lets deal with this first, but it would make for a rather good bout, plus Pan gets to learn more through the two fights.”

“I get to come with!?”

“Well, your parents are still busy and I am sure they won’t mind as long as I bring you back,” The warrior teased.

“Grab onto me you two,” Vegeta stated as he pressed two fingers on his forehead and closed his eyes, quickly locking onto Leo’s energy signature without issue. “We’ll be there in a moment.”

“So during your time off world, you went to Yardrat, is that it Vegeta?” Piccolo said as he put his hand on the Saiyan’s shoulder.

“While Kakarot trains the boy, I will not allow myself to be left behind in this time of peace. Gohan would benefit greatly from continuing his training.” Vegeta suddenly felt a tug at his hand as Pan grasped it, opening one of his eyes and looking down to the granddaughter of his rival.

“Actually, Dad has been helping me a bit, and he teaches at Mom’s dojo when he has free time every once in a while. Plus, I think he’s been staying up late at night, sometimes there’s a yellow light outside of my window and he keeps yelling.”

Vegeta couldn’t help but smile a little at the girl’s honesty and defense of her father, his softer side showing for a moment before closing his eye again. “That’s good to hear, now before we leave, take a quick breath of air and hold for a second. It will only be a moment.”

The girl listened to her elder, quickly doing as she was told and just as fast as she did, they appeared before the moon’s invisible shield.

***

The barrier that Vegeta had flown out of previously opened automatically as it recognized the spiky haired man’s energy signature. Piccolo let go of Vegeta as he went to land on the rocky terrain, the Saiyan prince keeping a firm grip on Pan as he gently descended to the floor of the facility, the barrier immediately closing as they did so. Vegeta expected Pan to let go of his hand but she did not, prompting a sigh as he guided her to a large lobby area. Bulma had designed it that way in case she wanted to throw a party for the gang up here.

Vegeta managed to free his hand as he cleared his throat.

“We will watch the battle from here, Bulma made sure to have a view of the Earth.” Vegeta said as he pointed to the blue and green planet.

Pan was absolutely elated, she had only ever seen Earth from the school books or internet. Though, she was a bit bummed that space wasn’t as colorful as movies and TV shows made it seem. In fact, it looked to be a black empty void that was infinite, only a star or two breaking that monotony. Pan for the first time felt how puny she was in the grand scheme of things, meanwhile Vegeta was oblivious to the revelations the younger hybrid was experiencing as he saw the glow from Leo rapidly approaching the Moon.

Ultraman Leo descended to the surface of the Moon, his feet kicking up dust as he once again stood before Piccolo. The Namekian had reverted to his normal state before Leo arrived, something the space warrior noticed. Piccolo in turn noted that the warrior of light was no longer a giant, roughly eye to eye with him. The pointy-eared man removed the turban atop his head as well as the cape that he wore, placing the articles of clothing to the side. His purple martial arts uniform was now fully displayed.

“Alright, Leo, let’s get to it, show me the power of an Ultraman!” Piccolo proclaimed as he took his fighting stance, his left arm tucked to his side as he raised his right arm.

Leo slowly nodded as he too took a similar stance to Piccolo, his right arm tucked to his side as his left arm was raised. “I can tell that you are no amateur, Piccolo, now allow me to prove myself to you!” Leo exclaimed.

The two lunged at each other before they slammed their forearms together in a brief contest of strength. Neither yielded for a couple of seconds before both fell to the ground. Piccolo threw a short, yet rapid, flurry of punches aimed at the silver and red man, however the space martial artist gracefully dodged and weaved through each strike. Leo crouched down and swung his fist into Piccolo’s gut. The Namekian grunted as he hunched over slightly.

Piccolo quickly brought his hands together and slammed both fists down onto Leo’s cranium. Leo likewise grunted before a knee slammed into his face, the Ultraman was sent hurtling backwards to the ground. Instead of landing flat on his back however, the horned warrior flipped himself in midair and landed on his feet.

Without skipping a beat, Leo threw himself forward as he swung his leg outwards towards Piccolo’s head. The Namekian raised one arm to block the strike; however, a swift kick to the chin by Leo’s free leg forced Piccolo to stumble back. Again, Leo pressed his offense by getting in close to his opponent, throwing his own flurry of chops and punches. Piccolo grunted as he parried every attempted strike, this man was clearly no amateur, his strikes wasted no movement and were immensely refined.

After a few crucial seconds, Leo’s fist slipped past Piccolo’s defense as a clean punch landed square on his jaw. The impact forced him to skid backwards as dust and rock was dredged up.

The Namekian couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic during the duel, a smile forming on his face as he remembered his battle with Android 17 years ago. This would be a fight to remember, and he would take his time showing Leo that his experience and strength would overcome this “Belial” should the time come.

It was time to switch tactics.

Piccolo quickly slammed his fists into the ground below him, sending a gigantic cloud of moon dust into the air to cover the Ultraman’s line of sight. Leo covered his face, keeping his guard up as he simply charged forward with a strike, only to find nothing there as his fist met the air. “So it would seem that you cannot sense energy,” Leo quickly went to strike the Namekian fusion’s face with a swing backward from his elbow, only to be met with Piccolo simply catching the limb with his palm. “Good to know.”

The strategist then swung with his free arm, striking Leo’s stomach with extreme force, the Ultra coughing for a moment as he was sent soaring from the strong blow. Only for the survivor of Planet L77 to begin rapidly spinning in the air as he flew, catching himself while preparing for an attack, his body glowing bright azure blue as his form became like that of a buzzsaw.

The Body Boomerang charged directly at Piccolo, aiming to at least catch him by surprise, in which it did. Charging at full speed at his opponent forced the Namekian to quickly dodge the oncoming attack, leaping backwards to gain distance as Leo kept soaring through the air. Piccolo’s hand began to glow a radiant gold as he quickly gathered energy, his Ki rising at an alarming rate as he roared with fury. A simple Ki blast would not do the trick, he needed to force Leo back to the ground for him to regain the advantage.

The Ultra quickly turned around, once again aiming to meet Piccolo head on and land a devastating blow, only for a cocky smirk to emerge on the Namekian’s face as his foe fell right into the trap.

“LIGHT GRENADE!”

The radiant golden ki blast surged forwards at incredible speed. Leo did not have time to maneuver around the blast, instead hoping that his form would slice the blast in half, and to his luck, it did. Piccolo’s eyes widened for a moment as he quickly took action to avoid the devastating blow to his body, his shoulder still making contact with the shimmering Leo. A geyser of purple ichor flew into the air as Leo landed behind Piccolo with grace.

“I am aware of your people’s ability to regenerate from devastating wounds,” The ultra martial artist stated as he quickly closed the distance with a strong kick to his opponent’s back, pushing him forward with a grunt as he gritted his teeth. “Like my master did with me, I am going to put you through hell.” Gen quickly took the opportunity to strike as fast as he could upon Piccolo’s body, pushing him backward with each blow.

Energy quickly built up as Piccolo began to grow annoyed, sending out a shockwave of energy, the Hyper Demon Explosive Wave sending Leo flying backwards into the moon’s surface. Dust and rock flew as the warrior of light went to regain his composure, quickly leaping back to his feet, only to be met with Piccolo’s talons wrapping around his neck. The Namekian’s arm had stretched to subdue the Ultra, pulling him in quickly before he could counter and landing a devastating blow to Leo’s chest with a strong knee strike.

The Ultraman cried out in pain as he was sent flying, but he was still within the Dragon Team strategist’s grasp, swiftly being pulled back in and struck repeatedly. Time seemed to slow down as the final blow lit his body with a bright golden light, Piccolo’s demonic maw opening to reveal a gateway of power as he charged the Mouth Energy Wave.

“Shit…”

The beam quickly rushed forward and engulfed Leo’s form, alongside Piccolo’s arm. While he had severed his own limb, he had also dealt a devastating blow to the Ultraman. A loud thud was heard as dust engulfed his vision, not a sound occurring as Piccolo grunted and put his energy into regrowing his arm. While it was a painful experience every time and cost precious stamina, it was worth gaining the upper hand if need be.

He waited a moment for any sign of movement to emerge from the smoke, only to be left somewhat disappointed. He hadn’t even been able to try out his newest transformation yet… it didn’t feel right that this was how it ended.

Only for his wishes to be answered as Leo sprung forward at light-speed, his fist glowing a bright hellish red as he swung the limb forward and landed his mark. Purple blood erupted from Piccolo’s maw as his eyes widened from the sheer amount of pain rushing through him, for Ultraman Leo had managed to puncture his flesh completely. “You are no mere Namekian, and for that I will not give in so easily to a worthy warrior!”

Piccolo’s eyes flashed indigo for a moment before twin beams emerged from the sensitive organs, sending Leo backwards. He followed the attack with a strong spin kick to the skull, sending the visitor from another dimension to the ground. The fusion quickly gained distance, leaping backward to regain his breath and regenerate the massive wound in his torso.

Only for the moment to be cut short as Leo’s body began to rapidly grow in size, his form basked in bright white light during the process. “I believe it’s time we skipped the warm up, this is our people’s natural size,” The Ultra stated as he towered over the injured Piccolo, the space martial artist cockily crossing his arms as he explained further. “If you are a match for Belial, then you will need to combat a giant!”

Leo didn’t waste a moment, swinging downward at the Namekian, only for him to simply catch the blow entirely as something began to shift. The member of MAC was in awe as Piccolo rapidly grew in size, nearly matching the Ultra in height. Piccolo twisted his foe’s hand backwards, earning a groan of pain as he was forced onto his knees. “I haven’t had to use this trick in a very long time,” He stated as he remembered his fateful battle with Goku at the World Martial Arts Tournament only three years after their original encounter.

“Congratulations, you have earned the true might of a former Kami.”

“You were once a God?” Leo stated as he attempted to regain his footing, through the pain he forced himself back up to tower over Piccolo.

Only for the Namekian’s form to suddenly turn into a bright yellow, his body becoming more muscular than before. Raising his arm backward, he swung forward at his helpless foe and landed a devastating strike across the Ultra’s skull. The attack sent him completely through the moon’s body, Leo’s form being thrown so hard that he barely managed to catch himself before slamming through the barrier.

The Ultraman took in deep breaths as he descended back towards the celestial body, landing on his two feet with a massive migraine and his hands upon his knees. Taking a moment to process what even happened while attempting to form a plan of action. The horned space martial artist remembered all the various techniques and abilities he had accumulated over the centuries. Having seen a decent amount of Piccolo’s abilities meant Leo could come up with counters to what he’d witnessed, although there was no doubt that Piccolo surely had more tricks up his sleeve.

The silver and red giant sprinted at blurring speeds towards Piccolo, regardless of his head pounding, despite the onslaught he had endured from his fellow warrior, he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel yet. Crimson energy glowed in the palm of Leo’s hand as he hurled his Energy Light Ball at the self proclaimed ‘god’. Piccolo growled as he raised his arms up to defend from the speedy attack.

A large explosion engulfed Piccolo, the thick dust and smoke only lasted for a second as a yellow-green arm sliced through the dark cloud, dispelling it in an instant. That moment of distraction was all Leo needed as he had again closed the gap between the two of them. Leo threw his right fist forward, the movement prompted Piccolo to do the same. However, to his shock, it had been a feint as Leo twisted his body around the outstretched arm.

Suddenly, Piccolo felt a pair of hands clasp the back of his head. Leo had his arms under Piccolo’s, putting the Namekian in a Full Nelson. Before the former demon could stretch his arms again, he suddenly felt extremely hot.

“I noticed that you rely heavily on water, so I wonder what happens when I do this!” Leo proclaimed as his body was instantly enveloped in a red aura.

“W-what!?” Piccolo shouted with concern.

A red hot beam of energy fired from every inch of the front of Leo’s body, meaning every inch of Piccolo’s body from the back was doused in the most excruciating heat he had ever felt in his life. Piccolo howled in agony as he tried to break free, but Leo’s hold was ironclad. The attack only lasted for a couple of seconds, but for Piccolo it felt like hours. Once the attack did cease, the horned Ultraman released his grip before leaping into the air to drop kick the Earth native in the spine.

Piccolo’s body scraped against the lunar surface as he groaned in pain, the back of his body was littered with blisters and scorch marks. Surprisingly the fabric of his gi had managed to remain somewhat intact, despite being charred and shredded. Nevertheless he rose up, his legs trembled slightly but he stood tall, although he was feeling very thirsty now. Piccolo turned to face Leo as he struck another fighting stance despite his screaming muscles and fried tendons.

Knowing Piccolo’s ability to regenerate meant Leo could not only go a bit extra with his iconic harsh training, but get creative with the many ways he could hurt Piccolo. The Ultraman knew that if Belial found out about the regeneration and he got his hands on Piccolo, then he would no doubt unleash whatever brutal methods of inflicting pain Leo could concoct but a hundred times over.

Sure enough, Piccolo let out a deep breath as he concentrated more stamina towards his regeneration. Strips and flakes of burnt dead skin fell from his back as his natural yellow-green skin was restored. With a grunt, Piccolo threw his hands out as numerous golden balls of energy fired from his palms. Leo likewise put an arm out and fired his Red Shuriken Beam.

The sharp red energy attacks intercepted the spherical ones as brilliant red and yellow explosions filled the nonexistent ‘sky’. The horned Ultraman leapt into the air and clasped his hands together in front of him before a white diamond-shaped energy attack shot from his fingertips. The Namekian’s eyes narrowed as he once again crossed his arms, he had to time this right. As soon as the Ultra Shot struck the ground, the purple-clad warrior leapt backwards, allowing the explosion to push him back as well as to allow the space dust to obscure him again.

Leo prepared himself for whatever was about to transpire, and he did not have to wait long. Piccolo jumped from the smoke towards Leo in an arc, at the apex of his ascent he rapidly threw his arms in and out as he fired a volley of ki spheres towards Leo. The horned hero carefully fired more Red Shuriken Beams as he followed his adversary’s trajectory. Pointed shoes landed on the Moon floor as Piccolo glanced to the white rocky plateau beside him.

With a swift swing of his arm, the fist connected and immediately sent large boulders down to Piccolo’s feet. The Namekian raised up as the chunks of rock began to levitate. Meanwhile, Leo watched in amazement and horror as he realized what was going to happen, the azure glow of his color timer beginning to increase. In seconds, a massive clump of compressed Moon rock was suspended in the air, then with a swing of his arms, Piccolo hurled the makeshift meteor with his telekinetic power straight towards Leo.

Without skipping a beat, Leo swung his arms in front of his chest before throwing them to his sides as a sky blue beam of energy fired from his color timer. The beam collided with the cluster, forcing it to halt in place as the two attacks came to a stalemate. Leo groaned as he forced his body to emit more energy, the pain in his skull pounding harder and harder.

Piccolo could feel Leo’s energy be chipped away, good, he just needed to hold these chunks of rock for a bit longer. The red and silver giant could see cracks webbed throughout the clumped together boulders, blue light shining through as a beacon for him to keep going. Soon enough, too many cracks had formed as the massive moon rock exploded into pieces, blue light shimmered across the landscape as the thuds of the boulders echoed across the lunar surface.

Leo held his arms close as he attempted to predict what his opponent could do next, from behind the falling rocks and rising smoke, he saw Piccolo smile at him. The Namekian threw his arms out once more as he used his telekinesis on Leo. The Ultraman was struck with worry as he tried to break free from the invisible grip, but to very little avail. From behind Leo, where Piccolo had jumped from previously, the pillar of smoke had dissipated to reveal a second Piccolo.

The second Piccolo had his index and middle finger pointed to his forehead as a tiny ball of energy crackled at the end of both fingertips. The first Piccolo hollered to his doppelganger.

“Do it now!”

Leo turned his head back as best as he could and barely caught sight of the second Piccolo, along with a brilliant golden light.

“SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!” The second Piccolo bellowed at the top of his lungs.

A thin golden beam of energy surrounded by a second beam that swirled around the main one, faint hints of purple outlining the whole attack, raced forth. Leo could barely think before the beam struck him, but the thought he had formed was simple. He didn’t prepare for this. The center of his spine was struck with the hellacious energy beam that ripped apart his red flesh and burrowed into his muscles, leaving him only able to roar in agony. After a few seconds, the spiral ray mercifully stopped.

On Leo’s back was a massive black scorch mark, dribbles of light flowed from various tears as smoke rose up from his hunched over form. Piccolo watched as Leo fell to one knee, his eyes dimmed.

“Doesn’t feel very good huh?” Piccolo said as his clone landed beside him, the two merging back into one being.

A sharp exhale left the smoking Leo as he slowly nodded his head. Pan meanwhile watched in awe and concern from the moon base. She had always been interested in martial arts and had hoped to one day fight alongside family like her Grandpa, Dad, or Mr. Piccolo. Now she was experiencing first hand how brutal battle can be, and to be completely honest, it made her feel excited.

She wasn’t a fool, she knew what this interest could entail, but watching this fight play out before her only made that spark grow into an inferno. The skill, the strategy, the desire to fight for others while overcoming your self, it was enough to bring a tear to her eyes. Vegeta had noticed how glued to the battle Pan was. He smirked and truly hoped this inspiration wasn’t fleeting like with his and Kakarot’s sons. Pan glanced towards Ultraman Leo, she wanted to see him succeed, help him protect what he loved, surely they all could help him.

With his knees weak, Leo forced himself to stand, the glow of his eyes returning to normal as he stared down Piccolo. The seasoned fighter took up a stance, before sprinting forward towards the Namekian. Likewise, Piccolo dashed and the two met halfway. Yellow and red fists were thrown with precision and accuracy that negated each other as both sides tried to land a clean hit. Leo then swept his leg across the ground and forced Piccolo down onto his back, the Ultraman immediately hopping onto his opponent and throwing vicious chops at his neck and chest.

Piccolo let out a pained wheeze as he tried to deflect the blows with his arms, with not much progress on that front, he threw his legs towards Leo’s back. The twin limbs smacked into Leo who was sent flying off the former demon. Leo stretched his arms out before he hit the ground, pushing off the lunar floor and flipping into the air before landing on his feet.

With a flip of his own, Piccolo got to his feet before dashing towards Leo. The Z-Fighter threw a flurry of kicks at the Ultraman. Leo grunted as he parried the various strikes aimed at him. He braced himself as he allowed a kick to strike his ribs, the horned warrior grunting but immediately wrapping his hands around the limb. The silver and red giant twisted his body at blurring speeds that threatened to give Piccolo whiplash as he threw the Namekian over his shoulder and down to the ground.

Acting fast, Leo leapt high into the air. At the apex of his ascent, he began to speed downwards with one leg stretched out, his foot becoming enveloped in a raging fire ball. Like a meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere, the Leo Kick rapidly approached the prone Piccolo. The Namekian snarled as he could sense the dangerous increase in energy as he flipped himself over.

His eyes widened as he saw Leo about to collide with him. With not many options on the table given his less than stellar reserves of energy left, he raised his arms in front of him as he braced for impact. In an instant, Leo’s foot connected with Piccolo’s gut. The Leo Kick ignited a massive explosion that engulfed both the former demon and space martial artist, leaving a massive pillar of moon dust in its wake.

The timer upon Leo’s head began to flash red rapidly as he forced himself to his feet, he had given it his all during this duel and it would seem that it was not in vain. A terrifying adversary, one far stronger than anything that he had ever encountered to this point. If Belial did arise in this universe, he would surely regret it.

As the Ultraman began to walk away from the battle, holding his damaged arm as he approached the station where Pan and Vegeta watched, the air suddenly became… heavy.

Then fear instantly creeped into his mind as he turned around, pressure building at an alarming rate within his thoughts as he stared upon Piccolo’s changed form. “Flames” of amber light surrounded his body, his frame now gigantic in comparison to his first ascension, the bright yellowish skin turning to a dark orange. His antennae pointed up now, curled backwards to point towards the sky. Red eyes snapped open as the Namekian squeezed his hands into fists while rising, staring directly at the Ultraman with an aura of malice.

Behind his back, the Namekian sign of “Pride” appeared, a glowing tree signifying his origins. The former demon smiled with glee as the air rushed past the challenging agent of light, the battle had drawn out a new power gifted to him by Shenron. He had felt the eternal dragon’s presence as the transformation occurred. “This is incredible,” Piccolo stated as he flexed his muscles, looking upon his arm as he did so, checking out his changed appearance. “You have earned this, Ultraman Leo, our battle has drawn out something new entirely out of me.”

The pressure continued to build as Piccolo took steps forward, lumbering towards his adversary slowly. He now towered over the Ultraman, each step shaking both the very ground beneath their feet and his soul.

Vegeta from within the facility watched with awe, his eyes twitching at the incredible change that he had witnessed within his ally. Not only had he greatly surpassed ten years of training in what seemed to be under a day, but something was incredibly alarming… why couldn’t he sense his Ki!?

“Vegeta!” A familiar voice entered his mind, the Guardian of Earth having a worrisome tone as he spoke. “You are watching the battle with Piccolo and our visitor, correct?”

“Yes, me and Pan are watching what appears to be the end of the battle. Piccolo has just transformed into something new, something incredible.”

“Are you or Pan able to sense his Ki?”

So it wasn’t just him? What the hell did this mean? “What the hell is going on!?”

Dende’s eyes widened as from the Lookout, he stared directly at the moon, the best he could do to see the duel unfolding from the Earth. A smile formed upon his face as the realization hit its mark, a sense of pride entering his body as he raised a fist into the air to support his friend and fellow Namekian. Piccolo had become a god, a true divine entity and now the strongest entity on the planet’s special forces. Was this the gift that Shenron had given him before the arrival of this visitor? The sins of his previous life washing away as they merged into one?

“It would seem that Piccolo… has become a god. Only I am capable of sensing his energy due to my role as ‘Guardian’ of Earth.”

“A GOD!?” Vegeta stated as his eyes widened, turning his attention back to the final moments of the battle as he processed the information. “HOW IN THE HELL!?” He said with much frustration, while he was incredibly curious on how this even occurred in the first place, he couldn’t help but feel like he had been left in the dust once again. Fifteen years of training to protect the Earth, constant exposure to artificial Blitz Waves to regain his tail and thus master his Saiyan heritage, continuing to the vastness of space to experience new training…

All snuffed out by a single moment by the Namekian.

Though he did feel an incredible sense of pride seeing the Namekian reach a level above mere mortals, a sinister grin forming on his face as he eagerly awaited to watch the end of the battle.

“Mr. Piccolo is the strongest now!” Pan shouted with excitement as she raised her fist into the air before clapping from sheer joy, a bright smile forming on her face at her teacher’s accomplishment. “Yippie!”

Meanwhile upon the battlefield, Leo took in deep breaths as he began to ponder what to do, but with no energy left and another transformation forming from the Namekian… it would seem all hope was lost in proving himself to this world’s batch of defenders.

No… NO!

Leo launched himself forward, adrenaline and determination rushing through his soul as he charged directly at his foe, releasing a battle cry as he landed his mark. He repeated the action, sending out a series of punches and kicks to his foe, only to realize as he did so that he was not even moving an inch.

Piccolo shot out various Ki blasts into the surrounding air, not even paying attention to the assault from Ultraman Leo. The former demon stared down at the agent of light, giving his everything to try and make a dent, his shout of determination to triumph loud and clear. A slight grin formed on Piccolo’s face as the golden balls of energy hovered all around them, the Ki blasts waiting for their master to give the command.

“Stand proud, Ultraman Leo. You are strong. HELLZONE GRENADE!”

With a snap of the new deity’s fingers, the orbs quickly rushed towards them both, engulfing their forms completely as the attack landed dead center. The explosion was visible from the Earth itself, even managing to concern Vegeta as he prepared to make a barrier to protect the girl. Luckily, it was contained enough to not damage anything important.

As the smoke cleared, Piccolo stood tall, his previous wounds not appearing as he towered over the de-transformed Ultraman. Leo was now the size of a human within the gigantic crater on the Moon’s surface. Piccolo began to shrink at a rapid rate, meeting the size of his unconscious adversary before quickly returning to his base form. The former demon reached down and grabbed Gen’s body before throwing it over his shoulder, carrying him towards the facility as he quickly took to the sky, landing in front of the door.

The moon base opened to him as Vegeta allowed him inside, the Saiyan staring as they walked into the room. Piccolo placed Gen upon the wall as carefully as he could, trying not to hurt him further after the intense battle. “Do you have any Senzu Beans?”

“Hmph,” Vegeta reached into his pocket, grabbing a small bag of the miracle plant before holding it out to his ally. “One should do the trick, but who knows after he has faced a god.”

“A god?” Piccolo stated in confusion, staring at the two as he reached into the pouch.

“Yeah, that’s what Dende said! We couldn’t sense your energy at all while you were Orange! Wait, what are you even going to call that transformation?” Pan stated with a bouncing curiosity.

“Well, I guess just ‘Orange Piccolo’ works fine enough for me, I don’t know.” The strategist carefully popped the Senzu Bean into the unconscious Gen’s mouth, instantly gaining a result as his eyes snapped open and he stood up. The survivor of Planet L77 quickly realized what had occurred as the three of them looked at him, the two adults having their arms crossed as they waited for a reaction.

“That was… pretty intense actually.” Gen stated as he processed the sheer power of his opponent, a sense of respect washing over him as he rubbed the back of his head. The Namekian had beaten him fair and square, and proved to him that this world would in fact be more than prepared for the rise of the fallen knight.

“You did amazing out there!” Pan yelled as she looked up at Gen with a smile. “The fight was awesome to watch and I have some ideas now!” The young hybrid began to unleash a flurry of kicks in the air, mimicking the form of Leo’s actions during the battle at hand.

“I must say, I had a lot of fun during our duel,” Piccolo stated while holding out a hand to meet his opponent’s. “I hope that you feel the same.”

Gen reached out, meeting the Namekian’s own and shaking. “It was an experience I will never forget, the rush of that sparring session was unlike anything I have ever felt. Along with the pressure from that last transformation.”

The two shared in the moment of pride before Gen began to walk towards the door, looking back with a smile as the door opened for him. “I am more than certain that if you meet Belial, that he is going to regret ever entering this universe. Thank you for this fight, and I hope that we meet again someday. Under different circumstances hopefully.”

“Goodbye Ultraman Leo!” Pan shouted with a wave of her hand, prompting Gen to quickly walk over and give the girl a high five before taking his leave.

The trio watched as Gen walked onto the Moon’s surface before transforming into his original form, giving another wave goodbye as he took to the sky. The barrier surrounding the celestial body opened for him, allowing him to take to the vastness of space and begin his journey to return home.

“This universe truly is amazing, and to think that this was only on this Earth. If this Universe should have an Ultraman… I cannot wait to meet them.”

—

Planet Namek

What stood before him was the first thing in centuries to make Ken feel fear.

The leader of the Land of Light’s military felt a high sense of dread even looking upon the smaller entity, the purple bipedal feline hovering in the air alongside a robed man with a staff. He looked upon Ken’s form, seemingly trying to get a read upon the situation. Unbeknownst to him, Beerus had already been made aware of their presence within his universe.

The God of Destruction was simply surprised at how old the Ultraman was, while Beerus more than likely eclipsed his time in the world of the living, it would seem that this situation would be handled easier than most.

“Is that bastard, Belial, dealt with?”

Ken was taken back by the deity’s question, how did he know the name of their greatest adversary without being here for the conflict at hand? He would need to answer truthfully, not wanting a confrontation with the entity before him. “I hope he has been destroyed once and for all, but I fear that it is possible he has survived just as the last,” The Father of Ultra stated as he stepped forward a little before shrinking his size. His form glowed mid-motion as he appeared before Beerus at a human height, a hand held out to make for a gesture of respect. The God of Destruction lowered himself to the ground, his attendant following closely behind as he placed his feet on the blue grass below.

The way that this Ultraman approached him felt as if he was insinuating that they were even in the same realm of respect and power. Though, it was nice to see someone give him his proper due even without knowing who he was. In light of the situation and the pressure of unknown energy that he was emanating from a mere glare, it was possible that the general knew the pecking order.

He would oblige in the simple manner of respect.

Beerus reached out his hand, shaking the Ultraman’s as he continued to speak. “If I was in your shoes I would want the threat snuffed out as quickly as possible as well. Time and time again he has escaped our justice. Narrowly escaping the jaws of death every time. I only hope that he is truly destroyed this time.”

“Either way,” Beerus stated as he held up his other hand, looking directly into Ultraman Ken’s golden eyes with a deep malice. “Why should I not destroy you here and now mortal? For the transgressions against my universe, allowing for a power that is only matched by the grand Zeno to enter this reality.” The two continued to stare at each other, moments of silence passing as the air brushed by, the tension rising with each passing second.

“I would not blame you for simply eliminating me, but I waited here to warn you of this great threat to your dimension as I wait for a scout of mine to return here. Once he has, we will return to our home and prepare for an oncoming onslaught from the fallen knight if need be.”

“A war spanning across entire universes?”

“He’s waged war with us from the other side of the barrier separating cosmoses before. If he does so, shoring up an army here in your universe, I would recommend these things.”

Ken held up his hand slowly, showing the deity that he was not going to do anything that would cost him his life. He lifted two fingers up as he explained.

“The first is that you must find the Ultraman of this dimension, the dimension I previously spoke of lacked one and that cost them trillions of lives as Belial expanded his empire. The second is that we must have trust in each other.”

“You propose an alliance?”

“Should Belial return to exact vengeance upon the Land of Light, or gain an empire here, I believe it would be best if we worked together to destroy him.”

Beerus pondered for a moment, knowing the full weight of the situation and seeing the various options before him. He lowered his arm, putting both of his limbs behind his back as he stepped towards Whis. “See to it that you and this ‘scout’ return back to your home, or my forgiveness to allow you to live will not remain much longer.”

And with that, the two godly figures disappeared in a bright beam of light. The two quickly began their journey to return to their home, Beerus simply pondering on the events that transpired. “I was surprised that you let them live my lord, seeing all the trouble that they had caused. If Zeno had seen anything, it could cost you your life.”

The thought of him being erased did not escape his mind, making him gulp before responding. “I will beg if I have to, I believe this was the smartest choice for me to deal with the situation. Hopefully he will understand if he discovers the truth.”

Ken looked to the sky above him to see Leo enter the planet’s atmosphere, quickly descending towards him and landing on the field.

“Report,” The general commanded as he walked over to Leo, the Father of Ultra reaching out and helping his comrade up to his feet.

“There was no Ultraman upon this Earth, but it is well guarded, we have made powerful allies for if the dreaded day Belial returns occurs.” A sense of pride filled his tone, knowing that this reality would be more than capable of defending themselves against Belial’s power. While the situation at hand would be dreadful if they would need to team up against a foe, he hoped to one day see his new allies under different circumstances one day.

“That is a relief at the very least. Come, we must return home and prepare. I want all the details as we travel, understood?”

“Yes commander.”

And with that, the two Ultramen took to the sky, a sense of hope entering their minds as they began their journey.

***

Earth, Years Later

West City, the advanced megalopolis, was home to the Capsule Corporation, as well as other major companies. The hustle and bustle of everyday life in the city continued like normal. People from all walks of life called the expansive urban jungle home. One person in particular walked down the sidewalk as he ate ramen out of an instant ramen cup. He glanced to his left as he admired the massive Randosel Tower in the distance. His outfit was unassuming, wearing a jean jacket with an orange shirt, attached to the belt that held up his pants was a gray and red container.

Riku Asakura took a seat on a park bench as he admired the urban scenery. A panda man was selling hot dogs on the street corner and a human woman looked like she was late for a business meeting or something like that, with many other kinds of people sprinkled throughout his field of view. Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble as many civilians began to run in a panic.

From the center of a massive park, the grassy terrain began to bulge and expand before being broken entirely. A terrible roar emanated from the fresh chasm as a sharp-faced terracotta-colored kaiju rose from the ground. Telesdon clawed itself out from the pit it had dug. Riku exhaled a hot breath as he chugged the last of his ramen broth, tossing the empty container in the trash.

The young man raised one hand to reveal his silver, red and black Riser. With the other hand he grabbed two capsules from the container on his belt. Riku walked towards the emerging Telesdon as he placed the capsules in his Riser before pulling the mechanism’s trigger. Two apparitions appeared behind Riku, one being Ultraman Lipiah surrounded by calm blue energy. The second being was surrounded in harsh purple energy as the dark malevolent form of Belial himself appeared behind Riku.

The beings merged into Riku as a brilliant white light enveloped his body, the light growing to massive size before it dissipated. Standing before the confused Telesdon was an Ultraman, one decorated with black, red, and silver markings. Scalene-triangular sky blue eyes stared down the subterranean monster. He crouched slightly as he entered a fighting pose, his left arm outstretched with his right arm pulled back, his fingers curled slightly like claws.

Despite being his first time ever transforming, Riku couldn’t just sit still and do nothing. He couldn’t afford to wait for the World Champion Hercule or Great Saiyaman to arrive, not when he had the power to do something right here and now. Right now it was Ultraman Geed’s turn to protect everyone.

Winner: Piccolo

To tribute Akira Toriyama (1955-2024). You were an inspiration to children and fiction across the world, creating one of the most iconic settings in not only anime and manga, but pop culture as a whole. You changed the very industry forever with your stories of a boy traveling the world with his friends. You were one of our heroes. May you rest in peace in the Other World.